Chapter 131: Chapter 97: Aah—Stop Fighting

"Hm?"

Watching the bullets get shot down, Wei’en knew it would be difficult to harm them any further. He reluctantly put away his firearm. ’Looks like this is as far as I can go today,’ he thought.

"You two from the Vazquez Race, I’m very curious. What is your goal in targeting the Ceres Clan so relentlessly?"

"You don’t really think you can get away, do you? Elno, attack!"

"Oakley, Des, Toma." A flash of aurora light appeared.

"Nico, Ruke."

Wei’en blinked a hundred meters away. He watched as the phantom clone was shredded by a blade of light and Elno fell under his charm once more. He couldn’t help but laugh. "Now, you still think I can’t escape?"

"Damn it!"

Collins’s tentacles shattered the clone, and he immediately followed up with a vicious strike against Elno.

"Forget it, I’m done playing with you. Next time we meet, you won’t be so lucky."

"You!?"

Before Collins could speak, Wei’en had already grabbed Tina and blinked another hundred meters away. Since he couldn’t win, there was no need to stay.

Elno came to his senses, a headache blooming as he stared at the two new phantom clones that had appeared. "A Blink Spell that can split off clones, and it can use charm too?"

"This person is very strange. On the surface, he’s using Magic from the Spiritual Mystery School, but his body is clearly much stronger than other Wizard Apprentices. And most importantly, those bullets of his..."

Collins’s expression was dark as he watched Wei’en disappear into the secret passage. "I told you before not to focus all your attention on your clan’s bloodline." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

He thought about the bullets, tainted with the power of deathly corruption, and the speed at which their opponent had fled. It was completely different from any Wizard of the Spiritual Mystery School he had ever seen.

His physical strength alone could crush most Spirit Secret Mages, but he seemed to have a much smaller repertoire of Magic.

If he were a true Spirit Secret Mage, in an enclosed space like this, he and Elno would have probably started running long ago.

"...So, are we still going after him?"

"We’re turning back. He was right. If we delay any longer, none of us will be able to leave."

"But..."

"We’ll have other chances. The most important thing now is to take Gengrich, and also that... Let’s go!"

With that, Collins turned and left without hesitation.

Elno shot a hateful glare in the direction of the exit, then followed him back the way they came. ’Next time, next time, I’ll definitely increase my Spiritual Power!’

’They’re gone?’

On the other side, Wei’en, who had already left the secret passage, noticed the two weren’t following him and couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

He had just used three consecutive Blinks to escape the passage, consuming more than half of his Spiritual Power.

"They’re gone?"

At that moment, Sayam sensed that the two were no longer in pursuit. He stared into the depths of the secret passage, his thoughts unreadable.

"Yeah. It’s a good thing they didn’t follow..."

"Investigator Wei’en, please don’t speak of what happened today, for now. I’m begging you."

"Hm?" Wei’en thought for a moment before replying, "I can refrain from speaking about it publicly, but the Secret Investigation Department has its own internal procedures... I’m sorry."

Sayam glanced at him. "Thank you."

"Don’t mention it." Wei’en turned to look at the Nocturnal City in the distance, and at the guards rushing in their direction. "Looks like we’ve stirred up the hornets’ nest here..."

"Baba, look out!"

Even without Xiaoxi’s warning, Wei’en, whose nerves were stretched taut, had already grabbed Tina and blinked a hundred meters away. His crimson eyes, as if veiled by a film of blood, were fixed deadly on the old nobleman.

"You want to kill me?"

Sayam now held a short sword, which he had just run through one of the phantom clones. He continued to brandish the blade, stabbing it back and forth while muttering incessantly.

"Die, just die! Why aren’t you dead yet?"

"Now you should be dead, right? Hahaha..."

"Die, you bastard! Damn you Vasquez People, damn you..."

’Is it a charm, or something else?’

Wei’en directly summoned the Mechanical Gate. He didn’t know why Sayam had attacked him, but since the man had made his move, he couldn’t be blamed for what came next.

CLICK.

Wei’en took out the Six-Barreled Shotgun and casually loaded it. The cold touch of the metal made his gaze even more somber.

’If Xiaoxi hadn’t warned me, just now I would have...’

"Wei’en... brother." Tina tugged on the corner of his clothes, her vacant eyes fixed on him.

"Hm?"

Hearing her voice, clarity returned to Wei’en’s eyes. He looked at the white-haired girl beside him. "Thank you, Tina."

He had noticed the notifications on his panel and understood that he had just been subjected to an external influence.

[You have been eroded by the Origin of the Lord of Desire, Mitra (Favored One). Because your Spirit level is far lower than your opponent’s, you have been affected by the Power of the Origin of Desire.

You are afflicted by bloodlust, the urge to kill...

Evaluation: You have disturbed Him. Special Reward: Survival Points +5, Origin +1.]

[With the help of your Contract Power (Calamity), you have successfully resisted the erosion of the Power of the Origin of Desire. Evaluation: I take back my previous recommendation that you dissolve the contract. Otherwise, I’d have to find a new... Special Reward: Survival Points +5, Spirit Level +2.]

’Mitra?’

’No wonder Sayam attacked me out of the blue.’

Wei’en turned his head to look at the distant Nocturnal City. He would remember this grievance for now.

Thinking of this, he gripped his shotgun, aimed it at the sky, and fired a shot into the air.

BANG!

The massive gunshot echoed endlessly in the depths beneath the ground, causing slight tremors.

"I’ll kill you, you damn... Huh?" The sound startled the old nobleman awake. He looked around. "I... what happened to me?"

"It’s nothing. You probably just survived a great disaster, and your Spirit was corrupted."

"Is that so? It really is... I’m sorry, I didn’t hurt you, did I?"

"No." Wei’en casually tossed the shotgun into the Mechanical Gate. "What do you plan to do next?"