The guardian was already quite troublesome, and now these troublemakers were added to the mix.
These unexpected guests made the three leaders of the Black Crow feel that things were getting a bit tricky.
But this tricky feeling was just beginning. With their Spirit Sensing, these three leaders quickly discovered something even more troubling.
They could distinctly sense several familiar auras of Spirit Power emanating from these unexpected guests.
These familiar auras of Spirit Power belonged to the same group that had shattered Mugen's Wire Puppet.
"Well, isn't this a gathering of foes? Things are getting interesting," the Wizard disguised as an old man said, his voice shifting to a feminine tone.
"You should be glad that you're here facing a newly advanced Wizard, far better than you, who is neither male nor female, neither young nor old," Mugen retorted. These two couldn't stop bickering, completely disregarding the disadvantageous situation they were in.
Standing beside Qi Liu was none other than the Great Witch Biggs. After advancing to the Gray Robe rank, she lost her old and feeble look and appeared increasingly younger, which astonished Qi Liu.
That a Wizard's advancement could alter their appearance was something most people wouldn't have expected. Even the Great Witch Biggs herself had no idea why this was happening. She was aware that a Wizard's Spirit Sensing technique could impact one's appearance due to the principle of Equivalent Exchange: to gain something, one must lose something. However, Biggs could not figure out why she was becoming younger after her advancement. According to the Equivalent Exchange theory, shouldn't I be aging more due to the increased Natural Force I've harnessed from the advancement?
Of course, Biggs had the time to ponder this matter because she had finally gained a moment to breathe after their constant travel. Now, she had the chance to truly appreciate the joy of her advancement.
"The Wind Wizard robe you've always craved is within reach, why don't you go grab it?" Mugen taunted Wizard Gus again. Regardless of their transformation into the Darkness Type, the feud between the Alchemist and the Wizard seemed unchangeable.
"Don't get distracted. We have only one temporary opponent now. Although we have crossed paths before, our target has changed, so we shouldn't have any conflict with them," another leader of the Black Crow calmly said. He was the most composed among the three, quietly locked in a duel with the man by the stone.
His analysis was reasonable. Their previous target had been Hustace, which naturally led to conflict with these unexpected guests. But now their objective had changed, and Hustace was no longer important to them, so they shouldn't seek further conflict with this group.
However, what he didn't know was that the man beside the stone had crossed paths with one of these unexpected guests a long time ago.
"You. Yes, you. You love. To gamble. And rely. On luck. This time. Are you. Gambling. Again?" Stan Sol asked in his unique, deliberate way, addressing the man not far away.
He was talking to the man smoking his pipe by the stone, a man with three loves in his life: smoking, squinting, and relying on luck.
Estev was the deputy chief of the Liuli City Court of Guards. He had abandoned his post without permission, disappearing from Liuli City only to reappear here at Dawn Peak on Guru Mountain. At this moment, he was smoking his pipe and squinting. Whether he was actually gambling on his luck, only he knew.
"I always believe in my luck. This time is no exception. I am a gambler," Estev exhaled a smoke ring, answering casually.
"Oh, look at that, these two know each other," Wizard Gus said mockingly.
"So what?" Mugen shot him a disdainful glance.
However, their surprise didn't interrupt the conversation between Estev and Stan Sol.
"Gamblers. Also. Have times. When they. Bust," Stan Sol stated.
"That's my own luck, my friend. How about you? Have you found what you were looking for?"
"The rewards. Far greater. Than. Expected," Stan Sol answered.
"You. Truly. Are. Good at. Hiding. Aren't you?"
"I didn't realize you were an ancient Hunter. I misjudged you."
"Likewise. Likewise. I. Too. Did not. Expect. You. To be. Our family's. Ally."
These two chatted, ignoring everything else around them. Despite this infuriating demeanor, the three leaders of the Black Crow could do nothing but suppress their anger. Other than exchanging barbs, they were helpless.
"With. The strength. Of one. To hold off. Three. You. Indeed. Do justice. To the name. Soul Guardian."
Stan Sol highly esteemed Estev. He couldn't discern what method Estev was using, but he could sense the tension of the standoff. The three who practiced Dark Arts were temporarily unable to advance and remained immobilized. Estev appeared relaxed, but in reality, he was strenuously releasing his Spirit Power. This Spirit Power seemed to be forming an array that trapped the three of them.
"I'm just lucky, that's all," Estev answered playfully. He knew inwardly that he couldn't afford to relax; he was only trying to lighten the mood and ease his own pressure.
"I. Will come. To lend. You. A hand," Stan Sol declared, flourishing his cloak as he strode towards the stone.
"Not good!" the usually calm Black Crow leader exclaimed in surprise. He had already sensed something was amiss and had been secretly gathering his power, but he hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI(F)ire.net
"Lord Jani, is it too risky?" Mugen asked hastily, wiping sweat from his brow.
"We're already at this point, what's there to ask?" Wizard Gus said urgently. "Retreating unscathed would be easy, but how would we face the big boss then? Stop blabbering and take everything out of the box!"
"Things have come to this. Only by taking a risk can we repay the big boss's kindness in recognizing our talents," Jani, the one with bronze skin, said gravely, as if he had made a momentous decision.
"Honestly, being with you conservative types is such a waste of time. I've been itching to try these secret techniques for ages! Remember, the advanced Wind Wizard is mine," Wizard Gus chattered, seeming to enter an altered state.
Instantly, as if they had taken some kind of drug, the three Black Crow leaders underwent a dramatic transformation in their appearance.
The moment Stan Sol strode towards the stone, the three Black Crow leaders activated their trump card secret techniques—shortcuts in the Dark Arts that could temporarily boost their strength.
At the same time, Qi Liu, the born Politician, also responded accordingly. A great battle was about to erupt. If these onlookers weren't prepared, they could easily become cannon fodder.
Knowing how to evade was also a skill, and these were the preparations Qi Liu made.
Of course, Bunan, who was behind him, also suggested a plan to Qi Liu: run away quickly.
Qi Liu didn't entirely dismiss Bunan's words, spoken in a trembling voice, but he knew it wasn't a good plan.
Where else could we escape to? The Alchemy Workshop has laid all sorts of traps on the mountain, both up and down. Even if we escape, we'd just fall into the hands of another group, and that group isn't any better.
Qi Liu couldn't forget the recent events for a long time. The Alchemy Workshop, Stan Sol, the Glorious Seven Knights—these interconnected matters led Qi Liu, a natural Politician, to intentionally or unintentionally overhear many things...