Chapter 107: Combat Mage

Xipus wore a sleek black ninja bodysuit that hugged his frame, a hood pulled low to reveal only his eyes, a short sword sheathed diagonally across his back, and a belt loaded with small pouches cinched at his waist. At first glance he resembled a ninja straight from a Japanese animated series, yet his height far surpassed any of those lithe figures. Although his build was powerfully muscled, he moved across the wooden floorboards without a single sound, like a phantom slipping through the night.

He began his search in the outer chamber, methodically checking every corner. When he passed the weapons rack, the handle of a dagger caught his eye. As a half-elf he still carried the old elven tastes: a love for fine craftsmanship and a keen eye for beauty. The hilt looked unremarkable, but his hawk-sharp gaze could not be fooled. This was no common blade. Xipus could not remember the last time he had seen anything so exquisite. The elven blood in his veins stirred, and as a warrior he wanted to examine the strange weapon up close.

The instant his fingers brushed the hilt, surprise rippled through him. The material was smoother than a newborn’s skin, a touch so perfect it sharpened his curiosity. Without a second thought he drew the dagger a fraction from its sheath.

Suddenly the soft melody “The Bathing Girl” in the inner room fell silent. The gentle splashing of water stopped too. Sun Licheng, who had been bathing inside, felt the wrongness settle over him like a cold hand. His powerful senses flared to life. The half-elf had wrapped himself in an unusual field of concealment that blocked all external perception, allowing him to slip into the room unnoticed. But his greed had betrayed him. The moment he touched the Heart of Freedom, the dagger, the concealment shattered like glass.

The sudden change inside startled the half-elf awake. Xipus reacted on pure instinct. He snatched the armband from the weapon rack and was already reaching for his waist to re-strap it when the bathroom curtain exploded outward. Leather fragments rained down like deadly hail, filling his vision completely.

He staggered back in shock.

A black blur shot out of the bath toward his face. Xipus’s eyes flashed. The short sword in his hand whipped upward; a crisp crack echoed as the shadow split in two. Only when both halves hit the floor did he realize it was nothing but a wooden ladle. He bit back a startled curse.

Sun Licheng had used the simple tool to break the assassin’s rhythm. Now, naked and unashamed, he burst from the bathroom. The moment he reached the outer room, a blazing arrow screamed toward Xipus’s face.

Xipus’s expression froze. He had never imagined the little goblin was a magician. Goblins, for reasons no one understood, possessed weak power and almost never drew the gods’ favor. Aside from the tribe’s shamans, magic was virtually unknown among them. The Goblin Kingdom had its heroes, yet they knew only supportive spells—boosting courage, hardening skin, igniting bloodlust. No hero had ever been heard to wield offensive magic. Knights who served as officers on this continent rarely mastered the art either. Yet here, in this remote corner of the world, Sun Licheng was both hero and sorcerer.

The arrow, though small, was no toy. Xipus dared not meet it head-on. He lunged right, rolled, and barely escaped. Before he could rise, the second arrow arrived. Terror spiked through him. Sun Licheng could cast instantly—an ability that placed him at the level of a Grand Magus. With no other choice he rolled across the floor, barely clearing the next strike.

The instant he broke free, Xipus sprang upright and swept his short sword in a vicious arc. Magicians like Sun Licheng must be cut off at the knees; otherwise they would slowly bleed him dry. The half-elf’s battlefield instincts took over. He adopted the only strategy that mattered: keep the opponent off balance.

Sun Licheng had already drawn his long sword from the rack and met him in a storm of steel. Recognition flashed across the hero’s face. The intruder was the half-elf envoy. A fierce resolve burned in his eyes. He would not leave this creature alive. Every ounce of his strength poured into the next strike.

Xipus had expected to toy with a frail spellcaster and a short, thin goblin. He quickly learned otherwise. Sun Licheng’s muscles were like iron cables, his footwork solid, and his blade carried the weight of a combat mage. Xipus felt his heart sink. Still, the half-elf was superb. Even armed only with a short sword he danced through the air, each cut precise and deadly. Sun Licheng was forced to retreat step by step.

If the opponent had been a mere warrior or a pure magician, Xipus would have ended the fight long ago. This was a martial artist wielding both blade and flame, and he was short besides, which only complicated matters further. Xipus had to guard his head, watch his sword, and stay clear of the flames erupting from his foe’s hands.

Those flames were cruel beyond measure. Sun Licheng needed no incantation. The moment he willed it, a roaring ball of fire lunged at the half-elf with terrifying speed.

Sun Licheng is truly worthy of the God of Magma’s chosen, Xipus thought. His whole body probably runs on fire.

Watching the leaping tongues of flame, Xipus gave a quiet sigh. Sun Licheng’s martial skill was far inferior, yet he had turned aside every attack. After a few more exchanges the half-elf’s blood ran cold. Sun Licheng grew stronger with every clash, his swordwork laced with the half-elf’s own forbidden technique. The illusion grew that he fought not the goblin but himself.

How does this little goblin possess such martial talent?

Xipus shouted the thought inside his skull.

With every inch of blade and spell, Sun Licheng’s offense became more ferocious. The sword light slowly tightened around Xipus like a noose.

Outside, the sound of running feet and urgent shouts reached the main house. The warriors of the Flower Clan had discovered the disturbance and raced toward it from every direction.

Xipus heard the noise and panic seized him. He had to use the secret technique and vanish at once. Freedom lay behind him, yet Sun Licheng would not let him escape so easily. The Heart of Freedom still rested in the goblin’s grasp. Hearing his own men arrive, Sun Licheng’s assault grew even more savage.

It cannot continue like this!

The half-elf thought the words, and his hand slipped toward the hidden treasure inside his chest.