章 306: Assassination
Bakerland, as a Sequence 6 "Instigator," had unwittingly fallen into a series of interlocking traps. While it may have seemed easy, this was due to Ebner's extensive preparations beforehand.
First, using the fourth core altar he had modified, Ebner gained partial control over the embassy's "Guardian Ritual." He disabled the ritual's check on his "psychological invisibility" and arranged to activate barriers with a mere incantation.
Second, he had arrived in the lounge room early, laying a simple setup and using his "Ring of Light" to "notarize" the room, amplifying the effects of his abilities within it.
Third, his investigation over the past few days and his knowledge from the original story gave him insight into Bakerland's personality, allowing him to subtly guide the ambassador's actions through "combat hypnosis" without alerting him to anything unusual. Of course, using "frenzy" and "arrogance" to lower Bakerland's rationality was crucial to his success.
Finally, Ebner employed a "Solomon Coin" to boost his luck and avoid unexpected mishaps...
All these layers of preparation allowed him to lure Bakerland into a pre-set rhythm, forcing the ambassador to waste his spiritual energy on futile attacks against the barriers.
Indeed, Ebner's entire scheme revolved around draining this Sequence 6 ambassador's spiritual energy.
Unlike Mr. A in the original novel, who had semi-divine means and could kill in a single blow (aside from using the "Desolate" effect of Lilith's Tears), Ebner didn't know the extent of Bakerland's mystical artifacts. His best strategy, therefore, was to deplete as much of the man's spiritual energy as possible.
Even using magical artifacts consumes spiritual energy. The more potent the ability, the higher the cost. Klein, in the future, would face near-immediate signs of loss of control when wielding the "Sea God Scepter."
"Combat hypnosis" may sound powerful, but it has limitations. It can prompt unusual behavior, but nothing that endangers the hypnotized person directly; otherwise, they snap out of it immediately.
This was why Ebner hadn't launched a direct attack during Bakerland's time under hypnosis. If Bakerland recovered suddenly and unleashed powerful magical items, it would throw the entire plan into chaos.
While Ebner was confident he could handle Bakerland, he wasn't certain he could resolve everything swiftly and efficiently.
…
As Bakerland conjured fiery snakes and ravens, relentlessly battering the barrier, Cotton Surrey, the chief officer in charge of the embassy's "Guardian Ritual," detected the disturbance.
After a brief survey, he pinpointed the lounge.
However, the ritual's barrier was fortified with a Guardian's extraordinary powers, amplified by the ritual itself. It was impervious to most attacks below Sequence 5—even Sari himself, as the ritual's designer, couldn't breach it.
Unaware that the ritual was triggered abnormally, Surrey initially assumed it had confined some malicious intruder. He summoned a servant to notify the ambassador and the other officers, then headed toward the ritual's core, located in his study.
What Surrey didn't know was that Ebner had tampered with the setup. Surrey couldn't see inside the barrier, but Bakerland could see him from within.
Caught in "frenzy" and "combat hypnosis," Bakerland, mistaking Sari as the mastermind, turned red-eyed and snarled curses. His body ignited in blinding white flames, illuminating him like a miniature sun.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each fireball that exploded against the barrier left deep cracks in the walls, shaking the floor.
Though the guests in the ballroom above remained oblivious, some, sensing a faint tremor, brushed it off…
However, the extraordinary individuals among them were on high alert, particularly the embassy officers summoned by Sari. They felt mounting anxiety.
From the Witch Bianca, they had learned a chilling fact: the ambassador himself was in that very lounge.
…
Inside the lounge, Bakerland had reached his limit after conjuring fireball after fireball. Spiritual depletion left his head throbbing and his control weakening, bringing him painfully close to losing control. He snapped back to lucidity.
With the clarity of a "Instigator," he quickly realized he had fallen into a trap. Whoever set it must still be in the room.
Preparing to taunt the unseen assailant, hoping to buy time to replenish his spiritual energy, Bakerland suddenly felt a sharp, drilling pain in his mind, as if a knife twisted inside. The agony spread through his body, briefly disrupting his rationality.
This was Ebner's low-tier version of the "Interrogator" ability, "Mental Penetration."
Normally, this ability might not have affected Bakerland significantly, as the "Conspirer" was also adept in mental defense…
Unfortunately for Bakerland, his spiritual reserves were dry, and he teetered on the edge of losing control! This mental assault was devastating.
Even in this state, he instinctively reached for his trouser pocket, where something vital was hidden.
But Ebner would never allow him the chance. Seven black flames appeared out of thin air, hurtling toward Bakerland's vitals like bullets.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!
The first four flames struck an invisible "glass" shield, each impact ringing out with a sharp crack. The remaining three, however, pierced through unimpeded, hitting Bakerland's heart, abdomen, and kidneys.
The shattered "glass" was likely produced by one of Bakerland's protective artifacts, but it could withstand only four of the black flames. Its owner, lost in a daze, failed to evade the others.
As the flames entered his body, Bakerland doubled over and began to vomit, expelling charred, flaming organs.
His Sequence 6 vitality, however, kept him alive.
But in the next instant, a sharp "wind blade" sliced through, separating his head from his body. Bakerland's decapitated body collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, Ebner exhaled a long breath.
Killing a mid-sequence Beyonder is no easy task. Even with everything calculated, Bakerland put up quite a fight…
Reflecting for a moment, Ebner quickly moved to Bakerland's body and retrieved a thumb-sized, fully black wooden puppet head from the left breast pocket.
This was a powerful artifact associated with the "Marionettist" path and its "spiritual string" manipulation ability. In the original story, even Mr. A nearly fell prey to this item. Only the "Painful Witch's" afflictions allowed him to barely escape.
Ebner had orchestrated Bakerland's demise precisely to avoid experiencing the puppet's control firsthand, denying the ambassador any opportunity to use his magic items.
Besides, Bakerland might have other magical items that hadn't been mentioned in the original work.
Disappointingly, Ebner found that the puppet head was the only potent artifact on Bakerland. The other items were mostly minor charms for calming or healing, unimpressive to someone of Ebner's skill.
As for the device that created the "glass shield," it had shattered completely and was now useless.
Securing the puppet head in his "Bloodstained Jewelry Box," Ebner glanced at his pocket watch. The time left wouldn't suffice to wait for the ambassador's characteristic to form. Though his modifications to the Guardian Ritual were clever, they weren't comprehensive. Sari would soon regain control.
After casting one last regretful look at Bakerland's corpse, Ebner activated his newly learned "Dream Traversal" and instantly left the embassy, entering the dream of a nearby household.
…
At the same time, Rosago, just about to retrieve the manuscript, was blocked by a spirited lady, with a petite figure in a golden mask standing behind her.
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