1310 36th Strategem
"Fuck!" Rudolph quickly scanned the container.
Using the opportunity, Varian teleported away.
'That was dangerous…' He quickly downed a potion.
The explosion was a sham. It wouldn't have hurt the container itself. Varian played that part to give himself a chance to escape.
Rudolph also realized that the container was fine. He sighed in relief and was about to down the liquid when he noticed something abnormal.
The black and white light, which suspiciously broke through his aura lock, sneaked into the container!
The single golden droplet inside was assaulted by it, quickly turning gray.
"No!"
"Stop!"
Rudolph didn't care about his image and stuck his tongue into the container, licking it off. But by the time he did, three-fourths of it had already turned.
The Prince hoped that the 'contamination' was just his imagination. After all, given how potent this elixir was, how could something spoil it so easily?
But…
As his legs regenerated in a blink and his aura reserves began to rise, Rudolph realized that his prayers were unanswered.
That thing, whatever it was, really contaminated the elixir!
A single drop was enough to bring him back to his peak condition. But it's very, very rare.
It's a life saving elixir that Rudolph wasn't willing to waste under any circumstance. He didn't even use after failing the mission. It's that important!
After being pushed into a corner and left with no choice, he wanted to use it but—
"You better kill yourselves now. Or you'll regret the torture I'll put you through. Every nerve of yours will scream in agony and your soul wil burn, without ever dying.
I will make your pained cries my melodies, your tears my happiness, your suffering my purpose.
You really better kill yourself now."
Rudolph's gaze was serious and his words were calm. But the man had gone insane.
Varian gulped as he realized the gravity of the situation. Sarah quietly reached him to defend him just in case. Isadora, on the other hand, looked at him with a solemn expression.
Finally, Nevar, who was still in the middle of a recovery that's far slower than Rudolph's, shuddered.
Everthing was going in an unexpected direction and he honestly didn't see how they could win.
Especially now.
Even though Varian spoiled the prince's elixir, whatever little he took did a terrific job.
Some of Rudolph's major injuries were healed, his aura climbed to mid rank 7 and even his stressed mind relaxed.
Taking on him now…
"If we lose to you, we'll just escape. The world is so fucking big that you can't ever hope to find us. Instead, it'll be us finding you again. When we do, we'd be killing you for certain that time." Varian said.
"You, the weakest of everyone here, tch, tch, tch," Rudolph shook his head and he disappeared.
Boom!
The curved barriers of space, gravity, even light and darkness shattered by the Prince's fist.
Varian jumped back into ghostship and went into stealth mode. Even though it was such a shameless act to do, he showed no hesitation.
"You coward! Come back and fight like a man!" Rudolph roared in fury as he noticed the ship moving at fast speed.
He could try catching up but that'd make him an open target for the two women.
He still hadn't figured out why they had two, no, three powers despite not being hybrids.
"You both have three paths," Rudolph looked at them with a nasty smile. "I'll dig out all your secrets. No, I'll make you confess them on my be—"
Boom!
Isadora's signature darkness flames morphed into a hand and slapped him back.
Not expected such a move, Rudolph had to take significant damage.
"You bitch! Why are you so powerful?"
Isadora clicked her tongue as she noticed his arms.
The flames stuck to his forearms and were trying to burn him off, but the tremendous aura of the prince was stopping them.
Looking at her disdainful expression, Rudolph grew even more furious.
"Answer me!"
His figure blurred and he reached Isadora in a monstrous speed.
The space in the path he took tore apart as if it couldn't bear his movements.
And the Prince's fist reached the Princess.
With a muffled groan, Isadora was blasted back, her left arm bleeding and limp.
'I am so weak now that even this nobody can injure me…'
Boom!
Sarah's shield of golden light shattered and she crashed into Isadora, as calculated by the Prince.
The two women groaned in pain while their bones snapped. Unlike the fake blood they used to fool Nevar, this time, blood was spluttering out of their injuries.
Rudolph followed up and was about to launch another attack when the space in front of him fluctuated.
"You shall not pass!" Raising his arms, Nevar appeared in their defense.
"Go!"
"You old bastard!" Rudolph turned his hand into a claw and pierced through the spatial barriers.
His fingertips dug into Nevar's chest. Purple blood spilled on his face as he lifted the veteran.
Nevar struggled with the injuries but he didn't care. He had only vaguely heard of the perfect hybrid project that the Empire attempted.
It was a failure. Or at least, that's what everyone thought.
But these two women—the children of the Empire—clearly proved that wrong.
Since they were in such a remote place until now without any special role despite having three paths, Nevar assumed the Empire was shielding them from exposure.
So, he decided to risk his life for their survival.
"Go!"
"Go to hell!" Rudolph grabbed Nevar's head and slammed it into his knee.
Kacha! Boom!
With the sounds of bones snapping, a mess of purple and green drenched the Prince's clothes. With another slap, Nevar's body exploded, not even allowing him a chance of burial.
"Now you two! Don't even think of escaping!" Rudolph gave a menacing smile and rushed after them.
"Unfortunately for you, that's what we are going to do," That annoying voice rang at the edge of the barrier he set up.
The black and white light flashed again, drilling a hole in the barrier.
"Come on, girls!" Varian waved his hand.
Sarah and Isadora rushed out of the barrier, jumped into ghostship.
"Stop!"
Prince Rudolph followed.
