Barnett watched as the people inside the barrier removed some strange objects from their backs and fiddled with them before aiming in his direction.
What were they doing? Was that a type of weapon?
The dark muzzles of the objects seemed familiar to him, reminiscent of the tubular weapons used by the primitive tribes in the southern rainforests, capable of launching darts or emitting poison gas.
Could they be planning to kill him with darts or poison gas? Hah, what a joke.
While sneering, Barnett spoke to Paul, “Mortal, your soldiers are very competent, using such rudimentary equipment yet displaying knight-like bravery and loyalty. I’m curious how you managed to train them.”
“I admit they’ve caused me some minor troubles, but that’s all they’ll ever amount to!”
“I’ll let you die understanding. The one you eliminated, Gaden, was my subordinate. Without him, I have to make some minor adjustments to my original plan.”
“It really troubles me, a perfectionist like myself, to see a flaw in what was once a smooth plan. A beautiful thing is now tainted, so… you, who caused this, must die to clear this knot in my heart.”
“Scoff if you will, but hate your own weakness, hate this cruel world where the fate of the weak is manipulated by the strong. Gaden was to you what you are to me, nothing more!” Read complete version only at novel⚑fire.net
Do all these villains love to prattle on? Paul thought irritably, glancing outside at the lunatic. He whispered to the female advisor beside him, “When I count to three, you drop this… this ‘barrier’.”
Ladi nodded slightly, already drenched in sweat, looking like she could collapse at any moment.
“As soon as the ‘barrier’ drops, open fire, understood?”
Barnett, still hammering away at the barrier, taunted them upon seeing Paul talking to the girl beside him.
“Haha, are you saying your final goodbyes to that whore? Don’t worry, I’ll send you both to hell together. Traitors are more despicable than enemies!”
“Have you already had a taste of that little wench?”
As soon as he finished counting, Ladi spread her clasped hands, and the protective barrier vanished.
Barnett was elated, thinking the people inside had given up resistance and he could finally rush in for a massacre.
Just then, the strange tubes in the soldiers’ hands flashed with fire, followed by a booming sound.
As the saying goes, one’s precautions against unknown dangers cannot exceed their own established beliefs, and this applied to Barnett as well.
A wizard specializing in close combat, he reveled in the thrill of defeating enemies barehanded, rarely using weapons. However, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy’s weapons was also crucial for victory. Apart from mastering various spells to greatly enhance physical abilities, he also extensively studied the weapons of the era, earning him the title of a weapon master.
The Grayman family’s troops neither had powerful ballistae nor blunt weapons for armor-piercing. A simple “Stone Skin Spell” was more than enough to handle their swords.
To guard against the sole archer, he had even cast a “Danger Sense”.
And under his “Giant Strength Spell”, the enemy soldiers were no more than infants to him.
It seemed impossible for anything to go wrong.
However, as the booming sound erupted from the opposite side, Barnett suddenly felt a wave of panic. This was a warning from his “Danger Sense”.
“Danger Sense” worked before the imminent danger, not when someone was simply aiming an arrow at him. The alarm would only trigger if, after an arrow was shot, its trajectory was sure to hit him.
Such immense danger, enough to induce panic in him, was something he had never encountered before.
Typical arrows travel at speeds of 50-90 m/s, with kinetic energy usually less than 200 joules.
With such ‘lethargic’ speeds, Barnett could easily dodge these threats, thanks to his agility honed over many years.
Barnett could never have imagined a weapon far more convenient and easier to operate than a powerful crossbow, capable of firing metal bullets at initial velocities of 300-400 m/s, with kinetic energy nearing 2000 joules.
This was a firearm. In front of a gun, even real plate armor was as fragile as paper.
Unaware of concepts like kinetic energy and initial velocity, Barnett could not fathom the existence of such a terrifying weapon.
At this distance, all ten bullets struck their target. Their speed was so fast that barely after his “Danger Sense” had reacted, Barnett felt intense pain in his abdomen and legs, with no time to respond.
The wizard wondered, “What just happened?”
Looking down at his abdomen, from where the intense pain emanated, he saw a horrifying sight.
His stomach had several large holes, blood gushing out continuously, and along with the blood… were those intestines?
Dizzy, Barnett collapsed to the ground with a thud.
How was this possible?
What kind of weapon was that?
Why didn’t my “Stone Skin Spell” work?
Recalling the moments, Barnett felt as if he had been punched several times the instant the booming sound occurred. Then came the burning sensation, excruciating pain, and numbness spreading throughout his body.
Struggling to stand, his equally wounded thigh refused to muster any strength, only endless pain and numbness.
What terrified him even more was that his intestines slid out of the abdominal wounds as he struggled.
Fear instantly consumed the wizard’s mind, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“No! This can’t be real!”
Barnett yelled in a cry, frantically stuffing his intestines back into his stomach and covering the wound.
But there were too many holes to plug, and no matter how hard he tried, it was futile.
As the blood flow increased, the wizard’s consciousness blurred, his heart beating slower and slower.
“I am… I am Barnett of the Arcane Society, a… powerful mage!”
“How could I… possibly lose to mere mortals!”
As death neared, Barnett’s fear dissipated, leaving only endless regret.
“I still had… so much to do…”
Finally, he stopped breathing, his arm falling limply, his eyes open but devoid of any light.
Gunshots sounded again, hitting Barnett’s corpse with two more bullets.
Paul, not taking any chances with such an unusual enemy, ordered his soldiers to fire two additional shots.
Watching the motionless body on the ground, Paul exhaled deeply, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
It seemed the enemy was indeed thoroughly defeated.