Chapitre 10: Melina
In front of the CCTV monitors, Liora and Eleonora observed the one-sided battle between Lucius and the members of the Phoenix's Dominion sect.
The two women were simultaneously shocked and awed by the dominance displayed by the young, handsome man on the screen.
"What kind of power does this man possess? From controlling destructive energy waves, manipulating gravitational fields, to accelerating time—he holds all these abilities in a single individual. Truly terrifying!" Eleonora initially analyzed the situation calmly, but as she witnessed Lucius's formidable capabilities, she couldn't help the goosebumps that rose on her skin.
Eleonora didn't hesitate to sincerely commend the extraordinary strength Lucius exhibited. In her lifetime, she had only rarely shown such genuine admiration for a man.
'It seems my daughter's opinion of her prospective fiancé has shifted somewhat, thanks to the recklessness of those fools from the Phoenix's Dominion sect,' Liora thought with satisfaction, a sly grin forming as she mused over the scene.
∆∆∆
Isolde was slightly taken aback by her brother's ability to freely manipulate various fundamental aspects of the universe.
"Wow—they've turned into a bunch of decrepit old men. I doubt even a retirement home would take them in," Isolde chuckled playfully, feeling pleased with Lucius's extreme actions.
Just as everything seemed over, a crimson flame suddenly erupted from the skull of the sect elder, manifesting into a fiery, giant phoenix.
"Though you are still very young, you wield such immense power—truly befitting the offspring of the world's two strongest transcendents. Blood never lies," the Phoenix spoke with a voice that resonated with and shook the soul and mind of anyone who heard it.
Even Lucius himself couldn't resist and was forced to listen under immense pressure, though his face remained expressionless.
"Hmm—you possess such a tremendous willpower, able to withstand my pressure directly without using any powers," the Phoenix continued, slightly surprised by Lucius's high natural resistance to metaphysical attacks.
Glancing to its left, the colossal Phoenix opened its beak wide and unleashed a searing crimson flame, vaporizing all the sect disciples who had turned elderly.
"Useless trash, I refuse to let the Phoenix's Dominion sect be filled with arrogant fools like you," the Phoenix proclaimed in disgust and frustration.
"Fiuh," Isolde exhaled softly. "As usual, you are very strict and ruthless towards your sect's disciples who appear disgraceful," she remarked, her tone slightly mocking and provocative, as if trying to incite the creature's emotions.
The Phoenix's manifestation merely sighed in resignation, then replied with a sweet smile, "As usual, your tongue is as sharp as ever, little girl."
"Alright, I must take my leave, as there are matters I need to attend to," the giant Phoenix manifestation gradually faded into the void after bidding farewell.
Utilizing his Omniscient Perception, Lucius could still sense the presence of the Phoenix moving northward on the island.
Realizing he was being watched, the Phoenix merely returned the gaze with a satisfied smile, then continued its conversation.
"Hmm—it seems that Phoenix has certain business with those two women," Lucius murmured softly, observing the Phoenix's discussion with Liora and Eleonora.
Using a light touch of his intent, Lucius shared his super perception with Isolde, showing her what he observed in the distance.
"Ahhh—the younger woman is your prospective fiancée. What do you think? She's beautiful, isn't she?" Isolde was impressed by Lucius's displayed abilities. She then asked with a playful smile upon seeing the familiar woman in her perception.
Lucius sighed heavily, murmuring in mild annoyance. "What's the point of an engagement, anyway? I just returned to Earth and still need to enjoy my time freely."
"In general, you are already 27 years old. As the heir to the ancient Sorcerer family, you should have been engaged by the age of 15. This is all to ensure you don't recklessly impregnate ordinary women out there," Isolde explained softly, gently stroking her brother's hair, providing a brief explanation for the engagement plan.
"By the way, I think I know why the Phoenix's Dominion sect came directly to the Duskbringer family's private island. This ancient presence is a hallmark of the very rare frostfire phoenix egg," Isolde concluded, using the information received through Lucius's super perception to deduce the sect's primary intent for being there.
A ripple in the fabric of space-time, resembling a rectangular portal, materialized near them. Celestia, Loretta, and Melina emerged simultaneously, greeting Lucius and Isolde warmly.
"What brings you two out here?" Celestia inquired, her curiosity piqued by the strong scent of something burnt lingering in the air.
"Mother, we just dealt with some issues involving an arrogant disciple from the Phoenix's Dominion sect," Isolde promptly clarified.
She then recounted the entire series of events in detail, withholding nothing.
As Celestia listened to her daughter's account, she nodded, indicating her comprehensive understanding of the situation.
"Hmph—at least that wretched Phoenix knows how to handle matters," Celestia grumbled, her expression dark and cold. However, upon learning the outcome for the perpetrator, she managed to calm herself quickly, grudgingly acknowledging the drastic actions taken by the Phoenix.
While they conversed outside, Nyx, a subordinate of Liora, appeared before them and greeted them with deep respect:
"Welcome, Madam Liora, young mistress Isolde, and young master Lucius. I am Nyx, a humble servant here to guide you to the manor in the north."
Isolde smiled gently, returning the greeting. "Hello Nyx, it's been a long time!"
"I am honored that a great lady like young mistress still remembers this humble servant," Nyx stammered slightly at the end of her sentence as Lucius swung his sword vertically, unleashing a crescent-shaped wave of destruction that swiftly targeted a tree ten meters away.
Nyx was taken aback, unable to react as Lucius's destructive aura wave sliced through the air beside her, missing by mere centimeters.
"Aargh—my arm!" The anguished cry of a middle-aged man echoed, startling everyone unaware of his presence.
His arm had been severed cleanly by the crescent-shaped wave, which also cut through several trees in its path.
"When did that damned man get here?" Melina frowned, unable to detect the enemy's presence.
"Captain!!"
Suddenly, hundreds of men clad in ninja-like attire emerged from their hiding spots in the shadows of trees and bushes.
"Everyone, protect our captain!" one of them commanded urgently.
"Understood, vice-captain!" they responded in unison.
Unperturbed, Melina stepped forward, placing herself between her three masters and Loretta.
"Ah, so there are this many of you. I wonder what trick you used to evade my magical sensors!"
"Everyone, that woman is an ice sorceress. Use extreme heat to counter her!" one of their informants advised the others.
Extending their palms forward, the oddly dressed men began chanting in unison:
"Fire Technique: Fireball!"
Small red embers appeared before their palms, rapidly expanding into high-intensity fireballs.
Seconds later, they launched the fireballs in unison, targeting Melina and the others.
Melina smirked wickedly, channeling a significant amount of mana into her feet, transforming the ground before her into a thick, frigid sheet of ice. With a simple hand gesture, she erected several towering, thick ice walls, using the ice field as their foundation.
In the following seconds, hundreds of fireballs clashed with the ice walls, creating dense steam that obscured everyone's view.
Within moments, dozens of fireballs pierced through the ice defenses, merging into a more destructive combined attack.
The attackers were jubilant, believing their assault had hit its mark. However, their expressions shifted to shock as the remaining fireballs were effortlessly neutralized by Melina's final ice wall.
"With ice control down to the molecular level, I can create uniquely attributed ice that efficiently absorbs thermal energy," Melina murmured softly, exhaling cold air.
With a powerful thrust from a suddenly appearing ice pillar, Melina leaped high into the air, directing her right palm downward at the enemy.
"Icicle Javelins!" she chanted.
In mere fractions of a second, thousands of massive ice javelins materialized in the air through mana-driven deposition, manifesting her magical prowess.
"Damn it, don't let her strike first. Use our strongest fire technique!" one of the attackers ordered swiftly.
Without further communication, they coordinated seamlessly, synchronizing their mana output at high speed, then began chanting in unison:
"Fire Technique: Fire Dragon!"
Hundreds of colossal fire dragons surged toward Isolde, who was still airborne.
Melina was undaunted, launching her ice javelins at high speed. The javelins left a trail of icy air in their wake.
In an instant, the two assaults collided, producing thick steam. Both the fire dragons and ice javelins vanished, their powers perfectly matched.
Having expended substantial mana, some of the attackers were already exhausted and depleted.
Believing it was over, they were suddenly taken aback as hundreds of massive ice javelins shot toward them at lightning speed.
With precise coordination, they knelt, placing their palms on the ground, and chanted a defensive mantra in unison:
"Stone Technique: Stone Dome!"
The earth around them rumbled violently as hundreds of semi-circular stone walls rose from the ground, encircling each of them.
"A solid defense, but unfortunately, it's useless against ice as hard as steel," Melina taunted, mocking their futile efforts.
A powerful explosion reverberated across the island's barren landscape as the ice javelins shattered and penetrated all the stone domes shielding the attackers. Desperate cries followed in the aftermath.
As the ice javelins struck the ground, a secondary freezing effect spread across a wide area.
Manifesting a pair of massive ice wings on her back, Melina accelerated at top speed, landing precisely among the enemy ranks.
Upon landing, she immediately froze the legs of the surviving captain and vice-captain, spreading ice across the ground.
"Now, it's just the two of you left," Melina sneered ominously, her gaze fixed on the now-fearful men.
"You—you're a monster!"
"Damn it, what is this?!"
Ignoring their complaints, Melina chanted her technique, lightly swinging her right hand:
"Glacial Spikes!"
Suddenly, large conical ice spikes erupted from the ground, piercing through the torsos of both targets, leaving them paralyzed and helpless.
"Damned, we have no other choice," the captain muttered, his voice laden with helplessness.
"It's been an honor working with you, captain," the vice-captain replied, understanding the captain's intent. His farewell was swift and sincere.
"Thank you, my friend," the captain responded, his smile a blend of gratitude and respect.
With unwavering resolve, they both detonated themselves simultaneously.
Sensing the sudden surge of mana energy from both targets, Melina swiftly ascended into the sky, deploying the massive ice wings on her back.
"Hmm... they even have a self-destruct mechanism. How brutal and ruthless," Melina sighed deeply, a tinge of regret in her voice for failing to stop their drastic action.
As she focused her gaze downward, her magical sensors detected an extraordinarily powerful man hurtling toward her at the speed of sound.
"You damn witch! How dare you slaughter all my subordinates!" The man with long, wild green hair roared in fury, his right fist clenched tightly.
Concentrating mana energy into his right fist, he converted it into a high-intensity sound wave. His fist emitted a deafening hum as he unleashed his technique, launching a cross punch from several dozen meters away:
"Sonic Boom!"
The shockwave, focused at a single point, traveled at the speed of sound and shattered Melina's enormous ice wings. Simultaneously, the sonic shockwave reverberated through Melina's body, causing her limbs to disintegrate.
"Melina!" Lucius shouted in alarm, witnessing his sister's subordinate being brutally defeated.
∆∆∆
The Grand Hall of Silverwolf in the Mysterious Underground
Currently, several men and women dressed in casual attire were gathered, intently observing the display of hundreds of character statuses labeled 'KIA' on the monitors.
"This is dire. The entire Shadow unit was utterly defeated in such a short span of time." A tall woman with long black hair ruffled her hair in frustration, expressing her exasperation.
"Who exactly were they up against?" A man with a feminine appearance asked in a coy tone.
"Could it have been someone from the Duskbringer Family?" suggested a rotund, elderly man.
"Impossible," the portly elder retorted, dismissing his colleague's assertion. "The special artifact developed by our research team allows them to remain undetected by the most advanced sensory powers unless they exhibit a very clear intent to kill. Only then might they be discovered."
"They were well-trained; it's impossible to think they would exhibit the unprofessionalism you're suggesting," countered an elderly woman with white hair, disputing the last claim by the rotund man.
"It would be best if we awaited news from the Shadow unit's General Commander. Though by now, he has likely already engaged directly, confronting the enemy without regard for potential consequences," proposed the tall woman with long black hair, offering advice that was immediately accepted by all present.
"Naturally. His entire subordinates were brutally slain by an unknown enemy. Surely, he wouldn't adhere to the initial plan," the rotund man added, shrugging helplessly.
"The most important thing is to ensure Silverwolf's involvement remains a secret. This way, the ancient Sorcerer family will not suspect our organization. No matter what, we must obtain that frostfire phoenix egg," declared the feminine-looking man with a sly and dangerous tone, licking his lips mischievously.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone