Chapter 199 Strike Back (VI)
Vincent trembled as he saw Klaus appear before him. Not out of fear, but because the gaping wound on his neck couldn't stop bleeding. His face was pale as a corpse, and his gaze seemed blurry. A normal person might have already died with his current condition.
"You're still alive with a wound like that," Klaus said. "An S-Class awakener can't be underestimated."
"Hiding like a rat and attacking when the enemy is careless. Typical coward," Vincent retorted. Though his voice was weak, his eyes still burned with determination.
"Believe me, defeating you would be easy. I could kill you with my eyes closed if I wanted to."
Vincent coughed up blood as he tried to speak. He wanted to be angry, but he didn't have the strength to do so. Anemia was hindering him from taking action. If Vincent were in his best condition, he would attack Klaus without a second thought.
He needed to devise a plan to confront Klaus if he wanted to survive. By letting Klaus think he had already won, Vincent planned to strike when Klaus least expected it.
"Keep talking as much as you want. You'll die in the end," Vincent mumbled, his eyes gleaming with cunning.
Steps echoed in the dark room. Klaus smiled as he walked closer to Vincent, and Vincent discreetly gathered all the mana left in his hands. When the right moment came, Vincent would manipulate the gravity around Klaus and shatter him into pieces.
After all, Klaus was just an F-Class. One attack should be enough, or so Vincent thought.
This man didn't know how dangerous Klaus truly was.
"Do you always do this, manipulate these fools to get rid of your enemies?" Vincent asked, stalling for time.
"Not always. It depends on my mood," Klaus replied.
"Just admit you're a coward, you bastard. If you had any courage, you'd face me head-on!"
"Why should I come down if I can use people to do my dirty work? Pathetic."
Vincent gritted his teeth. He was trying to provoke Klaus, but instead, he was the one getting provoked. At the same time, the mana accumulation in his hands grew stronger.
Time passed agonizingly slowly. Vincent patiently waited for Klaus to come within striking distance. He just needed the right moment to launch a fatal attack. Klaus didn't seem to show any suspicion or alertness.
When they were three meters apart, Vincent widened his eyes, seeing an opportunity.
"Eat this!" Vincent shouted, his neck wound pulsating as he yelled with all his might.
Naturally, Klaus stopped.
Looking at the floor, he realized something was wrong with the gravity around him. At the same time, the metal spheres stopped rotating and attached themselves to his body, as if drawn to Klaus. Then, an incredible pressure crushed his body.
Surprised, Klaus was taken aback by the sudden attack. He felt like his body was being sucked into a black hole.
"Ha ha ha ha! How does my gravity taste? It's just a small part of my power. But you'll die soon!"
Laughing with a hoarse voice, Vincent didn't care even as blood continued to spurt out. If he died today, at least he would take one person with him. He continued to laugh, waiting for Klaus to lose his life due to the gravitational pressure.
Klaus didn't move an inch from his spot. His head hung low, and shadows covered his face. Although Vincent could not see Klaus' expression, he was satisfied to see him tormented.
However, there was one thing Vincent didn't know—Klaus hadn't felt pain since the day he was born into this world.
The longer Vincent used his gravitational power on Klaus, the more he furrowed his brow. Klaus still appeared unharmed, no matter how long he was subjected to the gravitational force. Normally, a person would turn into a meatball due to the gravitational pull he had created. But Klaus still stood upright, unaffected by it.
Gritting his teeth, Vincent realized something was wrong.
Vincent increased the gravitational pull. Yet, Klaus remained unmoved.
"You son of bitch!"
Yelling, Vincent exerted his full strength, including his life energy.
Cold sweat dripped down his back. Vincent had truly exhausted everything left in his body. Eventually, he fell to his knees and collapsed to the floor.
"What the... hell... how can this be...?" he muttered weakly.
As his vision blurred, Vincent heard laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Klaus laughed heartily. There was no visible injury on his body whatsoever. He had been completely unaffected by the gravitational power. Smirking, he revealed his true demonic nature to Vincent.
"It looks like my friend has run out of energy," taunted Klaus.
Vincent couldn't help but hiss, suppressing the anger in his chest. In his current condition, he couldn't do anything to Klaus.
Standing over the dying man, Klaus looked down at Vincent with a condescending gaze.
"You know, I've been delaying to kill you," Klaus paused in his words. "I knew you wouldn't be of any use. But lately, I've been giving people a second chance, even though I knew they'd squander it." Klaus shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head.
Vincent didn't understand what Klaus was talking about. He closed his mouth. There was no strength left to utter a word.
"It seems you really can't hold on much longer," Klaus said. "My mistake for engaging you in conversation."
Klaus then left Vincent and approached Zee, whose half of her body was buried under rubble. Showing his back to Vincent, he completely ignored him. Meanwhile, Zee seemed to be unconscious. Her condition was not far from Vincent's.
With a puzzled look, Vincent wondered why Klaus didn't kill him right away.
"If you're wondering why I didn't kill you immediately, the answer is a bit complex," Klaus said, as if he could read Vincent's thoughts through his expression.
Helpless and lying there, Vincent faintly heard Klaus. Gradually, his body grew cold, and his vision blurred. Everything he saw appeared dark.
Klaus stood over Vincent, holding Zee in his arms.
"As long as you can still breathe, I'll tell you my plan. Just take it as a gift. Your death has been prepared for a long time. My guild will take Morning Star's place in the Five Pillars. I could have ended your life long ago, but your sudden death would raise questions. So, I need to prepare a special stage for you, Vincent."
Consciousness began to leave Vincent, but he still heard every word that came out of Klaus's mouth.
"And don't worry about Morning Star. I'll take over it, and everything you've built won't disappear just like that. Goodbye, Vincent."
Once Klaus bid his farewell, Vincent exhaled his last breath.
Thus, the guild master of Morning Star had met his demise.
Klaus stared at that lifeless body with a cold gaze. There was no expression on his face at all. Normally, he wouldn't let his enemies die so easily. Just like his previous victims, he would inflict a painful death.
He didn't do it because he had a plan.
"Klaus!"
Turning to the source of the voice, Klaus saw Noah running towards him. His cousin didn't appear to be severely injured, just a few minor wounds on his body.
"Ha ha! I knew you'd manage to defeat him! What about that bastard?" Noah asked.
"You can see by yourself," Klaus replied.
Noah glanced at Vincent's corpse. There was a hint of fear in his eyes. Kicking the body, he made sure Vincent was truly dead.
"Go to hell, you dogshit. This is what you get for daring to touch my mother," Noah kicked the body again.
Klaus gave Noah a disgusted look. During the battle between Zee and Vincent, Klaus had watched everything from the shadows. He had seen how Noah cowered in fear as Zee risked her life facing Vincent's brutality. In his eyes, Noah was no different from a piece of trash by the roadside.
"After his death spreads, New York will surely be in shock. Who would have thought someone like him would die in this empty building? He he he, Morning Star is truly finished now. I'm sure you can take his place and make Rays of Hope a part of the Five Pillars!"
Klaus raised an eyebrow as Noah spoke. He didn't see any hypocrisy on his cousin's face at all. He didn't expect Noah to completely forget his goals so easily.
"So, what's next?" Noah asked.
"Don't worry. I already have a plan for that," Klaus replied.
Noah nodded.
"And I want you to do something for me," Klaus said.
Noah waved his hand. "Ah, don't worry. I'll take care of them. I have contacts who can get rid of the evidence."
Klaus chuckled. "That's not what I meant. I still need them to stay here."
Noah furrowed his brow. He thought Klaus wanted him to dispose of the hired gangsters' bodies.
"So, what do I do?" Noah asked, curious.
"I want you to die with them," Klaus replied, grinning wickedly.
Naturally, Noah widened his eyes. His animal instincts screamed at him to run, and without a second thought, he quickly distanced himself from Klaus.
However, he was already too late.
Splat!
"Urgh!"
Blood rushed out. A metal sphere came out of the blue to slash Noah's neck. He fell to his knees instantly. Bowing his head, Noah begged for mercy for his life. He didn't have enough courage to look his cousin in the eye.
"Please! Urggh-" Blood spurted out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Klaus looked at Noah with a cold stare.
"Honestly, I didn't want to kill you but I had to. Your and Vincent's deaths are part of my plan. Believe me, I really want you to be my accomplice."
Hearing that answer, Noah burst into tears. He was truly afraid of death. The blood couldn't stop even if he tried to hold it back.
"Goodbye," Klaus said. "Thank you for your sacrifice."
With a cold expression on his face, Klaus walked away from Noah, alone in the cold darkness until his death.
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