Chapter 155

Chapter 155

The leader of the quintet held a peculiar device in his hand. This strange instrument seemed to be enveloped by a barely noticeable light membrane that covered all five of them, forming a tight, body-hugging layer around their bodies.

With this light membrane, they cautiously climbed over the low wall of the Animal Pet Shop without triggering the defensive array that usually surrounded it and was always active.

The Animal Pet Shop had two types of overall defense systems. One was the low-level defensive array that was always on, designed to prevent mischievous little creatures from sneaking out.

The other was a powerful defensive array activated during beast tides.

On a daily basis, Lorant found the powerful defensive array inconvenient, as it required reactivation every time someone entered or exited. Therefore, he only used the low-level defensive array.

Of course, this was also because he didn’t need the low-level defensive array to ensure his safety. With the Ghost Spider Baby around, the powerful defensive array was largely redundant.

The low-level defensive array covered all the walls of the Animal Pet Shop except for the two main gates. In theory, any entry through any other part would trigger the alarm, waking up those inside.

However, the low-level defensive array was clearly bypassed effortlessly by this group. They quietly infiltrated the backyard of the Animal Pet Shop with their light membranes, making no sound at all.

This was a professional team of assassins and killers, specializing in dark and dangerous tasks.

Recently, they received a commission to kidnap the owner of the Animal Pet Shop and kill all the newly born pets.

Naturally, no one else was to be left alive.

Blood Fang, ranking among the top few on the assassin list, was certainly not an inexperienced novice.

Upon receiving this lucrative task, he quickly assembled his team and spent a considerable amount of time observing the Animal Pet Shop.

During the day, they took advantage of the open hours when people were constantly entering and exiting to scout the interior of the shop.

In Blood Fang’s eyes, the security measures of the Animal Pet Shop were riddled with vulnerabilities, with defenses that were shockingly poor.

He couldn’t help but wonder how such a defenseless and wealthy target managed to survive until today.

Were the others all fools?

Regardless of the forces backing the Animal Pet Shop, he didn’t believe anyone would truly do anything for the shop owner.

Especially after he was captured and forced to drink the 'Puppet Potion.'

At that point, wouldn’t everything be at their disposal?

After scouting the Animal Pet Shop, Blood Fang’s confidence soared. He returned, made some simple preparations, and led his team to the shop that very night.

Blood Fang’s team consisted of five members: himself, a Level 9 Assassin, and four others, three Level 8 and one Level 7.

Such a force was formidable anywhere.

Overthrowing a remote city would be a relatively easy task.

Moreover, due to the unique nature of the Assassin profession, while they might not be as dominant on the battlefield as other classes, in such an environment, when facing human targets rather than beasts, their strength was undeniable.

Assassins of the same rank could be helpless against beasts of the same level but could assassinate stronger opponents of higher ranks.

This was their confidence.

Tonight, wherever Blood Fang appeared, blood would surely stain the sky.

The spot where Blood Fang’s team infiltrated was an empty area, usually used as a classroom for the orphans, now deserted.

......

Blood Fang had already scouted this place during the day and memorized the entire map of the Animal Pet Shop, planning a clear route for the night.

He intended to first head to the nest of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, eliminate them, then proceed to the residential area to kill the others and kidnap Lorant.

By the time the nearby sentries were alerted, he would have already escaped using the teleportation array within the Animal Pet Shop.

Of course, before leaving, he wouldn’t forget to leave some gifts for the surviving creatures in the backyard to fulfill the employer’s requirements.

The sole Level 7 member of the quintet was a Necromancer. He cast a spell, summoning a small skeleton about knee-high, sending it ahead to scout.

This skeleton was one of his summoned creatures, primarily used for its agility and shared vision to serve as a pathfinder during infiltration.

The small skeleton ran forward happily, attracting no attention along the way.

Only a few Windbreak Horses sleeping under the trees slowly opened their eyes, curiously examining this new and unfamiliar object.

The Necromancer, controlling the skeleton, noticed this but paid no mind.

These pets were indeed intelligent, but their intelligence was limited. They wouldn’t match human intellect, and even if they saw the unfamiliar small skeleton, they would soon ignore it due to the skeleton’s inherent ability to mask its presence.

Indeed, the Windbreak Horses lifted their heads, glanced at the skeleton a couple of times, and then lay back down to sleep.

Clearly, pets were still just a form of mutated beasts.

With this dismissive attitude, he completely ignored the pets, only worrying about whether any awake humans might discover them.

Fortunately, they encountered no one along the way, and Blood Fang’s team relaxed.

Unbeknownst to them, above their heads, a fist-sized white-furred Ghost Spider Baby was curiously observing these uninvited guests.

The Ghost Spider Baby had detected these strange humans from the moment they infiltrated and set up an ambush in the abandoned town.

However, Lorant was already asleep, so the baby thought for a moment and decided not to wake him, choosing instead to come and investigate on its own.

It could sense the ill intentions of these five individuals. How did the baby put it?

"Hmm, I forgot. Anyway, they're all bad guys."

"After all, only bad people would sneak into someone's house in the middle of the night; good people come through the front door during the day!"

The baby ghost spider nodded to itself, feeling incredibly smart. The danger it sensed from these few people wasn't strong, so the little creature hung loosely above their heads, curiously observing their movements.

Even Jacqueline found it hard to detect the baby in its ghostly state, let alone these assassins who weren't known for their mental prowess.

Led by the mage, the five quickly crossed the entire backyard and headed toward the area where the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs roamed.

Blood Fang and his companions had carefully planned their route. To reach Lorant and the others' residence from their position, they had to pass through the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs' activity zone.

Once they dealt with those little creatures, they could proceed to the shop owner without any delay.

As for the Windbreaker Horses, they were scattered, making it time-consuming to deal with them one by one. Blood Fang had prepared to either resolve the issue after controlling the shop owner or cast a 'Heavenly Fire' spell when leaving through the teleportation array. Although the super-grade spell scrolls were expensive, they were worth it for this mission.

Meanwhile, Little Seven and Little Eight, who had been resting with Little Qing among the Windbreaker Horses, received the baby ghost spider's notification.

The two Crystal Ice Flame Dogs hid themselves thoroughly among the horses, remaining undetected.

Stopping at a distance from the doghouse, Blood Fang halted.

"Boss?" the assassin following him asked hesitantly.

Blood Fang waved his hand back and pulled out a fist-sized magical device from his spatial belt.

"Shh, keep it down." He slowly infused his aura into the 'Dark Mist Ball,' a magical device that could explode over a wide area when infused with aura.

When it exploded, it could drag all living beings of a certain level within its range into darkness on a mental level, silently resolving large groups of targets.

This device had long been banned by the Congress of Magic, for a simple reason: it was ineffective against beasts and only worked on intelligent races.

All intelligent races collectively resisted such weapons.

Moreover, it was rumored to be an evil entity involving the soul, far more malevolent than being slit throat.

No one knew how Blood Fang managed to get his hands on such a clandestine item.

Seeing the object in Blood Fang's hand, the assassin hesitated, "Boss, will this thing work on these creatures?"

It was common knowledge that the Dark Mist Ball had no effect on beasts, but there were no precedents for using it on pets.

No one knew if it would be a dud or a terrifying mind-crushing weapon when used on pets.

Blood Fang smiled indifferently, "We'll find out if it works, won't we? If it doesn't, there won't be much noise. We can always switch to 'Thundercloud Strike.'"

He was a ninth-level professional, and in this pet shop with no strong opponents, he was invincible. Even if the knight in the pet shop temporarily held him back and called for reinforcements, Blood Fang was confident he could take Lorant hostage and escape smoothly.

But his nature as an assassin made him prefer completing his mission with minimal disturbance.

The grand 'Thundercloud Strike' was a last resort.

From the moment he entered the pet shop, every life here was under his control.

The rest was just a game.

The Dark Mist Ball in Blood Fang's hand gradually expanded, then slowly rose into the air, silently floating above the unsuspecting Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

Several puppies, huddled together in sweet slumber, were oblivious to what was happening, turning over and exposing their soft bellies as they continued to roll around in their dreams.

In the next second, the expected black mist did not spread as anticipated.

The Dark Mist Ball seemed to malfunction, hanging motionless in mid-air.

As a ninth-level professional, Blood Fang saw more clearly than the others.

The Dark Mist Ball hadn't malfunctioned! His body tensed, a chill running down his spine. In his eyes, he clearly saw something wrap around the Dark Mist Ball from all directions just before it was about to explode.

That evil object with terrifying power was forcibly 'squeezed' back.

The only word that came to Blood Fang's mind was 'squeeze.' The scene was too frightening to describe.

He couldn't imagine what kind of existence could do this.

The Dark Mist Ball was safe until activated, but once the 'Dark Mist' emerged, it became a forbidden zone for humans.

While higher-level professionals wouldn't be dragged into endless darkness, the sensation of their souls being torn apart was unbearable.

Just touching the Dark Mist was enough for it to take effect.

And nothing except the body could touch the Dark Mist!

To simply crush it like this was beyond Blood Fang's comprehension.

Without hesitation, Blood Fang drew his dagger and performed a 'Forward Slash,' propelling himself forward a hundred meters with his blade, then shouted, "Retreat!"

The other members, though momentarily stunned, instinctively followed Blood Fang's command and began sprinting back.

Especially when they saw Blood Fang already leading the way, their urgency grew, each trying to outpace the others.

However, in the next second, three gray flashes emerged from the shadows, accurately colliding with the two outermost assassins.

The other three didn't even consider stopping, continuing to run at full speed without looking back.

When fleeing from beasts, you don't need to be faster than the beast; you just need to be faster than your comrades.

These men, all assassins except for the mage, were renowned for their speed. In the face of death, they unleashed considerable potential, quickly approaching the wall they had entered through.

Blood Fang knew he had fallen into a trap and was likely to meet his downfall today.

As he fled forward, he turned his head to check on the two lagging members.

The two were now standing back-to-back, facing two adult Crystal Flame Hounds and a slightly smaller one.

They were Little Seven, Little Eight, and Maomao.

Although both professionals had very high ranks and individually even Lancelot would struggle to face them in direct combat, they were unexpectedly being held at bay by the three Crystal Flame Hounds, which were only around level six or seven.

The three Crystal Flame Hounds were well-trained; they knew their opponents were formidable and from the start had no intention of defeating them directly.

The two adult Crystal Flame Hounds seemed to attack with ferocity each time, but under Maomao's command, they were merely keeping the opponents pinned down.

Each person faced a flexible Crystal Flame Hound with multiple attack methods, and with Maomao assisting from both sides, the two high-level assassins, both at level eight, were indeed trapped and unable to break free.

On the other side, the level seven mage trailing behind Blood Fang naturally could not match the speed of the two assassins and was forced to fall to the rear of the group.

Suddenly, the mage, who propelled himself forward using two hot-blowing bones extending from his shoulder blades, seemed to hit something thin like a rope.

Instantly, several long cuts appeared on the mage's body, running from his abdomen to his left shoulder. The sharp threads were so sharp that they sent him flying backward before he could even feel the pain.

Having grown up in the midst of slaughter, the mage quickly recovered from his brief shock. While still airborne, he immediately cast a magic shield over himself and used a lightness spell to try to land without injury.

However, before he could touch the ground, countless wind howls struck his body.

The mage, enhanced by the lightness spell, was like a kite cut loose, immediately thrown backward by the immense force.

But the next second, the sound of air tearing came from behind him again.

Wind howls from all directions instantly engulfed the mage.

Before the mage could even scream, the intense wind forcefully blocked his mouth.

Under the leadership of Little Qing and Baiye, the Windbreaker Horses split into several small groups, continuously bombarding the small black dot floating in the sky with wind howls.

Lorant usually restrained them from attacking living beings for safety reasons when they served as mounts.

After all, the Windbreaker Horses needed to be suitable as mounts, and too strong an offensive nature would not help them assist knights in battle.

Now, they finally had a chance to play freely, and they were delighted to see the small black dot being battered in mid-air.

The Candy Rabbits hiding in the grass poked their heads out, watching the excited horses enviously, all eager to see the small black dot fall so they could have a go at it too.

These big dummies were having a great time today, and they couldn't wait for that thing to drop so they could kick it a couple of times!

The Candy Rabbits stomped their feet impatiently, eagerly awaiting the moment.

Unaware of what had happened to his companions, Blood Fang knew that the wall ahead was his only way out.

If he could get past it, the temporary teleportation array he had set up in the abandoned cottage would take him to safety.

As for those who couldn't escape?

That was just bad luck and lack of strength. In this line of work, everyone had their lives hanging by a thread.

If they died, they could only blame themselves.

But soon, his hope was completely shattered.

A huge spider web suddenly appeared in front of him.

The web blocked the entire path ahead.

The sudden appearance of the web forced the fleeing duo to stop abruptly. The next second, the web firmly advanced towards them.

Blood Fang reacted swiftly. He grabbed his companion, kicked him accurately into the white web, and used the momentum to activate his ability 'Shadow Clone,' instantly spreading dozens of clones along the nearly 500-meter-long path in the backyard.

These clones were both decoys and the real Blood Fang; where his true form appeared was just a matter of his will.

This technique, originally used to confuse enemies and strike unexpectedly, was now employed to escape.

As an experienced old killer, Blood Fang knew that it was already too late to escape from the Animal Pet Shop.

When the web appeared, his sixth sense had gone into overdrive, warning him that the web was extremely dangerous and that if he touched it, he would never be able to break free.

Trusting his instincts, he made a rational decision.

Blood Fang's target was the house where the residents of the Animal Pet Shop lived.

From the moment they started to flee without being caught in one net, Blood Fang began to speculate wildly.

Whatever it was that exceeded his expectations should not have been able to keep up with his speed. Otherwise, he would have been attacked before reaching the wall.

Based on this reasoning, Blood Fang believed that if he could move fast enough to reach the Animal Pet Shop's manager before the unknown danger arrived, he could regain control of the situation.

Since this danger appeared in the Animal Pet Shop and seemed to be protecting it, it must be related to the owner.

Logically, his reasoning made sense.

But what Blood Fang did not expect was that the terrifying presence he sensed was a simple-minded, childlike Ghost Spider.

The baby Ghost Spider hung from its web, swinging leisurely beside the grim-faced Blood Fang, who was using every trick in the book to save time, observing the human curiously.

This guy is so strange. Wasn't he with those other people? If they came together, they should be companions, right?

Baby curiously propped its head with its front paws, adopting a thoughtful pose.

But if they were companions, why wouldn't they be worried at all?

It tilted its body curiously, staring at the fearsome Blood Fang, finding the creature truly terrifying!

Its companion was clearly screaming not far away, yet it looked as if it hadn't heard a thing.

Baby said, what was the term for this again?

Cold-blooded and cruel, or perhaps heartless and inhuman?

Well, in any case, it must be a big bad guy!

Today! It would become a great hero who punishes evil and upholds justice!

A great hero surely deserves an extra treat, doesn't it?

The little ghost spider, swaying at the thought of delicious meat jerky, couldn't help but close its eyes in delight.