Chapter 31
They called it a dead man because the aura swirling around him was nothing but pure death sense.
It was similar to what they’d sensed when entering the city.
00600
But this black–robed figure was much stronger. You could tell at a glance that he’d been a High–Order Mage in life.
Craig tensed, clutching his coffee cup tightly.
The others picked up on it too, their faces draining of color as they stared at the doorway. Still, everyone here was a top talent in their own right.
There was a brief wave of panic, but they composed themselves quickly.
The two fleeing Abyssal Coven students were right there in the hall, yet no one moved to help. Instead, they all watched the situation play out, their minds whirring.
Nobody acted rashly.
The Abyssal Coven students, pale as ghosts, shouted in desperation, “What are you waiting for? This guy’s a Shadow Caster. Help us!”
“As if we’d take your word for it. How do we know this isn’t some trap?” Robin sneered.
Gustavo Byrd from the Abyssal Coven turned beet red with rage.
“This monster seriously hurt our students. It’s chased us all the way to Mist–Haven Borough, trying to steal our entry spots for the Veil. We fought tooth and nail just to escape and warn you all. If you don’t stop it now, and it sneaks inside, it won’t be just our sect that pays the price.”
Robin thought it over for a moment but held back.
Gustavo roared, “That’s a Malefic Caster!”
“So you’ve run all this way just to find somewhere to badmouth me? How entertaining.” A low chuckle cut through the wind and rain.
A streak of white light flashed, and suddenly a new figure materialized by the door.
Clad in a white robe patterned with green wood and blossoms, the newcomer had a refined, elegant charm and an ethereal beauty that blurred the lines between male and female.
A woman’s voice murmured nearby, “So handsome.”
The youth crooked a finger, and the black–robed figure advanced two steps.
Gustavo shrieked in horror, “How dare you! This inn is packed with elites from every major sect. You think a Automaton Charm mastering Malefic Caster like you can cause chaos here? They won’t let you off easy!”
12:47 Mon, Jan 19
Chapter 31
The youth glanced up, scofling with a laugh. “Then bring it on.”
Linda’s eyelid wouldn’t stop twitching. She pressed down on it, trying to steady herself, but the moment she saw that face, all restraint flew out the window.
She thought, ‘Damn. How could it be him?‘
If asked who had left the strongest mark on Linda from her previous life, besides Coleman, it’d be the Warlock of the Void, the Shadow Caster who’d united the entire Demon Realm. A lunatic more unhinged than your typical Malefic Caster.
Yet the youth in front of her was worlds apart from the Warlock of the Void she remembered.
This version of Claudio Gonzales still had a youthful edge, lacking the killing intent and cruelty of his future self. Instead, he radiated the bitter resentment and disdain of a young man railing against the world. A classic brooding rebel.
Next to the black–robed figure, Claudio looked almost ordinary. At least his lively vital energy confirmed he was very much alive.
With a casual wave, he sent the black–robed figure charging at the two remaining Abyssal Coven students.
It seemed like blood was about to spill when an urgent, crisp voice rang out, “Fellow, hold back!”
Linda averted her eyes. She thought, ‘As if he’d listen.‘
Sure enough, the black–robed figure unleashed a palm strike at Gustavo. He dodged wildly, and in a panic, he grabbed his junior and shoved him forward to absorb the deadly hit.
Then Gustavo somersaulted away, plunging into the group around Robin, counting on the crowd to shield his
getaway.
The spectators exploded in outrage. “Using your own junior as a human shield? What kind of lowlife are you?”
Gustavo bolted, but no one intervened. He scrambled for his life, but the black–robed figure kept gaining ground. “No!”
At that critical juncture, a figure smashed through the doors and windows, radiating the power of a peak Condensation of the Primal Core cultivator, teetering on the edge of Astral Sovereign Form breakthrough. It caught everyone’s attention.
And it repelled the black–robed figure.
The newcomer intercepted the corpse’s attack with one hand, then countered with a powerful palm thrust.
The impact sent the corpse flying, robe flapping open in the process, exposing what lay underneath.
Now the crowd could clearly see the black–robed figure’s face and outfit. Abyssal Coven robes.
“He’s one of the Abyssal Coven’s own students.”
12:48 Mon, Jan 19
Chapter 31
60
55 vouchers
The black robe was torn away, and the corpse crumbled into the wind, leaving the crowd staring in stunned disbelief, along with Gustavo, who’d narrowly cheated death.
Robin and the rest struggled to process the twist. They wondered, ‘How could the puppet hunting down Abyssal Coven students be one of their own?‘
Gustavo jabbed a finger at Claudio and shouted, “It was him! He refined the guy into a puppet!”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
A vicious gleam sparked in Claudio’s eyes. “Got a death wish?”
Linda knew Claudio from before and was well aware of his explosive temper. Even so, she had no intention of stepping in. Her focus shifted instead to the peak Condensation of the Primal Core cultivator who’d intervened.
Another old acquaintance. Matthew.
Matthew hadn’t noticed Linda yet. For now, he simply booted Gustavo with a sharp kick and snapped, “Shut it!”
Gustavo hacked up blood. “Nice one, Matthew!”
A man and a woman burst through the inn’s entrance amid the howling wind and rain, prompting exclamations from the crowd. “High Sanctum of Archmagi students!”
Linda’s eyes narrowed coldly. Two more of them. Like ghosts that wouldn’t stay gone.
Marietta, tucked protectively behind Toney, glanced at Claudio and cooed reproachfully, “Why didn’t you hold back like I said? Now look, everyone’s got you all wrong.”
Linda was speechless, thinking, ‘Do these two know each other?‘
Claudio gave Marietta an icy once–over. “And you
are?”
Linda thought, “That’s more like it.”
Sure, she and Claudio shared no connection in this life, but if her sole “ally” from the past turned out to have ties with a woman like Marietta, it would’ve felt like the whole world had stabbed her in the back.
Fortunately, Claudio was as consistent as ever.
Marietta’s face flushed with brief embarrassment at the snub, but she recovered swiftly and turned to the group with poise. “I’m Marietta, a student of Azure Spire under Coleman, eighth among us. The one who jumped in is my senior, Matthew, and this is Toney.”
The others responded with salutes.
“Jamison Giles, Azure–Cloud chapter.”
“Stuart Hull, Aureate Vale.”
12:48 Mon, Jan 19
Chapter 31
60
54 vouchers.
“Robin, Astral Observatory.”
Claudio, true to himself, didn’t spare her a look. His gaze swept the room instead, landing on Linda’s party.
Craig whispered to Rafael, “Is he eyeing us?”
Linda pondered. “Yeah… looks that way.”
Claudio locked eyes with them briefly before glancing away, like it was no big deal.
Smitten by Marietta’s looks, Robin softened his voice. “Marietta, care to explain what’s happening?”
“Robin, it’s quite the tale,” Marietta sighed delicately. “My seniors and I got to Mist–Haven Borough ahead of time, and we immediately sensed trouble with the townsfolk. They were all wrapped in this persistent death sense. In some spots, whole streets were eerily empty of life.
“We figured something was amiss, so we poked around discreetly.”
“Then today,” Marietta jabbed a finger at Gustavo, her tone sharpening with indignation, “we spotted someone, right there with Gustavo, commanding a pack of puppets that were siphoning life essence from the city’s innocent people.”
The crowd sucked in collective breaths.
Marietta added, “Now over half the residents are plagued with sickness, and many have already perished. All thanks to them.”
Gustavo’s face burned red. “You… you’re lying.”
Marietta shot back with righteous fury, “We three saw it ourselves. Claudio only stepped in because he caught you in the act.
“The guy got done in by his own puppets turning against him, and you all reaped what you sowed by getting chased. How do you have the nerve to pin it on someone else?”
Gustavo paled to a ghostly white. “I… I’ve been framed.”
But nobody was listening anymore. The spotlight was squarely on the Abyssal Coven’s puppet practices and their draining of civilian life force.
Everyone glossed right over how the guy had tried, and failed, to sic puppets on Claudio, only to get killed in the backlash. Or the fact that Claudio could control puppets himself.
“Claudio’s blameless,” Marietta assured the group, flashing him a friendly glance.
Claudio couldn’t have cared less. He marched deeper into the hall, straight toward Linda’s table.
Linda was baffled, wondering, ‘What the hell are you up to?‘
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
