Close Combat Mage
chapter-341

Chapter 341 – The Reappearance of the Enemy Traces Pt. 2

Seeing Nicole remain silent, Suo Jia didn’t bother with any further justifications. Instead, he directly stretched his hand out and plucked the Concealment ring off his finger, stuffing it into Nicole’s palm. “Everyone’s comrades with each other. If there’s anything you want to say, just say it straight out. Although this ring is indeed quite amazing, it will only exhibit the true limit of its abilities in your hands.”

“You!” Nicole stared at the ring in her palm in astonishment, then raised her head to look back at Suo Jia as she cried out, “You…you’re really giving this ring to me?”

Impatiently waving his hand, Suo Jia firmly replied, “I’m not a money-grubbing boss or anything. Since it’s something that’s meant for you to use, then I naturally have to hand it to you. Moreover, you have to try your best to collect all the other parts of the Invisible equipment set!”

Nicole was extremely touched by Suo Jia’s words. This Invisible equipment set wasn’t as simple as any other equipment set. Putting aside the Concealment ring’s powerful abilities, the significance of the ring to Nicole’s family couldn’t be compared to just any magic artifact.

Nicole gripped the ring tightly. She knew that this kind of present wasn’t something she could refuse. To the later generations of Nicole’s family, completing the Invisible equipment set once more was the mission that their ancestor had entrusted them to complete!

As Nicole thought this, she firmly grasped the ring and resolutely declared, “Anyways, I’ll take this ring. However…without this ring, what are you going to do?”

With a carefree laugh, Suo Jia pulled his mage robes away to reveal the complete, warrior-armor style Atlantis equipment set. “You don’t need to worry too much about me. Look…what is it that I’m wearing?”

As Nicole scanned the magic equipment on Suo Jia’s body, her mouth unconsciously dropped further and further. Perhaps another person wouldn’t recognize the origin of this equipment set, but to a treasure hunter, it was a joke if they couldn’t recognize the most famous Atlantis equipment set. It was like a maths university student not knowing how to count.

Finally, Nicole’s eyes stopped on the blue circlet around Suo Jia’s forehead. She swallowed hard and said with uncertainty, “Heavens! Don’t tell me that the circlet in your hair contains Atlantis’s Wisdom!”

Without any restraint, Suo Jia held up a thumb at Nicole. Although he hadn’t said any words, he’d already answered Nicole’s question. Seeing Suo Jia’s actions, Nicole couldn’t help but cover her mouth in shock.

Nicole stared blankly at Suo Jia with extremely mixed feelings. According to historical records, anyone that completed an Epic ranked equipment set would become an Epic ranked hero without exception. However…other people would take at least 30-40 years to complete it. There were definitely no other people that had finished gathering the pieces by an age as young as Suo Jia’s. Would Suo Jia become the next Epic ranked hero?

Suo Jia smiled at Nicole’s shocked expression and said, “Alright, alright, now you can finally accept this ring with your mind at ease, right?”

Nicole hesitated for a moment, before resolutely putting the Concealment ring on her finger. With this, she seemed to relax, and she smiled back, “It’s fine anyways. Either way, I made the decision to follow you my entire life back when you saved my siblings. Since you want to bestow it onto me, I will accept!”

“Mm…” Suo Jia gratefully nodded and said in a satisfied tone, “That’s the way. We’re all together every day and night, so we ought to help each other anyways.”

Nicole nodded and smiled, resolutely declaring, “However, I still won’t just take your thing for free. You’ve already given us too much. Moreover…losing this ring does mean losing a great part of your fighting ability after all. That’s why….no matter what, I must find a magic equipment even stronger than the Concealment ring to give to you!”

Suo Jia just indifferently chuckled in response without trying to dissuade her. He understood well that this was the only way she’d be able to accept the gift contently. Besides, Suo Jia would also be glad to see such events happen in the future.

With Suo Jia’s support, the two of them slowly walked towards Xiang Yun and Roger. Before they’d walked more than a few steps, Suo Jia abruptly froze, and his expression always changed to an unprecedented level of seriousness.

He gently pushed Nicole to a side and said in a low voice, “Nicole, you must get to Roger and Xiang Yun as quickly as possible. The situation unfortunately will most likely change. Hurry!”

Although Nicole didn’t understand what was happening, she followed his words and swiftly walked in the direction of Xiang Yun and Roger. She knew that if she stubbornly stayed behind, she would not only be unable to help Suo Jia, but also burden him.

Suo Jia’s team was a very strange group. There wasn’t an absolute expert. In different situations, each person could be the strongest. In terms of fighting face-to-face, Nicole couldn’t possibly beat Xiang Yun, but if it were another environment that allowed Nicole to secretly assassinate him, Xiang Yun would undoubtedly meet his death.

As for Suo Jia, he seemed to be the weakest with respect to either assassinations or facing people head-on, but once he pulled open a distance between him and the other party, even Xiang Yun, Roger, and Nicole combined wouldn’t be enough to deal with Suo Jia.

This was a contradictory team. Everyone had their own strengths, and matched each other extremely well. With their individual strong points, they were able to complement their comrades’ weaknesses, and form the strongest team. But among all this, Suo Jia was also the most special.

This was because, while he was a mage, he possessed unique close combat strength. Since the beginning, Suo Jia would never deliberately avoid close combat no matter what. In fact, it was the exact opposite; Suo Jia seemed to always intentionally draw his enemies into close combat.

Nicole quickly returned to Roger’s and Xiang Yun’s sides. She turned around and anxiously looked back at Suo Jia, who was still standing in his original position. Although they were unable to check out what had happened due to their injuries, the ambience of the air pervading the entire square indicated that there was definitely an enemy!

While Xiang Yun, Nicole, and Roger were observing this, Suo Jia’s eyes suddenly lit up, and his right hand stretched out as fast as lightning. A piercing glow flashed, and suddenly shot out at the ground 10 meters in front of Suo Jia, causing a deep crevice to form.

It was clear to see that Suo Jia had missed, but…he seemed to not pay this any mind. His right foot stamped onto the ground, and immediately….rows and layers of diamond-like icicles wildly dispersed outwards into his surroundings.

Finally, under the force of Suo Jia’s Diamond Charge, a strange, green figure appeared above the air behind Suo Jia. At that moment…he was waving the sinister dagger in his hand, and was piercing it downwards through the air towards Suo Jia’s back.

“Hmph!” Against this kind of attack, Suo Jia didn’t even bother turning around. He arrogantly stood in his place, making it seem like he hadn’t discovered that enemy wildly attacking him from the air.

Just as Xiang Yun, Roger, and Nicole couldn’t contain themselves from yelling out a warning…a blue ice stream instantly leapt out from the back collar of his clothes. The moment the dagger had arrived before his body, the stream had accurately wrapped itself around the enemy dagger, and then unfurled itself outwards.

Everyone watched as the blue, arm-thick ice stream quickly spun around as if it had sprung to life. In only a few seconds, it had firmly wrapped itself around the green clothed assassin!

Everyone couldn’t help but gape dumbly in shock at this bizarre sight. They couldn’t fathom at all what had just happened. Where had that ice stream come from? How could it have wormed out from a collar? Moreover, its movements were so swift and precise!

Under everyone’s astonished gazes, Suo Jia slowly raised his right hand without even looking at the assassin he’d secured behind him. Immediately…the ice stream wrapped around the assassin emitted a crisp splitting sound. At the same time, the rope-like ice stream began to rapidly contract, tightening its grip.

The assassin was, after all, just an assassin. After tightening only a bit, his Life Protection was completely destroyed. The next moment….under the ice stream’s powerful contractive force, captivatingly crimson blood immediately dyed the ice stream a deep red.