"What? You said it's bad?! We're in deep trouble?!" Barrett heard EeDechi next to him say this, the veins on his forehead bulging.
My captain! Aren't you really strong? Are you helpless too? Barrett truly grew tense. This time it wasn't just an act; he started to panic, his heart pounding wildly. He used his still-movable fingers to quietly press down on a pocket in his pants, forcing himself to calm down.
As the Lord of Despair Clovis had said, veteran adventurers all have plenty of little tricks up their sleeves. Barrett had a small magical trinket in his pants pocket, something he'd scavenged from a dead mage's home, which could dispel most binding spells, including petrification.
Back then, it was thanks to this magical trinket that he'd endured three petrifying gazes, chopped off a medusa's head, and saved a traveling merchant caravan.
His longsword was right behind the chair, within easy reach to draw it out. First, focus his will to activate the magical trinket, then come up with a topic to chat about, trick Clovis into leaning in closer, and once he was within arm's length, quickly draw the sword and launch a sneak attack...
Barrett's face was a mask of sheer terror and fear, but in his mind, thoughts raced like lightning, frantically piecing together a plan.
But the problem was, even EeDechi—who'd always been unbeatable—had said, "We're in deep trouble!" So could he really take down the Lord of Despair Clovis right in front of him?
Barrett's nerves were stretched tight, with not a shred of confidence in his heart.
"This is really deep trouble now," EeDechi said with drooping eyes, letting out a sigh. "I'm so tired right now, and it's already the dead of night. We're out in the middle of nowhere, the carriage horses have bolted, and we're two outsiders, totally lost in this unfamiliar land. How are we supposed to get home later? Do we have to crash in the carriage overnight?"
Barrett's mouth twitched—the trouble was indeed deep.
Clovis slowly paced over, stepping right in front of EeDechi. He smiled. "It seems this unlovely lady hasn't grasped her predicament yet."
With that, he leveled the longsword in his hand, using the tip to prop up EeDechi's chin, and gave a faint smile. "Lady, please lift your head and take a look at the last handsome man you'll see in your life."
EeDechi, probably because she was pretty worn out, kept her head hanging and ignored him.
In terms of looks alone, the Lord of Despair Clovis was indeed very handsome. He smirked with wicked charm, the leveled sword tip tucked under EeDechi's chin, his arm straining as he tried to use the point to force her head up. He wanted this wild and untamed girl to get a good eyeful of his dashing face, to burn into her memory the man who was about to kill her.
He gave a gentle lift—EeDechi's head didn't budge an inch.
He applied a bit more force—still no movement.
He heaved the sword harder—her head remained utterly still.
Was this girl's chin made of iron? Why was it so heavy? A surge of anger rose in Lord of Despair Clovis's heart, veins popping out along the arm gripping the sword as he mustered every last bit of strength to hoist it upward.
But EeDechi was like a solid-cast bronze statue, her head not shifting at all.
Clovis gave up trying to lift the sword—his minions were still watching nearby, and carrying on like this was starting to look embarrassing. Rage boiling inside, he thrust the longsword forward! Aiming to kill the girl outright!
The sword tip had been resting against EeDechi's chin, and with this jab, the blade stabbed straight into her throat!
But Clovis didn't feel the thrill of the blade piercing through the girl's throat, with blood spraying everywhere. He discovered in horror that the longsword pressed against EeDechi's throat was like it was up against an adamantine enchanted shield—it couldn't budge an inch!
Clovis stepped forward, gripping the hilt with both hands, and shoved the sword with all his might, but he couldn't pierce that seemingly soft throat at all.
In front of the sword tip was an indestructible yet delicate throat; behind it was Clovis, empowered by his domain, pushing violently. It was like ramming an iron rod against a steel plate—the entire sword had bent into an arc!
EeDechi stared at the curved longsword pressed against her throat, furrowing her brows as she said, "I don't have time to play along with your sword-to-the-throat iron body stunt. Last question: this carriage—are you pulling it or not?"
Clovis leaped back three steps in a row, creating distance, and assumed a defensive sword stance. His face was utterly grim, with no hint of his earlier casual vibe. The five black-robed assassins around them each retreated a step as well, clearly caught off guard by EeDechi's "iron body performance" just now—it was way beyond what they'd expected.
"Now this is interesting! Finally, some real fun!" Clovis licked his lips, his voice laced with excitement. "No wonder Princess Renner has her eye on you. Your defense rivals a dragon's scales—is this a Martial Art? Or your Innate Talent?"
EeDechi's face was blank. She stood up from the carriage seat and then stepped down from the carriage. Barrett watched her get off so easily and figured the binding magic had worn off, so he tried to straighten up and stand too—but he still couldn't move, his whole body stuck to the seat like it'd been glued there with alchemical adhesive.
"Interesting! Interesting! You broke a 3rd Tier binding spell without even lifting a finger—your magic resistance is top-notch. But!" Clovis nodded with a twisted grin. His eyes were bloodshot, his face growing more savage, more thrilled, like a beast in the arena finally catching the scent of blood, its iron claws scraping the ground, ready to pounce.
"In my domain, no one can beat me!"
Martial Art: Blade of Unyielding Edge!
Martial Art: Ghostly Dance Steps!
Martial Art: Vitality Surge!
The Despair Domain! Fully Activated!
In the pitch-black domain space, a tidal wave of momentum erupted from where Clovis stood. Gusts of fierce wind surged out one after another, rolling and slapping against faces, blowing EeDechi's short hair into wild disarray, her loose clothes flapping with a sharp rustle.
In just an instant, Clovis's figure vanished from the spot, like a drop of ink dissolving into a vat of pitch-black dye. Looking in every direction, there was only an expanse of black space. This boundless, profound domain was Clovis's ultimate shield.
A thin silver thread sliced through the black sky, like a narrow blade of light, slashing straight at EeDechi.
SMACK!
A dull, heavy slap echoed abruptly in the night sky—not crisp at all, mixed with the crunch of shattering bones and the squelch of bursting flesh.
Clovis's entire face deformed, as if smashed on the side by a stone mill, his lips, nostrils, and eyes all twisted out of shape. Several teeth flew from his mouth trailing saliva, and his longsword slipped from his grasp, sailing away.
The Lord of Despair went flying along with his own teeth, his body spinning three times in the air before crashing to the ground with a THUD, completely still.
The scene fell dead silent for a moment. Barrett was only stunned for a second before snapping out of it. He channeled his mental energy to activate the magical trinket in his pants pocket, dispelling the binding magic, then drew his longsword, leaped off the carriage, and drove the tip straight through the chest of the nearest assassin.
The other four assassins stood there in a daze, not even lifting their curved knives. They seemed unable to wrap their heads around the fact that their leader, so majestic just moments ago, was now sprawled on the ground like a dead fish. Even their teammate getting killed didn't jolt them from their shock.
Seizing the chance, Barrett charged forward at full speed, his sword edge slicing across one assassin's neck, then thrusting through another's heart.
The thuds of three companions' bodies hitting the ground came one after another, finally shaking the last two assassins awake. But they'd lost all fighting spirit, their bodies trembling as they dropped their curved knives, turned, and bolted.
Barrett pulled two throwing axes from his spatial ring, gripped them tight, and swung his burly arms in wide arcs before hurling them. The axes flew out one after the other, gleaming with enchanted silver light, and the remaining two assassins dropped in succession.
"Over?" EeDechi clapped her hands together, wiping a streak of blood from her palm.
Watching Barrett take out the five assassins, with blood splattering everywhere, made her frown. "That's way too gory."
Barrett shrugged, too lazy to reply. People had come to end their lives, and she was worried about the murder scene being too brutal—sure enough, the mindset of the strong was different from ordinary folks.
Even though all the enemies lay sprawled on the ground in various poses, the area around the carriage was still pitch black, with no scenery visible at all, like they were standing in thick, sticky ink. The Despair Domain's effect lingered on, the black bowl still clamped over their heads.