Including the matriarch, everyone was shocked to see Alex reappearing before them.
What happened before them was quick and instantaneous. No one had enough time to comprehend what had happened.
But it didn't prevent the first elder from attacking again. The same type of ice spike was launched at Alex.
This time, Alex appeared ten meters away from it instead of dodging it by entering the interdimensional farm.
One percentage of his mana was consumed for teleportation. Due to him leveraging the abilities of the interdimensional farm, the mana consumption was less compared to the smoke screen and full-body enhancement. He could use the teleport skill ninety-nine more times before running out of mana. But if he uses other skills at the same time, he wouldn't last that long.
He knew he didn't have the strength to go against a tier 4 four warrior, the first elder. Even if he could use all the tricks in his arsenal, he would be incapable of causing harm to him in the slightest. It was better to dodge than to face the attack head-on.
However, all his actions were not without any basis. He was cooking up an underhanded plan while he was at it.
'Danger was good enough motivation to force me to act.' Alex smirked while looking at the angry first elder.
Stealthily, he moved further away from the first elder, carefully avoiding the people who tried to attack him. Each time he teleported, he moved ten meters away, forcing the people to jump around the hall, incapable of harming him.
"With an apology, we can bury the hatchet and move on." Alex suddenly paused and said. Although he said that, he didn't mean it at all. But, he did a good job acting, enough to convince most people.
"Why would I apologise to a spy?" The enraged first elder yelled.
"How about a trade?"
"What trade?" Before the first elder could complete his word, Alex disappeared.
"The life of the third princess for my life."
Suddenly a voice came from near the audience. Everyone turned to look at the third princess, Meena.
"Hey! Where are you looking?" Alex reappeared near them after taking Meena, hostage.
Within minutes, Alex transformed from a guest to a prisoner to a spy to an abductor.
Now, he was the public enemy number one and he didn't care. There was no negotiation between a weaker and a stronger person. The stronger ones always get what they want.
And Alex was on the weaker side now. He was fighting against one of the most powerful people on the whole continent. It was a nerve-racking experience. If he didn't have the skills he had, he would have died ten times over.
At that moment, it was the best possible solution he could think of. Meena was going to be his leverage for the negotiation. No cops are going to come and save him from the first elder. He could only depend on himself, he decided.
"Do you know what you are doing? The repercussion for your action is something that not even the stone head tribe can handle. What made you think that you can threaten the life of our princes." Like a man of honour and virtue, the first elder argued. But deep down, he was happy to see Alex taking the princess hostage.
"Ha ha ha, Whose life do you think is worth more? Mine or the princesses?" Alex inquired.
His action was seen by the whole ice phoenix tribe. Usually, a weak warrior like Alex should have squirmed around in fear while approaching a tier 4 warrior. Yet, he was nonchalantly threatening everyone. In their mind, they could only think of one name for a person like Alex. A total psycho.
They were the worst kind of enemies to be had.
These were people who would do anything to get what they wanted.
Instead of Alex, the audience began fearing the peculiar man standing in the centre of the hall. His bearing was enough to shake the experienced warriors of the ice phoenix tribe.
Everyone was stumped by the absurd situation. No one dared to take him lightly anymore.
"MERU, RELEASE HER THIS INSTANCE." Instead of the first elder or his supporters, It was Kalina who angrily screamed at Alex. She was visibly shaking with anger. Like a volcano ready to erupt, she fumed.
"Finally, someone acknowledging my presence. Yes, I am Meru. You finally do remember my name. I am flattered. Are you ready to hear what I have to say?"
While the intense battle wits were taking palace. Meena, the hostage was enjoying the situation. She liked the feeling of teleportation, it was an awesome experience for her. She wanted to ask Alex to teleport a couple of times.
And about the danger of being held as a hostage. She didn't care about it at all.
She felt no malice from Alex. She was sure that he would never harm her.
Meanwhile, the matriarch suddenly woke up from her daze and looked at Alex. She was reminded of a familiar figure.
A man she worshipped. The saviour of mankind, the strongest person to have lived on the central continent. The man who was blessed with the contract from primal chaos.
Somehow, the silhouette of Alex was resembling that man. This woke up the sleeping memory deep inside her subconscious. Hundred years ago, when she was just a kid. She remembers seeing the person battling the giant demon head-on.
His figure was deeply imprinted on her mind. It was an unforgettable experience.
Now, looking at Alex and the smoke-like particles he was releasing occasionally. She could feel the same type of power as that man.
She quickly identified Alex as someone from the tribe of humanity's saviour, the primal chaos tribe.
"STOP IT." The matriarch said.
Her voice travelled all across the hall, paralysing the people of the ice phoenix tribe. No one moved an inch anymore. Even Alex felt a chill go up his spine. Her strength was beyond what he could measure.
The moment he saw the matriarch standing up, he knew that he had no way of evading any of her attacks.
Humans were always limited by their reaction time. An average human had a reaction time of two hundred milliseconds. For a trained tier 2 warrior, their reaction time can go as low as one-fifty milliseconds. And a tier 4 warrior can further decrease it to just a hundred milliseconds. And the reaction time of a tier 5 warrior was even lower.
Alex was able to dodge the tier 4 warrior, the first elder due to the distance he maintained and his great reaction time. Only if the attack from the first elder was coming from a distance of ten meters with a speed of Mach 3 could he not avoid it with his reaction time. And the first elder couldn't do it.
But, when he looked at the matriarch. He knew that he would die even before he thought to teleport. It was a different feeling from facing off against the first elder.
Instant death was the only option if he was facing the matriarch.
"On whose authority did you try to attack one of our guests? First elder, should I remind you how the laws in the ice phoenix tribe work." The matriarch was not blind to the actions of the first elder. She was waiting for a reason to take action against him. His greed has already weakened the solidarity of the tribe. She couldn't allow him to destroy the tribe for his ambition.
"The boy, Meru. I can confirm his identity. He is not related to the people who attacked the blue gem city. I can assure you that."
"Your majesty, look. He is willing to take even the princess hostage. He is surely a spy, look at my investigation…" The first elder argued.
But before could complete his word. A cold air manifested around him forcing him to bend his knees.
"Are you questioning my judgement?" The frigid voice of the matriarch forced him to face reality. In front of unsurmountable strength, he was nothing.
"No…" Clenching his teeth, the first elder replied. It was only then that he could stand up. Hiding his frustration, he moved and sat near the other elders. He was humiliated by the matriarch and Alex. Watching the third elder smirking, he wanted to kill Alex desperately. Yet, with the protection of the matriarch, survival of Alex was ensured.
'Lucky b******' The first elder thought. (AN: Not well versed in cursing. Please forgive me for my incompetence.)