Chapter 276: Action

At five in the morning, on the third floor of 54 Rue de la Chesnaye, 'Iron Thorn' Bertram was making final preparations before the operation.

"You've already picked up the bombs, right?"

He asked the twelve outlaws standing around the table: "The plan is simple. When the crowds are thickest, toss these bombs into their stores. Those stores have defensive arrays and some magic-energy professionals stationed there, but their strength won't be too great. Also, be careful of the bombs' power—stay at least twenty meters away when they detonate. Understood?"

"Understood!"

But most of the people around the table looked uneasy. Still, they all knew Bertram's temper and dared not argue at this moment.

However, one exception was 'Phantom Heart' Delon, seated on the left side of the table.

"Lord Bertram, our enemy is just that little brat from the Wiltonshire family. Is the power of these bombs appropriate? Isn't it excessive? If we follow your plan, this will be a massacre killing over a thousand people and will also damage buildings within fifty meters. This won't just offend the local powers in Atlanta; it will also push our Dragon Witch Cult into the spotlight. All official agencies in America will join the siege against our cult."

"Of course I know!"

Bertram's eyes were blood-red as he coldly stared at 'Phantom Heart' Delon: "This is precisely the will of the Lord! No one can anger the Dragon Witch Cult and not pay the price! This operation is a warning to the people of Atlanta. Our Dragon Lady is missing, with no response to our prayers. Do you think a helpless little brat could have done that? We need to drag out that kid named Andre and find out the truth. Before that, we must warn the Atlanta Magic Tower Committee. If they dare interfere, we'll turn this city into ruins!"

'Phantom Heart' Delon frowned, still feeling it was wrong, but wisely chose not to argue further.

"Delon! I came to this city to bring it blood and fire, so stop talking such nonsense, okay? Don't forget your sin—only the blood of Andre Lee Wiltonshire can cleanse it now."

'Iron Thorn' Bertram clenched his fists, producing a sound like popping soybeans.

"We'll start with his electronics stores. We need to make him understand the consequences of opposing our Dragon Witch Cult. Within ten days at most, I'll crush his bones one by one—"

Just then, a 'thud' came from the wall beside them. Amidst flying gravel, a black bullet pierced through, heading straight for 'Phantom Heart' Delon's brow. His face changed drastically as he instinctively dodged, activating his defensive artifacts and some magic-energy scrolls the moment he sensed danger.

But the bullet still forced its way through layers of shields and force barriers, accurately piercing his forehead—though slightly off, about an inch from the center.

This didn't end Delon's life; such is the tenacity of a high-level outlaw, especially one with ample funds. As most of Delon's head exploded, a holy white scroll triggered, instantly restoring the lost part of his body.

But at that moment, four more sniper rifle bullets pierced through from both sides simultaneously.

Bertram felt a chill run down his spine. He roared and flung a table knife from his hand, managing to deflect only one bullet. The other three sniper rounds hit their target, and the exploding flames and shrapnel tore Delon's body to shreds in an instant!

Bertram stared in horror toward the window, his heart sinking to an icy low.

A shooter near 19S level, plus four magic-energy shooters or hunters with 17S marksmanship? Such a luxurious sniper lineup—which faction was moving against them? The military? FBI? Nathan Sports Group? Or the Wiltonshire family?

But after just one breath, Bertram's emotions turned to fury. His body began to swell, dragon scales emerged on his surface, transforming into a half-dragon form, while a suit of thorny armor spread from his wrists to cover his entire body.

Bertram was a 19th-level Dragon-Blooded Sorcerer, also multiclassed as a 14th-level Druid, and his beast form was the half-dragon, allowing him to maximize his strength. The holy artifact 'Iron Thorn Gauntlets' on his hands boosted his power and defense to near-legendary levels!

At that moment, he heard a woman's sharp command: "Nature's Decree!"

As a green radiance spread in from outside, Bertram's half-dragon transformation abruptly halted, and the thick dragon scales receded by half.

This was the divine power of the Nature Goddess, suppressing Bertram's beast form.

An instant later, the wall in front of them crashed open, and a heavily armored woman burst through the dust.

"Dainn Stacy!"

Bertram's eyes were bloodshot, for at that moment, four of his subordinates were picked off one by one by the top-tier snipers, killed on the spot.

"Eamon Bertram!"

Dainn's eyes flashed silver as she swung the holy sword Dimos, clashing with Bertram's mountain-like body, now over two and a half meters tall. The residual force from their first blow reduced all the furniture and even the building materials on this floor to powder, and all the glass turned to dust. The powerful shockwave extended over 120 meters outside.

At the same time, clusters of black light spread around, enveloping Bertram's body. These were Dark Realm runestones, attempting to pull him into the Dark World.

"You wish!"

Bertram had already exchanged four blows with Dainn, using his immense draconic strength to make her stagger backward, nearly falling off the building. But during this time, the heads of his subordinates exploded into bloody mist one by one—picked off without any resistance by the five powerful snipers.

This only fueled Bertram's rage. He wanted revenge, to turn the entire block into a sea of fire and death. He could see that Dainn and her group seemed unwilling to involve innocents, but he was determined to thwart their wishes.

At that moment, a runestone hanging from his belt responded to his will, emitting a glow to resist the pull of the four Dark Realm runestones around him.

But the next instant, a red beam shot from afar, striking Bertram's body.

The beam had no killing power, but it caused almost all of Bertram's magical items—except the Iron Thorn Gauntlets—to fall into disorder and malfunction.

This was the 15th-level spell 'Antimagic Ray'. The moment it hit, it nullified Bertram's resistance to the Dark Realm runestones.

The Dragon Witch Cult's red-robed bishop vanished from the building an instant later. At the same time, Dainn Stacy also disappeared.

The two were already clashing again in a forested area of the Dark World. The light of the holy sword Dimos illuminated the dark woods, while the half-dragon opposite Dainn grew even more frenzied.

"You're asking for death!"

With this roar, countless iron-hard thorns burst forth from all directions.