CHAPTER 124: NO INTERRUPTIONS

One after another, figures appear, each one was Jemina, as if formed from pure light, manifesting in an extraordinary state.

The Flowing Light Knight Path was a highly renowned knight path, which had actually been mastered by her. This deputy leader of the Phantom Adventurer’s Guild clearly had origins far more complicated than anyone imagined.

Each light projection was her true body; each form immune to harm, surrounding Carlotta and rushing in. The chaotic interweaving sword shadows formed a vast net, completely enveloping Carlotta within.

Jemina was a middle tier listener, her strength far from simple. She couldn’t possibly be slain quickly like Spencer had been.

"Such an airtight attack... but still... too slow."

Carlotta swept her gaze around.

If she didn’t possess the Speed Card, and had merely advanced to the ninth-tier apprentice, she would likely have struggled against this assault, forced into a head-on clash that might leave her injured. But the situation now is different.

She moved like the wind, rushing past, somehow slipping through the crisscrossing sword shadows before they could converge, leaving Jemina’s attack striking empty air.

"Boom!"

The ground explosion, soil and stone scattering.

Jemina’s multiple figures scattered across the area, turning to lock onto Carlotta. Each face wore an expression of shock and disbelief.

This attack... had actually been evaded?

In the past, Jemina had faced countless opponents, but Carlotta remained the one she found most incomprehensible. Merely eighth-tier no, now ninth-tier. Yet for a ninth-tier apprentice to achieve this was utterly absurd.

"Absurd or not, she’s still just an Apprentice."

Killing intent surged in Jemina’s eyes as she charged towards Carlotta.

Now that they were enemies, if she didn’t eliminate Carlotta quickly, once the latter advanced to Listener rank in the future, Jemina would likely stand no chance.

This person... must die!

Dozens of Jemina’s light forms surged forward, like a white torrent, rapidly closing in on Carlotta.

Then, all the figures attacked simultaneously, employing different techniques, each one a variation of the Flowing Light Knight Path: Mottled Light Flow, Instant Light Flow, Eternal Light Flow, Deathblow Light Flow...

Different projections executing different attacks, none interfering with each other, instead complementing one another, dramatically amplifying their combined power.

"Jemina’s strength is truly unexpected."

Beside the lake, the onlookers watched the battle, their faces inevitably showing surprise.

Jemina’s current display of strength was far greater than anyone had anticipated.

But even more astonishing was Carlotta. Even having become a ninth-tier apprentice, could an Apprentice really fight a middle tier Listener? That in itself was already absurd.

The two clashed fiercely. Trees around them toppled in waves. Across a wide open space, their figures darted and crossed paths.

At this moment, even adventurers on distant mountains noticed the commotion, eyes widening in disbelief.

"What am I seeing? A ninth-tier apprentice fighting a middle tier Listener?"

"That person... isn’t she Crescent, leader of the Moonlight Adventurer’s Guild?"

"So it’s her..."

Many gasped in shock.

The people from the Stellar Spire who had treated Carlotta earlier also stood on a cliffside, watching with equal surprise.

Monica stared at Carlotta, whose form flickered unpredictably, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She was relieved she hadn’t tried any underhanded tricks before.

"Could this be... the Speed Card Card?"

Minac studied the scene closely, then said in astonishment, "A Speed Card infused with Wind Godstone?"

The Stellar Spire specialized in researching all kinds of magic, and naturally was familiar with common card magic.

Minac had studied many magical techniques and quickly deduced Carlotta’s situation. Earlier, when they were too close, he couldn’t make it out, but now, seeing the full picture, he recognized it.

"Wind Godstone?"

Monica’s heart trembled. That was a rare material found only on Sky Island, priceless in value, how did the other side obtain it and infuse it into a Speed Card Card?

"She’s still only a ninth-tier apprentice, yet this strong, because of the Wind Godstone-infused Speed Card Card?"

Monica asked.

"No."

Minac shook his head. "Even with such a Speed Card Card, a ninth-tier apprentice could at best use it to escape. There’s no way they could fight a middle tier Listener head-on. This person... her strength comes mainly from herself."

Monicaes’s heart shook.

"Hu... hu... hu..."

Cold night winds blew through the forest.

Carlotta shifted her positions, trying to determine which of Jemina’s forms was the real one, or whether every single figure was real.

Yet in their exchanges, she had swung her sword at several figures, only for the blade to pass through light, unable to harm them at all.

Or... were all the figures fake? Then where was the real body?

Carlotta felt there was something unusual about the opponent’s knight path, one that could attack, yet remained immune to counterattacks. That was almost unfair.

"There’s no such thing as an unbeatable knight path. Although I don’t know much about the Flowing Light Knight Path, even the most supreme techniques can be broken."

Carlotta swung her sword. The Eighth Movement, Elven Elergy, unfolded. Faint, ghostly sobs immediately spread across the battlefield.

At that moment, from the nearby lake, accompanied by splashing water, people who had dived beneath the surface one by one returned to shore.

This drew intense attention from those by the lakeside, who immediately asked whether anything had been found underwater.

"Under the lake there’s a passage leading into a mountain cavity, but the cavity is already empty. We can tell there used to be many things inside, but recently everything disappeared."

"Yes, there definitely was treasure here, but it’s been taken. The signs are very recent."

As they spoke, their gazes inevitably fell upon Carlotta.

When they arrived, they’d seen Carlotta and Amelia emerging from beneath the lake. Now, the hidden trove beneath the water was empty. Who the treasure now belongs to was obvious.

They had come for wealth, and now learning the treasure already had an owner, they naturally weren’t willing to let it go. Their eyes, one by one, turned toward Carlotta with unsettling intent.

Simon from the Dawn Light Adventurer’s Guild strode forward, preparing to attack Carlotta.

But at that moment, a figure flashed by, stepping in front of the gathered adventurers.

Amelia stood there, silver hair fluttering, her face flawless and pale, her eyes deep and calm. She spoke steadily, "She is in the middle of battle. She welcomes no interruptions."

Simon didn’t even regard Amelia as a threat, continuing forward with large strides, not even bothering to respond.

As he advanced, a long spear appeared in his hand, thrusting straight toward Amelia as if intending to kill her outright, not considering her capable of being his opponent.

"Boom!"

A shield with edges glowing blue abruptly appeared, blocking Simon’s attack and producing a crisp sound.

This caused Simon to glance at Amelia in surprise.

"Memory magic?"

He instantly recognized it as a rare type of magic, but how could a ninth-tier apprentice’s spell block his attack? He was a middle tier Listener, after all.

Before Simon could make sense of it, Amelia had already launched her counterattack.

She withdrew the shield, raised her hand forward, and thick magical energy surged around her. Immediately afterward, large chunks of rock began appearing one after another in the high sky, then plummeted fiercely toward Simon.

Vast shadows covered Simon, but he wasn’t worried. With a cold snort, he swung his spear. As he did, a strange pulling force accompanied the motion, causing the falling boulders to never reach him, even failing to touch his spear, colliding with each other midair and shattering apart.

"Northern Knight Path? You’re a Velmorian?"

Amelia was somewhat surprised.

This knight technique wasn’t common, usually found only in the northern regions of the Velmoria Empire.

Simon was taken aback, not expecting Amelia to recognize his origins. Indeed, he was Velmorian, having traveled south to adventure many years ago. Few people knew his background.

"Quite knowledgeable, but it won’t change your fate."

With a swing of his spear, Simon shattered all the rocks, then leaped forward, charging toward Amelia.

Seeing this, deep blue light flashed before Amelia, and one weapon after another, radiating cold luster, appeared.

Rapiers, longswords, daggers, sabers, axes, spears, hammers, whips... After a series of weapons materialized, they seemed to be wielded by experts, simultaneously launching attacks against Simon.

Simon let out a long cry, charging forward and clashing with the numerous weapons as he continued advancing, attempting to close the distance to Amelia. However, this was clearly no easy task.

Witnessing this scene, Aubrey, Ralph, and the others by the lakeside were extremely shocked.

Another apprentice as monstrous as Carlotta? There’s actually a second one?

"Have I gone mad, or has the world gone mad? Are apprentices outside really nothing like apprentices anymore?"

"A ninth-tier apprentice capable of fighting a middle tier Listener... If they become Listeners, what then?"

"What should we do? Should we intervene?"

"What kind of question is that? The treasure at the hidden vault has already been taken. Are we supposed to leave with nothing?"

The adventurers whispered among themselves, eyes gleaming as they edged forward.

Carlotta also noticed Amelia engaging in battle. She saw more adventurers preparing to act.

Although she and Amelia were strong, ninth-tier apprentices capable of fighting middle tier Listeners, facing too many opponents would still put them at a severe disadvantage.

It was time to end this quickly.

She looked around at the many illusions created by Jemina. Under the effect of Elven Elergy, these illusions uncontrollably wept, greatly affected.

This allowed Carlotta to make her judgment. She believed each illusion could be Jemina’s true body. The reason her earlier strike on one illusion had no effect was because the real Jemina could transfer her true self, any illusion could become her actual body.

The solution, then, was simple.

Ninth Movement: Elven Sunset!

Carlotta swung her sword. The sky seemed to reverse instantly, abruptly rewinding back to twilight.

Of course, such a thing couldn’t happen in reality, she didn’t possess the ability to reverse time, but in Jemina’s perception, heaven and earth truly appeared to reverse. This was an assault targeting the senses.

In the twilight, a large, crimson sun hung high in the sky, radiating countless beams of light, then suddenly plummeted down.

It was a sensory illusion, yet incredibly real. Jemina felt as if a massive sun was falling, covering all her forms.

This was an attack impossible to evade. When the sun falls, who can escape?

Jemina knew this was an attack similar to an illusion, one affecting the senses. She tried to break free from this state, but no matter what she did, it was useless. The brilliant setting sun fell, ultimately covering all her forms beneath it.

"Ugh!"

In the real world, Jemina spat out a mouthful of blood.

Among her dozen or so illusions, only one spat blood, because her true body was currently within that particular illusion.

Almost the instant she coughed up blood, Carlotta charged forward, moving at astonishing speed. Her Rose Cross gleamed with a cold sheen.

"Bad!"

Jemina naturally realized her true body had been exposed. Without hesitation, she transferred her true self away.

But in the next moment, astonishment flashed across her face.

For as she transferred her true self, Carlotta seemed to have foreseen it. She stepped back, appearing beside another illusion, then mercilessly thrust her sword forward, piercing straight through Jemina’s heart.

Jemina looked down at the Cross Rose embedded in her chest, disbelievingly whispering, "Why... why?"

She didn’t understand. She couldn’t comprehend how Carlotta had predicted she would transfer to this particular illusion, when there were still over a dozen others around.

Carlotta didn’t bother explaining to Jemina. She simply pulled out the Cross Rose and immediately slashed again, decapitating Jemina on the spot.

With Jemina’s death, all the illusions in the area shattered apart.

Carlotta lifted her head, glancing toward Amelia. Now, Amelia’s opponent wasn’t just Simon anymore. The others had surrounded her, and her situation was extremely unfavorable.

Seeing this, Carlotta walked over directly and loudly declared, "Do you intend to gang up on her? Jemina is already dead. Do you wish to become the next Jemina?"

Everyone had clearly seen Jemina’s death. Their faces changed slightly. That was a middle tier Listener, yet she fell beneath Carlotta, a mere ninth-tier apprentice. It was unbelievable, sending chills down their spines, making them feel uneasy.

There were no peak-tier Listeners present. Among them, the strongest were only middle tier Listeners, not necessarily stronger than Jemina.

That meant Carlotta, who had killed Jemina, theoretically could kill them too.

This realization was hard for many to accept, but Jemina’s corpse lay right there on the ground, impossible to ignore.