Chapter 139: [139] Payback

[This Chapter may contain violent themes not suitable for all readers]

After sprinting non stop to the scene of the large explosion, Ash was left stunned from the moment he arrived.

The traces of mana were heavy in the air, and the entire landscape had been overturned.

Deep groves marked the earth, there were craters here and there and scorch marks filling the area.

Ash felt cold sweat drop down his neck as he tried to imagine what had happened here.

His imaginations were not kind…

“This is something else…” Ash had been growing stronger steadily, and was considered strong by a couple of people.

But this… there are no words to describe what he was seeing.

He suddenly slapped his cheeks, pulling himself out of his reverie. His lord was somewhere in the mess and he had to find him.

Ash refused to believe he had been defeated, he knew his lord well, and that was how he knew he had not even showcased the depths of his power.

After searching the disaster zone, Ash finally found a figure standing in the distance, hands clasped behind his back as he watched the smothering floor.

His long blue hair appeared black in the darkness, and the wind was causing it to sway, blowing it to the side.

“My lord?” Ash called out from where he stood.

But just as the words left his mouth, the figure immediately spun, pointing a stick in his direction.

His eyes were glowing a vibrant blue, a flare of mana flowing by the sides of his azure eyes.

Lightning pulsed around the staff, threatening to be let loose, to bring about another calamity.

Ash immediately jumped to the ground as lightning whistled past his head. “My lord it’s me, it’s Ash!”

Eliron tilted his head slightly. “My goodness, Ash?! Hahahaha…”

He chuckled nervously. “Has anyone told you, those ears of yours look notoriously similar to those of high elves…”

“Please don’t insult me my lord…”

Eliron and Ash met up and he told Ash everything that had happened, including the fact that the conflict was arranged by the high elves.

“I never thought we would encounter them this soon…” Ash said thoughtfully. “Wait, does that mean lord Galanhad is—”

Eliron shook his head. “No, they just happened to hear about it. Because of um… a little confrontation I had in the city…”

Ash sighed and ran his hand through his face. “I knew we should have just eaten light and left.”

Eliron shrugged. “The past is in the past, we even had a stroke of good luck. That is one less general amongst the high elves—”

“G-general?!” Ash interrupted him, his mouth hanging open.

He had expected the opponent to be strong considering the state Eliron was in, but never in his mind had he expected it to be a general!

Most generals were at the highest realms of Minor Commander, some even being Commander rank!

And for context, the higher you went up in the knight realms, the greater the gap in strength.

For example, a first stage minor commander in most cases would be completely mowed down by a second stage Minor Commander…

Except for exceptional individuals, such as Eliron, this was often the case.

And yet, Eliron had defeated him, even while he had backup?? Ash was completely out of the standard.

Eliron frowned as he stared at Ash. “Wow, I’m so happy that you are confident in your lord!” He said in a mocking tone.

“Ah, forgive me my lord. It’s just a lot to unpack…” Ash quickly added.

“Anyways… what are we going to do about the demonic merchant?” Ash asked, trying to change the topic.

Eliron folded his hands across his chest and stared up at the moon.

“He sold us to the high elves like slaves…”

He could understand his thinking, denying a general like Kyros meant certain death. And considering that he had an artifact like the eye, it would have been impossible to escape him.

Yet, there was no doubt that the Demonic Merchant had acted selfishly.

For that, he could not let him go scot free. There was always a price for betrayal…

“I think it’s time we paid the merchant a visit.” Eliron said darkly.

Ash nodded. “We’ll need to find our way out of this forest first…”

“And who said so?”

Eliron waved his hand in the air, creating a portal right in front of them.

“I marked the merchant just before we were teleported.”

The time he had injured him with his skill, he had placed a marker on the merchant. As long as he had not noticed it, the portal would lead right to him.

Ash nodded. “Brilliant as always my lord.”

Eliron clicked his tongue. “Those shabby compliments will not make me forgive your earlier shock at my accomplishment…”

Ash scratched his neck, his shoulders slumping. “Ah, I see…”

Then they both stepped through the portal.

<•••>

Back in the abandoned building…

Balak stood before the Demonic Merchant, a bright smirk on his face.

His original goal was to plunder the merchant of all his valuable artifacts, then use them to take revenge on the elf that had humiliated him.

But as though God was on his side, he was approached by the high elves and given a task to silence the merchant.

Not only that, they had given him an artifact perfect for hunting him!

Not only were they getting paid to do something they would have otherwise done, their job was now even far easier!

They must have had a deal they never wanted to come to light, but Balak did not care.

Their goals aligned too perfectly well, and now, he was so close that he could taste the artifacts and weapons already!

“W-what do you want?” The pitiful merchant asked, his shirt caked in blood.

Balak smiled. “Ahh… nothing much… just your life!”

He swung his sword down in a clean, murderous arc.

But just as the sword came down, a dark portal immediately burst into life right before him.

“What the h—”

Swish!

Balak immediately stumbled back and fell on his back, blood gushing out in front of him.

“Huh?”

His vision blurred, and everything he saw was in a shade of red.

“What happened?” One second, he was about to kill the merchant, and in the next second, he was sitting on his butt.

His vision finally focused as he saw Eliorn and Ash walk out of the portal, the young lord holding a sword dripping blood.

“Damn it, my mana is almost gone!” Eliron complained, stretching his body as he handed Ash his sword.

“I’m surprised you are still standing my lord, you’ve lost a lot of blood as well.”

Still completely confused, Balak then stared at the floor, only to see an arm lying on the ground.

His arm.

“Oh?” He blinked.

“ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

“Oh, look at who it is! How are you doing Mr eunuch? So you are part of the ploy eh?”

Before Balak could say a word, a gust of wind blew past him, slicing his head right off.

The other mercenaries froze in their steps, then they all immediately bolted towards the door.

— It’s the monster!

— Run! He’ll kill us all!!

But before they could escape, a gust of wind blew the door tightly shut, trapping them within the room…

The next few seconds were filled with horrifying screams, as Eliron eliminated every single mercenary in the building.

For murderers, rapists and thieves, they sounded very sincere when they begged for their lives…

When Eliron was finally done, he picked up one of their swords and turned to face the Demonic mercenary.

By now the man had his back pressed tightly against the wall, terrified by the horrific sight he had seen.

Eliron walked up to him and squatted down, staring right at the demonic mask. He could see it from his eyes that he was terrified to the core, and yet—

“You won’t beg?” Eliron cocked his head to the side, a calm expression on his face.

“And would you forgive me if I did?”

“Hmm, good point.”

Stab!

Eliron drove the sword right into his thigh, eliciting a heart wrenching scream.

“Ahhhhhh—!”

He was breathing heavily, his hand vibrating over the cut.

“Come on, after ushering to our deaths, you should at least take this like a man.”

Eliron couldn’t help but think what would have happened if he had sent Artie and Yen here instead.

By now, they would have been dead…

STAB!

“Ahhhhhh!”

The merchant screamed to the point he became breathless, his hand pressing against the bleeding wound. With each stab, the screams grew, and yet, Eliron did not stop.

“We will have a positive business relationship with you, Demonic merchant, but we cannot start such a deal on a shaky foundation.”

Eliron’s eyes grew cold. The merchant was not someone that could be trusted, he had made that very clear already.

If they could not have a mutual relationship based on trust, then they would have one built on fear.

“But first, you must atone.”

He raised his sword one more time, about to bring it down when the merchant’s mask slipped down.

Long wavy blonde hair fell down, framing a stunningly beautiful face, and ruby-red eyes stared at him, filled with fear.

The woman’s face was glistened with sweat, and blood had trailed down the side of her lips, falling down to her cloth.

Eliron froze. “Cassandra?”

The woman’s eyes widened at the mention of her name, just before her eyes closed, and she passed out from the pain.

Not only was the demonic merchant just revealed to be a woman, Eliron had just met someone he would have never imagined he would see.

At least, not here…

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