Supreme Warlock System : From Zero to Ultimate With My Wives-Chapter 278: The Abyssal Labyrinth [Part 3]

Warlock Ch 278. The Abyssal Labyrinth [Part 3]

She gave him a dry look. "That wasn't a compliment."

"Wasn't it?"

Selena huffed but didn't respond. Damian just chuckled again.

They walked for a few more minutes before Damian suddenly stopped. Selena noticed immediately.

"What is it?" she asked.

Damian's expression didn't change, but his voice dropped slightly. "We're not alone."

"Monsters?"

"No," he said slowly, eyes scanning the shifting darkness around them. "Other participants."

Selena's eyes flickered. "They're watching us."

"Mm-hm," Damian hummed. "Waiting for the right moment."

Selena turned slightly, scanning the shadows. "How many?"

Damian tilted his head, listening. "Three. Maybe four."

"And what do we do?"

He grinned. "We wait."

"For what?"

"For them to make the first move."

Selena narrowed her eyes. "And if they don't?"

"Oh, they will," Damian said, rolling his shoulders. "People get impatient when they think they have the upper hand."

Selena didn't argue, but she kept her senses sharp, waiting for the inevitable.

And sure enough, a few moments later, the air shifted.

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A faint rustling. A flicker of movement.

Then—an attack.

Damian smirked.

"Finally."

Damian smirked as the first masked combat mage lunged at them, a blade wreathed in crackling energy aimed straight for his throat. He shifted his weight at the last moment, dodging effortlessly as the blade sliced through empty air. His grin widened. "Oh, you guys are quick. This might actually be fun."

Selena moved beside him, her stance shifting into a defensive posture. Unlike Damian, who treated this like a game, she was focused, her entire body coiled like a spring, ready to strike. The second attacker closed in, hands glowing with golden sigils as he unleashed a wave of arcane energy straight at them.

Damian clicked his tongue and raised a hand. [Shadow Barrier]! A shimmering dark field erupted between them, absorbing the blast in an instant. The force sent ripples through the air, but Damian didn't even flinch. "Nice try," he muttered. "But you're gonna have to do better than that."

The third and fourth assailants circled from the sides, their movements coordinated, precise. Damian noted their form—trained, disciplined, and moving with lethal intent. These weren't just random participants trying to eliminate the competition. No, they had a specific target.

His eyes flickered toward Selena.

They weren't after the sigils.

They were after her.

His smirk faltered slightly. "Huh. That's interesting."

Selena didn't respond, too focused on the mage in front of her. The attacker raised his hands, the glowing runes on his arms shifting as he chanted under his breath. A second later, chains of golden light shot forward, wrapping around her wrists like living snakes.

Selena gritted her teeth and yanked back, but the bindings held firm. "Watch out!"

"On it," he cut in, already moving. He extended a hand, [Dark Chains]! The magic roared to life as his own obsidian-black chains surged forward, slamming into the golden ones, shattering them in an instant.

Selena broke free, flipping backward just in time to avoid a blade aimed for her ribs. She landed smoothly, her violet eyes flashing with understanding. "They're trying to capture me," she said.

"Yup," Damian confirmed, blocking another strike from an enemy's sword with a flick of his wrist. "So, princess, who did you piss off enough to get assassins after you?"

Selena didn't answer immediately. Instead, she ducked under a sweeping attack, twisting her body mid-air as she delivered a sharp kick to her opponent's chest, sending him staggering back. "Does it matter?"

"Not really," Damian admitted, stepping forward. His magic surged around him, dark energy crackling at his fingertips. "But it does make this more interesting."

Two attackers charged him at once, one from the front, the other from the side. Damian grinned, [Spectral Surge]! His speed skyrocketed as he twisted his body, narrowly avoiding both strikes. In the same motion, he flicked his hand forward, [Arcane Bolt]! A streak of blue energy shot through the darkness, slamming into the chest of the closest attacker, sending them flying into a nearby wall.

The other assassin didn't hesitate, swinging his enchanted sword in a deadly arc. Damian tilted his head, almost lazily, before catching the blade mid-air with his bare hand.

The assassin's masked face showed the barest hint of shock.

Damian grinned. "What, you thought that would work?"

His grip tightened. Magic pulsed through his veins. [Blood Manipulation]! The veins in the assassin's arm bulged as Damian forced his own blood to rebel against him. The attacker gasped, dropping the sword, staggering back as his muscles seized. He did it in secret as if the attacker made a mistake.

Selena took advantage of the opening. She darted in, moving with effortless speed, and slammed her elbow into the assassin's throat, following up with a sweeping kick that sent him crashing to the ground. She exhaled sharply, eyes flicking to Damian. "You're enjoying this."

"Of course I am," Damian said cheerfully. "A surprise assassination attempt? That's a lot more fun than just killing monsters."

Selena didn't reply, but he caught the faintest twitch of her lips before she turned back to the remaining two opponents.

One of them, the mage who had tried to bind her earlier, had stepped back, hands weaving through the air as he summoned a massive sigil beneath their feet.

Damian's grin faded. "Oh, that's not good."

The ground beneath them trembled as glowing golden spikes shot upward, forming an intricate magic formation that expanded outward like an ever-growing cage.

Selena's eyes narrowed. "They're sealing us in."

"Yeah," Damian muttered. "That's annoying."

The last assassin lunged toward Selena, his hands wreathed in a violet aura, his fingers curling like claws. A hex, if he had to guess. If that landed, it would either paralyze or transmute her into something weak.

Not happening.

Damian moved, [Hellfire Spear]! A burning spear materialized in his hand, glowing with searing heat. He hurled it forward, the weapon slicing through the air before piercing the assassin's shoulder. The impact sent him staggering back, his hex unraveling into nothing.

Selena wasted no time. She dashed forward, her hands glowing with raw mana as she formed a blade of pure energy in an instant.