บท 1072: Chapter 1072 Payback part 2

"Ajax... Aurelius..." Stralit slowly muttered as she endured the pain in her stomach and tried to cover it with her hands.

The being in question was a young man with deep brown hair and slightly long ears that swept backward. Although he had this nasty smile on his face, the first thing Stralit notices is that half of his body was connected to the earth of the tunnel. But instead of being buried, his body is that of the earth itself, 'Aurelius' [Mineral Transformation], is it?'

"Wondering why I didn't go for your head?" The man named Ajax slowly emerged out of the ground, "Because you would have dodged it."

Stralit regulated her breathing and stood up to posture herself, "Cut the bullshit. Even if I could dodge, any subsequent attack would have done me in. So what does the young master of the powerful clan Aurelius want with me for you to appear personally?"

"Geez... Can't even do small talk." Ajax let go of the spear and it slowly fused to the ground, disappearing, "But what should I expect from the daughter of one of the most terrifying matriarchs that even the Royal Ones can't ignore."

Stralit stayed silent and glared at the young man. But deep inside, she was panicking because he actually wanted to talk, 'There could be only two things that he wants... To control me and the spot for my successor.'

If it was as she had guessed, then her life was not in danger but she couldn't think the same for the little guy in the capsule.

Stralit wanted to check on his condition after being thrown back but she can't spare any attention to him out of fear that Ajax will notice him.

However, wishes were just wishes. Even if you think about them strongly, most of the time, the world will just ignore one's convenient desires.

After a few seconds of silence from both sides, Ajax's Spiritual Power instantaneously moved and Stralit was not its target.

Stralit hurriedly turned around and used every strength she had in her body to jump. Nevertheless, her battered body couldn't keep up and could only watch the capsule be pierced by multiple earthen spears. Thanks to her ability to see in the dark, Stralit could see flesh and blood that was caught on the tips of the spear and even a small arm that escaped from the capsule without its owner.

"Now this has become more complicated, isn't it? I didn't think that you had already chosen your successor." Ajax casually continued while taking back his spears, "Still, it would be more advantageous for me to take you alive and assign another person to be your successor."

There were another few seconds of silence before Stralit finally reacted without turning around, "How did you think I'd agree to any of your demands?"

In response, Ajax replied with a sneer, "Did you think that we'll do something like this without any preparations? A few centuries is enough to plan things out."

"...That's true, isn't it?"

Stralit's strange tone immediately set off alarms inside Ajax's head and immediately took out the item he prepared for her capture, 'She's tired so she shouldn't be able to do anything else...' However, his accomplice's words rang from her consciousness, [If you ever have to touch a Luxeux's successor, do everything in your power to kill or disable the Luxeux first. They are the most casual in granting the position of successor and anyone could become one, but they are also the worst enemies if you ever hurt their successors.]

And just as he took out the item he'd prepared, Stralit slowly turned around, ignoring the blood spilling out from her stomach, and looked directly at Ajax. Not with his usual bright and beautiful green eyes, but horrifying deep black eyes that swallowed any light.

A chill on the spine immediately woke Ajax up from staring at her eyes but he didn't know when, but there was only darkness around them even with the normally dark tunnels. He tried using his [Mineral Transformation] ability but it seems that he became isolated from the ground and lost her advantage in terrain in an instant, 'How!?'

Without any hesitation, Ajax activated his trump card and a flash of green and white light flooded the tunnel, washing away all the darkness.

Stralit, on the other hand, couldn't believe what she was seeing, "...Lux Sigil...? How and why do you have the Lux Sigil!?" Stralit yelled as all the 'shadow' left her body.

Lux Sigil, the Luxeux Clan's greatest weapon but only for those who could handle and know how to use it which could be counted on two hands. For the rest, it's their greatest weakness that renders them powerless.

Nevertheless, that isn't the biggest problem because these Lux Sigil could only be created by those who could use it and there shouldn't be any way for him to have any of it, '...Unless there's a traitor... And a pretty high up one too.' Stralit thought in despair while watching the light strip her of any power she used in exchange for her own life force.

Seeing Ajax slowly approaching her, she couldn't help but regret it. Regret the fact that she couldn't protect one thing, 'Me in the position of power? How is that any use if I can't do anything I want?' On top of that, she's afraid of what she could end up being if she were to fall into his hands. Because she knew for sure that she wouldn't agree to any of their demands, she was afraid of what they were preparing for her.

She turned around for one last time to peer at the 'corpse' formerly known as John Smith, 'I can't have myself become a detriment to my family.'

In this situation, Stralit was only left with one single choice and that's not giving the enemy any further advantage.

Ajax saw that Stralit's very weak Spiritual Power roused but he panicked when he saw where it was going, 'The head!? She's planning to kill herself!?'

Ajax did his best to dash towards the resolute Stralit in hopes that he could stop her. But as soon as he took the first step, he knew he wasn't going to reach in time, "Damn it!!!"

But because of this tense atmosphere, both Ajax and Stralit failed to notice the Magic Circle that took shape between them, "Gosh... My head is already killing me and then there's this annoying light that's making it way worse."

An out-of-place voice made the two of them momentarily stop what they were doing as they hurriedly turned their heads to their source.

Ajax was taken aback at the sudden appearance of a stranger but that was not important to him as at the moment that Stralit actually stopped her suicide attempt and stared blankly at the newcomer. With a newfound opportunity, Ajax strengthened himself to reach Stralit. But as he was about to pass by the stranger, his world suddenly started spinning, '...Huh?'

While wondering what just happened, he finally felt the immense force that hit his nose and threw him back crashing along the walls of the tunnel.

"Back off, pervert. The lady is scared of you." Kisuke who just appeared while holding his head in pain threw a backhand punch at the young man sporting a rather unpleasant grin.