Chapter 117: The Madman

Some of them knew each other and joined forces when they saw others making a move. Those who struck first were not necessarily the strongest present, but they certainly possessed a degree of confidence in their own abilities.

However, the terrifying strength of the crimson-bodied giant exceeded everyone’s expectations. Of the two who charged forward, one held a dagger, while the other spread his hands, drawing thin, transparent threads from his fingertips to form a large net that he cast toward the man in front.

"Hah!"

The crimson-bodied man, who had been in a foul mood, suddenly chuckled. The corners of his mouth curled upward as a faint red glow rose from his body, which then erupted violently as he stomped through the ground and lunged at his attackers.

*Bang! Bang!*

In a single encounter, the two who had charged were sent flying. One was knocked far away, while the other, sensing the danger, immediately tried to dissipate the force using his web-like creation. It was to no avail; the web shattered instantly, and his body was torn asunder, though the mangled remains vanished in mid-air.

A few seconds later, the man who used the spider-web reappeared on a distant rooftop, his face pale and gasping for breath.

"He’s too strong! No one can deal with him alone—everyone, attack together!"

The person who had been knocked away earlier returned as well. Blood stained the corners of his mouth, his clothes were shredded, and a large red bruise marred his chest. He looked ghastly, though he was in better shape than one might have expected.

"Pah..."

"This guy has explosive speed and immense strength, and his physical durability is off the charts, but he certainly isn't agile. He’s already poisoned; if we attack together, we have a chance! You saw it yourselves—there are high-ranking powerhouses from Delga here, specifically Radiant Knights. A Radiant Knight’s promise is still credible. As long as we can stall him, whatever is beneath the Square Tower will be paid for by Delga!"

The two glared hatefully at the crimson figure in the street below, shouting to incite the crowd. They knew many mysterious powerhouses lived around the Square Tower and would be tempted by what lay beneath, yet they were filled with such dread that they refused to engage him again themselves.

"Are you just going to watch them snatch it away?"

Mysterious auras began to emerge from the surroundings. Many had intended to strike but had been frightened by the earlier display; now, however, they were growing restless again.

Down on the street, the crimson figure grinned, revealing a set of straight, white teeth. The expression on his face was twisted with excitement.

"Hehehe... Poisoned? Is this what you’re talking about?"

The giant glanced at his left arm. A sharp dagger was embedded in his forearm, the blade sunk at least five or six centimeters deep. Because his arm was so thick, it didn't look particularly deep.

The giant gripped the hilt with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand and pulled it out with ease. The muscles in his arm tightened automatically, and aside from a smudge of blood on the blade, hardly any blood flowed from the wound.

"Oh, this blade isn't bad. I’ll take it. In return, I’ll grant you death!"

The giant sneered at the man on the distant rooftop. Even though the man had used a trick, the fact that he hadn't died after taking one of his punches made him somewhat interesting. Furthermore, as more mysterious auras emerged, signaling the arrival of more opponents, the giant grew increasingly excited. His expression twisted further, the corners of his mouth stretching almost to his cheekbones.

"Hehehe, hahahahaha! Come, come! Let’s have a real fight!"

The giant’s voice was filled with exhilaration. The red light on his body flared, and patches of crimson magic patterns emerged, making it seem as if his skin were wreathed in faint flames.

...

Outside the underground vault of the Square Tower, the other members of the Twilight Brigade waited for quite a while, but the crimson giant did not return. The leader, a man who looked somewhat youthful with a deceptively simple expression, shrugged helplessly.

"It seems Semi is having too much fun up there and won't be coming down for a while. We’ll have to handle this vault ourselves."

"Is that guy brain-damaged?"

"Hmph, probably filled with so much muscle there’s no room left for brains!"

Others began to complain immediately, and a woman nearby sneered.

"Hey, save the snide remarks for when he gets back. Let’s open this vault first. If we don’t succeed today, our losses will be too great. We don't have much time!"

"True. It’s fine having Semi outside; even if the Delga powerhouses show up, he might be able to stall them. We must finish this vault."

A somewhat disheveled middle-aged man rubbed his stubble, stretched his limbs, and stepped forward, turning to look at the delicate-looking leader.

"Honestly, the only loss is an airship. It's a pity, but we can always get another. As for those who died, they were just incompetent; it’s a good thing they helped weed out the dead weight."

"Watch your tongue. They were our close companions!"

The leader cast a cold glance at the disheveled man before walking toward the vault, the others following close behind.

"Help me place these on the nodes of the formation. Left side, there, there, and there. Right side, here, here, there, that corner, and that indentation—yes, right where Semi smashed his head..."

The disheveled man actually understood the complex vault formation. He pulled several small white metal cylinders from his coat, tossed them to his companions, and pointed out the nodes of the formation.

The members of the Twilight Brigade—thieves in the eyes of outsiders—immediately set to work placing the cylinders and channeling their own power to anchor them. Each of them possessed a unique form of magic. Whether it was a well-known path or not, every member was a true transcendent capable of manipulating this power born of body and soul—what magic books defined in various ways, but what the ancient tongue called "mana."

"It’s all set!"

The disheveled man, previously sluggish, suddenly erupted with a sharp glint in his eyes. His lean body tensed, and his bones and muscles popped with a spring-like sound.

On his exposed arms, chest, and face, magic patterns began to surface, spreading like veins across his body. They were particularly prominent on his arms. His index fingers were slowly enveloped in a ghostly blue light, and then streams of mana-light, like meridians, extended from every finger, linking up with the small metal cylinders.

"I can feel the pulse of this formation. Ah, this formation is simply marvelous. I never expected Blue Sky to possess such technology."

"Enough chatter. How long will it take?"

The woman asked again; it seemed the other members of the Twilight Brigade tended to indulge her.

The disheveled man rolled his eyes at her.

"Philistines. Give me fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes? You think you're at home? This is Solence! We just dropped a bomb and got shot down by a Radiant Knight from Delga. I’d bet anything he’ll be here in five minutes!"

The disheveled man closed his eyes, sensing the pulse of the formation, and said flippantly, "What else can we do? You guys just buy me fifteen minutes. Or we can run now, and maybe we won't have to face the Radiant Knight at all."

"Enough!"

The leader scanned the group. "In that case, we’ll just have to fight the Radiant Knight. If we can kill him, great. If not, we stall him. That knight is already injured. Even if his rank is higher than ours, it wouldn't be the first high-ranking one we've killed."

"Hahaha, that’s the spirit!" "A pity Semi isn't here to hear that; he loves talk like that."

"Fine then. Let’s try taking on the whole city of Solence!"

"Hahahahaha..."

The members of the Twilight Brigade grew excited. Even the ones who seemed the calmest revealed a touch of madness. They were, without a doubt, a group of lunatics.