I rocketed through the air at break-neck speed, the wind whipping against my face so hard it entered my mouth and made my lips flop funnily. Thank fuck I just underwent a Class Evolution because if not for that, Morgan's magic would have already broken my spine in ten different places. As it was, my back only hurt a bit as if I just got the services of a sadistic masseuse.
But I immediately forgot about my back pain as I neared my destination: the mansion's front yard where a large group of mercenaries were shouting in alarm. I could tell they were veterans at the job because they didn't even panic. As soon as they saw me rocketing through the air like a ballistic missile, their long-ranged units instantly began peppering me with projectiles. Skill-enhanced arrows and magical bolts flew my way, and I enacted my defensive measure: activating the Suck all over my body so that all projectiles that hit me would instantly go to my stomach.
And then it happened. My mismatched armor, which I had painstakingly handpicked from dozens of armor sets just to find ones that fit me, immediately got Sucked. Not just that, but also everything else I wore underneath, leaving me as naked as the day Ma brought me out to the world.
“FUUUUCK!”
The projectiles arrived, and though my plan worked and all the attacks were effectively Sucked, that was the last thing on my mind as I landed on the ground with an earth-shattering impact.
•••••
“Send orders to Team 2 to reinforce our position!” Sennet shouted with desperation. “Archers and casters, bombard that landing point with everything you have! Frontliners, surround the area and get ready for contact!”
Sennet's men were quick to obey his orders, their movements as slick as a well-oiled machine. Usually, it would have bolstered his pride to see such efficient teamwork in his mercenary company, Metal Fury. Unfortunately, today was shaping up to be a bad day.
If Sennet had any say in the matter, he would have hightailed it out of the city the day the Governor put a new Constable in power. It was rare for a city to have a Constable. They were the bane of all criminals, and thus, they were under the constant threat of elimination by concerned parties. People appointed to the position of Constable were usually those that the nobles wanted dead but wanted their hands clean of any suspicion. Unlike in ages past, the position had been turned into one that symbolized certain death for the poor bastard appointed to it.
However, things didn't turn out as Sennet and everyone else thought they would. The Shadow Guild, known as the boogeymen of the criminal underworld, had attempted the murder of Shieldhold's Constable twice and failed both times. It was stunning news that should have warned Sennet that things were not the way they should be, especially after they received news earlier of the Constable surviving the trap set especially for him in the Siren's Call. Sennet should have left Shieldhold back then.
Alas, Sennet's security contract with his current client was inviolable. One just didn't breach a contract made with Carmen Grayshield and expect to get off without consequences.
Because of the security contract, Sennet had to guard the mansion from all attackers. It was supposed to be free money as no one was usually insane enough to attack the home of a noble. Unfortunately for Sennet, it looks like he was going to have to work for his pay tonight. And after he realized that it was the Constable himself who just landed in their midst, he would have to work hard.
The air crackled with the noise of magic and Skill-enhanced arrows as the archers and mages bombarded the Constable's landing point with everything they had. Everyone had already been informed of the Constable's powerful healing capability, and so they flooded the area with a mighty barrage that aimed to reduce the man into nothing but ash as soon as possible.
Fireballs, lightning strikes, explosive arrows, and anti-heal poison fogs were some of the powerful attacks the mercenaries sent flying towards the landing point, churning up dust that obscured the area.
“Is he still alive?” Sennet asked one of the healers. One of their abilities was to detect life and vitality even through the thickest of walls and fog.
The healer was pale as he nodded at Sennet. “The Constable's vitality had never reduced a bit since we began the barrage, Captain. It is still flowing and bright and… endless.”
Sennet cursed. What kind of monster were they dealing with? “Keep up the barrage! Don't let—”
Sennet didn't get to finish his sentence before his healer shouted in alarm. “He's moving!”
A huge figure charged forth from the thick cloud of dust, colliding with the line of warriors surrounding the landing point. The men who tried to block the figure were sent flying like ragdolls from the force of the charge.
The battlefield went quiet as the mercenaries stared at the huge figure. More than two meters tall, the man known as the Constable stood naked amidst the backdrop of the crater of his landing. Every inch of his body was packed with pure muscle, exhibiting no mark nor sign of the brutal barrage that they had unleashed on the man. His bearded face held a neutral expression as if this was just a normal day for him, his eyes roving over each of the mercenaries surrounding him.
For a few seconds, the battlefield was completely quiet as the mercenaries stared at the Constable with apprehension. The quiet was broken when Sennet shouted at his men. “What are you waiting for, you drooling idiots? Kill him!”
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The moment Sennet finished speaking, the Constable's gaze focused on him. The big man spoke. “Ah, found the leader. Thanks for making my job easier.”
The Constable opened his mouth wide, and then the same barrage of attacks they'd been sending toward the man came flooding out and obliterated Sennet's position.
•••••
I was loving every damn moment of my new Class. Not only was I now practically immune to any projectile, physical or magical, I could fucking return them to sender.
“Captain Sennet is dead!” one of the mercenaries cried as I finished regurgitating all the attacks I Sucked onto the man who was giving orders. That should help sow more chaos in the enemy.
“You're gonna die for that, exhibitionist!” a big warrior shouted in rage as he came at me, swinging his warhammer at my noggin. Like me, the bastard's movements were slow, so I easily dodged his attack and swung my dual axes, executing a double chop on his neck. His armor got in the way.
Before I could go for another strike, I felt more projectiles and magic striking me in the back only to end up getting Sucked. My new Skill was a powerful defense, but as I realized earlier mid-flight, it was not as absolute as I thought. Ordinary arrows were easily Sucked, but for anything that contained magic, I could only Suck maybe a tenth of their mana content before the rest ended up wreaking havoc on my body. The tenth I Sucked could then either be absorbed into my mana pool or regurgitated as a return-to-sender counterattack.
But despite ninety percent of the attack still reaching my body, the damage was negligible. Any magic I couldn't Suck had to go through my body's natural resistances, and if they did pierce through my defenses, Greater Regeneration erased the wounds in seconds.
I was nigh-immortal on this battlefield.
More warriors arrived and surrounded me, which actually worked against their favor. The idiots just blocked their ranged allies' line of sight.
Blades and maces struck my body as the warriors charged in, but to my honest surprise, even those were vulnerable to getting Sucked in, leaving my enemies weaponless. The bastards were just as shocked as me.
I quickly took advantage of the situation and began hacking at my enemies with abandon. Without weapons, all they could do was strike me back with their fists which did almost no damage. The poor fucks were screwed.
As I slaughtered my way through the frontliners, reinforcements arrived and another barrage came raining down on my body. Are these guys stupid? Didn't they learn yet that I could just return their attacks?
But I soon realized that the reinforcements were an entirely different group of mercenaries who had no idea about my new capabilities. They didn't even bother trying to coordinate with the first group as they poured everything they had at me. Looks like they'll have to learn it the hard way.
“Stop it! He can absorb attacks and return them!” one of the mercenaries warned. His voice was drowned out by the noise of combat, and it took him several more tries before the reinforcements finally heard his warning.
By then, it was too late.
Like a crackhead unleashing his halitosis to the world, I opened my mouth wide and regurgitated everything where the enemy lines were thickest. Fireballs, thunderbolts, ice spikes, and all other sorts of shit came spewing out of my mouth and ravaged the mercenary formation, leaving them open and vulnerable.
With an axe in each hand, I charged in.
The mercenaries were still recovering from my attack when I began hacking and cutting the survivors apart. I stomped on the heads of those groaning on the ground, and those who were already standing were quickly cut down with a few chops.
At this point, my mana pool was already at below half capacity. Each weapon that struck my body was quickly absorbed, and though Sucking each one only had a small mana cost, it accrued. I'd been Sucking everything sent my way since the battle began, and I now had more than forty assorted weapons stashed in my stomach.
I decided to pause my Sucking in the meantime. A situation may come up later that required my abilities, and the last thing I wanted was for my mana tank to be dry. I could take these hits like a big boy anyway.
As I continued chopping my enemies apart and shrugging off stabs and slashes, there was a loud boom as the front gate of the estate blew apart. In came Camille and Morgan, leading the charge with the slayers following close behind them. They made a beeline toward the mercenary formation in disarray and further worsened the chaos.
Unlike me, Camille and Morgan's Skills were more specialized towards wanton destruction, and seeing them in action was like watching two war gods on the loose. Camille was dashing all over the battlefield, a field of invisible blades slashing around her in a five-meter radius, making her a fucking mobile human blender.
Morgan, on the other hand, was floating above like an arrogant god. He waved his hands, and then several mercenaries were instantly crushed to the ground into human paste. With another wave, the weapons of the dead levitated into the air and began slicing at the remaining survivors who were caught up fighting the slayers.
It was a fucking massacre.
It didn't take long before the mercenaries realized they were in over their heads. A mere two minutes after Camille and Morgan's entrance, the remaining mercenaries began surrendering and dropping their weapons. The slayers, who had been raring for a fight, looked utterly disappointed.
“Turns out it was easier than we thought, eh?” I said as Camille walked over to me. Despite the ease with which we slaughtered the mercenaries, her face was set in a deep frown.
“This is suspicious. These mercenaries are nothing but Elites,” Camille said. “Where are their Masters?”
“Hey, don't look a gift mouth in the horse, or something like that. I'mma take my blessings where I could,” I said. To be honest, I'm surprised these mercenaries were Elites. They didn't feel that strong to me. I already knew that my Class was powerful, but was it to the extent that everyone in the same Class-tier as me was mere fodder? “I'll have to admit, though. The last thing I expected for a man being besieged was to let his men die outside his mansion. Sounds stupid.”
Morgan floated down on the ground beside us. “Governor, the mercenaries have been restrained and are being transferred to the City Guard as we speak. How shall we proceed?”
“We stick to the plan,” Camille said as she eyed the mansion, which was completely dark inside. “Give the order to evacuate everybody. I'm sending in my operatives.”
“Orders received, milady.” Morgan bowed before flying away.
Camille gave a signal, and out of the shadows, the black-cloaked people emerged and moved toward the mansion without a single noise. It looked eerie as fuck.
“Get moving, Bob. And find some clothes before we enter the mansion,” Camille said as she looked at me. When her eyes passed over Little Bobby, she snorted. Out of amazement, I bet.
We left the estate grounds and waited for Camille's operatives to report back. In the meantime, I regurgitated my armor that I Sucked in earlier and put them on. That should stop people from staring at Little Bobby. The female slayers had been doing it shamelessly for the past few minutes.
Eventually, one of the operatives returned and reported to Camille while I listened in. “My lady, we detected no traps or hidden assassins in the mansion. However, we found Carmen inside. He is alone in his parlor and wishes to speak with you.”