The moment Pat turned his head, he saw Lin Mo swinging his short blade, plunging it into his companion's heart.

"Always target the ADC first in team fights - such a basic concept, and you guys don't even know that?"

Lin Mo swiftly withdrew his blade while speaking, simultaneously dodging the rapier's slash.

Truth be told, the enemy wasn't completely unprepared. Mero, the agility-focused swift warrior, had specifically stayed by the ranger's side for protection, while their other warrior engaged Evan.

Although Mero's agility wasn't much inferior to Lin Mo's, the Level 2 [Stealth] skill completely caught him off guard. Protecting someone else while counterattacking was an entirely different concept from personal defense.

The end result was Lin Mo successfully eliminating his target before Mero's sword could even swing toward him, with Lin Mo predicting the move and effortlessly evading it.

"Mero, what are you doing?"

Pat shouted angrily.

As fellow assassins, allowing the enemy to kill a teammate right before your eyes was undoubtedly utterly humiliating.

Especially after he had just boasted about taking care of Lin Mo.

Mero, however, had no time to respond as Lin Mo, after dodging the rapier attack, immediately launched a fierce assault directly at him.

Their distance was close - precisely where the short blade held the advantage.

Lin Mo's short blade moved in rapid, fluid motions, his attacks coming in relentless waves. Mero, already harboring fear toward him, fought hesitantly and could only defend passively, completely falling into Lin Mo's rhythm.

"Clang—! Clang—!"

Blade tip met sword edge, continuously producing crisp metallic sounds. Mero, being a speed-oriented swift warrior, barely managed to keep up with Lin Mo's movements.

But...

The muddy ground beneath them showed clear "scratch marks" with each step. After another direct clash, Mero uncontrollably staggered backward, his arm numb and trembling violently.

Swift warriors didn't possess the raw, brute strength of regular warriors. Although Lin Mo's originally weak strength had only reached the normal level of 5 points after adding 1 point, not exceeding his opponent's, he still had skills.

Every one or two blade exchanges, he would suddenly execute a "Slash" skill, catching his opponent completely off guard.

Just like how game bosses had fast and slow attack patterns, his tactic could be called deep and shallow blade strikes.

Mero simply couldn't determine which of Lin Mo's attacks would be light or heavy - it was like solving a puzzle. Within just two or three seconds, he had already become flustered.

Fortunately, this awkward situation didn't last long. A throwing dagger shot from the side, heading straight for Lin Mo's temple.

Lin Mo could only reluctantly choose to retreat, his offensive momentum broken.

Trying to gamble on taking down one first - seemed he had been too optimistic.

These opponents weren't pushovers. Stat-wise, they completely matched him. Aside from succeeding in the initial ambush, victory wouldn't come easily.

Pat, finally catching up, burned with rage. Holding his short blade, he charged directly at Lin Mo, his movements decisive and sharp, reminding Lin Mo of the old assassin he had killed yesterday.

Blocking this strike and preparing to counter, Lin Mo found Mero nearby, having caught his breath during the brief respite, now recovered and thrusting his rapier toward Lin Mo's waist.

"Thrust!"

This attack was noticeably faster than usual. Lin Mo's pupils constricted, his body reacting instinctively before his mind could process, dodging on reflex.

Even so, the sword edge grazed past his waist, leaving a thin trail of blood.

What followed was a relentless series of attacks.

Lin Mo, fighting two against one, found himself forced into continuous retreat, accumulating more wounds, with dangerous moments occurring frequently.

On the other side, Bern was also locked in a difficult battle, completely suppressed by the enemy leader.

Knight classes never held the advantage in one-on-one combat, especially against an opponent slightly stronger than himself. Merely holding his ground without being broken through was already quite an achievement.

The only silver lining was probably Evan's situation.

Since Lin Mo had successfully eliminated the enemy ranger, they now had a two-against-one advantage. With Miriam's assistance, Evan not only withstood the attacks but even seized an opening when the enemy dodged an arrow, delivering a powerful slash to his arm that left a deep wound.

Fighting two opponents while injured put him at a severe disadvantage. It wouldn't be long before he would be defeated.

As long as Evan and the others could free themselves, the battle's momentum would shift in their favor!

Thinking this, Lin Mo blocked another sword strike from his opponent and prepared to habitually dodge the other assassin's attack, only to find he had disappeared at some point.

Not good!

Lin Mo's heart leaped into his throat as he looked toward the central battlefield.

"Uncle Bern, be careful!"

Pat wasn't foolish. Knowing the battle situation was turning against them and that they risked complete failure if things continued, he quickly regained his composure and abandoned his deadlock with Lin Mo.

The instant Lin Mo's warning reached his ears, Bern already felt a chilling sensation approaching from his side and rear.

Simultaneously, the leader in front of him roared angrily and brought his sword down in a heavy slash.

No time to dodge!

In that critical moment, years of accumulated combat experience allowed Bern to instantly make the most correct decision.

"Shield Bash!"

He stomped the ground forcefully, advancing instead of retreating, charging directly forward.

"Clang—!"

A dull impact sound echoed as veins bulged across Bern's entire body, his face turning red with strain, yet he stubbornly withstood the leader's powerful strike.

The next instant, a short blade stabbed into his shoulder blade, blocked by the tough bone structure.

Bern's reaction completely exceeded Pat's expectations. Even though he quickly adjusted the blade's angle, he still failed to hit a vital spot.

Just as Pat prepared to follow up with another strike, Miriam timely shot an arrow from the other side, forcing him back.

This bought enough time for Lin Mo to arrive.

Witnessing the heart-stopping scene before him, Lin Mo felt cold sweat for both Bern and himself.

He had been too naive about combat, only considering his own situation while forgetting that enemies could also think and devise their own strategies.

Pat's plan had been to capture the leader first - ambush Bern. As long as they eliminated him, even if that waste Mero got taken out, once their leader became free, the rest would be completely insignificant!

The reality was indeed exactly that. Lin Mo could handle the rapier warrior and wasn't afraid of the assassin, but only against their leader - whether in direct combat or ambush - did he stand almost no chance of victory.

Fortunately, Bern's response had been perfect, preventing the enemy's plan from succeeding.

Even so, the current battlefield situation remained quite grim.

Their strongest fighter Bern was injured, with pursuers closing in urgently. Locally, it had become him and the wounded Bern facing three opponents.

They had no choice but to gamble everything!

Using his forward momentum, Lin Mo thrust his short blade directly at the enemy assassin's throat while his left hand quietly reached toward his waist...

Pat remained completely calm. Their brief earlier exchange had already given him a clear understanding of Lin Mo's strength - indeed not weak. Master Taine's death at his hands wasn't unjustified, but that was all. They were roughly evenly matched, so there was no need to fear him.

Moreover, Lin Mo's current actions, in Pat's view, were practically suicidal.