Starting with a Military Arms System I Rise to Dominate Another World Chapter 73 : Chapter 73

Chapter 73: All Twenty-Three Mages Wiped Out

The twenty-three Mages gathered in the center of the hall, ten ters from the stairway passage, forming a semicircular encirclent.

They wore uniform dark blue robes, the hems embroidered with silver Magic Association emblems. In their hands were all kinds of staffs, made from different materials such as wood, tal, and crystal. Different-attribute magic cores were set into the tops, each one giving off its own corresponding glow.

The leader was an older Mage. His gray beard hung down to his chest, and the red magic core at the top of his staff shone with a glaring light.

Ryan stood on the left side of the stairway passage with his back against the stone wall, holding an M4A1 assault rifle. The weapon was made of black polyr, with a tactical rail mounted along the barrel and a red dot sight attached to it. The magazine was inserted beneath the body of the rifle. He gripped it with both hands, leaned forward slightly, rested his finger on the trigger, and locked his gaze onto the Mages ahead.

Nika stood on the right side of the passage, also with her back against the wall, holding an MP5SD submachine gun. It was compact, with a black tal fra and an integrated suppressor wrapped around the barrel. The magazine held thirty rounds. She knelt on one knee, holding the weapon horizontally before her chest, its muzzle aid forward, while her fox ears twitched warily as she caught every movent from the enemy.

“You trespassed into the magic tower and still dare to block the stairway. You have a death wish,” the leading Mage said in a hoarse voice. He raised his staff, and the red magic core shone even more brightly. “Take them alive.”

Two Mages imdiately stepped forward, swung their staffs, and chanted short spells.

Two fireballs condensed in midair and flew toward Ryan and Nika with blazing heat.

“The one on the left is yours.”

Ryan spoke in a low voice as he pulled the trigger.

“Understood.”

Nika answered, her finger moving slightly as she swung the muzzle of the submachine gun toward the Mage on the left.

RAT-TAT-TAT!

The M4A1 barked in a burst of automatic fire. The bullets flew in a straight line toward the Mage standing beside the fireball on the right. Three rounds struck his chest, punching three holes through his robe. Blood gushed out at once, his body stiffened, and the fireball lost control. It slamd into the stone floor and burst into a shower of sparks, sending shattered fragnts flying.

The MP5SD emitted soft, muted thumps, its suppressor working exceptionally well. A bullet drilled cleanly through the forehead of the Mage on the left. He did not even have ti to groan before he toppled straight backward. His staff slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a crisp clatter.

The remaining Mages imdiately scattered, trying to circle in from both sides and approach the stairway passage.

So staffs lit up with yellow light, raising stone walls from the ground as cover. Others swung their staffs and released Wind Blades that sliced through the air toward the pair. So even ford seals with both hands, preparing to cast more complicated spells.

Ryan twisted sideways behind a wooden crate. A Wind Blade struck the crate with a shrill cutting screech, and splinters of wood exploded everywhere.

He leaned out, locked onto his target through the red dot sight, and fired several controlled bursts from the M4A1. The bullets pierced one Mage’s protective shield, a pale blue barrier made of water elents. Ripples spread across it as the rounds punched through, then struck the target in the abdon. He let out a muffled grunt and collapsed.

Nika moved swiftly behind a knight statue, using the stone figure to shield her body. Her MP5SD submachine gun stayed in sustained fire, the muzzle sweeping steadily from side to side.

Her fox ears caught the sound of magic chants, allowing her to predict the enemy’s position. A bullet pierced the throat of a Mage in the middle of chanting, cutting his spell short. Clutching his neck, he fell to the ground as blood spilled through his fingers.

“Their weapons can break low-tier shields. Use high-tier defenses!”

The leading Mage shouted as he swung his staff. A thick earth-yellow shield rose around him, runes flowing across its surface.

Three Mages gathered behind him and maintained an even larger shield together. The rest split into left and right groups and moved along the walls toward the stairway passage, trying to use blind angles to avoid the gunfire.

Ryan hit the magazine release. The empty magazine dropped to the floor with a CLANG, and he slamd in a fresh one before racking the charging handle in one smooth motion.

He opened fire on the Mages flanking from the right, but the bullets struck one man’s shield and ricocheted off, leaving only pale marks behind.

Nika took aim at the top of the leader’s staff and switched to single shots with the MP5SD. A bullet struck the red magic core with a sharp ping. Its glow dimd for an instant, and the shield wavered with it.

Ryan burst out from behind the wooden crate and switched the M4A1 to full-auto. Flas spat from the muzzle as he suppressed the Mages on the right. Dense streams of bullets struck the stone walls and sent sparks flying, forcing them back and keeping them from getting close to the stairway passage.

One Mage released vines that burst from the ground and coiled toward Ryan’s ankles. Ryan leaped clear, adjusted his aim in mid-motion, and shot the man through the shoulder. The vines withered instantly.

Nika seized the opportunity and fired three single shots in succession from the MP5SD at the leading Mage’s staff. The third bullet finally shattered the red magic core, and the earth-yellow shield vanished with it.

Ryan imdiately swung his muzzle toward the now-exposed group. The M4A1 roared again, and two Mages dropped where they stood.

The leading Mage’s expression changed drastically. He turned to flee, but Nika’s bullet caught up to him, entering through his back and punching through his chest. He pitched forward onto the floor, and his staff rolled away, striking the stone bricks with a loud CLANG.

The remaining Mages descended into panic.

One Mage’s fireball struck his companion’s shield by mistake and triggered an explosion. The two of them were blown away at the sa ti and smashed into the wall, their fate unknown.

Ryan and Nika covered each other in turn and held the entrance to the stairway passage.

Ryan used the M4A1 to eliminate the enemies rushing in from nearby, the rifle steady in his hands and its rate of fire even. Nika used the MP5SD submachine gun to kill the Mages in the distance who were trying to cast spells, controlling her rhythm of fire with perfect precision.

One Mage tried to slip into the passage through a blind angle along the wall on the left. Nika shot him in the back of the knee, sending him crashing to the floor, and Ryan stepped forward to finish him with another shot.

The last Mage cowered behind the knight statue, trembling all over. His staff had already fallen to the floor.

Ryan stepped forward and leveled the muzzle of the M4A1 at his forehead.

“Who are you? Why are you killing us?”

The Mage’s voice shook.

Ryan did not answer. He pulled the trigger, and the gunshot echoed through the hall.

The battle was over, and the hall was in ruins.

Twenty-three Mage corpses lay sprawled across the floor. Blood had stained the bluish-gray stone bricks red, mixing with broken crate planks, torn scroll fragnts, and pieces of shattered weapons.

The walls were riddled with bullet holes and scorched black by the traces of magical attacks.

The air was thick with gunpowder, blood, and the burnt sll left behind by dissipating magical elents.

“Haaah!”

Nika let out a long breath. “Master, there’s no one else left.”

“Good. Then we’ll wait for Nila to bring Lady Greta down, and we’ll leave imdiately.”

Ryan nodded.

Then he looked over the battlefield.

Just as he had expected.

When dealing with Mages, firearms held an overwhelming advantage.

Even though these Mages could use magic shields,

they still could not defend themselves against the endless bullets on Ryan’s side.

Once firearms spread throughout this world,

they would definitely have an enormous impact on the Mages here.

And to protect their own interests, those Mages would absolutely try every possible way to get rid of Ryan.

So until he possessed absolute strength,

Ryan could never allow firearms to spread.

TAP TAP TAP—

Footsteps ca from the stairs.

Ryan and Nika lowered their guns and looked toward the sound.

“Big Sister, Master, Lady Greta and I are back.”

Nila’s voice rang out.

“Lady Greta, hello. We’ve co to rescue you.”

Ryan said with a smile.

“Mr. Ryan?”

Greta looked at Ryan in delighted surprise.

Ryan examined Greta carefully.

He found that her clothes were neat and orderly, and there were no signs that she had been tortured.

“Lady Greta, Isabella is still waiting for you outside. We need to leave quickly.”

Ryan spoke at once.

“Oh, my poor daughter, Isabella. Let’s go at once.”

Greta still had many questions, but none of them mattered more than her daughter.

Ryan and the others led Greta toward Isabella’s room.

After avoiding multiple guards, they successfully returned to Isabella’s room.

“Mr. Ryan, and this is...?”

“Lady Greta, hello. I am Ryan’s fiancée. My na is Fina, and I am currently studying at Starfall Magic Academy.”

“Starfall Magic Academy? How impressive! Hello, I am Isabella’s mother, Greta Jurgen.”

Greta and Fina greeted each other.

“All right, Fina, Lady Greta has been rescued. We’re leaving now.”

Ryan urged.

“Ryan, watch out!”

Suddenly, Fina rushed to Ryan’s side and shoved him away.

In the next instant, Fina cast an ice-attribute magic shield in front of herself.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Countless fireballs slamd into Fina’s magic shield.

Fortunately, the magic shield blocked every attack.

Only then did Ryan and the others have ti to see what was happening.

Several n had appeared outside Isabella’s room.

And the man at the front was none other than the forr butler, Marcus.

“So it really was Ryan?”

Marcus’s deep voice rang in everyone’s ears. “The mont I heard sothing had gone wrong at the magic tower, I knew it had to be you.”

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

Ryan asked curiously.

He was genuinely curious.

Why did trouble at the magic tower make Marcus certain it was him?

“Because no ordinary person would be reckless enough to attack the Jurgen Family’s magic tower.”

Ryan neither agreed nor denied it.

“On the other hand, Mr. Marcus, you really haven’t changed at all, have you? You betrayed the forr family head and now work under the new one. How does that feel?”

“Mm...”

Marcus fell silent.

Back then, Ryan had actually felt so gratitude toward Marcus.

After all, whenever Alfred was too busy with work, it had always been Mr. Marcus who sparred with Ryan.

In a way, Marcus had been Ryan’s teacher.

Of course, all of that gratitude had completely vanished the mont Marcus betrayed Alfred.

A man who would betray his own master did not deserve Ryan’s gratitude.

“So, Mr. Marcus, are you planning to stop us from leaving?”

Ryan fixed Marcus with a steady stare.

“You may leave, but Lady Greta may not. If you abandon Lady Greta, I will let you leave safely.”

Marcus said flatly.