Note: Only smart-people can understand what’s coming next after this-chapter!
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Enough with lies!
Kent pulled her close and grabbed her neck. The lady cried out in pain, her breath hitching as she struggled against his grip. She did not understand how Kent, a middle-stage Earth Immortal Wizard, had such overwhelming strength over her.
Her body trembled as she clawed at his hands, gasping, “I… I’m telling the truth…!” Her words broke into hoarse breaths as Kent’s fingers tightened.
“Truth?” Kent’s eyes gleamed coldly. “Everything you’ve said so far is filled with half-truths and contradictions. The royal family, Kulu Nation, your so-called dark mage guardian—none of it adds up. You knew too much, yet nothing you said made sense.”
The lady clenched her teeth, her eyes flickering with panic as she gathered energy to resist. With a desperate snarl, she raised her knee, aiming for Kent’s ribs, but before her strike could land, Kent anticipated her move. With a sharp twist, he slammed her against a nearby tree, sending cracks along its bark. She coughed violently, the impact shaking her entire frame.
“Stop struggling,” Kent said flatly. “You’re only making this worse for yourself.”
But the woman refused to surrender. With a burst of speed, she swung her arm, her nails elongating into sharp, glimmering claws. She slashed toward his face, but Kent tilted his head at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike. In retaliation, he grabbed her wrist mid-air, twisting it behind her back and forcing her onto her knees. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips as he locked her movements completely.
“Enough!” she gasped, breathing heavily. “Let go of me!”
Kent’s grip didn’t loosen. “Tell me the truth. Who are you really? Why were they hunting you? And don’t try to feed me more lies.”
The woman glared at him, her face contorting with defiance. But as Kent pressed down harder, she let out a strained cry. Her body twitched violently, and suddenly, an overwhelming heat radiated from her. Kent felt the temperature around them rise drastically. Flames flickered across her skin, her energy surging in an uncontrollable manner.
Kent’s expression darkened. “So this is your last trick?” He shoved her onto the ground, pinning her under his weight. “Still trying to resist?”
The lady’s eyes glowed with a strange light as her body began to change. Loud, cracking noises echoed as her limbs elongated unnaturally. Her once-soft skin hardened, transforming into an exoskeleton with shimmering, fiery hues. Large, transparent wings unfurled from her back, their edges radiating with a faint golden glow.
Kent’s breath hitched. “What the—?”
Before his eyes, the woman fully shifted into her true form—a firefly-like humanoid creature, her body burning with a mystical flame. She no longer looked human, her long, delicate fingers now replaced with jagged, clawed limbs. Her wings flapped rapidly, creating gusts of heat around them.
Kent didn’t flinch. Even with the burning heat pressing against him, his grip remained firm. “So, you’re not human after all.” His lips curled into a smirk. “That makes things easier. Now I don’t have to hold back.”
The woman writhed beneath him, her body flickering like a flame. “You—You bastard!” she shrieked, her voice no longer entirely human. “Let me go!”
But Kent pressed harder, his knee digging into her back. “Tell me the truth now, and I might consider it.”
Just as she was about to respond, a faint glow illuminated the air above them. Kent’s eyes snapped upward as a jade slip materialized, hovering ominously. Ancient runes flickered across its surface before a powerful voice echoed through the clearing.
“Kent King! Give me proof that my daughter is alive… I will never trust her safety in the hands of a barbaric and eccentric person like you. If you fail to prove it soon, I will consider her dead and begin executing one of your King family members every fortnight.”
The words sent a chill down Kent’s spine. The jade slip bore the unmistakable insignia of the Kai Family Emperor.
A tense silence fell between Kent and the firefly woman. Then, unexpectedly, she burst into laughter. Her voice, now twisted with mockery, rang through the forest.
“Hah! So you kidnapped the princess and are hiding her here? What a scandal! What an adventure!” She cackled. “I admire your boldness, Kent King! You’re quite the troublemaker.”
Kent clicked his tongue in annoyance. He wasted no time—his hand shot forward, flicking her forehead hard enough to send another jolt of pain through her body.
“Ow! Stop that!” she cried, her laughter instantly turning into a pained whimper.
Kent’s patience had run thin. He leaned in closer, his voice low and sharp. “Enough games. Start talking. Now.”
“Okay, okay… I give up! I’ll tell you the truth now. No more lies!” she pleaded, her voice strained with pain.
“It’s better if you do,” Kent warned, his grip tightening slightly. “If I even suspect you’re lying again, I won’t hesitate to snap your neck.”
The lady trembled but nodded quickly. Taking a deep breath, she finally began to speak.
“Everything I said about the Kulu Nation was true—except for the part about the new emperor’s crowning and a princess wanting me as a pet. That was a complete lie.”
Kent remained silent, his sharp eyes scrutinizing her every expression as she continued.
“I’m the personal pet of Princess Ai ping. In reality, I am one of the thousands of pets living under the rule of Ai Ping. The Kulu Nation is ruled by three powerful families: the Ping family, which holds the imperial throne; the Hua family, which controls wealth and business; and the Cai family, which oversees trade and foreign relations. Although the Ping family sits on the throne, the other two wield immense influence behind the scenes.
“The capital is divided among eight ministerial towns, each controlled by a King. Family members of these Kings, along with the disciples of the Royal Academy, visit Ai Ping’s province and commit whatever atrocities they please. And no one stops them. Why? Because Ai Ping… she was born to a servant woman and the emperor. She has no real power, no real influence. If not for the emperor’s seal on her body, she would have already been discarded, or worse.”
Kent’s expression darkened, but he let her continue.
“Ai Ping tried everything—she wrote countless letters to the emperor detailing the crimes committed by these princes and noble disciples. But no one cared. No one listened. The worst of these atrocities happen in her domain, where thousands of evolved pets like me live under her rule. The nobles treat us as toys. They play with us, use our bodies however they want, and then kill us for fun.”
Kent clenched his fists. The woman’s eyes glistened with bitter memories as she went on.
“Three months ago, the Royal Academy core disciples came to Ai Ping’s village. They selected me as their next plaything on the birthday of a genius. That night, the princess herself came to my chambers. She told me to run away, that I would not survive if I stayed. I wanted to believe her, but the gates were guarded. I had no way out.
“But then Ai Ping did something no one expected—she used the emperor’s seal on her body to force open the gates and let me escape. Maybe she showed kindness because I served her closely for three decades. But her kindness came at a cost. The guards didn’t care that she was royalty. They saw her as nothing more than a low-born disgrace. When morning came and I was gone, they knew she had helped me. That’s when the hunt began.”
Kent watched her closely as she swallowed hard and continued.
“The one truly responsible for this manhunt is Gu Ping, the daughter of the emperor’s first queen. She is powerful, cruel, and despises Ai Ping. To her, capturing me is more than just about retrieving a runaway—it’s about stepping on Ai Ping’s pride, humiliating her further. As I am a personal pet of Ai ing, Gu Ping personally ordered the mob of soldiers to find me. If they return empty-handed, she will not hesitate to kill them.”
Silence filled the air for a moment. The woman’s eyes locked onto Kent’s, pleading for understanding. Kent, however, remained unreadable. His mind processed every word she had just said, weighing the truth in her story.
Finally, he exhaled, his grip loosening slightly.
“Princess Ai Ping helped you escape at the cost of her own safety. And now they’re after you to make an example of her?”
The woman nodded quickly. “Yes! That’s exactly what’s happening.”
Kent narrowed his eyes. “And yet, you lied about everything before. Why should I believe you now?”
She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say a word, with a swift flick of his fingers, Kent tapped her forehead.
“AHH!” she cried out in pain, her protest vanishing instantly.
“Enough nonsense,” Kent muttered, his patience running thin. “You want me to believe your story? Then prove it. Tell me something I can use.”
The woman groaned, rubbing her forehead, but her eyes no longer held defiance. For the first time, she looked at Kent with a mix of fear and respect.
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Get Ready for MASS-ACTION by Kent KING!