Lord of Mysteries: The New Black Emperor

Chapter 97: The Proper Way to Use 2-355

Bishop Utravsky's attack marked the beginning of the battle.

He wielded a greatsword made of radiant light, and every strike, whether a downward slash or a sweeping blow, carried an awe-inspiring momentum.

At this moment, he had shed his priest's robe and donned a larger, longer knight's uniform, making each of his movements swift and clean. The gentle and kind demeanor he had during sermons was nowhere to be found.

Three Mid-Sequence Beyonders were blocked by Utravsky alone. From the building the "Giant Bishop" had jumped out of, a masked man and woman also leaped into the fray.

Upton took the initiative, using his "Astrologer's Hair" to summon an ally from the spirit world.

However, the three Mid-Sequence Beyonders remained unshaken. One of them tossed a stone toward Hobert and the others, completing a bribe: "Weaken!"

This Beyonder was a Sequence 6 Baron of Corruption.

Hobert and Daly immediately felt a significant drop in their strength and speed, but the light of dawn on Utravsky and his greatsword remained unaffected. His giant sword could cleave through all Beyonder attacks, provided the enemy's attack wasn't too far beyond his level.

After reaching her tactical position, Daly, disregarding her weakened spirituality, connected with the spirit world to summon a spirit with a long, slender head and wielding a longsword.

This spirit was dressed in tattered clothing, with only its skeleton remaining, but it moved nimbly, its eyes glowing with a red light, exuding an indescribable majesty.

Another Mid-Sequence Beyonder from the opposing side struck at the right moment, directing his power at the skeleton: "Exile!"

The newly summoned skeleton barely had time to make an appearance before it was forced to retreat step by step by an invisible force.

Hobert and Daly exchanged glances. The enemy had not just one but two Sequence 6s! The Beyonder who had just banished the skeleton was a Sequence 6 Judge!

Even so, they had to stick to their original strategy. The skeleton's appearance was meant to cover for Hobert.

At that moment, Hobert had already reached the middle of the battlefield. He slammed his staff into the ground with both hands: "Order!"

A black sacred light flashed from the staff. It rapidly grew taller and thicker, reaching a height of four to five meters, before branching out. In an instant, a treetop began to take shape.

Each leaf on the treetop was pitch-black, blocking out the faint moonlight. The branches stretched, forming a canopy that spanned several meters in radius.

The sudden appearance of a towering tree in the middle of the battlefield was a sight so shocking that everyone present, including those watching from afar, turned to look.

Immediately after, the light of dawn on Utravsky's body brightened, illuminating an area of twenty to thirty meters around him.

The skeleton summoned by Daly radiated golden light, clacking its teeth in laughter. The previous "exile" could no longer hold it back.

Hobert's "Tree of Order" enhanced both the power of the light of dawn and the necromantic energies. Aware that the enemy likely possessed a Sealed Artifact, Hobert's strategy was to go all out from the beginning.

They would break down the weaker Sequence members first.

With the support of the "Tree of Order," Daly and her two companions gained the upper hand against the three Mid-Sequence enemies. Hobert quickly withdrew from the battlefield.

Manipulating the order beneath the tree's canopy, he distorted the distance, quickly reaching the other side of the battle.

At this point, the two Sequence 8s had yet to encounter Xio or Fors, as neither had any long-range Beyonder abilities and were forced into close combat.

Earlier in the afternoon, they had followed Hobert's plan, intentionally getting spotted by the enemy to divide the battlefield.

As Hobert rushed into their part of the fight, he already held 2-355 in hand.

This made him think of a historical figure—Linglong Tower, Tower Linglong, Linglong Treasure Tower…

[T/N: ???]

"Bah! I'm not Nezha's father!"

Hobert quickly cleared his thoughts, pulling out the dagger he had prepared in advance. He made a stabbing motion with his other arm and used 2-355 to pull one of the Sequence 8s towards him.

Splat!

The opponent hadn't even realized what had happened before they were struck with a dagger.

But a single stab wasn't enough to be lethal for a Beyonder, especially one who was a Barbarian, known for their physical toughness.

The berserk Barbarian realized what had happened and threw a punch at Hobert, but it was as if he punched the air. His fist vanished when it came within half a meter of Hobert.

This was why Hobert dared to pull the enemy close—only Beyonder abilities could harm him while he held 2-355. All physical attacks were rendered ineffective.

Since they were in the city, Hobert refrained from using a gun, or he would have made the enemy "crash" into the barrel.

While the Barbarian was still confused, his position shifted again.

Splat!

Before he could react, Xio's trident had already pierced his abdomen.

"You're too despicable!" the Barbarian roared angrily, swinging his fists at the short Xio.

Xio nimbly dodged, preparing for her next strike.

On the other side, Fors, wielding a short blade, used her Door Opening ability to pass through walls, evading attacks or launching sneak attacks from behind, growing braver with each strike.

This tactic had been Hobert's suggestion earlier in the afternoon.

Fors seemed to have unlocked a new world. She had always thought her ability suited her for being a master thief but had never considered using Door Opening to dodge attacks and ambush enemies.

Although, as Hobert had put it, "It's a bit dirty."

At this moment, Hobert was executing his "dirty" tactic to perfection, pulling enemies towards him, stabbing them with a dagger, then tossing them over to Xio for another trident stab.

The sound of "splat" echoed repeatedly.

The "Barbarian" hated his sturdy physique by now, wishing for a quick end instead.

In just over half a minute, the two Sequence 8s had been stabbed into sieves by Hobert, Xio, and Fors.

Before their deaths, they had tried to warn and seek help from the distant "Judge."

But by this time, Utravsky was growing even more ferocious, and the "Baron of Corruption" was struggling to keep up.

Daly had summoned a second spirit, this one with a large hood. Its presence caused a freezing effect on the "Judge," and the combined scythe attacks of the skeleton and the spirit left the Judge unable to help his allies.

The only one still holding their own was the "Astrologer," but she lacked any effective offensive measures and couldn't aid the two Sequence 8s.

The Judge was the leader of this operation, but he still couldn't understand why his companion's divination had been so wrong. Weren't they told the risks were small?

However, this wasn't the time for such thoughts. He didn't linger, quickly saying, "Retreat!"

But it was too late. Hobert, now wielding 2-355, had already joined the fray, while Xio and Fors tidied up the battlefield.