Chapter 16: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind
At this moment, the effects of the magic scroll began to fade. The Abyss Apostle’s eyes grew even redder, sharp spikes erupted along his arms, and a faint white mist enveloped his entire body.
“Now the hatred has truly reached its peak.”
The magic scroll Lin Han used was hardly a high-grade item—merely sufficient to deal with monsters below level ten. After all, his goal wasn’t simply to kill the Abyss Apostle. If he had used one of those scrolls worth millions, he feared he might have blasted the Apostle to death outright. Then, it would be much harder to lure out the mercenary group trailing him.
Now, the Abyss Apostle seemed to have lost its mind, charging madly toward Lin Han’s position, paying no heed to its wounds. Even when Lin Han threw another magic scroll, the Apostle ignored it completely.
“Come on,” Lin Han murmured inwardly.
In just a heartbeat, the Abyss Apostle reached him and threw a heavy punch. Lin Han tried to dodge, but was struck hard and sent flying to the side.
He didn’t even use a shield to block the blow, instead enduring it with his own vitality. A notification flashed in his mind: HP -1800.
Terrifying. The level-ten Ice Poison Frog had only cost him eight hundred HP, yet the Apostle’s punch had drained eighteen hundred. Of course, Lin Han hadn’t activated his shield for fear the mercenary group would notice something amiss—a shield would manifest visibly in battle. Caution was paramount.
“Take him!” Seeing Lin Han so heavily wounded, the bald man could no longer sit still. This was the best moment to subdue both Lin Han and the Abyss Apostle.
Instantly, the mercenary group sprang into action. The bald man strode up and kicked Lin Han aside.
“Lin Han, didn’t expect this, did you? This is what happens when you refuse to cooperate with us!” The bald man gazed greedily at Lin Han, convinced that as a level-ten healer, Lin Han was now incapable of any resistance—especially after the kick, which had shattered his chances to fight back.
“You’re truly despicable!” Lin Han feigned resentment, clutching his wounded side and collapsing.
“Despicable?” The bald man laughed heartily. “You still don’t get it, do you? In times like these, whoever stands last wins!”
“If you want someone to blame, blame yourself for flaunting your wealth.”
Lin Han replied calmly, “Aren’t you afraid that if you kill me, the power behind me will never let you go?”
The bald man sneered, “Young Master Lin, at a time like this, you still spout nonsense? We’re in the Underworld now. If we kill you here, who would ever know?”
“Stop dreaming. Once we leave this place with your fortune, no one will care about your identity.”
“No matter how influential your backers are, they’ll just think you failed to clear the Abyss Apostle in the dungeon. So many people saw you accept the quest at the job hall.”
“You’re just an arrogant healer who died in the dungeon after failing.”
Seeing this, Lin Han no longer bothered to argue. His goal had already been achieved. He had waited for the bald man to make the first move, rather than provoking him himself, because as soon as the opponent struck, Lin Han would have the right to legally counterattack.
All of this was to avoid being flagged with a red name—a warning in public areas that would hamper his future actions. The mercenary group, blinded by greed for Lin Han’s wealth, cared nothing for such consequences.
“Boss, this guy has no strength left. Forget him for now—let’s finish off the Abyss Apostle first.”
The thief urged, and the rest of the mercenaries moved to restrain the Apostle. The hatred it bore slowly shifted from Lin Han to the mercenary group.
“Good!” The bald man didn’t hesitate. With Lin Han incapacitated, all that mattered was retrieving the Heart of the Abyss—he’d still earn a handsome sum. Though Lin Han was already theirs, even the smallest prize was worth taking.
The weakest among them was a second-tier professional; even the berserk Apostle was no match for their skills.
“Get out of the way!” The bald man roared, unleashing the full power of a second-tier warrior with a punch. The Apostle was struck hard and thrown into a deep abyss.
“A mere level-twelve Apostle dares to act so arrogant,” he scoffed. “Let’s go finish it off.”
“Impressive, boss! One punch and you crippled the Apostle!”
“Of course, boss is a warrior. Dealing with the Apostle is easy for him.”
“We’re going to walk away loaded this time.”
The bald man basked in the flattery of his comrades, delighted.
None of them noticed Lin Han slowly rising behind them, a radiant smile playing at his lips.
Suddenly, Lin Han’s eyes gleamed—no chanting required—Divine Grace—activated!
Forbidden spell—[Intervention of the Fallen]!
Just as the group laughed and prepared to finish off the Apostle, the mercenaries abruptly halted, their words dying on their lips.
The bald man sensed something was wrong and turned to look at them.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s finish this.”
But the others just stood with heads bowed, refusing to answer.
Suddenly, a thief lunged with a dagger. The bald man reacted quickly, dodging aside and barking, “What are you doing—are you rebelling?!”
Immediately, the rest surrounded him, weapons drawn.
Fear gripped the bald man. Despite being a warrior, facing so many second-tier professionals left him powerless.
“I’ve treated you well, haven’t I? After this job, we’ll all be rich!”
Yet no one budged.
“If you’re unhappy, we’ll split the loot evenly—I won’t take the lion’s share, alright?”
He backed away, but the group pressed forward, attacking relentlessly, leaving him no room for escape.
“If this is how you want it, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!” the bald man snarled.
He didn’t understand why they’d turn on him now, but if he didn’t fight with everything he had, he’d be left here for good.