Well, since this arrow from Yan's previous shot couldn't kill you... (That arrow triggered a 10% chance for 5x damage and a 20-point defense reduction effect, plus suppression from the difficulty level, so the attack power reached that number.) Lutz roared out, a howl so immense it couldn't be muffled even by the howling blizzard, rolling and echoing through the thousands of mountains and ravines. Then, he drew his bow once more, nocking an arrow.

He fitted three arrows simultaneously! The arrowheads appeared utterly unremarkable, yet they gave the impression of having been dipped in molten gold, shimmering with a scorching, bright radiance. Furious, Lutz spared no expense, utilizing the most powerful arrowheads he carried: +7 Mithril Arrows, upon which Saruman himself had personally bestowed magical enchantments: Arcane Tracking and Chain Lightning!

The three streaks of light left the longbow, flying low across the ground before carving an upward arc high into the air and shooting toward the target. As he loosed this volley, much of the hair and beard on Lutz’s head drifted away with the wind! Dissipating and vanishing bit by bit into the snow and gale.

He immediately dropped to his knees, gasping heavily, his blood-red eyes seeming ready to weep crimson. This strike, though seemingly effortless, produced a tremendous, rumbling roar, achieving the effect of a sonic boom. Where the three golden streaks passed over the icy rock ground, electric arcs flared like monstrous blades, circling and writhing.

The earth and stone beneath, frozen for millennia and harder than steel, were split and fractured as if by tofu under the cutting edge of the lightning, spraying wildly in all directions. Three deep, jagged ravines were gouged out, stretching for hundreds of meters—extending far beyond! They looked as if three terrible scars had been violently etched onto the slope of this "Black Jagged Teeth" pass!

Though it takes time to describe, Lutz loosed these three arrows almost in the blink of an eye, arriving before Fang Senyan with lightning speed. But at that very instant, about a meter in front of Fang Senyan, a bright, crystalline, pale-yellow curved transparent shield suddenly materialized, upon which ripples seemed to flash—enveloping Fang Senyan as if within an eggshell. When the three arrows loosed by Lutz contacted this transparent, pale-yellow barrier, they eerily evaporated.

For every inch they penetrated, they vanished by an inch. Their imposing might instantly faded into silence, ultimately disappearing completely. The brilliant lightning trailing behind them, upon touching the pale-yellow transparent shield, whipped about like a decapitated snake, bouncing wildly a few times, kicking up debris all around, but ultimately vanishing beneath that seemingly fragile, pale-yellow ward!

Witnessing this bizarre phenomenon, Lutz's eyes were nearly bursting. Yet, Fang Senyan at this moment merely tilted his head, glancing back with a profoundly dismissive look, calmly shaking his head. Individuals like Lutz, possessing heroic potential (albeit of a darker bent), often harbor a profoundly stubborn and unwavering conviction, akin to the saying that Li Fei Dao's throws never miss.

Once an arrow is loosed, regardless of the outcome, the heart firmly believes, "I must have killed that bastard!" Without tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of rigorous practice sessions, without such tenacious and fervent belief, their achievements are often limited. But Fang Senyan's current action was directly subverting Lutz's conviction, shattering the cornerstone of his spirit. While Lutz knew his arrows weren't infallible, he absolutely could not accept the cruel reality that his utmost effort across three arrows had failed to even graze the skin of an ant like Fang Senyan!!!

"What is this power... It's so awe-inspiring! In the face of such power, my strength is utterly worthless!" A look of indescribable despair flooded Lutz's blood-red eyes.

He let out a mournful cry toward the heavens, a sound so piercing it felt as if one's heart would bleed just listening to it. He picked up his beloved bow, but did not nock an arrow. Instead, he violently drew the bowstring to its absolute limit!

With a sharp crack, the terrifying longbow was forcibly pulled apart into two pieces. "Why! Why is this happening?" Lutz screamed inwardly.

When he looked again toward the streak of pale-yellow light atop the black pass opposite him, a flicker of fear and panic surfaced in both his mind and his gaze. Humanity has always been filled with curiosity, even dread, toward the unknown and the uncharted; thus, the earliest forms of primitive worship were linked to lightning, fire, rain and snow, earthquakes, and procreation. Although the Orc Lutz hadn't devolved to such a primitive state, Fang Senyan—this "ant" seemingly so weak a single thumb could crush him—had irrevocably seared an intolerable shadow and brand into the Orc's heart!

This incident was also one of the key reasons why, despite being a legendary creature painstakingly crafted by Saruman, his ultimate achievement fell short of that of the Elven Prince Legolas! Lutz was not Saruman. Once deprived of his bow, he posed almost no threat to Fang Senyan and the Mist-Singer girl at this juncture.

The distance exceeding three hundred meters between them transformed into an uncrossable chasm! Fang Senyan, still wreathed in pale-yellow light, let out a long breath. He took a few steps, then suddenly his knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground!

The surrounding light vanished instantly! Ten seconds are up!!! In that moment, the trembling weakness from severe injury, the frailty of a mortal body, and the intense pain in his chest flooded back over Fang Senyan!

Even more terrifyingly, a large volume of blood violently erupted from the wound on his chest, instantly soaking all the clothes on his front! Fang Senyan instinctively clutched his chest, groaning faintly in weakness. All of this was due to the abnormal status effect attached to Lutz's first arrow: "Life Force Evaporation." This cruel condition still clung to Fang Senyan's body!

The merciless voice from the Nightmare Mark sounded again: "You are still suffering under the adverse effect of Life Force Evaporation: a bleeding damage loss of 5% of maximum HP every 20 seconds. Remaining time: 780 seconds!" Clearly, the horror of this abnormal status lay in the fact that it deducted health based on a percentage! Anyone afflicted by this effect would suffer a total damage equivalent to twice their maximum health over thirteen minutes!

Without ample healing consumables, death was almost certain! For Fang Senyan, although he had the advantage that his current maximum health was only 120 points... meaning he only lost 6 HP every 20 seconds—however!

One must not forget, Fang Senyan was already in a state of severe injury with only 12 HP remaining! This meant that if he couldn't urgently return to the Sanctuary or find a way to restore health before the next 20-second interval arrived, he would clearly die tragically on the spot. Lutz, standing in the distance, clearly noticed this too.

Though he couldn't see the data, his beastly sixth sense gifted this fearsome Orc with extraordinary perception. He first sensed the revered power surrounding Fang Senyan disappear. Then he detected his weakness and the cruel situation he faced!

At this point, an intense wave of regret washed over Lutz: If my bow hadn't been destroyed, I could certainly kill him now! But immediately afterward, he gazed toward the distance with cruel delight. He was precise in gauging the damage inflicted upon the enemy by every arrow he loosed...

He longed to see the damnable ant opposite him bleed out alive! Only then would the crack in his spirit, the turmoil in his mind, completely vanish. Twenty seconds—a fleeting moment.

What could Fang Senyan do? And what would he do? Healing potions, Fang Senyan possessed them!

But they were all stored within the Nightmare Mark's inventory space! Absolutely inaccessible right now. Healing divine magic, the Mist-Singer knew how!

But it required the use of three ancient Elven runes. Did he have no choice but to urgently return to the Nightmare Sanctuary? This seemed to be the only viable path.

However... according to the original plan, Fang Senyan was supposed to be tirelessly searching within the revered Master Saruman's tower, scouring for any intelligence that might prove useful, only concluding his journey in this world with a polite bow upon the furious master's return. Yet, Fang Senyan had suddenly changed his plan and fled the mage tower.

Although it was unknown why he had done so, it was evident: he must have had a compelling reason to act this way. Therefore, returning to the Sanctuary now would undoubtedly mean that Fang Senyan's desperate struggle for survival after fleeing the tower would become utterly futile! ...It seemed Fang Senyan had walked straight into a dead end, a hopeless impasse in every direction.

The only possible solution appeared to be choking down the bitter taste of failure. But Fang Senyan's expression remained composed and steady. He first offered a slight smile to the tearful Mist-Singer girl, patting her hand as a sign of comfort.

Only then did he turn slightly, looking toward the Orc Lutz, who still stood on the rock in the distance, his gaze cruel, vicious, and even filled with bitter satisfaction. Fang Senyan smiled faintly. His smile was gentle, yet held a touch of smugness.

"...A smugness of absolute certainty. Then Fang Senyan reached toward his waist and pulled out an object. It was about the size of two palms—covered with large patches of dried filth, even organic matter.

The Orc Lutz possessed excellent eyesight. As soon as he saw this object, his mind suddenly went buzz, and he felt all the blood in his body rush to his head! Because this object was something he himself carried!

And Lutz knew the purpose of this item better than the lines on his own palm!