Chris stared blankly at Lindsay Windson, utterly speechless. His mind was in chaos. He had no intention of taking Mara Wainwright with him, yet Lindsay insisted on bringing her along.
Turning to Mara, Chris asked, “Mara, what is going on here?”
Tears streamed down Mara’s face as she pleaded, “Mr. Shelby, please, let me go back with you. I beg you!”
Chris sighed and reluctantly nodded. “Fine.”
At this point, there was no other choice. Chris had to agree to take Mara along. With that, he set off with Mara and Lindsay on the journey back.
The distance from Pinkshire to Flameforge spanned over a thousand kilometers. Chris had struggled on his way there, but the return journey was much easier. After all, his strength now was incomparable to before.
Even though Chris had lost both arms, he was still more than capable of dealing with ordinary Aetherbinding practitioners.
Chris had spent an entire year in Aethelgard. When he first arrived, he was accompanied by Tiger and the others, Oriana, and Lord Valerian. Oriana had passed the Skyward Sect’s entrance trials and was now a disciple of the sect. Seraphina had become the Princess of Monroe in Amerosia and could not return with Chris. As for Lord Valerian, there had been no news of him since their separation.
Tiger and the others, however, had lingered around Flameforge, waiting for Chris to return.
Over the past year, too much had happened.
The route from Pinkshire to Flameforge passed through several major cities, dangerous territories filled with ferocious beasts, and ruthless bandits.
Before leaving Pinkshire, Chris bought a luxurious carriage. After all, Lindsay and Mara were not fighters and had no choice but to stay inside the carriage during the journey.
Chris wasn’t in a hurry. He took his time, enjoying the landscapes and traveling leisurely. Nearly a month passed, and they still hadn’t arrived at Flameforge.
However, the journey wasn’t without danger. He encountered both beasts and bandits along the way. Yet, neither posed a true threat to Chris.
Not only did Chris defeat the bandits, but he also seized a large number of Essence Stones from them. The beasts he killed provided Heartstones, which he sold at nearby guild halls, earning a hefty sum in the process.
Now, Chris lounged comfortably in the carriage, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. Life in Aethelgard had been anything but easy. Danger lurked everywhere, and he lived in constant tension.
After losing his arms, Chris had come to terms with many things.
Suddenly-
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed as countless bandits charged from all directions.
Chris barely spared them a glance. He had encountered plenty of bandits on this journey, and these were no different. To him, they were simply more cannon fodder.
They were still about a hundred miles from Flameforge when the bandits appeared. Chris hadn’t expected to run into them here.
Scanning the group, Chris estimated there were over a hundred of them. The strongest among them was only at the Pinnacle level. Such a group was hardly worth his attention.
Spotting the luxurious carriage, the bandits’ eyes glimmered with greed.
The leader, a Pinnacle-level man, shouted, “Brothers, attack!”
In an instant, the bandits surged toward Chris and his companions.
Chris scoffed and charged forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In mere moments, the bandits were subdued.
Chris grabbed the Pinnacle leader and demanded, “Tell me where your hideout is. Take me there.”
Terrified, the man hurriedly obeyed and led Chris and the others to their base.
According to the bandit leader, a group called the Gang of Death had risen to power in the region about a year ago. They had rapidly expanded, swallowing up over a thousand smaller groups and becoming the largest gang in the area.
The Gang of Death had a unique code of conduct. Unlike typical bandits, they didn’t resort to outright robbery. Instead, they charged passing merchant caravans a protection fee in Essence Stones to ensure their safety. For this reason, the merchants in nearby cities didn’t harbor too much resentment toward them.
The Pinnacle-level bandit had once led a small gang of his own but was eventually absorbed into the Gang of Death. Now, he used their name to carry out his actions-until he crossed paths with Chris.
“Gang of Death?”
Hearing the name, Chris’s lips curved into a subtle smile as a few familiar faces came to mind.
Meanwhile, at Shimmering Peak-an easily defensible stronghold that had once been controlled by a powerful gang before the Gang of Death took over-chaos erupted.
“Commander! We’ve got trouble! Someone’s attacking the base!”
“Who dares? Do they think they can challenge the Gang of Death?”
Moments later, a burly man wielding a massive blade stormed out, exuding a menacing aura. This man was none other than Tiger.
Flanking him were two others: Lynx and Phoenix.
Just as they prepared for battle, Chris and his group ascended the mountain.
Hearing the commotion, Tiger, Lynx, and Phoenix gathered their forces.
But before they could act, Chris burst into laughter. “Tiger, Lynx, Phoenix-it’s been a while!”
Tiger and the others froze in shock. They hadn’t expected to see Chris here.
As the realization set in, their eyes filled with surprise and excitement.
All three of them had grown significantly stronger. Their auras were intense, and they had all reached the Pinnacle stage. Their rapid progress was impressive, though it paled in comparison to Chris’s near-supernatural abilities.
“Master!”
Tiger, Lynx, and Phoenix called out in unison, astonishment written across their faces. They hadn’t imagined they would reunite with Chris in such a way.
However, Lynx’s expression darkened as he noticed Chris’s empty sleeves. “Master, what happened to your arms?”
Chris smiled lightly. “Oh, that? I lost them-it’s no big deal.”
Their faces fell, their emotions conflicted. The Chris they remembered had been whole. Now, he stood before them, a shadow of his former physical self.
Sensing their discomfort, Chris chuckled. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s not as bad as it seems. Even without my arms, I’m still stronger than most.”
Hearing this, Tiger and the others exchanged glances, their respect for Chris unwavering.
Chris turned to them, his tone serious. “Now, tell me-what’s going on? Why did you form the Gang of Death?”