Above The Sky
Chapter 440 - 440 410 This is my escape route!

440: Chapter 410 This is my escape route!

(2/3) 440: Chapter 410 This is my escape route!

(2/3) A knight’s most important armor and sword were shattered, and one could only imagine the state he was in himself.

When they realized that Ian might have been seriously injured, the pursuit squad’s momentum declined steadily.

In the course of their pursuit, they had come to understand that their strength paled in comparison to Ian’s; at least in various swordsmanship and marksmanship, Ian was performing at the peak of what someone his age could achieve, accomplishments even veterans of over a decade of combat could not claim to surpass.

But now, they discovered that even Ian couldn’t withstand the mysterious assailant’s shadowy attacks and had even fallen into an unfavorable position, with pieces of his armor knocked off and his side sword broken!

Under such pressure, some immediately thought about returning, waiting for reinforcements — for the sake of survival.

— If they really encountered the enemy, wouldn’t they all be like stalks of wheat under the scythe, doomed to be cut down?

However, a faction insisted on continuing the investigation.

They needed to see Ian alive, or if he was dead, they wanted to see the body.

Reinforcements from Nauman City were already on their way, and they would soon catch up.

They really had nothing to fear.

Especially a few who had received secret orders from Mr.

Silver Workshop pressed on without halting; they were operatives from the company itself and naturally dedicated to fulfilling the tasks given by their superiors.

But even the team from Silver Bazaar Company ultimately lost all clues to both parties at the edge of a rushing river.

On the banks of the Elbo River, which separates the Bison Mountain Range from the Agate Stone Plains, they could only see white foam washing against the riverbanks, and beyond was a gorge where the river water cascaded down to form a waterfall, with waves and strong winds meeting them head-on, causing all the squad members’ clothes to flutter and their armor to tremble.

The terrifying height of the 300-meter drop was illuminated by the moonlight on the mist from the waterfall spray, resembling a gate made of fog, blocking all pursuers.

— Ian and the assailant had chased each other to this point and leaped off the waterfall, disappearing deep into the Bison Mountain Range.

Both the chasers and the chased had completely lost their traces.

All they could do was head back.

However, on their way back, an eagle-eyed adventurer saw in the distance, bathed in moonlight on the mountains, a great number of birds stirred into flight.

The battle continued.

In the far-off mountains, amidst the trees, a white mist rose and bright silver light pierced through the fog.

Along the edge of the firmament, clouds unraveled, hiding the moonlight and the mountainsides, casting a part of the Bison Mountain Range under the night’s cover.

Two shadows dashed rapidly through the woods.

The slumbering birds and beasts were abruptly awakened, filling the forest with uproar and panic, as shapes darted high into the sky.

At this moment, the situation had reversed; Ian had become the one fleeing, with the mysterious assailant, having revealed part of his power, now pursuing him.

However, their moods were vastly different.

“Throwing down the shattered armor pieces and sword fragments from my previous fight with Baron Leyan should make my condition look even worse.

Then I won’t have to explain why my armor is in pieces,” he mused.

Although he had already activated the Fairy Wings to escape, Ian still effortlessly contemplated how to utilize his unknown pursuer to justify some of the inconsistencies concerning his condition.

By this time, after such a pursuit and reversal, Ian had already roughly figured out some details about his opponent.

On the surface, the enemy appeared to be some kind of Earth Ascender specializing in metal, adept at blocking his attacks with a sturdy body and only resorting to well-honed combat and bladework to press him when up close.

But in reality, that wasn’t the case at all.

Ian had seen through the true nature of the enemy’s abilities.

— It was electricity!

This mysterious Sublimator was using electromagnetic control to cover his body with metal, creating an incomparably robust iron exterior — and his high-speed movement wasn’t the physical prowess of an Earth Ascender with the strength to send bricks flying but rather a floating traction controlled by electromagnetic manipulation!

“Next time I go to Nauman City, I’ll inquire about who among the South Ridge has mastery over thunder and lightning,” he thought.

Ian had no intention of revealing his Second Energy Level strength here.

Indeed, he was confident that if he unleashed his full power, he could, just like when he killed the Deputy Director of the Spirit Insight Institute, catch the enemy off guard and deal a massive, deadly blow in an instant — with the power boost from the Aether Crystal enhancing his output, his explosive power could already be compared to that of a specialist at the Second Energy Level.

But a sense of crisis told him that the enemy’s identity was probably no small matter, and his strength was certainly not something the Deputy Director could compare with.

Whether it was revealing the Aether Crystal or killing him, there would definitely be serious consequences.

Just like the sense of crisis one would feel if they killed the Archbishop of the White Mist in the underground labyrinth, knowing that the Archbishop of the Great Flame would come to cleanse the area.

Aside from that, there was another reason.

— He had deliberately shown weakness and run all the way into the deep forest…

He was intentionally planning to ‘lose’!

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The shadowy figure felt extremely anxious.

He had chased after Ian during his spare time from an assignment, but now he had been out for quite a while, long enough to arise suspicion.

Not to mention, his pursuit of Ian would surely attract the attention of the nobles of Nauman City.

At that time, his public identity might even need to be deployed— and if he was absent then, things would become quite interesting.

He absolutely couldn’t continue to drag this out with Ian.

And yet, here lay the source of his anxiety.

He couldn’t catch up to Ian!

“Damn it, I have already used the power of the First Power Level Peak, so why can’t I catch up with this kid?”

“I know the Fae are quick and nimble, but haven’t the Humans with Fairy Bloodline given up that agility in favor of transforming themselves into a sort of output-specialized artillery Armor Suit?”

“Why is this guy so agile, using Fairy Wings as well as the real Fae?”

“The young man is slim and similar to the Fae, is that why he’s at an advantage?”

The figure felt very frustrated; his true strength was at the Second Energy Level, and if he exerted his full power, he would be as fast as lightning, reputedly the fastest in the South Ridge below the Third Energy Level.

However, to avoid exposing flaws, he dared not use his full strength recklessly.

He was confident that by using his full strength, he could immediately catch the youth who was floating in the wind, lightly dodging all his attacks.

But the shadowy figure also had a premonition… the deeper they went into the mountains, the clearer the premonition became.

—If he made a kill, he too would fall into crisis!

“In the end, what exactly is this kid Ian up to?

I just want to ask him some questions about Night Snake’s death— did he see anything when he chased to Solitary Flame Peak that night?”

Nagging anger rose in the shadowy figure’s heart; indeed, he would probably silence Ian after questioning him, but he hadn’t done so yet, had he?

Since he hadn’t silenced him yet, why should this damn country knight resist him?!

With such malice, the figure raised his right hand with two fingers and formed a straight metal blade.

Immediately afterward, he slashed at Ian, who was racing ahead of him!

The blade wasn’t long, just over a meter, but when the shadowy figure swung the blade, a strong Origin Substance Reaction erupted, tearing open a straight vacuum channel in the air, spreading forward—disguised as an Origin Substance burst of electromagnetic propulsion, the metal blade turned into a thunderbolt, speeding past a bullet to slice at the young knight’s back!

Based on the shadowy figure’s estimation of Ian’s speed, the young man only needed a slight dodge to evade his attack.

But this would fall right into the trap.

In his left hand, he held a chain he had just condensed, ready to ensnare Ian as soon as he made a slight evasive move and his momentum slowed.

However, what the figure never anticipated happened.

Ian was struck by the blade.

Crack!

The armored clothing on the back of the young Alchemist shattered again, flaking off large chunks of metal, and the blade sliced straight into the youth’s back, cutting through his fair skin and flesh and blood.

Ian’s rapid pace stalled for a moment as he looked pale, his strength waning, and he could only quickly inject an Alchemical Potion into his veins, then, as if fighting for his life, he accelerated forward again!

“What…”

The shadowy figure hadn’t figured out what happened, but Ian was definitely injured, and he couldn’t let this chance slip by.

He immediately prepared to speed up and pursue Ian while he was down.

But seconds later, the shadowy figure’s pace gradually slowed.

Until at last, he stopped.

Because a man with red hair and green eyes, a Mountain Person, stood silently in the path the shadowy figure was chasing Ian on.

“Please stop.”

With a slender dueling sword in hand, Sio stood in front of the figure whose face was concealed by a mask, smiling ambiguously, “Go any further, and you’ll be entering private property.”

Under the mask, the shadowy figure’s expression fluctuated.

He recognized the opponent as the member of the Dragon Worship Cult who had been in contact with Ian, but couldn’t figure out why someone at the First Energy Level would dare to block him.

Unless… this was already the base of the Dragon Worship Cult deep within the Bison Mountain Range!

During their chase, had they really run into such a deep place?!