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Chris materialized before Yaeger like a phantom, wielding his silver sword and arm blades in a peculiar manner. Three flashes of silver light emerged, their speed and trajectory seemingly impossible to comprehend.

Despite her previous encounters, Yaeger still found the attacks unbelievably fast. The angles of attack were deceptive, constantly shifting and catching her off guard. What astonished her even more was Chris’ mastery over sword energy manipulation.

This attack resembled the previous one, but it held a fundamental difference. It began similarly, only to transform later on.

Clang!

The three swords multiplied into six… no, nine! Sword energy whizzed toward Yaeger from all directions, top to bottom, left to right. Her pupils contracted in response to the overwhelming assault.

Chris had split into three entities, launching an unstoppable barrage from different heights with incredible speed. This was the complete version of his previous attack, now three times more powerful. The speed and angles had become even more deceptive.

Despite his strength being restrained, the might of a Myth-ranked powerhouse was still formidable. This attack appeared inescapable.

Silver light flashed, seemingly shredding Yaeger into oblivion. But to Chris’ surprise, there was no feedback from the attack.

“As I told you, the same trick won’t work on me twice,” Yaeger stated expressionlessly, positioned a few meters away. However, a trace of trepidation lingered within her.

Had she not used her flash ability in advance, evading that strike would have been impossible.

“I almost suffered the same fate as my afterimage,” she contemplated, realizing the immense risk she had taken. A mere fraction of a second’s delay would have led to dire consequences.

Yaeger never underestimated Chris, as he was undeniably stronger than her. However, she had yet to fathom the true extent of his power and his deceptive nature.

His previous attack seemed to originate from a distance, but in reality, it was a meticulously calculated and ruthless strike, akin to a predator hunting its prey.

Chris, consumed by fury, possessed a surprisingly clear mind. Although seemingly contradictory, such a mental state was not unusual for a powerhouse of his caliber. Emotions were mere tools to be harnessed and channeled differently.

Indeed, beings of their caliber were exceedingly rare in this world. Yet, today, Yaeger found herself face-to-face with one of them.

“Fascinating. Since the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special,” Chris remarked, retracting his hands and standing upright. He locked eyes with Yaeger, radiating an enlightened gaze that sent shivers down her spine.

Instantly, Yaeger felt a profound sense of unease. It was as if the person before her had undergone a complete transformation. No, perhaps he had switched personalities. Chris was undeniably abnormal.

His current demeanor mirrored the Chris she had encountered when they first met, starkly different from the agitated and erratic version she had witnessed moments ago.

“Initially, I planned to take you out of the Jade Empire once I concluded my affairs here. You would undergo a baptism and become a loyal believer of the great Beast God. Offer your strength to the Lord and join us in reshaping this corrupted world, restoring peace,” Chris spoke with an almost emotionless tone, resembling a machine.

Yaeger was shocked by his words. It dawned on her that she had unknowingly triggered a hidden quest of the [Warlock Association]. However, given what she knew about their actions, she felt no regret whatsoever. While she didn’t consider herself a paragon of virtue, associating with these monstrous individuals, worse than gangsters, was inconceivable.

“Unfortunately, you have chosen to oppose us. Furthermore, you are a companion of the [Child of Prophecy],” Chris stated calmly.

At this moment, Yaeger sensed something profoundly amiss. In the typical portrayal, villains would be defeated through lengthy monologues, while the protagonist’s insults would hold decisive power. Yet, Chris didn’t exude the typical villainous aura. Instead, he appeared cunning, akin to a protagonist plotting a grand scheme.

It became clear to Yaeger that there was more to this encounter than met the eye. She heightened her vigilance, paying keen attention to Chris’ every move.

“I’ve decided. You must die,” Chris continued his monotonous speech, devoid of any discernible emotion.

But in the instant he uttered those words, he swiftly raised his right hand, conjuring a silver bead the size of a marble atop his forefinger. The bead pulsed with immensely potent energy.

Yaeger realized that all his previous ramblings were merely a ploy to set up this attack. Chris was indeed a cunning adversary, just as she had anticipated.

However, the fact that she could push a legendary powerhouse to resort to such underhanded tactics indicated that she posed a significant challenge for him. Chris himself acknowledged this.

His plan was to catch Alicia off guard and deliver a fatal blow. Yes, Alicia, not Yaeger. Right from the start, he had crafted this attack with Alicia as the target.

There were two reasons for this strategy. First, Chris had come with a singular objective: to eliminate Alicia. Yaeger, in his eyes, was nothing more than an insignificant obstacle along the way. However, he had underestimated the difficulty of subduing this incredibly resilient and beautiful girl.

Second, because Yaeger proved to be a formidable adversary, he couldn’t afford to allow the greatest prodigy the Empire had ever seen to recover. Yaeger joining forces with Alicia would undoubtedly spell defeat for him. By eliminating Alicia first, he would fulfill his initial goal while averting the direst outcome.

It was a plan to kill two birds with one stone.

In his mind’s eye, Chris already envisioned everyone’s shocked expressions followed by their inevitable collapse once Alicia had been slain.

“Die!” Chris exclaimed, ready to unleash the compressed energy and turn his fantasy into reality.

“Dream on!” Yaeger, equally cunning, swiftly summoned a translucent fox tail from beneath the ground, lashing at Chris’ right arm from below.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the fearsome energy ball launched from the tip of Chris’ finger, hurtling forward like a streak of silver light.

Swift as a bolt of lightning!

Yunuen and Little Fairy barely had time to react before the silver light was upon them. Despair and desperation etched across their faces… Or so it seemed.

In reality, the silver light veered off course the moment it was unleashed, soaring above the green cocoon harmlessly. The unexpected miss left them momentarily startled.

Witnessing his powerful attack miss its mark, Chris was first taken aback, then consumed by fury.

“You b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲, how dare you!” he spat, seething with anger.

He could discern that the fox tail emerging from beneath the ground in that split-second was a meticulously planned surprise attack, specifically aimed at him.

“Likewise,” Yaeger retorted calmly, though an undercurrent of unease coursed through her.

‘I almost botched it. This guy isn’t just strong; he’s cunning too!’

If those present could hear her thoughts in that moment, they would undoubtedly remark, “Well, you’re no different!”