Chapter 70
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Chapter 70: Encounter
The battle ended swiftly.
Or perhaps it wasn’t a battle at all—just one-sided crushing and slaughter.
The ones being crushed and slaughtered were none other than those fierce pursuers.
Midi didn’t unleash his full power immediately. Instead, he chose careful tactics. Using Demon Shadow Step and Demon Shadow Flash, he skillfully stayed outside their encirclement, then steadily chipped away at the thirty-member team from the edges inward. Each swing of his heavy black longsword sent someone collapsing to the ground, blood spraying.
First came the low-level adventurers around level 15, then the backbone forces at level 20, followed by the experts above level 22…
By the time the enemies realized how terrifying this plain-looking boy was, only five or six remained.
Then, a massive Ice Binding Array erupted from the ground.
Amid the jagged Ice Shards, it all concluded.
Watching the boy emotionlessly cut down his ice-pierced or frozen comrades, the team leader finally grasped the truth—this boy had silently surrounded *them*. All along, the leader had wrongly believed they were moments away from trapping him!
Slaughtering a whole team alone marked someone as an expert.
Surrounding a team without letting anyone escape? That was an expert among experts.
*We deserved this death*, the leader thought.
Yet before dying, one question lingered: why would someone so strong use such tedious tactics?
“If I’d killed you first, the rest would’ve fled. How could I silence them all?” Midi answered the unspoken doubt, then delivered the final strike.
The clang of steel, warriors’ roars, dying screams—all faded. Under the falling night, only Midi and the dual-pistol girl remained in the bloodied field.
“Hey girl, stunned by this grand show?”
Such cheeky words couldn’t belong to Midi—this was Crow Robin’s doing.
While Midi fought, Robin hadn’t been idle, circling the sky while hurling sharp taunts in his gravelly voice. Truth be told, Midi’s easy victory owed much to Robin’s hate-drawing act—many enemies stayed just to curse the bird.
“Th-thank you for saving me!” The dual-pistol girl snapped to attention, hastily sheathing her weapons and bowing stiffly at a perfect angle.
After witnessing such slaughter, anyone would look pale.
Midi’s indifferent eyes briefly scanned her.
Throughout the fight, he’d actually watched her closely.
He wanted to see what she’d do after luring trouble his way.
Had she tried fleeing, he’d have chased her down. But she’d stayed, clumsily “helping” attack the pursuers—though her misread of his plans often hindered more than helped.
*Using others yet bound by guilt. Hesitant. Half-hearted.* That was Midi’s judgment.
Yet that very hesitation had unwittingly spared her life.
In the sunset’s last glow, Midi noticed her ears—sharper than any human’s—peeking under short hair. Her delicate features held traces of Elven heritage.
A half-Elf.
More surprising—she looked familiar.
Not a companion or enemy—he’d never forget those.
An acquaintance, then?
Midi briefly recalled the memories of his past twenty years but couldn’t remember ever meeting a half-Elf. He set the thought aside and shifted focus.
"Why were they chasing you?" He skipped formalities, cutting straight to the point.
For the strong, this was the natural approach.
Midi wasn’t gentle—his kindness existed solely for Fina and Alice. In battle, he became a cold, calculating swordsman devoid of mercy.
Victories were built on sacrifices; mercy had no place in war. As one of Arad’s legendary generals in his past life, softness wasn’t in his nature.
Though the pursuers were dead, his guard remained high.
The half-Elf gunslinger stiffened under his detached tone.
Her level 35 roaming gunslinger captain had seemed formidable, yet this boy outclassed him utterly—not just in skill, but in the suffocating killing intent radiating from him.
His casual gaze made her feel like a lamb before a tiger. Helpless.
_What do I do?_ Her mind spun uselessly.
She’d acted on impulse, rushing toward Midi for refuge. Guilt made her stay to help fight, but…
Then it ended.
Midi slaughtered all thirty pursuers before she could lift a finger. Now escape was impossible.
Facing someone who wiped out thirty men in an instant, she saw no options—yet couldn’t reveal her hidden treasure.
"How many emerald leaves do you carry?" Midi’s second question struck like a blade.
"One." The answer slipped out before she recognized the trap.
_So it’s about an emerald leaf._
Midi felt a flicker of irony. In his previous life, these trinkets sparked frenzied battles during early Elven Kingdom explorations.
The isolationist Elven Kingdom used emerald leaves as trade permits for trusted merchants. Before the Forest of Gran burned, they brought wealth. Afterward, adventurers coveted them for bypassing automated defenses. Some believed hoarding them could earn golden-edged upgrades.
But Midi knew better. The Kingdom’s outer defenses were manageable, and true power lay beyond trinkets. This girl’s precious leaf meant nothing to him.
His priority was intelligence. Last life, he’d explored the Palace’s heritage in Arad Calendar 987 with Fina and Alice, scavenging leftovers. Now, post-fire, he’d seize opportunities early—even with incomplete memories.
Decision made: release this unlucky soul and proceed to Tucker Town.
Before he could speak, the half-Elf paled and extended a trembling hand.
A jade-green leaf pendant glimmered in her palm.
"Take it. Just let me live." Her voice shook. Survival mattered most—her captain’s teaching. She’d endure shame to rejoin her companions.
Midi blinked, bewildered.
"Congratulations, boss," Robin preened, adjusting his feathers. "Your heroic rescue and dashing charm won her over. She’s offering herself."
Silver flames ignited in Midi’s eyes. He spun, Black Sky sword flashing up.
_Bang!_ Gunfire clashed with steel. Sparks lit the darkness as Midi’s calm gaze flickered.
"Alyn! Hold on!" A sharp female voice cut through night. Gunfire erupted—meteor-like bullets engulfing Midi.
His mind raced.
_Alyn. Butterfly Dual Pistols wielder. Morning Star Mercenary Corps’ ace shooter._
_Last life’s top heritage claimant. Luck’s smiling today._
Amidst the barrage, Midi smiled.
