"...Miss Marlowe," Aridhill inquired, his voice hoarse in the blood-scented office, "Is there... anything else you require?"
"Hmm? Oh, no, that's all," Seraphina waved dismissively.
"I won't interfere with your future actions, even if you wish to take control of this city. Just don't be foolish enough to end up like those two on the floor."
She gestured towards the corpses with her chin. "I won't be lingering in Dispute Fortress any longer. Whatever you choose to do is your own affair."
With that, she strode towards the exit.
Aridhill instinctively glanced at his comrades, all bearing significant wounds from their battle with Inothea. Yet this tall, youthful girl had dispatched Dispute Fortress's renowned fourth-stage extraordinary being as effortlessly as crushing a helpless chick.
Seraphina Marlowe, the immortal monster bearing the power of two pact heads...
Wasn't she rely a third-stage extraordinary being not long ago? How had she suddenly beco capable of rending a fifth-stage dragon? Had the world gone mad?
The Revolutionary Army's elite warrior gazed with utmost reverence at Seraphina's retreating figure. After a brief hesitation, he called out, "Miss Marlowe, please wait!"
Seraphina halted, turning back with visible impatience. "Speak quickly if you have sothing to say." Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire
"Would you..." Aridhill drew a deep breath, "be interested in collaborating with us?"
Under Seraphina's slightly startled gaze, he continued gravely, "Your ideals and resolve are admirable, aligning unexpectedly with our—"
"What the heck is wrong with you?"
Seraphina cut him off abruptly. "To consider as one of your ilk? How insulting."
Standing at the doorway, she looked down upon the battered Revolutionary Army warriors, her expression indifferent:
"I neither respect you nor care for your goddamn complicated theories. In this world, only one person is worthy of my power. Or perhaps..."
The young girl tilted her head slightly, sneering with disdain, "you want to compare yourselves to him?"
Aridhill fell silent.
Ansel of Hydral's, the most unique Hydral, the most singular nobleman, whose "feat" had turned all the Revolutionary Army's spies in Hydral territory into defectors.
Having witnessed the most radiant light, any other fla or glow paled in comparison to her eyes.
Yet, he had to try. If they could recruit Marlowe, her power...
Aridhill, still unwilling to give up, called out loudly: "Please, trust us! I know you harbor ill impressions of the Revolutionary Army, but we in the Western Lands, and Odelia, she—"
Seraphina departed without answering him.
The man gazing at the window, his unspoken words dissolving into a sigh.
"Aridhill."
A pitiful figure, his eye gouged out and limbs broken, leaned against a cabinet, wheezing softly, "It seems our plan has failed."
It was Boneblade, who had lured Seraphina back to Dispute Fortress early and provided her crucial information. He had sohow survived the recent chaos.
"Indeed... We had intended to occupy Dispute Fortress in Odelia's na, diverting attention to allow her safe escape from the Firmant and Bloodust's pursuit."
Aridhill's expression turned bitter. "But that Miss Marlowe's grand spectacle stole all attention. This plan clearly has no chance of success now. We can only hope she escapes safely to the Wyvern Duke's territory."
"What next?" Another Revolutionary Army mber, nursing his wounds, inquired softly. "Shall we withdraw? If we leave now, we should make it. Even the true Duke of Azuregold might hesitate to trouble Hydral's pact head. He's unlikely to co to Dispute Fortress."
Aridhill gazed at the two corpses on the floor, and after a long pause, said slowly:
"You all go ahead. I'll stay and try to persuade her once more."
"Aridhill, it's too dangerous," Boneblade frowned.
"That monster... She's an absolute individualist. If you persistently defy her, you'll beco the third corpse lying here."
Aridhill retorted, "Before her unexpected arrival, wasn't our plan to die anyway?"
"...That's different. At least the original plan had value. You can't possibly convince that one—"
"We won't know unless we try."
As he spoke, Aridhill recalled Seraphina's earlier display of her indomitable will.
If only… their Northern brethren had discovered her earlier, if only they had found her before Hydral and recruited her.
Wouldn't everything have been different?
*
"Ansel!"
The once fierce and rciless wolf instantly transford, wagging an imaginary tail with imnse pride. She grinned cheerfully, "How was my performance?"
"Well..."
Ansel pondered, stroking his chin, "Do you want an honest critique?"
"Of course!" Seraphina latched onto his arm. "Don't tease ."
The young Hydral smiled. "An inadequate speech, but an excellent intimidation."
"Although your lines and delivery were sowhat flawed, your release of killing intent was flawless. Even if other aspects were lacking, the intimidation factor was undeniably potent."
"Hehe, that's enough."
Seraphina bead with an innocuous smile, her narrowed eyes flashing a blood-red gleam.
"As long as they fear, as long as they understand the consequences of oppressing civilians and defying , that's sufficient."
Ravenna, having irritably cast concealnt spells on Seraphina and Ansel, suddenly materialized and took Ansel's other arm. She scoffed, "With your unabashed tyrannical behavior, how dare you criticize the Empress?"
"You're comparing to that madwoman!?" Seraphina glared at Ravenna. "Are you looking for trouble?"
"Aren't you the one causing trouble for Ansel? After this display, how will others perceive him? Killing leaders on soone else's territory at will, then declaring it as your own domain, coming and going as you please, killing whover you wish."
Ravenna enunciated each word, "Don't be excessively willful, Seraphina."
"Ha, excessively willful?"
In the past, Seraphina might have felt guilty under such questioning, but now she rely sneered. "I've said it before - whoever dares to trouble Ansel, I'll show them what real trouble is."
Ravenna wanted to say more, but she realized the current Seraphina had the power to back up her words. While deeply rooted fifth-stage extraordinary beings wouldn't be as easy to kill as fifth-stage dragons, and Seraphina might not match them in more complex scenarios, her unique abilities could compensate for almost all existing weaknesses.
Her power of adaptation transford her into an undying monster in prolonged battles, virtually impossible to defeat without instant death. The only solution would be various sealing thods.
However, after her transformation, her devouring breath could corrode and destroy ethereal waves, capable of destroying most spells, domains, and magical formations... It was uncertain what level of sealing or banishnt spell could suppress Seraphina's power, and who would risk their life to find out before this was confird?
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