Chapter 197 — Space Witch

Chapter 197: Chapter 197 — Space Witch

Chapter 197 — Space Witch

Victor stared at the white-masked figure standing between him and Snake Mask.

Who is this?

More importantly, why had they interfered?

Their arrival had given Lyra and Nala enough time to escape, and they had deliberately positioned themselves between Snake Mask and the exit.

Victor took the opportunity to study them.

The figure wore a fitted bodysuit that made it difficult to tell whether they were male or female. A completely white mask covered their face, leaving almost nothing identifiable. In one hand was a sword covered in a thin layer of frost, icy mist drifting from the blade.

Nothing about them gave Victor any answers.

Snake Mask tilted his head.

"Oh? Looks like we have company."

He glanced toward Victor.

"This one of your friends?"

Victor ignored him.

His attention remained on the mysterious figure.

Before he could ask anything, White Mask raised a hand.

Energy gathered above their palm.

Purple-black Spiritual Energy twisted together, quickly compressing into a thin spherical disc. Yet something about it looked strange. The energy wasn’t completely solid in color. Parts of it appeared almost transparent, as though the disc existed somewhere between the physical world and the space surrounding it.

Victor’s eyes narrowed.

Spatial properties?

The disc shot forward.

Snake Mask raised both arms to block it.

BOOM!

His body slid backward nearly ten feet, boots scraping across the freezer floor.

For the first time since arriving, the confidence in his eyes disappeared.

Only for a moment.

Then recognition replaced it.

Snake Mask slowly lowered his arms.

"If it isn’t the Space Witch."

Victor glanced toward White Mask.

Space Witch?

"To think I’d have the honor of fighting such a distinguished individual today."

A strange laugh escaped from behind the snake mask.

"Oh, this is going to be good."

A storage ring flashed on his hand.

A spear appeared.

Victor immediately felt the difference.

The weapon wasn’t ordinary. Dark markings covered its long shaft, while the spearhead gave off an uncomfortable pressure of its own.

A very strong artifact.

Combined with Snake Mask’s Rank Eight Spirit Gathering cultivation, it made Victor reassess the situation immediately.

Even if he activated his Black Phoenix Form, he might not be able to fight this man.

That thought made Victor glance toward the Space Witch again.

They had appeared at exactly the right moment.

Another few seconds and Victor would have activated the Black Phoenix Form to protect Lyra.

If he’d done that in front of a high-ranking member of the Beast God organization...

Victor didn’t even want to imagine the consequences.

Once they knew what he really was, there would be no taking it back. Rakasha had already warned him never to reveal his identity.

Assassins. Hunters. People watching him every hour of the day.

He probably wouldn’t even be able to sleep peacefully anymore.

A faint shudder ran down Victor’s spine.

Snake Mask moved.

Spiritual Energy erupted from his body as he shot forward, his spear aimed directly at the Space Witch’s throat.

Fast.

So fast that even Victor struggled to completely follow the movement.

The Space Witch shifted to meet him.

Victor knew immediately that his dagger and Flash Step wouldn’t be enough if he wanted to help.

He needed something stronger.

Monkey Fist.

There was a chance someone might recognize it, but Victor doubted it.

At least, he hoped they wouldn’t.

Either way, he couldn’t afford to hold everything back.

Victor began circulating Spiritual Energy through his body.

Snake Mask briefly glanced toward him but apparently didn’t consider him a threat.

That was his mistake.

The moment Snake Mask connected with Space Witch’s ice sword Victor made his move.

Flash Step.

Victor vanished.

He appeared directly behind Snake Mask.

His body twisted.

Spiritual Energy surged through his arm.

Intermediate Monkey Fist.

His fist slammed directly into Snake Mask’s back.

BOOM!

The man was thrown forward.

He flipped sideways several times before crashing into the freezer wall.

The impact shook the room. Hanging pieces of meat swayed on their hooks, and boxes tumbled from nearby shelves.

The Space Witch turned toward Victor.

For the first time, Victor could clearly see surprise through the openings in their mask.

That strike hadn’t carried the power of a Rank One Spirit Gathering cultivator.

It was closer to Rank Six.

Perhaps even Rank Seven.

Snake Mask pushed himself away from the wall.

Victor’s attack hadn’t seriously injured him. The difference between their cultivation was still too large, but the strike had clearly rattled him.

His earlier amusement was gone.

Anger filled his eyes.

"Both of you will die here today."

He shot toward Victor.

The spear thrust forward.

Victor immediately activated Rapid Dash.

He moved sideways just before the spearhead reached him.

Barely.

Even with his speed, Victor was only on the cusp of keeping up.

The spear passed him.

Dark energy suddenly swirled around its tip.

Then—

A beam erupted from it.

Victor’s eyes widened.

What?!

He hadn’t expected a ranged attack.

Rapid Dash.

Victor shifted roughly a foot to the side.

Not enough.

The beam tore across his side.

Pain exploded through Victor’s torso as flesh was ripped away.

"Ugh!"

Blood immediately poured from the wound.

Victor stumbled sideways, one hand instinctively pressing against his injury.

Snake Mask didn’t give him a second to recover.

He lunged.

The spearhead shot directly toward Victor’s chest.

Steel flashed between them.

CLANG!

The Space Witch intercepted the spear with their sword.

They twisted, forcing the weapon away before extending their free hand.

Another spatial disc formed.

Then another.

And another.

They flew toward Snake Mask one after another.

Snake Mask retreated.

One passed his shoulder.

Another nearly struck his chest.

A third forced him sideways.

The Space Witch didn’t stop.

Within seconds, nearly ten spatial discs had filled the space between them, forcing Snake Mask farther back as he twisted and dodged.

The final disc grazed his leg.

Blood sprayed across the freezer floor.

Snake Mask staggered.

He looked down at the wound.

Then slowly raised his head.

The anger in his eyes had changed.

"Well..."

Dark energy began gathering around his body.

"It looks like I don’t have a choice."

Victor’s expression immediately changed.

He recognized that energy.

He had seen it before.

The wolf-masked man in Basement Level Five.

The same technique.

Dark Spiritual Energy spiraled around Snake Mask as his cultivation rapidly climbed.

Rank Eight.

Rank Nine.

Then—

Rank Ten Spirit Gathering.

The pressure inside the freezer changed.

The hanging chains began to tremble.

Victor’s bloodied hand tightened against his side.

Snake Mask’s eyes began glowing black through the openings in his mask.

When he spoke again, his voice had changed.

His normal voice remained, but something deeper seemed layered beneath it, creating an unnatural echo.

"You two will perish today."

Dark energy continued churning around him.

"It’s been a while since someone forced me to use this technique."

The Space Witch tightened their grip around their sword.

That small movement told Victor enough.

The situation had changed.

Whatever advantage they’d possessed before was gone.

At Rank Ten Spirit Gathering, Snake Mask was beyond what either of them could comfortably handle.

Victor lowered his eyes toward the wound in his side.

Blood continued running between his fingers.

He had been trying desperately to avoid it.

But at this rate...

There was a very good chance he would have to use the Black Phoenix Form anyway.

Victor slowly raised his head.

Snake Mask lifted his spear.

Dark energy gathered around its tip, growing denser with every passing second.

Victor steadied himself.

The next attack was coming.