"Kill them!" Someone among the assassins shouted. Immediately after, the assassins all roared in unison, shrieking as they charged forward.

However, the ones actually rushing ahead were all the dim-witted cannon fodder.

Those with a bit more sense were shouting battle cries with their mouths, but quietly retreating, looking for a chance to escape. Facing Old Butler, who had effortlessly taken down a fierce beast—who would still want to go up and try to kill him? You’d have to be brain-dead!

These slightly smarter assassins considered themselves to have seen many extraordinary people in their lives, but never anyone like this master and servant pair before them. Especially Old Butler, who had strangled a fierce beast to death with one hand. Just thinking about it made their legs go weak—who could have imagined such immense power hidden within that old frame?

"Didn't I say, please keep quiet? The young lady doesn't like noise." Old Butler's smile faded, as if he was getting angry, and the reason for his anger was simply that these people were too noisy.

"Be quiet for me!" came a deep shout from Old Butler.

At the same time, Old Butler's seemingly frail body suddenly moved with ghostly speed.

Old Butler spun around in front of the assassins' eyes.

"Ah~~ ah~~" A series of miserable screams rang out. In an instant, the sixteen assassins at the very front were sent flying past Old Butler's figure, bursting into a spray of blood in midair.

"Gulp." The assassins swallowed hard again.

"Now, can you keep quiet?" Old Butler pushed up his glasses and said coldly.

"Very good, just stay quiet like this, so I can finish you off easily." Old Butler said, as calmly as if chatting with friends over tea.

At this moment, all the assassins suddenly realized they couldn't move their bodies—except for their feet. Their legs were trembling uncontrollably. They wanted to move, but their shaking legs left them unable to do anything.

Next, something even more terrifying happened. Not only could they not move, but something even worse was coming.

"Petrification spell." Four words escaped Old Butler's lips.

A grayish-white circle spread out from Old Butler as the center, expanding in all directions! Suddenly, the entire ground dimmed! Within the halo's range, the black-clad assassins who had charged forward let out cries of terror, struggling, their faces twisted in pain!

They watched helplessly as their feet turned into gray-white stone, and the petrification crept up their bodies!

Watching themselves turn to stone—if there were words to describe this feeling, it would be like the legend of a violent king from long ago on the Aegean Continent, who made living statues out of people.

According to legend, to make a living statue, wax was stuffed into a living person's mouth and nose, and while they were still alive, they were made into a statue. The terrifying part wasn't the result, but the process.

That feeling of watching your own body turn into an immobile statue, the terror bringing forth uncontrollable tears, followed by the shame of losing control from fear.

With this most terrified state of mind, all the black-clad assassins within the range of the petrification spell turned into gray, speechless fossilized statues.

Only the last ten assassins remained.

"Is it magic? Is it a demon's spell? This guy is a demon! A sorcerer!" Among the ten remaining assassins, one of the two leaders was still alive. When he saw the spell cast by Old Butler, he immediately screamed in madness.

The Aegean Continent is an ordinary land, but with some extraordinary aspects.

There is magic on the Aegean Continent, but only the legendary demons can use it! Humans themselves cannot use any magic, unless they sell their souls to demons—only then can they wield magic.

And those who have sold their souls to demons are called evil sorcerers by humans.

"You talk too much." Old Butler said softly, but it was enough to make this 'knowledgeable' assassin leader shut his mouth obediently.

The remaining ten or so assassins had terror in their eyes. There was no chance of victory—facing such a demonic being, they had no hope at all.

With a casual wave, the remaining seventy or so people were wiped out. This terror would be deeply buried in their hearts, and even if they survived, they would live under the shadow of this blow for the rest of their lives.

"I'll spare your lives for now. Tell me everything you know, and I might consider letting you go." Old Butler clapped his hands and said.

"If I tell you, will you really let me live?" one assassin asked anxiously.

"Of course. If you talk, there will be a chance to live." Old Butler maintained his signature smile.

Those who remained were all smart—they survived because they were clever enough not to rush forward, and thus weren't caught in the petrification's range.

But sometimes, being smart isn't a blessing, because they could hear another meaning in Old Butler's words: even if they answered as they should, they might still be killed.