Chapter 192: Shoot out

The enforcers' carts closed in rapidly, their arcane engines roaring as they gave chase. A booming voice echoed through a loudspeaker, the words crackling with authority. Sёarch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality."This is the Enforcers! You are to cease your vehicle and surrender immediately! This is your final warning!"

Zafron's grip tightened on the cart's controls, his knuckles turning white. "Like hell I'm surrendering," he growled, his eyes narrowed in determination.

Beside him, Matilda's face was a mask of terror. "Zafron, maybe we should—"

"No!" he cut her off, his voice sharp. "I'm done running. I'm done being treated like a criminal when all I've done is try to protect the ones I love."

He pressed the accelerator, the cart lurching forward with a burst of speed. The enforcers' warning blared out again, followed by a bright flash and a thunderous boom as a warning shot streaked past them.

Matilda screamed, clutching the sides of the cart. "Zafron, stop! They'll shoot us down!"

But Zafron refused to yield, weaving the cart through the air with reckless abandon. 'I can't go back,' he thought, his jaw clenched tight. 'Not after everything I've been through.'

His mind raced back to that fateful night in Drakoria, the robbery that had changed his life forever. 'I didn't mean for them to die,' he thought, guilt clawing at him. 'It was self-defense. But I still have to pay for it?'

The enforcers' voice boomed out again, this time leaving no room for negotiation. "This is your last chance! Stop the cart or we will open fire!"

Matilda's eyes were wide with panic. "Zafron, please! We don't stand a chance against them!"

Zafron shook his head, his expression grim. "I'm tired of being treated like a slave, Matilda. First in Astoria, and now here. I won't go back to a life in chains. Not again."

He glanced at her, his eyes pleading. "Don't you understand? This isn't just about today. It's about everything. That night I returned, those robbers...i ...look, I killed those men, okay? I'm sorry I'm telling you now but I have to keep moving forward, no matter the cost."

Matilda opened her mouth to respond, but the roar of arcane energy from behind cut her off. Beams of red light streaked past them, the reverse shockwaves rattling the cart so violently that Matilda had to brace herself to keep from being thrown out.

"Zafron!" she cried, her voice laced with terror. "You have to stop! We're going to get killed!" A few impacts hit the cart but Cassandra was no liar when she said her carts were of different quality.

"Whoever is driving that cart has to be the best cart driver in the world, or the luckiest man alive,' the enforcers said, their eyes wide with a mix of awe and disbelief as they watched Zafron's daring maneuvers.

Matilda's screams filled the air, her pleas for Zafron to stop falling on deaf ears. 'We're going to die,' she thought, her heart pounding in her chest. 'We're really going to die.'

Zafron gritted his teeth, his fingers flying over the controls as he fought to keep the cart aloft. Suddenly, a new notification flashed before his eyes.

-New Quest: [Evade the Enforcers]

-Reward: ??

'Of all the times for this damn system to pop up,' Zafron hissed, his eyes narrowing in frustration. 'Like I need a quest to tell me to keep running for my life.'

The enforcers' voice boomed out again, their final warning echoing across the sky. "This is your last chance! Stop the cart or we will open shoot you down!!!"

Matilda turned to Zafron, her eyes brimming with tears. "Please, Zafron! We have to stop! We don't stand a chance!"

Zafron however paid no ear, he instead pressed the accelerator, the cart lurching forward with a burst of speed. The enforcers responded with a barrage of energy blasts, the beams streaking past them with bone-shaking intensity.

Matilda screamed, her hands clutching the sides of the cart as it shook violently. Zafron gritted his teeth, his focus laser-sharp as he weaved the cart through the onslaught.

The air around them was filled with the deafening roar of energy beams streaking past, each one a brilliant, searing streak of light. Zafron's jaw tightened as he maneuvered the cart with expert precision, his eyes scanning the battlefield with laser-sharp focus.

Energy beams lashed out from all directions, their trajectories erratic and unforgiving. Each beam exploded upon impact with a thunderous blast, sending shock waves rippling through the air. The force of these explosions rocked the cart, causing it to jolt violently. Zafron gripped the handles tighter, his knuckles turning white as he fought to keep the cart on course.

The cart shook with every impact, red after showers of floating red energy filled the air as massive shock waves radiated outward from the explosions. Each beam's detonation sent tremors through the cart, the metal frame groaning under the stress. Matilda clung to the cart's sides, her face contorted with fear as she braced herself against the violent shaking.

Zafron's concentration was unyielding. He navigated through the explosive chaos. He swerved the cart deftly to avoid incoming beams, the fiery trails of light barely missing them. Every detonation sent shock waves that threatened to topple them, but Zafron's steady hands kept them from being thrown off course.

Suddenly, the enforcers' fire ceased, the red energy blasts disappearing as quickly as they had come. Zafron glanced back, his brow furrowed in confusion. 'What the..?'

The enforcers' carts had stopped, their engines powering down as they hovered in the air. Zafron didn't hesitate, pressing the accelerator to the floor and sending the cart rocketing forward.

"Matilda, hold on!" he shouted, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

But just as the cart surged ahead, a sudden impact rocked the vehicle, and Matilda's head smashed against the interior. It was like they had hit a wall except that was impossible since they were in the air. Matilda crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

Zafron's eyes widened in panic, his heart racing. "Matilda!" he cried, reaching out to her.

Suddenly, a surge of blue energy flowed towards the cart. Seeing this coming their way, Zafron instinctively wrapped himself and Matilda in a slime, holding her tight in an embrace. The moment the wave hit, the vehicle began to spark and crackle, and Zafron lost control as it descended rapidly towards the ground.

The cart plummeted, hurtling towards a vast, empty desert. Zafron closed his eyes, clutching Matilda's limp form as they braced for impact.

But just as the cart was about to slam into the ground, it suddenly stopped, suspended in midair. Zafron's eyes flew open, his jaw dropping in shock at the sight that greeted him.

"What the—" ..