Chapter 45: Chapter45-Gold-Tier Fighter
Watching John's departing figure, the three House Carter guards exchanged excited glances.
One of them clenched his fist, exclaiming with exhilaration, "I never thought we'd find him so quickly. Let's hurry back and report to the young master; we've achieved a great feat this time!"
Upon learning that John possessed the only item left by the Crimson Demon, Lucas and Theodore immediately gathered the elites of House Carter and sent them into this secret realm.
They firmly believed that there must be information related to the Crimson Demon here, so they forcefully broke through the blockade set by House Fairfax at all costs, allowing a large number of House Carter guards to enter the secret realm, and these three were part of one such team.
At this moment, the trio felt as though their luck was exploding; they had just entered the secret realm and had already stumbled upon John's trail.
Now, as long as they could get the message out, they would receive Lucas's reward and might even secure a life of wealth and honor, fueling their excitement.
Among the three, one was more composed and cautioned, "This kid is quite alert. Don't get too close to him later. Wait for more people to arrive. And, did any of you mark him just now?"
A guard with a slightly sharper voice nodded, "I sprinkled some Corpse Blossom Pollen on him. It's colorless and odorless; he couldn't have noticed it."
Corpse Blossom Pollen was a tracking tool, virtually undetectable and impossible to shake off for three days once applied.
Only a specially bred type of corpse worm could detect its scent, making it exceedingly rare.
Lucas had really invested heavily this time, equipping each House Carter guard team with a portion to ensure foolproof tracking, underscoring the importance he placed on John.
The more composed House Carter guard, seemingly the captain of this small team, nodded and instructed, "Good, keep an eye on him for now. I'll relay the message back and ask the young master to send elites. Remember, do not alert him; avoid stirring the grass and frightening the snake. This matter is of great importance; we cannot afford any mishaps."
The House Carter guards were well aware of Lucas's temperament.
Had they not found John, they might not have been rewarded, but they wouldn't have faced punishment either.
However, having found John and then letting him escape would mean a grave fate for all three of them.
Recalling Lucas's methods sent a shiver down their spines.
The other two House Carter guards were about to nod in agreement when their eyes suddenly widened in shock, staring behind their team captain in disbelief!
The team captain's face darkened as he bellowed, "Who's there?!"
Whirling around, his pupils constricted in shock.
Behind him, as if a ghost had materialized, stood a figure with a translucent body and a black mask over his face.
It was John, who had seemingly left their field of view moments ago!
John slowly emerged from his ghostly state, his eyes cold as he looked at the three, "So it's the minions of that idiot Lucas. Surprising he has his moments of intelligence, actually finding me."
He had sensed something amiss earlier, so he had been cautious.
After leaving the area, John used the "Ghost" skill from his Ghost Cloak at a turn, momentarily entering a ghostly state.
Then, employing the stealth techniques learned from the old cripple, he quietly circled back.
To his surprise, he indeed found someone lurking in the shadows, and they were guards from House Carter.
From the conversation, John gathered that Lucas might have already figured out that he was the one in the black robe.
This left John somewhat frustrated, unable to comprehend how he was discovered.
However, he was well aware of the myriad methods these great family members wielded and had been prepared for such eventualities. He didn't regret crossing Lucas, even now.
Seeking revenge and settling grudges had always been John's principle!
At this moment, the three House Carter guards quickly reacted.
They retreated explosively, putting distance between themselves and John, uncertain when he had detected them and how he had approached so stealthily.
John looked up at the three without any intention of wasting words.
He lifted his staff, gently tapped it, and a streak of green light flashed instantly!
"Vine Thorn!"
Following the skill's activation, a tree branch behind the three seemed to come to life. Under John's control, it viciously lunged at one of them.
The team captain of the guards reacted swiftly, bellowing, "Watch out!"
But it was a step too late.
By the time the House Carter guard noticed, the sharp branch was already in front of him!
"Thwack!"
The sharp branch pierced through his skull without any resistance, splattering brain matter.
"-45175!"
The guard was instantly killed by John without even a chance to groan.
Witnessing this terrifying damage, the remaining two guards nearly stopped breathing!
The man just now was a lv25 silver-tier assassin, yet in John's hands, he didn't even have a chance to fight back!
They couldn't dare to imagine that this was someone who had awakened his powers just a few days ago!
John's expression remained calm.
In battles against monsters, the true terror of his instant casting couldn't be fully appreciated.
But in combat with humans, John's advantage was displayed to its fullest.
Awakeners had much lower HP than monsters, and as long as the gap in strength between John and his opponent wasn't overwhelmingly vast, his casting speed could grant him the upper hand, leaving no time for reactions and enabling him to instantly overpower opponents even at higher levels!
The remaining two House Carter guards now understood the terror that was John. The team captain immediately said, "This guy's casting speed is too fast. We need to attack together; get close, and he's done for!"
With John able to cast spells instantly, escaping would be difficult for them, and they'd just be picked off one by one.
Their only option was to fight with all they had.
The other House Carter guard understood their predicament and nodded solemnly.
Suddenly, both figures vanished from the tree trunks and charged towards John.
Both House Carter guards specialized in close combat; one was a swordsman wielding a bronze longsword that radiated white sword aura, while the team captain was a fighter, his fists wrapped in red blood energy, his movements exceptionally agile.
John had no intention of letting them get close easily.
He swung his staff, activating two skills simultaneously.
"Ice Spear!"
"Fireball!"
Behind John, an ice spear and a massive fireball materialized instantly.
With a flick of his staff, both skills shot towards the two men at once!
Seeing John release two skills instantly, both guards felt a shiver run down their spines.
Not only could this guy cast spells instantly, but he could also perform dual casting!
This was a technique not even many seasoned maguses could master!
How could his talent be so terrifying? Wasn't he supposed to be just an ordinary magus?
By now, they had cursed Lucas hundreds of times in their minds for not informing them of such crucial information.
But Lucas couldn't really be blamed.
Even up to this point, he still believed John was just an ordinary magus, thinking he had obtained the Crimson Demon's item merely by association with Seraphina.
This was a natural assumption, after all, who could imagine that three transcendent-tier powerhouses had failed to discern John's true class and talent?
But unfortunately, John was not one to play by the usual rules.
With no option but to proceed, the two House Carter guards braced themselves and charged at John.
Their figures leapt continuously on the thick tree branches, with the team captain, a fighter by profession, leading in speed.
As a lv33 gold-tier awakener with robust physique and superior attributes and level, he easily dodged John's ice spear.
However, the other House Carter guard wasn't so fortunate.
Caught mid-air, he was engulfed by the sudden explosion of John's Pyrokinesis, instantly scorched into a charred corpse before falling to the ground in pieces.
At this moment, the team captain had no time to concern himself with others.
Seeing John about to cast another spell, he knew he couldn't afford to give John the chance.
Gritting his teeth, a surge of red blood energy erupted from him, boosting his speed significantly!
"Blood Frenzy!"
Suddenly, his figure vanished and, when it reappeared, it had crossed the distance of a tree, appearing right in front of John.
"Blink Step!"
Upon reaching John, the team captain took a fierce step forward, drawing back his arm to gather force.
His fist, swirling with blood energy and carrying a fierce punch wind, aimed directly at John's face!
"Thunder Punch!"
The team captain's three skills flowed seamlessly together, showcasing his vast combat experience.
And with all his might behind the punch, if it were to hit John, it could likely blow his head apart on the spot!
Yet, faced with this terrifying punch, John's expression remained utterly unchanged.