The whistle of arrows streaking through the air divided the pair in a heartbeat. Iliana was the first to sense the danger. Using her arm-strength of nearly two thousand kilos, she pushed Konrad into the air and somersaulted to avoid the incoming bolts. They flew past the area she previously laid in and lodged into the distance.

　　"What's the meaning of this? Why didn't you warn me?"

　　An outraged Konrad asked the system.

　　"Hum…about that…I can only warn you against malicious intent aimed at you…and you're not the target…"

　　"Son of a b.i.t.c.h!"

　　But Konrad didn't have any time to waste on the unreliable system as ten figures flew from the shadows and shot toward Iliana.

　　By the time they landed back on the ground, the ten figures had surrounded them.

　　The moon flashed, revealing ten masked forms whose only discernable characteristics were the bodies that made their genders evident and the cultivation base that rippled from them.

　　As the duo's eyes swept them, they were alarmed. Iliana, in particular, couldn't believe her eyes for she could clearly see details that Konrad couldn't.

　　Six high-level True Knights!

　　Three mid-level True Priests!

　　One Grand Knight!

　　Such a formidable lineup was enough to shred anyone below the Grand Rank in a heartbeat.

　　And such a formidable lineup was aimed at her.

　　"Could it be…"

　　But distraction wasn't permitted so, Iliana cast her thoughts aside and focused on the incoming onslaught.

　　It didn't come. Instead, the leader, a tall masked woman with an overbearing aura that carried one's gaze away from her engrossing curves, switched her attention to Konrad.

　　"You can leave."

　　The words were simple and looked amiable, but they carried a forceful power that commanded obedience. Konrad was perplexed. It was common sense to dispose of witnesses when conducting a.s.sa.s.sinations. Why then was that woman allowing him to leave?

　　Was it because of his otherworldly charm and fantastic bearing?

　　Nah…

　　The woman's words had a drastic effect on Iliana. Her eyes grew cold, and any goodwill she might have felt toward Konrad instantly turned into rancor. Seeing that, Konrad was annoyed but couldn't blame her. To say nothing of her, even he was finding the situation incomprehensible. To any bystander, it would look like Konrad had been tasked with distracting her for the a.s.sa.s.sins to strike!

　　His next words, however, replaced her growing resentment by a tinge of warmth.

　　"After I shove my c.o.c.k down your throat."

　　"Break his legs!"

　　The Grand Knight a.s.sa.s.sin roared and in tandem, the six high-level True Knights she commanded shot toward the duo.

　　At their back, the remaining three mid-level True Priests conjured scalding jets of pure white flames that rushed toward Iliana.

　　"Energy Sword!"

　　Iliana extended her right hand, and dazzling blue light gathered within to morph into a dark-blue longsword. Both knights and priests cultivated spiritual energy. But knights would use that energy to refine their bodies while priests would use it to empower their minds.

　　And although True Knights and above could transform their spiritual energy into weapons of all kinds and shapes, they often chose swords.

　　Dark-blue sword aura swirled around Iliana, and despite the odds clearly being stacked against her, she was unafraid. With a sword stroke, she divided the flames rus.h.i.+ng toward her. At that time, Konrad's voice echoed.

　　"True Suppression Bead!"

　　Konrad tossed the purple bead into the air, and it released six purple glyphs that slammed into the incoming True-Knights' foreheads.

　　Instantly, the energy weapons they had summoned vanished into thin air, and their cultivation base was sealed by the glowing glyphs.

　　"W-what the h.e.l.l is going on?"

　　"My…my cultivation?"

　　The six a.s.sa.s.sins crashed onto the ground and were now no different from mortals. The brutal change took all the gathered warriors aback. And using the element of surprise, Konrad pounced onto the crippled knights with bared claws.