Chapter 11: Two Apprentice Heroes

As the police and military forces were mobilized, Li Mingxing naturally identified the source of the orders. However, like the other officers, he could not locate the young man in the police uniform who was issuing them. Mistaking the officer for his primary target, Li Mingxing gave Aisha a misguided command.

Aisha did not question his orders. Upon receiving them, she acted immediately, and several Druids of the Talon from the Dryad Legion charged out. As they emerged, a man accompanied by several gray-skinned Egyptians stepped out from the Egyptian contingent. The moment they appeared, Li Mingxing felt as though he had fallen into a trap, but there was no turning back.

He turned to Zheng and said, "If the Dryad Legion runs into trouble, you will have to step in. Be careful not to get hurt."

"Don't worry, I'll be by your side to protect you," Zheng replied with a smile, drawing a black long spear. This was no longer the spectral weapon she had manifested before; thanks to his recent earnings, Li Mingxing had acquired a high-quality, physical spear for her—rumored to be one of the finest crafted during the Republican era. In the hands of a master, such a weapon could challenge an entire special forces unit. For Zheng, it was the perfect tool to carry out Li Mingxing’s wishes, such as eliminating the enemy commanders.

Zheng kept her eyes fixed on the Egyptian mercenaries. Li Mingxing and Zheng watched as they donned animal masks. Li Mingxing knew this wasn't a costume party; he sensed a strange, inexplicable power radiating from the masks. "Damn it," he muttered coldly. "They’re actually using ancient Egyptian power? How is that even possible?"

As he spoke, the masked men charged toward the forest where Li Mingxing and his group were hiding. Because Aisha and a portion of the Druids were already engaging the police, the path was clear, and the mercenaries reached Li Mingxing without obstruction.

Hidden beneath his cloak of black mist, Li Mingxing’s expression remained impassive. He gestured to Zheng, who thrust her spear toward the throat of the lead attacker. The enemy dodged with incredible speed. Li Mingxing activated his Eye of Deceit and scanned the four attackers. "The third one on the left," he shouted. "He has no light energy signature; his aura has been forcibly suppressed. He is the trainee hero."

The trainee hero was startled, shocked that Li Mingxing possessed such an ability to identify him. Wearing an eagle mask, he immediately tried to retreat, but his movements were slower than his subordinates. As he backed away, vines shot from the ground with a life of their own, entangling him. Zheng abandoned the other enemies to focus solely on him.

However, this trainee hero had more than just rage—he possessed genuine skill. As the spear tip neared his throat, a burst of golden light erupted from his body, blinding Zheng and dispelling Li Mingxing’s black mist. Exposed, the enemy pointed at Li Mingxing and roared, "This is our target! Get him!"

Even the hidden police officer outside heard the cry and realized Li Mingxing was in the forest. He did not attack, however, preferring to lurk among the police, waiting for his moment.

Meanwhile, the Mysterious Villa realized the situation had shifted. They didn't know who the newcomers were, but they were no longer being suppressed by the Egyptian mercenaries. Sensing an opportunity, the young master of the villa contacted his backers. "Bring out the heavy weaponry," he ordered. "The higher-ups have authorized an 'exercise.' As long as we don't strike the city, we can use whatever we want."

"Was this authorized by the elders?"

"Yes, and they warned that if I don't salvage our reputation, the head of the secondary branch will take my place," the young master said. His bodyguards quickly agreed to handle the matter. "By the way," he added, "be careful around that forest. Don't cause trouble there. If possible, send them a sign of goodwill. We never expected such entities to exist in our city; their assistance could prove beneficial in the future."

The bodyguards complied, ensuring that no matter how intense the fighting became, the forest where Li Mingxing hid remained untouched. Li Mingxing remained calm; unlike others, he possessed spectral units capable of moving freely between the inner world and reality.

Under the protection of the Dryad Legion’s spellcasters, the enemies could not get within a step of him. Li Mingxing directed the Druids to bind the trainee hero with vines while Zheng kept up a relentless assault. The trainee hero was bloodied and wounded by intermittent lightning strikes, yet he possessed immense vitality and used incantations to seal his wounds, frustrating Zheng. Since this was Zheng's first real battle against a living opponent, she hesitated to deliver a killing blow, causing the momentum to shift slightly against them.

Aisha had already slain the police commander, but the officers did not descend into chaos. Instead, they aimed their weapons at Aisha and her beast-transformed Druids. Hearing Li Mingxing’s voice in her ear—"Retreat, we miscalculated. Just come back and finish off these Egyptians; the police won't dare enter the woods"—Aisha immediately withdrew into the forest. The hidden officer, who had been waiting for a chance to open fire, missed his window as they vanished into the trees.

The trainee hero was furious but realized it was not the time to act. He had no desire to follow the Egyptians into the forest to die. However, Li Mingxing was not done with him. Leaving the forest combat to Zheng, Li Mingxing turned his attention to the police, searching for the second trainee hero.

Having identified the first, Li Mingxing realized the second must have stealth capabilities. He knew that most trainee heroes were around Level 1; without their stealth active, he might not have spotted them even with the Eye of Deceit. But with the stealth active, his Eye was effective. If he could upgrade the Eye of Deceit to Level 1, he could detect anomalies in the air and pinpoint the enemy's location.

Deciding to act, Li Mingxing spent 1,000 spirit coins. He couldn't wait for the skill to level up naturally. As the coins dissolved into a cold stream of energy that surged into his eyes, a sharp, icy glint flashed in his gaze, locking firmly onto a specific position among the police officers.