Chapter Fifty-Five: A Change of Identity

Another wolf rider, upon seeing Han Shuo charging with his long blade, widened his copper-like eyes under his furry brow and roared in clumsy common tongue, “Cunning... cunning human, you seek... seek death!” The giant wolf beneath him let out a chilling howl as the orc rider drew a crossbow from his back, raised it, and fired at Han Shuo. A silver bolt, gleaming with cold light and whistling sharply, hurtled toward Han Shuo’s neck.

Magic energy surged swiftly through Han Shuo, sharpening his focus. In his eyes, the crossbow bolt seemed to slow, as if he were watching a slow-motion scene from a film—a stark contrast to the bolt’s true speed, matched only by Han Shuo’s own rapid and powerful perception. When the bolt closed to within a meter, Han Shuo thrust his long blade forward, striking the tip of the flying projectile with impeccable precision. A crisp snap rang out, and the bolt shattered in mid-air.

Shattering the incoming bolt did nothing to slow Han Shuo’s mounted charge. Before the orc could nock another arrow, Han Shuo had already closed the distance, his long blade raised. A cold, gleaming arc swept upward from Han Shuo’s right hand. Though the sword was heavy and thick, in his grip it moved as if weightless, floating with feather-like grace.

The orc rider raised his own blade to meet Han Shuo’s. But just before the swords collided, a small brown crossbow bolt shot out from Han Shuo’s right sleeve, piercing through the orc’s sword with a hiss and burying itself in his neck with a dull thud.

“Des... despicable!” The orc rider gurgled blood as he forced these last words out. His hand lost strength, the heavy sword slipping from his grasp. His sturdy body toppled from the giant wolf and crashed to the earth—clearly lifeless.

“As expected of a low-intelligence race, heh!” Han Shuo’s previously solemn expression vanished, replaced by a mischievous grin. He strode to the fallen giant wolf, hooked its saddlebag with his blade, and sent it flying toward his horse. Then, with a swift thrust, he stabbed the wolf, leaving it sprawled lifeless in a pool of blood.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” At that moment, a commotion erupted from the corner of North Street. Dozens of wolf riders burst into view, roaring as they pursued a group of mages and warriors. Among those fleeing on second-rate horses, disheveled and desperate, were none other than Bichir and his companions from the Babylon College of Light.

“Quickly, go!” Stunned for just a moment, Han Shuo swiftly regained his wits. He tugged on his reins, and his warhorse thundered northward with pounding hooves. Vannilisa and the others, wide-eyed at Han Shuo’s ruthless and cunning display, understood the peril and spurred their own horses after him, fleeing north.

After galloping for what seemed like ages, Han Shuo’s party found themselves in a vast canyon, its cliffs steep on both sides, ending in a wide river. At the canyon’s end, they reined in their mounts and gazed at the azure waters, suddenly confronted by a dilemma.

“This should be the Nilelan River of the Empire. If we cross it, we’ll reach Balthazar City in the southwest. Balthazar isn't as heavily fortified as Zakias, but it’s still well-guarded. Once we reach Balthazar, I believe we’ll be safe,” Gene said with a frown as he studied the broad river.

“To get to Balthazar City, we must first cross this river. But it’s so wide—without a boat, I don’t think we can make it,” Vannie said mournfully, gazing at the blue waters.

Han Shuo said nothing. Instead, he rummaged through two large pouches on his horse. The shops in Doro Town catered to adventurers and mercenaries, so most goods were combat supplies. Sorting through the loot, Han Shuo found four fine crossbows with dozens of bolts, three high-quality daggers, two ordinary longswords, two magic staves, and three sets of fitted leather armor. There were also assorted bottles and jars of healing potions and various poisons.

First, Han Shuo selected a sharp dagger inlaid with a sapphire and tucked it away. He carefully pocketed several vials of poison, then dumped the rest of the weapons and armor onto the ground. Looking up at the others, he said calmly, “Gather your things. Prepare for more fighting.”

His words took the necromancers aback, interrupting their anxious deliberations. Gene, recalling Han Shuo’s earlier feats, blurted out, “Bryan, did you just use the Bone Arrow spell?”

This question stunned everyone but Vannie. Lisa shrieked, pointing at Han Shuo in disbelief, “Right! Bryan, how can you use magic?”

“I don’t think now’s the time to discuss that. Some of the orc wolf riders are heading this way, and they’ll be here soon. We’re trapped in this canyon, with the wide Nilelan River below. Our first concern is how to deal with the incoming orc riders,” Han Shuo replied evenly, arranging the weapons as he spoke.

“If you hadn’t led us to this damned place, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Bella sneered, shooting Han Shuo a contemptuous glance.

Han Shuo’s brow darkened, a chill settling over his face. He couldn’t suppress a surge of disgust as he looked at Bella. “Are you saying my decision was a mistake?”

Bella, about to retort, met Han Shuo’s cold, predatory gaze—like a wolf eyeing its prey. She shivered involuntarily, forcing a dry, uneasy smile. “N-no, that’s not what I meant.”

Nodding, Han Shuo’s smile returned as if nothing had happened. “In that case, everyone pick your weapons. Our spiritual energy is limited, and crossbows outrange our spells. We should use weapons first, and only turn to magic when needed. Let’s get ready—when those wolf riders arrive, we’ll make them regret it.”

Han Shuo now carried himself as a leader. It should have been comical—after all, as a mere servant of the necromancy school, he had no right to command. Yet after witnessing his terrifying rampage in the Dark Forest and his cold-blooded execution of the wolf riders, none found it laughable.

In fact, everyone regarded Han Shuo with newfound respect. Even Vannie and Gene, without protest, came over to select crossbows from him. No one objected to his plan.

Without realizing it, Han Shuo, once a servant, had established himself as a figure of authority among them, and they willingly followed his lead.