Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength
Chapter 98: Self-immolation

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Self-immolation

Under normal circumstances,

staking one’s own life so that comrades could escape would be a story both heroic and tragic.

Yet when such actions are taken by the cultist magician, it complicates things.

The determination to sacrifice oneself for some harmful event only brings headaches and trouble.

Squeak—

Outside the walls, the sound of the carriage faded into the distance.

The cultist magicians weren’t looking to make a big commotion, and after sending away the residents who had come to investigate, they had decisively driven off to escape.

These people knew very well.

That keeping the incident contained was beneficial for their escape.

Should the investigators from the next block over or the even further block’s prison warden be alerted,

then no matter how desperately they fought, there was no chance of getting Blenheim’s intelligence out of the city.

They saw the current situation as the best possible outcome.

And in the courtyard where the standoff continued, the cultist magician who had stayed behind willing to be sacrificed was still watching Ronald and another figure.

His gaze bore deeply, as though he wished to etch everything before him into his heart.

Suddenly, a snowflake fell, blurring his vision.

Allowing the cold whiteness to melt on his face, the man dressed as an investigator smiled.

"I just knew..."

He murmured softly, slowly raising his hands in surrender, he began to walk toward the two people opposite.

—A man and a woman before him.

The cultist magician named Huo Mu recognized them.

Having worked in the Blenheim Investigation Bureau for nearly three years,

He was familiar with the city and the Bureau’s personnel arrangements.

Ronald, the rookie taken away by Nicole, and Patricia, the little Nicholas,

Both were noteworthy members of the team in recent days.

The only surprise was that this Ronald, was a tough cookie and not just a simple newcomer who Nicole had taken an interest in.

Take, for example, the black mist that had ambushed them in the cellar earlier.

If not for his experienced ’investigator’ judgement and his timely command to stabilize the moods of his companions, any ordinary person from the lower echelons of the mystical community could have been entirely ensnared by such mist.

Of course, none of that mattered now.

As the surviving companions escaped in the carriage, the day’s intelligence would be passed on.

There would be no one in this block to stop them.

Thinking thus, Huo Mu quickened his pace towards Ronald and Patricia.

Approaching so blatantly.

Naturally, Ronald and Patricia took notice.

Consequently, their shouts instantly filled the courtyard:

"Stop!"

"Stay right where you are."

Huo Mu maintained an innocent tone and was just about to explain:

"Wait, I just want to..."

"Ah—!"

A flash of silver streaked by.

Drawing the slender sword that had been stuck in the ground, the girl had already mercilessly thrown it the moment her opponent refused to stop.

Amid the courtyard where snowflakes fluttered down, the metal sword flashed through the air like a shooting star plunging to the ground, piercing the body of the other.

And this time, Patricia’s position was perfectly to the side of the ’investigator.’

An impeccable position, an attack with ultimate precision.

The result was outstanding.

The longsword pierced through the enemy’s right arm, then violently pinned it beneath the collarbone, before passing clear through his body and nailing the ’investigator’s’ left arm onto the blade as well.

The subtle angle and control of force ensured that the steel-forged blade pierced steadily into the body of the opponent, severely limiting the upper body’s ability to move.

A rapier, much like a pair of shackles, locked down his movements.

"..."

"Nicholas!"

"Do you really think you can control my freedom!"

Feeling the pain in his body, Huo Mu’s eyes filled with blood, and he yelled almost at the top of his lungs,

"Just wait, you will surely fall into the abyss of death too!"

Although he knew that staying meant certain death, Huo Mu was still satisfied to have allowed his companions to escape from Nicholas.

With the intent to leave no information behind, he activated the trump card hidden within his body.

Hoo—

The next second, the ’investigator’s’ actions came to an abrupt halt.

Underneath his brown coat, fierce yellow flames burst forth.

The spacious courtyard was brightly illuminated by the firelight of the corpse, and even the cold air around was distorted by the sudden high temperature.

In just a few seconds,

The cultist magician who had wanted to close the distance before self-immolating had turned into a piece of charred remains in the snow.

The lingering burning debris was even enough to directly melt the nearby snowflakes.

"..."

Witnessing the scene before him, Ronald remained silent where he stood.

He did not care about the life or death of the cultist magician before him, but their fearless attitude still reminded him that there were plenty of madmen in this world.

If you included that previous enemy who detonated themselves...

In less than fifteen minutes, a total of six cultist magicians had two incapacitated first, followed by two others launching consecutive suicidal attacks.

—Truly ruthless.

Patricia, unlike the contemplative Ronald, reacted differently.

Faced with the enemy who had self-immolated, she wordlessly walked over to the corpse.

Picking up a handful of snow from the ground, the girl gripped the hilt of the sword that encased the blackened char.

Sizzle—

The snow in her hand quickly melted into water, and the rapier’s scorching hot hilt also cooled to a level where it could be held normally.

Ssh—

Still holding the sword in one hand, Patricia drew the rapier and flung it forcefully, immediately tracing a straight black line on the pristine snow with the blackened blade.

It was then that Patricia spoke up again,

"Ronald, where did the escapees go?"

Ronald replied,

"They’re at the corner at the end of the road to the west, all under control."

The black mist that had been left under the carriage came in handy at this moment.

The cultist magicians, thinking they had escaped to safety, naturally let down their emotional guard.

And that meant that Fury’s power could make them lose consciousness atop the carriage.

She was able to face Huo Mu with such leisure, thanks to this little arrangement.

Immediately, Patricia walked towards the gate,

"I’ll go fetch the carriage. Ronald, you check this house, no problems, right?"

Ronald quickly replied,

"Of course, no problem."

Hearing this, the girl, carrying her rapier, left the courtyard without looking back.

Seeing the black mist used by Ronald, she considered it an excellent investigative method, which is why she entrusted him with the task of checking.

As he watched Patricia leave the mansion, Ronald didn’t rush to enter the house.

Instead, he first approached the charred corpse.

From his wide sleeve, the black tome appeared in his hand.

This time, it was an excellent opportunity to test the ’Sin of Betrayal’!

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