Chapter 694 Revenge Of A Traitor?

Chapter 694 Revenge Of A Traitor?

Oberon felt an icy chill creep down his spine, his instincts warning him that he was no longer alone—like prey caught in the sights of a hunter. His breath hitched, and his gaze darted across the barren landscape. She's here, he realized. Kira must be hiding somewhere out here.

The oppressive heat of the crimson sun above him only worsened his condition. His body trembled with exhaustion, and his mana reserves had long since depleted. Without the mana to protect himself from the exhaustion, his skin felt like it was slowly cooking under the relentless sun. He couldn't walk any further, nor did he need to. He had caught her attention.

He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath as his vision wavered. His body screamed for relief, but he couldn't give it. As a traitor who had barely escaped his kingdom, stripped of everything before his supposed execution, carrying extra supplies would have been far too suspicious.

Before he could gather his thoughts, shadows danced around him. In an instant, multiple figures in cloaks leaped from the rocky terrain, surrounding him with weapons drawn, each blade gleaming with a deadly intent. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"W-Wait!" Oberon stammered, his voice shaking as he raised his trembling hands in surrender. "I am not an enemy! N-Not anymore..."

The cloaked figures exchanged glances, their eyes unreadable beneath their hoods. The air around them hummed with tension, as if they were deciding whether to kill him where he knelt.

"You all stand down. I will handle this," a firm yet graceful voice commanded, slicing through the silence like a blade. The figures lowered their weapons instantly, stepping back to reveal a single cloaked woman walking forward with deliberate elegance.

Oberon's heart pounded in his chest as he slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers.

The woman pulled back her hood, revealing an intoxicatingly beautiful face framed by waves of golden hair. Her almond-shaped, deep-set emerald green eyes shimmered under the sun, almost glowing as they changed with the light. Her fox-like ears stood high on her head, tipped with small tufts of golden fur, only adding to the allure that surrounded her.

Her gaze, however, was anything but comforting. It was piercing, as if stripping Oberon's soul bare with every second she looked at him.

"Ara, ara... Prince Oberon," Kira said with a soul-melting smile, though her voice held a sharpness that sent shivers through his entire being, "Or should I say Oberon, now that you're no longer a prince, but a traitor to your kingdom?"

Oberon's breath caught in his throat. The Kira standing before him, the same woman he once knew during his secret visits to the Honeyed Pearls, felt different—terrifying even. The gentle, soothing, seductive gaze she once held now masked something far more dangerous.

"I... I..." His voice faltered, and he found himself unable to gather his thoughts under her intense scrutiny. Was she always this terrifying?

Oberon's chin quivered as he fought the terror threatening to overwhelm him, "I-I will tell you... once you give me refuge and promise me safety. Don't t-take this the wrong way... but without my knowledge, I'm useless to you, and you'd have no reason to keep me alive."

For a moment, Kira giggled, raising a hand to her lips, her eyes gleaming with amusement, "Ara~ How cute of you to try and bargain for your life like this." But then, in an instant, her expression turned dark, the amusement in her eyes vanishing. Her voice became cold and lethal, "Do you seriously think that will stop me from taking what I want from your head?"

Before Oberon could react, Kira's hands shot forward, gripping his head with both hands. Her fingers dug into his scalp as her frenzied smile returned, her eyes burning with a cruel fire. She began to channel her mindforce, attempting to rip the secrets from his mind.

"AAAAARGHHH!!" Oberon howled in agony as it felt like his skull was being split open. His body trembled violently, the pain unlike anything he'd ever experienced. But he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure it. This is nothing, he told himself, nothing compared to what he had been through these past years.

Kira's triumphant smile began to fade, slowly morphing into a deep frown. Her eyes narrowed in frustration as she struggled to penetrate the barriers in his mind. With a growl of displeasure, she violently released her grip on his head, her piercing glare locking onto him, "You little bastard," she spat, venom dripping from her words, "You've taken measures to protect your mind? I never thought you'd be this sly. But if you went this far... you must really be hiding something delicious in there."

Oberon collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain as he clutched his head, his body shaking, "I... I told you," he gasped, barely managing to speak, "They're yours... if you promise me refuge. Please... have mercy."

Kira's eyes burned with cold contempt as she towered over him, "Mercy?" she scoffed, "My ancestors would roll in the Seven Hells if they saw me granting refuge to the likes of a bloodburner like you, traitor or not. No, Oberon. I'm going to kill you and every last one of your bloodline. I'll wipe your wretched kingdom off the face of this world." Her voice was laced with venom, "I don't need your permission to take what I want from your head. I'll break those barriers, eventually. You'll regret begging for mercy when I could've given you a quick death."

Oberon's fists clenched tightly, his body shaking from both relief and terror. The plan worked, he thought bitterly, but he also knew the horrors that awaited him. Kira's words confirmed that his fate was sealed, but his knowledge might just buy him enough time.

Kira turned to her subordinates, her piercing gaze still lingering on Oberon, "Take him back to our home. It will take time to break through his defenses, and I can't keep him here."

As her followers moved forward to collect Oberon, a cloaked figure stepped forward, their voice raspy with age, "Your Grace...Do we really need to do this? We don't need him to do what's necessary. Our people might not be able to feel at ease in his presence."

Kira shook her head, her voice steady and resolute, "We are too close to our goal to take any risks. Our people have lived without peace for too long, and I won't fail them now. I will use every tool at my disposal to ensure we succeed." Her gaze darkened as she remembered what the Moon Guardian told her.

Even if he told her she would succeed, she didn't know if she would succeed with or without the secrets Oberon knew. And knowing how powerful Asher and his future potential, she didn't want to take the risk. The elder bowed deeply, acknowledging her decision, "As you command, Your Grace." With that, he stepped back, and the other figures moved in to lift Oberon's limp form, carrying him away toward the desolate horizon.

Kira cast one last glance at her surroundings, her sharp gaze scanning the barren land for any signs of unwanted attention. Satisfied, she pulled her hood back over her head, her golden hair vanishing beneath the cloak. Without another word, her figure vanished into the shadows, her presence disappearing as if she were never there.

Oberon, half-dazed, was dragged along by Kira's followers, his mind swirling with pain and fear. Yet somewhere deep inside him, a faint flicker of hope remained. If he played his cards right, maybe—just maybe—he could survive long enough to save his mother.