A Comprehensive Network: An Endless Adventure Begins as a Wanderer

Evil sorcerer.

Wade Hawke is a sorcerer.

Cheng Yi did not back down. He released the short sword that was still pressed against Earl Hawke's throat.

Count Hawke gripped his wrist with his right hand, while his left hand prepared to unleash a burst of magical energy.

Cheng Yi released his right hand from the hilt of the short sword and then aimed it at Earl Hawke's face.

A throwing knife slid out from the sleeve, flashing in the twilight.

The throwing knife pierced Earl Hawke's left eye socket.

Count Hawke's body stiffened abruptly. The magical energy burst in his left hand veered off course, a dark purple light flashing in mid-air, but it missed Cheng Yi.

His right hand loosened its grip on Cheng Yi's wrist, reaching for the flying knife in his face, but he stopped as soon as his fingers lifted.

Because Cheng Yi gripped the First Blood Short Sword again with his backhand and pushed it inwards sharply.

This time, there was no magic to protect the Earl from injury.

The blade pierced through the throat smoothly.

Earl Hawke's eyes were wide open, Cheng Yi's blurry outline reflected in his right eye socket, while a throwing knife was stuck in his left eye socket, dark blood gushing from the wound and flowing down his cheek.

You have killed Wade Hawke and gained 150 Universal Experience.

[Dungeon clear requirements met, data being compiled]

Cheng Yi drew his short sword and took two steps back. A burning sensation came from his left arm—looking down, he saw that a section of his clothes had been burned through, and his skin was charred black. It was from the burst of magical energy that Count Hawke had unleashed before his death. The wound wasn't deep, but it hurt terribly.

A guard's voice came from the corridor: "Sir?"

Cheng Yi pulled the throwing knife out of Earl Hawke's eye socket, wiped the blood on the bed sheet, and put it back in the scabbard.

He walked to the door and pressed his ear against it.

"My lord?" the guard called out again, his voice louder than before, filled with alertness.

Cheng Yi didn't answer. He locked the door from the inside and then braced himself against the doorknob.

Then he went to the window, unplugged it, pushed it open, climbed out, and squatted on the windowsill.

Downstairs, from the direction of the back door of the main building, a figure wearing scale armor rushed out.

He held a battle axe in his hand, was in his thirties, had short hair, and sharp eyes. His scales gleamed metallically in the moonlight.

[Level 4 Human Warrior/Champion Warrior]

He looked up at the third-floor window—Cheng Yi was crouching in the shadows of the windowsill, motionless.

The man didn't see him and rushed into the main building.

Footsteps came from downstairs, heavy and hurried, the clanging of scales echoing in the stairwell.

The guards on the first floor were also alerted. Some shouted, "Guard the Earl!" and others shouted, "There's an assassin!"

Cheng Yi disappeared from the windowsill and into the shadows of the third-floor corridor.

The guards were standing in front of Earl Hawke's bedroom door, kicking it open with all their might.

"My lord! My lord!"

His voice was filled with panic.

Cheng Yi stood less than three meters behind him. The guard didn't notice him. In the shadows, Cheng Yi's figure was barely visible in the corridor.

He pulled a throwing knife from his scabbard and aimed it at the back of the guard's neck.

A flash of moonlight, and the throwing knife pierced through the spine. The guard's body stiffened abruptly, his hand that was pounding on the door froze in mid-air, and he went limp, collapsing silently onto the carpet in the corridor. Cheng Yi pulled back the throwing knife and dragged the body to a corner of the corridor.

Then he walked to the top of the stairs and squatted down, extending his Observation Haki downwards.

There were four guards in the lobby on the first floor, two near the main entrance and two at the top of the stairs. The warrior in scale armor had already reached the second floor, and his footsteps were rushing towards the third floor.

Cheng Yi disappeared from the shadows at the stairwell and was teleported to the second-floor corridor.

The soldier had just passed the stairwell and was running up to the third floor, his back exposed.

Two throwing knives were thrown simultaneously, one to the left and one to the right; one embedded itself in the right shoulder, and the other in the left knee.

The warrior grunted, his body lurching forward, but he didn't fall. He turned, his battle axe sweeping across. Cheng Yi was no longer where he had been—he had teleported from the second-floor corridor into the shadows of the second-floor guest room. The battle axe struck the wall, sending stone chips flying.

Cheng Yi emerged from the shadows of the guest room, another throwing knife aimed at his right wrist. The knife embedded itself, and the battle axe slipped from his hand, crashing to the ground.

The soldier gritted his teeth, drew another battle axe from his waist with his left hand, and charged toward Cheng Yi.

His steps were unsteady, his left knee was bleeding, and the throwing knife on his right shoulder restricted the movement of his right arm. But he was actually faster than before.

The movements were like a tidal wave.

A warrior's burst skill allows them to unleash speeds exceeding limits in a short period of time.

Cheng Yi did not engage in combat. He teleported from the shadows on the second floor to the corridor on the third floor. The warrior caught up, dragging his injured left leg up the stairs, blood flowing down his knee and leaving a trail of dark red spots on the steps.

Cheng Yi stood at the end of the third-floor corridor, waiting for him.

The soldier climbed to the third floor and lunged at Cheng Yi the moment he saw him. His speed was incredible for an injured man. Cheng Yi dodged to the side, but the blade of the battle axe still struck his right rib, and blood immediately gushed out.

Cheng Yi gasped in pain, but did not back down. He vanished from the shadows of the corridor and teleported behind the warrior.

The first drop of blood was drawn as the blade pierced the back of the neck and through the throat.

The soldier's body stiffened abruptly, his lunging posture frozen in mid-air, before he crashed heavily to the ground, face down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

You have defeated an unknown warrior and gained 150 general experience points.

Cheng Yi drew his short sword, wiped the blood on his back, and sheathed it. The wound on his right side burned with pain; when he touched it, his hand was covered in blood.

【HP: 70%】

Cheng Yi didn't go downstairs; instead, he walked to the top of the stairs and squatted down. There were four more guards in the lobby on the first floor: two near the main entrance and two at the top of the stairs.

But he suddenly sensed another presence.

The spellcaster was in the bedroom on the third floor.

Cheng Yi's heart sank; he had almost forgotten about the spellcaster's existence.

Cheng Yi turned around; the third-floor corridor was empty. The bedroom door was closed, and there was no sound behind it.

He tiptoed toward the door.

The door was suddenly pushed open from the inside.

A burst of flame erupted from behind the door, spreading out in a cone shape and covering most of the corridor space.

Cheng Yi didn't have time to teleport and could only fall to the side. Flames grazed his back, the heat scorching his neck, and the air was filled with the burnt smell of hair.

He rolled over and half-squatted up, his health points dropped again, stopping at 60%.

Spell: Burning Hand.

Behind the door stood a delicate-looking half-elf. He was young, in his early twenties, with silver-gray hair tied back.

She wore a dark robe and held no weapon, but the flames still flickered at her fingertips.

[Level 3 Half-Elf Mage/Evocation School]

A magician.

Cheng Yi sprang to his feet, his right hand reaching for his scabbard. A throwing knife flew out, its silver light slicing through the darkness of the corridor.

The half-elf sidestepped, the throwing knife grazing his shoulder and embedding itself in the door frame behind him. She raised her right hand, and three pale blue missiles shot from her fingertips, trailing long, thin contrails as they curved through the air, bypassing Cheng Yi's throwing knife, and heading straight for his chest.

Magic Missile.

Cheng Yi did not dodge.

The magic missiles were guaranteed to hit. The first one struck his left shoulder, the second his right chest, and the third his abdomen.

Three shots fired in quick succession, hitting him almost simultaneously. Cheng Yi felt as if he had been struck by three heavy hammers at once; his body flew backward, crashing into the corridor wall before sliding to the ground. He felt excruciating pain in his chest and abdomen, and a metallic taste filled his mouth.

He gritted his teeth, vanished from the shadows, and appeared behind the half-elf in the next instant. First Blood drew his short sword, aiming for the half-elf's lower back.

The half-elf didn't turn around, but a transparent shield appeared around her.

The short sword struck the shield as if it had pierced an invisible wall, the blade sliding to one side and only tearing the half-elf's robe.

Shield spell.

Cheng Yi sighed. This is what a mage is like.