“First, I need to find Emily!” Chris made his decision. He would leave Flameforge and head to Haven in search of her.
As for Tiger and the others, they would stay behind for now. Haven was a dangerous place, and Chris couldn’t guarantee his own safety, let alone theirs. He had also heard that the journey from Verdantia to Haven was perilous-even Solstice-level warriors faced threats along the way.
Having made up his mind, Chris wasted no time in Flameforge. Before leaving, he purchased a map of Aethelgard. Studying it carefully, he realized just how far Haven was from Verdantia. To even reach the borders of Verdantia, he would have to pass through dozens of towns and cities.
Once outside Flameforge, Chris quickly noticed someone following him. His expression darkened-there was no doubt these were Passos family agents.
Harrison Passos might be insignificant to Chris, but the Passos family, as the most powerful family in Flameforge, was not to be underestimated.
Even though Chris had grown significantly stronger after his recent transformation, the Passos family was rumored to have Solstice-level warriors among them. Chris wasn’t yet strong enough to face such an opponent.
With this in mind, he hurried to leave the city.
Outside Flameforge, the area was teeming with people-some were Aetherbinding practitioners, but the majority were ordinary mortals. These mortals lived in makeshift homes outside the city, as Aethelgard’s cities were dominated by Aetherbinding practitioners. Mortals, regarded as insignificant, had no right to reside within the city walls.
Suddenly, an old man in a red robe stepped out, blocking Chris’s path.
Chris’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the man. They had crossed paths once before in Night Forest. He hadn’t expected to meet him again.
The red-robed man, smirking coldly, said, “Boy, you think you can walk away after offending the Passos family? Today, I’ll kill you and show everyone what happens when you cross us.”
This man was Master Zaman, one of the top three warriors in the Passos family and a Solstice-level fighter.
Previously, Chris’s strength was at the early Pinnacle stage. But after consuming large amounts of Vitality Essence to temper his body, his power had risen to mid-Pinnacle, giving him the ability to fight even late-Pinnacle practitioners. However, Zaman, being at the early Solstice stage, was far beyond Chris’s current capabilities.
Without wasting words, Chris pulled out his weapon, Dragon Slayer, from his storage ring.
“You have a storage ring?” Zaman said, momentarily surprised. Storage rings were rare, and only elite practitioners could afford them. For Chris to possess one was unexpected.
But Zaman’s smirk returned. “No matter. You’ve offended the Passos family. Today, you die!”
“Kill!”
Chris charged at Zaman with Dragon Slayer in hand, his attack swift and decisive.
Zaman, sneering with confidence, drew a long sword and countered with a thrust. He didn’t believe for a second that a mere practitioner could pose a threat to him.
The clash was explosive.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fierce battle quickly drew the attention of the surrounding crowd.
“Isn’t that Master Zaman from the Passos family?” someone exclaimed.
“Yes! Master Zaman is a Solstice-level warrior. Who dares to fight him?”
“That young man is finished. No one survives after offending the Passos family.”
The onlookers murmured among themselves, their gazes filled with pity for Chris. To them, his fate was sealed.
As the fight continued, Chris began to falter.
Bang!
A heavy blow sent Chris flying, blood spurting from his mouth.
Zaman, standing tall, sneered. “You dare challenge me? Today, you die.” With those words, Zaman advanced, sword in hand, ready for the killing blow.
Chris, his face pale, didn’t hesitate. He drew a firearm from his waist and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A single shot rang out. The bullet flew straight and struck Zaman between the eyes, piercing through.
Zaman froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. With a loud thud, his body collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Even in death, he couldn’t comprehend how he had been defeated by someone he deemed insignificant.
Chris wasted no time. He turned and fled immediately, knowing full well that Zaman’s death would provoke the Passos family’s wrath.
The crowd stood in stunned silence.
“Master Zaman is dead?”
“Impossible! He was a Solstice-level warrior!”
The news of Zaman’s death spread like wildfire across Flameforge. The Passos family was alerted immediately, and their patriarch was informed while overseeing an Essence Stone mine. Enraged, the patriarch returned to Flameforge with a large force of practitioners.
The Passos family, consumed with fury, mobilized all their resources to hunt Chris down. They issued a kill-on-sight order, vowing vengeance for Zaman’s death.
Other families, hearing of Zaman’s demise, secretly celebrated the blow to the Passos family. However, none dared to express their joy openly, knowing they would face the family’s wrath.
And so, the pursuit of Chris began.