Chapter 29 - Powerful Foe

(Note: Zareth's reaction to Zaros' status is adjusted.)

Before products were handed out, the conductors of the auction received the due payment for the purchase.

When Freya saw Yan paying for the 12th Tree's elixir, she didn't know what to say.

Thanking the man was out of the question since there should have been no reason why Zareth was buying such a potentially dangerous item.

Also, the question of how her son accessed such a seemingly close relation with this man was also worrying her.

She quickly turned to Zareth.

"Zareth! Explain to me what is going on in this instance young man! You can not run around and do whatever you please, leaving me in the dark all the time!"

She immediately demanded

She felt slightly betrayed by her son, who was still not willing to tell her everything.

Most of all, she was worried that she wasn't in a position to protect him.

"I am your mother! I have the right to know everything, now, explain!"

She added.

Zareth paused for a moment, thinking of what to say in this situation.

Of course, no emotions swayed his decisions, as such trivial matters didn't warrant the such.

In the end, his parents were but constraints to his overall power in this present moment.

"I-"

In the split second that his sentence began, Zareth suddenly felt a thick aura of power coming from the east which made him pause immediately.

Seemingly everyone else felt the power as well, as everyone's flight or fight instincts kicked in, yet still forced them to stay frozen with eyes as wide as planets.

The aura, which seemed to be getting thicker by the second, even made some people tremble under immense pressure.

Some spilled their booze, and many dropped food items from their hands.

Noticing this deadly force, Zareth's mind immediately switched priorities.

This aura was not just insanely powerful, but also full of pure bloodlust.

Of course, only he and some others could feel this animalistic intent emitting from the aura.

Without thinking twice, he shook off the primal fear instinct he was feeling and immediately used Flash to get on top of the stage.

This might have given away his powers to not just Freya, but everyone else in the entire town square, but that mattered little to him at this moment.

Right now, the aura he was feeling could potentially end his life, and that was with ease as well.

If he died now, he had no clue what would happen.

There was no guarantee he was going to get reincarnated again, and there was no way he was going to risk dying right now.

He quickly put the 12 Tree's elixir into his inventory, before quickly attempting to make his escape.

Many deemed escaping from a tough situation as cowardice, but those who were arrogant to face imminent death itself were fools to Zareth.

As in the past... he had done so himself...

However, just as he reached the rooftop of one of the buildings surrounding the town square where the festival was being held, the ever-growing aura pounded down on his body, forcing him to immovability instantly.

BOOM!

An explosion in the middle of the stage sent waves of dust everywhere.

The force of the impact almost felt like an earthquake.

Barely being able to move, Zareth slowly turned around and looked at what had caused the explosion.

If he tried to slowly run away right now, he would only look too far out of place and could be a potential target of this ominous person.

As the dust cleared, a man could be seen standing in the middle of a large crater caused by his landing.

He wore a black leather coat which was long enough to be a robe, with pitch-black hair flowing down below his shoulders.

His face was menacing to look at, as his eyes were immense, his eyebrows were curled to express his serious anger, and his jaw was clenched.

Waves of ruthless energy fluctuated from his mere being, as he slowly turned to Yan's father and pointed a thin black blade toward him.

The level of pressure weighed down on Zareth's mind, as even thinking was difficult.

'System... show me his status.'

[Unlocking stats.]

[Many stats are too high for you to access, do you still wish to see them?]

'Yes...'

[Status]

Name: Zaros Helmuth

Species: Human

Bloodline: Helmuth Ancestry

Age: 46

Combat Power: ???

Vitality: ???

Health: ???

Stamina: ???

Strength: 378

Agility: ???

Defense: ???

Body: Golden Tiger Frame

Rank: ???

MP: ???

'378?… that's nothing to scoff at.'

He knew that the man was too powerful for his system to fully recognize his stats, however, he had not expected him to be this powerful.

Yan's father slowly stood up, withstanding this immense pressure.

"You are too careless... coming out here in the land of peasants, with no true guards."

The man spoke, his voice rough and his tone mixed with pity.

"Wh- who sent you?"

Yan's father managed to say.

"You think I would tell you that?"

After a short pause, Yan's father responded once again.

"Then, what is your purpose."

The man scornfully gazed at him.

"To bring about your death."

As he said this, multiple figures instantly appeared in front of Yan.

They were the adventurers from before, with Braemos standing in the front.

Although their strength was comparable to Zareth's, all of their cultivations and ages were higher, allowing them to move more freely within the thick atmosphere.

Seeing this, the man hmphed slightly before swinging his sword sideways.

The swing released a slash of air which scattered the adventurers as though they were nothing but ants.

However, the blow did not look lethal.

"Do not subject such insects to die by my hands. My blade slays no one else but you today."

The man said, his eyes more menacing than ever.

"Did you truly think I was that stupid? To only bring low-rated adventurers as my guards?"

Yan's father suddenly said.

Zaros did not speak, continuing to show the tip of his blade.

"I have lived far more years than you boy. There are more tricks up my sleeve than the hairs on your head!"

He suddenly said before waving his right hand in the air.

On one of his fingers looked to be a gold ring, out of which radiated a dark fog.

Suddenly, a beast appeared in front of him inside the fog, one of the significant proportions.

The aura which radiated from the beast was unimaginably chilling, and even rivaled that of Zaros.

There was an aura of malice, anger, and supremacy, similar to creatures that only existed at the top of the food chain.

When the dark fog started dispersing, a giant black snake-like creature with two horns growing from the backside of its skull came into sight.

Its bright green eyes with black pupils, two giant fangs, and sharp teeth were revealed when it opened its mouth.

Its entire body, excluding the abdomen, was covered in dark and sturdy scales which looked extremely durable.

It stood at about 15 meters in height, but one couldn't ascertain its full length with just a glance.

The creature matched its dreadful gaze with Zaros', as the clash of auras sent fluctuating waves through the air.