The black sun hangs high

Chapter 303 A Lesson
Hughes is a very trustworthy person, at least when it comes to his friends, comrades, and partners; he has always been very principled.

Therefore, when the members of "Dawnblade" began their operation, he hid near the target location and used magic to completely conceal his presence.

He did not provide any assistance to the Dawn Society spies involved in the operation, but at the same time, he was closely monitoring every step of the mission's progress.

With the swarm of rats he had summoned and the magical perception that had completely enveloped the surrounding area, almost no detail could escape Hugh's eyes.

He knew that the young girl who had pretended to hang clothes out to dry was actually a magic apprentice. She was now in the shadows behind that window, aiming at the already subdued Society mage with a revolver rifle imbued with silencing magic.

He knew that Felix was leading two other agents to the other end of the street. They were disguised as local police officers who were used to extorting money from townspeople and outsiders, and they were now swaggering and knocking on the window of the Black Sun Society's freight truck.

He also knew that the rest of the Dawnblade members were cautiously approaching the old fisherman's dwelling. Two of them had already stopped at a key location, carrying revolvers imbued with silencer magic. If the situation changed, they would immediately carry out the sniping mission.

So far, these newly formed secret agents have been relatively calm in their actions and very decisive in their actions.

It should be noted that even the spies trained by the Kingdom of Walter and the Ernst family might not have the ability or courage to launch a direct attack on a Stream-level mage.

However, Hugh was well aware that the real challenge for these members of the Dawn Society was yet to come.

The real key to this mission lies in how to complete it while ensuring the safety of the hostages and important items, and even capture the remaining Black Sun Society members alive.

The Black Sun Society members responsible for directing and formulating this operation clearly misjudged Hugh's abilities. Of course, this was also related to the fact that Hugh had never revealed his full abilities to the Black Sun Society. Under normal circumstances, the investment of two Stream-level mages would be considered a great luxury.

Although their movements and protection were no match for Hugh, who wielded the Black Sun Scepter, this level of preparation was sufficient when facing ordinary spies and soldiers.

While the Society mages outside were completely under control, the Society members inside had already become aware of the situation—thanks to the protective rituals set up by the mages and the temporary magical connection established between the two.

If either party loses consciousness or dies for any reason, the other party will immediately receive a notification.

Although it is simple and straightforward, it is very practical.

These inexperienced "Dawnblade" spies, though cautious enough, knew very little about the tricks that mages used against each other. So, just as they were about to enter the house, the tightly closed door suddenly burst open. Driven by magic, an invisible wave of air rushed out, and the huge impact knocked two spies who were about to enter the room with their guns to the ground.

The young man who had previously subdued a mage reacted the fastest. Without a word, he drew his revolver and pulled the trigger at the damaged gate. However, as soon as the gunshot rang out, a protective barrier specifically designed to block bullets and arrows suddenly formed in mid-air. The forward-flying metal bullet was stopped on the spot, and the tiny bit of magic crystal embedded in the bullet was instantly pulverized.

Seeing this, Hugh, who was hiding in the shadows, shook his head helplessly.

Despite the significant impact of the rapid development of steam machinery and the abrupt end of the Great War on the status of mages, they remain, to this day, the masters of miracles and extraordinary powers.

He did not immediately attack the Black Sun Society mage, nor did he rush to rescue the Dawn Society spies who had already been exposed to magical attacks. Instead, he gently moved his fingers and placed two clusters of Fate Roots directly around the house.

Then he began to talk to the old guys in his mind.

Or rather, they all started pointing fingers at these young people struggling with their problems.

"For so many years, the techniques and methods for dealing with spellcasters have still not been systematic."

General Bernhardt was standing near the house. He sighed heavily and said, "The means available to ordinary people are still too limited... Even with firearms and alchemical tools, these things still can't bypass the mages' messy academic knowledge."

"Indeed."

Jacob, who once led the establishment of the spy system and the training of spies and agents within the Ernst family, said: "The only thing that can truly target a mage is another mage, or a powerful cannonball... Heh, even the alchemical tools we distribute to our spies can be easily mastered by mages, since the manufacture and design of these things cannot bypass them."

During the conversation, the young man who had fired the first shot at the sorcerer had already been subjected to a merciless magical attack.

After confirming that there were no other powerful spellcasters around, the Black Sun Society mage who came out of the room immediately revealed his most ferocious and terrifying side. He had obviously also undergone the modifications to his body and magic circuits that the society had made, so when he began to cast a spell, an unsettling and eerie mist immediately spread around him.

Hughes was astonished to see that the mage's right hand had changed shape in an instant.

Enveloped in a somewhat familiar magical force, his palms extended into thick, gray-black tentacles. They easily knocked two spies who were trying to raise their guns to the ground, and then wrapped around the young man dressed as a fisherman, tightly binding him.

"Well, that's about enough..."

Seeing this, Hugh shook his head. He snapped his fingers lightly, and the dormant roots of fate immediately began to sway. An extremely realistic illusion descended in an instant. With the support of Hugh's vast magical power, everyone present was dragged into it, including the mage of the Dawn Society who wanted to slaughter all the members of the Dawn Society.

In that illusion affecting everyone at the same time, the members of the Dawnblade were paying a heavy price for their previous actions. They saw their comrades being pierced by tentacles on the spot, or twisted in two by the enemy's magic.

The female gunman hiding inside the building desperately wanted to rescue her comrade, but the window had already been spotted. Before she could pull the trigger, she was hit by an extremely vicious "brain spike," and her consciousness was instantly destroyed.

Meanwhile, the sorcerer, engrossed in his "massacre," was immersed in bloodshed. He prayed to the Lord of the Boundless Sea, whom he worshipped, while continuously using the power bestowed upon him by that deity to plunder the lives of these "lowly mortals." Two gunmen who had been lying in ambush nearby had also been exposed, but they clearly possessed a stronger will to fight. After promptly replacing their bullets with high-powered crystal bullets, their continuous fire finally destroyed the sorcerer's protective ritual and successfully wounded one of his arms.

However, after being surgically modified by the Black Sun Society, the power modeled after the sea god Charon granted these spellcasters extremely strong vitality and regenerative abilities...

Seeing that all his efforts had come to naught, Hughes slightly raised his hand.

At that moment, he brought the illusion to an end.

The drifting blood, the surging magic, the entwining tentacles... everything was forcibly brought to a standstill within the vast illusion of destiny.

The consciousness that had vanished due to "death" returned, and these brave dead regained their senses. To their astonishment, they saw that their lost limbs and flesh had returned to their original state. In this strange, deathly silence, a figure holding a silver scepter slowly approached.

Hugh approached the young fisherman who had been crushed to death by the Society's mages with their tentacles in the previous hallucination. He reached out and pulled the man up from the ground: "Your courage is commendable, but you still lack too much when it comes to dealing with mages... Are you from the Highlands?"

The young spy finally realized what was happening. He looked around and nodded somewhat helplessly: "Yes, Mr. Ernst, I was trained in Borden and was sent to the Duchy of Bult, but I have now left my original job."

"No wonder some of your techniques have the feel of the Waterl Jets."

Hugh smiled, then gently shook his scepter. The members of the Dawn Sword, who were immersed in their own illusions, awoke one after another. They were either terrified or surprised, but after noticing the strange things around them and Hugh appearing in front of them, all their emotions instantly turned into anger and shame.

Then, the sorcerer who had formed the society finally woke up from his illusion of "going on a killing spree".

When he saw the figure holding the Black Sun Scepter standing before him, a tide of despair immediately engulfed his will.

"The Black Sun Society's progress in magical research is indeed astonishing... It seems you must also be a member of the so-called 'Society of the Sea God' within the society, right? Would you like to see what the real 'Touch of Calron' looks like?"

Hughes slightly spread his hands, extending an invitation to the other party.

Feeling seriously threatened, the sorcerer naturally wouldn't sit idly by. Although he knew he didn't have much of a chance to defeat the powerful enemy before him, a sliver of hope in his heart and his fanatical faith in the true "Sea God" sustained him as he launched a new round of attacks.

Faced with the dark tentacles sweeping towards him, Hugh suddenly burst out laughing.

He did nothing, not even set up any protective rituals.

Hughes, leaning on his cane, took a step forward to face those menacing tentacles.

He didn't even summon the real Kalron's Touch, nor did he release the Dark Abyss magic within his body. When those tentacles came before Hugh, an incredible disintegration immediately began. As if a phantom had collided with reality, these gray-black tentacles summoned by the opponent began to retreat in an instant, while those that couldn't avoid it turned directly into fragments and bubbles.

"It seems your faith in Charon is nothing more than this... at least it's unwilling to shelter you before someone as blasphemous as me."

Hugh's voice was like sharp thorns, piercing the ears and brain of the sorcerer.

He felt an unprecedented rage and raised his hand to unleash other magic, but the distance between them was no longer enough to support his thoughts.

Hugh never considered himself a traditional mage, or rather, in his view, any means that could effectively defeat an enemy and severely damage their body and mind was a kind of effective "magic." Therefore, he strode forward, the deep mist enveloping the metal scepter in his hand, and then he swung his arm violently, smashing the oppressive light and shadow down hard on the opponent's head.

The barely constructed protective barrier shattered instantly under the erosion of the dark abyss mist, and the sturdy metal scepter once again accurately struck its target.

Under the horrified gazes of the Dawn Society members who had regained consciousness, Hughes picked up the scepter and struck it again and again. He didn't even use "limb destruction magic," but instead used the simplest and most direct method to break all four limbs of the Black Sun Society member.

He didn't even give the other person a chance to struggle or commit suicide. He poured a brain-piercing spell that he had prepared beforehand down hard, instantly turning the mage into a mindless and immobile limp mess.

A soft, chattering sound came from inside the house. Someone tried to peek out, but Hugh raised his hand to stop them.

He turned his head, casually tossed the two fallen sorcerers aside, and gestured for the spies to bandage their wounds. Then, his extremely stern gaze swept across their faces.

"I know this may sound heartless and cold-blooded, but I want you all to understand that joining 'Dawnblade' means that you will be representing the 'Dawnblade,' or rather, representing everyone in the 'Dawnblade,' to carry out the most important and dangerous missions."

"Sacrifice and death are inevitable during these missions. Today it could be you, tomorrow it could be him... You will be facing not only spies from other countries and organizations, nor only those old-school mages in the Legal Committee and Council, but also them..."

He pointed his scepter at the two monks lying on the ground: “I solemnly warn you all that from this moment on, you must remove these fellows from the category of ‘residents of Vaan’… Once they begin to believe in those ancient beings, their past race, ethnicity, and identity cease to exist.”

“They should only be regarded as traitors to Vaan, twisted monsters who succumbed to those ancient powers, and parasites that should be completely eradicated.”

Hugh slammed his cane into the ground: "From now on, all your actions should be based on this principle... Any pity or restraint shown towards these enemies is the greatest cruelty you can inflict upon yourselves."

(End of this chapter)