Volume One: First Steps in the City Chapter Sixty-Nine: A Formidable Foe in Despair

Lu Yi gazed at the man’s scarred and pitted face, fully aware that no explanation he could offer would make any difference. What had been done in this identity could not be undone; it was wishful thinking to imagine a few words could dissolve such deep-seated hatred.

With a flicker of thought, the Demonhunter appeared in his right hand. Enduring the sharp, electric pain that coursed through his arm, he swung the blade toward Andil’s neck.

Andil leapt back, retreating three meters in an instant. Lu Yi fixed him with a cold stare. “So what if I broke faith and betrayed you? You’re already a dead man, while I’m still alive. I intend to start my new life—and that means seeing you dead for good.”

Andil broke into wild laughter. “Good! That’s more like it. If you’d begun to repent in front of me, it would have been far too dull. Let me sever the head of a traitor!”

As the two men moved to fight, Lu Ningyu whispered to Li Xinran, “Xinran, we’re in the way here. Why don’t we step back?”

Li Xinran nodded and moved with Lu Ningyu toward the door, but just as they were about to open it, a strange shadow appeared in the window beside them.

The shadow swelled and sharpened, springing from the window to block their path.

“And where do you two think you’re going?” Andil asked, his tone lazy.

“Sir, since you’re here to settle old scores with Lu Yi, there’s no reason for us to stay. Why not let us leave?” Lu Ningyu spoke with a hint of submission.

Andil’s face split into an eerie smile. “Why would your presence here be useless?” He dodged another of Lu Yi’s attacks, then continued, “Oh my, the last time we met, you used that very dagger to send me off. Truly, a black-hearted traitor.”

“Lu Yi, it’s one of those monsters,” Li Xinran suddenly shouted.

Lu Yi paused to glance back. Blocking Li Xinran and Lu Ningyu was the very creature from the mirrors of Shanel Town.

“That’s right,” Andil chuckled. “That kind of monster was accidentally summoned by me and left behind in this world. I never imagined that, weak as they are, they’d multiply so quickly. You two had better be careful—if you don’t stand still, it’ll eat you.”

A gunshot rang out. A hole appeared in Andil’s body. Seizing the moment, Lu Yi activated the Wind Amulet and dashed toward him, closing the distance rapidly. Andil finally lifted his head, his face twisted with malice. “I’d meant to toy with you first, but since you’re so eager to die, let me oblige.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Lu Yi retorted, channeling power into his arm to swing the Demonhunter with greater force. Just as the blade was about to slice Andil’s throat, a black tentacle erupted from Andil’s back, intercepting the strike.

The Demonhunter made short work of the appendage, but as Lu Yi pressed the attack, Andil vanished.

“What’s going on? Invisibility? Teleportation?” Lu Yi gripped the Demonhunter tightly, his eyes darting warily around the room.

“Lu Yi, I meant to deal with you properly before killing you all, then hunt down the others outside. But your lack of sense has irritated me,” Andil’s voice echoed around him.

“He’s behind you—no, your left!” Li Xinran shouted. Lu Yi spun, but saw nothing. “He moved again—he’s behind you, his speed is incredible!”

“That’s right, it’s not teleportation or invisibility. I’m simply far faster than you,” Andil’s voice murmured. Lu Yi turned, and Andil’s hideous face loomed before him.

Without hesitation, Lu Yi slashed with the Demonhunter, but again struck only empty air.

“I’ve watched your techniques. That peculiar weapon of yours is the only real threat, but you can’t wield its full power. You’re just waving it about, a farce. So long as I’m faster, you can’t touch me.” Andil’s voice seemed to come from right beside his ear.

“And you, you practice the dark arts, don’t you? Look, the dagger is already turning against you.” Andil’s voice grew venomous, suddenly speaking directly in Lu Yi’s ear.

“I’ll distract him,” Li Xinran suddenly announced in the team channel.

Before Lu Yi could reply, Li Xinran produced the statue. The monster shrieked and recoiled from the light it emitted. Seizing the chance, Li Xinran grabbed Lu Ningyu and flung the door open.

Andil stopped and turned his attention to them. “Trying to run? That’s a death sentence.”

Lu Yi’s eyes lit up. He sprang forward, pushing his speed to the limit as he charged at Andil.

With a snort, Andil glanced sidelong at Lu Yi. Tentacles shot from his back, stabbing toward his attacker. Lu Yi swung the Demonhunter again and again; though it cleaved through the tentacles with ease, their attacks still slowed him, sapping his momentum. He hadn’t yet reached Andil’s last position before the man vanished once more.

“Xinran, what are you doing? Why run now?” Lu Ningyu cried out in alarm.

“Ningyu, if we didn’t, we’d all be worn down until we died,” Li Xinran replied, running as she spoke.

A wisp of black smoke streaked down the corridor, Andil’s voice echoing within it. “The girl is right. Even if you escape, nothing will change.”

The shadow closed in on them, shedding its harmless guise to thrust a cluster of spiked tendrils at the pair.

Li Xinran shoved Lu Ningyu aside. “No!” Lu Ningyu shouted. White light erupted from Li Xinran’s body—the silver-threaded mirror pendant on her chest had absorbed the attack and the black mist.

“Xinran, you had something like that all along?” Lu Ningyu relaxed at the sight of the dissipating darkness.

Lu Yi caught up, shouting as he ran, “Xinran, throw the pendant away, quick!”

She looked down. The pendant was now wreathed in black smoke, the silver thread unraveling. She snatched it off and flung it away.

As it hit the ground, a sharp shattering sound rang out, and black mist spilled from the broken mirror, coalescing into a solid form. At that instant, a dagger radiating white light embedded itself in the newly-formed body.

“Damn you,” Andil cursed, turning to glare at Lu Yi. Under the Demonhunter’s power, cracks of pure white spread across his form, swiftly crawling over his entire body.

“Heh, fooled you,” Andil sneered.

Lu Yi grunted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Looking down, he saw a black tentacle had pierced his abdomen, and Andil’s form had crumbled into mist, drifting away behind him.

“Surprised? Did you really think I wouldn’t be prepared for such an obvious ploy? That I’d crawl out, defenseless, right into your trap?” The tentacle hoisted Lu Yi high into the air as Andil casually stepped beneath him.

With the victor’s smile, he continued, “That was your best—and your last—chance. But I’m no longer the fool who only knew how to scribble runes and summon dark creatures.”

Andil began to float, meeting Lu Yi’s gaze. “Now that I’ve returned in this form, your fate was sealed from the start.”

Gritting his teeth against the agony, Lu Yi kicked wildly at the tentacle. A phantom of a holy lion appeared over his hand, golden waves rippling outward and dissolving the writhing appendages around him.

Taking the opportunity, Lu Yi stamped hard on the tentacle and swung the Demonhunter at Andil once more.

Andil dodged easily, mocking him, “I told you—you don’t have a chance.”

Lu Yi crashed to the ground; the wound in his belly tore open afresh, wringing another groan from his lips. He staggered, then collapsed.

Lying there, he saw his own hand—blackened and shriveled from the Demonhunter’s rejection, bits of flesh flaking away.

“It seems you’ve reached your limit. You can’t even lift that dagger anymore,” Andil hovered above. “How pathetic. I think I’ll let you live a while longer—just so you can watch them die in front of you.”

He snapped his fingers, and the tentacles behind him surged forward, spearing toward Lu Ningyu and Li Xinran.

With a roar, Lu Yi forced himself up and hurled the Demonhunter at Andil. Wherever it flew, the black tentacles were severed.

Andil’s lips curled in a cold sneer. He stood his ground, multiplying his tentacles until the Demonhunter lost its momentum and fell to the floor.

“Foolish,” Andil said softly, descending to Lu Yi’s side. “But it was your only choice. Still—” He grabbed Lu Yi, turning his face toward Li Xinran and Lu Ningyu. “See? Nothing you do makes any difference,” he whispered, drawing out the final words.

The fallen tentacles became streams of black vapor, which shot suddenly toward Li Xinran and Lu Ningyu.

“I told you, I’ll make you watch them die in front of you,” Andil murmured in Lu Yi’s ear.

Is this the end? Despair washed over Lu Yi’s face. He had exhausted every means at his disposal, but none could harm Andil.

The black spikes shot toward Li Xinran and Lu Ningyu. At that moment, a faint image flickered around Li Xinran.

“Oh? There’s something else?” Andil remarked as a statue appeared before Li Xinran, fell to the ground, and shattered.

Clearly, the statue’s passive power had activated, taking the fatal blow for Li Xinran. Yet, at this point, it seemed hopeless as ever.