Chapter 138: Magic 3
TL: Etude
Barnett gently deflected Victors sword and then lifted his leg to kick him in the stomach.
Victor then flew backwards towards Paul like a toy doll being thrown.
The soldiers who came with the captain of the guard, seeing the enemys strength, exchanged a look and reached a tacit understanding. They raised their swords and slashed at Barnett in unison.
To Barnett, the strength of an ordinary adult male might have been negligible, but the combined attack of many was not to be underestimated.
He dodged most of the attacks with agile movements but still took two or three hits.
The soldiers who struck Barnett felt as if they had hit a huge rock, numbing their hands.
My God! What kind of monster is he? someone exclaimed in horror.
Hes a wizard, using magic to enhance his own strength and defense! shouted the female advisor beside Paul. You cant fight him up close, keep your distance and bind him.
Wizard? Magic?! The advisors words left everyone confused. Was this creature before them an evil wizard?
Although tales of wizards and magic had always circulated among the people, when the stuff of legends suddenly appeared before them, they were at a loss.
Having taken a few sword hits, the monster seemed unharmed. He suddenly rushed towards the soldier closest to him and struck with a punch fast as lightning.
The soldiers head was struck as if by a large hammer, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Barnett, striking left and right, knocked down a large number of soldiers with almost one punch each, dodging and evading as he went. He skillfully avoided several arrows shot by the female advisor.
However, he gradually felt something was amiss. That female archers aim was too terrifying, nearly every arrow aimed at his eyes. Had it not been for his danger perception, he would have been shot through the head by now.
A mere mortal could not achieve such precision, unless
From the moment the cloaked man suddenly attacked, less than a minute had passed, and the situation had drastically changed.
Peoples precautions against unknown dangers cannot exceed their usual understanding, just like in The Three-Body Problem, where Earthlings could never imagine being struck by a sophon.
Despite the female advisors warning, before this, whether it was Paul, Victor, or the soldiers, they either didnt believe in the existence of wizards and magic, or they were stuck with the image of wizards from folk tales, unprepared for the scene before them.
In folk tales, wizards were depicted as:
Wearing tall, pointed hats, dressed in gray, tattered robes, leaning on a stick called a wand, with long beards on their faces, some even hunchbacked.
Wizards generally chose not to confront people directly but lurked in the shadows, quietly casting their schemes, controlling minds, meddling with fates, or even taking lives with spells, curses, and potions.
When forced to confront enemies directly, wizards would cast illusions to confuse them, cast fireballs from afar with their wands, or summon wolves, bats, and other animals to help in battle.
But wizards also had a fatal weakness. Though they wielded powerful magic, they were physically weak. Once a highly skilled warrior got close, it was their doom.
But what about this muscular, bulletproof lunatic who charged into enemy ranks to fight with bare hands? He was the complete opposite of a typical wizard.
At any previous time, no one would have thought theyd be stopped in broad daylight by a wizard.
Even after the enemy showed hostility, everyone thought it was just a bold lunatic, unarmed and without armor. Even with extraordinary martial skills, he would be no match for their group of dozens.
Even the female advisor, Ladi, didnt expect the danger she foresaw to come from a wizard, until the opponent displayed an aura she recognized.
After a brief shock, Pauls mind cleared. Although the advisors warning seemed absurd, he couldnt care less. Whether or not the enemy was a wizard from legend, he was certainly after his life.
Fire muskets! Kill that bastard with muskets!
Paul urgently ordered the guards around him, ten of whom were carrying matchlock muskets.
Due to the limited production of muskets and gunpowder, they were primarily provided to the land and naval forces defending against external enemies. The internal security forces were only equipped with a small number of firearms, with swords and other melee weapons as their main gear.
Therefore, unlike the soldiers of the land and naval forces who trained in shooting regularly, these guards only fired occasionally to remember the procedure.
This was why they didnt think to use their muskets immediately in such a tense situation, instinctively relying on their more familiar swords.
When Paul ordered the use of muskets, their loading actions lacked the fluidity of professional musketeers.
Loading a matchlock musket was a tedious task, made worse by having to light the match in the biting cold wind, risking it going out at any moment.
By this time, most of the soldiers who had charged with Victor had been knocked down by the wizard. They lay on the ground, either unconscious or groaning in pain.
The wizards cloak was tattered from the soldiers slashes, and he strode towards Pauls group.
Seeing the enemy approach, Ladi, the female advisor, said solemnly, Ill buy you time, get the muskets ready quickly!
She was unsure if the guards muskets could penetrate the cloaked mans defenses, but at this point, that was their only hope. Her arrows were either caught or dodged, so they had to rely on the faster bullets.
Having observed the soldiers shooting training, even after employing her Total Concentration, Ladi had never caught a bullets trajectory. She was deeply impressed by their speed.
Concentrating, the advisor clasped her hands in front of her chest and shouted, Barrier Spell!
As she spoke, ripples visible to the naked eye spread through the air around her. Soon, Paul and the soldiers were surprised to find themselves enveloped in a translucent dome.
Exactly as I suspected! Barnetts eyes blazed with fury upon seeing this. My suspicions were right!
He charged with great force, reaching the dome almost instantly, and punched it hard.
The translucent dome rippled, and his fist, as big as a cooking pot, penetrated it but went no further. His body remained outside the dome, pressing tightly against it but unable to advance.
Hurry up! Paul, nearly in tears, urged the musketeers.
Hmph! Barnett withdrew his fist. Lets see how long you can hold!
He swung his arms continuously, punching the dome furiously.
Traitor!
Youre just like us!
How dare you serve mere mortals, disregarding your own kind!
Helping these lower beings against your own kind, youre trying too hard!
As Barnett cursed and swung his fists, a stream of vile words spewed from his mouth, his hatred focused entirely on the female advisor.
Unmoved by Barnetts insults, Ladis complexion worsened with each punch the dome took. Despite the cold weather, sweat beaded on her face.
Everyone, aim!
Following Pauls command, ten soldiers with muskets aimed simultaneously at Barnett.
The muskets were finally ready. The reason why those who had loaded earlier hadnt fired was that they noticed when Victor, the squadron leader, attacked the wizard alone, the latter didnt dodge or evade but took the hits. Later, when several soldiers slashed at him together, he dodged.
Therefore, to inflict maximum damage, they decided to fire together.
The decisive moment had arrived
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