Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Ethan’ Plan the last hope (2)

Seeing Alex still alive—still breathing—Aaron’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The silver-haired brat was walking toward him.

His steps were uneven, his clothes soaked in blood, but in his hand, the black sword still gleamed faintly.

Not only Aaron, but even Veyron and Veyra froze. This was the same boy who had taken a full-powered strike from a Grandmaster head-on.

By all logic, he shouldn’t even have a body left to bury.

Aaron’s moment of shock vanished as his instincts took over. His aura exploded outward like an unstoppable tide, flooding the entire forest.

The ground split into deep fractures, trees bowed under invisible weight, and the air turned so thick it felt like it could crush lungs.

The pressure was so immense that bones groaned, joints popped, and some weaker people collapsed lifeless on the spot.

Then came an even greater shock—Alex didn’t even flinch.

In fact, the harder Aaron pushed, the more frantically the constellation-like symbol on the back of Alex’s hand began to glow.

Aaron muttered under his breath, barely believing his own words. “What… the hell is this kid?”

Alex stared right back at him, confusion flickering behind his cold eyes. He’s trying to crush me with aura… so why isn’t it working?

’System, why am I not affected by his aura?’

[Host, the tree constellation symbol on the back of your hand negates all harmful forms of pressure directed at you.]

’…You’re telling me it can do that?’

[Affirmative.]

Alex let out a short breath. ’Well, that’s convenient.’

But the sight around him wasn’t pleasant—the earth around them was splintered, the air felt like molten iron, and his friends, including Ethan, were groaning and straining to endure.

Tch… I can handle it, but they can’t. Not for long.

His eyes narrowed slightly. So this is the pressure of a Grandmaster(peak)… no wonder even the strong ones struggle.

His gaze shifted toward Ethan, who was pinned by the neck. Ethan’s eyes met his, and his lips formed silent words: “Buy me some time. I have a plan.”

Alex gave a faint nod. Alright… let’s do this.

Step by step, he closed the distance between himself and Aaron.

Aaron raised an eyebrow. The boy was willingly walking into the maw of a lion. Either he’s fearless… or stupid.

Before he could speak, Veyra’s voice rang out in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

“Master, that’s Alex Dragonheart. He’s stubborn… and fascinating. More terrifying than Ethan, the so-called chosen one.”

Aaron actually turned his head slightly at that. Veyra was infamous for toying with men, only to break and discard them like broken dolls. For her to praise someone so bluntly was unheard of.

His eyes returned to Alex, scanning him slowly. Unique build, strange aura, and—annoyingly—handsome.

Alex caught the look and scoffed. “What, you sizing me up for your daughter’s wedding? You’ve been looking me over for so long I’m starting to feel shy.”

Aaron’s aura snapped away in an instant, his focus now locked on Alex.

Behind him, Alex’s friends gasped for breath, freed from the crushing weight.

Perfect. Now all your attention is on me.

Alex tilted his head slightly, smirking. “And by the way… I’m not into men.”

Aaron’s expression darkened. This brat…

Then his brow furrowed. Alex Dragonheart… I’ve heard that name before.

It clicked—the reports from the entrance ceremony, and later ones claiming the boy’s potential capped at Master rank.

After that, the cult had dismissed him as worthless.

So, just a loud mouth with decent talent. Nothing more.

Aaron looked at Veyra. “Sorry, Veyra. I can’t let him live. The cult’s not interested anymore. And the second reason…” His eyes turned cold. “I don’t like his attitude.”

He faced Alex directly. “I’ll give you one chance. Become my disciple—Veyra’s attendant—and I’ll let you live.”

Veyra’s eyes lit up instantly. Even after everything Alex had done to her, she still wanted him close, almost obsessively.

She already knew what his answer would be, and that only made her want him more.

Alex smirked. “I’ll consider it… if you beg me twice. And—” he pointed at Veyron “—throw in that idiot’s head.”

Veyra chuckled darkly and turned to her master. “Master, after you kill him, let me have his head.”

But Aaron wasn’t even listening anymore. His expression had gone glacial. A brat with such meager potential… daring to tell him to bow.

Aaron’s aura flared again, this time locked entirely on Alex, crushing down with the intent to snap bones and force him to cough blood.

But something felt wrong.

Aaron’s sharp eyes narrowed as he noticed it—the boy’s body tensed under the weight, yet… there was no blood. No ribs breaking. No organs rupturing.

’Why… isn’t it working?’ he thought, a flicker of unease crawling in.

Before he could process the anomaly, Alex had already started backing away, each step widening the distance between them.

Alex’s mind was sharp despite the chaos. ’I just need to keep him busy. That’s it. Ethan… whatever you’re planning, you better make it count.’

His fingers twitched slightly on the hilt of the blackened Celestial Sunblade.

The blade seemed to hum faintly, as if calling to him—urging him to unleash the new forms he had just unlocked.

He ignored it. ’No. Not yet. The new techniques… I don’t even know what they’ll do. I only know one thing—after using them, I’ll be completely drained. I won’t be able to move a muscle.’

His eyes flicked to Aaron’s dark, oppressive figure. ’And taking that risk against him without knowing if it’ll even work… is a gamble I can’t afford right now. Not with everyone here. Not with the stakes this high.’

Aaron saw Alex retreating and smirked, his predatory instincts flaring. “Running away? Good. Makes it more fun when I catch you.”

In the next heartbeat, his figure blurred out of existence.

Alex barely had time to inhale before Aaron’s shadow was already above him. His breath hitched—his body’s instincts screaming danger—as the Grandmaster’s fist slammed into him with inhuman force.

The impact was cataclysmic. Alex’s body was launched like a cannonball, the world turning into streaks of green and brown as he tore through tree trunks, splintering them into matchsticks, shattering boulders, and carving a destructive trail through the forest.

The violent flight only ended when he smashed into the side of a cliff with the force of a meteor.

The cliff exploded in a rain of jagged stone, massive chunks breaking off and tumbling down the slopes.

Alex barely had time to feel the pain before a blur of movement caught his eye—Aaron again, descending from above like a streak of black lightning.

The fist came faster than thought.

BOOM.

The blow slammed into his ribs, blasting him straight through the cliff’s interior. His body became a living drill, tunneling through solid rock, pulverizing it into dust and leaving behind a yawning hole in the mountain.

Before gravity could even reclaim him, Aaron reappeared in the air, aura burning like a dark sun, eyes locked on his prey.

There was no pause. No mercy.

In the blink of an eye, he descended like a falling star, his fist smashing into Alex’s back.

The sound was like the sky splitting.

Alex plummeted like a meteor, the ground beneath him exploding in a deafening shockwave as his body carved a massive crater into the earth.

The ground fractured outward in spiderweb cracks, dust and rock fragments erupting high into the air.

Ethan and Alden froze, horror twisting their expressions.

Ava’s breath caught in her throat. “Alex—!” She tried to run forward, Charlotte following instinctively, but Draven’s hand shot out, iron-strong, blocking their path.

“You’ll die before you even reach him,” Draven growled, his own eyes tight with helplessness.

Aaron was already descending again, his blows hammering into Alex without respite, each one slamming him deeper into the earth as if trying to bury him alive.

Blood finally spilled from Alex’s lips, the copper taste flooding his mouth. His body screamed in agony—skin torn, bones aching, muscles fraying with every strike.

In the chaos, a familiar voice echoed in his skull, urgent and trembling.

[Host… please… answer me, Host!]

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A/N:

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