Chapter 54: Thunder's Roar

The archer's expression changed drastically. He swiftly retreated.

Whoosh—

A sharp gust split the air, reaching him in an instant!

A deep gash opened across his face in a flash.

At that moment, the archer finally spotted his target.

It was Xu Han.

While the archer was busy attacking the other members of the guard squad, Xu Han had quietly crept closer. But he changed his mind—now he intended to cripple the archer and extract some information from him.

The archer’s eyes reddened, his gaze icy and cold.

"Gale Arrow!"

He didn’t even nock an arrow, but simply drew the bowstring taut. Suddenly, a long, blue-green arrow manifested on the bow.

With a flick of his fingers, the Gale Arrow shot toward Xu Han.

"Exploding Fireball!"

Xu Han raised his palm. A scorching fireball gathered in his hand.

Boom!

The fireball blasted forth, colliding fiercely with the Gale Arrow. A thunderous explosion rocked the air.

Immediately, the archer drew another arrow, set it to his bow, and watched the front warily.

A figure suddenly lunged at him from the side.

The archer’s face shifted again. He drew his bow in a flash and loosed a sharp arrow!

Whoosh—

The arrow pierced through the figure and vanished into the darkness.

The archer’s expression darkened. As he reached for a second arrow, a dagger pressed coldly against his throat.

"Don’t move, or you’re dead."

The archer froze, not daring to make a single move.

Xu Han didn’t waste words. He kicked the archer’s knee.

Crack!

The bone snapped under the force.

With a heavy thud, the archer collapsed to his knees.

He grunted, beads of cold sweat pouring from his forehead.

Xu Han swiftly disabled the archer’s limbs, then put away his dagger and sent him sprawling to the ground with another kick.

He had taken advantage of the explosion between the fireball and the Gale Arrow to mask his approach, then cast a mental illusion to trap the archer’s mind and seize the initiative.

With the threat neutralized, Xu Han used his Eye of Insight to examine the archer’s information.

[Name: Liu Mo]
[Race: Human]
[Class: B-rank Eagle-Eye Archer]
[Level: 63]
[Skills: Gale Arrow LV.3, Rapid Shot LV.5, Precision Shot LV.6, Eagle Eye LV.6]

Level 63—already a third-tier combatant.

"The Abyssal Church really spares no expense, sending a third-tier archer to assassinate me," Xu Han said expressionlessly.

Liu Mo’s face twisted with surprise. How had this boy discerned his level? But he quickly regained his composure, sneering, "Interesting. Not even a first-tier, and you managed to catch me."

"Seems my intel was off."

"But no matter what, you can’t escape this time."

"The Grandmaster is already on the way!"

"In no time, you’ll be dead!"

Xu Han frowned slightly. Clearly, the opposition had prepared thoroughly for this assassination.

But he wasn’t made of clay, either.

He drew his dagger and cut Liu Mo’s throat.

The archer slumped, life fading from his body.

Xu Han knelt and stuffed all the archer’s equipment into his spatial ring.

Two pieces of gold-grade gear, five pieces of silver-grade—useless to him, perhaps, but worth a good sum if sold.

He hurried back to the train.

The young squad member had already dragged Captain Liu behind cover, desperately using his clothes to staunch the bleeding. The older squad member lay motionless on the ground, his fate uncertain.

Xu Han said, "The archer is dealt with. Get the healer here, quickly!"

The young guard froze, then rushed to the communicator to call for medical support.

Soon, a healer arrived in haste and began tending the wounded.

Their bleeding was soon under control.

Xiong Hui arrived with the remaining members of the guard squad, panic etched on their faces as they surveyed the devastated conductor’s cabin.

"Xu Han, are you alright?" Xiong Hui hurried over, concern in his voice.

"I’m fine. But they’ve sacrificed themselves," Xu Han replied, gesturing to Aqi’s lifeless form, his mood heavy.

Xiong Hui sighed helplessly. "Don’t worry. The station will take care of their families."

"From now on, I’ll protect you myself!"

Xu Han glanced at Xiong Hui.

[Name: Xiong Hui]
[Race: Human]
[Class: C-rank Iron Fist]
[Level: 65]
[Skills: Impact Fist LV.3, Slide Step LV.6, Rapid Punch LV.4, Dodge LV.2]

Xu Han was surprised; he hadn’t expected the conductor to be a third-tier expert as well.

Seeing Xu Han’s look, Xiong Hui thought he doubted him. He shrugged off his jacket, revealing sturdy, well-toned muscles. "I’m a third-tier fighter! Dealing with a few scum from the Abyssal Church is no problem."

Xu Han nodded slightly. With Xiong Hui here, he could relax a bit.

But what level was the Grandmaster the archer had mentioned?

Rumbling thunder echoed across the sky.

Xu Han looked up.

Dark violet lightning flickered through the clouds. At some point, a vast mass of black clouds had gathered overhead, their glow illuminating the heavens.

The storm clouds hung above like a massive beast crouched over the world, gazing down at the train below, ready to pounce at any moment.

Everyone felt a suffocating pressure.

"Conductor! Look, there’s someone up there!"

A guard pointed in terror at a giant boulder ahead.

All eyes turned to the rock.

A flash of lightning revealed a black-robed figure standing atop it, his broad hood obscuring his face.

Xu Han frowned and activated his Eye of Insight.

[Name: Lei Ming]
[Race: Human]
[Class: B-rank Thunderstorm Mage]
[Level: 81]
[Skills: Thunder Summon LV.3, Thunderstorm LV.6, Lightning Mirage LV.6, Thunder Slash LV.7, Shadow of Quick Thunder LV.2, Lightning Orb LV.9]

Lei Ming? The name sounded vaguely familiar.

But level eighty-one!

That made him a fourth-tier powerhouse.

The black-robed man spoke, his voice slow and cold: "Fortunately, I’m not too late."

"Xu Han, your strength exceeds my expectations."

"If you continued to grow, you’d become a force known far and wide."

"If you had chosen to join the Abyssal Church, I would have given you resources to hasten your rise."

"But unfortunately, you chose to oppose us."

"And so… you must die!"

He raised his head abruptly, purple thunder swirling in his eyes.

Thunder crashed overhead.

The black-robed man moved in a flash, his body transforming into a streak of lightning hurtling toward Xu Han.

Xiong Hui’s face went pale.

"Look out!"

He shoved Xu Han aside, exposing himself to the incoming strike.

Bang!

Lightning exploded against Xiong Hui’s body, hurling him backward into the wall.

His chest was scorched black, the stench of burnt flesh filling the air.

"Cough… cough…" Xiong Hui forced himself up, blood spattering the ground.

"I… can still… fight!"