<h4>Chapter 262: A Stage 4 Enemy?</h4>


    ius looked at the mess before him and eximed in his heart.


    ‘So this is Locke’s true strength!’


    Hathaway looked at her lover’s valiant and heroic bearing and felt an endless sense of pride in her heart.


    It was as if she was shouting to the world, “That’s my lover.”


    After defeating the city lord, Locke returned his Divine Dragon and his fused beast into his system space.


    At this moment, ius came back to his senses and immediately walked to Locke’s side. He said with a serious expression, “Are you the culprit behind the Daemons attacking Mountain City?”


    Locke frowned slightly before answering, “Before this, you helped me and said that you wanted to seek an exnation for me. That’s why I went along with you. Now, in the blink of an eye, you’re asking if I’ve harmed the citizens of Mountain City?”


    “Before this, I couldn’t sense any aura rted to the Daemons from you, so I concluded that you weren’t the person who plotted the invasion. However, after witnessing the city lord fight you to the death, my faith has begun to waver.” Eckstedt said sadly, “Because the city lord will never do anything to harm the people of Mountain City. I’ve been with him for more than a decade, I’m certain of this.”


    “I said it wasn’t me. If you don’t believe me, feel free to duel me then,” Locke said calmly.


    He was not angry at ius.


    After all, as both of them were on different sides, Locke had never fully trusted ius.


    “No, it’s not that I don’t trust you. I only wish to get to the bottom of this.” Following this, ius then summoned his Battle Beast to go after his lord.


    Locke did not stop ius. After all, ius had shown no malice towards him.


    Before long, ius had made it all the way to the outside of the city.


    “There’s a pit there.”


    He immediately ordered his Battle Beast tond.


    Upon arriving at the pit, he sensed his city lord’s aura.


    “Where… Where’s the city lord?”


    ius looked around.


    The city lord had been heavily wounded by Locke. As such, it was impossible for him to disappear without leaving a trace.


    Nevertheless, even after a thorough search, ius could not find any traces of anyone leaving the scene.


    “This isn’t right.”


    ius was extremely puzzled by this.


    “What are you looking for?”


    Suddenly, a sinister voice sounded from behind him.


    This made ius’ expression change. Cold sweat immediately broke out on his back, wetting his clothes.


    However, he felt that the voice was somewhat familiar, and thus, he turned his head to look.


    Meeting his gaze was Asg with a sinister smile on his face.


    “Why are you here?”


    ius asked coldly.


    “If you can be here, why can’t I be here?” Asg answered casually.


    However, the smile on his face gave ius a very dangerous feeling.


    “You shouldn’t be here.”


    ius shouted, “Speak, why are you here!? where is the city lord?”


    “Hahaha!”


    Asgughed crazily, as if he had lost his mind.


    “Why shouldn’t I be here? Then. by what right are you supposed to be here?”


    As he spoke, he slowly approached ius.


    ius’ gut had told him to run.


    He shouted sternly, “Don’te over, or don’t me me for harming my colleagues.”


    “Have you really treated me as your colleague before?” There was an endless gloom in Asg’s words.


    ius circted his mana and said, “If you take another step forward, I will attack!”


    However, as soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and his eyes were filled with shock.


    “I can’t channel my mana??’ ius mentally eximed.


    With a sinister smile, Asg said, “Looks like you’ve already noticed it.”


    “Are you the one causing trouble?” ius looked at him in shock and anger.


    “That’s right, it’s me. There’s a magic array set up here that can restrict everyone’s mana. As long as you’re not a Stage 4 Beastmaster, you won’t be able to overpower this restriction,” Asg said with a cold smile. He slowly walked up to ius, “But I’m not restricted, so you are at my mercy.”


    “What are you doing?” ius attempted to retreat, but he realized that no matter how hard he tried, he could not take even half a step back. It was as if he was bound by something.


    “Don’t waste your energy. The array restricts even space! Only death awaits you!”


    Asg condensed his mana into a dagger and stabbed it fiercely into ius’ heart.


    “Pfft!”


    Blood sttered in the air, causing Asg’s face to turn red.


    However, he did not feel guilty for killing hispanion.


    On the contrary, he enjoyed the smell of blood in the air.


    “Since you’re going to die, I’ll tell you everything.”


    Asg whispered in ius’ ear, “I was the one who tempted the city lord to invite the Daemons into Mountain City. It had nothing to do with Locke and Hathaway. I just needed their blood. I would charge him with a false usation, and the imperial guards would kill him without hesitation. Who asked you to meddle in other people’s business?”


    “I didn’t think that Locke would be so powerful. As such, I have no choice but to use your blood as well as the city lord’s toplete my blood sacrifice!” After saying that, Asg suddenly pulled out his dagger and caused ius’ blood to flow out of his heart like a waterfall.


    “You…”


    ius gradually lost consciousness, and the power in his body also gradually dissipated. His body slowly fell to the ground.


    His eyes were filled with unwillingness, regret, and anger…


    If he could muster up a bit of strength, he would definitely fight to the death with Asgard.


    Plop..


    After ius fell…


    A magic circle that flickered with red light appeared on the ground.


    The magic circle absorbed all his blood, leaving only a dried corpse.


    “Hahahaha! ! !”


    Asgughed maniacally, and his eyes were filled with uncontroble excitement.


    “Finally… Finally, I’vepleted the blood sacrifice!”


    ck fog emerged and wrapped around his body.


    Asg disappeared from where he was.


    The next moment, he appeared in a cave.


    The altar in the center of the cave was consuming the pool of blood around it, and it was emitting a dazzling scarlet light.


    The altar exploded with mana, shaking the entire cave, and causing rocks to fall from time to time.


    Asg walked forward and stood in the center of the altar.


    As he chanted, mana exploded from the altar like ferocious beasts, crazily rushing into his body.


    “Ah!”


    Feeling the expansion of the mana in his body, Asg felt that his body was about to explode.


    However, his scream was not that of fear. Instead, it was filled with excitement.


    “I’m going to advance to Stage 4! Hahaha!”


    His shout spread throughout Mountain City.


    Even Locke and Hathaway, who were thousands of miles away, could hear it.


    “Who is it?!”


    They suddenly turned their heads and looked in the direction of the cave.


    They saw a blood red cloud condensing in the sky.


    An unimaginable amount of mana was condensing on that spot.