Chapter 59 - Hero

After several minutes, the coughing and gagging finally died down but the gas remained. Seeing it was time, several tendrils of Psionical Force shot out from Lucas, lifting Ehsan, the leader of this stampede, and Rayan, whom he had purposely shielded against the poisonous gas, up into the air.

Looking down at the disheveled and agonized Malekiths, Lucas shook his head and snickered, “Hello, Rayan. We meet again. I believe we let you go, right?”

“I believe you’ve witnessed how strong we are, right?”

“I believe you’ve realized how powerless you are, right?”

“So why did you go back and bring your pals here for an unjust death?”

Each of Lucas’s words stabbed into Rayan’s heart. He knew exactly what Lucas was saying, but Ehsan didn’t. The elder’s golden eyes darted between Rayan and Lucas, confusion clouding his expression. He whispered, “Rayan, what’s going on…? Did you betray us…?”

Rayan’s face contorted in despair. He wanted to speak, to explain, but the words caught in his throat. “Elder, n-no! It’s not like that!”

“Hold on. Shut up, greasy pig,” Lucas said, clamping Rayan’s mouth shut with his Psionical Force.

He then turned to Ehsan and chuckled, “You see, your friend here once tried to ambush and rob us, but we let him go out of kindness. And yet, here we are, he brought even more people back to try and rob us again.”

Ehsan’s heart pounded when he heard Lucas’s words. He immediately grasped the picture of the scene. He realized that Rayan hadn’t betrayed the Malekiths but had simply concealed the truth to save himself.

Rayan and his scouts had been tasked with locating and scouting the ruins, with the promise of merit points and resources upon success. However, they had failed miserably, unable to even step foot inside due to the overwhelming threat blocking their path.

Rather than admitting their failure and risking punishment, they had bound together in secrecy, omitting crucial details to make it appear as though they hadn’t been stopped due to incompetence. What they failed to mention was that the so-called ‘monsters’ guarding the ruins weren’t ordinary creatures but beings like the figure before him.

If just one of them could annihilate an entire cavalry with ease, what would a group of them be capable of? They could have bulldozed their camp and slaughtered everyone if they had wished.

Yet Rayan Ayesha, desperate to cover his tracks, had still led them here.

Clenching his jaw, Ehsan’s golden eyes glared at Rayan. “You… you knew.” His voice trembled with fury. “You knew what kind of enemy we were walking into, yet you still led us here?”

Rayan frantically shook his head, his muffled pleas barely escaping through the Psionical Force snapping his mouth shut. His wide, desperate eyes begged for understanding, but Ehsan wasn’t having it.

Lucas, still holding them both aloft with his Psionical Force, grinned. “Oh? Finally putting the pieces together, are we? You’re pretty smart when you’re not an idiot.” He spun them around slightly in the air as if they were nothing more than playthings.

“See, your dear friend Rayan Ayesha had a chance to warn you. He had a chance to tell you that going up against us was a mistake. But no, greed got the better of him. He wanted another shot at the ruin, and he needed more bodies to throw at the problem. Conveniently, that’s where you all came in.”

Gesturing behind him, he added, “Oh. And those idiots too.”

Ehsan’s fists clenched as rage burned through him, desperately trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to lash out, even though he knew it was pointless. He was utterly at this figure’s mercy.

Lucas chuckled at the sight and asked, “Now, I have a question for you. Ehsan, right? What do you think I should do with you two?”

Swallowing his pride, Ehsan lowered his head. “I apologize,” he said. “The youngsters of my clan have offended you, and I will do whatever it takes to appease your anger. I promise in the name of Ehsan Suhail, Elder of the Malekiths.”

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But Lucas merely tilted his head, unimpressed by the plea. Without responding, he raised his hand, and a thin tendril of Psionical Force extended toward Ehsan’s hand. It slithered around the ring on Ehsan’s finger before yanking it off effortlessly.

Then, the ring trembled in Lucas’s hand as several items spilled onto the ground in a messy heap, weapons, vials, small pouches filled with shimmering crystals, and even a few aged scrolls.

Ehsan’s pupils trembled as he watched in shock.

A storage opened so easily?!

Storage rings were high-tier artifacts designed to recognize and bind themselves to their owner’s Mana Energy. If someone attempted to forcefully bypass its mechanism, the built-in detonation rune would instantly activate, reducing both the contents and the thief to ashes.

Yet the figure before him had broken through the ring’s defenses with ease, as if it were nothing more than a cheap trinket.

A cold shiver ran down Ehsan’s spine.

This wasn’t just strength. This was absolute superiority!

He realized they never had a chance. His hands trembled as he swallowed hard, feeling his vision spin. A desperate hope clawed at his chest, perhaps, if he groveled, if he proved his worth, he might be spared.

Then, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw him.

Rayan.

The man responsible for dragging them into a beast’s mouth!

Ehsan’s regret twisted into hatred in an instant. His golden eyes darkened as they locked onto Rayan with pure, seething fury.

“You…” he growled.

If he survived this, he swore Rayan wouldn’t!

When Rayan noticed Elder Ehsan glaring daggers at him, his body shuddered in fear.

Nevertheless, Ehsan, being an elder, was clear on his priorities. He had already witnessed the vast difference in power between them, resisting was suicide. The only path left was negotiation.

“This… this was never meant to happen,” he said carefully, forcing his tone to remain steady. “You clearly have power beyond our understanding, and I acknowledge our offense. But if we continue down this path, it will only lead to more bloodshed. Let’s make a deal.”

“No. You lot tried to rob me, wasted my time, and now you’re begging for a deal?” Lucas immediately rejected him, raising his wrist as an energy beam erupted, blasting straight at Ehsan.

Yet, just as the beam was about to strike, Ehsan vanished!

Lucas stared at the sizzling, hissing hole left behind, his expression unreadable. He murmured, “Well, he’s gone. An elder of a clan should have at least one or two life-saving tricks up his sleeve.”

Glancing at the scattered remains of Ehsan’s storage ring, he stored them away before shifting his gaze to Rayan. Seeing the trembling Malekith, Lucas let out a sneer, “Well, what about you now? Looks like your elder wasn’t too keen on saving you.”

***

22nd November 2024, Ruin of Mesopotamian Wildland.

As Lucas landed on the ground, he swept his gaze across the battlefield. His mechanical soldiers had already subdued the humans who had dared to cause a ruckus. However, one among them stood out, shouting and screaming like a madman, his voice echoing across the ruins.

A man, bound and restrained by the mechanical soldiers, thrashed against them. His face was twisted in both fear and fury.

“Unhand me! I am the chosen hero destined to save this world!” His crazed screams echoed across the battlefield. “I am the hero of the Gods! Release me, or you will face divine punishment!”

Some of the subdued humans nearby shrank away in embarrassment. Others, though bloodied and beaten, still clung to a shred of hope in his words, as if grasping for divine intervention.

Lucas chuckled under his breath. “A hero, huh?” He stepped closer, his mechanical soldiers parting to make way. The self-proclaimed ‘hero’ stopped struggling for a moment, his wide, bloodshot eyes locking onto Lucas.

“You!” The man snarled as he took in Lucas’s futuristic suit. His expression contorted between disbelief and rage. “You’re a fiend! A wretched, godless man! You dare stand-”

Lucas suddenly kicked him in the face, cutting off his rant. A crack echoed as the man’s body whipped backward, only for Lucas to catch him by the throat He lifted the struggling man off the ground as his grip tightened, squeezing the man’s throat.

As the ‘hero’ clawed desperately at Lucas’s armor, the helm covering Lucas’s face retracted. The moment the man saw the face behind the armor, his bloodshot eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

He froze.

His body went rigid.

“H-huh…?” he choked out, barely a whisper.

Lucas smirked, “Hello there, Laurim Foster. Do you still remember me?”

Silence.

The once-arrogant hero, who had moments ago proclaimed himself the chosen one, now trembled in Lucas’s grasp. His lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out. His mind reeled, trying to process the impossible.

“What’s the matter? Mr. Hero?” Lucas’s smirk widened as his grip tightened. “Weren’t you just screaming about being a hero of the Gods? Surely, a chosen one like you wouldn’t be at a loss for words, right?”