The instant the captain of the guards' eyes landed on Alex's figure cloaked in smoke, he lost the composure he had been maintaining all this time.
He was a man whose orders were law among his subordinates, and he wasn't used to being contradicted in any way. What Alex had just done by sneaking into the city even after being told to leave was beyond a mere contradiction.
In Eidross, this captain of the guards was known as a man who always remained calm, whatever the situation, even when he was angry. But the truth was, he had never truly been angered by anyone, and he himself did his best to never let himself be consumed by rage. He knew more than anyone that if something like that were to happen, then, well, gods bless the souls of those who angered him.
The captain's aura flared up, and a savage pressure descended on his surroundings. In that instant, everyone within a kilometer of the captain stiffened. Alex and his group were no exception.
Looking into the murderous eyes of the man whose pressure was weighing on him, a dark expression appeared on Alex's face. At first, he thought it was just a means for the captain to assert his authority or something like that, but as time passed and the pressure only kept increasing, Alex realized that this wasn't the case.
The guards that were escorting them and Maya immediately collapsed to their knees, struggling even to breathe.
Glancing behind him to check on Maya's condition, Alex was surprised to find that Amelia was also suffering from the heavy pressure released by the captain. Sure, she was coping better than the rest, but judging by her pained expression under her mask and her hunched back, Alex realized that she was also suffering.
At that moment, it was as if an explosion had gone off in Alex's head. His usually mesmerizing silver eyes went bloodshot as his own fury exploded with a momentum no less intense than that of the captain.
However, opposite to the captain who was so lost in his rage that he couldn't suppress his aura and let it run wild, even to the point of harming his subordinates, Alex managed to suppress the heavy pressure he was about to emit in his fury. It didn't mean that he was in full control of his anger though. No one would make his wife suffer and not face the full force of his wrath.
Holding onto the last bit of sanity he had, Alex glanced once again at the captain, who was steadily advancing toward him, and uttered in an icy tone that sent a chill down everyone's spine, "Retract your aura."
The captain snorted in response, not the least bit intimidated by Alex.
"I suggest you do so while I'm still asking nicely," Alex continued, his tone remaining cold as ice. "Retract your aura."
The captain only sneered, suddenly coming to a realization: this cloaked man wasn't as strong as he had initially thought. Now he was certain that Alex wasn't at level 6. If he were, it would have been effortless for him to shatter the captain's pressure or, at the very least, shield his companions from its effects.
This realization emboldened the captain, and with a sneer on his face, he asked, "What if I don't want to retract my aura? Will you make me?"
Alex remained silent for several seconds, his gaze piercing through the mask as he glared at the captain. Then, with a slight nod of his head, he murmured in a voice only those closest to him could hear, "I see."
In that instant, the mantle of smoke surrounding Alex rippled, and from the extremities of his right hand, a long, dark, and ominous double-headed scythe materialized. Its blades were sharp and menacing, with a black skull perched at the junction where the two blades met.
At that moment, Alex's killing intent flared up, and the only word that could describe it was: stifling.
Since the emergence of this new Alex—the fusion of Jack and the previous Alex—he had never been so consumed by fury, nor had he ever unleashed his murderous intent to such an extent. Now that he was finally letting it loose, the sheer force of it was overwhelming, leaving most people unable to even stand upright under its crushing weight.
The previous Alex was by no means an innocent person who had never taken a life. He had done his fair share of killing, primarily in defense of his family. However, compared to Jack—a war hero whose entire existence was forged in the fires of relentless conflict—the number of lives Alex had taken seemed almost laughable. Jack had grown up in an era of war, where killing became as routine as breathing.
The result of this lethal combination was an aura so heavy, so dense, it was nearly tangible. The guards surrounding Alex suddenly crumpled to the ground, scrambling to get away. Although the killing intent wasn't even directed at them, they were still terrified to their very core.
Gone was the image of the cloaked man who had exchanged jokes with his companions as they escorted him. Instead, the chilling aura of murder radiating from him, combined with the ominous double-headed scythe he wielded, transformed him into the embodiment of the Grim Reaper.
The captain, who had been the focus of Alex's wrath, felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine. His earlier bravado had vanished, replaced by an overwhelming urge to flee.
But it was too late. Alex had warned him, and he had ignored that warning. Now, he was going to pay the price for hurting his wife.
Alex's grip on the scythe tightened as he channeled his mana into it. Perhaps sensing his unbridled fury, the scythe, which usually resisted his mana, seemed to welcome it this time, feeding off his anger and glowing with a dark, ominous energy.
Just as Alex was about to unleash his scythe upon the retreating captain, a figure dressed in elegant butler attire suddenly appeared between them.
The newcomer executed a graceful bow toward Alex, his posture perfect, exuding an air of calm authority despite the intense tension in the air. "Please sir."
There was no fear in the butler's tone, only the composed confidence of someone who was used to handling even the most volatile of situations.
Alex frowned and halted, giving the butler his full attention.
"I understand that the captain of the guards may have wronged you and your companions," the butler said hastily. "However, the city lord requests that you forgive him and spare his life this time. In return, she will owe you a favor."
Hearing the butler's words, Alex's frown deepened. Truth be told, right now, he wanted nothing more than to shred this captain to pieces, but after what he had just heard, he had to reconsider. If he went on and killed the captain as he wished, it could be seen as a complete disregard for the city lord.
At that moment, Alex felt a soft hand gently settle over his, the one gripping the scythe. He turned his gaze to the side.
Amelia stood beside him, beads of sweat visible under her mask, yet her eyes radiated calm and compassion. Despite her own discomfort, she managed a reassuring smile.
"It's just a little pain," she said softly, her voice steady despite the pressure she had endured. "It's not worth taking a life over."
Alex held her gaze for a moment, searching her face to see if she was truly alright. When he saw the sincerity in her gentle smile, he felt his rage begin to subside.
With a sigh, he lowered his scythe, turning briefly to check on Maya. To his surprise, she stood right behind him, appearing unharmed.
Seeing that both women were safe, Alex turned back to the butler and spoke with finality, "I won't kill him."
The butler began to respond, "I'm glad to hear—"
"But he will still pay for what he did," Alex cut in.
Before anyone could react, Alex slashed his scythe through the air with a swift, decisive motion.
A fine line of dark energy erupted from the blade, slicing through the air with deadly precision. It tore past the stunned butler, who could only watch in shock, and hurtled toward the captain.
At that moment, the captain's right arm was cleanly severed, and before it could hit the ground, the severed limb was sliced into numerous fragments by the dark energy.
In the end, what fell to the ground was not a whole arm, but a heap of bloody, dismembered pieces, barely recognizable as the captain's former limb.
"Arrrgghh...."
The captain, whose arm had just been severed, groaned in agony and stared at the bloody fragments with a mix of surprise and horror.
Meanwhile, Alex sheathed his scythe and turned to his two companions. "Let's go."
The two women nodded in agreement, and under the disbelieving and fearful gazes of the few remaining conscious guards, Alex and his group made their way out of the city.
As they passed by the butler, he bowed twice—first to Amelia and then to Alex. "Thank you for sparing his life," he said earnestly.
Alex didn't acknowledge the gesture and simply continued on his path, while Amelia gave a brief nod before following suit.
As they exited Eidross, Alex created a smoke carriage, but just as they were about to board, the group of exhausted nobles rushed toward them.
"Wait!"