Rodrigo was incredibly fast with his sword. It moved so quickly that it was almost impossible to see clearly.His technique was fierce and forceful, like a tough military approach, without any fancy moves.Each move of his seemed crafted with lethal intent. It was simple, effective, and brutally violent.Despite the mysterious spells of the four guardians, Rodrigo's fast sword made them useless.Whenever they attempted to change formation, Rodrigo quickly saw the weakness and broke through with his quick strikes.After a series of clashes, he beat the four guardians."I didn't expect General Rodrigo to be such a powerful grandmaster martial artist," Cinna exclaimed in surprise."He is Rufus's personal guard and leads a team of spies," Dustin said calmly. "It shows how skilled he is." From their first meeting with Rodrigo, Dustin sensed his impressive abilities.Given that Rufus entrusted Rodrigo to travel to Oakvale, it was evident that he possessed significant skills and abi
Furious, the Red Cloak Assassin yelled, "I don't have time for this, get lost!" His temper flared, and he abandoned caution to launch a relentless attack. This left the once evenly matched Rodrigo quickly at a disadvantage.There was indeed a gap in their strengths.Rodrigo's previous ability to stand firm against the Red Cloak Assassin was solely based on his bold courage.Now, with the Red Cloak Assassin fighting desperately, that advantage was gone. The upcoming battle was all about raw power."Die!" the Red Cloak Assassin shouted, intensifying his increasingly fierce attacks.Forced into a defensive retreat, Rodrigo could only block without a chance to counter. If this continued, he would be completely defeated in less than three minutes. "We can't wait any longer!" Upon seeing this, Dustin's expression turned cold. Just as he was about to step in and help, a sudden sense of caution struck him.Before he could react, he heard a bang, and a black mist erupted beneath h
The Red Cloaked Assassin attacked fast and hard, catching Dustin by surprise from behind.Dustin was still busy helping Cinna and couldn't defend himself.When the assassin's blade came, Dustin quickly activated his energy armor, creating a protective shield."Clang!" The Red Cloaked Assassin's blade hit Dustin's energy armor, creating a faint ripple.The immense recoil sent the assassin's weapon flying, making him stagger backward."How is this possible?"The Red Cloaked Assassin's eyes widened in shock.His full-force surprise attack should have at least gravely wounded Dustin.Yet, Dustin sat unscathed, while the assassin was pushed back.He was surprised that Dustin's strength might be even greater than his."Pfft!" Suddenly, as Dustin was still healing, he spat out black blood. His face turned ashen.The poison from earlier was potent. Even with his robust body, Dustin couldn't resist it. The primary reason was the extensive energy consumption in treating Cinna.
Two powerful strikes collided, creating a loud boom. Dustin merely shivered slightly and easily stopped all the force.Dustin's strike sent the Red Cloaked Assassin flying. He crashed hard onto the ground with blood pouring from his mouth. Most of his circulatory pathways shattered."How—How can you be this powerful?"The Red Cloaked Assassin clutched his chest. He looked terrified.Despite being poisoned and heavily injured, Dustin triumphed with just one hit. The Red Cloaked Assassin couldn't help but wonder if Dustin was truly that much stronger."Did you not investigate my strength before ambushing me?" Dustin's voice was cold, and a bit of black blood stained his lips.Cinna got rid of all the poison in his body, so he wasn't in danger anymore. Dustin was hurt and poisoned, but because he was really skilled, he could endure it for a little while."Although you're just a grandmaster martial artist, we are more than enough to kill you!" the Red Cloaked Assassin interrupted.
Dustin was baffled. He stared at Cinna after the sudden attack.He had suspicions about many people, such as Maximus and Brooke, but never about Cinna.Cinna had risked his life for Dustin beforeand had sacrificed so much for the West Lucozian monarchy. Even at the risk of his own poisoning and injury, Dustin felt indebted and went all out to save him.Cinna was like family to him. As a death warrior for the monarchy, it was unbelievable that he would betray him."Mr. Shaffer? What—what are you doing?" Dustin asked with a trembling voice. Even now, he could hardly believe what was happening."Dustin, I'm sorry, but I had no choice," Cinna said with a complex expression and a hint of guilt. "I told you not to dig into the past. It would bring deadly consequences. Why didn't you listen? You could have lived a peaceful life. Why did you choose this path?""You ... Who are you, really?" Dustin frowned deeply."I am Cinna, the Vice Commander of the Central Cavalry in West Luc
The only option for Dustin now was to go down with Cinna."Huh?" Facing Dustin's swift iron fist, Cinna instinctively raised his arms to block it."Thud!" A muffled sound echoed as Dustin's punch directly broke Cinna's arms. Cinna flew like a sandbag. He crashed 20 feet away and spat out blood."Traitor!" Dustin's rage made his eyes bulge as he prepared to pursue.Cinna realized the danger and swiftly formed hand seals. With a stomp of his foot, he instantly disappeared, leaving only a pile of clothes.That was undoubtedly an extraordinary vanishing technique.Dustin started coughing up lots of blood as soon as Cinna vanished.Dustin was in critical condition due to old wounds, potent poison, and a blade in his chest. He was on the verge of collapsing."Your Highness!" Rodrigo roared in frustration, but he couldn't move due to his severe injuries."Dustin!" Maximus was barely able to stay upright either.They were all in dire states and there were still many Dragon Gu
Three minutes later, all the Dragon Guard assassins lay in a pool of blood.Dustin was drenched in blood. He staggered, barely holding himself up.His life signs weakened, and his powerful energy dissipated. He was on the verge of collapse.The surroundings grew hazy. His heartbeat was near silent."After everything I've been through, I die at the hands of my own people. How ironic!" Dustin chuckled softly as he looked at the knife in his chest. He grabbed it with both hands and pulled it out.In an instant, blood sprayed.Since death was inevitable, he didn't want to have a knife stuck in him.As he pulled it out, the world spun. With a final thud, he collapsed.Everything went black.At that moment, Dustin's pendant glowed and vanished into his forehead.As the pendant entered his body, it instantly transformed into a powerful energy coursing through Dustin's limbs and bones.The strange poison Cinna unleashed swiftly dissipated upon contact with this energy.Dustin's p
Cinna, visibly injured from Dustin's attack, stood before the masked man on the dragon throne."Mr. Shaffer, are you hurt?" the masked man asked in a deep, raspy voice."Just a scratch won't kill me," Cinna replied. He coughed up blood in between words."Looks more than a scratch. Take this medicine." The masked man waved his hand and a black tablet shot out."Thanks." Cinna caught the tablet and swallowed it right away. This medicine from the Dragon Guard was exceptionally rare. It could heal serious injuries really fast, but only high-ranking members got to use it."Mr. Rever," Cinna began, but Reagan raised a hand and interrupted him. "I'm now Reagan Judd. You can call me Mr. Judd or Sir Judd. The past is best left behind.""Yes, Sir Judd." Cinna nodded respectfully."Mr. Shaffer, how did the task I assigned you go?" Reagan inquired."I stabbed Dustin's heart. He should be dead by now," Cinna reported."Excellent!" Reagan nodded approvingly. "Mr. Shaffer, you'