The goat-bearded old man's expression changed, and he suddenly raised his staff, pointing its tip at Ezreal, as colorless energy began to gather.
Just then, a giant wolf's paw extended from the shadow on the ground behind the old man.
The giant wolf's paw was covered in black fur, and faint black smoke emanated from it.
The wolf's paw silently grasped the old man, its massive claws perfectly encasing his torso and head.
After gripping him, the wolf's paw squeezed with force, and a muffled sound of cracking bones echoed, as crimson blood dripped onto the floor through the gaps in the wolf's paw.
"Too slow, old man. Time couldn't erase your evil, but it took away your reaction speed," Ezreal said with a smile, looking at the bloodstains on the floor.
"Skull Gang outpost, Mike, uses Airflow Magic, C-Class, eliminated."
The wolf's paw, still clutching the old man's corpse, slowly retreated back into the shadows.
The shadow on the ground, the corpse, and the wolf's paw all vanished.
Only a pool of blood on the old wooden floor remained, proving that someone had indeed been killed just moments ago.
"An appetizer, followed by a bunch of fast food, then dessert, and a big cake..."
The bloodstains on the ground reflected Ezreal's face, his eyes glowing with a eerie green light, like will-o'-the-wisps.
Ezreal turned and walked out of the general store, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
The moment the door was shut, Ezreal's body shattered into a cluster of golden energy particles, disappearing... Eight PM, Lock Forest.
Moonlight cascaded through the forest, but it still couldn't dispel the darkness of this dense jungle.
This was a primeval forest located on the border of the Fiore Kingdom.
It was home to many magical beasts, but their strength was generally average.
Due to its proximity to the border, it was rarely visited by people.
Ezreal strolled leisurely into the depths of the forest, treading along a winding path.
As he walked, Ezreal saw an antique-style castle appear at the end of the road.
Built from grey-blue stone bricks, each window glowed with an orange-yellow light, giving it an ancient and grand appearance.
As Ezreal approached, several figures quietly emerged from the woods.
Seven or eight Black Robed Men stood in the shadows of the trees, their faces obscured, their genders indistinguishable; each of them was tightly wrapped in their black robes, silently watching Ezreal.
The castle gates slowly opened, and over twenty more Black Robed Men filed out, lining up in two rows.
A middle-aged woman in a white dress, holding a long-handled staff made from a human head and spine, emerged, followed by two twin middle-aged Black Robed Men.
"Kid, do you know where you've come to?" the white-dressed woman's voice was hoarse, sounding like a man's.
A chilling aura emanated from the white-dressed woman, spreading outwards.
All the Black Robed Men's gazes fell upon Ezreal.
The Black Robed Men in the forest took a few steps forward, and two more Black Robed Men appeared not far behind Ezreal, blocking his retreat.
Unsettling, malicious gazes fixed on the golden-haired youth whose hand was wrapped in bandages.
Ezreal smiled, "A place to eat."
"Eat?" The white-dressed woman was stunned, her momentum faltering. She couldn't help but turn and exchange glances with the twin duo beside her, then looked back at Ezreal.
Ezreal was counting at this moment.
"123... 21, 22... 33. Just right." Ezreal double-checked the count, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Kid..." The white-dressed woman was about to speak but was interrupted by Ezreal speaking first.
Ezreal pointed at the white-dressed woman, "Kasha, leader of the Skull Gang, skilled in Undead Magic, an A-Class Mage."
"The Evil Spirit Twins, Kaka Dong, Kaka Bei, natural psychics with evil spirit bloodline, skilled in Dark Magic, and a certain fusion magic, A-Class strength."
"Nine B-Class Mages, and eighteen C-Class Mages. The entire Skull Gang is here. You haven't recruited any new members recently, have you? If you have, say so in advance; I don't mind eating a bit more."
Ezreal finished in one breath, his tone at the end genuinely asking Kasha, his attitude as sincere as a traveler asking for directions.
"Those who don't cherish life aren't worth pitying when they die, wouldn't you agree, kid?"
Kasha placed her hands on the half-human-height bone staff, two eerie green will-o'-the-wisps lit up in her eyes, and a chilling aura spread from her. Her skin became even paler, like a corpse.
"Yes, so, today, all of you will die here." Ezreal responded with a polite smile, a blue light glowing in his left hand, and the bandages wrapped around his arm instantly swelled and shattered.
Ezreal shook his left hand, and from both ends of the golden explorer's gauntlet, two blue energy streams extended, converging into a blue energy bow.
"Among all legitimate guilds, the number of people aged 18-22 who have reached S-Class Mage strength is few and far between, but you are not among them." Kasha's eyes, burning with will-o'-the-wisps, stared at Ezreal, her hoarse voice like the low growl of a wild dog.
The surrounding Black Robed Men began to slowly encircle Ezreal.
"I'm truly sorry, I haven't obtained the S-Class Mage title yet." Ezreal awkwardly scratched his head with his right hand, looking somewhat shy.
His youthful appearance was indistinguishable from a young person out on a picnic.
But the more he acted this way, the more intensely the will-o'-the-wisps in Kasha's eyes flickered.
This golden-haired young man was unnervingly calm, seemingly not taking any of them seriously.
A faint sense of foreboding quietly arose in Kasha's heart.
"Bring me his head!" Kasha's eyes glowed with will-o'-the-wisps, and she let out a sudden roar.
A piercing sound echoed through the forest.
Before her words had even faded, the surrounding Skull Gang members launched their attacks.
Fireballs, flying knives, water streams, wind blades, black light... various magical attacks rained down on Ezreal.
"How truly irritable," Ezreal chuckled, but then his smile shattered, as his body completely fragmented into a cluster of golden energy particles, disappearing from his spot.
A barrage of colorful ranged magic struck the position where Ezreal had just stood, raising dust and sending energy waves rippling outwards.
"Is he dead?" Kaka Dong, the slightly shorter of the twins, asked with a frown.
"His aura has vanished," the taller Kaka Bei said, frowning as he carefully sensed the area.
"He dodged it; it's some kind of instant movement magic." Kasha's eyes flickered with an eerie green will-o'-the-wisp, her gaze fixed on the dark forest.
Clear footsteps echoed in the dark forest, and Ezreal's figure emerged unharmed from the pitch-black woods.
Ezreal walked with light steps towards the group, stopping about fifty paces away.
The members of the Skull Gang watched Ezreal with fearful expressions, and even Kasha and the Kaka Dong and Kaka Bei looked grim.
Because, in their line of sight, the golden-haired youth smiled, but behind him, the shadow on the ground gradually lengthened, and six eerie green eyes opened within the shadow.
Those were cruel, tyrannical, wild, and malicious eyes.