Assassination System Chapter 233 Rodger, Vanadis vs Zieve

Several days had passed yet the formation that surrounded the Dreamy House Pavilion never faltered nor dissipated. Sitting impatiently in a dark alleyway were Rodger and Vanadis whose expressions murky and somber. They had meditated inside this dark place filled with filth and garbage and they had enough.
"Forget about what I said to you several days ago, Vanadis. Let's forcefully break through the formation..." Rodger said, taking a Heaven Grade Offensive Artifact from his Spatial Ring. He stared decisively at the barrier.
The more time they spent outside and without attacking, the closer Juliet would be at the completion of her meditation. It was something that they didn't want to see.
"I understand, Young master but we should at least hide our identity so that they wouldn't be able to implicate the Imperial Clan if we failed..." Vanadis suggested and Rodger nodded his head.
"In that case, you go and create a clone of myself and yours. Make those clone standby inside our Pavilion so that the spies of the Dreamy House wouldn't feel suspicious about the incoming attack that we're about to launch at their pavilion..." Rodger instructed and Vanadis complied.
Stretching his hand forward, he mumbled a certain incantation and a clone made out of darkness eventually formed right before their eyes. Taking a bunch of Spirit Stones from his Spatial Ring, he dissolved them using his Spiritual Energy and infused it within his clones.
With his will, the clones deeply bowed and rushed towards the instructed area like a shadow which gradually disappeared into the darkness. It was currently night so the activity at the Entertainment Block was at its highest. Nevertheless, no one thought of anything weird about the Dreamy House Pavilion.
Thanks to the formations that ZIeve used, nothing looked abnormal from the outside. But of course, no one could visit the Dreamy House Pavilion since Zieve ordered a complete lockdown in the guise of a renovation.
Rodger and Vanadis stared at each other for a moment before igniting the Artifacts on their person. Their bones crackled and muscles expanded, their figures continuously emanated crunchy crackling sounds as they transformed into completely different people that no one could possibly associate them as Vanadis and Rodger.
They transformed into two average middle-aged men that only sought destruction and void. Covering themselves with black, Rodger wore the glove like Heaven Grade Offensive Artifact and activated it with his Spiritual Energy.
The glove shone in a brilliant light that Rodger quickly inhibited as he concentrated its strength in a point at the center of his knuckles. The glove that he wore was called the [Volcanic Melting Glove] Using a Volcano's heart as the core of the Artifact it could melt anything under the heavens if provided with enough energy.
Punching at the translucent barrier, it cracked under the immense force and strength. Eventually, a hole big enough to fit an adult could be seen. Nodding at Vanadis, the two of them moved inside the barrier and by the time that they entered, the gaping hole behind them had recovered, indicating how firm and constant was the energy provided for the barrier.
Zieve who was in the state of high alert for the past several days felt like someone pinched him at the waist when a part of the barrier that he was managing got broken. It was impossible for a formation to crumble on its own so someone definitely intruded without any invitation.
Placing his right hand on his sword at his waist, Zieve swept his gaze across the dimly-lit Pavilion, his eyes narrowed and his knees along with his body were stretched taut like an arrow about to leave the bowstring.
"Who's there? To actually dare to invade a restricted area of the Dreamy House Pavilion, are you really that desperate to court death?" Zieve warned with a shout yet the only reply that he got was the whistling wind and the cold breeze that swept past his body.
Rodger and Vanadis heard Zieve's shout and they proceeded towards the direction of his shout. Crouching, Vanadis prepared his daggers and hidden weapons while Rodger placed his hand on his left waist, in preparation for a quick draw against ambushes.
"East, clear. West, clear, and south is also clear... Young master, it seems like we've been overthinking these several days, I'm at the Divine Soul Realm so only those at the Divine Ascendance or Divine Emperor Realm could possibly escape my perception. Someone like that is an Elder figure that wouldn't possibly include himself to the issues of the mortal world..."
Vanadis said and Rodger nodded his head in confirmation, after walking so deep inside the pavilion if experts such as what they thought were really present, then they would've already been detected.
Sighing in relief, Rodger calmed himself as his guard went down. Still holding his sword with his right hand, the two of them proceeded in an even more leisurely pace than before. Walking deeper into the depths of the dark hallway, the two of them continued their journey towards the center of the pavilion.
Zieve who protected Juliet from any ambushes stared at a white stone on his palm. The identity of the unassuming stone was a Heaven Grade Illusion Artifact that unknowingly places at least a hundred people into an illusion that they could never escape unless they detected its existence.
"I hope this could buy me some time..." Zieve thought in his mind and sat cross-legged on the ground. Now that the intruders has arrived, he didn't need to be on high-alert level anymore as he worked to recover the best state of mind that he could possibly recover in the shortest amount of time.
Rodger and Vanadis maintained the disguise that they had. But it was clearly evident on their expressions that they didn't look that much cautious than before. After all, they couldn't detect anyone around them nor any traps that impeded their movements.
The darkness of the hallway was all-encompassing and apart from their heightened senses that told them of any obstacles ahead and around of them, nothing gave them information about where they were going and as time passed by, the two of them knitted their eyebrows in astonishment and confusion.
"Young master, we've been walking for at least fifteen minutes already but we're still inside this dark hallway..." Vanadis whispered towards Rodger and the latter nodded his head. Although pavilions were huge and spacious, fifteen minutes of walking in a constant pace without reaching the center was too exaggerated.
"Vanadis, what's going on? Did we perhaps enter an independent space separate to the outside world?" Rodger said with a frown, independent spaces were present everywhere but entering it wasn't so simple. Nevertheless, accidents do happen and if someone entered an independent space, they could get stuck indefinitely.
Vanadis locked his eyebrows in thought. Rotating his cultivation base, Spiritual Energy surged and swept across the surroundings. His frown deepened when he realized that nothing seems to be off. The only difference was they felt like they weren't moving despite the several minutes of walking.
"No this is too strange, young master... It feels like something is actively preventing us from getting at the center of the Pavilion..." Vanadis concluded, "Young master, can you lend me your Heaven Grade Artifact for a second? I'm gonna try to forcefully break through the formations around us..."
Rodger handed over the [Volcanic Melting Glove] he didn't feel concerned if Vanadis stole it from him since the latter was his trusted vassal. Donning the gloves, Spiritual Energy surged and a brilliant light along with a searing heat soared towards the skies along with Vanadis's shrill cry.
Punching at the space before him, a cracking sound akin to glass breaking reverberated and the scene around them distorted. From complete darkness, the surroundings transformed into a dimly-lit hallway as Rodger and Vanadis lifted a small smile on their faces.
"Damn, they really did us right there, to think that we fell into one of their traps without even noticing it..." Vanadis clenched his fists as anger and humiliation surfaced within his heart. He was a mighty Divine Soul Realm cultivator, someone that stepped a foot towards the peak, yet he was easily led by the nose by someone younger than him.
"It's fine, let's just tread more carefully than we did, look out for traps from every nook and cranny, make sure that we won't get implicated by anything until we arrive at the center. The more time we spend inside traps, the more time Juliet has in completing her enlightenment..." Rodger clicked his tongue when he noticed that the seemingly ten minutes of walking was about an hour spent inside that trap compared to the outside world.
"I understand, Young master..." Vanadis nodded his head and a solemn expression surfaced on his darkened face. Moving with Rodger in tow, his eyes were as sharp as eagles as he continuously spotted traps one after another. Continuing their pace, they finally arrived at the center of the pavilion after half an hour of cautiously walking.
"Both of you are finally here?" Zieve faced them with an indifferent expression on his face. His right hand held his sword at his waist as he swept his gaze at the intruders. Wearing a comical smile, he continued.
"You guys don't really need to wear those disguises since apart from the Imperial Clan, there's no way that we have enemies that would go so far as to forcefully intrude inside our Pavilion... " Glaring at the petite-framed man, Zieve smirked, "Right? Rodger Duterte of the Imperial Clan?"
The small-framed man shook for a moment before decisively discarding his disguise. Vanadis followed suit after a moment of contemplation. After all, since Zieve already knew their identity, why would they still keep their disguise?
Rodger unsheathed his sword and Vanadis prepared his jet-black daggers. Both weapons and the armors strapped on the bodies of the two were top-notch Artifacts and Items that only those belonging to an influential background like them could possibly possess.
In contrast to their dashing and valiant appearance. Zieve looked miserable and bedraggled, not even mentioning his sword that's dulled and chipped due to frequent use, just his exhausted and spent countenance alone boosted Vanadis and Rodger's confidence in defeating him.
Behind Zieve, Juliet remained in a trance with two daggers tightly clenched within her palms. Rodger and Vanadis nodded at each other as a surge of Spiritual Energy enveloped the entire hall.
"Young master, there are no traces of other people apart from us four, which means, there's no one protecting Juliet aside from this little bastard..." Vanadis reported and Rodger smirked in conceit and confidence.
"In that case, I'll let you handle that little bastard, I'll personally handle that bitch over there, I'm gonna make sure that she's crippled so that there's no possible way that she can stand up once again..." Rodger declared and the two of them dashed forwards. Vanadis arrived before Zieve while Rodger attacked the formations that protected Juliet.
"Hello, little brat, your grandfather, Vanadis is here to cut you up!" Vanadis crazily howled and Zieve assumed a stance. Sparks flew and continuous clanging sounds of metal clashing against metal continuously reverberated in the area.
Zieve's cultivation was two realms lower than Vanadis so if Vanadis used his entire strength. He could easily destroy him in a single move. However, Vanadis didn't do such a thing. Instead, he played with Zieve, making him dance around his palm like an obedient little puppet.
Sweat filled Zieve's forehead, Vanadis's expertise and strange movement techniques overwhelmed him even when Vanadis still hasn't used his entire cultivation base. Gnashing his teeth, Zieve suddenly turned his body mid-attack and stretched his palm outward.
Stuck on his opened palm was a piece of yellowish paper which quickly burned upon his command. "Talisman of Raging Fire!" Zieve roared and a ball of fire caught Vanadis off-guard as a miserable shriek reverberated from his throat.
Staggering, Vanadis shook his body and disposed of the fire as he glared hatefully at Zieve and said, "You fucking brat! How dare you injure me!" His two daggers formed a whirlpool of air and with a single step, he arrived behind Zieve and stabbed at his vital points.
Sensing the imminent danger behind him, Zieve tried to twist his body as fast as he could, but Vanadis's daggers were just too fast that before he could even start his movements, sharp pains assaulted his back and his body flew forwards like a kite that lost its strings.
Bang!
Smashing into the wall, dust flew to the air as Zieve repeateadly coughed out dust that intruded his lungs. Glancing at his upper body, he could see faint lights of translucent barriers which protected him from Vanadis's fatal strike.
Vanadis licked his lips, he felt the crisp feedback from the tip of his dagger upon contact with Zieve's fragile body. Walking towards Zieve with a leisurely face and a confident smile. He said, "What a waste, I hoped that you could've entertained me before your death. But it seems like I was just wishfully thinking... See ya in the underworld, Zieve..."
"Hmmph, what underworld are you saying? You're the one that's gonna go there later!" Zieve stood up like an undead and dashed at Vanadis's figure. Clad in the light of Artifacts and Talismans, Vanadis hurriedly defended against his attack and an intense close combat battle ensued.
Blood trickled out of their wounds and Zieve used the power of Artifacts and Spirit Stones to forcefully skip realms and battle with a Divine Soul expert like Vanadis. WIth each passing second, Vanadis realized that even when he landed fatal strikes at Zieve's body, the latter didn't seem to care and he couldn't seem to deal any substantial damage to Zieve.
"Just what the hell is going on? I can feel my attacks hitting him but why can't I deal any fatal damage to him?!" Vanadis used his arm and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Observing his enemy, his eyes caught a glimpse of dimly-lit yellowish papers tucked underneath Zieve's robe as he said with widened eyes amidst his realization.
"Y-Y-You shameless bastard! You actually have several dozens of Earth Grade Defensive Talismans underneath your robes!" Vanadis couldn't help but violently curse. Even with his superior cultivation base. The power of dozens of Talismans combined together wasn't something that he could casually ignore.
Zieve lifted a smile on his face, Juliet who was a worrywart always made him wear robes riddled with several dozens of Earth Grade Defensive Talismans. He first thought that Juliet was being wasteful, but in his current situation, he couldn't thank her enough.
"Old man, the winner takes it all and there's no such thing as being shameless in war!" Zieve pointed his sword outward and burned some Spirit Stones with his other hand. Absorbing the Spiritual Energy, he instantly replenished his Spiritual Energy Reserves in the middle of the battle.
"Come, let's fight!" Zieve's voice boomed like muffled thunder, shaking Vanadis's figure as the latter glared hatefully at him before equipping his two daggers. Dashing out, the two struck at each other once again as another round of close combat battle ensued.