Black Robe Attack

“Question! What does ‘gay’ mean?!”

A child raised their hand to ask, but before Su Mo could answer, Xiao Ying interrupted immediately:

“No asking!”

Then she turned to Su Mo with a fierce glare and said:

“You’re not allowed to answer either!”

Su Mo gave a half-smile at Xiao Ying’s flushed, angry expression and recklessly said:

“So you understand everything already? You usually look so pure… ah! Ouch ouch ouch! Why are you biting me again!”

Before he could finish, the familiar pain shot through his forearm again.

Extremely embarrassed and angry, Xiao Ying chose to act with words only and not strike.

Seeing this, the other children started screaming:

“Sister Ying is angry! Everyone run! Laoda, go!”

With that, everyone scattered in all directions, and chaos ensued.

In the end, it was the director who intervened to stop the commotion. Seeing that night had fallen, Su Mo and Xiao Ying bid farewell to the children and prepared to return to the church.

Back in town, Su Mo noticed a figure in a black robe standing in front of the quest board, seemingly studying the announcements carefully.

Because the person had their back to Su Mo and Xiao Ying, their face was hidden.

Yet, that familiar feeling of being watched returned to Su Mo.

He couldn’t pinpoint the source, but it felt like a 360-degree gaze, surrounding him from all directions.

Su Mo stopped walking, and at the same time, the black-robed figure turned around.

The person’s face was shrouded in shadow; with night approaching, it was impossible to make out any features.

But one thing was certain: they were looking directly at Su Mo and Xiao Ying.

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing Su Mo suddenly stop, Xiao Ying asked curiously, then followed his gaze to see the black-robed figure.

“Probably an adventurer? But why—”

Before she could finish, a strong sense of danger washed over Su Mo, and he instinctively pulled Xiao Ying behind him.

The next second, a sharp dagger pierced Su Mo’s chest.

The entire attack happened within seconds; the black-robed figure had suddenly struck.

“Su Mo! Are you okay?!”

Seeing Su Mo stabbed, Xiao Ying’s face filled with anxiety. She wanted to check his wound, but Su Mo stopped her with a hand.

“Luckily, I had a boring preaching book stuffed in my chest. Didn’t expect it would block a dagger at the critical moment.

Sometimes, you really have to trust that so-called gods.”

He pulled the dagger out and discarded it, then retrieved a thicker book from his coat.

“Who are you…? I want to ask, but since you attacked us, I don’t need to confirm if you’re an enemy.”

Putting the book back in his arms, Su Mo wore a serious expression.

He didn’t know the enemy’s strength, but now wasn’t the time to fight. He could handle 1v1, but with Xiao Ying here, he couldn’t focus on both offense and protection.

“Attacking members of the Saint Lyria Church, huh? Brave of you.

But unlucky this time. I’m the strongest in this branch of Saint Lyria. Encountering me is enough for your lifetime.”

Su Mo’s face showed a mix of confidence, disdain, and casualness, speaking in a mocking tone.

“…Saint Lyria Church hides demons?”

A voice from beneath the black robe, impossible to tell male or female, asked. Su Mo raised an eyebrow.

‘Demons? Are they talking about us?’

“What demons? Falsely accusing church members is even worse. I’d say you, dressed in black, look more like a demon.

Perfect, today I’ll purify you!”

Su Mo assumed a battle stance. Xiao Ying, seeing this, couldn’t help but ask:

“Will we win?”

“We will.”

Su Mo smiled confidently, and a flashbang appeared in his hand.

He pulled the pin and threw it forcefully toward the black-robed figure.

“Magic item?”

The figure, unfamiliar with such objects, mistook the flashbang for a magic item. They drew a dagger to intercept it.

The dagger had a property that destroyed magical circuits, usually neutralizing magic items.

But unfortunately, it only redirected the flashbang into the sky.

A blinding light and deafening noise erupted, hitting the black-robed figure, who shielded their face with an arm.

Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Su Mo grabbed Xiao Ying and ran toward the church.

Startled in his arms, Xiao Ying instinctively looped her arms around his neck. Seeing his anxious expression, she asked:

“You said we’d win? Why are we running now? Your magic looked so strong earlier.”

Su Mo explained, exasperated:

“How could we win? They threw a dagger—who knows if the next attack will be a sword?

I’m still young and don’t want to become 2.5 Su Mos. That flashbang was just a diversion; it’ll expire soon.

We had to run while we had the chance!”

The flashbang was transformed from a handgun Su Mo had mysteriously found on his pillow one day.

For some reason, he felt attached to it, and when he held it, the instructions instinctively appeared in his mind.

He didn’t worry about losing it; it seemed bound to him, returning instantly when needed.

“You looked so confident earlier.”

“Acting confident is how you intimidate the opponent! Anyway, let’s get back to the church. I don’t believe they’ll attack us there.”

Just as Su Mo finished speaking, a whistling sound pierced the air. Feeling a chill on his back, he didn’t have time to dodge, and a dagger stabbed him again.

Yet his steps didn’t falter. He even said with relief:

“Phew—lucky I had another preaching book on me.”

“Why do you have so many preaching books?!” Xiao Ying complained.

“This thick thing is perfect for defense, and…”

Before he could finish, Su Mo’s expression changed. He threw Xiao Ying to the side.

Xiao Ying rolled on the ground, ignoring the pain, and looked toward Su Mo.

Then she saw dozens of daggers piercing Su Mo’s body, some embedding into the ground in front of him.