When Asher noticed Louis entering, he immediately moved around the room, took out a dagger, and threw it at the back of his head.
He knew that Louis would easily sense his attack as he was entirely different from the A Rank Hunters he had dealt with until now.
The moment he saw Louis grab the dagger, Asher immediately used his movement technique and changed his position.
Asher's cold gaze fell on Louis, who was about to slam his fist on the ground, and he immediately braced himself for the impact.
Wrapping his body in his aura, Asher tried to shield himself from a single wave of mana that emanated from Louis.
But his position was revealed when Louis sensed the presence of a person to his left side.
The moment he turned his face to look in Asher's direction, Kai had completed his chant.
"Firestorm Fehrin," Kai said, raising his hands above his head.
The air around him heated up as his eyes focused on the target in front of him.
A giant vortex of fire emerged where Louis was standing, and his body got enveloped in the massive firestorm revolving around him.
Due to the fact that Kai had used all his focus to conceal this spell as much as possible, and because of the effects of a drug, Louis noticed the spell a second too late and got caught up in it.
Boom!
An explosion happened due to the sheer power of the spell as Kai looked at the firestorm in front of him.
"Flame Cage!," Kai said, bringing his hands down and causing the vortex of fire to start descending to the ground.
It formed a cylindrical cage around Louis, and the temperature inside the vortex increased even further.
"Huff, huff, huff," Kai almost collapsed, as this spell had drained a lot of energy from him.
And due to this, his unique ability was lifted, and both Asher and Kai became visible again.
Asher's black mask shimmered as it reflected the light coming from the enormous vortex of fire that had just engulfed Louis Rothschild.
However, Asher immediately looked around as he noticed the ceiling above the large open space in which they were standing.
He could see that the blue lines on the ceiling had already started to glow.
Asher lowered his gaze to the center of the firestorm, unlike Kai who was waiting to see how much damage his spell had caused, Asher already knew the outcome.
Each rank progression creates a considerable difference between the two different ranks, due to the presence of additional mana rings around one's mana core.
Kai controlled his breathing as he stared at the firestorm. Even Kai knew that this spell alone would not harm Louis Rothschild.
"DO YOU THINK THIS MEAGER SPELL WOULD WORK ON ME?" A voice echoed, causing Kai to frown.
In an instant, a heavy pressure filled the room, and fortunately, Asher had already stepped back far from the firestorm, so he didn't bear the brunt of Louis's power.
A blue light emerged from the firestorm as another explosion occurred, and this time a man wearing dark blue armor could be seen stepping out of the firestorm.
Louis's suit was burnt, but his armor had activated, so he was completely unharmed.
"Is that all you've got?" Louis asked, dusting the ashes from his shoulder.
Louis's eyes fell on Kai and Asher, both wearing black masks, their identities unknown. It wasn't hard for him to guess that the mage was around A+ Rank, and the other was B Rank or below.
Asher unsheathed his sword and Kai gathered his mana once again.
"Before I kill you, who helped you enter here?" Louis asked.
"And how the hell did you open the Vault?" Louis took a step, increasing the pressure in the room.
He wanted to know how these two masked men had managed to not only infiltrate this underground facility but also unlock the Vault, one of the greatest creations of the Artisan's Association.
The pressure made it hard for Kai to stand properly, but he was still standing.
Unlike Kai who was standing on his own Asher had to slam his sword in the ground and use it as support.
<Done>
Asher heard Tom's voice as his eyes turned to the ceiling. He could see all the blue lines up there forming special interconnected patterns.
Louis, who was about to take another step, halted as various metal rods came his way, attempting to trap him.
His face turned into a frown as he immediately dodged all the attacks. The speed was not so high that Louis would have much trouble avoiding them, but the attacks served as a distraction.
<Initiating Lockdown, Threat Detected>
Louis heard a robotic voice, and before he could even react, various walls that were part of the security system protecting the vault slammed down all around him, forming a cage.
"What?" Kai was surprised, his eyes taking in the sight in front of them.
"Now move," Asher said as he dashed towards the entrance of the Fourth Level.
It was the same entrance that Louis Rothschild, who was currently trapped, had entered from.
"What happened?" Kai asked Asher as they were running towards the Fourth Level entrance.
"That's the purpose of that level," Asher replied.
That level was the last stronghold of this facility, designed to stop any intruders and to isolate the Vault from the Fourth Level.
"Then the Vault..?" Kai asked.
"Sealed," Asher said, but it wasn't entirely accurate.
Rather, there had been a shift in the coordinates where the Fifth Level was located, and the Security Protocol that Tom had initiated made it so that the Fifth Level became inaccessible for anyone who came from the Fourth Level.
Unless someone used the direct portal that only Kamden Whiteheart should have been able to use, entry to the Fifth Level was impossible for now.
<I have sent you the Blueprint of the Fourth Level>
<If you can just take control over the Management Room present on this Level, I can open the Fourth Level>
Tom told them as they almost reached the entrance of the Fourth Level.
<It...>
As soon as they entered the vicinity of the Fourth Level, their communication was cut off.
At the Abandoned Building,
"Shit," Tom muttered. He wanted to ask Asher something, but the communication had been cut.
He still didn't know what Asher was planning, and leaving the Fourth Level in time was currently their only option.
"It should hold, right?" Tom looked at the massive metal gate that was containing Louis Rothschild.
His eyes shifted towards Dane when he saw that he was going to meet the A Rank Hunters team soon.
"Be careful, there are 6 Hunters and you will meet them in 5 minutes," Tom warned Dane, who was moving at top speed.
<Don't worry, I will finish this soon>
Tom heard Dane's reply, but he was still growing anxious. Louis Rothschild's presence was something they hadn't expected.
If another S Rank Hunter instead of Louis was here, the situation would have been a bit better. Not only had the Rothschilds brought their best hunters, but due to Louis's status, it was far easier for him to command all of them.
And without them, Tom would have had no problem taking over the Fourth Level.
Inside the Metal Cage,
Louis touched the cage, gauging the strength needed to break out.
Raising his fist, Louis coated it with S+ Rank Mana and slammed his fist into the metal cage.
*BOOM*
An explosion sounded, audible even to Kai and Asher who were nearly at the entrance of the Fourth Level.
'Shit,' Kai thought to himself as he heard the sound.
He knew what would happen if even one of those fists hit him. The sound alone let him imagine how powerful Louis Rothschild truly was.
"Keep moving," Asher said to Kai,
Unlike Kai, who was growing anxious, Asher remained calm.
"Yeah," Kai replied as he shifted his focus from Louis,
They still had a chance to escape, and with this thought, Kai nurtured a sense of hope that they could make it out alive.
<Cage Damage : 98%>
Tom saw the numbers detailing the damage received by the device that was keeping Louis Rothschild confined.
"What kind of monster is this," Tom exclaimed,
The damage from Louis's single punch was enough to drain the mana level of the cage. Unlike regular metal, this cage was crafted from metal that was being charged by the Mana Stones present on the Pseudo Level.
And it operated on the principle of a special barrier that would last until the mana stones were completely depleted.
But looking at the numbers in front of him, things were not looking good for them.
Meanwhile, Dane stood over the bodies of two A Rank Hunters as he drove his sword into the heart of the third.
"Come on, I'm running late, let me go already," Dane said, smiling as he finished off the third hunter.
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