Aghast, Yvonne found herself utterly immobilized, her face instantly drained of color.
'It hasn't been an hour since my Charm Technique put on the bastard.' she reeled in disbelief. 'How on earth could it have fizzled out so soon?'
She was eager to know why, but there was no time for her to ponder over that. At the time, she had to put on a brave face and confront Larry with a fierce demeanor.
"I'm your master, Larry, how dare you defy me?" she bluffed as she glared hard at him. "You are nothing but my slave. What have you done to me? Stand on your knees now, or I'll skin you alive!"
"That's funny!" Larry let out a derisive snort. "You've fallen victim to my attack just now. You can't even move a muscle. How dare you say I'm your slave? Come on, face it! You're my slave now!"
With that, he suddenly burst into a fit of raucous laughter, his mouth stretching so wide that it caused his swollen face to throb in pain. The agony was so terrible that it reminded Larry of this evil girl before him--the girl who brought about all this misfortune to him.
As his anger flared anew, he thought it was time to pay her back.
"Now, I'll make you take your own medicine," he growled, his thick hand, with fingers resembling a bundle of rolling pins, raised to strike Yvonne's delicate face.
Seeing the writing on the wall, Yvonne immediately softened her expression. She flashed a bewitching smile at Larry,
"Wait, Larry. Look at my tender face. If you mar it, it won't be pretty anymore. You don't want to play with a lady whose beauty is ruined, do you?"
Larry's heart quickly softened at the sight of Yvonne's angelic smile, and his raised hand hovered in mid-air. Her twinkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and especially those red warm lips were attractive to him indeed, he had to admit.
But then he remembered the cunning nature of the girl before him, and he hardened his heart once more.
"No more seductions! I won't fall for your tricks again," he declared, raising his hand again. Yvonne closed her eyes, bracing for the impending slap.
At this juncture, an angry loud voice rang out, "Stop!"
It came from no one else but his brother Edward. It instantly occurred to her that her brother, who, though not a skilled fighter, possessed remarkable footwork. His speed was unmatched, in no way inferior to those legendary martial artists in Wuxia movies who could fly through the air with their levitational skills.
Anyway, Larry's thick hand did not land on her face for the time being. As she opened her eyes, she saw Edward gripping Larry's thick hand tightly.
"You want to hurt my sister, huh? You'll have to get past me first!" Edward glared at Larry, the fountain of sparks in his eyes eager to engulf the rival.
"You're signing your death warrant, punk!" Larry roared, his face contorted with rage, resembling a pig's visage wrinkled with age. He raised his other hand, as large as a banana leaf, aiming for Edward's head.
Edward, exerting all his strength, lifted his left arm to block, but unfortunately with a crack, his arm snapped.
In no time, through his arm shot a searing pain, making beads of perspiration stand out on his forehead. However, Edward did not make a sound, stubbornly holding back Larry's massive hand.
"Ha," Larry sneered, "You piece of trash, you'd better beg for mercy now, or this hand of yours is done for!"
"Never," Edward gritted his teeth, his eyes boring into Larry, as if he could kill him with a look.
"Ha," Larry laughed, "You unawakened waste. You dare to resist me, an awakened one, with your mere mortal flesh. It seems you're not only a waste in battle but also a fool. Since you wish to be a cripple, I'll oblige you."
With that, Larry kicked out, his leg slamming into Edward's chest, and another crack echoed as six of Edward's ribs broke.
Thus, Edward's grip loosened. He flew backward, crashing hard to the ground in a cloud of dust.
Edward tried to rise, but the searing pain in his chest and arm left him immobile, more sweat beading on his brow.
"Run, brother, run!" Yvonne screamed.
"Run?" Larry scoffed, "He won't escape today. Boys, give this unawakened waste a proper welcome. And later, let's have some fun with the lovely chick."
Larry seemed to forget the pain from his injuries, a sense of triumph filling him as he laughed again.
Perhaps Larry's words gave strength to his men who had been felled earlier. They quickly rose and began to surround Edward, raining down blows. Soon, Edward's face was covered in blood.
"Stop, stop hitting my brother. You scumbags!"
"Ah, I didn't expect you to care so much for your brother," Larry leered, "If you're willing to show me some affection, probably I'll let that good-for-nothing go."
Larry suddenly reached out his hand and forcefully tore at Yvonne's sportswear. The sturdy fabric, as if cursed, quickly turned into a pile of rags on the ground. Yvonne's upper body was left in only her pink lingerie, her blue birthmark on her back clearly visible, like a wilting blue lotus.
"Stop insulting my sister, you scoundrel, Larry! I swear I'll tear you apart!"
Edward lay on the ground, desperately reaching out, trying to crawl forward, but the relentless barrage of blows left him nearly powerless.
"This is just the beginning. Pull him up and let him watch how I'll show affection to his sister."
Larry's whole body exuded a primal, aggressive aura.
"Sure, boss, you have your fun. After you're done, remember to let us have a turn too."
"Yeah, boss, I have to say, she's a heavenly beauty."
"Sure, no worries, boys. When have I ever forgotten to share the good stuff with you?"
Larry was about to proceed when Yvonne spoke up again, a desperate yet beautiful smile on her face,
"Wait, Larry. If you want to take advantage of me so much, what's the fun in me being immobile? If you have the guts, let me move, and there will be interaction. I promise I'll make you a hundred times satisfied."
"You little beauty, you're so clever and cunning. Even at a time like this, you have so many tricks. You're much smarter than your brother. But you think I don't know? Once you move, who knows what schemes you'll come up with against me. I won't fall for it."
Seeing the other party wouldn't comply, Yvonne continued, "What other tricks do I have? I'm thinking of you. If I don't move, it's like playing with a toy. What's the fun in that?"
"Well, that makes sense, but I'd rather have you completely under my control."
With that, Larry was about to reach out again.
"Wait!" Yvonne smiled seductively, "Before you enjoy my body, you must answer me one question."
"What is it?" Larry frowned, his beady eyes almost disappearing into his eyebrows, making him look incredibly ugly.
"You were under the influence of my Charm Technique, and I was supposed to manipulate you for an hour. How did you break free from my spell?" Yvonne asked, her eyes bright and intense.
She was indeed beautiful, and her slightly furrowed brows made her look even more enchanting.
"It's blood!" Larry gave her a mysterious smile.
"Blood?"
"That's right," Larry said with a triumphant expression, "The blood that splashed on my face brought me back to my senses. I have to thank my buddy Jim for that. His blood, which splashed on my face, reversed everything."
He suddenly looked at Jim, who had been beaten almost to death by Larry and was still lying on the ground, moaning in pain.
"Sorry, buddy," Larry said with a hint of regret, "But don't worry, you'll get your share. You can have the first taste after I'm done with this girl. Ha-ha."
Hearing this, Jim seemed to recover a bit, managing a long-lost smile and nodding vigorously.
"Pervert!" Edward gritted his teeth in anger.
But his words only earned him another beating.
Yvonne remained puzzled, "How could that be? Is his blood the legendary Potent Blood?"
"That's your second question!" Larry laughed again, "But, seeing as you're such a pretty little thing, I'll tell you the truth. Don't forget, I'm an awakened one too. One of my awakened skills is called Blood Rage."
"Blood Rage?"
"This technique allows me to gain a massive boost in energy whenever my body comes into contact with blood, and any spells cast on me are immediately broken. Now you understand, don't you? It's just bad luck on your part."
He glanced at Edward again, mockingly smiling, "Or rather, blame your brother here."
As he finished speaking, he caressed Yvonne's smooth face.
"Don't rush," Yvonne wanted to resist but couldn't muster any strength.
'This is it, the only thing left to do is to buy time.' she thought to herself.
"I have another question. What exactly did you do to me, Larry?" she continued.
"You're like a walking question mark, aren't you?" Larry leered, his hand slowly moving from her left cheek to her right. "For the sake of your skin as smooth as jade, I might as well tell you, that you've fallen victim to my Immobilization Technique."
"Immobilization Technique? I've never heard of it before," Yvonne tried to make conversation, stalling for time.
But this time, Larry wasn't biting.
His hand traced a slow path from her smooth face down to the delicate curve of her neck, now gently caressing Yvonne's sensual collarbones. And it was only a matter of moments before his hand would continue its descent, aiming for the forbidden territory where her most tender spots lay.
Yvonne closed her eyes, feeling utterly hopeless. It seemed the inevitable was about to happen.
"Bastard!" Edward cursed, glaring at Larry.
He took another punch, and the men holding him, with Larry as their leader, wore smirks that reeked of malicious glee. They were waiting for the show to unfold.
A trickle of blood hung at the corner of Edward's mouth; his rage was a firestorm within him, scorching his very being. At that moment, he wished he could become a blaze of fire, to burn to ashes and take these fiends with him.
'Am I, a top warrior from the moon in my last life, destined to be a failure, unable to protect my sister? If so, I'd rather meet my end right here,' Edward thought to himself.
With a death wish and the last ounce of his strength, he resolved to fight to the bitter end.
"I'll go down fighting," he roared, putting every fiber of his being into his battle cry.
"You're asking for it! " The scar-faced man sneered, kicking Edward square in the gut.
Edward spewed blood, and with it, the strange green fruit he had swallowed accidentally after being forced off a cliff and landing in a parasol tree two days before. Miraculously, the fruit had not been digested, and upon contact with Edward's blood, it transformed into a vibrant green and red light, teeming with life.
This light rose from the ground, floated into the air, and then descended upon Edward, pouring into him from above.
Suddenly, he felt a powerful warmth coursing through his veins. It raced along his meridians, mending his battered body at an astonishing pace.
Edward's soul seemed to transport to a space awash in green, a realm of boundless vitality. And then, like the voice of a child, a sound echoed in his mind.
[The Primordial Seed has found its master, bestowing upon you the Infinite Primitive Energy.]