Free Web NovelChapter 78: Reunion of two siblings
Noelle instinctively closed her eyes. She had already accepted what was about to happen. An Elite Rank warrior’s attack was not something she could withstand in her current condition. The difference between their ranks was simply too great.
She expected tremendous pain, broken bones, and eventually darkness. Instead, a strange sound entered her ears. Puchi! It sounded as though flesh had been pierced by something sharp. Noelle frowned as several seconds passed without any attack landing on her body.
Confusion appeared on her face. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The sight before her stunned her completely. The female warrior stood motionless only a few meters away. A bloody hole had appeared directly through her forehead. Blood continued pouring from the wound as her lifeless eyes stared forward. The light within those eyes had already vanished. She was dead, completely dead.
However, the momentum from her charge continued carrying her body forward. Noelle reacted instinctively. She twisted her body to the side. The corpse passed beside her before crashing heavily onto the arena floor.
Thud! The dead woman’s body slid across the ground and collided directly with Thomas Andrew’s corpse. Brother and sister now lay side by side. Neither would ever stand again.
The entire arena became silent. Thousands of spectators stared at the stage in complete disbelief. Nobody had expected an academy tournament to end with two top-tier prodigies dead. More importantly, nobody understood what had happened. No one had seen the attack. No one had sensed the attacker. The female warrior had simply died.
Noelle herself was equally shocked. She knew exactly who had orchestrated the attack against her. The prince clearly wanted her crippled or dead. Her own guards had abandoned her. The officials had failed to react. Yet someone had intervened at the final moment.
"Who did that?" she muttered.
Meanwhile, the arena erupted into chaos. People began shouting. Teachers stood up from their seats. Several powerful auras exploded throughout the stadium.
"Bastard!" A furious roar echoed across the arena. "Who dared to interfere inside the Academy?" The speaker was one of the academy’s senior teachers, a Legendary Rank mage. His mana spread across the arena as he searched for the culprit. Unfortunately for him, he would find nothing.
Victor had been extremely careful. The attack had been launched through teleportation. The beam of light had appeared directly in front of the woman’s forehead before piercing through her skull. There had been no travel time, no visible trajectory, and nothing for anyone to detect. Victor had no intention of exposing himself yet. He still needed to meet his mother. Remaining hidden was extremely important.
While everyone else searched for the attacker, Noelle made her move. The shoes on her feet suddenly emitted a brilliant light. Then she vanished. The spectators gasped. Noelle was not foolish. She knew she was being targeted. More importantly, she suspected powerful figures were involved. Remaining inside the capital would be suicidal.
The moment she disappeared, a furious roar echoed from the royal section. "Get that bitch!" The prince’s handsome face had become twisted with rage. "Bring her to me! I will handle the law and the court’s judgment myself!" His self-control had finally shattered. Instantly, five powerful figures vanished from his side. Each one radiated an Epic Rank aura.
Victor’s eyes became cold. The prince was becoming desperate. Noelle’s beauty had increased dramatically over the past months. Combined with her growing talent, she had become an obsession in the prince’s mind. The fool could barely control himself anymore.
At the same time, Victor disappeared from his seat. The spectator beside him nearly jumped in fright. One moment Victor had been sitting there. The next moment he was gone. The man rubbed his eyes repeatedly and wondered if he had somehow become blind.
Meanwhile, Victor was already moving. Five Epic Rank hunters were pursuing his sister. That alone guaranteed their deaths.
Victor had already decided their fate. An Epic Rank assassin could move at approximately two thousand meters per second. For now, Noelle remained safe. However, Victor could clearly see another problem. The Spirit Grade shoes were consuming an absurd amount of mana. Noelle could not sustain that speed for long.
As expected, less than thirty seconds later, her mana reserves were completely exhausted. Far outside the capital, Noelle suddenly appeared in an abandoned industrial district. The moment she materialized, she collapsed onto the ground. Blood immediately flowed from several wounds. The extreme speed had placed enormous strain on her body. Without her battle suit protecting her, she might have been torn apart entirely.
"Damn it..." Noelle quickly removed a mana potion. She drank it in one gulp. Then she activated a healing spell. Soft light covered her body and the bleeding gradually stopped. After several moments, she managed to stand. She entered an abandoned factory nearby. Dust covered every surface. Broken machinery lay scattered throughout the building.
Noelle leaned against a wall and gritted her teeth. "That bastard finally made his move." Her expression darkened. "What is he thinking?"
She immediately began searching through her spatial ring. The ring had been given to her by her mysterious master. Various treasures appeared before her. Potions, scrolls, materials, and weapons. Unfortunately, none of them could bridge the enormous gap between an Apprentice Rank hunter and an Epic Rank expert. Her face fell.
"This is terrible." Without hesitation, she began drinking additional mana potions. Even though overconsumption would damage her body, she had little choice. She needed mana, lots of mana. If she could recharge enough energy, she might escape again. While waiting, she examined her injuries.
The speed from the shoes had torn her skin in several places. Pain continued spreading throughout her body. Fortunately, the battle suit had absorbed most of the damage. Otherwise, she would already be dead. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
A sudden thought appeared in her mind. A smile slowly formed on her face. "I wish I could meet my brother." Her expression became surprisingly gentle. "I would give him all my inheritances and ask him to protect me." She nodded seriously. "He should protect his beautiful little sister even if I do not give him anything."
The smile widened. "That is what older brothers are supposed to do."
Several seconds later, she frowned. "Actually, he should feel honored." The narcissism was so powerful that even the empty factory seemed speechless.
Noelle happily imagined her nonexistent reunion. Unfortunately, reality quickly returned. "I need to move." She pushed herself upright. "They will catch me soon."
Just as she prepared to leave, a voice suddenly echoed beside her. "Do not move." The calm tone nearly stopped her heart. "You are badly injured."
Noelle jumped so hard that her soul nearly left her body. Someone was standing beside her. A man, a middle-aged man. He had appeared without making the slightest sound.
Noelle stared at him in horror. Then she immediately screamed,
"You perverted old bastard! Who are you?"
Victor froze. His brain briefly stopped functioning. Several seconds passed. Then he remembered something. He was still disguised. His current appearance really did resemble a middle-aged man.
Victor’s face twitched.
"Brat." He pointed at her. "Your mouth is too vicious." A strange urge suddenly appeared within him. He wanted to grab her hair, maybe flick her forehead, possibly both.
Victor became horrified. "Is this sibling instinct?" He felt speechless. After taking a deep breath, he tried calming himself.
Unfortunately, Noelle was not finished. "Who are you calling a brat?" She pointed back at him. "You are the brat." Victor blinked. "Your mother is a brat." Victor blinked again. "You are only an Adept Rank punk." Noelle continued her assault. "I can kill you even if I have to die."
Victor stared at her. For the second time today, he became completely speechless. She was not fighting. She was bombing him with words.
If he didn’t hear personally, he would have never beleived that such a beautiful girl could have such a vile mouth. freēwēbnovel.com
Without saying another word, Victor snapped his fingers. A beam of healing light instantly landed on Noelle. She attempted to dodge. Unfortunately, her injuries prevented movement. Noelle immediately became suspicious. She assumed he was one of the prince’s subordinates. However, several moments later, her expression changed. The pain vanished. Her wounds disappeared. Her body returned to perfect condition.
Her eyes widened. "You healed me?" Confusion filled her face. "Why?"
Victor rolled his eyes. "You ask too many questions." Then he reached toward her. "Come with me." He prepared to teleport away with her immediately. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Boom! The factory wall exploded inward. Bricks and metal scattered everywhere. Victor clicked his tongue. His healing spell had apparently alerted the pursuers. Five Epic Rank guards entered through the destroyed wall. Their eyes immediately locked onto Noelle. Then they looked toward Victor.
One of them stepped forward. His expression was filled with contempt. "Who are you?"
The guard’s voice was cold. "Hand the girl over to us." A cruel smile appeared on his face.
"If you cooperate, we will leave your corpse intact." His gaze sharpened. "But if you touch her, your entire family will die."
