Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength
Chapter 48: Easy Solution

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Easy Solution

Snap—

The old doorknob, its surface even polished smooth by the touch of many passengers, displayed rusty spots on its metallic edges.

Such was the worn sliding door Ronald laid his hand upon when the sound of splintering wood emitted from it.

He didn’t need to continue the action, as the person inside made the first move.

After all, not only could Ronald see inside through the compartment door, but the person inside could also see out!

It all happened in an instant.

A gleaming silver dagger pierced through the door of the compartment, without dragging even a splinter or chip, its sharp tip thrust rapidly towards Ronald’s palm!

Naturally, the attack failed.

Sharp though the blade was, it couldn’t pierce the black mist formed by the sin of "strong assault"!

"Heh heh..."

Ronald watched the dagger tightly seized by the black mist and felt the strength of its owner trying to pull the dagger back.

Ronald laughed.

Did the adversary think him a fool?

It was clear he had discovered their wrongdoings, and he even brazenly came alone—how could he not take the necessary precautions!

Any sane person wouldn’t fall for the stab-through-the-door trick.

In that instant—

Ronald recalled the time atop Black Mountain when Alida kicked open the grand doors with such valor.

If he now adopted the same stance, perhaps it would lend a different flavor.

Too bad she wasn’t with him this time.

Well, he would have to do the job himself...

Aimed at the already loosened compartment door, Ronald kicked fiercely.

Bang!

Although this body had not undergone professional training, Ronald was still of a full-grown man’s stature.

The flimsy carriage door, not made of solid material, shattered on cue!

The spaces inside and outside the compartment became connected.

The adversaries, now exposed, saw each other’s appearance.

Indeed, there were three men in the compartment who appeared as ordinary train passengers. However, the murderous look in the men’s eyes and the dagger in the leader’s hand confirmed their identities!

Without a doubt, these were the accomplices of the two men Lama had dealt with!

But taken aback by Ronald’s brash entrance, they momentarily hesitated to attack.

The standoff between them lasted for two breaths.

Finally, the man holding the dagger couldn’t hold back any longer.

"Ah!"

"Die!"

He shouted with force, attempting to drive the dagger into Ronald’s body.

Unfortunately, the dagger remained firmly stuck between them, not advancing even an inch.

Sensing this power that was totally unshaken by his own efforts.

The man’s face grew ugly as he looked down.

Then, he saw Ronald’s hand gripping his dagger.

The black mist that clung like a glove to the skin had tightly locked the sharp blade in place—this was why he couldn’t harm the man before him!

"You... You’re a wizard?"

"This can’t be!"

Muttering the reality he refused to believe, the man’s face was filled with regret.

He strained to pull the dagger out of Ronald’s hand.

Sadly for him, he couldn’t manage it.

At that moment, the man’s two companions behind him heard their friend’s words.

They too seemed to realize they were facing a wizard.

The two exchanged glances and simultaneously took a step back.

Just then, Ronald laughed.

"Heh—"

"So, you really want to take this thing back?"

"Then be my guest."

Snap—

The hand that was tightly clasping a moment ago suddenly let go.

At the same time, the man holding the dagger was too late to withdraw his own strength.

He lost his balance and toppled directly onto the two companions behind him.

The space left for passengers in an ordinary compartment was already small, not to mention the broken compartment door getting in the way.

With this bump, all three men tumbled together, crashing into the compartment’s table.

"Wait!"

"Just wait a moment, Wizard first... Master Wizard!"

"This... this is all a misunderstanding."

He didn’t care about the cuts on his hands from the dagger, nor did he mind his companion groaning in pain.

Lying on the floor, the man pressed down on his companion and struggled to sit up, loudly starting to defend himself.

"We were just following orders."

"None of this has anything to do with us!"

"Please, I beg you, spare me..."

Bang, bang—

Suddenly, gunfire rang out.

It was all a ruse!

As the man desperately begged for mercy, his two companions had taken advantage of the cover provided by the upper body of the man beside them and, from under their coats, had drawn short-barreled pistols aimed at Ronald.

They pulled the triggers together.

Almost simultaneously, two bullets were fired!

Fortunately, the body of the man in the middle interfered, and the gunmen were not like the extraordinarily professional kind Aleda was.

At the last moment, Ronald managed to dodge the gunfire.

"Damn it!"

"You think I can’t see through your actions?"

He brazenly pretended to have seen through it all.

While sidestepping the gunfire, Ronald wasn’t one to sit idly by and be shot at.

The black mist on his palm instantly turned into dark birds, giving the three men no chance to react before pouncing on them.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

The remaining bullets in the pistols never got the chance to be fired.

As soon as the black mist touched their bodies, the power of Hell’s Blood River began to flow into them. Drawing a gun and shooting was definitely categorized under the punishment for ’assault’.

And so, the power of Original Sin began to take effect.

Amidst the three men’s screams—

Dark crimson stripes appeared on their skin, and along these lines, continuous marks emerged on the men’s bodies as if boiled by scalding water or seared by hot oil.

Their screams of pain were punctuated by mournful howls.

The three men, like wild pigs with scalded skin, rolled back and forth in the cramped space of the compartment.

And yet, the pain did not diminish.

As the power of Original Sin spread over them, nothing could stop this torment from progressing!

Ronald looked down at the three men in silence.

After pondering for a few seconds, he spoke:

"Gentlemen, I would like an answer."

"About the reason for detaching the locomotive."

Hearing Ronald’s words, one of the men, suppressing the pain in his body like boiling water, answered in agony:

"We... we just wanted to create chaos."

Ronald shook his head:

"Of course, I understand the purpose of your actions."

"But that’s not the answer I’m wanting. Creating chaos is hardly ever just for the sake of escape. You must have been hiding something else on this train."

"Spill the truth."

"After all, I’m not exactly one who enjoys torturing others like some evil..."

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—

Just as Ronald was about to continue his questioning, a rush of footsteps came from the carriage behind!

It was Detective Sir.

Under the lead of Swift, the skinny clerk had been tied up tightly, rid of the worry of struggling to escape.

And the other armed soldiers, naturally, followed him over.

After all, the train’s deceleration was all too obvious; even those in the dining car had become acutely aware of it by now.

"What a pity..."

Ronald lamented in a voice only he could hear.

Then he once again invoked the sin of ’assault’.

In an instant, the three men on the ground were steamed to unconsciousness, unable to utter another cry.