Chapter 41: Annihilation (Part 4)
Outside Wild City, Han Ming crouched on a tree branch, his eyes narrowed as he calmly sprinkled medicinal powder on the wounds on his arm and wrapped them with bandages.
The battle with Saben had left him with multiple severe injuries, but it didn’t deter him. He had been waiting for this day, the day when the Busman family would taste the bitterness of fear. Today, he had already intercepted three waves of fleeing Busman family members. He also knew that Kelwin had finally returned.
Stretching out his palm, a thumb-sized ice crystal formed above it, spinning rapidly.
"I can already condense water into ice. It seems my magical power has increased a bit more. There’s only about a week left until the magic academy’s admissions." Han Ming was somewhat satisfied with his progress in magic. At the very least, he had gone from being a complete outsider to gradually stepping into the world of magic.
As the sky darkened, Han Ming tightened his bandages and leaped down from the tree. It was time to settle all the grudges.
In the Busman family’s council hall, Bodie sat in the center, with Kelwin and the fire mage Pratty on his left and right.
"The fate of our family hangs in the balance tonight. We must rely entirely on Master Pratty to help us overcome this crisis. If we survive this, we will surely repay you generously," Bodie said with a grim expression, his heart filled with hatred.
"Father, don’t worry. If that arrogant brat dares to show up tonight, he won’t leave alive," Kelwin said casually, sipping his tea. He was confident that tonight, Han Ming would be crushed to pieces. To this day, he still didn’t realize that Han Ming was the same person he had once driven to the brink of death. He could never have imagined that Han Ming’s strength had grown to such a terrifying level in such a short time.
Han Ming, clad in black with only his eyes visible, crouched silently on the wall of the Busman family estate. His breathing was shallow, his body slightly arched like a nimble night panther.
Below him, a patrol of Busman family guards passed by. Han Ming dropped down without a sound. With a twist of his hand, he snapped one guard’s neck, while his leg swept another to the ground, crushing the man’s skull under his foot. The remaining two guards reacted, one thrusting a spear toward Han Ming’s chest. Han Ming sidestepped, grabbed the other guard by the throat to prevent him from shouting, and used the spear to stab the guard through the heart. He then bent low, dodging the spear, and with a sharp crack, shattered the last guard’s knee, causing his leg to bend unnaturally backward. Covering the man’s mouth, Han Ming whispered into his ear, "Take me to where the beastmen are held."
The guard, drenched in cold sweat from the pain, nodded frantically. He didn’t dare resist or make a sound. He knew his survival depended on his usefulness. If he lost that value, his life would be over.
Han Ming gripped the guard’s neck from behind and dragged his body along. The two of them moved quietly along the wall, bypassing several buildings until they reached an open area.
The guard, afraid Han Ming would misunderstand, quickly explained, "T-this is the entrance to the dungeon. The family’s beastmen are all held inside." He was trembling from the pain, his teeth chattering uncontrollably from the unbearable agony and fear.
Han Ming cautiously scanned the area, ensuring there were no ambushes, then dragged the guard into a small room in the open area. The room was clean, clearly well-maintained. On the ground was a large stone slab with a handle. Han Ming lifted the slab, revealing a staircase leading underground.
"You’re lucky. I’ll let you live, but you’ll need to sleep for a while," Han Ming said coldly into the guard’s ear before knocking him out and dragging him underground.
The dungeon was vast, with faint groans echoing through it. Han Ming silently dispatched the dungeon guards, dragging their bodies into the shadows. He moved down the corridor until he reached a lit area with four massive cages. Each cage held a beastman. In the last cage, Han Ming found Big Head.
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"Tonight, I’m going to slaughter the Busman family. Wait here. There will be a commotion outside. Only leave once it’s over. Understood?" Han Ming whispered to the beastmen in the cages before effortlessly twisting the locks off the cages.
The beastmen nodded in agreement.
Han Ming entered Big Head’s cage and found him curled up on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. He seemed barely conscious.
"Big Head! Big Head!" Han Ming shook him awake and whispered, "Stay here. I’m going to deal with the Busman family."
Big Head looked at Han Ming weakly, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for coming to save me. But the Busman family has the flower I need…"
Han Ming sighed. "Don’t be foolish. They’re lying to you. They don’t have any Miracle Flower. But I have a small flower here. It might not be the one you’re looking for, but it should at least heal your wounds."
He took out the small white flower he had plucked from the remains of the Tree of Life and offered it to Big Head, who ate it without hesitation. He trusted Han Ming.
"How do you feel?" Han Ming asked, concerned.
After swallowing the flower, Big Head’s body began to tremble violently, and white foam spilled from his mouth.
What’s happening!?
Han Ming panicked. Was this flower poisonous!?
"Cough! It’s fine. I can feel my body healing," Big Head said weakly, trying to reassure Han Ming.
Han Ming carefully examined Big Head’s wounds and saw they were healing at a visible rate. Relieved, he told Big Head to stay and recover before leaving the dungeon.
"Father, are you sure he’s coming tonight?" Kelwin asked impatiently. The night was deep, and there was still no sign of Han Ming.
"He’s already here," Pratty said calmly, his eyes opening to stare at the wide-open door.
A figure in a black robe, face hidden, stepped inside.
The stench of blood was overwhelming! Pratty’s eyes narrowed. The newcomer was dragging a long rope tied with numerous heads, leaving a trail of blood on the ground. Each head belonged to a member of the Busman family.
Pratty, accustomed to bloody scenes, remained unmoved. But Kelwin and Bodie were not so composed. Bodie’s heart sank as he recognized many of the heads as family members who had been sent away to escape the disaster. His hopes of their survival were now a cruel joke.
"What grudge do you hold against our family to commit such atrocities!?" Bodie shouted, unable to contain his fear and anger. None of this made sense to him.
Han Ming removed his hood, revealing his face. He smiled coldly. "Kelwin, we meet again. Remember what I said back then?"
"It’s you!!" Kelwin jumped up in shock. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Of course, he remembered Han Ming. How could he forget? But wasn’t this guy supposed to be dead!? How was he standing here, alive and well?
"You know him?" Bodie finally understood. The grudge wasn’t with him but with his son, Kelwin.
"You idiot!!" Bodie couldn’t hold back and slapped Kelwin to the ground. "You brought this disaster upon our family! Do you know how many of our kin have died!? Do you!?"
Kelwin, holding his face, stared at his father in disbelief. How dare his father hit him, a mage? So what if some family members died? They were just useless trash. And to humiliate him in front of Master Pratty!
"You old fool! How dare you hit me! No one has ever hit me before! Don’t blame your incompetence on me!" Kelwin roared, his face twisted with rage.
Bodie trembled with anger, pointing at Kelwin, unable to speak. He raised his hand to strike again.
Kelwin, furious, raised his hand and conjured a fireball, blasting his father into pieces. Blood and gore splattered everywhere.
"You! Today, you won’t escape! If I could kill you before, I can kill you again!" Kelwin was completely unhinged, screaming at Han Ming. He suddenly realized he had just killed his own father. Regret began to creep in. Why had he done that!? Why had he killed his father!? He blamed it all on Han Ming. If not for Han Ming, he would never have committed such a heinous act.
Han Ming watched Kelwin coldly, shaking his head in disappointment. "You truly are a beast. Even your own father wasn’t spared. You’re the pinnacle of monstrosity. Even if I were to spare you, the heavens wouldn’t."
"Die!" Kelwin, humiliated, hurled a small fireball at Han Ming. Over the years, his magic had improved significantly. What used to be weak, formless fireballs were now substantial and cast with alarming speed. He was sure Han Ming couldn’t dodge it. He eagerly awaited Han Ming’s obliteration.
Han Ming twisted his body, dodging the fireball. It flew into the courtyard, exploding with a deafening roar. An entire building was reduced to rubble, the flames lighting up half the night sky.
The peaceful night of Wild City was shattered by the explosion, waking everyone in the area.
"It’s started!" Li Chengfeng, standing on a hundred-meter-tall building, clenched his fists in excitement. He, his father, and Bardel had been waiting for this moment.
"Let’s see how this kid handles a fire mage," Bardel said, equally excited. He knew exactly what a fire mage was capable of. He was eager to see if Han Ming could pull off a miracle tonight.
Li Zhan silently watched the flames in the sky, sighing. "Fire mages truly live up to their reputation. And that was just Kelwin. I wonder how powerful that mage is."
The shockwave from the explosion whipped Han Ming’s clothes and hair wildly.
"The moment has finally come. This place isn’t big enough. Let’s move," Han Ming said, drawing his massive three-meter-long battle axe. With a single swing, he reduced the entire hall to rubble. Tonight’s main opponent wasn’t Kelwin—it was the fire mage, Pratty!