“Damn brat!” Rudolph clenched his fists, eyes burning with fury.
At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to tear Luca apart.
It was the critical juncture of the cult’s plan, and this little brat had blocked all his escape routes, leaving him with no options but to surrender.
But there was no way Rudolph would agree to that.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he made a grim decision.
If that’s how it was, then he had no choice but to force his way out!
“He’s trying to escape! Everyone, be careful!” Luca noticed the change in Rudolph’s expression and quickly warned the others.
But before anyone could react—
Boom!!
A powerful surge of energy erupted from Rudolph’s body.
The lightning prison surrounding him shattered instantly, and the silence curse on his forehead was broken!
“You brat, you dare disrupt the cult’s plans? I’ll make sure you pay for this later!” Rudolph shot Luca a hateful glance, white energy swirling around his body as he powered up.
The ground beneath his feet cracked, and in the next instant, he shot off like a white streak of light, heading straight for Beast Forest.
Everyone’s faces changed in shock—they now realized that Luca had been telling the truth all along. Rudolph really was colluding with the Nightmare Cult!
“You old fool! How dare you threaten my student! You’re asking for death!” Franklin roared in anger, his body transforming into a streak of blue light as he shot after Rudolph.
However, after using his secret technique, Rudolph’s speed had increased dramatically—far beyond what a Witch Doctor like Franklin could match.
Of everyone present, Bright, the head of the Assassins’ Guild, was the fastest.
In a blink, his figure disappeared from the ground and reappeared mid-air, blocking Rudolph’s path.
“Get out of my way!” Rudolph bellowed, a surge of white energy exploding from his body, sending Bright flying backward.
“A high-level Energy Master?” Luca raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Energy Masters were a rare warrior class, known for using internal energy to launch attacks.
Up until now, Luca had assumed Rudolph was only a mid-level fighter, but it turned out he was a high-level class.
It hiding his strength all this time.
Still, with just that level of power, Rudolph wasn’t getting away—not today.
Lucia made her move next.
With a mere flick of her Silver Moon Staff, the giant lightning sword in the sky suddenly slashed down toward Rudolph, splitting the air with a deafening crack!
Before it even landed, the sheer force of the attack made everyone’s hair stand on end.
Rudolph’s face twisted in fear.
If that lightning struck him, he’d be seriously injured, if not dead!
Gritting his teeth, he summoned every ounce of his energy, channeling it into a powerful defensive barrier above his head just before the lightning could hit.
Boom!!!
Blinding lightning flashed, and thunder echoed across the sky, making everyone’s ears ring painfully.
But to everyone’s surprise, Rudolph emerged unscathed.
Above his head, a white tower of condensed Qi energy enveloped him completely.
Though the tower was cracked and weakened, it had managed to block Lucia’s lightning sword.
“Let’s see how many times you can block that,” Lucia said, unfazed.
With another wave of her staff, the sky began to gather more lightning, preparing for another devastating strike.
“That crazy woman!” Rudolph’s face was pale, his teeth clenched in frustration.
He knew full well that he couldn’t withstand multiple hits from Lucia’s powerful attacks. While she could continuously cast these devastating spells, he couldn’t afford to take them again and again.
As Rudolph frantically searched for a way to escape.
Luca suddenly spoke up, his voice loud and clear. “City Lord Rudolph, I’ve got some good news for you!” Luca shouted.
“Your son Matthew, after attempting to harm the Iron Mountain army, has been killed by me in Beast Forest!”
“Though I made sure to destroy his body, don’t worry—I remember exactly how he died. I’ll send you to join him soon enough!”
“What… What did you just say?” Rudolph froze, his body going rigid, his pupils trembling violently in shock and disbelief.
He only had one son—Matthew.
And if nothing unexpected happened, Matthew would remain his only son for the rest of his life.
That was why he had spoiled and coddled Matthew so much.
Yet, here and now, Luca had just told him that his one and only son had been killed!
“You… you little bastard! I’ll tear you to pieces…” Rudolph’s veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes turning bloodshot as his face twisted in rage.
But before he could finish his threat, Lucia interrupted coldly, “You dare threaten my student? You must have a death wish!”
With those words, another massive lightning sword descended from the sky.
Boom!!
Distracted by Luca’s revelation, Rudolph’s focus wavered, and the Qi-powered tower that had been shielding him shattered instantly under the force of Lucia’s strike!
The bolt of lightning hit Rudolph directly.
Splat!
Rudolph spat out a mouthful of blood, his body charred and smoking as he was flung backward, the intense pain making him wish he could tear Luca limb from limb.
That brat had played a dirty trick, causing him to lose focus at a critical moment!
Seeing that Rudolph was severely injured, Franklin, Bayou, and the others quickly moved in to capture him.
But Rudolph reacted with remarkable speed.
Gritting his teeth and pushing through the pain, he twisted his body mid-air and, using a secret technique, his entire body glowed with a blood-red hue. He transformed into a streak of blood-red light, darting once again toward Beast Forest.
Franklin watched in surprise. “He’s still running after that? Since when were Energy Masters this tough?”
No one had time to respond to his remark. Kurk leaped into the air, his voice icy as he declared, “Rudolph is severely injured. We cannot let him escape and reach the Nightmare Cult!”
Everyone now understood that all of this chaos had been orchestrated by the Nightmare Cult and Rudolph, and their hearts were filled with fury.
If he managed to escape into Beast Forest and regroup with the Nightmare Cult, capturing him would become nearly impossible.
One by one, the figures of powerful warriors leapt from Riverfall City, transforming into streaks of light as they chased after Rudolph.
Luca and the others sprang into action as well.
The only ones staying behind were Catherine and Old Carl, whom Sophia had ordered to remain in Riverfall City to care for those who had fallen into a deep slumber near the association’s headquarters.
The rest of the group all rushed toward Beast Forest.
…
Meanwhile, deep within Beast Forest.
The Iron Mountain army and over ten thousand players were struggling to hold off the relentless assault of the monster horde.
The battle was fierce, with the sounds of fighting echoing through the forest. Severed limbs and blood painted the battlefield.
Under the seemingly endless waves of monster attacks, fewer than half of the Iron Mountain soldiers and players remained standing.
And even those left were wounded, exhausted, and on the brink of collapse, their energy nearly depleted.
Roar!
A thunderous tiger’s roar shook the battlefield, as crimson flames swept through the forest, transforming the surroundings into a sea of fire.
Cassman was sent flying from the flames, crashing through several massive trees before coming to a stop.
His body screamed with pain, the taste of blood thick in his throat.
Struggling to his feet, Cassman used his greatsword to prop himself up, his once-pristine white armor now covered in scars and bloodstains. His stamina was nearly drained.
Staring at the enormous Crimson Flame Demon Tiger before him, its body wreathed in fire.
Cassman gritted his teeth, breathing heavily. “Luca, you little brat, if you don’t bring reinforcements soon, you better be ready to collect my body!”
Today, Cassman had learned firsthand the terrifying power of a Lord-level monster.
Despite the fact that the Crimson Flame Demon Tiger was only level 30, having just broken through to Gold Grade, it had him completely overpowered.
These beasts were far more difficult to deal with than he had anticipated.
But now was not the time to back down!
Cassman glanced toward Riverfall City, then tightened his grip on his greatsword as a golden Battle Will began to radiate from his body once more.
Roar!
As Cassman prepared for one final, desperate stand.
The Crimson Flame Demon Tiger’s blood-red eyes gleamed with a sinister, almost human-like mockery, as if it were taunting his futile effort.
Cassman spat a mouthful of bloody saliva and cursed, “You smug, red-furred beast! If I hadn’t just recovered from my injuries, I’d be lopping off your head with a single strike!”
As if understanding his words, the Crimson Flame Demon Tiger let out an enraged roar, the flames surrounding its body flaring even higher.
With explosive force, it launched itself forward like a cannonball, closing the distance to Cassman in the blink of an eye.
The attack gave Cassman no time to react.
The tiger’s gaping maw opened wide, its massive jaws aiming straight for his neck!
In that moment, Cassman could smell the overwhelming stench of blood.
The Crimson Flame Demon Tiger was moving too fast—far too fast for him to even attempt dodging!
“Captain Cassman!” The surrounding soldiers shouted in alarm.
“Damned beast! Let’s die together!” Cassman’s eyes burned red with rage as he realized his fate was sealed.
He prepared to unleash a desperate secret technique, ready to take the Crimson Flame Demon Tiger down with him.
If he was going to die, he’d make sure to tear a piece of the beast with him.
But just as Cassman was about to make his move, a sudden flash of white light swept before his eyes, and within it, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure.
At the same time, a familiar voice echoed in his ears.
“Get out of my way!!” Rudolph’s furious roar filled the air as his figure shot past like a bolt of lightning.
Before the Crimson Flame Demon Tiger could sink its teeth into Cassman, Rudolph slammed into the beast, sending it flying several dozen meters through the air!
“Reinforcements from the city are here!” Cassman recognized Rudolph and felt a surge of joy, thinking that Luca must have brought the city’s strong warriors to their aid.
But then something seemed off.
Wait… why was the City Lord injured?
And more than that, he wasn’t acting like someone who had come to help.
It looked more like… he was running away?
As Rudolph’s figure disappeared into the distance, Cassman didn’t have time to process what was happening.
Moments later, several more streaks of light shot past him, racing after Rudolph.
It was Bayou, Bright, and the others!
Lucia and Franklin were trailing behind, not as quick due to their mage-class physiques.
Lucia managed to keep up relatively well, thanks to her various mobility spells.
But Franklin was struggling.
Gripping his lower back, he gasped for breath, cursing under his breath, “Huff… That damn Rudolph… If I catch him, I swear I’ll make him pay!”
Franklin, already up in age, wasn’t helped by the fact that Witch Doctors didn’t have much in the way of speed-enhancing skills. The chase had exhausted him thoroughly.
Deciding enough was enough, Franklin stopped running.
“I’m a Witch Doctor, why am I wasting my energy chasing that old fool? Let the others handle it,” he muttered, leaning on his staff.
Just then, the Crimson Flame Demon Tiger, which had been knocked away by Rudolph, staggered to its feet.
Shaking its dizzy head, its gaze locked onto Franklin.
Roar!!
The beast let out an enraged bellow, seemingly mistaking Franklin for the one who had attacked it, and charged toward him in a fury.
“Annoying beast!” Franklin, already in a foul mood, scoffed. His hands surged with a deep blue, eerie power.
Witch Doctor’s Hand!