Chapter 29: 029: 1 on 1

A Soul Crystal worth tens of thousands of Magic Stones!!!

Richard had considered the possibility of some conspiracy, but that thought was fleeting and swiftly drowned out by excitement and greed.

After all, this was a treasure worth tens of thousands of Magic Stones, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone like him who barely earned a few hundred Magic Stones in a year.

Because of this, even knowing there might be a trap, his overwhelming avarice instinctively drove Richard to—

snatch the Soul Crystal off the ground in one swift motion.

“Clatter, clatter!”

“Treasure! Treasure! The treasure has returned!”

“Quick, bring the treasure back!”

The restless wasteland suddenly seemed to spring entirely to life.

The Corrupted Tree Demons emerged from the barren shrubs, making rustling noises as they crawled out in droves, their hollow eyes fixated on the Soul Crystal, their faces alight with unmasked greed and excitement.

“Get lost! Get away, you filthy trash!”

Richard waved his hand, unleashing a surge of Dark Element. The corrosive energy immediately melted two of the Corrupted Tree Demons.

But their companions weren’t fazed at all; their eyes remained fixed on the glowing Blue Crystal in Richard’s hand as they continued to swarm in overwhelming numbers.

“Clatter, clatter!”

Meanwhile, several thick branches started hurtling toward Richard from behind. The massive commotion instantly caught his attention, and when he turned to see the creature behind him, his heart jumped.

“Twisted Tree Spirit!”

A being equivalent to the strength of a Mid-level Apprentice, coupled with countless low-level magic creatures like the Corrupted Tree Demons, sparked a flicker of fear in Richard’s mind.

But giving up the Soul Crystal in his hands? Impossible.

“Gabri, take them down!”

He issued the attack command to the Demon Alchemist while summoning his remaining five Undead Servants to gather around him, heading back the way he came.

But he had only walked a few steps when the ground beneath him suddenly began to shift. What had seemed like solid terrain suddenly loosened like sand, and one of his Undead Servants in the lead immediately sunk into the ground, caught completely off guard.

“A swamp!” Richard’s expression shifted drastically as he realized the path underneath him was far from ordinary.

The route they had taken was marked by Lynch’s trail of blood, deliberately leading them across solid ground.

But now the path was overrun with countless Corrupted Tree Demons, making it impossible to discern which way they had come.

“Damn it!”

Richard hurriedly retrieved a scroll from his Space Ring, hesitating painfully for a moment before finally breaking the seal on the High-level Apprentice Magic scroll worth hundreds of Magic Stones and activating it.

“Clatter, clatter!” The earth tore upward, forming into a clay bridge that extended toward the distant hillside.

Zero-ring High-level Magic: Clay Manipulation.

Richard sat atop the clay bridge with the remaining Undead Servants, leaving the Demon Alchemist behind. Already stuck in the swamp, its massive body was impossible to extract, and the clay bridge wouldn’t be able to support its weight.

After all, it wasn’t really his possession. Leaving it behind as a distraction might buy him some time.

The clay bridge carried Richard across toward the hillside, but the distance of several hundred meters was too far, pushing the magic’s limits.

Richard had to shove one of his Undead Servants off the bridge to reduce the burden and stretch the bridge a bit farther.

Even so, the bridge’s magic barely managed to deliver Richard to the opposite hillside before giving out entirely. With a clattering sound, it crumbled into rubble.

Of the meticulously crafted Undead Servants, only three remained. Hundreds of Magic Stones had been sacrificed on scrolls and Magic Potions, but Richard deemed it worthwhile. Gazing at the glowing Blue Crystal in his hand, he unleashed a triumphant laugh:

“Ha, hahahaha!”

“Rustle, rustle…”

But just then, the bushes ahead quivered, and a figure emerged.

Richard turned his head to see Lynch standing a short distance away: “Disappointed, aren’t you? Your elaborate little trap still couldn’t stop me?”

Breathing heavily, Lynch shook his head. “No, I’m already quite satisfied with the current outcome.”

A scenario that had seemed like certain death had turned into an almost one-on-one confrontation. Lynch couldn’t have asked for more.

Richard narrowed his gaze slightly. “Oh, really?”

A ball of Elemental Energy rapidly coalesced in his hand as the necklace on his chest gleamed faintly. “Then how exactly do you plan to defeat me? With that Fire Dragon Lizard on your shoulder? How many Breaths can it manage?”

None. Extended combat had drained Parker’s Elemental Energy.

But there was no need for that now.

The Magic Wand in Lynch’s hand glowed brightly, swiftly transforming into a sturdy round shield on his left arm. His right hand raised Yuri’s borrowed Cross Sword, and the Fire Dragon Lizard perched on his shoulder crouched low, its wings drawn shut.

Richard’s smile disappeared as his three remaining Undead Servants gathered protectively in front.

Neither spoke, their gaze locked on each other, with less than thirty meters between them.

“Huff, huff!”

Lynch’s breathing grew heavier, like the bellows of a blacksmith, and his heart hammered like a drum. He could feel his entire body, every cell, activated by a peculiar energy coursing through him.

Nervousness, fear, and a trace of excitement etched into his bloodline.

After a brief stalemate…

“Whoosh!”

The courageous Parker charged first, heralding the start of battle!

The swift little creature crossed the thirty-meter gap in an instant, lunging at one of the Undead Servants and pinning the far larger monster to the ground, tearing into it ferociously.

Richard roared in anger, commanding the remaining two Undead Servants to rush at Lynch.

But before they could reach him, shadows on the ground split in two and ensnared the Undead Servants, holding them tightly and forcing them apart.

Between Lynch and Richard, there was nothing left standing in the way!

“Ten seconds!”

Lynch shouted, knowing that was the upper limit for his Shadow Touch’s ability to restrain the Undead Servants. Shield and Cross Sword in hand, he charged at Richard.

“You want to die? I’ll grant your wish!”

Richard roared back, throwing a ball of Dark Element at Lynch. The palm-sized black energy orb flew like a tossed ball, arcing through the air before striking Lynch’s raised oak shield.

“Sizzle, sizzle!”

The highly corrosive element burned through the oak shield. The damaged core of the Magic Wand quickly reverted to its original form.

“Five seconds!”

Lynch didn’t hesitate to discard the wand, gripping the Cross Sword with both hands as he continued his charge.

“You won’t make it!”

Richard yelled in warning, throwing another orb of Dark Element, but the distance allowed Lynch to deftly sidestep it.

“Three seconds!”

Fear finally showed in Richard’s eyes. Watching Lynch’s rapidly approaching figure, he scrambled to focus all his spiritual power into one last Dark Element and hurled it forward—a final desperate attack.

At just two meters away, there was no way to dodge. The Dark Element struck Lynch squarely, a sickening sizzle filling the air as the corrosive magic burned through his cloak and clothing, eating into his flesh in an instant, leaving bloodied wounds.

Simultaneously, the Shadow Touch reached its limit, snapping like a taut rubber band. The freed Undead Servants immediately rushed back.

Richard felt a momentary sense of relief, but it was short-lived—his expression froze.

Because Lynch, though struck by the Dark Corrosion, hadn’t fallen as expected. Instead, he gritted his teeth, resisting the agonizing magic, and pressed forward.

Why? His cloak was burned through, his flesh was rotting—why hadn’t he collapsed?

Richard didn’t know and didn’t have time to find out, because Lynch was already upon him, the Cross Sword raised high, its blade shimmering with a frosty brilliance.

At last.

Richard’s face was consumed by terror. He stammered, “W-wait, we can talk—”

“Woosh!”

His plea was answered only by the icy whistle of slicing air, and in the next moment—

“Thunk—thud!”

Two abrupt sounds followed. A round head rolled onto the ground, its lifeless face still frozen in shock and resentment.

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