"You already knew about our plan?"
Looking at her side, completely surrounded, Mia's expression was grim.
The combat power of high-rank warlocks was beyond question. Leilin and Yulian in particular were nearly comparable to ordinary crystallized wizards.
The Blood Snake Warlock Corps was no pushover either—they were Freya Family's elite forces. Now they had been fully mobilized, and Freya herself, a warlock who had already reached crystallization, was leading them!
Thanks to the enhancement of their bloodline power, warlocks were already slightly stronger than ordinary wizards. Once a warlock reached crystallization, they could immediately rival those at the peak of crystallization.
It would have been strange if Mia's expression hadn't been grim.
"You've been causing trouble near the territory of our Ring of the Ouroboros! How could we possibly let you rats go!"
Freya wore a fitted hunter's outfit. Now she looked brimming with a fierce, martial spirit—if one ignored her youthful face and voluptuous figure.
"The theft from the Ogu Heti warehouse, the annihilation of the Nuonuolifa family, and the disappearance of Count Octa—who was behind it all?"
Freya stared at the three wizards, a profoundly dangerous aura surging from her.
To subdue and command three murderous crystallized wizards—it was something no ordinary force could accomplish. Combined with the string of recent incidents, Freya had a very bad premonition.
"Just your Ring of the Ouroboros?"
Disdainful smiles appeared on the faces of Mia and her two fellow wizards.
"Not good! Watch out for them—" Seeing those smiles, Leilin's pupils contracted and he couldn't help but shout a warning.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three more streaks of black light, like lightning bolts, rampaged through the Blood Snake Warlock Corps. They then smashed through the layered defenses and arrived before Mia and the other two wizards.
"Three more... crystallized!"
Freya gritted her teeth, bitterness in her voice.
She had never expected that the enemy would have reinforcements—it was clear they had anticipated her plan as well.
With her current strength, defeating three crystallized enemy wizards was already at her limit. If three more showed up?
Freya felt her heart sinking, little by little.
"Well? If you don't want your family's elite forces to be wiped out here, let us leave!"
There was a smug tone in Mia's voice.
"Not enough! He must stay!" One of the three newly arrived crystallized wizards pointed at Leilin.
"Oh? Why's that?" Leilin touched his nose.
"The damage you've caused us is too great—only the Demon Hunter's bounty can make up for it!" Xier glanced at Leilin, then fixed his gaze on Freya.
"He's not a warlock of your family. Surely Lady Freya wouldn't make enemies of us over a mere fellow member of the same organization, would she?"
Leilin mentally rolled his eyes. The idea that such a simple act of sowing discord could succeed was laughable. But once any matter became entangled with self-interest, things turned terribly complicated.
Fortunately, Leilin had never planned on entrusting his safety to others, and he had long since made preparations.
"The Demon Hunter?" Freya murmured. She had heard that Leilin and his companions had offended this Morning Star wizard. In that case, if these crystallized wizards were all wanted criminals taken in by the Demon Hunter, it made sense.
More than a few wizards had reached the same conclusion. After hearing those words, many of the warlocks began looking at Leilin with changed expressions.
Not even the bonds of friendship within the same organization, nor their past dealings, could make them unhesitatingly offend a Morning Star wizard for Leilin's sake!
On the Central Continent, Morning Star wizards were supreme kings! Their dignity was not to be violated!
Even though the two organizations were currently hostile, they had not yet completely torn off the mask. Therefore, in the eyes of many warlocks, sacrificing Leilin and a few others to gain the goodwill of the Demon Hunter Ganlier was well worth it.
Several warlocks immediately distanced themselves from Leilin, including even Yulian, who had been fighting alongside him.
Freya's expression shifted again and again. Looking at the numerous family warlocks, she gritted her teeth.
"Leilin is a Marquis of our organization! We will absolutely not hand him over!"
"Matriarch!" "My Lady!"
The warlocks erupted in clamor. In their view, the family was going far too far for the sake of an outsider.
"My decision is final! Get out of my territory at once, or you will regret it!"
"You're the one who'll regret this!" Mia said angrily, and she and the five figures behind her turned to leave.
"Just as the Blood Snake Warlock Corps parted to make way, an ill-timed voice suddenly cut in, drawing both sides' attention to a certain spot.
"Leilin! Don't do anything foolish!" Freya's voice turned urgent.
Even among the blood-bonded brothers of the Ring of the Ouroboros, there were many factions vying against each other. She had already gone as far as she could for Leilin. If Leilin were foolish enough to go and provoke them further, Freya feared she would not be willing to risk her family's destruction on his behalf.
Freya watched Leilin's figure, biting her lip.