Chaos' Heir

Chapter 1045 Defeat

Miss Christen, Major General Arngan, and Colonel Norrett looked frozen with their eyes at the sky. They even held their breath, almost expecting something majestic to follow.

The cloud of decay kept spreading, affecting the trees' crowns. Their large leaves wilted and tried to fall, but a surge of vitality promptly flowed into them, counteracting the process and keeping them on their branches.

Miss Christen wasn't actively countering the cloud. That was a passive effect of her cloaking ability. That cover was still active, but she didn't know how effective it had been during the recent exchange.

As shameful as it sounded, Major General Arngan and Colonel Norrett had made Miss Christen falter. Those few moments had always lasted less than a second, and Miss Christen was mostly to blame for them since she was holding back. Yet, they had happened nonetheless.

Even with the enhanced senses of an evolved warrior, Miss Christen wasn't sure whether something had seeped past her cloaking ability. Even if it did, the effect would be minimal, no more than a mere whiff of a peculiar scent in the area's mana.

Miss Christen even picked a distant, isolated area for her secret mission. Theoretically, the chances of Khan failing to spot that eventual, slight disturbance were high. However, Khan had surpassed everyone's expectations time and time again, so Miss Christen almost expected him to appear among the crowns.

Nevertheless, the silent stalemate didn't bring any change. The cloud of decay quickly depleted its power, vanishing without leaving any trace. No one arrived at the two men's aid, either. It seemed their praiseworthy plan had failed.

"I must praise your teamwork, Major General, Colonel," Miss Christen announced, breaking the silence and lowering her eyes toward the two warriors. "You devised quite the plan without any preparation. However, it seems your hopes were misplaced."

Major General Arngan suppressed a snort. He and the Colonel didn't devise any plan. They were like-minded people who clearly understood their situation. Winning seemed impossible, so they had to call for help, and the Major General exploited the first opportunity he found.

Still, the opportunity was gone now. The two had failed, so Major General Arngan couldn't help but sense some mockery in the compliment. In his ears, Miss Christen sounded like a teacher praising kids.

The likelihood of recreating that opportunity sounded low, but Major General Arngan didn't give up. He steadied himself, ready to resume the battle, only for his friend's violent cough to distract him.

Colonel Norrett's condition wasn't good. His body was riddled with holes, which leaked blood on the ground under him. A puddle had already formed there, and his open injuries expanded it. He needed immediate medical attention, but his opponent was the only nearby doctor.

While Major General Arngan studied his friend and potential courses of action, a series of holes appeared on his elbows and knees. He ignored the pain, but his body lost structural stability, and his huge figure fell forward.

Major General Arngan heavily crashed on the ground with knees and palms. He tried to stand up, but something had broken. His limbs didn't follow his directives, limiting his movements to a simple cold glare at his opponent.

Miss Christen had exploited Major General Arngan's distraction to cripple him. That damage was only temporary, especially with the Major General's body, but it would put him out of commission for a while, enough time for Miss Christen to capture him.

"You two are promising warriors," Miss Christen praised once again. "I ask you to rethink your stance during this period. I'm sure the Nognes family would benefit from your services."

Major General Arngan didn't give up. His legs couldn't support him anymore, and he had no good punches left in him. However, his mouth still worked fine, and the blood falling from his lips vouched for its effectiveness.

However, an unbearable pain suddenly invaded Major General Arngan. He released an unwilling, monstrous shout while crouching down. Spasms ran through his body. His muscles trembled as a dark-red ethereal gas escaped his skin, returning it to its natural color. Even his fingernails retracted, becoming human once again.

The transformation reversed, but Major General Arngan's suffering didn't end. He grunted loudly, grabbing his artificial arm's base and squeezing it. The silver alloy had also returned to its previous color, but the process wasn't as seamless as the rest of his body.

Miss Christen only briefly studied Major General Arngan's condition before focusing on Colonel Norrett. Somehow, he had remained awake, with his hazy gaze still pointed at the evolved warrior. His determination was quite a sight, but Miss Christen didn't linger on it and focused on his injuries.

Miss Christen performed a waving motion, and invisible energy flew at Colonel Norrett, filling his body with vitality. Some of his holes closed, but others remained open. Miss Christen had only fixed his worst injuries, saving his life but leaving him unable to retaliate any further.

Then, Miss Christen moved toward Major General Arngan. The man still looked in pain, but Miss Christen wanted to deal with him first anyway. His strange element and the previous exchanges made him the greatest danger in the battle.

Major General Arngan ignored the pain coming from his artificial arm and supported himself on its palm to wave his other limb at the incoming evolved warrior. However, Miss Christen let him hit her and reached out to him without slowing down or faltering at all.

A pleasant, cozy sensation invaded Major General Arngan's brain as Miss Christen's hand descended toward his face. He tried to oppose it, but his mind soon betrayed him. His senses dulled, and the darkness of unawareness crept closer to him.

However, a purple-red light suddenly flashed in the distance, and a thunderous roar followed. Something had landed on a far-away tree, scorching it and setting its trunk aflame.

The fire was too distant to illuminate the area where the three warriors were, but another purple-red flash expanded somewhere else. Thunder spread through the forest as something crashed on the ground, making it explode.

Miss Christen straightened her back and retracted her hand while more thunderous noises spread everywhere. One of the purple-red flashes even expanded near her position, but she paid it no heed. The forest seemed under attack, and she knew exactly by whom.