Five minutes ago.
Kiba and Mendel looked at Ashlyn as her discs cut through a claw of the red dragon.
Ashlyn ignored Mendel and brought her eyes on Kiba.
In her usual cold tone, she said, “Let me handle this.”
Kiba was surprised but he nodded.
“We will meet outside tonight. If not, at that village,” Kiba said.
Ashlyn nodded in acknowledgment. Kiba’s figure blurred and he shot off in the distance.
Mendel charged after him but just then, Ashlyn jumped in front of him.
“He is living his life,” Ashlyn wielded the two discs in her hands as she said coldly. “So don’t interfere.”
Mendel was dumbfounded.
Living his life?!
You call robbing and creating chaos as living life?!?
Don’t interfere?!
Are you fucking kidding with me!?
Mendel started at her but all he got was a poker expression. It was like even she didn’t know the meaning of what she said.
There was more truth in Mendel’s guess than he expected…
“You are that bastard’s lover, right?” Mendel’s eyes blazed with hatred.
The life-like phantom of the red dragon behind Mendel roared. He was already annoyed by Kiba but now even her.
Ashlyn didn’t reply.
“I would love to see that bastard’s reaction when I show him your severed corpse,” Mendel commanded his summoned manifestation to kill her.
Ashlyn opened her left palm and seven seals flashed above them. The circular blue seal cracked apart, and streams of blue energy swept out. Like threads of dazzling current waves, they wrapped on her suit.
The battle began…
***
The streets were filled with intense chaos as people fought each other. There were no more treasures falling from the sky, so those in possession of those treasures became the target.
Different abilities flashed out like fireworks along with the modern weapons. Screams and wails ringed throughout while blood sprinkled.
Human greed was on full display.
In one such area of open display of greed, there were only corpses except for the winner. The winner who earned the most precious resources from the treasure fall.
Presently, the winner wasn’t exactly feeling like a winner…
Maddox was startled as the wooden box escaped from his grip and lifted high in air. He leaped up to catch, and just as his hands were about to grasp it, the box flew away.
“Who dares steal from me?!” Maddox was incensed.
It has taken him great efforts to acquire those two treasured fruits, and now, they were flying away.
Maddox’s eyes knitted as he saw the box landing down some two hundred meters away. It fell into waiting hands of Kiba.
Maddox couldn’t make a sense of the situation. Earlier, it was Kiba who created the treasure fall in the sky, and yet, he was taking back two fruits.
If he didn’t want to give these fruits to others, why not just hide them? What was the intention behind making them fall from the sky and creating a riot in the process?!
Maddox has many questions, but he didn’t care for the answer. All he cared was taking the two fruits and then stealing the crystalline ore from Kiba.
“Thanks for finding both fruits and storing them together,” Kiba said as he transferred the box into his storage dimension. “You have my thanks for reducing my work.”
“YOU!” Maddox charged straight at him.
His left eye pupil glinted brightly, and a starry light flashed out.
The concrete surface around Kiba crumbled into pieces. Through the crumbling pieces, rocks shot out from the ground below.
The front portion of the rocks was sharp like a pointed metal and they glinted with a twinkling light.
There were more than a dozen rocks, and every single one of them rushed at Kiba, ready to smash him into pieces.
“A divergent of earth element?” Kiba’s lips curved up into a grin.
He tapped a finger in air, and ripples of telekinetic energy surged out. The ripples enveloped the hail of rocks and they stopped in midair.
He then swung his finger in an outward direction.
Swoosh~
The rocks violently flung into Maddox.
“Snort!”
Maddox snorted in disdain and the rocks shattered into dust particles. He looked at Kiba and said, “You think some pathetic display of telekinesis can stop me?”
“Pathetic display?” Kiba put a hand over his chin and then nodded in agreement. “Apologies. Please give me a chance to change your opinion.”
The moment these words entered into Maddox’s ears; an overwhelming telekinetic force enveloped him.
Even before Maddox could blink, he was pulled high into air and then swung downward. He violently smashed right into the hard-concrete block.
Pain greeted every corner of his body and the hidden armor showed signs of faint cracks.
A growl came from his throat and he opened his mouth to speak, but just then, he flew high into air. He didn’t even get a moment to rest or think as he flew up.
All he could do was internally curse. As his body shot down again, he was ready, and he crossed his arms in front to save his face.
His eyes were closed to prevent dust and stone particles, and he silently waited for his hands and other parts of his body to brush against the rough surface of concrete.
Yet nothing like this happened.
Startled and even somewhat happy, he opened his eyes and parted his hands to see. The crude surface of concrete was just some five centimeters from his body.
He was still enveloped by telekinetic force and floating, but just negligible distance away from the ground.
This situation bewildered him.
Why would I stop this close to the ground?!
As if to answer his question, his body was slammed down. The pressure this time was greater than before, and he has opened his face slightly; the combined factors sent his blood rolling. The ground underneath him cracked apart like a growing spider web.
“Bastard!”
Maddox sent his energy into the ground to summon attack. Underground, stone particles fused together to converge into sharp spears, but before enough energy can cascade into them to shoot out, Maddox was sent flying in air.
This time, he was a tad bit faster, and he pressed a switch on his internal armor to create an energy shield that enveloped the front part of his body.
“If only I was in my best form!”
He has reached Level IV strength, but due to some injuries he gained in a battle with Level V Three-headed Cobra, his strength has drastically fallen. One of those hidden injuries made it impossible for him to utilize his abilities unless he was in direct contact with earth.
“Damn!”
Maddox was once again swung down and he snorted inside. He was ready to summon his attack just as he crashed into the ground.
Unfortunately, fate has something else in mind.
Just as he was about to slam on ground, his body swept sidewards as if he was slapped by a giant. He slammed into the wall of a shop some two hundred meters away.
The energy shield shattered into pieces like an egg…
“Son of a bitch!” Maddox has barely muttered a curse when a strong telekinetic force pulled him again. Like a meteor, he swept out of the broken wall and violently smashed into the wall of another shop three hundred meters away.
On the streets, the fight for resources has almost ended. Many have died but still, thousands remained in this part of the region.
The surviving mutants were guarding their treasures against others when they heard strong whistling sound. They turned around and noticed a man swinging from one wall to another. It was like the motion of a pendulum.
The spectators tried to check this man out. His features were a mess with blood, saliva, and dirt giving him an unrecognizable look.
“Iron Blood Mercenary Corps’ Maddox!”
Many onlookers muttered in shock. If not for half-mask on the left part of face, they would not be able to identify him.
“Am I seeing it correct?!”
“I guess your eyes are as defective as mine if you are seeing Maddox propelling from one wall to another!”
“What is going on?”
They look in utter shock and alarm as he was thrown from one shop to another, without a single second for rest.
It was like the walls of the shops were tennis racket and Maddox was the ball. One wall was striking him and sending him to another.
In just a minute, they saw the process repeated for over twenty times.
“It is almost like Maddox is bitch-slapped!”
