As a Hunter, Stan Sol possessed a profound, innate understanding of all kinds of traps.
Every trap had a disguise, but sometimes, even if you saw through it, you couldn't guarantee you wouldn't fall in.
Apparently, the trap set by the enemy lurking behind him was very sophisticated. This trap had no disguise at all. Unconsciously, one would find oneself trapped in his Maze Array, unable to escape.
Even now, Stan Sol had not fully fathomed this Maze Array, nor where its weakness lay. Apart from sensing a strange aura around him, he had discovered nothing else.
It seemed the trap set by this opponent transcended his scope of understanding.
However, many things in this world subtly change without one realizing it, and these changes might directly cause the entire situation to develop in a completely opposite direction.
Stan Sol reined in his thoughts. Although he had reached a certain tacit understanding with the Alchemist he was fighting, the battle was still ongoing. The other party wasn't holding back, so he couldn't relax either.
The world changed so fast. In his mind, Alchemists were a group of old gentlemen gazing at minerals through glasses, yet the Alchemist now standing before him was a Soldier brimming with combat strength. Perhaps before long, Scholars could also casually step onto the dueling ground...
Sharkmon's desire to fight was strong. It seemed the Spirit Power of the two Alchemists on the other side was abundant. The Sharkmon, transforming into various weapons, constantly opened its invisible mouth with a SNAPPING sound. It seemed that as soon as there was an opening, it could devour its long-coveted feast of Spirit Power.
"Be careful!" Joela raised his arm to block the Sharkmon's spear-like thrust. Brad, seeing this, immediately launched a heavy blow at Stan Sol.
Stan Sol had no choice but to raise the Sharkmon in his hands to block this heavy fist.
The two Alchemists cooperated seamlessly. He had no time to concentrate his Spirit Power. Although Sharkmon had thick skin, it had been struck several times by the Frenzied Fist. If its Spirit Power wasn't replenished in time, it might suddenly enter a dormant state.
A dormant Sharkmon was not much different from ordinary cloth.
So, while controlling Sharkmon, he could only continuously feed it with his own Spirit Power, leaving no opportunity to condense Spirit Energy Items.
A stalemate. If an outsider witnessed this fight, they would definitely make such a judgment.
Although the Alchemists were fighting two against one, the Sharkmon in Stan Sol's hands should also be considered a combat unit, so this fight was actually two-on-two.
Besides, there was no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. People always strove to achieve their goals, and to do so, they would resort to any means necessary.
Just like Stan Sol, who needed to find his brother as soon as possible and resolve the doubts that had troubled him for so long. Before he found his brother, anything that hindered him had to be eliminated.
So, he released his Battle Pet Fiery Blaze and awakened the Rare Sharkmon, all so he could proceed smoothly.
Joela endured several of Sharkmon's snapping attacks, silently marveling at the peculiarities of such rare creatures. Being bitten by the Sharkmon caused his Spirit Power to continuously drain. Thankfully, he had his Diamond Body for protection. Otherwise, being continuously gnawed by the Sharkmon would be no laughing matter.
Joela was also relieved that Stan Sol had summoned Sharkmon instead of that flame. If it had been that flame, his Diamond Body would offer no defense at all.
The power of fire was unquestionable. This Natural Force always superseded any art, which was also an important reason why the Wizard Alliance held a paramount status throughout the continent.
As long as a Wizard advanced to Gray Robe, they could basically master a type of Natural Force, whether it was wind, fire, water, or electricity. Even a little mastery would make them appear overwhelmingly powerful in combat.
Take a Flame Wizard, for example. Once he unleashed a Sea of Fire, everything would be burned to ashes. Even gold, normally resistant to fire, would turn into molten gold under intense flames. Therefore, if you encountered a combatant who mastered a Natural Force, no matter how strong your defensive arts were, it would be difficult to resist their fierce assault.
So, Joela was relieved that the opponent had only released Sharkmon to fight.
It wasn't that Joela and his companion were lacking in strength, but when facing an unknown enemy, they still needed to reserve some of their power. If they went all out now, they would be at a great disadvantage when facing unknown opponents later.
A pyrrhic victory, where both sides suffered heavily, might be precisely what the hidden enemy desired most.
The best way to expose the hidden enemy's weaknesses was to make them lower their guard.
But how to make the enemy lower their guard was a question Joela and Stan Sol had been considering throughout their fight. It was also the key factor for them to reach a certain level of tacit understanding.
Everyone has moments when they relax: when tired, when joyful, their emotions naturally ease, leading to a slackening of their Spirit Power. However, Stan Sol and Joela clearly couldn't let the hidden enemy become fatigued or joyful, because the enemy showed no signs, and they had no way to lure them into revealing themselves.
All they could do was stake everything on a single gamble.
However, in a gamble, blind confidence is the most likely factor to cause one to bet on the wrong side. This blind confidence often stems from a previous streak of good luck.
When everything goes as you expect, you begin to feel that the world is so simple, so simple you could predict future events with your eyes closed... Once such a thought crosses your mind, then your thinking, your Spirit Power, will undoubtedly have slackened.
Stan Sol and Joela were betting on precisely this.
Give the enemy what they desire; let them follow their own assumptions. Show the enemy exactly what they want to see.
So Joela, without hesitation, ordered Hector to attack, and Hector executed this task perfectly. He forced Baharo to use every skill at his disposal: Sword Dance, Spirit Power control, Stealth Cloud Step. Baharo displayed all the abilities a Hunter should possess.
Their battle was a trap.
And it was a trap without any disguise!
No matter who it was, seeing the current state of these five individuals, no one would dare claim they were merely acting or feigning combat.
The scars on Stan Sol, Brad's depleted Spirit Power, the shattered remnants of Joela's Diamond Body, the whip marks on Baharo's face, Hector's injured arm... every detail indicated these individuals were fighting desperately. The subtle act of concealing their true strength, perhaps only those present on the scene could discern it.
This trap was undisguised, yet it was full of temptation.
Regardless of whether the enemy took the bait, the sheer intensity of their battle would instill a certain degree of blind confidence in them.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan, which appeared favorable, but in reality, it was fraught with risks.