Free Web NovelChapter 79: Going to meet his mother
When Noelle heard that man’s words, a wave of guilt washed over her.
She had assumed that this strange old man was one of the prince’s lackeys. Instead, he had healed her injuries without asking for anything in return. Looking back, her earlier insults suddenly felt unreasonable.
"Um, old man, I am sorry for cursing you earlier," Noelle said awkwardly. "You should leave while you still can. There is no reason for you to get dragged into this because of me."
Victor stared at her for several seconds.
The more he listened, the more irritated he became.
Old man?
They were twins.
Granted, he had technically been born a few seconds earlier, but that hardly qualified him as an old man. Yet somehow his sister kept calling him that with a perfectly straight face.
A vein bulged on his forehead.
"Ah, I am so pissed."
The moment those words left his mouth, a crimson sword appeared in his hand.
Boom!
A terrifying wave of energy exploded from the blade.
Victor instantly activated the sword at Epic Rank.
After repeated use, his synchronization with the weapon had increased considerably. In the past, reaching the Epic state had required effort. Now he could enter it almost instantly. Although accessing Sage Rank still required additional preparation, the improvement was already enormous.
The expressions of the five Atlantians changed immediately.
The immense pressure radiating from the crimson sword caused all of them to become serious.
Their leader narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Are you certain that you wish to become an enemy of the royal family? That woman is a traitor to the crown. Helping her is equivalent to opposing the royal family itself." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Victor casually lifted his left hand and stuck his little finger into his ear.
His expression remained completely indifferent.
"You talk too much," he said. "You and your royal family can go fuck yourselves. Now die."
The leader’s instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, he activated his mana.
The other four Epic Rank warriors immediately followed his lead. Powerful energy surged through the area as they prepared some of their strongest abilities.
Noelle’s face lost all color.
She knew exactly how dangerous these people were.
Every one of them possessed strength that far exceeded normal Epic rank beings.
"Old man, run!" she shouted.
Then everything froze.
Noelle froze.
The five Atlantians froze.
Even the air itself seemed to stop moving.
Victor had activated Time Stop.
Most people would hesitate before using such an ability. Every activation consumed a portion of his lifespan.
Victor did not care.
Realm breakthroughs continuously extended his life. Losing a few months meant nothing to him.
Compared to the benefits, the price was insignificant.
The world around him became silent.
Victor stepped forward. His figure vanished.
A crimson flash swept across the battlefield.
One slash.
That was all it took.
The next instant, Victor returned to his original position and deactivated Time Stop.
Reality resumed.
Five heads separated from five necks.
Blood erupted into the air.
The bodies remained standing for a brief moment before collapsing onto the ground.
Noelle’s eyes widened.
She had not seen Victor move.
She had not sensed an attack.
One moment the five Epic Rank warriors had been alive. The next moment they were dead.
Her throat went dry.
Who exactly was this man?
A Sage?
That had to be the answer.
No ordinary awakener could accomplish something like this.
Without hesitation, Noelle dropped to one knee.
Within Atlantis, respect for hierarchy was deeply ingrained.
The Imperial Decree clearly stated that anyone who encountered a Sage must show proper reverence.
Failure to do so could be considered treason.
"Please forgive me, sire," Noelle said nervously. "I did not know who you were."
Victor’s mouth twitched.
Then a rather demonic smile slowly appeared on his face.
"I can forgive you," he said. "However, you will need to do something for me first."
Noelle’s heart nearly stopped.
A terrible feeling rose inside her.
Her hand slowly moved toward her storage ring.
If this Sage intended to demand something shameful, she would rather die.
Refusing a Sage was dangerous.
Offending a Sage was even worse.
If things escalated, even her mother might be implicated.
"What do you want me to do, sire?" she asked with a trembling voice.
Victor walked over and crouched in front of her.
Noelle closed her eyes.
Her fingers touched the hidden dagger inside her storage ring.
Then Victor turned around.
"You see, my back is itching," he said. "Why do you not scratch it for a while? If you do a good job, I will give you a reward."
Noelle’s brain stopped functioning.
She stared blankly at him.
"Huh?"
For several seconds she simply knelt there.
A Sage.
A legendary existence.
A man who had casually killed five Epic Rank warriors.
And his request was...
Scratching his back?
Noelle felt as though her understanding of reality had shattered.
Could a Sage even experience something as mundane as an itch?
"Why are you not complying?" Victor asked in a dignified tone.
Noelle jumped.
"Ah! I am sorry, sir. I will do it immediately."
She quickly moved behind him. Carefully, she began scratching his back.
Victor closed his eyes.
A pleased expression appeared on his face.
"Yeah, that is the spot," he said. "Move slightly higher. Good. Now a little to the left."
Noelle obediently followed every instruction.
Several minutes passed.
Victor looked completely relaxed.
Finally, he nodded with satisfaction.
"Good job," he said. "I will give you a reward later."
Noelle stared at him.
She still could not decide whether this Sage was wise, eccentric, insane, or all three.
"Now," Victor continued, "take me to your mother. I need to speak with her."
The color instantly drained from Noelle’s face.
Why would a Sage want to meet her mother?
Seeing her reaction, Victor immediately understood what she was thinking.
"Do not worry," he said. "I am not your enemy. I simply need to have a conversation with her."
Noelle studied his face carefully. She searched for signs of deception.
After several moments, she reluctantly nodded.
"Very well."
"However," Victor added, "we will need to approach secretly."
Inside his mind, he contacted Nova.
"Nova, do you know where my mother is?"
"I do not believe she is using any digital devices," Nova replied. "Therefore I cannot determine her exact location. However, based on information gathered from members of the Velmir Clan and from Noelle’s history, there is a strong possibility that she is living inside a small villa on the estate. I cannot detect any digital devices in that area."
Victor nodded.
Then he turned toward Noelle.
"Does your mother happen to live alone in an isolated villa without any digital devices?"
Noelle’s eyes widened in shock.
"How do you know that?"
"Never mind that," Victor said. "Tell me something else. How many servants and maids are stationed there?"
"There are none," Noelle answered sadly. "My mother lives alone. I am only permitted to visit her once every month."
Victor frowned.
The situation was even worse than he had expected.
Without saying anything further, he grabbed Noelle’s hand.
Powerful mana surrounded both of them.
Nova had already provided the villa’s coordinates.
Teleportation was simple.
Swish!
Space distorted.
The two figures vanished from their location.
Far away, inside the academy, Prince Julius suddenly rose from his seat.
His face had become deathly pale.
Several monitoring artifacts connected to his bodyguards had gone dark simultaneously.
All five life signatures had disappeared.
His hands began to tremble. Five Epic Rank warriors had died.
Not one.
Not two.
All five.
And they had died so quickly that none of them had even managed to send a warning.
Fear slowly crept into his heart. Who could possibly accomplish such a thing?
Had a Sage intervened?
If so, which Sage had decided to involve themselves in this matter?
