The mist hung heavy, obscuring everything, yet there was nothing to be seen. In the distance, firelight tinged the gray mist orange, reflecting off Orphen's steel shell, gleaming brightly. Fang Hong stood beside the large construct, a sudden warning stirring in his heart. From behind him, a gray shadow emerged, beneath a gray cloth headscarf, a pair of eyes glimmered like cold stars, like a lone wolf, with pupils burning with ghost fire. A hand akin to withered branches grasped a curved blade, blue veins bulging across it.
Fang Hong's ear twitched slightly, catching the sound of a blade slicing through the air. In that moment, it was as if darkness unfurled in his mind, like a cascade of starlight pouring from that distant sky, shining through his eyes - the dark blessing of the lizardmen, its power now manifesting upon him. Yet before the razor-thin blade could cleave open the flesh of his back, he subconsciously slid to the side. Mahazar, King of the Sand Thief's supposedly inevitable strike, veered off course, only managing to slice off a corner of his Magic Guided Reactor, the copper iron shell instantly fracturing, emitting a sound akin to shattering ice.
He rolled forward with the momentum, but as he tried to rise from the ground, the scorching pain in his back prevented him from standing on his first attempt, forcing a muffled groan from him. The Magic Guided Blade in Mahazar's hand, known as 'Frost Devour,' was forged from the fangs of an ice wolf, encrusted with icy gemstones, in perfect harmony with his Magic Reactor. Fang Hong raised his head to gaze at the gleaming cold blade, reaching back to touch it, his palm coated in blood, red as fire, yet covered with a layer of ice shards.
The Communication Crystal tied to his wrist, drops of blood fell onto its dark surface, crystalline and transparent, instantly solidifying. He opened his mouth to shout, but as the King of the Sand Thief's attack missed its target, he swiftly retreated, like a phantom, seamlessly blending back into the gloom. Missing the opportunity, Fang Hong held back his cry once again.
Amidst the rustling sounds behind him, Fang Hong extended his right hand, blood seeping into the fabric, sliding over the metal glove. Following that, Orphen let out a creak, sweeping across with its long spear, the spear tip stirring the mist, clouds swirling around. With a sharp 'clang, clang,' two claw spears struck the long spear one after the other, sending sparks flying, bouncing off into the distance.
Fang Hong didn't look back, as if he had eyes on the back of his head. His face, still somewhat youthful, reflected the cold light through the lenses of his wind goggles. Not far away, a streak of silver light vanished into the mist with a humming sound.
Two sand lizards and their mounted knights emerged from the mist, followed by more shadowy figures, their ring armor clanking as they surged from the misty background. Fang Hong issued commands in his mind, and Orphen turned its spear, slowly facing the group of sand thieves, raising its great shield, towering like a wall, with a thunderous crash, embedding the shield's edge deeply into the ground.
The suspended mechanisms descended layer by layer. With a long horn blast, the giant lowered its center of gravity, releasing high-temperature steam like a cloud from the top of its body. With a 'click,' it raised its spear, and beneath the black iron barrier, two eyes crafted from turquoise stone coldly watched the enemy. The sand thieves let out a low inhale, for the towering giant's presence was indeed intimidating, even without engaging in combat.
But Fang Hong knew he couldn't hold them at bay for long.
A faint voice came from behind the mist: "He's not strong, attack!"
It was Mahazar's voice, the sound elusive, carefully concealing his position. The King of the Sand Thief didn't fear Fang Hong, but he feared the chilling arrow poised behind him, knowing his opponent was searching for his whereabouts, thus cautiously avoiding exposure.
Yet he underestimated his adversary, or rather, underestimated the Invoker's little tricks.
"He's right in front of you," Ye Hua's subtle voice came from within the crystal.
Fang Hong was alerted, using the sound transmitted through the Communication Crystal to pinpoint the location, a technique almost identical to that of Nether, of R. It wasn't surprising that Lady Nether might have it, but could this mean R possessed skills on par with the peak Invoker level?
The unexpected teacher he had acquired, what kind of being could it possibly be?
"Do you need further confirmation of his position?" he asked.
"Remember that lightning from before?"
Fang Hong nodded, understanding the other was seeking an opportunity for a critical strike. Their system-level communication had not truly formed words, nor did it reach others' ears; everything transpired within the flickers of their minds, completing the conversation.
The sand thieves, following Mahazar's command, waved their curved blades, letting out a strange howl in the wind, charging forward. But Fang Hong appeared oblivious to everything behind him, standing back-to-back with the towering construct, his right hand formed into a fist, then slowly opened his fingers: with a 'whoosh' sound, Orphen opened its great shield, revealing a flash of silver light from behind. The silver swarm rushed forward with a whistle, lining up in formation.
They revealed their shells like dazzling silver wings, under which lurked menacing spikes, glimmering with a cold light, a sign of danger. This scene was startlingly etched in the eyes of the thieves, instinctively tightening their reins, making the sand lizard halt abruptly, causing the knight to lean back, whipping its tail, their expressions of astonishment, frozen in that moment like a still picture.
The next moment, a surge of fire erupted, accompanied by a thunderous roar interspersed with spinning projectiles, and flashes continually lit up in the mist. The lead balls clattered down like torrential rain upon the black ring armor. Startled, the sand lizards jumped, throwing off the knights on their backs, the now riderless mounts turned to flee.
Some were unlucky, being flung off by the sand lizard only to be struck in the face, an explosion of blood and flesh, dying instantly. Meanwhile, more sand thieves deflected the incoming lead balls with their curved blades, realizing soon after that the attack power was not that strong. Some decisively abandoned their startled mounts, charging forward with their blades drawn, and after a swing of the Silver Moon, the Silver Bees in mid-air were instantly shattered to pieces.