Aestrea’s twin swords glinted under the dim light as he stared at the people in front of him.

He didn’t flinch.

He didn’t speak.

His breath was steady, his feet spread slightly apart, ready to move at any moment.

The air in the room felt heavier now, charged with tension and killing intent.

“You’re out of your mind,” Lord Vance growled, stepping forward.

His mechanical hand whirred to life, glowing faintly from the beams of energy pulsing through his chest.

His entire body seemed to vibrate with power despite his injury from Yara.

“You think you can take all of us by yourself?”

Aestrea’s glowing crimson eyes didn’t waver.

Instead, his lips curled into a faint smirk.

“I don’t think,” he said softly.

“I know.”

Then, he moved.

BOOM!

The floor cracked beneath Aestrea’s feet as he launched himself forward like a bullet, his twin swords flashing in the air.

Lord Vance was the first to react, his mechanical arm swinging upward to block.

CLANG!

Metal met steel as Aestrea’s blade clashed with Vance’s arm.

The impact sent a sharp, ringing sound through the room. Sparks flew as Vance pushed back with brute strength, forcing Aestrea to jump back.

But Aestrea didn’t stop.

The moment his feet hit the ground, he spun around, slashing his second sword in a wide arc toward Vance’s ribs.

WHOOSH!

Vance barely managed to step back, the blade missing him by inches. But before he could counter, Aestrea’s hand shot out toward the ground.

“Freeze,” Aestrea muttered, his breath visible as smoke in the suddenly cold air.

CRACK!

A thin layer of ice spread across the floor like lightning, creeping toward Vance’s feet.

“What the—?!” Vance shouted, stumbling back as his legs froze in place.

Madam Wei hissed sharply, snapping her fingers.

Thin, shimmering strings shot from her hands, slicing through the air like whips.

SNAP!

SNAP!

Aestrea ducked, the strings narrowly missing his head. One of them slashed across the wall behind him, leaving a deep, clean cut in the wood.

“Stay still, you little pest!” Madam Wei snarled, her fingers moving faster now. More strings shot toward him, glinting under the dim light.

But Aestrea was already moving.

WHOOSH!

He sidestepped the first string, twisted his body to avoid the second, then slashed downward with his left-hand sword, severing the third mid-air.

SNAP!

The string fell to the ground, writhing like a living thing before disappearing.

Aestrea’s gaze locked onto Madam Wei.

“You talk too much,” he said coldly.

Madam Wei’s eyes narrowed.

“You’ll regret that.”

She raised her hands, and a massive web exploded outward, covering half the room. The sticky strands glimmered like silk, but Aestrea could feel the danger radiating from them.

Before he could react, the web shot toward him, wrapping around his arms and legs.

SHHK!

The strands tightened, locking him in place.

Madam Wei smiled cruelly.

“Let’s see how cocky you are when you can’t move,” she purred, pulling the web tighter.

Aestrea didn’t panic, his crimson eyes flickered lightly, and his swords began to glow with a faint silver light.

“Bad i dea,” he said quietly.

CRACK!

A surge of cold energy exploded from his body, freezing the web instantly. The ice spread up the strands, creeping toward Madam Wei’s hands.

Her eyes widened.

“Shit!”

She severed the web just in time, the frozen strands shattering like glass.

CRASH!

Aestrea landed on his feet, his swords spinning in his hands. He launched himself toward her, his blades cutting through the air with deadly precision.

SWISH!

Madam Wei leaped back, narrowly avoiding the strikes. She raised her hands, sending a flurry of strings toward him, but Aestrea was too fast.

CLANG!

He deflected the strings with both of his swords, keeping his eyes on the incoming strings.

Meanwhile, Grandmaster Hui stood calmly at the table, watching the battle.

He hadn’t moved yet, but the air around him seemed to shift, growing heavier with each passing second.

Finally, he raised his hand, his fingers forming a strange, runic symbol.

“Enough.”

His voice was quiet but carried a strange weight, like a heavy bell tolling in the distance.

The entire room seemed to shudder as a golden light erupted from his hand, forming a massive glowing symbol in the air.

Aestrea froze mid-strike, his swords still raised.

“What the—?”

Before he could react, the symbol shot toward him, slamming into his chest.

BOOM!

Thud!

Aestrea was thrown backward, crashing into the wall.

“Ugh…” He gritted his teeth, pushing himself to his feet.

The symbol glowed faintly on his chest, binding him in place.

Grandmaster Hui stepped forward with a calm and unbothered expression as if he had taken Aestrea as some kind of naughty child.

“You are strong,” Grandmaster Hui said lightly. “But strength without discipline is meaningless.”

At his words, Aestrea let out a cold chuckle.

“Aren’t you quite… poetic? Just a few minutes ago, you were talking about setting a bounty on my head to kill me…” His crimson eyes burned brighter.

He could feel the weight of the symbol pressing down on him, but he refused to back down.

His fingers twitched slightly, still wrapped around the hilts of his swords.

Suddenly—

WHOOSH!

A wave of thin, glowing strings lashed toward him from the side.

Madam Wei.

“You’re a slippery one, I’ll give you that,” she said smoothly, her fingers weaving in the air. The strings moved like living things, twisting toward Aestrea’s arms and legs.

SHHHT!

Aestrea twisted his body, trying to dodge—but the golden seal on his chest made his movements slow. The strings wrapped around his right arm, yanking it back with force.

“Kh—!”

He gritted his teeth, his muscles straining.

WHIP!

More strings came flying, aiming for his legs.

No choice.

Aestrea clenched his left hand. His sword pulsed with icy energy.

CRACK!

A sudden burst of frost shot out from his blade, freezing the strings mid-air.

Madam Wei’s eyes widened slightly.

“Tch—still resisting?”

Aestrea didn’t answer.

He exhaled sharply, focusing all his strength on his legs.

Then—

BOOM!

The ground beneath him exploded as he launched himself forward, breaking free from the seal’s weight for just a moment.

SHING!

He swung his left sword, slicing through the frozen strings and shattering them into glittering shards.

“Too slow!”

Lord Vance was already moving.

VMMMM!

His mechanical body hummed with energy as his core pulsed, sending power through his limbs. His metal fist shot forward, aiming straight for Aestrea’s stomach.

Aestrea’s eyes sharpened.

He twisted mid-air, bringing his sword up—

CLANG!

The impact was brutal. Sparks flew as metal met steel, the sheer force sending a shockwave through the room.

“Not bad,” Vance muttered, pressing forward with his mechanical strength.

CREAK!

CREEEAK!

Aestrea grunted as he felt his feet sliding back against the floor.

He needed to move—now.

He ducked low, letting Vance’s metal arm swing past his head.

Then—

THWACK!

He drove his knee straight into Vance’s ribs.

“GHK—!”

The hit connected, sending a shudder through Vance’s frame. But his robotic body barely budged.

Instead, his metal arm whipped around in a backhand strike—

BAM!

Aestrea barely blocked it with his swords, but the sheer force sent him flying backward.

CRASH!

He slammed against the far wall, coughing as dust filled the air.

Before he could even recover—

SWISH!

More web-strings came flying toward him.

“Not this time!” Aestrea growled.

He slashed downward—

SHING!

—but the strings were faster.

SHHHH!

They wrapped around his wrist, then his ankle, tightening like snakes.

A sharp tug—

And suddenly, Aestrea was yanked off the ground.

FWIP! SLAM!

His body crashed into the ceiling.

Then—

WHAM!

He was slammed into the floor.

“Gh—!”

Madam Wei smirked seeing Aestrea being slammed into the ground, tilting her head.

“This is getting fun.”

Her fingers flicked, and the webbing tightened harder.

“Let’s see how long you last.”

Aestrea’s body ached.

His breath was uneven as he gripped his sword tighter.

Focus…

Ice energy swirled around him, creeping along the webbing.

Madam Wei’s smile faltered.

“No, you don’t—!”

CRACK!

The ice spread fast, freezing the webbing in seconds.

Then—

SHATTER!

Aestrea ripped free, landing in a crouch. His swords glowed, cold mist rising from their blades.

Madam Wei clicked her tongue.

“Annoying.”

She raised her hand again—

But Aestrea was already in front of her.

WHOOSH!

His sword sliced toward her neck—

CLANG!

A fan—thin but strong—blocked the strike.

Grandmaster Hui.

He stood calmly between them, his golden aura flickering.

“You’re still resisting?” he murmured.

Aestrea exhaled, gripping his swords.

“Of course I am,” he muttered. “You think I’m just gonna roll over and die?”

Grandmaster Hui sighed.

Then—

BOOM!

A pulse of golden energy erupted from his palm, slamming into Aestrea’s chest.

THUD!

Aestrea skidded backward, his feet dragging across the floor. His vision blurred for a second from the force of the hit.

“You are strong, but not invincible.” Grandmaster Hui lowered his hand.

Aestrea wiped blood from his mouth, breathing hard.

But then—

A deep, rough chuckle echoed through the room.

All eyes turned.

Daimon.

Still sitting, still holding his ruined knee.

But now, he was grinning.

“You’re all idiots,” he muttered, shaking his head.

Madam Wei frowned.

“Excuse me?”

Daimon’s grin widened.

“You’re all underestimating him,” he said, voice hoarse. “And that… is going to cost you.”

Madam Wei scoffed.

“He’s one against four. What’s he gonna do?”

Daimon chuckled again.

Then—

Aestrea smiled.

A slow, dangerous smirk.

His crimson eyes gleamed.

“You should’ve killed me when you had the chance.”

Then, the temperature in the room plunged.

The floor beneath him turned white.

Frost crawled up the walls. The air became thick with cold mist.

And Aestrea—

Was gone.

A flicker.

A blur.

Then—

SLASH!

Blood sprayed into the air.

Madam Wei gasped, clutching her shoulder.

Aestrea stood behind her, his sword dripping red.

Lord Vance turned, his metal body humming—

But Aestrea was already gone.

WHOOSH!

A blur of white and silver.

Then—

BOOM!

Aestrea appeared above him, sword raised.

Lord Vance barely had time to block.

CLANG!

The force cracked the floor beneath them.

Aestrea’s swords gleamed as he vanished again.

WHOOSH!

Lord Vance’s eyes darted left—

Too slow.

Aestrea reappeared behind him.

SWISH!

His blade sliced through the air, aiming for Vance’s exposed neck—

CLANG!

Vance barely twisted in time, blocking with his mechanical forearm. Sparks erupted as steel clashed with metal.

But Aestrea wasn’t done.

His second sword was already moving—

THUNK!

It crashed against Vance’s ribcage, denting the metal plating.

“GHK—!”

Vance stumbled back, his core pulsating as his body absorbed the impact.

VMMMM!

A sudden energy pulse erupted from his chest—

BOOM!

Aestrea barely had time to raise his swords before the blast sent him flying.

THUD!

He slammed into the stone pillar, cracks spreading around him.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

Dust filled the air.

“Haa…”

Letting out a deep breath in the cold silence, the scarlet trail on Aestrea’s eyes became more evident.

He kicked off the pillar, flipping in midair—

His swords whipped forward, sending two blades of ice hurtling toward Vance.

SHHHHHT!

Vance raised his arm—

BOOM!

The ice exploded on impact, freezing part of his metal-plating solid.

“Dammit!” Vance growled, ripping off the frozen chunks of armor.

His core pulsed again, the glow intensifying.

VMMMMMMMM!

Aestrea landed in a crouch, watching him closely.

Then—

A shadow.

SHHHK!

A thin, shimmering thread sliced through the air, aiming straight for Aestrea’s throat.

Madam Wei.

She hadn’t stopped her attacks.

Aestrea tilted his head at the last second—

The thread barely missed, cutting a fine line across his cheek.

TSSK!

Blood dripped onto the cold floor.

Madam Wei clicked her tongue, stepping forward, her hands weaving faster than before.

“Not bad,” she murmured.

“But you can’t dodge forever.”

Aestrea barely had time to react before—

FWWWWWWP!

A massive web erupted from her palms, covering the entire room.

The strands glowed faintly, shifting like living silk.

Aestrea’s eyes narrowed.

This again.

But this time—

The web moved on its own.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

Strands lunged at him like whips, wrapping around his arms, legs, torso—

SHKK!

Too fast.

Too many.

His body locked in place, the sticky strands tightening around his limbs.

Madam Wei grinned.

“Got you.”

Then, she yanked her hands.

FWOOOOOM!

The web pulled Aestrea into the air, his body suspended above the battlefield.

He struggled, twisting against the bindings—

But they only tightened.

Madam Wei tilted her head.

“Struggling is useless,” she whispered.

Aestrea exhaled.

His eyes gleamed.

“…You don’t learn, do you?” he murmured.

Then—

His swords began to glow.

FROST CREEPING.

The air froze around him.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

Madam Wei’s smirk disappeared.

Aestrea’s entire body became engulfed in ice, the frost spreading through the webbing like a wild infection.

SHHHHHHH!

The ice moved too fast—

Madam Wei’s eyes widened—

“Shit—”

She tried to sever the strands—

TOO LATE.

CRACK!

The webbing shattered like glass, frozen pieces scattering across the floor.

Aestrea flipped mid-air, landing lightly.

His swords spun in his hands.

His breath fogged in the air.

He took a slow step forward.

Madam Wei’s body tensed.

“You little—”

But before she could finish—

Aestrea was already in front of her.

Her eyes widened—

SWISH!

His sword sliced down.

Madam Wei barely blocked with a shimmering thread—

SNAP!

Her defense tore apart instantly.

Then—

THUNK!

Aestrea’s elbow crashed into her gut.

“GHK—!”

Madam Wei stumbled back, her breath knocked out of her lungs.

Before she could recover—

BOOM!

A massive golden light exploded from the other side of the battlefield.

Aestrea turned—

Grandmaster Hui was standing calmly, one hand raised.

The golden seal that had been binding Aestrea earlier?

It was glowing again.

Stronger this time.

Grandmaster Hui’s fingers moved in a slow, deliberate pattern.

“You are reckless,” he said quietly.

Aestrea’s muscles tensed.

Then—

The golden symbol shot toward him.

BOOM!

It hit like a meteor.

The impact shook the entire room.

Aestrea felt his body freeze, the weight ten times heavier than before.

“KH—!”

His knees buckled.

The golden seal burned against his skin, pressing him downward.

But unlike before, Aestrea only smirked at his.

The output of his mana started to increase, slowly leaking out of his body, beyond the normal capacity of S-rank awakened could muster.

CRACK!

The golden seal shattered in an instant.

Seeing this, Grandmaster Hui stopped moving.

Lord Vance’s core flickered.

Madam Wei staggered slightly.

Except for Daimon, all of them were completely surprised.

“Haaa…”

A cold breath came out of Aestrea’s mouth.

Along with his familiar glowing red eyes.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep