Chapter 135 - 134: Something Seems Wrong

Chapter 135: Chapter 134: Something Seems Wrong

Dimi and the other team members nearby exchanged glances, looking at the man with the scabby head with an expression of pity.

Wilson, on the other hand, was cursing Rupert endlessly in his mind.

’That bastard.’ Ever since he’d gotten hooked on some kind of card game, he’d been gone for days and made a complete mess of recruiting new members.

If he hadn’t helped dig up some dirt on that kid, Galen...

’Ah, whatever.’

Wilson rubbed the bridge of his nose, deciding he had to personally whip these greenhorns into shape before they caused a real disaster.

But on second thought, he couldn’t just scare them witless from the get-go. He had to give them some hope of making it big.

’Doesn’t that kid, Galen, like to call himself a Mage?’ he mused.

He turned, his gaze sweeping over the new faces behind him, their expressions a mixture of cluelessness and eager anticipation.

"Alright, you newbies, listen the hell up!"

"Here in Rose Town, the Shadowless Team isn’t a bunch of pushovers that any random stray can come and walk all over!"

He pointed toward the training grounds.

"That kid about to come out of there is a Mage!"

Wilson deliberately paused here, narrowing his eyes to watch the new recruits’ reactions.

"What’s a Mage?"

"I know! My village had a Mage once! Heard he’s in the city now and married three wives!"

"Whoa! He’s that amazing?"

"You bet! I heard that anyone who becomes a Mage is..."

"Hmph!" Wilson cut off their daydreaming with a well-timed, disdainful snort. "A Mage? As far as I’m concerned, they ain’t even worth a fart!"

SHING! He drew the Curved Saber from his waist, its blade glinting coldly in the last rays of twilight.

"All of you, keep your eyes wide open! In a moment, I’m going to let you see just how your boss uses this blade to teach that kid a proper lesson! I’ll show you what ’the art of the Shadow’ really is!"

The new guys were stunned by his half-true, inflammatory speech. Even though they didn’t completely understand it, the word "art," combined with the sight of Wilson brandishing his Curved Saber, was enough to get their blood pumping.

They started cheering excitedly:

"The boss is amazing!"

"Fuck him up!"

"Show that kid what we’re made of!"

Wilson watched the riled-up rookies with satisfaction. Just as he was about to explain the specific details of their plan—

He heard Dimi, at the front of the group, call out in a low voice, "Boss, that kid’s coming out!"

Every head snapped toward the exit of the training grounds.

In the twilight, a young figure stepped unhurriedly through the gate. He carried a bizarrely shaped long-handled weapon on his back, and a dog with a slightly awkward gait trotted beside him.

Wilson’s pupils constricted, a flicker of hungry anticipation in his eyes.

...

As twilight deepened, a cool evening breeze brushed against Hesia’s cheeks, carrying away the sweltering heat from a long afternoon at the training grounds.

After repeatedly practicing the casting rhythm of his Biting ability, he tried to combine the momentum of a Wild Charge with a tearing attack from the Wand Tip.

The immense inertia from the Charge was much faster than swinging his Magic Wand from a standing position.

Hesia felt this combination could produce a surprisingly effective attack in real combat.

Having mastered a new combat technique, Hesia was in high spirits.

Of course, his joy would have been more complete if he didn’t have to pay for the several new iron targets he’d damaged.

However, he hadn’t planned to spend this much time at the training grounds.

The only reason he’d stayed so late was because of a certain scheming dog.

He turned to look at Bruce, who was mincing along behind him.

"Admit it. You deliberately dragged this out, didn’t you?"

"I did not! I just wanted to practice that... whatchamacallit Claw a little longer!" Bruce’s voice held a guilty tone.

"Burning Claw?"

"Right! Burning Claw! This move isn’t that easy to master!"

"But I saw you’d already mastered it this afternoon. Whenever I got close, though, you’d start practicing... shooting flames out of your butt."

"That... I just wanted to get some more practice in! And hone my butt-flame skills at the same time!"

Hesia knew him all too well.

It was true that Bruce had been obsessed with practicing his butt-flames all afternoon.

But there was no way that took priority over eating on time.

There was only one thing that could make him practice to the point of forgetting to eat—he was deliberately trying to stall until it was dark, so not as many people would see his bald butt.

His lie was exposed by the loud RUMBLE that came from his stomach.

"Alright, stop walking with your tail between your legs," Hesia urged Bruce, who was still dawdling behind him. "It’s already dark. No one’s going to see your bare butt."

The words had barely left his mouth when a loud, mocking laugh erupted from the roadside bushes.

"Haha! Look at that stupid dog’s butt! It doesn’t even have any fur!"

With the laughter, several dark figures shot out from the gloom!

At the same time, the glint of a blade emerged from the Shadow, though it wasn’t moving very fast.

Hesia’s reaction was incredibly fast.

He instantly cast his Earth Spike Technique, and three thick Earth Spikes erupted from the ground.

CLANG!

With a sharp ring, the Curved Saber struck one of the Earth Spikes.

Hesia took a closer look. ’Wait... are these the guys who stopped the carriage outside of town?’

’I think they were called the Shadowless Team.’

’They’re out already?’

While Hesia was still wondering why his attacker was so hesitant, Bruce had already lost it.

"WOOF-AWOOO—!"

A roar, half-canine and half-Dragon, erupted from deep within Bruce’s throat!

An invisible pressure radiated out from him. The scabby-headed man at the very front felt his legs go so weak he nearly collapsed to his knees.

In that instant, Bruce’s voice seemed to be filled with an innate arrogance and brutality.

"You lowly worms! How dare you mock a noble... dog!"

Before he had even finished speaking.

He kicked powerfully off the ground with his hind legs, and with a muffled PFFT.

A cone of flame, half a meter long, shot out from his rear end!

This sudden burst of propulsion gave him terrifying speed. The dog became a crimson afterimage, instantly pouncing on the scabby-headed man!

Flames wreathed his paws!

RRRIP!

The wooden shield in the scabby-headed man’s hands was torn apart as if it were made of paper! Immediately after, the burning Sharp Claws slammed into the Leather Armor on his chest.

"Ughh!" he screamed, flying backward. His chest was scorched black, the Leather Armor melting and emitting an acrid green smoke.

Bruce twisted nimbly in midair, his rear end firing again to adjust his trajectory. He now aimed for another man with a dagger and a ruddy, alcohol-blotched nose.

Seeing that things had gone south, the man with the blotchy nose turned to run.

"Die, you insect!"

A scorching ray of fire shot from Bruce’s mouth, striking the man’s back with perfect accuracy and instantly setting him ablaze.