Chris’s face turned grim as he took in the situation before him.
He never anticipated Ethan Stone’s power to be this overwhelming. If Chris had been an ordinary Solstice-level practitioner, he would have been dead by now.
Chris knew well that with his current strength, he was no match for Ethan Stone. Escape was not an option either-Ethan was faster, leaving no room for Chris to flee.
The only choice left was to fight with everything he had.
Ethan Stone’s expression was dark as he strode toward Chris, his anger palpable.
Chris was nothing more than a mid-level Solstice practitioner, someone Ethan could have easily eliminated. Yet, Ethan had chased him for a full day and night and had almost been tricked by him.
Ethan sneered at Chris, his voice cold, “Chris, today is your end!”
With those words, Ethan advanced step by step.
“Die!” he roared, throwing a fist directly at Chris.
Boom!
The impact sent Chris flying backwards. However, his puppet absorbed part of the blow, sparing him from significant injury.
The puppet shimmered with a golden glow, immediately catching the greedy glint in Ethan Stone’s eyes.
“This is truly a treasure,” Ethan muttered, his voice laced with avarice. “To withstand my attack-such a thing is wasted in your hands. Once I kill you, it will be mine!”
For an Aetherbinding practitioner, treasures were as crucial as strength. The more treasures one possessed, the more means they had to survive.
To Ethan, Chris’s fate was sealed.
Chris, seeing Ethan’s greed, smirked. “You want the puppet? Let me tell you something-this puppet is something I retrieved from the Silent Dunes. You know what the Silent Dunes are, don’t you? Anything from there is an ancient relic.”
Ethan’s eyes widened in shock. Chris had been to the Silent Dunes and survived?
The Silent Dunes were one of Aethelgard’s top ten forbidden zones. Even Ethan, a late-stage Solstice practitioner, would not dare to tread there lightly.
Now knowing the puppet came from such a place, Ethan’s greed intensified.
The Silent Dunes were a battlefield from ancient times. Any artifact retrieved from there would have been preserved for thousands of years, a treasure of unimaginable value.
Seeing Ethan’s expression, Chris chuckled. “But this puppet isn’t simple. It requires a special incantation to control. Without it, even if you take it, it will be useless to you.”
Ethan’s face darkened at those words.
“Chris, tell me the incantation!” Ethan demanded, gritting his teeth. “Or I’ll kill you!”
Chris sneered, unfazed. “You think threatening me will work? If you want the incantation, let me leave.”
Ethan scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “Chris, you’re as good as dead, and yet you dare negotiate? Hand over the incantation now, or I’ll kill you where you stand!”
Chris’s gaze hardened. “If you won’t let me go, even if you kill me, I’ll never give you the incantation.”
Ethan hesitated, weighing the situation.
Finally, he said, “Fine. I’ll let you go-but you must give me the incantation first.”
Chris laughed mockingly. “And how am I supposed to trust you?”
Growing impatient, Ethan snapped, “Chris, I am the Grand Mentor of Great Lyria! Do you think I would stoop to lying?”
Chris nodded slowly. “Fine. I’ll give the puppet to you.”
Seeing Chris’s apparent willingness to hand over the puppet, Ethan’s lips curled into a derisive smile.
There was no way he would let Chris leave alive. As soon as he obtained the incantation, Ethan planned to kill him without hesitation.
Chris was a threat, and leaving him alive would only lead to future trouble.
Unseen by Ethan, Chris removed the Monster Stone embedded in the puppet and replaced it with an ordinary Essence Stone.
Then, he handed the puppet to Ethan.
Ethan took it eagerly, laughing with triumph. “With this puppet, I now have a mid-level Solstice ally. Soon, no one in Great Lyria will be able to stand against me!”
Chris spoke coldly, “Ethan Stone, I’ve given you the puppet. Now, will you let me go?”
“Enough talk! Give me the incantation, or I’ll kill you!” Ethan barked, his demeanor turning hostile once more.
Realizing Ethan had no intention of keeping his word, Chris smirked. “Ethan Stone, you treacherous fool. You’ll never get the incantation from me!”
“Chris, you’re asking for death!” Ethan bellowed, his rage boiling over.
“If you won’t hand over the incantation, I’ll kill you right now!” With that, he lunged at Chris.
Suddenly, Chris shouted, “Attack him!”
The puppet, now under Chris’s control, swung its fist at Ethan.
Caught off guard, Ethan’s expression shifted dramatically. He had not anticipated the puppet would turn on him.
Boom!
The impact sent Ethan sprawling.
Though Ethan was a late-stage Solstice practitioner, the puppet’s strength was roughly equivalent to a mid-level Solstice fighter. The punch left him shaken and injured.
Chris smirked, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
When Chris had first acquired the puppet, he had also found the incantation to control it. Without that incantation, Ethan would never be able to command it.
Ethan rose unsteadily, his face twisted with fury. “Chris, you wretched fool! I’ll kill you today if it’s the last thing I do!”
With a sharp cry, Ethan charged at Chris once more.
Chris’s face paled. He couldn’t believe Ethan could recover so quickly after taking a blow from the puppet. Truly, Ethan’s reputation as a late-stage Solstice practitioner was well-earned.
As Ethan closed in, Chris dodged frantically.
Although the puppet’s attack had injured Ethan, it wasn’t enough to incapacitate him. His movements were slower now, but he was still a formidable threat.
Chris kept evading, staying just out of reach.
Ethan, growing increasingly frustrated, snarled, “Chris, let’s see how long you can keep running!”
With a roar, Ethan pushed his speed to the limit.
At that critical moment, Chris shouted, “Stripes!”