Chapter 165: The Last Hunt [3 ]

On a deserted industrial road outside Zenith City, three black armored vehicles raced between enormous abandoned warehouses, their reinforced tires rumbling across the cracked asphalt.

Rusting cranes towered above the surrounding factories, while the skeletal remains of elevated railway tracks stretched across the district.

The convoy maintained a tight formation as it approached an intersection bordered by concrete barriers and the remains of an old manufacturing complex.

High above the road, Jet descended from the rooftop of an abandoned maintenance building.

Mana surged through his body as the Asura Physique strengthened his muscles, allowing him to accelerate through the air with tremendous force.

His white hair fluttered behind him, and his pupil-less white eyes remained fixed upon the lead vehicle.

He had already examined the approaching convoy and determined that disabling the first vehicle offered the best opportunity to prevent the others from escaping.

Jet twisted his body before landing directly in front of the armored transport.

The moment his feet struck the asphalt, he drove his right fist into the road.

BOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion of shattered concrete erupted beneath his fist. The reinforced roadway buckled, sending enormous fragments upward as a deep crater formed across the leading vehicle’s path.

The driver reacted immediately, slamming the brakes. However, the armored vehicle was traveling too quickly.

Its front wheels struck the broken asphalt, throwing the entire transport sideways before it crashed into a concrete barrier with a deafening impact.

The second vehicle swerved violently to avoid the wreckage, while the third came to an abrupt stop several meters behind it.

Jet straightened amid the settling dust, examining the damaged convoy.

His objective had been accomplished. Now he needed to prevent Damian Visconti from escaping before Adesewa and the others arrived.

The doors of the lead vehicle suddenly burst open.

Four armed Awakeners emerged, their expressions furious as they spotted the white-haired young man standing in the middle of the road.

"What the hell was that?!" one of them shouted, drawing a curved sword from his waist.

Another Awakener raised his weapon toward Jet. "You! Get away from the road!"

Jet remained where he stood.

"I’m looking for Damian Visconti," Jet announced, his expression calm. "Tell him to come out."

The four Awakeners exchanged startled glances.

Then the swordsman’s expression darkened.

"You’ve got some nerve, brat," he snarled, tightening his grip around his weapon. "Do you have any idea whose convoy you just attacked?"

Jet glanced toward the other vehicles.

"That’s exactly why I’m here," Jet answered.

The swordsman charged.

Mana gathered around his blade as he crossed the distance between them, bringing his weapon down toward Jet’s shoulder.

Jet stepped forward instead of retreating.

His left hand shot upward, catching the attacker’s wrist before the sword could complete its descent. With his enhanced strength, Jet twisted the man’s arm and drove a brutal knee into his abdomen.

The Awakener doubled over. Jet followed with an elbow to the side of his head, sending him crashing across the asphalt.

Before the man landed, another guard attacked from Jet’s right.

A spear thrust toward his ribs.

Jet turned his body, allowing the weapon to pass beneath his arm before seizing its shaft.

With a powerful pull, he dragged the attacker forward and struck him across the face with his palm.

CRACK!

The guard stumbled backward, blood spilling from his nose.

Jet didn’t pursue him.

Two additional Awakeners were already approaching, their Divine Rune markings glowing beneath their armor.

One raised both hands, releasing several compressed blades of wind.

The other charged with a reinforced shield.

Jet bent his knees and launched himself sideways, avoiding the wind blades as they sliced through the asphalt behind him.

He landed beside the shield-bearing Awakener and immediately drove his fist into the man’s defense.

BOOM!

The shield buckled beneath the impact.

The guard staggered, barely maintaining his footing.

Jet followed with another punch. This time, golden-white flames erupted around his knuckles.

Samadhi Flame.

The Divine Fire surged against the damaged shield, rapidly heating its surface.

The Awakener cried out as the temperature became unbearable.

Jet twisted his waist and delivered a powerful kick, sending the man crashing into the side of the disabled vehicle.

The impact left a deep indentation in the armored plating.

"He’s using fire!" the wind-wielding Awakener shouted, retreating several steps. "Don’t let him get close!"

Jet turned toward him.

Golden-white flames flickered around his forearms.

"Then you’d better keep your distance," Jet replied.

The Awakener immediately released another barrage of wind blades.

Jet accelerated forward.

His movements were considerably faster than they had been before his advancement to the Two-Star Realm. The Asura Physique strengthened every movement, allowing him to weave between the incoming attacks while maintaining his momentum.

One blade grazed his shoulder, tearing through his clothing.

Jet ignored the minor injury. He closed the remaining distance and struck the Awakener directly in the chest with a flaming palm.

BOOOOM!

A violent burst of Samadhi Flame exploded outward, throwing the man backward across the road.

The Awakener struck the ground and rolled several meters before finally stopping.

Jet extinguished the flames around his hand.

Four opponents had been defeated. However, the remaining vehicles were already opening.

---

Inside the central armored vehicle, Damian Visconti watched the confrontation through a reinforced window, his expression gradually changing from irritation to curiosity.

He had initially assumed the interruption was another desperate attempt by the expedition survivors to delay his departure.

However, the young man outside was proving considerably more dangerous than expected.

Four hired Awakeners had been defeated in less than a minute.

And the flames surrounding his fists were unlike anything Damian had encountered before.

"Who is that?" Damian asked, turning toward the subordinate seated opposite him.

The man examined the live feed displayed on his communication device.

"One moment, Mr. Visconti," the subordinate replied, searching through several files.

A photograph appeared on the screen.

The subordinate’s expression changed.

"Sir, that’s Jethro Saint-Clair," he explained, showing Damian the photograph. "He’s one of the surviving participants from the Palladium Fruit expedition."

Damian leaned forward.

"Saint-Clair?" he repeated thoughtfully.

"Yes, sir," the subordinate confirmed. "Eighteen years old. A young Awakener who participated in the expedition alongside Adesewa’s group."

Damian studied Jet through the window.

An expedition survivor. One of the very people he’d spent weeks trying to capture or eliminate.

And now that same individual had conveniently appeared directly in front of him.

A slow smile spread across Damian’s face.

"Interesting," Damian murmured.

Outside, another group of hired Awakeners rushed toward Jet.

Damian watched as the young man reached behind his waist and drew a sword.

"Don’t intervene yet," Damian instructed his subordinate. "I want to see what he’s capable of."

---

Jet gripped the Vorpal Blade as five more Awakeners surrounded him.

Their equipment was noticeably superior to that of the first group, and their coordinated movements suggested considerable combat experience.

One carried a heavy axe, another wielded twin daggers, while the remaining three possessed a spear, a longsword, and a reinforced hammer.

The axe wielder stepped forward.

"You’re strong for a brat," the man remarked, examining the defeated guards scattered across the road. "But you’ve made a serious mistake attacking this convoy alone."

Jet adjusted his grip around the Vorpal Blade.

"Then come show me," Jet replied.

The man roared and charged.

His axe descended with tremendous force. Jet raised his sword and intercepted the blow.

CLANG!

The impact sent a powerful vibration through his arm. The Awakener possessed considerable physical strength, but Jet’s Asura Physique allowed him to withstand the attack without losing his footing.

Before the man could strike again, Jet twisted his wrist and redirected the axe sideways.

He immediately stepped forward, slashing across the attacker’s chest. The man staggered backward. At that moment, the dagger wielder appeared behind Jet.

Two blades flashed toward his back. However, Jet had already sensed the approaching attack.

Dark-red markings spread across his shoulders.

Two additional arms manifested from his back, bringing his total number of arms to four.

The dagger wielder froze.

"What the...?!"

Jet’s additional right hand caught the attacker’s wrist, while the other seized his shoulder. With a violent twist, Jet hurled the man over his shoulder and slammed him into the asphalt.

CRASH!

The remaining Awakeners hesitated.

Jet didn’t give them time to recover. He advanced toward the spearman, using the Vorpal Blade to deflect an incoming thrust before striking the man’s abdomen with one of his additional fists.

The Awakener folded forward. Jet followed with a flaming kick that sent him crashing into a concrete barrier.

The swordsman attacked next.

Jet met him directly. Their blades collided several times, producing sharp metallic echoes across the deserted road.

However, Jet’s movements were noticeably more efficient. His Weapon Master proficiency allowed him to adjust his grip, timing, and striking angles with remarkable precision.

After several exchanges, he caught the man’s blade between two of his hands and struck his chest with a third.

Golden-white flames erupted.

BOOM!

The swordsman was thrown backward, his armor smoking as he collapsed. Only the hammer wielder remained standing. He stared at Jet’s Asura Arms and the flames surrounding his body.

"What kind of Divine Rune is that?" the man demanded, visibly shaken.

Jet offered no explanation. Instead, he stepped forward.

The Awakener immediately swung his hammer.

Jet avoided the descending weapon, moved inside the man’s reach, and delivered three consecutive punches with his additional arms.

The final strike sent the hammer wielder sprawling across the road.

Jet exhaled slowly. His Mana reserves had decreased, but the battle had demonstrated how effectively his abilities complemented one another.

The Asura Physique provided overwhelming physical strength, the additional arms expanded his offensive capabilities, and Samadhi Flame transformed ordinary strikes into devastating attacks.

He lowered the Vorpal Blade and turned toward the central armored vehicle.

Then its passenger door opened.

---

Damian Visconti stepped onto the damaged roadway, adjusting his jacket as he examined the defeated Awakeners scattered around the convoy.

Despite the destruction surrounding him, the young man appeared remarkably composed.

His neatly styled dark hair remained immaculate, and the silver wristwatch on his left wrist glimmered beneath the afternoon sunlight.

Jet immediately recognized him.

Damian Visconti.

The mastermind behind the assassination campaign.

Damian studied Jet with undisguised interest.

"Jethro Saint-Clair," Damian greeted him, smiling faintly. "I must admit, you’re considerably more impressive than the information I received suggested."

Jet tightened his grip around the Vorpal Blade.

"Damian Visconti," Jet replied coldly. "Your little escape ends here."

Damian chuckled.

"Escape?" Damian repeated, glancing toward the damaged vehicles. "I prefer to think of it as a temporary change of location."

Jet’s expression hardened.

"Tell that to the people you tried to murder," Jet answered.

Damian’s smile faded slightly.

Then his gaze returned to Jet’s additional arms.

"You’re one of the expedition survivors," Damian observed. "Which means you might know something about the Palladium Tree."

Jet remained silent.

Damian noticed his reaction and smiled again.

"Excellent," Damian murmured.

He raised one hand toward the remaining guards.

"Change of plans," Damian ordered, his voice carrying across the road. "I want him captured alive."

The surviving Awakeners immediately straightened.

Damian’s golden eyes settled upon Jet.

"Don’t damage him unnecessarily," Damian added, his expression becoming almost amused. "We have quite a few things to discuss."

Jet raised the Vorpal Blade.

Golden-white flames began spreading across its surface.

"You’re welcome to try," Jet replied.

Damian’s smile widened.

For the first time since the convoy had been intercepted, the young mastermind appeared genuinely interested in the confrontation.

And Jet understood that the real battle was only beginning.