It wasn’t long after Luca left that several luxury cars slowly emerged from the darkness.
From the driver’s seat, Detriumph and Otownroad looked at Luca’s receding figure through the car window, their eyes dark and menacing.
“Boss, the Morning Star people have left. That kid is alone now. Should we make a move?” Otownroad asked, pulling out the walkie-talkie.
On the other side of the villa area, a luxury car quietly parked at the side of the road. Zahilter squinted slightly and said, “Get ready to move. If you manage to bring me that kid’s head, I’ll give each of you a million afterward.”
A million?! Ottolight and Detriumph exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other’s eyes. If they could get their hands on that money, they’d never have to worry about their futures again!
“Don’t worry, Boss. We won’t let you down!” The two didn’t hesitate at all and immediately agreed. If they missed this opportunity, they’d probably regret it for the rest of their lives.
Zahilter hung up the communication. Next to him, Zadownlow furrowed his brows and said, “That guy’s strong. Even I’m not confident I could beat him. Sending these guys over would be like sending them to their deaths.”
Zahilter put away the walkie-talkie and replied calmly, “I never expected these trash to kill him. If he’s being valued so highly by the Zenith, he’s definitely no ordinary person. But Detriumph and his group should be able to wear him out a little.”
“Once they’re almost dead, you can go and have a chat with the kid. At least you’ll save some money.”
Zadownlow’s expression softened, and he nodded. “That’s one way to make use of everything.”
…
Having received Zahilter’s approval, Otownroad and Detriumph immediately led their group to chase after Luca in the direction he had gone, their minds already imagining how to spend that one million.
But to their surprise, the boy, who had been within a short distance, had vanished without a trace in just a brief moment.
“Where is he?” Otownroad was stunned. The kid was just here, how did he disappear so quickly?
“Did he run?” Detriumph was getting anxious. What would happen to their million if the kid got away?
Just as Otownroad was about to take out the walkie-talkie to check with the others, a calm voice suddenly spoke in their ears, “Don’t worry, I didn’t leave.”
“That’s a relief…” Otownroad and Detriumph responded a beat too slowly, then froze, suddenly turning to look behind them.
Their expressions were filled with shock, as if they’d seen a ghost.
At some point, a person had appeared behind them, and now they were smiling at them, their face full of mirth.
It was Luca, the very person they were hunting!
“When did you notice us?” The two of them were struck with terror. The person had appeared behind them without a sound, and they hadn’t noticed a thing from the start!
“I noticed you as soon as I left the division. Your tracking methods are too basic.” Luca casually explained while opening a black briefcase. “Also, my mental perception is pretty sensitive, especially to gazes full of hostility and murderous intent.”
After finishing his explanation, Luca pulled out Starseeker from the briefcase. The bright gleam of the blade reflected the terrified expressions of Detriumph and Otownroad, and the temperature inside the car seemed to drop sharply in that moment.
“Alright.” He weighed Starseeker in his hand before looking up at Ottolight and Detriumph, both visibly fearful, and grinned. “Once I’ve killed you both, I’ll go find Zahilter and the others. I’m on a tight schedule, so I’ll need you to die first.”
His tone was as casual as if he were asking them to head home, not to die.
“W-wait…” The two of them were filled with a deep, instinctive fear, and without thinking, they tried to fight back. But before they could make a move, a silver-white flash of blade light appeared suddenly before their eyes.
“Pfft!”
It was the sound of fabric being torn, echoing in the car. Ottolight and Detriumph’s expressions froze on their faces as a bright red line appeared across their necks.
Blood started to pour down in streams, more and more, until it turned into a torrent, flowing continuously.
Thud! Find adventures at empire
Their heads rolled onto the car seats.
Their wide, unblinking eyes still held disbelief.
…
On the other side of the villa area, Zadownlow, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
He turned his head in the direction of Detriumph and the others, his brow furrowing.
“What’s wrong?” Zahilter asked, puzzled.
Zadownlow’s gaze flickered. “I smell blood… a lot of it.”
“It should be Detriumph and the others making their move. Blood and death are normal in situations like this.” Zahilter responded indifferently.
Zadownlow stared at the pitch-black night sky, his eyes deep with thought. “But… did you hear anything?”
Zahilter froze for a moment, and his expression changed instantly. He finally realized what was wrong.
If Detriumph and the others had attacked, there would’ve been some noise, but now Zadownlow smelled blood without hearing any sound from that direction.
He listened carefully for a moment. In the silent night sky, the sound of wind rustling the leaves, the faint chirping of insects, the distant hum of passing cars—all of these could be heard. Yet, there was no sign of the screams or the sounds of combat from Detriumph and the others.
Cold sweat began to trickle down Zahilter’s back.
This couldn’t be possible!
After all, there were dozens of players involved. Even if just one of them made a sound, it wouldn’t be this quiet.
Unless… Zahilter suddenly thought of a chilling possibility, and his heart jolted.
“Unless none of them had the chance to react…” Zadownlow said as he stepped out of the car.
He looked up at the shadowy street, his eyes flashing with a strange light. “I have to admit, I really underestimated you.”
On the empty street, under the dim glow of the streetlights.
A silver blade gleamed coldly. Blood dripped from the blade onto the ground with a soft drip.
A figure walked forward, their steps firm and measured, neither hurried nor slow.
Luca casually flicked the blood off the blade and said calmly, “It’s fine. I don’t bother with dead people.”
“Of course, if you’re more cooperative, I can offer you a way out.”
Zadownlow sneered, raising his hand. Black flames surged, and a black skeletal staff materialized in the air.
Dark, violent flames erupted from him, swirling like worms, and black markings spread across his once-clear face.
In the blink of an eye, his aura surged several times over, radiating a chilling, malevolent energy.
He looked down at Luca with disdain. “Are you so sure you can beat me?”
“Demonic energy?” Luca frowned. Why is there demonic energy on this guy? And the aura of those black flames… It feels strangely familiar.
“This is your fight now,” Zahilter spoke, his voice cold. He gave Luca a deep, appraising look, then without a moment’s hesitation, signaled for the driver to leave.
He was just an ordinary person. If the other party wanted to kill him, it would be like crushing an ant. Staying here would only drag Zadownlow down.
“Did I say you could leave?” Luca’s gaze sharpened. There were still too many things he hadn’t figured out, and he wasn’t about to let Zahilter go so easily.
Before the words even left his mouth, Luca suddenly launched forward with a powerful push. The concrete beneath his feet cracked loudly.
In an instant, Luca vanished from his original spot and reappeared beside the car, his long blade igniting with golden flames. Without a moment’s hesitation, he swung the blade horizontally toward the terrified Zahilter.
“Grandson, save me!” Zahilter screamed in terror at the incoming strike.
“Do you think so little of me?” Zadownlow, who had been ignored, scowled darkly and waved his staff.
The black flames instantly condensed in midair into a massive Fire Serpent, several meters long, that lunged toward Luca with terrifying speed.
Luca’s expression remained unchanged. A golden light flashed in his eyes as the Divine Flame manifested in front of him, growing rapidly in size.
In the blink of an eye, the two flames collided with a violent crash.
Boom!!!
A terrifying explosion erupted, sending shockwaves through the air. The road beneath them cracked, and gravel and dust were sent flying in all directions.
The two flames twisted and spiraled upwards, intertwining as they shot into the sky. The violent gusts of wind from the collision spread out, and Zahilter’s car was sent flying, crashing hard into a nearby greenbelt.
At his age, Zahilter’s body couldn’t handle the force. He couldn’t catch his breath before he passed out on the spot.
The massive explosion shook the entire villa district, waking countless people, who thought a factory had exploded. They rushed to their windows and saw that half the sky was illuminated by the golden flames, making it look like daylight.
Inside the villa, Donald and the others were also startled by the massive noise.
“What happened?” Darabont, dressed in his pajamas, stepped out of his bedroom and asked Donald, who was by the balcony.
“I’m not sure, but this doesn’t seem like a normal explosion.” Donald frowned. As a player now, even though he hadn’t received feedback yet, he could sense that this explosion was anything but ordinary.
That was the sound of two Transcendent beings fighting.
“Has Luca not returned yet?” Donald suddenly thought of something and asked Sini, who was behind him.
“He called earlier and said he would be back later.” Sini shook her head, worry flickering in her eyes.
“I’ll go check it out.” Darabont said in a low voice, quickly heading downstairs.
“I’ll come with you.” Donald grabbed his coat and followed closely behind.
“Luca won’t be in danger, will he?” Susie looked towards her mother, her voice filled with concern.
“He’ll be fine…” Zoey was about to reassure her.
When another deafening blast echoed from the distance.
Boom!! The black and golden flames intertwined and shot toward the sky, reaching heights of over a hundred meters. A tidal wave of shockwaves surged outward, and countless windows shattered instantly. Even the villa’s specially reinforced glass trembled violently. The immense roar reverberated throughout Celephais city.
Those who had already left, like Quagmire and the others, also heard the sounds from the outskirts.
When they saw the area where the explosion originated, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
Something had gone wrong!