Chapter 1175 - 581: White-Hot Intensification

"Screech!"

The sharp fish spear tore through the air, piercing towards the enemy right in front with a whoosh.

Carrying the force of the wind, the tip of the spear entered the adventurer’s flesh, yet it did not have the imagined resistance from flesh and bone.

Light and ethereal.

With just a slight exertion, the adventurer’s body, seemingly pierced through by the fish spear, dispersed like a virtual image stirred in water, fading away in waves of invisible ripples.

Seeing such a scene, the expression on the elite fishman guard’s face froze.

Before he had time to react, a deadly sensation from behind struck him.

The shadow cast on the sand beneath his feet wriggled violently, dark energy clinging to and entwining his calves like tendrils, controlling his body.

Two short daggers emerged from the blind spot at the rear side, held upright in the left hand, inverted grip in the right, brushing lightly against the fishman’s neck like a bee sting.

The dark energy of entanglement and control transformed into harmless shadow, and the fish spear fell to the ground.

Mouth uttering despairing "gurgling" sounds, the fishman guard clutched his own neck with both hands, struggling painfully as he fell. The blue blood couldn’t help but seep through his fingers, quickly forming a pool on the ground.

Chest heaving, the shadowy middle-aged man’s face was stern, breathing heavily, bending down to deliver two additional stabs to the fishman’s head, confirming his death.

Turning around, his gaze swept over several teammates in his group fighting fishmen, seeing none of them were seriously injured and generally maintained relatively safe conditions, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although the adventurers formed a united front on the surface, it was ultimately a cooperation of convenience, without prior rehearsal.

Therefore, in the battle with the Sha Hua Fishmen, though it seemed like a large-scale group fight, in practice it remained as separate units, each fighting their own battles.

The shadowy adventurer’s actual name was unknown, his team’s overall strength merely at the mid-level among the adventurer group present.

Forming a team isn’t easy, treasuring every member’s life.

To maximize the survival rate of his members, the captain deliberately chose a relatively backward and unnoticeable spot in the battlefield.

Facing fishmen’s attacks, even those pawns that could be easily resolved within a few rounds, allowed his team to engage in slightly extended battles while ensuring their own safety.

Although appearing to contribute to the battle like other adventurers, he was actually muddling through, preserving the team’s strength.

This approach, from the shadowy adventurer’s and his team’s perspective, was certainly understandable.

In some way, he was able to roam the seas for many years, surviving with not particularly outstanding combat abilities or tactics compared to other adventurer captains, and forming a professional-level team, precisely because of this cautious demeanor.

Unfortunately, no matter how low-profile he kept, under the sharp eyes of the fishman priest Uek, the attributes of the shadowy adventurer "captain" and "agile combat style" were keenly noticed, ultimately becoming the prime target for the arena’s Slow Technique.

"Hum..."

The pale pink magic radiance dragged a meteor-like trail in mid-air, spanning spatial barriers, gently descending on the shadowy adventurer who attempted to dodge but failed.

It did not affect the surrounding environment; neither the sand stirred by body movement nor the leaves blown by the sea breeze from distant woods changed their trajectory or speed.

Only the shadowy adventurer himself seemed to be pressed with a slow motion button.

Employed as a Wanderer, manipulating shadow energy, his agile and light body movements suddenly slowed, even the blood seeping from a wound accidentally caused by a fish spear during combat dripped slowly, until the blood wholly separated due to gravity, regained normalcy.

It’s a highly disciplined, large-scale battle organized by the fishmen.

Aware that Slow Technique only had a controlling effect and limited duration, before Uek cast the spell, he had commanded his elite fishmen in Sha Hua Fishman Language.

Almost as the Slow Technique took effect on the shadowy adventurer, three elite fishman guards, originally lurking or feigning attack around the area, rushed toward him.

Under normal circumstances, a Wanderer of not low professional level, facing such a siege wouldn’t say making a counter kill; at least evading was easily achievable.

However, the slow spell’s effect precisely struck at the deadlock of such combat styles, slowing the shadowy adventurer’s body and even thoughts, unable to react in time.

Moreover, leading the team at the forefront due to his captain status, distanced from teammates, making support difficult.

The Wanderer profession also lacks defensive capabilities, with a lower tolerance compared to professions like warriors.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three sharp fish spears fiercely pierced into his body from different angles.

One skewed from the side rib upwards, shredding internal organs; another directly nailed through the center of his thigh, rupturing the major artery, causing incessant blood flow; the last one pierced through his back, the tip of the spear piercing his chest still stained with heart shreds.

Life-saving methods prepared in advance, battle skills, and high-quality healing potions intended only for emergencies, could not function under the influence of Slow Technique.