"Is it still not working?" Andrew gritted his teeth.

He felt truly desperate now: "In the end, am I really going to die here? Even using multiplicative magic power to drive the 'Zero-distance Water Needle,' strengthening it with 'Enchanting Finger,' along with the support force from the 'Fire God Mecha'—with all this, it still isn't enough?!"

Suddenly, a fire-red "Flame Butterfly," so beautiful it seemed a bit enchanting, fluttered its wings, flying over from the side.

The Flame Butterfly landed softly on the long shaft of the axe spear.

The voice coming from the Flame Butterfly was filled with overwhelming anger: "Bastard! Who are you? Are you the one who killed my family's City Guard? I... I'll kill you, to avenge the City Guard!"

Andrew: "?"

He was stunned for a moment before realizing that it was the red-haired woman who had originally been ordered to monitor him! Furthermore, from what this female observer implied, the City Guard of the Shield of Flowing Fire had already been killed? More than just Grandpa Falk was defeated by this female assassin?

The female assassin snorted, her eyes grew serious.

But it wasn't because of the Flame Butterfly.

She had killed and defeated even Tier Nine Jimmy and Falk successively; how would she fear a mere subordinate of Jimmy?

What truly changed her eyes was the low, deep voice of a middle-aged man that almost simultaneously sounded beside her as Andrew pointed a finger: "You want to kill him? Fine, but you must step over my dead body first."

With Andrew and the female assassin as the center, within the entire "Shield of Flowing Fire" area, the flow of time was influenced by the exceptional sprinting speed of the female assassin, turning somewhat slow, as if everything had entered a slow-motion perspective.

It was not really that the flow of time had slowed down; rather, the domineering force of the female assassin formed a massive force field, repressing and disturbing the operation of almost everyone else's power except hers.

But Ivan was not included among those "almost everyone else."

Ivan made his move.

Ivan, once a Tier Seven Desert Hunter, hailed from a corner like Wildfire Town, yet he had once lived in the Scholar's Fortress during his peak.

After suffering lung burns, he encountered some very tragic things, eventually returning to Wildfire Town disheartened, with his strength and health deteriorating over time.

Until he met Andrew.

His lung burns were healed.

The wounds in his heart were buried in the deepest corner of his mind.

He decided to try living again, at least to repay Andrew's life-saving grace.

Later, while exploring the underground space and the Lake of the Ocean with Andrew, Ivan accidentally triggered the "Earth Fire Curse" that existed in every Desert Hunter's body, causing one of the Eight Strange Fires—the "Molten Rock Fire"—to be born out of thin air, aiming to kill him.

Once again, with Andrew's help, Ivan overcame the curse, truly transformed, no longer a Desert Hunter but a "Deep Blue Guard."

He also learned of Andrew's identity, officially becoming Andrew's Soul Guard.

—These were roughly what Andrew knew, regarding Ivan's experience.

What Andrew didn't know was that to oppose Rose, during research on the desolate beast transformed by the mountain and sea, Ivan had already been drawn into that small dark red world ahead of Andrew.

In that small world, Ivan fought desperately against the mountain and sea.

Although he ultimately lost, he, for one, gained Andrew a chance to win later entry into that world. Mountain and sea weren't defeated just by Andrew, but by the alternated challenges of Andrew and Ivan.

For another, that battle left Ivan with severe injuries, and only after Rose's matters were resolved and Falk and others reached Wildfire Territory did his injuries truly heal. Simultaneously, that battle with the former King of Flame Warriors, Shan Hai, brought Ivan substantial progress in his practice, which Andrew did not even know of.

Ivan had indeed restored his former tier, Tier Seven.

But now, he was a "Tier Seven Deep Blue Guard" instead of a "Tier Seven Desert Hunter." As a cut-down version of Deep Blue Guard, the Desert Hunter only inherited most of the offensive capabilities but lacked even a tenth of its defensive and comprehensive abilities.

It could be said without exaggeration that Ivan quietly not only returned to his former peak but even surpassed it!

He was Andrew's biggest trump card now!

At this moment, Ivan appeared silently beside the female assassin.

He was wearing a set of "Deep Blue Armament" that Andrew had given him.

The "Deep Blue Armament Series" was originally a magic series unlocked from the "Water God Mark."

Andrew chose to gift Ivan because this magic series had been tailor-made for the "Deep Blue Guard."

When originally given to Ivan, this set of armor had only the chest armor; the rest of the armor wasn't fully realized.

Now, through Ivan's own practice and recovery, the full set of armor possessed a complete chest armor, belt, war boots, left shoulder pad, arm guard, wrist guard, and tactical gloves! With the added effect of "Invisible Enchantment," others could not see it, nor could the female assassin, but Andrew certainly saw it clearly!

The female assassin evidently conducted precise investigation and premeditation.

But she never anticipated Ivan's existence.

Even Andrew did not know Ivan had restored his strength and level so unknowingly!

Compared to Andrew's Tier Three, the gap between Tier Seven Deep Blue Guard and Tier Nine was naturally much smaller.

Furthermore, as a Water Element Professional, the Deep Blue Guard naturally possessed a restraint against Fire Element Professionals—

Caught off guard, the female assassin even felt a momentary sense of threat to herself!

"Humph, foolish thing!"

After the shock, her gaze turned icy.

She had previously been wielding the axe spear single-handedly.

Now, she finally lifted her other hand, not hesitating before extending her long arm and precisely grabbed Ivan's collar.

"This... this speed, this technique!"

Ivan's face changed color, realizing just what kind of pressure Andrew faced, unable to struggle, as the female assassin seized hold of his burly frame, using him as a projectile and hurling him back at those "Shield of Flowing Fire" experts who attacked once more.

As for that Flame Butterfly, the female assassin didn't even pay any heed. She casually blew a breath, scattering the Flame Butterfly.

A miserable scream sounded as the Flame Butterfly shattered, transforming back into the red-clothed, red-haired woman, flying out of the villa's outer wall like a kite with a broken string.

And none of these actions interfered with the axe spear originally thrust towards Andrew.

Finally—

With a pop.

The spearhead of the female assassin's axe spear finally collided with Andrew's finger, which he thrust with all his might.

At this moment, Andrew knew very well: "If it weren't for the red-haired woman and Ivan joining the fray in succession, I probably wouldn't have survived this clash... But since the two of them managed to create a small opening and share some of the pressure for me, then... I must survive!!"

At this moment, his mind was void of any distractions.

All-out focus on channeling his power!

The fingertip he pointed outward was surrounded by numerous invisible magic circles.

More magic circles flew like moths to a flame, colliding consecutively against the female assassin's body, shattering to pieces upon impact.

Meanwhile, Barbara hadn't yet landed. Because from the moment the female assassin targeted Andrew to the final collision, the entire process actually occurred in an instant.

From Barbara's perspective, she saw—

After Andrew clashed once with the female assassin, the color drained from his face in an instant.

Without a sound, Andrew swayed slightly, then fell backward.

"..." Barbara stared intently at this scene, mouthing words but unable to utter them.

At that moment, she felt her heart fiercely seized, then it suddenly felt empty and ungrounded, with no place to settle.

On the other side, Ivan unintentionally collided with the masters from the "Shield of Flowing Fire". With a muffled grunt, he hit the ground, struggling to rise but fell back again.

It wasn't that he or the remaining masters of the Shield of Flowing Fire were too weak; rather, after Jimmy and Falk fell, no one could stop the female assassin anymore.

Warm Fire Commerce Association has an over Tier Nine presence, namely the association president, Beiru.

The Magic Guild has three Earth Fire Scholars who have surpassed Grand Mage level.

And this female assassin, judging by her strength, seemed capable of standing just below the top four experts of the Flame Realm.

Truly below four, above ten thousand!

"You… you, you, you… what do you intend to do?"

Havier, after running out of the room, was actually less than ten meters away from the female assassin.

The usually arrogant and frivolous Havier couldn't move his feet at all at this moment.

This had nothing to do with any "Tier Suppression" or "Earth Fire Suppression". The female assassin completely ignored him, never even exchanging a glance, her gaze not even touching a corner of his clothes.

Havier's own courage had already dissipated, terrified!

"No, no, no, no… don't kill me!" Havier was so scared he could barely speak coherently.

He wanted to flee, but his body refused to obey, instead feeling like he was about to wet his pants.

Havier suddenly noticed something was off.

The female assassin, though she had felled Andrew with one strike, seemed to have encountered something extremely strange herself, remaining in the same position, with her spear poised, slightly dazed.

She slowly withdrew her axe spear.

Then raised her hand, seemingly wanting to touch the smiling mask on her face.

However, just before her fingers appeared to make contact, before truly touching the mask—

There was a light crack.

A crack surprisingly appeared on the smiling mask on her face.

Though it was a very small crack, its position was precisely beneath the curved smiling eye of the mask.

As if the previously gentle smile now bore a faint tear streak!

"…"

The female assassin, who had previously been killing enemies left and right, seemed completely unable to comprehend or accept this scene.

As the one directly involved, she was, of course, well aware: this crack wasn't left by the masters of the Shield of Flowing Fire, wasn't left by Ivan, nor left from her previous battles with Falk and Jimmy.

But was left by Andrew's magic power, from their recent clash!!

The female assassin couldn't help but look back down at Andrew lying on the ground.

Andrew had already lost consciousness.

But was still not dead.

A Tier Three, having clashed with a Tier Nine, and yet not dead!

A grinding sound emerged from the smiling mask of the female assassin.

Proud as she was, a perfectionist as she was, from the moment she infiltrated the city, everything was under her control, doing as she pleased, taking whatever she wanted, yet this final strike failed to eliminate the assassination target of her mission?!

She knew very well, just one more casual shot would solve it.

But according to her inner standards—choosing a spot the opponent considered most unlikely to strike, choosing the most unlikely time to strike, launching a surprise attack, executing a series of dazzling moves, yet failing to finish Andrew cleanly in the final step—this, to her, was already a failure.

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