Chapter 166: The Teleportation and the Helper

Just as the creature was about to catch him, its movements suddenly faltered.

A frustrated roar burst from its throat.

For half a second, its enormous body seemed to lose control. A faint black current flickered through its blood-red pupils.

Ethan recognized it immediately.

’Zara’s Curse Ability!’

She had managed to interfere with the creature’s mind.

It wasn’t much. The effect lasted barely half a second, but that was enough to disrupt its pursuit.

Ethan forced himself forward, his boots crunching over the shattered glass scattered across the abandoned street.

Behind him, another massive boulder came crashing down, kicking up a thick cloud of gray dust that briefly obscured the path.

Then an Air Blade tore through the air, followed immediately by a sharp, freezing streak of Ice Flame.

It was Victoria and Dr. Elena.

Their combined attacks struck from different angles, forcing the Blackscale Drake to violently jerk its head away.

The creature snarled, its jaws snapping shut on empty air.

Two beams of concentrated black light shot from its eyes.

Ethan’s heart lurched.

"Get out of the way!"

He shouted, but the warning came too late as the distance was simply too great.

The beams struck almost instantly, tearing up the pavement where the women stood.

Victoria’s arm was caught in the edge of the explosive blast, while another beam slammed heavily into Dr. Elena’s back, sending her stumbling forward.

Both women cried out, their forms breaking formation under the heavy impact.

Blood stained their clothes as they staggered away from the attack, fighting through the sudden pain.

But they had bought him another precious opportunity.

Another few seconds.

Another hundred meters.

Ethan clenched his teeth and continued running, ignoring the burning pain in his muscles and the warm moisture spreading across his torn back.

Only a hundred meters remained until the edge of the Space Sealing barrier.

He was so close he could almost taste freedom.

But the Blackscale Drake had finally lost its patience, letting out a sound that rattled the remaining window frames along the avenue.

A dense black light gathered around the single horn on its forehead. The air around its body twisted violently, and its enormous frame began to blur.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

’What is it doing?’

The next moment, the monster simply disappeared from sight.

A violent spatial fluctuation erupted behind him, throwing up loose gravel.

Then the Blackscale Drake reappeared five hundred meters ahead of its previous position, completely blocking his escape corridor.

It was now only fifty meters away.

Ethan’s blood ran cold.

The creature had used Teleportation.

Its aura had weakened slightly, suggesting that the ability consumed a considerable amount of energy. But that didn’t matter now.

At this distance, it could close the gap in the blink of an eye.

He could feel the stifling heat of its breath against the back of his neck.

Death was right behind him.

Just as the Blackscale Drake lowered its horned head to charge, a figure plunged rapidly from the sky.

A pair of radiant wings spread wide, catching the dim ambient light.

The petite figure swooped down with incredible speed, caught Ethan securely around the waist, and pulled him off the ground.

It was Penny.

"Hold on!"

She gritted her teeth, her Light Wings beating furiously as she carried him forward into a low glide.

Ethan’s body was almost completely limp from exhaustion.

"Quick..." he managed to whisper. "Get away..."

"I know!"

Penny’s face was pale with strain, her arms trembling under his weight.

Carrying Ethan made it difficult for her to climb, so she couldn’t gain much altitude. Instead, she flew just above the ground, her wings beating hard enough to stir dust and debris behind her.

Even so, she was several times faster than Ethan could manage on foot.

The distance between them and the Blackscale Drake began to increase.

A hundred meters.

Then another few dozen.

Ethan felt the familiar pressure of the Space Sealing begin to fade from the air.

His eyes sharpened slightly.

’Now!’

The moment they crossed beyond its active range, he pulled Penny into his Survival Space and immediately activated Teleportation.

Space twisted around him, folding distance in an instant.

In the next moment, he appeared among a cluster of quiet ruins a kilometer away.

Ethan staggered forward, barely managing to keep himself upright as his boots hit the ground.

He had escaped the immediate trap.

For a brief moment, he thought he could finally draw an easy breath.

Then he turned his head to check his rear.

His expression changed instantly.

A familiar black glow was gathering once more around the Blackscale Drake’s horn.

The creature had found him again.

Another spatial distortion flashed across the street.

It reappeared fifty meters away, its blood-red eyes locked directly onto him.

Its killing intent was so intense that Ethan felt a chill run straight down his spine.

"You’ve got to be kidding me..."

His scalp tingled.

He immediately activated Teleportation again without a second thought.

One time.

Twice.

Three times.

Each teleport carried him farther away, but the Blackscale Drake kept following his trail.

The creature’s horn continued to glow, and its spatial fluctuations chased him relentlessly across the ruins.

Ethan’s energy was draining rapidly.

His body was already badly injured, and now his Space Ability was approaching its absolute limit. His vision swayed dangerously, and his thoughts began to grow sluggish.

He couldn’t keep this up much longer.

At this rate, he would run out of energy before he could successfully escape.

His mind raced through options.

’Should I lock onto the Space Anchor Point at Victoria’s villa?’

It was the only other reliable destination he could think of.

But activating it would require one more burst of energy, and he wasn’t sure he had enough left in reserve.

His consciousness was beginning to fade into darkness.

Then, in the middle of the chaos, he caught sight of a small indicator on his system panel.

The Space Marker.

The only one he had previously set was glowing steadily.

Ethan focused his attention on it.

A specific location appeared in his mind.

Only a hundred meters ahead.

His eyes widened slightly.

Then, despite the blood running down his back and the pain tearing through his body, the corner of his mouth slowly lifted.

’So, the helper is finally here.’

The Blackscale Drake’s roar thundered behind him, shaking the debris.

Its shadow was almost upon him.

Yet Ethan’s weak smile grew a little more wicked as he stared at the glowing marker.

’Let’s see how you like this.’