Chapter 51 The Young Fox Against Four Opponents

Venigo did not disappoint his opponents; with another "Shave," he instantly darted between the ranger and the elven mage, reaching out for the mage's throat.

"Get back!" the human ranger roared, his longsword flashing like lightning as it thrust toward Venigo's heart.

"My real target is you," Venigo thought to himself.

His outstretched hand paused for a split second as a sudden burst of air erupted beneath his feet, shrouding his form in a thick haze.

The ranger sensed that something was wrong and hastily raised his shield. Yet the expected attack did not come. As confusion flickered in his mind, a sudden warning surged within him—

Above!

Indeed, above. The ranger barely lifted his eyes before a dark blur filled his vision. He frantically raised his shield, but the force that landed upon it was surprisingly light.

After all, Venigo's physical strength was not overwhelming.

Venigo simply stood atop the ranger's shield, gazing down at him coldly—a pressure even more daunting than a tempest of attacks.

Suddenly, he moved. The orc warrior, swinging his massive club in a backward arc, nearly shattered Venigo’s ribs. But once Venigo invoked Cang Kong, his speed was unmatched.

Before the orc’s swing had even finished, Venigo was already behind him, looping an arm around the orc's neck.

And then—an explosion of air. Venigo, clutching the orc warrior, shot into the sky like a rocket, arcing high above before plunging downwards.

A classic suplex.

Without question, such a fall would have pulverized even a stone statue. The orc warrior, though strong, could do nothing as Venigo’s grip on his neck threatened to snap his spine at the slightest struggle. There was no room for resistance.

He could only let Venigo toss him aside.

The orc warrior crashed heavily to the ground, but was caught by the combined shields of the dwarf cleric and the human ranger. The two instinctively bent their elbows to absorb some of the impact, just barely saving their comrade’s life.

But by then, they could spare no thought for Venigo. Before they remembered what really mattered, Venigo was already behind the elven mage.

A swift elbow struck the back of the mage's head—unconsciousness claimed him instantly.

"I told you before—you are nowhere near ready," Venigo said with a soft laugh.

"Bastard!" the human ranger roared, lunging forward with a sweeping slash. Venigo casually shoved the elven mage’s limp body aside and darted in the opposite direction, his left hand flicking outward.

Finger Gun—M1917.

Six shots in a burst—a name borrowed from the classic Smith & Wesson revolver.

All six projectiles erupted with the maximum force he could muster. Though the speed was astonishing, the actual drain on his magical reserves was minimal.

Much like the understated revolver itself, the true power was not to be underestimated.

Brow, throat, heart, lungs, kidneys, groin… Not one of these was a place the human ranger dared test the strength of his armor. He was forced to dodge back, shield raised.

All present watched as the ranger was driven back by invisible blasts of air, forced step after step until he nearly tumbled into the sea.

"Enough. That will do," Venigo spread his hands. "Or perhaps… would you like to die once, just to see?"

Sophie said nothing, only resting her hand on her sword hilt, her body leaning forward. Little Honey stopped wrestling with the big cat; her young face turned grave, and she raised her war hammer, pointing it at the orc warrior.

The cat, Cait Sith, merely bared its teeth, fixing its narrowed eyes on the dwarf cleric. It stayed perfectly still, but no one doubted that, in a heartbeat, this dangerous predator would pounce and rip out the priest’s throat with a swipe of its claws.

A standoff—more accurately, a one-sided display of dominance.

Fortunately, Lady Frith arrived at that moment, her retinue in tow.

"Milady," Venigo immediately released his focus from the four-person squad that had been on the verge of snapping, turning instead to bow respectfully to Lady Frith.

"What are you all doing?" A hint of amusement seemed to touch the plump features of her face.

"Nothing much. We were merely assessing whether our future comrades-in-arms were competent… or just dead weight. Sadly, the result was rather disappointing." Venigo cast a mocking glance at the battered squad, chuckling softly.

"That’s not very sporting, little fox. They are all my employees," Lady Frith replied with a smile.

"Rest assured, milady. We know how to distinguish business from idle amusement." Venigo bowed slightly, stepping back half a pace to show his respect.

So, to you, taking on four opponents at once is just a game?

"An interesting child," Lady Frith nodded, clapping her hands. "Are you all ready, you rough lot?"

"Whenever you are," Merak replied, stepping forward with a light tap on his breastplate.

"We… we’re ready," the other squad’s ranger stepped up to answer as well.

It was only then that Venigo learned their team was called "Siege Ram."

"Since everyone is ready, go clear this route for me. Here is my representative, Viscount Salim." Lady Frith beckoned, and the burly swordsman behind her stepped forward, casting a stern gaze over them.

"Are these the swordsmen phalanx trained by Sir Tamp?" Venigo murmured with a quick glance. "An elite force, but are swordsmen really suited for naval combat?"

"They are different," Lady Frith explained, having overheard Venigo’s muttering. "Most of my business is shipping; I would never let my ace force lack skill in naval warfare."

"Since you have such a regular army, it seems there won’t be much for us to do," Venigo smiled. "I have a suggestion."

He gestured to the Siege Ram and Merak squads. "Both teams have powerful spellcasters, capable clerics, and a strong defensive line. They can serve as formidable batteries and fortresses on the port and starboard. As for our team, we clearly possess unmatched mobility—making us the best choice for the mobile unit."

"That makes sense," Viscount Salim agreed in his deep voice.

"Your Excellency’s elite force will be the main strike force—whether it’s to break the enemy’s center or seize their lair," Venigo continued. "If so, our division of labor seems settled."

"Of course, Sir Salim is the commander. I trust no one has objections?" Venigo looked around.

"Seconded," Merak nodded.

"We… agree," the ranger from Siege Ram hesitated a moment, but assented.

Instinctively, he did not want to accept Venigo’s proposal, but clearly it fit the situation best.

Everyone went about their own preparations. Half an hour later, the heavily-laden ship slowly slipped into the channel, leaving the harbor behind.

The Golden Duke—truly worthy of being Lady Frith’s vessel.

The journey began smoothly, and during this time, the Siege Ram squad tried to recover some dignity—but were quickly disappointed.

Sophie, alone with her sword, handed them another stinging defeat. It wasn’t that Sophie’s prowess was overwhelming, but like Venigo, her devastating attack strength—just as Venigo’s superb mobility—was something Siege Ram, skilled at handling hordes of monsters, simply could not counter.

With overwhelming force, she smashed through enemy lines, giving the opposing cleric no chance to heal, nor their mage time to cast.

"Oh dear, how dull," Venigo stretched lazily, glancing around at his ease.

"Little fox, ahead is a narrow waterway. Scout it out," Viscount Salim commanded from the captain’s cabin, his expression as rigid as ever.

"Yes, yes, Sir. Can’t you at least smile?" Venigo grumbled.

He stepped off the rail and, as if strolling on solid ground, began to walk slowly into the air.

With his mastery of Cang Kong growing, Venigo could now finely control the strength of the air currents, balancing the force to perfectly counteract gravity. It looked as though he was walking on air at his leisure.

Moon Step.

Undoubtedly, the concept of the "Navy Six Styles" was ingenious—adaptable to almost any situation. Shave for high speed, Moon Step for movement in the void, Finger Gun for concentrated ranged attacks, Tempest Kick for powerful slashes, Paper Art for evasive maneuvers, and Iron Body for defense.

Of course, Venigo could not, like a character from a comic, achieve such feats on mere human strength. But with magic, he could at least simulate Shave, Moon Step, Finger Gun, and Tempest Kick.

Though after acquiring Cang Kong, Moon Step and Tempest Kick were somewhat redundant.

Paper Art… Venigo had some ideas: combining Cang Kong with the Eye of Insight would make Paper Art feasible. The problem was his agility—not quite enough.

At least, not without transforming.

The great ship glided slowly along the river, Venigo striding far above as the vanguard.

He soon noticed something amiss.

The banks of the narrow channel were far too quiet. And here, the vegetation seemed far too lush…

Focusing his mind through the Eye of Insight, Venigo peered into the woods on either side.

He quickly spotted it: not just the trees—camouflage.

It was the presence of camouflage nets that made the sparse woodland seem so thick. And where there are camouflage nets, an ambush is surely close at hand.

What sort of ambush would it be? Don’t let me down, Venigo thought.