Affinity: Chaos

Chapter 2137: Light Work

"Who said anything about leaving?"

Grey’s cold, emotionless voice cut through the now brightly lit cavern. Sunlight streamed down in wide columns, illuminating the ruined buildings and the floating dust that still hung in the air.

With the exception of Alice and Reynolds, every single person present was dumbfounded, not only by the question itself, but by how calmly arrogant it sounded.

The scarred Gnome could not believe the human was refusing him so openly. Rage began to rise. He was still somewhat wary of this strange Ninth-stage Sovereign, yet they stood at the same cultivation level, and he had a puppet to support him. The only reason he had offered free passage was because the newly arrived Lightning Elementalist was clearly as strong as Alice. Adding this masked man to the fight would make things significantly more troublesome. He was still confident they could win; he simply did not want to remain exposed long enough for Asterope reinforcements to arrive. The seal was broken. A distress signal could be sent at any moment.

The second Ninth-stage Gnome shared the same reservations. That was why he had been willing to abandon the valuable puppet he had just claimed. He had never expected the human to be this unreasonable.

The weaker Gnomes behind them felt openly insulted. In their eyes their superiors were being far too lenient. They believed numbers alone would be enough to overwhelm the humans. The only reason they had not already attacked was because no order had been given.

The members of the Asterope Faction were just as stunned, though for different reasons.

Lewis flew over to Alice and leaned close, voice low. "Alice, don’t you think you should talk to them?"

It was obvious she knew the two newcomers. He felt she was the only one who might still reason with them.

"There’s nothing to talk about. Prepare to kill."

Alice’s reply was resolute and loud enough for the rest of her squad to hear. She gave Lewis no chance to argue.

He stared at her, surprised by the sudden shift. Before the masked man arrived she had been focused solely on escaping. Now the roof was open, freedom was right there, and yet her killing intent had only grown sharper.

*Is this madness or confidence?* he wondered, studying the cold light in her eyes.

"You don’t want to leave?" the scarred Gnome asked carefully, as if he might have misheard.

"We’re not leaving," Grey answered, his tone still completely matter-of-fact. "And none of you will be counted among the living much longer."

The calm certainty in his voice made him sound even more dangerous to every listener.

The two Ninth-stage Gnomes exchanged a glance. Veins stood out on the second Gnome’s forehead.

"Fine," he snorted coldly. "I’d like to see what makes you so confident." Since the humans had refused the chance to leave, he would simply kill them here and then escape. "You two deal with the three Eighth-stage Sovereigns. I’ll handle this arrogant fool myself."

The scarred Gnome and the scout leader both nodded. The second Ninth-stage turned to the remaining Gnomes.

"Finish the rest quickly. Make them regret their choice."

The moment the order left his mouth, the second Ninth-stage launched himself at Grey. Darkness surged around his body as he closed the distance in a single explosive burst. His puppet followed half a step behind, both hands already forming a dense spear of black energy.

Grey did not move until the last possible instant. He tilted his body slightly, letting the darkness spear scream past his shoulder close enough to cut a thin line across the edge of his robe. At the same time his mental energy flared outward, sharp, focused, and invisible to ordinary senses.

The second Ninth-stage Gnome’s eyes widened. For a fraction of a second his entire body locked in place. The connection to his puppet snapped. The darkness spear dissipated mid-air as the puppet itself froze, its limbs going rigid.

Grey was already in front of him.

One hand clamped around the Gnome’s throat. The other pressed flat against his lower abdomen, right over the core where a Sovereign’s cultivation condensed. Blue light flared under Grey’s palm, complex, layered inscriptions that spun faster than the eye could follow.

The second Ninth-stage tried to struggle, but the mental pressure still held him rigid. He could only watch, eyes filled with growing horror, as the light sank into his body.

A sharp, almost delicate cracking sound echoed through the cavern.

The overwhelming aura of a Ninth-stage Sovereign that had been pressing down on everyone suddenly collapsed. It did not fade gradually. It simply vanished, as if someone had cut a string. His aura was that of an ordinary person.

Grey released the Gnome and stepped back. The second Ninth-stage staggered, dropping to one knee, both hands clutching his abdomen. His face had gone deathly pale. When he finally raised his head, the disbelief in his eyes was absolute.

Silence crashed over the cavern.

Every Gnome stared, frozen. Even the scarred Ninth-stage had stopped mid-step, mouth slightly open. The lower-ranked Gnomes looked as though they had forgotten how to breathe. None of them had ever seen a cultivation base sealed so cleanly, so quickly, and so completely in the middle of battle.

On the human side the reaction was just as strong. Lewis’s eyes were wide. Sara’s hands had gone still on her cracked tablet. Several of the younger squad members unconsciously took a half-step backward. Even Reynolds, who knew what Grey was capable of, raised an eyebrow at the speed of it.

Alice alone looked unsurprised. A cold satisfaction settled in her gaze as she watched the kneeling Gnome.

The second Ninth-stage finally forced words out, his voice hoarse and shaking.

"You... what did you do to me?"

Grey’s reply was quiet, almost casual.

"I sealed your cultivation." Grey’s reply was casual, like he didn’t even do anything.

The second Gnome looked at him for a second before his pupils dilated at the thought of his identity.