NOVPUBAnello’s fingers gripped the handset of the magic device, unsure whether to let go or to keep clenching until knuckles turned white.
His chest felt as if it was being crushed by a heavy stone, making breathing somewhat difficult.
This brightly lit space, this office that should have been a comfort to him, had instantly turned into a closed cage that he still couldn’t escape from, imprisoning him more clearly.
It should have been a connection to the imperial capital.
But how could such a familiar yet unfamiliar voice be coming from the other end?
Anello’s thoughts raced in his mind.
How was it possible for someone else to occupy the dedicated communication line between Xue Yuan Province and the imperial capital Herram?
Had the entire imperial capital, the entire battle line already fallen into the hands of the enemy?
This was impossible, absolutely impossible!
It should be his illusion!
In Anello’s eyes flashed a horror like a trapped beast, trying to see the truth.
The panic in his heart spread, he finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly, but trying to maintain calm: "May I ask which officer of the Empire Defense Department you are?"
"We just met, have you forgotten my voice so quickly?"
The other party was still relaxed, with a slight tonality of amusement in his voice.
This confirming sound was like a heavy hammer hitting Anello’s chest.
Anello’s reaction was already fast, but obviously, it was still a step too slow.
He wanted to leave this closed space, to escape further from the eerily permeated Bonn city, but the moment he intended to let go of the handset, an intense feeling of paralysis struck him like lightning, instantly spreading throughout his body.
There’s still a trap inside the Governor’s Office?!
Anello, filled with fear, tried to mobilize his magic power, but another indescribable sense of heaviness and sluggishness enveloped him, as if a bird about to flap its wings suddenly encountered a sky collapse, transforming into a mountain that weighed on him!
He tried to struggle, but his body was fixed in place, even a small step seemed extraordinarily difficult.
The walls of the entire office began to emit deep blue light, the symbol of a military-use anti-magic barrier, and also an effect of the city defense barrier, which suppressed rampant criminals within the city-state.
At the same time, poison gas began to flood through the ventilation ducts in the room.
Even though Anello, the Saint of Nirvana, held his breath immediately, he still felt his body starting to weaken, his vision became blurred.
Space seemed to be compressing and collapsing, air became thinner, nearly squeezing the life out of him. 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Anello now understood that he had fallen into a major trap.
Under normal circumstances, the highest in any local province would be an occasional sixth-order, with even fifth-order being extremely rare. He wouldn’t even give those a second glance, but at this moment, trapped in such a cage, he was in extreme danger!
His face was pale, his eyes full of unease, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Anello tried hard to stay awake, but every cell in his body seemed to be telling him that this could be a hopeless situation that he couldn’t escape from.
With the dual barriers fully formed, the door to the Governor’s Office was violently pushed open. The Grand Priest of the Nirvana Branch had already disappeared, leaving only Viscount Chinston leading the elite of the province in.
The sound of shoes stepping on the luxurious carpet echoed in the grand Governor’s Office, a menacing march that seemed to be the footsteps of the death god, giving Anello a sense of oppression far greater than the restriction of the magic barrier.
The ones who burst in were several fully armed provincial war veterans, their eyes deep, appearing soulless and indifferent, like Demon Race warriors on ancient battlefields.
Previously, in order to fight the Phantom Gang, they brought together the elite forces of the entire province for short-term training under Lanci’s guidance. Shaar continued to relay the Governor’s tactics and combat ideals, and they had matured into a fully-fledged Elimination Troop.
Those summoned by Viscount Chinston were all captain-level fifth-order warriors.
The masked warriors attacked without giving Anello a chance to explain. One light warrior rushed forward, his fists aimed straight for Aello’s chin. The other heavy warriors swiftly held their Ice Thorns and surrounded Anello; there was no unnecessary movement.
The sharp Ice Thorns in their hands flowed with a deep black Curse Mark. They were not ordinary icicles but military-grade magic devices with the ability to cause silence and freezing effects.
Although Anello had just rid himself of the paralysis effect on his body, he was suppressed by the barrier which slowed his magic flow and spell casting speed by several times. The room was continuously filled with poison gas. He managed to dodge the light warrior’s sneak attack with his combat instinct, but compared to those normal heavy warriors, he was as fragile as a soft-boned beast being hunted by elite hunters!
One heavy warrior rushed towards Anello, attempting to pierce his limbs with the Ice Thorn. Anello wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Though restricted, he managed to muster his fundamental magic power to strike back. In an instant, he pushed back the surrounding heavy warriors.
In an instant, Anello attempted to summon his magic power, dark grey flames surged from under his feet, attempting to burn the enemy’s blockade.
But his struggle to cast spells was perceived as slow and cumbersome by his adversaries. They were not afraid or intimidated. One of them swiftly held a shield in his left hand and a rod in his right, aiming at Anello, trying to overpower and pin him down.
Two more heavy warriors had already surrounded him from the flanks, fearless of pain and injury, their Ice Thorns stabbed towards Anello with the speed of venomous snakes.
Anello was caught in a pincer attack. He tried to repel the group of warriors with his magic once again. Suddenly, his already heavy feet were violently pulled. There was another warrior who had thrown a hooked anchor tied with a chain at his feet when he was not paying attention.
The light warrior closed in again, not in a hurry to take action, but took advantage of his companions’ restrictions, seized the opportunity and prepared to strike Anello fatally or continuously interfere.
"You bastards!!"
Anello roared, the grey flame dragon around his body formed a shield, blocking the enemy’s pending assault with the Ice Thorn.
But the Guard Team had been disciplined and planned each step carefully.
One light warrior suddenly accelerated towards Anello, holding the Ice Thorn in both hands, aiming for Anello’s eyes with a fearless determination.
This thrust forced Anello to dodge to protect his eyes.
However, before he could adjust his blurred vision, a heavy warrior had attacked him from behind.
The tall and ruthless figure skillfully and swiftly struck the back of Anello’s head with a blunt weapon, leaving him dizzy. To make matters worse, another warrior wearing brass knuckles, his eyes shining with a lust for blood, bellowed as he punched Anello’s stomach, making Anello feel as if his body had been torn apart by the blow.
