Angelwing had changed his gear, now wearing deep blue leather armor and wielding a silver longbow engraved with runes. Combined with his handsome appearance, he looked quite impressive, even earning a grudging acknowledgment from Nieyan that Angelwing was indeed a remarkable player.
Angelwing’s arrival caused nearby players on the streets to whisper among themselves. It was truly a rare sight to see the leader of Angel Empire appearing here.
Nieyan’s eyes narrowed coldly. Should he go forward and give Angelwing a ‘welcome’ to let him know he had arrived?
Yet Angelwing was accompanied by at least sixty people, including over a dozen top-tier professional players, which made things a bit complicated.
With so many elite players, they certainly formed a formidable force!
Nieyan remained silent for a moment before devising a plan. He activated his stealth ability and disappeared into a nearby corridor.
After confirming no players were watching him, Nieyan used his Shadow Summon skill, splitting into two identical forms, both instantly vanishing into concealment.
Cold winds howled fiercely through the gaps between buildings, nearly freezing one’s face stiff.
Angelwing glanced around. Everything in this City of Sin evoked associations with darkness and corruption.
“What a damned weather! It’s just a game, why make it so realistic!” Angelwing couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
“Angel Boss, I estimate they won’t come out for at least three more hours. Are we really going to wait here the whole time?” asked an orc warrior—none other than Liewen, Angelwing’s trusted aide.
“Angel Boss, we just received news that the Rogue Nieyan’s Darkwing Dragon landed at the entrance of the World Barrier behind us and probably has already entered,” reported a mage.
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run through them, instinctively scanning their surroundings. Perhaps Nieyan was already watching them from some hidden corner, creating a sense of imminent danger.
“We have absolutely no way of catching that thief. When he’s stealthed, we’re completely helpless! Even with my Anti-Invisibility Totem, we still can’t do anything!” said a shaman despondently. Having faced Nieyan several times and lost badly each time, he had developed a psychological shadow. Mentioning Nieyan’s name now practically equated to invoking terror.
“He will come to us,” Angelwing said calmly. He knew his subordinates could assist to some extent, but ultimately, dealing with Nieyan would require his own efforts. He didn’t expect much help from his men.
Upon hearing Angelwing’s words, everyone became fully alert, anticipating that Nieyan might launch a deadly ambush at any moment.
Angelwing took a few casual steps forward. Without drawing attention, he inserted a nearly invisible object into a corner of a nearby building. It looked like a slender wooden stick embedded with a transparent, pure gemstone. Small and inconspicuous, unless one looked closely, it would be impossible to notice its presence. Even if noticed, people would likely mistake it for an ordinary stick and not think much of it. This item was called Sorens’ Scout.
Though seemingly ordinary, this wooden stick was actually a high-level artifact crafted by the master alchemists of Angel Empire. It could detect any signs of life nearby, allowing Angelwing to accurately pinpoint the presence of any approaching thief. What made it terrifying was that it didn’t rely on one’s stealth capabilities to evade detection. Instead, it sensed the strength of one’s life force—the stronger the attributes, the easier it was to be detected. Naturally, such an item was extremely rare. The wooden component alone came from the Akolu Tree, dropped by the Blackwing Demon King in the Dark Forest, with a drop rate of only 1 in 3000. So far, only sixteen such sticks had ever been obtained. Moreover, it was a one-time-use item—once used, it was gone—highlighting its rarity.
Angelwing silently inserted the stick and naturally took a few steps forward, as if nothing had happened.
The moment he placed Sorens’ Scout, Angelwing immediately sensed something and subtly curved his lips into an almost imperceptible smile. So, you’re really here!
Angelwing didn’t turn his head to look at Nieyan’s hidden position. Doing so would essentially signal Nieyan that he had been discovered.
The game of wits and tactics between the two had just begun!
With Nieyan’s current strength, Angelwing couldn’t defeat him in a direct confrontation, so he had to rely on some tricks.
Feeling Nieyan slowly moving from the shadows, getting closer and closer, Angelwing’s nerves tightened to the limit. Even his breathing unconsciously slowed. Each step Nieyan took created an intense pressure.
The members of Angel Empire were unaware of the silent duel between Nieyan and Angelwing. They were scattered around, chatting casually while occasionally glancing around.
If they had completely relaxed and ignored their surroundings, Nieyan might have felt something was off. However, this group still demonstrated high professionalism. After confirming everything was normal, Nieyan cast Greater Invisibility on himself and gradually approached the group.
Nieyan’s gaze swept across the Angel Empire elites nearby before finally resting on Angelwing. Although these surrounding players were skilled, none were worth his effort. The only one worthy of his attention was Angelwing himself.
Fifty yards, thirty yards, twenty yards—the distance between them kept decreasing.
Angelwing continued pacing around casually, showing no signs of awareness.
Nieyan was quite confident in his stealth abilities. Very few players could detect his approach even when he was using Greater Invisibility.
At ten yards, an ordinary thief would have already launched an ambush—dashing forward to deliver a fatal blow. Ordinary players would struggle to react quickly enough.
Yet Nieyan didn’t rush. He continued closing in. When facing top players, one needed sufficient patience. Giving the opponent an opportunity equated to cutting off one’s own escape route!
Just as Nieyan prepared to close in on Angelwing, the situation suddenly changed.
To his surprise, Angelwing turned his head and started walking toward him, something Nieyan hadn’t anticipated.
Angelwing maintained a calm expression, appearing as usual, with his gaze never lingering on Nieyan’s position. This convinced Nieyan that Angelwing hadn’t spotted him.
Ten yards, five yards, three yards…
They rapidly approached each other, only about three yards apart, when Nieyan suddenly sprang into action. His dagger in his right hand flashed like lightning, stabbing toward Angelwing. Die!
At the very moment Nieyan lunged, Angelwing’s pupils instantly constricted into fine lines.
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