"What? You said we're in trouble?! Big trouble?!" Barrett's face twitched as he heard EeDeChi beside him say this.
My captain! Aren't you supposed to be strong? Are you at a loss too? Barrett was genuinely anxious now. This wasn't just an act anymore; he started to panic, his heart racing uncontrollably. He quietly pressed his fingers against a pocket on his pants, forcing himself to stay calm.
As the Lord of Despair Clovis had said, experienced adventurers have many tricks up their sleeves. Barrett had a small magical artifact in his pants, which he had scavenged from the residence of a deceased mage. This artifact could dispel most binding magic, including "Petrification".
Back then, he had used this magical artifact to withstand three "Petrification Gazes" and had slain Medusa, rescuing a merchant caravan.
The longsword was right behind the seat, within easy reach. First, he needed to focus his will, activate the magical artifact, then come up with a topic to chat about, lure Clovis in close, and when he was within arm's length, swiftly draw his sword and launch a surprise attack…
Barrett's face was filled with fear, but his mind was racing, rapidly devising a strategy.
But the problem was, even the usually invincible EeDeChi was saying, "We're in big trouble"! Could he really defeat the the Lord of Despair Clovis? Barrett felt his nerves tightening, with no confidence at all.
"This is really a big trouble now," EeDeChi said, her eyes drooping as she sighed. "I'm so tired, and it's already deep into the night. We're out here in the middle of nowhere, the horses ran away, and we're two outsiders who don't know the area. How are we supposed to get home? Are we going to have to spend the night in the carriage?"
Barrett twitched at the corners of his mouth; this trouble was indeed big.
Clovis slowly walked up to EeDeChi. He smiled and said, "It seems this unlikable lady hasn't yet realized her predicament."
With that, he held his longsword up, using the tip to lift EeDeChi's chin slightly, and with a smirk, he added, "Lady, please look up and see the last handsome man in your life."
EeDeChi, probably due to her exhaustion, kept her head down and ignored him.
In terms of appearance, the Lord of Despair Clovis was indeed very handsome. With a devilish smile, he held the sword tip under EeDeChi's chin, applying force to lift her head. He wanted this defiant woman to see his handsome face clearly, so she would remember the man who killed her.
He gently lifted, but EeDeChi's head didn't budge.
He put in a bit more effort, and EeDeChi's head still didn't move.
He tried again, lifting harder, but EeDeChi's head remained immovable.
Was her chin made of iron? Why was it so heavy? the Lord of Despair Clovis felt a surge of anger, veins bulging on his arm as he strained with all his might to lift the sword.
But EeDeChi was like a statue, her head not moving at all.
Clovis stopped trying to lift the sword. His subordinates were watching, and this was becoming embarrassing. He gritted his teeth and thrust the sword forward, aiming to kill the girl directly!
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The sword tip, which had been resting on EeDeChi's chin, now jabbed straight into her throat!
But Clovis didn't feel the sword pierce the girl's throat or the satisfaction of blood splattering. Instead, he was horrified to find that the blade pressed against EeDeChi's throat felt like it was against an Adamantite-enchanted shield—he couldn't push it in even a fraction!
the Lord of Despair Clovis stepped forward, gripping the hilt tightly and forcing the sword, but it still wouldn't penetrate the seemingly soft throat.
The sword tip met an impenetrable, seemingly delicate throat, while behind it was Clovis's powerful, domain-enhanced push. It was like trying to ram a steel rod into an iron plate—the entire sword was bending!
EeDeChi stared at the bent sword against her throat and frowned. "I don't have time for your little sword-to-throat show. Last chance—are you pulling this carriage or not?"
Clovis jumped back three steps, creating distance and adopting a defensive stance. His face was now icy and devoid of any previous ease. The five black-clad assassins around also stepped back, clearly shocked by EeDeChi's unexpected display of strength.
"Interesting! Finally, some fun!" Clovis licked his lips, his voice tinged with excitement. "As expected from someone Princess Renner values. Your defense is as tough as dragon scales. Is this Martial Art? Or is it your Innate Talent?"
EeDeChi's face was expressionless. She stood up from the carriage seat and then stepped down. Seeing her dismount effortlessly, Barrett thought the binding magic had faded and tried to straighten up, but he was still immobilized, his body seeming to be glued to the seat like it was coated with alchemical adhesive.
"Fascinating! Fascinating! To break a 3rd Tier binding magic without any effort, your magical resistance is also extraordinary. But!" Clovis smiled maliciously, his eyes glowing red and his face growing more ferocious and excited, like a beast in an arena finally catching the scent of blood, its iron claws scraping the ground, ready to pounce.
"In my domain, no one can defeat me!"
Martial Art · Sharp Blade!
Martial Art · Phantom Dance Steps!
Martial Art · Surge of Energy!
Despair Domain! Fully activated!
In the pitch-black domain, a tidal wave of aura erupted from where Clovis stood. A fierce wind surged, battering their faces, whipping EeDeChi's short hair around and making her loose robes flutter and snap.
In an instant, Clovis vanished from sight, like a drop of ink dissolving into a pot of black dye. Looking around, all that could be seen was an expanse of darkness. This boundless, profound domain was Clovis's ultimate shield.
A thin silver thread sliced through the black sky like a narrow blade, heading straight for EeDeChi.
"Smack!"
A heavy, dull thud rang out in the night sky. It was not a crisp sound, but mixed with the crunch of shattered bones and the burst of liquid.
Clovis's face contorted as if struck by a millstone. His lips, nostrils, and eyes twisted grotesquely, and a few teeth flew out with saliva. His longsword was flung from his hand.
The Lord of Despair was sent flying with his teeth, spinning in the air three times before crashing to the ground with a thud, unmoving.
The scene fell into stunned silence. Barrett snapped out of his daze quickly. He activated the magic artifact in his pants pocket with his mental power to dispel the binding magic, drew his longsword, and jumped from the carriage, skewering the nearest assassin's chest with the tip of his sword.
The other four assassins stood stunned, their curved blades still lowered. They seemed unable to accept that their leader, once so formidable, now lay dead on the ground. Even the sight of their teammate being killed failed to snap them out of their shock.
Seizing the moment, Barrett sprinted rapidly, slashing one assassin's throat and then piercing another's heart.
With the sound of three more bodies hitting the ground, the remaining two assassins finally came to their senses. But they were utterly demoralized, trembling, and dropped their curved blades, fleeing in terror.
Barrett retrieved two flying axes from his spatial ring, spinning them in his strong arms. The enchanted silver axes flew out, taking down the last two assassins.
"Is it over?" EeDeChi clapped her hands and wiped a streak of blood from them.
Watching Barrett eliminate the five assassins with blood splattering everywhere, she frowned. "It's so bloody."
Barrett shrugged, too lazy to respond. When others are coming to take your life, worrying about the brutality of the scene seems like a mindset only a powerful person would have.
Despite all the enemies lying dead on the ground in various positions, the area around the carriage remained pitch black, with no visible surroundings. They seemed to be standing in thick ink. The effects of the "Despair Domain" still persisted, with the black bowl of darkness still covering their heads.