Chapter 1601: Raging Power

They froze for a moment, exchanging uncertain glances, then, as if on cue, they scrambled to their feet and hurried back into the container with surprising speed. Zhao Li Xin’s lips raised his brows slightly, saying inwardly: At least he doesn’t have to say it twice.

Not long after, another group approached, but this time, it was different. They moved in tight formation, disciplined and precise, each of them carrying strange weapons that pulsed with a deadly energy.

These people were not the same as the previous traffickers. No—this group was on a completely different level. He knew exactly who they were. They were Dragxtarn, a bunch of basta*ds trained to kill the Lucient family, meaning these people were trained specifically to kill his wife.

A sinister smile crept across the corner of Zhao Li Xin’s lips.

"Who are you?" the leader barked at Zhao Li Xin. "Who do you work for?" he demanded again.

But before they could press him further, Zhao Li Xin moved. One instant, he stood still—the next, he was already upon them. He surged forward with nothing but a dagger in hand, his figure tearing through the space between them like a bullet loosed from its chamber.

The Dragxtarn reacted on instinct. Weapons rose in perfect unison, their formation snapping tight, and then the clash came.

A violent burst of energy erupted at the point of impact, roaring outward in a shockwave that rippled through the air and rattled the entire ship, as though the sea itself had shuddered beneath it.

Everyone inside the ship screamed. Even Lory faltered for a fraction of a second under the violent surge of energy, then she saw it: Zhao Li Xin, encircled by Dragxtarn, they were fighting fiercely.

Her expression hardened, the shock vanishing as quickly as it came. These people were no match for her husband.

What mattered now was the jamming device and calling for backup from Harland.

A flicker of movement snapped her focus aside. Ross was sprinting toward the command deck, but his path was cut off as the remaining traffickers surged forward, unleashing a hail of bullets.

Lory moved instantly. Wind gathered at her command, coiling and tightening before she thrust her hand forward. The gust erupted like a force of nature, slamming into the traffickers and hurling them off their feet.

Ross staggered for half a heartbeat, stunned by the sheer power of it, but he didn’t stop. He drove forward, taking the stairs two at a time, firing as he moved. Gunshots cracked in rapid succession as he cut down anyone who tried to block his path.

Above, Lory’s bow sang, a sharp, rhythmic hum that cut through the chaos. Arrow after arrow streaked through the air with unerring precision, each shot claiming its mark, each strike carving a clear path for Ross as he pushed toward the command deck.

Her fingers danced along the bowstring in a seamless blur, fluid and relentless, until the last of the traffickers in his way fell.

Then the Dragxtarn came for her.

Ross turned, ready to double back, but Lory’s voice cut through the noise. "Go! I’ve got this!"

He hesitated, but when the wind gathered at her command, shaping itself into razor-sharp blades that lashed out at the advancing Dragxtarn, he understood. She really could handle them.

Ross gritted his teeth and forced himself onward. He burst into the command deck, gun raised, and fired without pause. The remaining traffickers barely had time to react before they dropped. His gaze swept the room, searching, then locked onto it: a small black box tucked into the corner.

It was the jamming device.

He didn’t slow down; he immediately aimed his gun and shot the device until it shattered.

Afterward, a faint chime followed, sharp and clear. Ross froze for half a second before reaching for his phone, meaning they got the signal back.

Without wasting another moment, he dialed the number Lory had given him; however, Lory lied to her, the number she gave was not a hotline to call the King’s Men, no, it was actually a direct emergency line to Lucas phone, the King himself.

Lucas received an emergency call from Lory. He didn’t answer immediately because it was from an unknown number. Nevertheless, he answered the call anyway. "Hello?"

The low, charismatic voice on the other end made Ross hesitate for a moment, but he didn’t have time to think. He swallowed hard and forced the rude words out of his mouth.

"Um... eh—Cupcake needs a cherry on top. I repeat, Cupcake needs a cherry on top."

Lucas’s eyes widened. He shot up from his chair and replied without hesitation, "Got it."

He signaled Fargo and Fredhardt. Behind him, Fredhardt was already tracking the signal, fingers moving swiftly as the location appeared on the large screen. The moment it locked in, Fargo raised his hand—fifteen.

Lucas nodded. "We’re sending backup. Fifteen minutes. Can you hold out until then?"

Ross glanced outside. In the distance, Lory was already overwhelming the Dragxtarn, her movements swift and relentless.

He nodded, certainty settling in his voice. "Yes, but we have a lot of victims with us. They’re all civilians... There are children, too."

"Understood. Just hold on," Lucas said. He had already put the call on speaker so everyone in the room could hear.

"Where’s Cupcake?" Fargo cut in.

"Cupcake?" Ross echoed, confused.

"The woman who gave you this number," Fargo clarified.

Realization dawned. Ross looked out again, just in time to see Lory slash through a Dragxtarn’s defense, freezing several of them in place with a power he had never witnessed before.

"She’s... uh..." Ross hesitated, then said bluntly, "She’s kicking the Dragxtarn’s ass."

Fredhardt pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath, "Of course she is."

"And what about the hotspice— I mean, her husband?" Fargo asked.

"Oh, him..." Ross’s mouth twitched. "I’m not sure what he’s doing exactly, but judging from his ability... I don’t think we need to worry about him."

Fargo and Lucas exchanged a glance, then realized Ross was right.

"By the way, what’s your name?" Lucas asked. What answered him wasn’t a voice, but a burst of chaos, low rumbling, something heavy crashing, then the sharp crack of gunfire.

Lucas’s brows drew together. "Are you still there?"For a moment, only static.

Then Ross’s voice broke through again, rough and breathless. "Yeah—I’m still here." He exhaled hard. "Sorry. Some traffickers showed up. Had to deal with them."

Lucas didn’t press. "Your name, sir?"

"Rossberg. Collin Rossberg." He didn’t bother hiding it. Sooner or later, they would know.

"Collin Rossberg?" Fargo’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Another former Ultima member, huh?"

"You know me?" Ross asked, curious—but not surprised. He was well aware of how far the King’s Men connection reached.

Fargo didn’t answer. There was no time for explanations. Instead, his tone sharpened. "Explain your current situation."

Ross didn’t hesitate. He laid it out quickly: the kidnapping, the trafficking operation, the transfer to a large ship bound for an island, and the desperate plan to escape. His words were brief, clipped by urgency, but clear enough. More than enough for Lucas and the others to understand exactly what they were dealing with.

They were shocked that Lory was once again involved in another important incident involving the disappearance of many people in the world, and that Dragxtarn was involved, which meant Luxemborough was involved, which also meant the S.A.I.N.T. organization was involved.

They all concluded that Lory was indeed a trouble magnet. How could she be involved in all the crucial incidents happening in the world? They didn’t know whether to admire or pity Lory’s luck.

Meanwhile, the last of the Dragxtarn fell in front of Lory’s feet with a small thud. After that, silence flickered in the wake of the clash, brief, fragile. Not long after, Zhao Li Xin descended behind her, landing as lightly as a dove.

"You’re done?" he asked casually.

Lory turned, drawing in a slow, tired breath. "Yeah... What about you?"

"It’s done," he replied, almost idly. Then his gaze lifted, sharpening. "But more are coming."

The answer arrived with the sound of dozens of footsteps pounding in unison, closing in from all sides. A harsh voice tore through the loudspeaker, echoing across the ship.

"Whoever you are, you are surrounded! Surrender yourselves, or face the consequences!"

Lory didn’t even flinch. She tilted her head upward and shouted, "Ross! Did you send the message yet?"

From the command deck above, Ross leaned over the railing, breathless but alert. "Yeah! They said backup will be here in fifteen minutes!"

Lory clicked her tongue under her breath. "I don’t think we have fifteen minutes..."

Zhao Li Xin’s eyes flicked to her. He understood without needing more. "Then what’s the plan, wife?" he asked softly. "I’ll follow, whatever it is."

There was no hesitation in him, only quiet certainty.

Lory stilled, her mind turning for a single, measured beat. Then her lips curved. "Well... I do have a plan."

Zhao Li Xin tilted his head slightly. "Is it a good plan?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. More or less, he could already guess what kind of plan Lory had in mind.

Her eyes narrowed, mischief sparking like fire in the dark. "It’s a plan."

A low chuckle escaped him. Whatever plan she concocted, it didn’t bother him as long as she let him be part of it.

"Do as you please," he said, his tone laced with sweet indulgence.

Lory shouted up at him, "Ross! Start the engine, you can run the ship, right?"

Ross stared at her, dumbfounded. "I can, but they’ve got all their guns trained on us! The moment I fire it up, they’ll rip us apart!" His voice wavered, caught between fear and grim resignation.

"We’ll handle that. You get everyone out of here!" Lory shot back without hesitation.

"W–What?" Ross could only gape, completely stunned.

Lory grabbed Zhao Li Xin’s hand, and in an instant, they leaped freely from the ship. Below them, dozens of men waited, their guns raised and barrels trained. Every muzzle pointed straight at them, ready.

Lory began chanting, summoning the power within her, and soon the air responded. Wind surged from the ocean in a violent blast, tearing through the ground, crashing into the ranks below.

Dust, debris, and steel fragments were thrown into the air, blinding, suffocating, and tearing apart the formation before a single shot could stabilize it.

At the same time, Zhao Li Xin opened his arms. He gathered Qi in his hands, and flames erupted, like torches that spread like wildfire. Dark purple flames exploded outward, devouring the space around them, their light harsh and merciless.

As wind and fire met, they began to collide and then merge into a swirling inferno, producing a terrifying screeching sound as they ripped through the battlefield. The flames coiled within the storm like living beasts, devouring everything in their path.

Heavy machinery was ripped from the ground, shattered into pieces as if weightless. Mounted weapons were detached and flung into the sky. The enemies were thrown aside, their ranks shattered, their bodies scattered like ashes before a storm.

Ross watched in utter shock. For a moment, he could only stare until instinct snapped him back. He lunged for the controls and slammed the engine to life. A deep, thunderous roar surged through the ship as it shuddered awake.

But in that very moment, a handful of Dragxtarn, who had managed to endure the inferno behind protective shield devices and advanced gear, caught on to Lory’s plan instantly. They turned as one, weapons rising.

They could not let the ship leave the harbor, or the world would learn what they were doing. No, they had to stop the ship at any cost!

Unfortunately, Zhao Li Xin stepped into their path. With a flick of his wrist, a sword flashed into his grasp, summoned from the ring. Steel sang through the air.

It only took one strike. Zhao Li Xin’s movements, as usual, were clean and merciless, and the leading Dragxtarn was downed. The others tried to fight back, but their efforts were futile. Zhao Li Xin moved like a grim reaper, cutting down every stubborn Dragxtarn as if they were nothing.

Behind him, Lory stood at the edge of the storm, her lips moving in a silent chant once more. Soon, the sea answered. Water began to surge upward in a sudden, violent swell.

Waves gathered beneath the ship, lifting it from below. With a crushing force, the tide slammed forward, pushing the vessel away from the harbor.

Lory didn’t stop. Power poured out of her, wild and unrestrained. The force tore through her disguise, stripping it away as though it had never existed. Strands of bluish hair lashed in the wind, her true form revealed amid the raging power.

But she had no time to care. She could feel it, the enemy reinforcements closing in. But the ship was still too close to the harbor. No, they had to get farther away and fast. Because if they didn’t, none of them on the ship would survive.

Sarah’s cute, smiling face flashed through Lory’s mind. Gritting her teeth, she quickly summoned the Trinity Staff. Soon, it appeared in her grasp in a flash of silver light. As her fingers grasped it, power surged, immense, overwhelming.

The sea responded to her calling, the waves swelled higher, stronger, but instead of crashing down, they bent to her will, cradling the ship from beneath. Like a living current, they carried it farther and farther from the harbor, faster than any engine alone could manage.

On the deck, Ross stumbled out, drawn by the sheer force of it. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her. A woman stood on the harbour, her bluish hair streaming like a banner in the wind, a silver staff clutched in her hands as the sea itself obeyed her command.

Ross’s eyes widened, disbelief crashing over him. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing."Oh my God... it can’t be..." His voice faltered. "Princess... Lorient."