Chapter Sixty-Five: Yorick

In scarcely three or four seconds, Marcus seemed to possess three heads and six arms, his attacks so swift and relentless they almost completely enveloped Yorick.

Yet, despite this flurry of strikes, not a single blow landed. Yorick was standing right there, his body seemingly as intangible as a phantom. He appeared motionless, and yet, every one of Marcus’s attacks struck nothing but air.

“Faster, faster, faster! Too slow, far too slow!” Yorick stood amid the onslaught, a cold, mocking laugh escaping his lips.

At last, with a violent thud, Marcus’s foot connected with Yorick’s head—only to have Marcus sent flying sideways through the air.

No one saw Yorick’s movement; they could only glimpse an afterimage flicker across his form before Marcus tumbled away, screaming in pain, spitting blood onto the ground.

Xiao Zhang’s heart sank at the sight. Marcus was by no means weak, and yet before Yorick, he was like a child—utterly powerless to resist.

Yorick touched his cheek where Marcus had struck him, sneering, “That wasn’t even enough to make me itch.”

With a roar, Marcus’s body suddenly doubled in size; he charged at Yorick once more.

Seeing Marcus leap forward again, Qiguan Bei shouted and rushed to join, “What are you all waiting for? Let’s go, together!”

Mutian Yihuai hefted his weapon and dashed forward; Charlie, too, didn’t hesitate, brandishing a stone block as he charged.

Though wounded, Charlie let out a furious bellow as his body suddenly swelled, muscles bulging until his clothes nearly split. His eyes blazed red as he swung the stone block wildly.

Yorick sneered, planting his shovel in the earth. “Is this the best you have to offer?”

Charlie’s stone block was easily deflected by Yorick’s casually raised right hand. In his berserk state, Charlie roared and brought his other stone block crashing down.

“Courting death,” Yorick sneered, meeting the attack with his fist.

Bang! The stone block exploded instantly.

So too did Charlie’s hand—flesh and blood splattered everywhere. With a scream of agony, Charlie collapsed to the ground.

Yorick snorted, reaching out to snatch Mutian Yihuai’s weapon, snapping the long spear in two with a swift motion.

“Scatter!” Mutian Yihuai gritted his teeth, retreating rapidly. His hands formed a triangular seal, perfectly aligning Yorick within its center.

Suddenly, golden chains materialized from the swirling air around Yorick, coiling tightly about his body.

Yorick’s gaze flickered with interest as he sneered, “Now this is a bit more amusing. Is this your skill?”

He flexed his arms and, after a slight frown, relaxed. “Pity it’s still too weak.”

A rapid series of cracking sounds erupted like beans in a hot pan. The golden chains shattered one after another.

Mutian Yihuai spat blood, his body staggering. “Qiguan, hurry! I can’t hold on!”

Qiguan pressed his palms together, eyes suddenly blazing with radiant light. A golden aura erupted around him.

He thrust his palm forward, striking Yorick squarely.

Boom! The golden light engulfed Yorick, completely shrouding him so that his figure vanished within the radiance.

Mutian Yihuai’s eyes were wide as he finally exhaled, exhaustion washing over him. His arms hung limp as he gasped for breath, his panting like a broken bellows.

“Did… did we get him?” Xiao Zhang’s eyes were wide with disbelief.

Suddenly, Mutian Yihuai felt a chill down his spine. From behind, Yorick’s cold, contemptuous voice whispered in his ear, “So, little mice, is this the extent of your power?”

Mutian Yihuai’s body froze as Yorick’s grip closed around his throat, a rasping sound emerging as icy terror paralyzed him.

With a hoarse cry, Mutian Yihuai shouted, “Qiguan! What are you waiting for, you bastard!”

With a sickening crack, Yorick sneered and tossed Mutian Yihuai to the ground.

He collapsed with a thud, unmoving.

Qiguan Bei stood rooted in place, silent and ashen, his gaze unfocused and empty.

Seeing this, Marcus abandoned the fight and withdrew from the battlefield altogether.

Xiao Zhang’s body was rigid with shock.

In mere moments, the awakened ones who had surrounded Yorick were utterly routed—Mutian Yihuai slain, Charlie and Marcus gravely wounded. It had all happened so quickly, concluded in the blink of an eye.

It was so swift that Xiao Zhang hadn’t even reacted. He’d been about to join the assault, but the momentum of the group assault had crumbled before he could even move.

He never got the chance to leap forward.

Beside him, Zhao Bai was equally caught off guard, suddenly collapsing to the ground.

Unnoticed, the woman under Yorick’s command had already stepped before Xiao Zhang.

“Don’t interfere. Our deputy leader is enjoying the game—no need for a little mouse like you to spoil his fun.”

“Our deputy leader takes care of the entertainment; we’re just here to clean up the trash.” The weapon-wielding woman smiled, narrowing her eyes at Xiao Zhang before glancing at Zhao Tai. “The deputy leader wants this boy saved for interrogation. As for you—you die now.”

With that, she extended her finger toward Xiao Zhang’s forehead, almost brushing his brow…

Suddenly, a hand reached out, gently seizing the woman’s wrist. Her expression changed instantly.

Before her stood a woman with laughing eyes, dressed in black, who had appeared without warning.

“I have no interest in your slaughter. But these two are my teammates. You—”

“Who are you?” the weapon-wielding woman gasped, her wrist caught in an iron grip, half her body going numb.

Yet her shock ran deeper. She hadn’t noticed when this woman had appeared, nor when she’d grabbed her wrist; every movement had been invisible to her.

Most unsettling was the way this woman stood beside her, regarding her with a cold, unfeeling gaze—an attitude of utter indifference.

It made her feel as if she were a mere insect standing beside a fearsome beast, who could crush her with the slightest movement.

Having finished speaking, Leah turned away, her back to the weapon-wielding woman, watching the distant horizon with utter disregard for the danger behind her.

The woman’s expression flickered rapidly as she stared at Leah’s retreating figure, clenching and unclenching her fists.