บท 527: Ch 527 - Jacob Pays a Visit
Although his hair had grayed at the temples and his face was lined, the man moved with surprising grace. He walked through the courtyard as if on a leisurely stroll through a park.
A handful of association members tried to block his path, but he walked right through them.
"Attack!" Jeffrey roared, and he sprang toward Jacob, flanked by Edward and Will.
The older man never broke his stride. With a simple flick of his arm, the three men were on the ground in an instant, bleeding from their mouths and noses. They were no match for him.
Kenneth gasped, "Is that Jacob?"
Jacob's eyes locked on Alex as he walked forward. Occasionally, he would gesture casually, waving his arm. The bodies of nearly a hundred association members who tried to fight him fell to the ground. They couldn't touch him.
"What a monster," Alex muttered. He finally understood that Jacob's skill was beyond his imagination, but he wouldn't back down.
He picked up a spear from the association's cache of training weapons and planted his feet. Using his inner force, he threw the spear as fast as a bolt of lightning.
Jacob was thirty feet away and utterly calm. When the spear reached him, he merely swung his right hand. There was a sudden clap of sound, like the roar of an angry beast. He had caught the spear. Without pausing, he snapped it neatly in two.
Alex launched himself toward Jacob like a missile.
Jacob had always been on top, and he hadn't faced a real challenge in years. He watched Alex approach, and a trace of surprise flashed across his face.
With a fluid backhand, he met Alex's momentum, his hand sharply stabbing forward like a blade and delivering a series of blows with uncanny speed. His last strike knocked Alex back with enough force that he spun in the air a few times and landed heavily on the steps.
Alex's face grew pale as he struggled to get to his feet.
Jacob continued to stroll forward, and he threw the bladed end of the spear at Alex. Alex's eyes widened as he swung both hands to meet the projectile, strengthening his arms with his inner power to shield himself.
He managed to block the spear, but the incredible momentum of Jacob's throw flung him backward into a pillar with a crash. He made a choking noise and coughed out a mouthful of blood.
Will and Edward watched in shock. They had seen what Alex was capable of firsthand, and they knew that his skills were almost otherworldly, but he hadn't expected to meet Jacob so soon, and he wasn't prepared for how powerful Jacob truly was.
Jacob was on a completely different level than anyone Alex had ever come against, and Alex hadn't even managed to land a hit on him
Ignoring his own pain, Will rushed to help.
A few of the younger fighters also stepped forward to create a kind of blockade, eyeing Jacob warily. They knew they wouldn't stand a chance against him, but they would do their best to protect Alex.
Russell stood in front of the ragged wall of young people and watched Jacob coldly. He had fought more than a hundred battles, but he had never seen such an opponent. At that moment, he could only fight to protect his leader.
Kenneth and Ava gloated inwardly. They would have cheered if they weren't supposed to be on Alex's side.
"I'm fine," Alex said with a cough, struggling to get up. He had never taken such a terrible beating, but his face was utterly blank. He showed no fear because he felt none.
This was a critical moment in his martial arts training. He could sense that Jacob's arrival was a kind of omen.
There's a lesson here, he thought. And if I live long enough to learn it, I know I can beat him.
Despite his confidence, it was clear to everyone present that he couldn't stand against Jacob. He took a deep breath and concentrated on his inner force, hoping to recover a little strength. He knew that there was a finite amount of power he could draw from his own essence.
He had learned at the Moon Palace that his ability to tap into his inner force would wax and wane. Eventually, he would have to do what all his predecessors had done and retire to the wilderness, where he could avoid his enemies and concentrate on his practice until his inner force was restored. The ebb and flow of his power was a reality of nature.
After all the fighting he had done that day, he was already a little low on power, even though he felt fine physically. Staggering slightly, he rose to face Jacob again.
Jacob's arms and legs blurred once more, and Alex was down again. He felt a sudden wave of intense pain. His blood felt like it was boiling in his veins. Every nerve screamed at him as if he were burning alive. Even his bones hurt—they felt like they were being broken. He spat out a mouthful of blood and tried not to scream. He struggled to get up, but he couldn't.
Jacob leaned over him. "I'm not going to kill you today," he said, watching Alex's face twist in agony. His voice was mild, but scorn churned underneath it. "It'd hardly be worth it. I'll destroy you in front of everyone in seven days. I'll not only avenge Jonah but also tell the world that your little martial arts club is nothing to me. I can crush you with one hand."
He smiled slightly, and his voice dropped to whisper. "And don't even think about trying to run. Imagine all the people I'll kill if you do. They can't protect themselves."
His point made, he turned to leave. "Take care of yourself, Alex," he said.
The association members wanted to stop him, but Russell called them back. "Stand down," he said. "Let him go."
He was certain that Jacob would kill them all without a second thought. They could only bite their tongues and step aside, but their faces showed it was a struggle to let him walk away. If they couldn't stand against an enemy in their own territory, they would become a laughingstock.
"Don't forget," Jacob said without stopping. "If you're a second late, I'll kill ten people. If you're a minute late, I'll kill a hundred. If you don't show up at all, I'll kill everyone you've ever met. And then, I'll kill you."
Jacob and the Ghosts left without another word.
Ava walked over and kicked Alex's ribs with a curse. "Loser," she muttered. He was no longer a threat, so she didn't feel the need to hide her resentment.
Will stepped forward with a shout. The two squared off, glaring at each other.
"You got something you need to say?" she taunted. "Are you going to suggest he's anything but a loser? He brought this on all of us, and he's the one who needs to end it."
She turned to address the crowd. "You need to settle this matter quickly, or we're all going to suffer."
She then turned away and took her place at Kenneth's side. "The smart move here is to strip Alex of his authority," she continued. "Otherwise, you're all just cannon fodder. He's going to get you all killed."
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง