Versatile Mage

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

‘The sound of teeth grinding like metallic gears was everywhere.

‘The Sharkmen liked grinding their teeth, as if it would sharpen them. Most importantly, their prey would start to panic when they heard the sound.

‘When their prey was panicking, they would lose the ability to think calmly and run for their lives, making a lot of noise.

As the teeth-grinding noise grew closer, the skinny man began to feel uneasy.

He was not injured. His hiding spot was also concealed. The Sharkmen would only notice him if they came up to the overhead bridge. It was unlikely they knew he was hiding on it.

However, he started moving as if he was recalling the friend whose cries of agony were still echoing in his head. He had an irresistible urge to flee when he imagined the same thing happening to him.

“Don’t be scared, they don’t know you are here,” Mo Fan whispered.

“But what if they do? What if they are just toying with me?” the skinny man nearly screeched.

‘The Sharkmen were sensitive to sounds caused by knocks, like a rolling can, breaking glass, and tapping on a piece of wood, but they were not sensitive to speech and shouting.

“Don’t move,” Mo Fan warned him.

‘The man slowly rose to his feet, placing his hand on the rail to support himself.

The grinding teeth sound was getting closer. It was coming from right under the bridge!

“I told you not to move!” Mo Fan told him.

“What right do you have to order me around?! The others are dead, but I’m still alive! I know how to survive!” the skinny man snarled.

He ran toward Mo Fan.

Mo Fan thought the man was going to escape in the direction Mo Fan had come from. It was not a bad choice, as behind Mo Fan was an alley covered with trash. The pungent smell of the trash would cover the smell of his sweat while he was running away.

However, the fellow suddenly took out a sharp tool as he was brushing past Mo Fan. He sliced at Mo Fan’s arm with it.

A tiny cut was left on Mo Fan’s arm, along with a moment of burning pain.

By the time Mo Fan realized what was happening, the skinny man had already reached the bottom of the stairs and disappeared into the trash-covered alley beyond.

The cut on Mo Fan’s arm was very shallow. The box knife was not covered in poison, either.

However, Mo Fan immediately heard the teeth-grinding sound coming from all directions. He had no idea how many Sharkmen were coming toward him!

‘The cut was so shallow that he was only bleeding slightly, but the smell of his blood had spread through the air with great speed. The Sharkmen were extremely sensitive to blood. The little cut was like a bright light in the gray world they were seeing. They could sense it from half a district away!

‘The man was long gone, leaving Mo Fan alone on the bridge.

Mo Fan had to admit he had been well-played by the man!

Judging from how unhesitant he was, it was surely not his first time using the same trick. Was it the secret to how he was still alive after so long?

Mo Fan took out a jar of sacred ointment and applied it to the small cut. It immediately stopped the bleeding.

However, it would take half an hour for the smell of blood to disperse completely. Mo Fan would now have to play hide-and-seek with the Sharkmen.

Sharkman Beasts were patrolling in the air above the city, and there were countless Sharkmen in the city, too. Mo Fan could not afford to start a fight before he investigated the clue about the mysterious feather. It would only attract more Sharkmen from other places.

Both stairs of the overhead bridge were now blocked by Sharkmen. The brutes were around three meters tall. Their heads were shaped like polygons, with tiny round eyes and the bone of their large noses sticking out.

They grinned toothily when they saw Mo Fan.

One of the Sharkmen let out a shriek, as if it was extremely pleased with himself. It felt like it was saying, “Little kid, why were you so careless as to cut yourself?”

‘The Dark Material had spread out from under Mo Fan’s feet across the bridge. He had not run away, since the overhead bridge was the perfect cover from the Sharkman Beasts!

The four Sharkmen came closer. Their teeth were still making the same annoying noise.

‘They opened their mouths and exposed their sharp teeth, tightly packed together in circles from their lips to their throats. Their teeth could easily shred every piece of meat they consumed.

Mo Fan waited for them to come closer.

‘Three of the Sharkmen suddenly lunged at Mo Fan. They were incredibly fast, like some of the demon leopards.

‘They were adept hunters. They attacked him from tricky angles, preventing their prey from escaping.

Mo Fan stood there, and finally snapped his fingers.

The floor of the bridge suddenly turned black. Sharp spikes thrust out of the wriggling dark swamp and plunged precisely through the Sharkmen’s mouths.

The spikes went through the Sharkmen’s throats and heads, killing the three Sharkmen instantly. Their dead bodies hung thre, impaled on the spikes, like three pieces of shark skin that had been left to dry. 2

The last Sharkman was stunned. Just as it was about to call for backup, Mo Fan stomped the black floor and fired sharp needles at the Sharkman.

The needles manipulated by the Chaos Element drove into the Sharkman’s head, preventing it from making any sounds by killing it instantly.

‘These Sharkman Elders were experienced in hunting in the city, whether their prey was humans or the Lance Spine Bears. Even though their prey could fight back, they did not expect to encounter a strong human who could kill them in an instant.

Mo Fan used the Darkness to corrode away the four Sharkmen bodies. However, he could not prevent the smell of blood from spreading.

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Mo Fan decided to find somewhere to hide, which should prevent the Sharkmen from trapping him. He did not want them to ruin his investigation!

The Sharkmen’s roars immediately filled the city. A Sharkman Beast also picked up the fast-moving scent.

The smell of blood would constantly be emitted from its owner for half an hour, even if the bleeding stopped. The Sharkmen could follow the scent no matter where the owner went.

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Over a hundred Sharkmen and a Sharkman Beast were chasing Mo Fan after his scent drew their attention..