Chapter 279: Chapter 260 Mantis Stalks the Cicada_2
Yan Xing was drawing a map provided by Chui Chui, which included aerial shots taken by drones and relevant information found in the Intelligence Exchange database.
Imitating the model, he quickly completed the map. Besides the warehouse and the surrounding houses and roads, Yan Xing also marked the height of each building, the conditions of their roofs, the positions of the robbers, the layout inside the warehouse, and the locations of the personnel within.
Li Jiya looked in the direction of the warehouse and saw nothing, so she couldn’t help but ask, "How do you know this? Can you see that place?"
Yan Xing mysteriously replied, "This is a little technique I’ve developed. Now is not the time to discuss this. The people inside the warehouse are loading the Gold onto carriages for transport. It seems the Jufeng Mercenary Group hasn’t made a move yet, probably waiting to snatch it once everything’s loaded. Let’s wait until they’re done before we make our move..."
Then Yan Xing explained the plan he had come up with to Li Jiya and Grey Mouse and assigned them their respective roles.
Inside the Cloth Merchant’s warehouse, workers were still carrying boxes filled with Gold.
Wei Bulun circled the already loaded carriages, checking that the boxes were covered and the ropes tied securely. Could the carriages withstand so much weight?Truly, time was of the essence.
He didn’t know how news about the Orc Treasury had spread throughout Nuta City so quickly, but a sense of acute alertness, cultivated through long-term undercover work, made him believe the rumors were definitely more than just rumors. This place was no longer safe.
As the custodian of the Orc Treasury, secretly established within Nuta City, Wei Bulun had private financial dealings with many who served the Orcs. Even with the utmost care to conceal his identity, slip-ups were inevitable. There were far too many tricks and Spells that could track a person, and Wei Bulun was convinced his location had been compromised. Someone was creating a fog of confusion in Nuta City in preparation to rob this place.
Thus, sensing danger, Wei Bulun immediately organized an overnight operation to move the Gold, but in his haste, he couldn’t find enough carriages.
Gold is heavier than ordinary metals, so all five carriages were overloaded. It was uncertain if they could make it to the new warehouse. But there was no more time to wait.The enemy could arrive at any moment, possibly lurking nearby.
Wei Bulun looked up at his men stationed at vantage points in the courtyard; one was hidden within a bunker made of discarded materials, observing the surroundings. No danger signals; things were probably safe.
"Hurry up, hurry up..." Wei Bulun urged his men, "Once the carriages are loaded, we’ll leave here as soon as possible. Be gentle, don’t damage the carriages."
The night was exceptionally quiet. The wind cleared the remaining clouds from the sky, and the bright moon shone more brilliantly, casting a soft light that illuminated the city district.
Finally, all five carriages were loaded. Someone opened the large gate of the courtyard, and the coachmen drove the carriages out.
The carriages creaked under the weight of the Gold, seeming as if they would fall apart at any moment. The accompanying guards immediately cast reinforcing Magic on the carriages, allowing the severely overloaded vehicles to proceed with difficulty.
The five carriages drove in single file along the narrow road. The guards, formerly hidden in the shadows, appeared one after another, following the convoy on the rooftops to ensure the Gold’s safety.
Including the coachmen, there were 25 people in the Gold convoy. At least Wei Bulun and nine guards were heroes.
When all of Wei Bulun’s guards revealed themselves, the members of the Jufeng Mercenary Group gradually tightened their encirclement. They were all heroes handpicked from within "Shortgun," and their confidence in their own strength meant they did not hesitate when facing an enemy that outnumbered them.
The attack was launched suddenly.
As the encirclement shrank to a certain degree, nine assailants simultaneously cast silence Spells. Nine silent barriers unfolded and closed in, encasing the convoy within a sphere of silence.
The convoy guards, always vigilant, immediately detected the Magic Power fluctuations caused by the leakage of magical elements as the Spells were cast and then noticed the attackers in hooded cloaks.
"Speed up!" Wei Bulun commanded the convoy to accelerate and leave the sphere of silence. If the attackers wanted to steal this Gold, they certainly wouldn’t dare cause too much commotion and attract the City Defense Force. As long as I and my guards can hold them off, we can probably keep this Gold safe.
However, a person suddenly appeared before the convoy, blocking the narrow road. Three giant stone spikes erupted from the ground in front of him, effectively sealing off passage for the carriages.
The convoy couldn’t help but slow down.
Wei Bulun charged to the front of the convoy. With his hands outstretched, he grabbed at the air, and the three road-blocking spikes instantly burst and shattered.
"Don’t stop, charge through!" Wei Bulun yelled at the coachmen, taking the lead and charging toward the attacker blocking their path.
He recited an incantation, activating a magic array to construct a framework of Magic Power. Surrounding water elements gathered, forming large droplets that then lengthened and solidified into sharp ice spears.
Opposite him, the scattered stone fragments all began to float. A magic array opened up in front of the attacker, and the stones passed through it. The gray stones turned fiery red and ignited, the irregular solids gradually melting into spherical molten lava beads.
A Mage proficient in both the Earth and Fire Systems!
Wei Bulun immediately felt the pressure. But the charging carriages were behind him. There was only one path forward; he had to break through.
Extreme Ice Spear.
The Magic was complete. More than ten ice spears formed in front of Wei Bulun and shot one after another at the Mage blocking the road.
At that moment, the molten lava fireballs, like a swarm of bees, came buzzing over.
The lava and ice spears collided in a series of explosions. After partially depleting each other’s power, the remnants passed through.
Only four ice spears remained, their size greatly reduced. They then smashed against a Magic Shield, shattered, and fell, melting into a puddle of water.
Wei Bulun, facing the dwindling lava fireballs, also promptly deployed his shield. The incoming fireballs hit the shield and broke into sparkling fragments.
Blocked!
Wei Bulun once again initiated a magic array, advancing with quick steps. If I can just withstand one more Magic attack, I can ensure the convoy breaks through.
However, at that moment, Wei Bulun’s peripheral vision caught two flashes of light to the side. They were two incompletely melted stones, flattened into disc shapes, flying along an arc as they spun rapidly.
These two fire discs grazed the edge of Wei Bulun’s deployed Magic Shield and cut inside past him. One hit the coachman of the lead carriage, and the other hit its packhorse.
The unprotected coachman and horse were killed instantly.
The overly heavy vehicle swerved off course and crashed into a wall at the side of the road. Its frame was crushed to bits, and boxes tumbled out of the carriage. The boxes that fell to the ground burst open, spilling a multitude of Gold Coins everywhere.
The road was blocked, and the following carriages immediately halted. Inertia caused the carriages to slide, pushing the packhorses forward for some distance before they barely managed to stop. Two of these carriages succumbed to the pressure, their axles snapping. Boxes containing Gold slid out and fell to the ground, scattering more Gold Coins.
The Gold-transporting convoy was completely immobilized.
Wei Bulun immediately switched the attack Magic he was preparing to Defense magic. His opponent, even in this situation, could still spare Magic Power for such precise maneuvers.Truly formidable.
His Defense magic created an even larger, transparent Magic Shield. Wei Bulun seized the moment to glance at the battles in other directions. In just a short exchange, my side has lost nearly half its men.The attackers are all experts; it seems there’s no escape today.
Wei Bulun urgently cast an enhancement Spell on the guards nearby and then focused his attention on the Mage in front of him. He’s the strongest of the attackers, the key to whether I can get out of here alive.
The Mage blocking the road did not attack while Wei Bulun was casting the enhancement Spell for his men. He just stood there quietly, seeming to indicate that as long as Wei Bulun did not charge at him, he would not attack.
Not attacking did not mean not speaking.
"Mr. Wei Bulun... we are reasonable robbers. We only want the money, not lives. If you all give up resistance, we will let you leave safely. After all, you can’t take away this Gold. Better to save your lives."