Chapter 1105 – Assassination!
Zhao Hai had experienced countless killings, so he was very sensitive when it came to killing intent. Therefore, upon sensing the killing intent directed at him, Zhao Hai knew that these people were the pirates.
Zhao Hai didn't say anything, instead, she contacted Cai'er with his mind, "Cai'er, pay attention to those Mages in the teahouse. Record their faces and see if they're the same as the pirates we met before." Cai'er immediately complied.
After this exchange, Zhao Hai carried on and strolled with the ship's crew. Then suddenly, Zhao Hai's attention was taken by a magic staff in a nearby shop. Also, the ship's sign looked like it had been there for many years, making the shop look ancient.
The signboard was made of wood, contrasting the other high-tech signboards of its neighbors. The signboard's print was also very common, making it look like the ugly duckling among the group.
However, Zhao Hai was dazed by this sign board. This was because he could feel magic coming from the piece of wood. It seems like the signboard wasn't made with simple methods.
Seeing Zhao Hai stop, the crew became confused. One of them looked at Zhao Hai and asked, "Zhao Hai? What are you staring at?"
Zhao Hai recovered. Then he looked at the others as he smiled and said, "Everyone, let me take a look at that shop for a moment. I want to buy some things for my friends back at the academy. Mithril is very cheap here, so I want to see what that shop has to offer." The crew were originally invited by Zhao Hai to play. So upon hearing him, they immediately nodded and joined him in entering the shop.
The shop wasn't big. So when Zhao Hai's group of more than ten entered, they immediately made the place cramped.
Zhao Hai proceeded to examine the shop. It was very ordinary. It had wooden shelves and containers that looked like they were made a long time ago. They were also covered with glass, adding to their unique look. The staff displayed on these shelves and containers were also very plain. Beneath each staff was its name and then its price.
As soon as Zhao Hai's group entered the shop, a robot quickly received them. The robot bowed and said, "Welcome. What can I help you with?"
The robot looked ordinary, just like the shop. Although it was a bit more advanced than TInkle, it still wasn't advanced. Zhao Hai didn't care as he replied, "I need several magic staffs. Let me see your catalogue."
The robot immediately complied as it said, "Please wait a moment." Then the robot went to one side of the store and took out a book from a cabinet. After handing the book over to Zhao Hai, it said, "All of our magic staff are listed here."
Zhao Hao nodded, then he opened the book. Although it looked like a book, it was actually an electronic display. Once a page was opened, a projection of the magic staff would appear. Then a voice would be heard, introducing the staff's functions as well as the magic formation recorded inside.
This kind of things was rare in the Machine Field. Zhao Hao flipped the book as he paired them with the numbers below the staffs on the cabinets. He was looking for staffs suited for Dins and the others.
Honestly, the mage staffs in this store were really good. All of the staff were made of wood that were suited for Mages to use. They were also engraved with five-layer formations for level 1 Mages and formations for level 2 Mages. The shop didn't have staffs surpassing level 3. However, this selection still caught Zhao Hai's eyes. After all, Dins and the others had yet to reach level 1. Giving them too advanced staffs wouldn't be good.
Margaret stood at the back, observing Zhao Hai earnestly scanning through the staffs. She couldn't help but sigh, she began to understand Zhao Hai less and less. A month after ascending, he was already a level 1 Mage. It can be said that he was a genius. It was normal for these kinds of people to be arrogant. However, Zhao Hai wasn't arrogant at all. Not only did he befriend Old Mages like Dins and the others, he could also mingle with the ship's crew. Such a person was truly rare.
Margaret couldn't help but wonder what kind of place could train someone such as Zhao Hai. One must know that each young ascender from the lower realms were very talented individuals. They most likely had powerful influences supporting them back in the lower realm. Besides cultivating, all of their other needs were well taken care of. Because of this, these talents developed arrogant behaviours.
Zhao Hai was a genius among geniuses. Since he was able to ascend at a young age, this meant that he also had a huge background. However, Zhao Hai was experienced in battle. He also had well-developed social skills. Margaret even suspected Zhao Hai of killing more than a million people. Putting these facts together, it seems like Zhao Hai was different compared to the others of his kind.
Zhao Hai bought 15 level 1 staffs. After paying nearly twenty thousand machine coins, the group proceeded to walk out of the shop.
And just as they came out, Cai'er's voice resounded inside Zhao Hai's head, "Young Master, we've investigated those people. They were indeed the pirates that attacked the ship. There's no mistaking it."
Zhao Hai nodded, then he stepped back two steps to Margaret's side and said, "Instructor, the pirates that attacked us are close by. Moreover, we've already been surrounded. We need to see that our brothers are safe.."
Margaret stared, then her expression turned cold. She turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Are you sure?"
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "I'm very sure. I'm quite sensitive to killing intent. Moreover, their glares didn't stop. Before we went into the shop, I saw a few Mages at a teashop. At that time, I thought that they looked like the people that attacked our ship. And now, I feel their murderous intent. It seems like they're ready to take action."
At this point, Margaret already had great trust towards Zhao Hai. So she immediately replied, "Alright, I'll tell the crew to return."
Zhao Hai shook his head and whispered, "We can't just abruptly retreat. Otherwise, the pirates would make their move. We need to divert their attention. Instructor, as long as we guard the crew, it'll be fine."
Margaret nodded, she couldn't help but raise her spiritual force. Zhao Hai looked around him and sneered. Then he turned to the crew and laughingly said, "Brothers, I managed to buy a lot of good staffs today. I want to celebrate. How about we drink at that bar over there?" Then he pointed at a roadside bar.
Although the crew couldn't understand why Zhao Hai suddenly decided to have a drink, liquor was always welcomed. The crew didn't become polite and just cheered as they ran towards the bar.
Upon seeing the crew running, Zhao Hai couldn't help but laugh as he shouted, "You heard drinking and you ran faster than anyone I know. If I don't follow behind, who would pay for your drinks?"
Knowing Zhao Hai was just having a playful banter, one of the crew replied, "We'll just tell them to put the drinks on your tab. Brothers, let’s run faster. We must drink at least two bottles today!"
Zhao Hai pretended to be anxious as he ran after them towards the bar, saying, "Brothers, don't drink too much. I might not be able to afford it all." Then he showed the physical weakness of a Mage. Even when the crew had entered the bar, Zhao Hai still fell behind.
Looking at Zhao Hai's acting, Margaret couldn't help but commend him secretly. Zhao Hai's words made the crew run faster and his acting was on point.
At this time, Zhao Hai suddenly cast a formation in front of him. Then a big sword flew out of the formation and went straight towards the bar's second floor.
Just as the sword was about to hit the bar's window, a barrier appeared and blocked Zhao Hai's attack.
However, after releasing the sword, Zhao Hai followed up with a five-layer formation. A fiery spear emerged out of the formation and chased behind the sword and also hit the barrier.
One could see a faint silhouette of a person right behind the barrier. The person easily blocked the sword, but the fiery spear caught him off-guard. The fiery spear tore through the barrier as though it was paper and then stabbed the person behind it. The man screamed for a moment before the fiery spear exploded.
After the loud explosion, the person's entire body was erased. However, what was strange was the fact that although the person was killed, and the bar's window was damaged, nothing else was affected by Zhao Hai's attack.
Zhao Hai didn't stop. He released another five-layer formation. When the formation appeared, a burst of dark mist suddenly spread out, covering the entire street. One couldn't even see their own fingers if they stretched it out.
Chapter 1106 – Choosing A Battlefield
As the Dark Mist spread, Zhao Hai immediately flew towards Margaret's side and whispered, "Instructor, I can feel their position and they can't sense us. Once they enter the dark mist, we can deal with them."
Margaret nodded. She also felt her own spiritual force being greatly suppressed. One must know that Margaret was a level 5 Mage. Her spiritual force was very strong. But in this dark mist, her spiritual force could only reach 500 meters.
Zhao Hai continued to whisper, "Instructor, come with me to the bar first. Let's take the crew go to a safe place. My magic will last for a while. But if they use light magic, then the most it could last is ten minutes. We need to save the crew during that time before we can move on our own."
Margaret agreed, then she said, "Ten minutes is enough. And don't forget, Tyro Planet has guards. Since we just made a huge move, they would definitely be alarmed. Ten minutes is enough for them to rush over."
Zhao hai nodded. Then he caught Margaret's body and then led her towards the bar.
The people inside the bar were also aware of what just happened outside. Because of this, nobody went out. Some of them even hid below the tables.
The magic Zhao Hai used didn't just cover the street, it shrouded the bar as well. However, this magic didn't affect Zhao Hai. After Zhao Hai and Margaret entered the bar, he immediately let go of her hand and said, "Instructor, stay here while I go look for the others."
Margaret, who has never been pulled by a man before, was now blushing. She just nodded as Zhao Hai went towards a table. Naturally, the crew were the ones drinking there. When they heard the commotion, they immediately hid under the table.
When Zhao Hai arrived at the table and saw the crew's state, he couldn't help but laugh. Then he knocked on the table and said, "Alright, you need to get out of here." Then he waved his hand. A light quickly covered the table, dispersing the dark mist around the crew.
When the crew members heard Zhao Hai's voice, they couldn't help but stare. They looked up and saw Zhao Hai standing in front of them. After a short pause, the crew immediately jumped up.
Zhao Hai made a gesture to silence them and then whispered, "Listen to me, the pirates that attacked us are here. I just killed one of them. I'll send someone to lead you out of this area. Remember, unless he disappears, you shouldn't come out." After he said that, Zhao Hai waved his hand and summoned a skeleton.
The crew knew that this wasn't the time to talk, so they just nodded and followed the skeleton. Meanwhile, Zhao Hai's body disappeared and went to Margaret's side.
Margaret had already calmed down at this time. Although her spiritual force has been suppressed, she was still able to know what happened inside the bar. Naturally, she was able to see Zhao Hai's action. When Zhao Hai returned, she immediately said, "There's no visibility in the dark mist. Are they not going to attack?"
Zhao Hai shook his head and said, "They will. They are still outside the dark mist. Maybe they want us to think that they won't attack. It would be more dangerous for us if the guards don't arrive for some time. This way, the pirates can be more assured to take bolder actions."
Margaret thought about what Zhao Hai said for a moment, then she said, "That's impossible. Tyro Planet is supported by the three major groups. It isn't that easy to bribe the guards of the three powers at the same time."
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Then that means they used other methods to lure the guards away. Instructor, we need to find a way to deal with them. It would be good if we could break out of the encirclement."
Margaret nodded, "Alright. But don't you feel that their encirclement is quite tight?" Margaret couldn't help but feel regret. She had been very negligent. On the entire ship, only she and Zhao Hai could use magic. The others were just ordinary people, they couldn't provide any firepower.
Moreover, Margaret wasn't a fool. They had been entangled with the pirates yet the guards had yet to arrive. This meant that the enemy had prepared themselves well. It seems like they planned to deal with the Ashley Family's group today.
Upon thinking about this, Margaret turned to Zhao Hai and said, "Zhao Hai, I'm afraid that even if we break through, they still won't let us go easily. At the earliest, the people from the family would arrive tomorrow. Before that time, we will be in constant danger."
Zhao Hai thought for a moment before he said, "Instructor. I think we need to find a proper battlefield for us to fight in. Doing it in this city is certainly not good. We couldn't move properly knowing that innocents might be caught in the crossfire. We would also be in trouble if the three powers look into the fight and see the damage we did to the city. Additionally, they have a lot of people surrounding us. We need an environment that is more complex and easier to hide in."
Margaret agreed, "Aren't you good at dark magic? Why don't we enter a tunnel. That kind of environment should suit our needs."
Upon hearing Margaret, Zhao Hai's eyes shone. Then he immediately agreed, "Instructor, I just thought about a place. As long as we lure them there, I can guarantee that none of them would be able to return."
When Margaret heard Zhao Hai, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you thinking about the exam's tunnel?"
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "The exam's tunnel has a large amount of dark energy. If we enter there, we could use dark magic at full strength. And with my summoning magic, they will surely die."
Margaret paused for a moment, then she frowned and asked, "But do you know the way to the tunnel? Moreover, that place is quite far from here. Will those people follow?"
Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, "Of course they will. They want to kill us. So if we go to a remote place, they will be more than happy to follow. Most importantly, if we attract their attention, the crew will be safe. I reckon the Mage and Warriors attacking us wouldn't make the crew their priority. Also, I was able to remember the path I went through when I took the exam. Instructor can trust me on this."
Margaret nodded, "They wouldn't attack the crew who can't use magic. Alright, let's head there." She might not be aware of it, but Margaret had already began to blindly trust Zhao Hai.
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Alright. Follow me. Let's break through their encirclement first. Then we'll run straight towards the tunnel." He didn't wait for Margaret to respond as his body suddenly flew. Margaret followed closely behind.
Zhao Hai sped towards the people on the opposite side of the bar. At this time, Zhao Hai took out a magic staff. This staff wasn't the blood ghost staff. Instead, it was a staff he just recently bought. It was a light element staff.
When Margaret saw Zhao Hai take out the light element staff, she couldn’t help but stare. Low-level light magic can be said to be the weakest of its rank. Only when it reaches higher levels would light magic be considered very powerful. So why did Zhao Hai take out a light element staff?
After taking the staff out, Zhao Hai turned to Margaret and said, "Instructor, in a while, make sure to close your eyes."
Margaret finally understood what Zhao Hai wanted to do, she couldn't help but secretly nod. She was already aware that Zhao Hai was an all-element Mage. However, Zhao Hai was still level one, which was the lowest level when it came to Magic Theory. Nevertheless, if Zhao Hai was skillful in his usage of magic, then he was someone that couldn't be underestimated.
Magic Theory and lower realm magic were still somewhat related. In the lower realms, all-element Mages were very powerful even at lower levels. However, this was given that they were able to utilize their magic properly. They need to be able to discern which magic was appropriate to use at a certain time.
Even if a spell wasn't strong, as long as it is used properly, it could still kill someone. And even if someone could use strong magic, if they didn't know when to use it, then their efforts would just be wasted. Because of this, there was a saying among Mages, 'There are no bad spells, only garbage Mages.'
At this time, the attackers were fully focused on the dark mist. A sudden eruption of light magic from the darkness would certainly disorientate them. Even if it was a low-level spell, the abrupt change in brightness would still blind them. And once they were blinded, they would panic, fully disturbing their encirclement. This would give Zhao Hai and Margaret an opportunity to escape.
It didn't take long before the two arrived on the street. Margaret felt two hidden spiritual forces at an intersection nearby. It seems like two Mages were hidden near that place.
These two spiritual forces were very well hidden. Margaret even failed to notice them before. Even now, if she wasn't concentrating, she wouldn't have been able to see them.
This caused Margaret to be surprised. She was a level 5 Mage, a level most Mages wouldn't reach in their lifetime. And now, there was Zhao Hai. Was his spiritual force stronger than her's?
Without delaying, Zhao Hai waved the staff in his hand as he said, "Burst Light!" And with his voice, a five-layer formation suddenly appeared and then exploded. The explosion emitted an incomparably bright light. This turned everything around him into white. The two Mages who were waiting for them felt a stabbing pain in their eyes before their vision was completely blocked.