Read Novel Full Chapter 676: A Bounty and Ruthless Killing (1)
Chapter 676: A Bounty and Ruthless Killing (1)
"Tsk! Just as expected of Nolan Lorian—you’re quite perceptive, just as stated in that letter."
The voice sounded mocking and irritating. Nolan and Seira reflexively turned their heads and saw a man in a black cloak walking toward them.
He was short, ugly, and pale, with countless scars covering his body.
Most striking of all was the eye in the center of his forehead. It wriggled like a worm, looking both terrifying and revolting.
"Nolan, he..."
Seira’s grip tightened, and her breathing grew unsteady. She wasn’t the type to judge others by appearance, let alone discriminate against someone because of how they looked.
But this time, she truly felt repulsed by the sight of him.
Fear and nausea surged through her as she quickly turned her face away.
Nolan patted her thigh to calm her down, then asked in a calm voice, "How long have you been following us?"
The man stopped about ten meters away. He grinned and replied in a playful tone, "Since the beginning. Why? Surprised?"
Nolan’s expression didn’t change. He knew the man was lying. From the start, no one had been following him and Seira.
It wasn’t until they successfully made it out of the valley that Nolan sensed the man’s presence.
Nolan shifted his gaze away, then turned to the left and said calmly, "Aren’t you guys bored just standing there?"
Not long after he spoke, a piercing laugh rang out.
"Hahaha! Sister, look at him—he actually noticed us, even with your artifact hiding our presence! Looks like this trashy prince isn’t as useless as his reputation suggests."
"You’re right. He might be hiding his power. Stay alert."
From the shadows behind the trees, two women in black cloaks stepped out and walked toward Nolan and Seira.
Both of them could be considered beautiful. However, there was something unsettling about their appearance. The woman on the right had a red tattoo crawling across her face like a spiderweb.
Her right eye was blood-red, without a pupil, making it look terrifying.
Meanwhile, the woman on the left had a black flower-shaped tattoo covering half her face. Her left eye was also red, identical to the right eye of the woman beside her.
Their features were strikingly similar, making it clear they were twins.
"Oh? Black Rose and Red Rose. I didn’t expect to see you two here. Could it be you’re also after the prize?" the ugly-faced man asked in surprise.
The two women glanced at him, then gave faint smiles.
"It seems you’re interested in the prize too, Venom," Black Rose taunted.
Venom grinned. "Of course I am. Two hundred million Rune coins and the chance to obtain a high-tier artifact are opportunities that don’t come twice. There’s no way I’d pass that up."
The two women simply smiled and said nothing.
Their goal was the same as Venom’s, and they had to claim it, no matter what.
Meanwhile, as the target of the three of them, Nolan remained calm, as if their presence didn’t bother him at all.
"This isn’t the time for small talk. Look ahead—there are plenty more coming. Hey, all of you, come out!" Nolan shouted.
The three of them froze. They reflexively looked up and saw ten people—no, perhaps even more—stepping out from the shadows.
Each of them had a terrifying appearance. Some had horns, some stood nearly three meters tall, and others looked like monsters.
Black Rose, Red Rose, and Venom frowned.
They had waited a long time for Nolan and Seira to emerge from Nethravel Valley, believing they would be the only ones competing for the prize.
Who would’ve thought there were even more people lying in wait for the same targets?
"Sis, it looks like winning the prize is going to be really tough," Red Rose whispered coldly.
Black Rose nodded slowly. "It’s fine. We can take our chance when they all attack. What do you think?"
Red Rose furrowed her brow, as if trying to grasp her sister’s meaning. A moment later, she understood and gave a faint smirk.
"I get it. That’s a good idea."
Nolan could hear their conversation clearly. But he was too lazy to interfere. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder.
"Sister, close your eyes," he ordered.
Seira nodded and quickly shut her eyes, tightening her embrace around Nolan’s waist.
Nolan lifted his hand slightly to the right. In an instant, an invisible barrier materialized out of thin air, shielding his sister.
Satisfied, he turned his gaze forward and stared coldly at Venom, Black Rose, Red Rose, and the others.
"You’ve come to take my life, haven’t you?" he asked with a wide smile. "Then come on. If you’re too slow, someone else might beat you to it."
His words were like gasoline poured onto a raging fire. Everyone’s eyes burned with greed, as if Nolan and Seira, sitting atop their horse, were the most delicious prey in the world.
"Hahaha! I’ll be the first to make a move!"
A burly man roared with laughter and charged toward Nolan.
"Want to go first, huh? Like hell I’ll let that happen!" another man snorted, rushing forward as well.
The others, including Venom, refused to be left behind. They drew their weapons and sprinted, leaping toward Nolan.
Facing attacks from the front, back, left, and right, Nolan didn’t look the least bit afraid.
To him, their movements were unbearably slow, like a video playing at half speed.
As they closed in, almost within arm’s reach of him and Seira, Nolan calmly shut his eyes and pressed his palms together.
In the next instant, the space around him froze. The bodies lunging at him were suspended in midair.
"W-What’s happening?" Venom asked in fear.
He tried to move his hand, but he couldn’t. It felt as if he had lost control of his own body.
The others were no different. Panic and terror spread across their faces. Their skin turned pale as they struggled desperately, trying to break free from the mysterious force restraining their bodies.
Nolan opened his eyes and smiled faintly.
"Where’s your confidence?" he asked playfully.
Everyone instantly realized who was behind this.
"N-Nolan Lorian... you’ve been hiding your power!" Venom exclaimed in horror.
He never expected Nolan, a prince long regarded as worthless, to have concealed such terrifying strength.
Now they had fallen into his trap, and escaping might be impossible.
"Pfft!" Nolan chuckled softly. "You’re only realizing it now? Too late."
Truthfully, if they had been more observant, they would’ve realized he was no ordinary man.
After all, he and Seira had managed to walk out of Nethravel Valley completely unscathed.
Unfortunately, they had all been blinded by the bounty offered by that unknown person.
"Alright, enough chatter. You’re all being way too noisy."
After saying that, Nolan clenched his right fist.
In an instant, their bodies were compressed, and then...
Boom!