Chapter 1374: When Blink Failed
Just as the Winged Clan group pushed toward the dense, overgrown thicket ahead, a figure suddenly appeared off to their right.
"Looking for me?" Ethan smiled at them, easy, almost casual.
"—!!"
Their eyes lit up the second they saw him.
"Over here!"
They moved as one. In an instant, countless wind-type abilities tore through the air, crashing toward Ethan like a storm breaking loose.
"Yeah, I’m done playing with you."
Ethan vanished on the spot—Teleportation.
The forest worked in his favor. Trees, shadows, uneven ground—perfect cover. Out in the open, teleporting meant staying within sight. Here, every jump wiped him clean from their vision, forcing them to hunt blind.
But that advantage didn’t last.
A sharp roar echoed through the woods.
Moments later, hundreds of Winged Clan elites flooded the area. The chase turned all-encompassing—above, below, everywhere. They sealed the space tight.
Cyclones erupted across the forest, tearing through trees like paper. Trunks snapped, roots ripped free, entire sections of woodland reduced to splinters.
Ethan flickered through the chaos, reappearing and vanishing between what cover remained, barely staying ahead of their search.
But the space was shrinking.
Tree after tree fell. His hiding spots disappeared one by one.
Then—
He teleported again.
And when he reappeared, a figure stood not far away, eyes locking onto him instantly.
"Aeralon..."
Ethan’s chest tightened. Of all people—this was the one he least wanted to face.
Aeralon stared at him, gaze cold enough to freeze blood.
This was Ethan’s second time seeing him.
For Aeralon, it was the first.
But he didn’t need introductions.
The human in front of him carried Aerisara’s aura.
The same man who had ruined everything... and turned her into a soulless thrall.
Aeralon’s expression darkened.
Then he moved.
No warning. No buildup. Just a blur tearing straight toward Ethan.
Ethan’s pulse spiked—he teleported instantly.
But the moment he reappeared—
Aeralon was already there.
"Holy shit—!"
Ethan didn’t even think. He teleported again, heart hammering. The speed was insane.
He reappeared—
And the world around him exploded into motion.
Violent storms surged into existence, swallowing the space around him in an instant.
Ethan’s face drained of color. He threw up his Nullspace Domain—
—and it shredded apart immediately.
Still, it bought him a fraction of a second.
Enough.
He teleported again.
But the instant he came out of it—
Aeralon was waiting.
A hand shot out and clamped onto Ethan’s arm.
There was always a gap—tiny, less than a tenth of a second—between exiting a teleport and triggering the next one. For most people, it was invisible.
For someone like Aeralon?
It was more than enough.
At this level, they could read the spatial fluctuations of teleportation itself—predict the landing point before Ethan even stabilized.
"Hmph. You think you can run from me?" Aeralon’s grip tightened, voice cold.
Ethan didn’t answer.
"Absolute Stasis."
Time locked.
And in that frozen instant—
He cut his own arm off.
Clean. Decisive.
Then—
Two rapid teleports.
His figure blinked out of existence, diving straight into a patch of forest that hadn’t been destroyed yet.
The world snapped back to normal.
Aeralon stood there, staring at the severed arm still in his hand, his expression sinking further.
"...Space-time ability."
"So the human really does have it."
His eyes narrowed, voice low.
"But abilities like that burn through you fast. I’d like to see how many times a Stage A like you can pull it off."
He moved again.
Cyclones ripped outward in all directions, shredding every remaining tree nearby into fragments.
From every direction, hundreds of Winged Clan elites closed in, sealing the entire area completely.
Below, massive cyclones tore across the ground, obliterating what little forest remained.
Deep in the forest, Ethan clutched his severed arm, his face tight as he watched the devastation closing in.
This time... it was bad. Really bad.
He hadn’t expected Aeralon to be this fast. Fast enough that even Teleportation couldn’t guarantee his survival.
That had always been his trump card. No matter how strong the opponent, as long as he could blink out, he had options.
But now?
If Teleportation couldn’t save him, he was stuck on the back foot—and he didn’t have many arms left to cut off.
Wind roared.
Cyclones tore through the forest, sweeping straight toward his hiding spot. The air itself felt like it was being shredded.
Ethan’s pulse climbed. He tried to call Dopey—
Nothing.
It was like the connection hit a wall. Dopey couldn’t come out.
Ethan’s stomach dropped.
Then the last of the trees around him were ripped apart.
No more cover.
"Damn it—"
He teleported, putting distance between himself and Aeralon, then chained another jump, pushing farther out.
"In here!"
The shout came from somewhere above.
In the next second, Winged Clan elites surged in from every direction, collapsing on his position like a net tightening shut.
And behind them—
Aeralon was already on the move, cutting straight along Ethan’s escape path at terrifying speed.
Ethan blinked again. And again.
Every landing—blocked.
Every direction—sealed.
They weren’t chasing anymore. They were herding him.
Aeralon closed the gap fast. No hesitation, no words—just a hand reaching out to grab him.
"Wait!" Ethan shouted, voice sharp. "Don’t you want to know where that big bird is?"
"Once I have you," Aeralon said coldly, not slowing for a second, "you’ll talk."
"Holy shit... I hate guys like you. Furious, but still thinking."
Ethan didn’t wait for a reply.
"Absolute Stasis."
Everything froze.
He tore free—two rapid teleports, forcing distance between them.
Time snapped back.
Aeralon immediately gave chase again, faster than before.
"You’re not getting away."
Ethan’s breathing started to roughen.
Two uses of Absolute Stasis. Constant Teleportation. His mental energy was draining at a brutal rate.
And Aeralon—
He was gaining.
At full speed, he was somehow keeping up... even outpacing Ethan’s chained teleports.
Every time he got close, Ethan had to burn another Absolute Stasis just to break free.
It worked.
But it was eating him alive.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Ethan’s vision swam.
His head throbbed, a wave of dizziness crashing in as his mental energy bottomed out.
"...Well. This is bad."
A wry breath slipped out, thin and helpless.
And right then—
A massive shadow cut across the sky, closing in fast.
Ethan looked up.
Then he grinned.
"Finally."
Behind him, Aeralon noticed it too. His expression shifted instantly.
"What—? Its injuries... healed?!"
"Heh. Yeah," Ethan shot back, a crooked smile breaking through the exhaustion. "You’re welcome."
That did it.
Aeralon’s anger spiked, snapping whatever restraint he had left.
"You’re dead!"
He lunged—
"SKREE—!"
A piercing cry split the air.
The roc dove like a falling star, its massive body slamming straight toward Aeralon at terrifying speed.
Aeralon’s face darkened.
He flicked a glance at Ethan—still standing there, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
His jaw tightened.
Then, without hesitation—
He pulled back.
Retreated.
He knew the math.
Alone, he couldn’t take the roc. Not without his forces. Not with Ethan still capable of one more Absolute Stasis.
If he miscalculated—
He’d be the one torn apart.
Not worth it.
Not now.
But as he withdrew, one thought locked in place, cold and absolute—
That human had to die.
In all his centuries, he’d never hated anyone this much.
