The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Of course, he wasn't so shallow as to think this was a reflection of the other party's wealth.

　After all, "Armor Cards" are a manifestation of a mage's strength. There are no universal "Armor Cards" on the market, and only high-level mages can forge "Armor Cards".

　But at this moment, he finally understood where his sense of crisis came from.

　"Phew!" Edward took a deep breath, trying to recover from his shock as quickly as possible.

　An A-rank adventurer is a veteran of countless battles; he won't lose his composure because of such a small crisis.

　Just two seconds later, he began to rapidly consider the possible weaknesses of Dark.

　"Armed cards consume a lot of magic power. He's so young, he can't last long, and he definitely lacks combat experience. I can use this to devise a strategy. If possible, I'll find an opening and strike to kill him. If not, I'll try to prolong the battle and wait for his magic power to run out. In short, let's test the waters first!"

　……

　This probing revealed the problem.

　The Moon Goddess's three main attributes are all 3000 points. With the blessing of "Divine Armament", they are increased to 4000 points.

　And 4000 points of magic attack and defense even exceeds the normal range of an eight-star magic spirit.

　Although Edward is an A-rank adventurer, his core strength lies in hand-to-hand combat and he cultivates martial arts aura. Even with all seven chakras open and "qi" equivalent to high-level buff magic used to strengthen his body, he still cannot compete with "Moon Goddess" in terms of overall strength.

　Even with the addition of two equipment cards, the difference still increases.

　His only chance of defeating the "Moon Goddess" lies in relying on the "momentum" unique to martial artists.

　That's a martial artist's "magic," a deadly technique that can break through the limits of the physical body!

　Edward's "momentum" is the "momentum of a fierce tiger," which can help him break through his physical limits in a short period of time.

　However, Dark was not a novice who knew nothing about martial arts. He had even opened three chakras and was about to open the fourth.

　However, after "armed evolution" into "Lunar God", his physical structure has actually changed, and he has temporarily lost his own Qi.

　Otherwise, combining the two would surely enhance its combat power to an even higher level.

　In any case, Edward could not possibly be his match.

　That wasn't arrogance or conceit, but rather stating the facts.

　When Edward made his move to test the waters, he simply stood there and easily blocked all the attacks.

　Edward then unleashed his full power, breaking through his defenses. However, his fists struck the armor but failed to penetrate its defenses.

　Edward tried to use delaying tactics, but Dark's magic seemed inexhaustible, and five or six minutes later he was still completely unharmed.

　At this moment, he finally realized that he had encountered more than just an ordinary high-level mage.

　After that, he instantly unleashed his "momentum" and launched a desperate attack!

　In that instant, Dark used his ultimate technique—"Moon Goddess Mirror"—to completely block his strongest attack, which used all his strength.

　With such nonchalance, Edward found himself in dire straits.

　He played all his cards, but to no avail, and had no choice but to surrender.

　……

　A few minutes later, Dark emerged from the path, the "Netherworld Fire" in his palm having transformed from a faint "candlelight" into a roaring "campfire".

　Moreover, this "campfire" must contain Edward's fighting experience and memories.

　If he wanted, he could easily gain the rich combat experience of an A-rank adventurer simply by formally absorbing the "Netherworld Fire" into his body.

　But of course he couldn't, and didn't need to, do that.

　This "fire of the underworld" can only become a snack for the "coffin of death".

　……

　Over the next few hours, Dark took Lily and the others for a stroll in the market near the Adventurers' Guild, and unexpectedly, they quickly obtained information about the "Tower Demon".

　The B-rank adventurers were all very cautious, and none of them made any contact without authorization.

　Therefore, they could not be completely certain whether the person was truly the "Tower Demon".

　However, some of them were adventurers with special skills who could perceive things that ordinary people could not. After communicating with each other, they became more confident in their judgment and then came to inform their employer.

　There were eight adventurers who came to inform the group, and the leader of them was Madonna, who had wheat-colored skin.

　Beside Madonna stood a child with a timid expression.

　After asking around, Dak learned that it was not a "child" but a hybrid of Lilliputian and Dwarf.

　The dwarves and tots share some similarities, but the dwarves lack their abundant body hair and natural muscles. However, the dwarves have long, dexterous fingers, making them far superior to the clumsy dwarves in fine motor tasks.

　The exchange of goods between the two sides can be considered a kind of "symbiotic relationship" between races.

　However, intermarriage between the Lilliputians and the Dwarves is strictly forbidden, and any child born from such a violation will be expelled without exception.

　Madonna explained, "Don't let her appearance fool you; she's actually a B-rank adventurer, and a thief at that. She's skilled in lockpicking, has keen senses, and possesses unique methods of reconnaissance. The 'Tower Demon' you're looking for was the first one she found."

　Dark nodded, noting her achievement: "Take me to see. If a fight breaks out, try to drive away the people around."

　Madonna immediately nodded and said, "Okay, I'll lead the way."

　She no longer dared to underestimate the ever-smiling blond boy before her. Just moments before, a distraught Edward had been found on a secluded path.

　Although Edward has only been in the City of Freedom for a short time, he has quickly risen to prominence and is now one of the most sought-after A-rank adventurers in the guild.

　Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, that A-rank adventurer became the background figure of the person in front of him.

　Madonna became more reserved as she spoke.

　……

　Soon after, the group arrived at their destination.

　"Tower Demon" Ata has changed out of his signature black robe and mask. But he is so thin and tall that there are hardly any people of his size in the entire Free City.

　In addition, its naturally distinctive aura, which sets it apart from its surroundings, makes it easy to attract attention.

　In fact, the adventurers discovered it not long after logging off, and the rest of the time was spent investigating and confirming it.

　That half-human, half-dwarf hybrid was the first B-rank adventurer to arrive and be confirmed.

　Now that everything was confirmed, they invited the person in question over.

　Dark stopped a hundred meters away, watching the back of "Tower Demon" Ata from afar, his eyes spreading with golden light as he directly opened the "Eye of Truth".

　The fluctuations from the "Eye of Truth" immediately caught the attention of the "Tower Demon" Ata.

　It had actually noticed the movements of several "rats" long ago. But it was, after all, a powerful being among the demons, and it was impossible for it to choose to flee just because one or two "rats" were watching it.

　It sat there, even having the urge to kill a few "rats" to vent its frustration.

　But those "rats" were too slippery, and it couldn't find a reason to attack.

　Finally, it got its "cat"!

　In an instant, "Tower Demon" Ata made a decision!

　It is, after all, a demon, and a powerful one at that. Although its racial characteristics resemble those of a "turtle," it is definitely not a "turtle"—it can run incredibly fast!

　So, Ata, the "Tower Demon" who showed no intention of escaping despite being observed by the adventurers, ran away the moment Dark activated the "Eye of Truth"!

　"This is it."

　Dak closed his eyes.

　And Ollie, who had been following half a step behind him, moved the instant he closed his eyes!

　As the saying goes, "still as a virgin, swift as a rabbit," Ollie caught up with the accelerating "Tower Demon" Ata almost in the next second.

　The sudden appearance of the shadowy figure made "Tower Demon" Ata realize the speed of the newcomer. It roared and clenched its hands together as if holding a circle, instantly condensing countless square stones in the air. These stones stacked into a wall and immediately crushed towards the maid in the middle.

　Meanwhile, the white light that had shot up from Olivia Dimon's body only receded into her body at this moment, and she was now dressed in a pure white battle dress.

　The image of last night flashed through Ata's mind, until it was the maid who had been watching over him.

　Its eyes flashed, and a square stone materialized beneath its feet. Then, it stomped on the stone while charging forward, using the stone's reaction force to bounce back and create distance between itself and Ollie.

　Then, in the next instant, the two stone walls that were crushing towards Ollie exploded with a deafening roar.

　Ollie's figure, clad in her battle dress, was instantly engulfed in the explosion.

　The B-rank adventurers guarding Dark's side immediately changed their expressions upon seeing this scene.

　They followed him mainly because they trusted Dark and his maid to deal with the demon, but they never expected to encounter them like this...

　"call--"

　A strong wind suddenly howled, and the aftershocks of the explosion from the stone wall were forcefully pushed to both sides.

　The building, which was already deserted, collapsed almost instantly.

　A pure white figure flashed out from within, relentlessly pursuing the "Tower Demon" that had turned and fled.

　The "Tower Demon" was heavy and slow-moving, and was caught up before it could even run a hundred meters.

　The warhammer, gleaming with a warm, jade-like light, slammed down heavily from the back of his head!

　It suddenly lowered its head, and a square stone materialized between its head and its warhammer.

　But the stone, which should have been indestructible, was smashed into dust by that single blow.

　The Tower Demon was horrified. Its magic surged wildly, and countless square stones instantly solidified behind it, piling up into walls that blocked Aoli's path.

　However, Ollie didn't even bother to take a detour; the warhammer she raised displayed terrifying divine power. With a single blow, she shattered the stacked stone wall in one fell swoop.

　As she pursued him, she swung her warhammer, her imposing and terrifying fighting posture... It didn't seem like that of a support healer, and even the dwarves who favored warhammers weren't this domineering.

　Upon seeing this, Madonna couldn't help but touch the decorative sword hanging behind her, a hint of shame flashing across her face.

　"Boom!"

　Seeing that the stone wall was no match for it, the "Tower Demon" simply detonated each stone it condensed.

　The explosion terrified those nearby, who dropped what they were holding and ran away immediately.

　In the Free City, many people now know that demons have infiltrated the city and that the city lord is leading a campaign to wipe them out. Therefore, they immediately assumed that the explosion was caused by a battle between the demons and the city guards.

　But regardless of who wins or loses, that place is no longer accessible to ordinary people.

　In order to avoid being caught in the crossfire, people began to flee in panic.

　Chaos, however, still occurred inevitably.

　……

　Meanwhile, patrol teams that were nearby rushed to the scene after hearing the news.

　The city's attention began to focus on this area.

　And the battle between Ollie and the "Tower Demon" has only just begun.

　Although the "Tower Demon" Atal was cowardly and fled on the battlefield last night, it still possesses defensive capabilities.

　Relying on the hard square stone that could be formed in an instant, it always kept a distance between itself and Ollie.

　During this chase, Ollie intentionally forced it into the sky, so she cleverly used several magic cards to slowly lure the "Tower Demon" into the air by attacking it from the ground.

　The "Tower Demon" travels using the stone slabs, its speed unaffected by either the sky or the ground. In fact, the unobstructed air makes escape easier—but these are merely excuses it makes for itself; in reality, it's simply forced into the sky.

　Otherwise, if it rushed into a populated area and relied on human cushioning, it would be able to create distance much faster.

　In short, it wasn't long before Ollie caught up with it and put it in the air, after which she no longer needed to worry about some powerful magic cards!

　"In the name of Ori Dimon, magical summoning—'Battlefield Ring'!"

　With a soft shout, the familiar magic instantly bloomed right under the nose of the "Tower Demon".

　More than a decade ago, "Tower Demon" Ata was also a passionate young man.

　It has participated in countless battles and has even clashed with the Golden Generation. The most memorable battle was against the "Battlefield Maiden", and its most frequently used magic card is "Battlefield Ring"!

　Although the name doesn't give away the domineering nature of this ultimate move, "Tower Demon" is extremely familiar with it.

　Once activated, the "Battlefield Ring" magic card can create a wall of light on the battlefield—the wall of light may not be thick, but its height and length are astonishing, and it can be manipulated and transformed, making it very flexible.

　From high above, it looked as if white rings had suddenly appeared on the battlefield, dividing the vast battlefield into countless parts.

　The "War Saintess" uses this "battlefield ring" to divide the battlefield, and each time she manages to create a situation where she has a numerical disadvantage in a localized area where she outnumbers the enemy.

　That battlefield, which divided the entire battlefield into countless parts, is a rare sight in the entire history of humankind.

　Upon seeing the enormous wall of light that suddenly appeared and blocked his way, "Tower Demon" Ata almost mistook the person behind him for the Holy Church's new generation of "Battlefield Saintess".