The elder who heard Kalina's question shook his head in disappointment. He couldn't understand her reasoning.
Greed! Was it greed when his life depended on it? Without them, he would have died. Does his life hold no value? Why should he put the welfare of others over his?
"Kalina, you have yet to see the world. You have yet to see the real face of humanity. And it is not a pretty one. Your sheltered life may have protected you for now. But, there will soon come a day when you understand me." The elder stated in a grim and monotonous tone.
He continued while pointing out her naivety.
"I had to bow down before a greater power to live longer. One day, someone will come to you, promising to give you what you desperately want. Come to me after rejecting that offer. You can judge me after that."
"There is no need for that. Your end is inevitable," Kalina declared with unwavering determination while flexing her arm. The ice spear rotated in her palm while she twisted her arm. "If you have any final words, speak them now. Let us bring an end to this today."
Her intense will to fight materialised as a cold wind, sending shivers down her enemies. The black-robed men that came as the reinforcement struggled to breathe in her presence. freewebnov el.com
"Was a battle necessary? If you are willing to join us, we can become allies. However, if you choose to fight me. It would be the beginning of a war. I am the elder of the Thousand-headed Serpent tribe. If you kill me, you would be killing an elder of the thousand-headed serpent tribe. Do you think my heroic tribe would bear that loss? And you have no way to prove by involvement with the black-robed men. Even Penthe, your only hope has escaped." The elder proposed, his tone carrying a hint of persuasion.
Upon hearing his words, Kalina clenched her teeth in frustration. While she disagreed with much of what he said, she couldn't help but acknowledge the truth in his final statements. She lacked a concrete reason to kill one of the esteemed elders of the Thousand-headed Serpent tribe. There was no evidence to convince others of his involvement in the destruction of Thira or his association with the Penthe. The only individual, Penthe, who could provide the necessary proof had managed to escape right before her eyes.
However, the revelation of his true self left Kalina torn. How could she simply let him go after witnessing his dark nature firsthand? Her grip on the ice spear tightened while she glared at the elder.
This made the elder pleased. Even though Kalina was the princess of the ice phoenix tribe, she didn't have any authority over him or his actions. She can get away by killing or torturing Penthe. However, he had no reason to fear her when he has the thousand-head serpent tribe as his backing. His lips raised as a smug smile formed on his face.
"Clap…Clap…Clap…" Suddenly, a sound captured everyone's attention. The periodic clapping sound was coming from the direction of the exit.
From the darkness, a silhouette of a person emerged. He was wearing a distinct white robe. And over his shoulder, he had something large bound by ropes, a person perhaps. The thing squirmed in pain while trying to escape. But the ropes were specially made to bind warriors. So, it was unsuccessful.
The person that emerged from the darkness was Alex wearing white robes. And the thing that he was holding over his shoulder was Penthe.
After Penthe's escape, Alex swiftly pursued him, eventually apprehending him. With a firm grip on the situation, Alex bound Penthe's legs and arms, rendering him helpless, resembling a squirming worm in his restraints.
Penthe screamed and begged when he saw Alex, the white-robed man. So, Alex had to shove a thick piece of wood in his mouth before closing it securely in place. Now, other than some vague noise, Penthe couldn't say anything.
After revealing his presence, Alex clapped once more with Penthe's face in between. The sound of his palms hitting the reddened cheeks of Penthe made a resounding sound inside the dark tunnel. It echoed back and forth grabbing the attention of everyone around him.
Kalina, who saw him, felt a sense of relief wash over her. And the tied-up Pethe further lifted her mood. But the same could not be said for the black-robed men and the elder. When Kalina wanted to chase after Penthe, the elder took action to prevent her. He was deliberately delaying Kalina to let Penthe escape.
It became clear that the elder's decision to call for reinforcements held the same purpose. The black-robed men were supposed to have dealt with Penthe already, eradicating any remaining evidence of their involvement and ultimately eliminating him. However, the unexpected interference of the white-robed man appeared to have disrupted the elder's plans.
"Great analysis of the current situation. If only she had some evidence to prove your crime." Alex stated after changing his voice with mana. He patted Penthe's head, his voice was oozing with obvious sarcasm.
"Maybe, I can use this guy," Alex said showing support to Kalina. His intent was clear, he was saying that he will help Kalina in finding evidence. Even ready to hand over Penthe. He was displaying himself as an ally to Kalina, not knowing the fact that Kalina already trusts him and was willing to cooperate.
Alex's words struck a nerve with the elder, igniting a fiery rage within him.
The man who destroyed his plan was right before him.
The elder didn't know from where the white-robed man came nor did he know how he found the link between Penthe and them. But one thing was certain, he was in a completely antagonistic relationship with their organisation. Now, he had returned with evidence. He had to kill him, the elder thought.
"Do you have a death wish to return after capturing him? Let me send you both to the afterlife." The elder spoke in a threatening tone.
"Pfussstt.." However, Kalina who saw the vexed elder let out a muffled laugh. She knew what Alex, the white-robed man was capable of. The elder's threat wouldn't even faze him.
However, Alex looked at the crazy woman not knowing what was going through her head. After all, he didn't Kalina knew his identity. So, he couldn't grasp why she was laughing at this time.
Kalina's laugh and the disrespect of the white-robed man together triggered the battle between the elder and them.
The air pressure inside the closed space changed. The elder who felt threatened by Alex and Kalina decided to end them. It was a safer bet to destroy evidence and kill Kalina and Alex.
A giant illusory image of a snake materialised before him as he activated his skill. The serpent opened its mouth before swiftly moving through the air and attacking Alex.
The thousand-headed serpent tribe was known for its ability to materialise a thousand types of illusory serpents, with each having a slightly different ability. And due to that, most of their skills were related to poison. The skill released by the elder was also a skill related to poison.
Alex looked at the venous fangs threatening to bite him and simply teleported away. After that, he ran towards the exit.
Although Alex could use teleport. Short-distance teleportation had one small problem. He had to have a clear view of where he wished to teleport to. Or, he needs to feel the exact spatial point with mana. This put him at a disadvantage while fighting underground.
So, to preserve some mana, he ran towards the exit. Penthe was the bait he was using to make the elder and the black-robed men follow him.
After reaching the exit, Alex could safely teleport away. With his maximum teleport distance reaching one kilometre per teleport. He could temporarily store Penthe and all the evidence far away before returning.
Not realising this, the elder followed Alex to the exit.
As the tunnel gave way, a sandy beach stretched out before them, signifying their journey of over a kilometre to the west of Thira had finally led them to the exit.
Before they could fully comprehend the situation, Alex's form flickered, vanishing into the sky. Staying true to his plan, he resolved to secure Penthe in a safe location, under trustworthy care.
Eager to pursue Alex, the elder contemplated tracking his general teleportation direction. However, his intentions were swiftly thwarted when Kalina, seizing the moment, hurled a massive ice spear in his direction.
Reacting with agility, the elder deftly evaded the incoming assault, narrowly escaping its piercing trajectory.
"Don't go after him, we have some unfinished business, elder. What were you saying before? To join hands because I have no evidence or something. It seems like he is willing to hand over Penthe to me. So, let's finish our business first. I hope a person who likes to live a very long life doesn't mind dying." Kalina formed one more ice spear on her hand before throwing it at the elder.
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