Chapter 241 - 15: Dominant Performance, a Minion Drops Golden Equipment, and a Treasure Chest (2)

Chapter 241: Chapter 15: Dominant Performance, a Minion Drops Golden Equipment, and a Treasure Chest (2)

The other three Black Iron Knights followed close behind, with the Witchcraft Squad bringing up the rear.

"BOOM—BANG—BOOM—CLANG—"

The cacophony of noises coming from the passage confirmed the Noble Lady’s judgment—the Dark Lizardmen had set up a great number of traps inside.

Mo Ning waited quietly, pleased with his team’s performance.

The squad he had spent considerable resources to assemble was finally proving its worth.

Just two minutes later.

Anya reported back via Secret Technique Whisper: ’The passage is clear. The other side is the Dark Lizardmen’s lair, and they’ve amassed a large force.’

A slight smile touched Mo Ning’s lips as he issued a murderous command: "Slaughter every last one of these damned crawlers!"

"Crawlers" was the derogatory term humans used for the Lizardmen.

The Dark Lizardmen Tribe’s stubborn resistance was meaningless before Mo Ning.

He could have thrown a few Blazing Fireballs, using the small explosions to blast the enemy horde blocking the passage. Instead, he chose a much more stunning display.

Mo Ning deployed another Magic Deflection Shield, striding forward and weathering the storm of arrows unleashed by the Dark Lizardmen.

He brandished his left hand, unleashing a torrential rain of bullets.

Meanwhile, his right hand brandished a pale blue Thunder Whip, which lashed out and swept through the clustered Dark Lizardmen.

"THUD—THUD—"

It was the sound of rapid-fire headshots, muffled and clean.

"CRACKLE—CRACKLE—"

It was the sound of the Electric Snake’s rampage, a piercing and heart-stopping noise.

Any Dark Lizardman touched by the Electric Snake either collapsed and convulsed, large patches of their skin seared black, or their internal organs were instantly cooked through, with wisps of green smoke pouring from their seven orifices.

The Dark Lizardman Caster became the primary target.

It was easy to spot—clad in the finest, gleaming armor and impeccably groomed, it stood out from the horde like a crane among chickens.

The Electric Snake "licked" across its body, causing it to stiffen instantly.

Three bullets zipped through the air. One blew out its eyeball and pierced its brain. Another went low, destroying its genitals.

The third bullet struck the armor over its heart but failed to penetrate, leaving only a shallow dent. A testament to the armor’s extraordinary quality.

Barely a second later.

The Dark Lizardmen Tribe completely collapsed.

"SKREEE—CHITTER—GURGLE—EEEK—"

Terrified shrieks erupted from their mouths as they scattered, fleeing in a mad panic. Their only thought was to get as far away from this terrifying Demon as possible.

In that moment, Mo Ning had displayed a terrifying, absolutely dominant level of combat power.

Standing in the rear, Anya and the others were utterly stunned.

Beyond their shock, an irrepressible wave of adoration filled their eyes.

’Mystery above!’

’That... was just brutal!’

*****

「No. 2 Black Tower.」

「Inside the Observation Room.」

"What a crazy kid!"

Third Level Apprentice Velen couldn’t help but exclaim as he stared at the Light Curtain, which showed Mo Ning unleashing his full firepower.

Normally, Velen would have been tempted to belittle Mo Ning due to their differing "factions."

The three great councils within the academy had been competing for so many years, and tensions had often run high. They had accumulated their fair share of "grudges," making it difficult for him to view anyone from the Rose Council with pure objectivity.

Especially since this person was destined to become a "formidable rival" for the members of his Bell Tower Council.

’No, a "super-powerful foe" is more likely.’

But after witnessing Mo Ning’s stunning performance firsthand, Velen cast aside his prejudice for the first time.

’The combat power this kid displayed is nothing like a rookie’s. He’s already at the level of a First Level Apprentice.’

Mansha shared her own opinion. "The way he’s slaughtering those Dark Lizardmen is insane, and he’s cold-blooded enough to do it. That bunch of heartless bastards from the Arbitration Court would definitely love a kid like him."

The Arbitration Court was the academy’s most powerful law enforcement body, home to a large number of its most outstanding Apprentices.

Wielding immense authority, the Arbitration Court inevitably infringed upon the interests of certain individuals, and as a result, the organization was a frequent target of criticism.

Nasha agreed. "With Mo Ning’s talent, he could become an excellent Arbiter in the future."

The Arbitration Court has three ranks.

The lowest rank is Arbiter. Despite being at the bottom of the food chain, only the most outstanding Second Level Apprentices even have a chance to be selected.

The rank above that is also titled Arbiter, a position for which one cannot even apply unless they are among the best of the Third Level Apprentices.

At that level, one truly has a say in the academy; even an Official Wizard would not ignore the opinion of an Arbiter.

As the three of them spoke, the scene on the Light Curtain changed.

Members of the Battle Banner Legion charged into the Dark Lizardmen’s lair like a pack of wolves, mercilessly slaughtering the survivors.

From any angle, it was a resounding victory.

Velen watched as a Heavy Shield Hand crushed the heads of two Dark Lizardmen with his shield, then fluidly used an Air Shield to deflect a pair of arrows. He remarked, "These rookies are developing quickly under Mo Ning."

He then added a maxim: "Soldiers who follow a tiger become tigers themselves. Those who follow a lamb can only ever be lambs."

The two Female Apprentices nodded in unison.

Mansha added, "This is the most spectacular rookie assessment I’ve ever seen."

*****

「Trial Maze of the 9th Underground Mine.」

Mo Ning stood in the blood-soaked cavern, toying with two items.

One was a small, dark-gold dart, about the length of an adult’s middle finger and surprisingly heavy. This was the very weapon the Dark Lizardman Caster had used in its sneak attack.

Without him needing to give an order, one of his subordinates had proactively dug the dart from the stone wall and presented it to him with a look of reverence.