Morintis had already detected the newcomers through his Skeleton Warriors.
Besides the Archer and Mage he had seen today, there was now a Knight with a sword and shield.
The three of them had surrounded Morintis and Isla from different directions.
Isla Ning frowned deeply, her delicate face scrunching up in frustration.
"Endless trouble! It's just one Intermediate Skill Scroll. They've been chasing me for days and still haven't given up."
She stamped her foot firmly and said to Morintis, "I'm leaving. I'll find you to play another time if I get the chance."
Whoosh!
A sharp arrow shot out from the darkness. Isla reacted swiftly, instantly sidestepping to dodge it.
The arrow struck the ground with a thump and exploded, transforming into two streams of light that fell upon Morintis and Isla respectively.
A huge mark instantly appeared above both their heads, glowing brightly in the night like they were wearing bright lanterns.
"Oh no! A Marking Arrow!" Isla's face turned pale; she knew things were troublesome now.
Morintis recalled the description of the Marking Arrow.
It was an Archer skill that could mark a target, making them highly visible and preventing them from entering stealth.
Marking Arrows were very effective against Assassin-type classes, restricting their stealth abilities.
They were also used in dungeons to deal with stealth-type monsters. Marked by the Archer and with her stealth skill hindered, escaping would be very difficult.
"You won't escape this time."
A cold laugh sounded as the Mage from earlier emerged from the woods.
On another side, the Archer stood perched in a tree.
From the remaining direction, the Knight had also arrived.
The Mage gripped his staff, his icy gaze sweeping over Morintis and Isla Ning.
"I knew you were in cahoots. A dirty, rat-like Assassin paired with an evil, shadowy Necromancer—quite the fitting pair."
A faint light flashed in Isla's hand, and a dagger glowing with a cyan light appeared.
"He has nothing to do with this. I'll give you the skill scroll, and we go our separate ways."
The Archer in the tree chuckled. "If it were a day ago, that would be fine. But now... we think it's safer to just kill you."
The Mage added, "Dead people are the safest. That way, no one knows we have the Intermediate Skill Scroll, saving us a lot of trouble."
Isla whispered to Morintis, "I'll hold them off later. You run on your own."
Morintis looked at her. "What about you?"
"I'm a Shadow Assassin. The night is my domain. I have my ways to get away." Morintis knew Isla was just saying that.
If she could truly defeat them, she wouldn't have had to flee earlier.
Clearly, the other side was stronger.
As a Shadow Assassin, she might have escaped before, but now, hit by the Marking Arrow with her stealth disabled, getting away would be difficult.
"Let's not waste time. The longer the night, the more dreams. Let's do it," the Archer said sternly.
The Mage raised his staff. "Today, not only will you die, but this little guy will too."
The staff erupted with brilliant light as a huge ball of light rose into the sky, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.
Illumination!
The Mage's Illumination spell wasn't just for lighting; it could also dispel darkness and increase the Mage's spell accuracy.
Most crucially, Illumination also countered Assassin stealth skills. This made Isla Ning even more uncomfortable.
"Time to fight for my life." A light flashed in Isla's hand, revealing a cyan dagger.
Her whole body tensed. Her large eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze turning sharp as she began looking for an opening.
The Archer in the tree had already drawn his bow fully, ready to shoot at any moment.
The Knight had also drawn his sword and shield, assuming a stance for a Charge skill.
The Mage's staff was glowing brightly. Surrounded by the three, they left Isla Ning no room for escape.
At that moment, Morintis slightly raised a finger. A Skeleton Warrior appeared in front of him.
"Tch! A wasted effort!"
The Mage showed a trace of disdain and deep disgust.
"Fireball!"
The Mage shouted lightly.
A massive fireball, a full meter in diameter, materialized out of thin air and shot towards the two, carrying raging flames.
Fireball was a powerful spell Mages learned at Level 20.
Being hit by it meant serious injury, if not death.
"Dodge it!"
Isla's pretty face changed color, and she immediately pulled Morintis back.
As the Mage cast the Fireball, he simultaneously released a Mental Shackles spell.
Just as Isla was pulling Morintis back, she suddenly felt her body grow heavy, her speed dropping instantly.
An invisible thread of mental energy extended from the Mage's staff, entangling their feet.
While Isla was shackled, the Archer also acted.
The bowstring vibrated with a thrum, releasing an arrow. Mid-flight, the arrow split into three.
Triple Shot!
An Archer technique where one arrow becomes three, capable of dealing triple the attack.
At the same time, the Knight launched his Charge, rushing towards the two with astonishing speed.
"It's over!" Isla's face turned deathly pale.
She suddenly pushed Morintis away with force, shoving him out of the attack range.
Just then, two Skeleton Warriors appeared on Isla's left and right sides. The three Skeleton Warriors stood like three shields, firmly protecting Isla.
The Mage's Fireball struck a Skeleton Warrior, exploding with a boom and scattering flames everywhere.
The Archer's Triple Shot hit the Skeleton Warriors, producing metallic clanging sounds.
The Knight collided with a Skeleton Warrior. The Skeleton Warrior remained motionless, while the Knight was sent flying back by the impact.
From within the flames, the Skeleton Warrior slowly walked out, emanating its pale bronze glow, completely unharmed.
"How is this possible!"
The Mage couldn't believe his eyes. He had already used Detection earlier and knew Morintis was only a Level 10 Necromancer.
A summon's level couldn't exceed the Necromancer's own, meaning it should only be Level 10. With his own Level 21 strength, he actually failed to kill it instantly?
The Archer and Knight were also stunned. What kind of summon was this, to be so strong?
Clatter!
Clatter!
Accompanied by the grating sound of bone friction, Skeleton Warriors appeared all around.
A full forty-four Skeleton Warriors surrounded the three of them completely.