"Hey, Pike, I'd stake my reputation on it that Bob is undoubtedly a heretic of the Black Sheep Cult!" A quarter of an hour prior to Kenley's entanglement in a harrowing predicament, three young individuals, stealthily following the trail of Kate and his entourage, arrived at the shores of Myerzu Lake.

  "Enough already, Mars. My ears are practically calloused from hearing you prattle on about that tattoo on Bob's neck since early this morning," the young maiden beside him chided irritably.

  "I'm deadly serious, Evelyn! You have to trust me!" Mars, the young warrior, exclaimed with a hint of desperation.

  "Mars, Evelyn, hold your tongues for a moment. There's the sound of a skirmish ahead," Pike interjected, furrowing his brow in concern.

  The Fangtooth Squad, a fledgling team within the Adventurer's Guild. Mars, the team leader, was a mid - tiered warrior of the first rank; Pike, a team member, was a mid - tiered cleric of the first rank; and Evelyn, another team member, was a mid - tiered mage of the first rank.

  Cautiously, they parted a thicket of grass and beheld Kenley and Tia encircled by Kate and his companions, including an elite Demonic Mole.

  "A third - rank monstrosity! I'm not seeing things, am I? And that enchanting young woman, she appears to be a vampire slave," Mars exclaimed in a flustered manner.

  "Strange. Why on earth are Kate, Bob, and the others surrounding these two individuals?" Evelyn pondered aloud, a look of bewilderment crossing her face.

  Just then, Pike, the cleric, spoke up."I'm acquainted with that girl. The day before yesterday, I witnessed a divine miracle in the Great Cathedral, which was brought about by the very warrior who is now surrounded. It is rumored that the vampire is of royal lineage, having received the bishop's esteemed hospitality and been bestowed with the Mark of Devotion." As he spoke, Pike pointed at the back of Tia's hand."Take a closer look, there."

  "By all means, it is indeed the Mark of Devotion!" The other two exchanged a meaningful glance.

  "But why are they being besieged by Kate's men? Is there some long - standing feud between them?" Evelyn remained perplexed.

  "Wait a moment, look! There's something amiss with Bob!" Mars, paying no heed to the others' opinions, had his attention riveted on Bob throughout.

  Influenced by Mars, they swiftly turned their gaze towards Bob and were witness to his transformation and the subsequent slaying of Kate.

  "The fourth rank!" Mars's face turned ashen with shock."This situation demands immediate reporting to the Temple!"

  "Hold on, Mars. From what that Black Sheep heretic said, it seems he has set his sights on the vampire. Should we offer them assistance? If I'm not mistaken, Pike, if that vampire's heroic bloodline were to fall into the hands of the Black Sheep cultists, it would enable the heretics to achieve their nefarious objectives," Evelyn, a meticulous observer, had been intently listening to the conversation between Tia and Lenznos.

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  "Evelyn, that's a fourth - rank adversary! Come to your senses. Although I'm equally eager to apprehend the heretic, even if we combine our forces with theirs, we would be no match for Bob," Mars, despite his urgency, retained his rationality.

  "But by the time we return with reinforcements from the Temple, the battle will likely be long over, Mars," Evelyn insisted resolutely.

  "Cease this bickering!" Pike intervened.

  "I possess a spell to alert the Temple, Mars. We should make an attempt to aid them, at least to secure a slender chance of escape for the descendant of heroes," Pike sided with Evelyn.

  "The minority must yield to the majority, Mars. You are a warrior, after all," Evelyn's gaze conveyed her unwavering determination.

  Mars looked into Evelyn's eyes and let out a resigned sigh."We may very well perish."

  "But didn't we steel ourselves for the possibility of sacrificing our lives when we formed this team in the Adventurer's Guild?" Evelyn smiled softly.

  Upon hearing this, Mars's eyes glimmered with a newfound resolve."You're right. Death is but a small price to pay."

  Pike nodded in agreement and began muttering incantations under his breath. Moments later, a golden sphere of light soared towards the Temple.

  "May the Paladins arrive posthaste," Pike murmured to himself.

  No sooner had Pike dispatched the message than he looked up to see Mars collide with a formidable black magic wall.

  "Bang!" Mars clutched his head in pain for a considerable moment.

  "It's hopeless, Pike. That Black Sheep heretic appears to have erected a barrier, effectively sealing us out. We cannot breach it," Mars exclaimed, breaking into a cold sweat.

  Pike and Evelyn were both taken aback. They immediately launched an attack against the barrier, only to be met by a black shield of light that repelled their assault, confirming Mars's words.

  "Mars, do you think they stand a chance of survival?" Evelyn inquired, her face etched with worry as she gazed at Kenley and Tia, who were locked in a standoff with the Black Sheep cultist.

  "I cannot say, Evelyn. A second - rank warrior and a high - tiered mage of the first rank... Their prospects of survival are, at best, slim to none," Mars shook his head despondently.

  Suddenly, Pike exclaimed,"Look! The warrior and the vampire have vanished!"

  The two of them turned their attention towards the direction of the Black Sheep heretic.

  "Bang!" Just like Mars, Kenley also collided with the barrier, his head throbbing with pain.

  Damn it! No wonder Lenznos had remained invisible and evasive earlier. He had evidently orchestrated this, erecting a formidable dark magic barrier.

  With his current strength, Kenley was powerless to breach the fourth - rank magic barrier and found himself trapped within.

  Moments ago, after retrieving Tia into the Subspace, Kenley promptly employed the Cloak of Light to conceal himself. Operating alone would undoubtedly afford him greater mobility.

  Just then, the Black Sheep cultist let out a mocking laugh."Miserable mortal, do you truly believe you can elude me? Although I am unaware of the means by which you have hidden yourself, you stand no chance of escape in this place."

  With that, he brandished his dagger, shrouded in dark qi, and unleashed a terrifying black shockwave in the shape of a half - moon towards the direction where Kenley had disappeared.

  Reaping Light Slash. This technique had a 1.5 - second interval between each use and could be executed three times in succession, followed by an 8 - second cooldown period. With an attack range of 20 meters in length and 8 meters in width, and dealing 450 points of damage, even a brush with it would spell certain doom for Kenley, whose current HP stood at a mere 259.