Chapter 152: [152] Crippling Intent

The young knight frowned as he stared at Soo-jin, his teeth gritted tightly.

’Damn it! How did she manage to block my attack?’ Francis thought.

He had attacked from Ark’s blind spot and moved so noiselessly that it should have been impossible to notice him.

Even when he screamed, he had only done it when he was sure it was impossible for Ark to dodge!

And yet she attacked just at the right time, and at the perfect angle to not just invalidate his attack, but put him in a disadvantageous position.

’It is almost as if...’ His eyes darkened. ’It’s almost as if she can see the future.’

Francis glanced at Cain who was rising from the floor, then frowned. If he had been successful, he would have been able to skip the annoying duel altogether.

Ark had done enough to warrant death, and since he had no strong affiliations, it would have led to a mild disciplinary action or nothing.

Still, it was not over. His eyes met Cain’s and he nodded slightly. The option of requesting a duel was still very much viable.

His face settled into a calm smile as he stared at Soo-jin.

"Why would a first generation like you defend a nobody skeleton like him? Don’t you know what he has done?"

Soo-jin did not answer, instead her blade moved further, stinging his neck.

But a second later, a voice came, causing everyone in the room to grow still.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The voice was smooth and calm, almost jovial even. But when it slipped into their ears, it felt like a spider had crawled up their spines.

Ark turned in the direction of the voice, an aloof expression on his face as he found the source of the voice.

The man had long white hair that flowed down his shoulders, and strangely enough, his eyes were the same colour, an eerie white.

Ark had seen countless eye colours in Eden, but this was the first time he was seeing white. Due to its strange colour, at times, it was almost as if he did not have an iris at all.

The man was ironically in a white suit and had a pair of spectacles resting on the rim of his nose, although Ark was sure he had no use for those glasses.

At the sight of him, everyone in the room seemed to still.

And it was not because of the undead knight standing next to him, a summon that could likely wipe out more than fifty percent of players present, nor the beautiful woman who looked like an emotionless hunk.

It was the man himself. A player that somehow commanded even more awe and fear than the Phantom Assassin.

"Ares Order." Soo-jin whispered to Ark. "He is Cain’s brother, a Transcendent Asura."

’Transcendent??’ This was the first time Ark was coming in contact with someone of a Transcendent race.

Ares adjusted his glasses. His eyes swept the room, moving from face to face, before locking eyes with Cain, causing him to stiffen where he stood.

Despite being his brother, there was no compassion in his eyes.

Then he glanced at Soo-jin, who still had her sword to the attacker’s neck.

Ares cocked his head to the side. "Do you still dare to act hostile in my presence?"

Soo-jin frowned. "He attacked first—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Soo-jin suddenly gasped and fell to her knees, her teeth gritted so hard that she tasted blood.

Ark was standing next to her, he was not even the target of the killing intent, and yet he felt his knees buckle.

Ares directed his gaze to him, and then the full force of the killing intent sunk into him.

Ark’s vision darkened, it felt as though his insides were being twisted and pulled out of his gut. And it was accompanied by a piercing pain that froze him in place.

Blood drifted down Ark’s nose, he could not even see properly... and yet he smiled.

So this was how it feels to experience the blood lust of a high ranking player?

Now he knew that Tristan had never been serious with his attempts.

"Ark?!" Ark heard Soo-jin’s panicked voice.

Ares seemed to have taken his attention off her, but all Ark could only hear was her voice, all his other senses had vanished.

"He is still standing after this much?" Ares raised a brow. "Don’t blame me if you die—"

Another heavy wave of killing intent pressed onto his shoulders like a mountain. Ark’s knees buckled, but he did not fall.

"How dare you do this in my presence, Ares?" Tristan roared, unleashing his mana.

Cracks spread across the windows.

But Ares gave him a carefree stare, the entire floor underneath their feet turning dark. Shadows danced within them.

"Come on Tristan, do something, I dare you..." He smiled, his lips stretching from ear to ear. "No association member in this building will walk out alive."

A vein pulsed on Tristan’s jaw, his fingers digging into his palm. But he did not make any move, because he knew Ares was not bluffing.

He was a madman and had proven to be so on multiple occasions. Although he was a rank below Tristan, he was a powerful necromancer that commanded over a thousand undead.

If he were to unleash them in this hall...

"You’re going to kill him!" Soo-jin growled.

Ares shrugged. "He blatantly disrespected the heir of Order, I believe the least he deserves is death—"

Swish!

She launched her katana at him, but his knight shattered the weapon like it was a toothpick.

’Damn it!’

Soo-jin glanced at the crowd, searching for her family, for anyone that could help her. She managed to locate one of her sisters, Soo-min, among the crowd, and the heaviness in her heart lightened.

’Soo-min came?!’

Soo-min was her seventh sister. She was strong enough to challenge Ares, and was likely her only sibling present that could beat him in a one on one fight.

If she could just help her...

Soo-min had been emotionlessly watching the confrontation from one of the stands above.

Their eyes met, Soo-jin’s pleading eyes meeting the cold, emotionless eyes of her sister.

"..."

An emotion flickered in her sister’s eyes, and for a second, Soo-jin thought she would actually come down to help her.

But instead, her sister looked in the other direction. Her decision was clear, Soo-jin was alone.

It was only then that she realised why her other siblings had not interfered.

Behind her were the only siblings that favoured her, her brother, Great, and her sister, Hisako, their faces downcast, unwilling to meet her gaze.

Soo-min had likely ordered them to stay away, so they could do nothing but watch.

’What do I do? This can’t possibly be the end.’ Soo-jin’s mind was a mess of thoughts.

Was bringing Ark the wrong decision? If she had not dragged him out of his home against his will, he wouldn’t have been in this situation.

If Ark were to die here... Soo-jin felt hollow in her chest... then all her plans would come to nothing—

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ark suddenly burst out into laughter. His mouth was wide open as he cackled, blood drifting down his lips, and yet he was laughing hysterically.

Everyone in the room stared at the disturbing sight in shock.

"To think mere killing intent would be this potent. How delightful." Ark smiled.

"Ahhh~"

The trembling of his feet stopped and his eyes snapped open.

"I would have loved to experience it for just a little longer. But sadly..."

Ark’s skin and flesh suddenly burned away, revealing white bone.

His hair vanished, his eyeballs turned to dark pits... and then fiery blue orbs suddenly erupted within them.

"...I’ve had enough of your games."