Reyn took several steps and suddenly stopped.
Zoltan emerged from the temple, having finished copying the runes. Seeing Roger's state, he exclaimed:
"Roger, how are you? Badly hurt?"
Roger pressed a hand to his side, blood seeping through his fingers.
He shook his head and rasped:
"Fine, won't die."
Zoltan sighed in relief and approached to support his old friend. Reyn too stepped forward with concern, ready to help.
Bang!
The gunshot made Zoltan jump in surprise.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Reyn had fired. Somehow, he had drawn the shotgun and aimed at Roger's head.
The shot was completely unexpected, the distance only seven or eight steps. Roger could not dodge. Dozens of small steel pellets tore into his head, leaving bloody holes. Half his face became a bloody pulp.
"Reyn, what are you doing?!" Zoltan shouted in shock.
Reyn did not answer, continuing to fire. Bang-bang-bang. Several shots in a row. Buckshot engulfed Roger's upper body like rain.
By now, Roger had reacted and activated Kwen Shield.
Perhaps due to his wounds, his soul force was weakened, and the shield was far from its usual strength. Under the buckshot barrage, it flickered intensely, on the verge of breaking.
"Reyn, stop!" Zoltan yelled angrily, drawing his spirit rifle and aiming at Reyn.
Reyn knew full well the power of Zoltan's spiritual rifle—it was far stronger than ordinary marksmen's weapons; even Steel Body at level two wouldn't withstand a direct hit. Moreover, the distance between them was just three steps; they stood almost shoulder to shoulder. At such a range, dodging a bullet was impossible.
There was no way out. Reyn lowered his weapon.
Roger, who had taken several shotgun blasts, didn't counterattack. He just stood there, looking horrific, staring at Reyn with bewilderment and hurt in his eyes.
"This isn't Master Roger," Reyn said, eyeing the "Roger" warily and immediately explaining.
Zoltan froze, doubt reflecting on his face.
He turned and scrutinized Roger closely. Appearance, armor, steel sword in hand, even voice and manner of speaking—everything matched the real one.
Roger's face showed innocence. He spread his arms:
"Reyn, what are you talking about? If I'm not Roger, then who am I?"
"Hm..." Reyn smirked coldly. This guy had oriented himself quickly. Hearing Zoltan say Reyn's name, he immediately tried to use it. Another might have believed him.
"If you're Roger, then what's his name?" Reyn pointed at the dwarf nearby.
"Roger" looked at Zoltan, opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat. His face froze.
Bam!
Another shot rang out. This time from Zoltan. Without the slightest hesitation. Runes on his spiritual rifle glowed, and powerful phlogiston bullets flew at the impostor one after another.
The golden shield reappeared, blocking the bullets.
But this time "Roger" didn't stand still under fire.
His expression turned strange. Though he still wore Roger's face, the vibe was completely different—his gaze turned sinister, his aura steeped in evil. This was a wholly different person.
Yet this unknown enemy had the same abilities as Roger.
He moved incredibly fast. Dropping the wounded act, he charged forward through the hail of bullets. The long sword in his hand, indistinguishable from "Wolf Fang," glowed red-hot. The blazing blade lunged at Zoltan.
Shots thundered. Reyn rapidly squeezed the trigger, emptying the magazine, but to little effect. Against superhumans of legendary level, the shotgun was too weak.
He tossed the rifle aside and drew the battle hammer "Icebreaker" from his dragonhide belt.
At the same time, he activated Dragon Power.
In just one or two seconds, "Roger" was upon them. Forming a seal with his left hand, he thrust his palm forward.
It was Roger's most commonly used Ice Roar.
Boom!
An invisible force of cold crashed over them like an icy wall. Zoltan was knocked off his feet, losing balance. Reyn, having maxed out Steel Body in advance, stood firm like a statue. The Ice Roar impact coated him in frost.
"Roger" seized the moment and closed in with one step, raising the red-hot sword over Zoltan's neck.
A spectral dragon head emerged. Reyn's power surged; he shook off the icy bonds and immediately Charged, slamming into "Roger." The battle hammer thrust forward.
The heavy hammer whistled through the air.
"Roger" paled slightly. He abandoned the attack on the dwarf and altered his sword's trajectory.
He turned sideways to Reyn. The long sword arced—he didn't block the hammer head-on but at an impossibly precise angle directed the blade tip upward, aiming to slit Reyn's throat while evading the Charge.
The move was masterfully executed; any legendary swordman would be proud.
But Reyn acted against all logic.
He ignored the sword and, slightly adjusting his Charge direction—as if he'd rehearsed the motion countless times—first shattered the golden shield with a hammer strike, then inexorably crashed into "Roger."
A dull thud. "Roger" flew back.
The immense force hurled him over ten meters, like a wild beast had bowled him over. Even in midair, pain pierced his body. Before impact, he'd seen his sword graze Reyn's neck, but only sparks flew.
Reyn's Charge ended.
His mind stayed razor-sharp. This Roger was a fake, but he wielded the same legendary power as the real one.
The clash succeeded only due to surprise. For a legendary warrior, such a blow wasn't fatal—likely not even serious injury.
If he didn't seize this chance, he and Zoltan wouldn't survive today.
The enemy was a legend; Reyn couldn't relax for a second.
He took a deep breath and, sparing no effort, Charged again.
Charge at level four covered nearly thirty meters, with speed far higher than level one. But before Reyn covered half the distance, "Roger" was already on his feet. With a cold glint in his eyes, he fearlessly charged to meet him.
"Roger" lacked Charge, but his speed was no less.
He zigzagged, his figure blurring to throw Reyn off. Strangely, no matter how he shifted, Reyn synced his path. The Charge trajectory became a wavy line.
In under two seconds, they changed direction three times but still collided like magnets.
Bam!
Ice Roar struck Reyn, slowing him for an instant.
The hammer swung up and crashed down with berserk force.
"Roger" dodged with lightning speed. With superior agility, he evaded—the hammer missed by centimeters. Seizing the moment, "Roger" struck with his sword like a venomous snake, landing several hits on Reyn's body.
Reyn's clothes had burned off trying to lift Mjolnir, leaving his torso bare.
Clang-clang-clang! Metal clashing.
The sword struck Reyn's body, sparking, but left only faint scratches on his skin.
"Roger's" eyes widened in surprise. Before he could strike again, Reyn's belt suddenly glowed, unleashing a wave of dull violet energy.
Secret Explosion!
A deafening roar echoed through the dungeon. "Roger," caught off guard, was hurled back by the blast wave.
He landed awkwardly; the residual force pushed him another three or four steps before he regained balance. He glanced at his sword—several nicks marred the blade.
"Roger" looked at Reyn with a strange expression.
"Steel Body... and you wield spells too... Blasphemer, what's your class?" he couldn't help asking.
Bam!
A shot answered.
Zoltan had finally risen, quickly reloading. One shot pierced "Roger's" Quen Shield. The bullet tore into his shoulder, leaving a ragged wound.
"Bastard, taste my armor-piercing rounds!" Zoltan roared furiously, aiming at "Roger" and firing nonstop. These armor-piercing rounds were designed to punch through various shields, with high fire rate and penetration.
"Roger" dodged several bullets but took another. A new bloody flower bloomed on his body.
His figure vanished abruptly, melting into shadow.
Shooting stopped. Zoltan lost his target and scanned around, hunting the invisible foe.
Reyn slowly backed toward Zoltan, his gaze darting—as if unsure of the enemy's position. In truth, he saw "Roger" clearly. Under Will of Truth, nothing hid from his sight.
"Roger," using the dungeon shadows, made a wide loop.
He sneaked up from the left flank unseen, eyes fixed on Zoltan. Clearly, he aimed to eliminate the dwarf with his powerful spiritual rifle first.
Reyn stood with his back to "Roger." He activated a soul element, and a rainbow orb formed on his chest.
Since merging with Will of Truth, his spellcasting speed had soared. Even Reynbow Ray of the second circle cast in under a second. No gestures needed—he could release from anywhere around him.
In an instant, as the spell neared completion, Reyn spun to face "Roger."
The direct Reynbow Ray burst forth.
Second-circle Reynbow Ray had eight-meter range, thicker beam, more negative effects.
In a flash, it hit the invisible "Roger."
Shadowy and shieldless, it struck his chest dead-on. No blood. His body hardened instantly, skin turning grayish-white. He froze like stone, a statue.
Petrification took effect.
Zoltan seized the chance, unleashing full-auto fire.
The entire magazine of armor-piercing rounds riddled "Roger." Holes pocked the stone statue, turning it sieve-like.
Reyn Charged and smashed his battle hammer down.
The statue shattered into rubble.
"He's dead?" Zoltan shouted, reloading.
Reyn eyed the debris and shook his head uncertainly.
You couldn't kill a legendary superhuman that easily. Petrification shouldn't turn a legend to stone, let alone hold post-death without blood.
Most importantly—no soul fled the body.
A bizarre shortsword lay amid the rubble.
It had mimicked Roger's steel Wolf Fang perfectly before, but now revealed its true form.
Short, under half a meter, the twisted blade seemed alive. A translucent caterpillar coiled the hilt, utterly sinister.
In Soul Eye's view, the caterpillar bore a soul.
Before Reyn could destroy the sword, it flared and vanished.
The rubble vanished with it. The "solid" stones dissolved like soap bubbles—pure illusion.
Reyn tensed instantly, spinning to hunt the enemy.
Soul Eye and Will of Truth scanned hundreds of meters. Any motion registered in his mind. He spotted something odd right away.
The bizarre sword, teleporting through void like Blink, reappeared over two hundred meters ahead.
It hovered in darkness, as if held. A hand emerged from the hilt, then forearm, shoulder, torso, head, legs. In seconds, a full figure materialized.
This man no longer resembled Roger. An unremarkable middle-aged stranger.
Plain features, black eyes and hair. Clad in tight leather armor like a Shadow Warrior.
His gaze was cold and sinister.
That was enough for Reyn to realize—this was the same "Roger." Likely his true form.
Reyn was surprised he could view this man with Soul Eye unscathed. Previously, the power gap repelled him from legends.
He recalled: since peeking at Roger's soul last time, he'd avoided scanning legendary souls.
"Has my power grown enough to ignore backlash?"
Reyn pondered, but now wasn't the time. He focused on the enemy—over twenty elements!
Shadow Slip, Balance, Feline Grace, Swift Run, Tear, Slash, Blade Dance, Precise Throw, Illusion, Transformation, Illusory Sight, Hypnosis, Invisible Hand, Cloak, Smoke Screen, Fire Jump, Prolonged Endurance, Medium Self-Heal, Mind Control, Position Swap, Mimicry, Ghost Clone...
The sheer number chilled Reyn.
He finally grasped legendary superhumans' might and this man's class.
Undoubtedly, a Trickster!
If right, this was Shadow Blade's second-in-command Malish mentioned—mid-rank legendary Trickster Harken.
The thought sank Reyn's heart.
If Harken was here outside the temple, something bad had likely befallen Master Roger.
But something nagged.
Harken was mid-rank legendary Trickster, yet his prior power didn't match. Weaker than entry-rank legend Roger.
Reyn's thoughts raced. Spotting Ghost Clone, it clicked.
Just a Harken clone!
Reyn wanted to warn Zoltan it was Harken's clone, but the distant Harken hurled his bizarre shortsword hard.
The sword became a streak of light, crossing over two hundred meters instantly, right upon them.
A spectral figure followed, Blink-like, hand grasping the hilt. Harken's clone.
Position Swap!
Reyn's pupils narrowed. He raised his battle hammer, bracing.
But something more shocking happened. The clone grew rapidly, muscles bulging, features sharpening handsome—becoming Reyn's exact copy.
Seeing an enemy identical to himself shook Reyn to his core.
Zoltan gaped too.
Strangest: Harken, now as Reyn, seemed stunned by the new body. He froze, face in utter shock.