My Muscle System in the Mage World

"So, this rogue wizard has changed his name several times in the mission. It was given that his name was Robert, and now it has been changed to Daniel, huh..." Aur thought with narrowed eyes.

"It's a good thing that you collected this information, Aur, or that rogue wizard might have escaped the moment he knew he was being pursued by the academy," George said with a smile on his face.

Aur glanced at George, returning the smile. "Thank you, senior brother," he said. He could naturally discern George's intention to befriend him, and Aur wouldn't mind making friends. It would cause him no harm, and the benefits were countless as well.

He never backed away from making friends. However, since he spent his childhood mostly reading books and hunting in the wilderness, he didn't have much interaction with others.

The members of the mercenary group were also cold and aloof most of the time due to the dangerous nature of their job, and people rarely interacted there.

Aur had been betrayed by his friend, his younger brother, and even some of the allies he made.

While he was aware of these betrayals, what he didn't expect was for the military to be involved as well. This forced him to resort to his last backup plan, involving a terrifying explosion.

As Aur thought about these events, his expression remained impassive as he looked at George.

George nodded his head with a smile and departed, leaving Aur alone in the inn.

The next day, Aur and the group gathered around.

"Have you all collected any information yet?" Aur asked.

All five individuals revealed bitter smiles.

"No, Aur, our findings align with the locals we've investigated," John came forward and said tentatively.

Aur nodded silently, making it difficult for others to discern his thoughts.

"I've found some information," Aur said as he handed over the details he'd gathered.

The four pairs of eyes widened as they saw the meticulously arranged list of information.

"You didn't alert anyone, did you?" Aur asked, a glint in his eyes.

"Yes, Captain."

"Then we'll show that fool what happens when he dares to conduct business in our village."

Their eyes flashed with murderous intent.

…

"Hey, where's our boss at?"

"Tsk, where do you think he'd be? Probably having fun with that new woman, as usual."

"Oh, that poor woman... I feel sorry for her."

"Weren't you the one who gave the woman to the boss and got gold as a reward?" one of them retorted immediately.

"You're right," the man said with a chuckle, retracting his words.

Seeing this, the eight men started to laugh, clinking their wine glasses together and shuffling their cards.

Their surroundings comprised a run-down house, with barely any other buildings in sight. The air was heavy with the scent of decay and neglect.

From inside the house, occasional moans and the broken screams of a girl could be heard, adding a sinister atmosphere to the already grim scene.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, one of the men heard a noise from outside, causing him to tense up.

"Who's there?" he said, his senses on high alert. The others also grew tense as they too caught wind of the sound.

"Hey, someone go check it out."

Nobody moved, their expressions nervous as they sat frozen in their seats. The alcohol-induced haze had vanished, replaced by a sheen of sweat on their bodies as fear gripped them tightly.

"Forget it, I'll go then." The man gritted his teeth, his expression filled with disdain. "Cowards," he cursed as he stormed out of the run-down house.

Two minutes passed.

"Hey, why hasn't he come back yet?"

"I don't know."

The remaining seven men's anxiety grew as they waited anxiously for the man to return. Their patience wore thin, but there was still no sign of him, causing them to clench their teeth in frustration.

"What's taking that bastard so long? Hey, are you there?" one of the men shouted angrily, his voice shrill with frustration.

Silence.

Suddenly, their hair stood on end as they saw a large blade-like wind hurtling towards them.

It was the last thing they saw as their world spun around them. Their bodies fell to the ground with sickening thuds, and a pool of blood instantly formed around them.

The seven men were instantly decapitated without mercy.

Aur coldly surveyed the decimated bodies before turning his gaze to his right.

"Good job, John."

"Thanks, Captain," John nodded with a satisfied smile.

With that, the five of them proceeded inside.

The moment Aur stepped in, a sharp arrow flew directly towards him.

"How interesting," Aur mused, showing no intention of dodging. As the arrow came within centimetres of him, it seemed to hit an invisible barrier, its momentum halted as it fell to the ground.

Aur's crimson eyes flashed with a pattern as he muttered, "Tier one magic: Turtle's Shell," observing the thin films that covered his entire body.

He casually tossed a fireball without even glancing ahead.

A scream erupted from inside the room, not from a man, but from a woman.

"Who are you guys?" Daniel shouted with narrowed eyes, casually holding the burnt woman. As he spoke, his eyes began to glow with an ominous light.

Aur didn't waste any time on words, instead, he immediately sprinted towards Daniel.

In his crimson eyes, the pattern of his spell shifted, causing his movements to accelerate several times over, bringing him within striking distance in an instant.

Daniel's eyes widened in alarm as he hastily conjured a shield right before him.

Aur's fist collided with the shield, and like glass meeting a hammer, it shattered effortlessly, allowing his punch to pass through unimpeded.