Henry roared, “How dare you show disrespect to Lord Peter Gordon! Today, I will kill you!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Henry charged at Chris.
Chris stood his ground, unfazed. Using his soul power, he directed the Dragon Slayer toward Henry.
Bang!
A deafening explosion sent Henry flying backward.
He lifted his head, his face filled with disbelief as he stared at Chris. He hadn’t expected Chris to be this powerful.
“You… you’re an Aetherbinding practitioner!” Henry exclaimed in shock.
Amerosia, a land shrouded in mystery, was rumored to be home to practitioners of Aetherbinding-a formidable power that rivaled even that of the Blood Clan.
The realization that Chris was an Aetherbinding practitioner left Henry rattled. Knowing he was no match, Henry turned to flee.
Chris smirked coldly. “Trying to run? It’s too late.”
The Dragon Slayer shot forward, piercing Henry’s chest with a sickening sound.
Henry’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Chris, even if I die, I won’t let you go!”
Boom!
A sudden explosion shook the air as Henry chose to self-destruct.
In the aftermath, a swirl of black mist seeped into Chris’s body. He frowned but felt no immediate change.
Glancing around, Chris saw that all the vampires had been slain.
At that moment, James Mester entered with reinforcements.
“Mr. Shelby, are you all right?” James asked, his voice full of concern.
Chris shook his head. “I’m fine. Take care of these vampire corpses.”
James surveyed the hundreds of lifeless vampires strewn across the ground, his face pale with shock. He couldn’t believe that even without arms, Chris had single-handedly wiped them all out.
—
Meanwhile, Lightning led the city patrol to the scene. Though he arrived too late, the vampires had already been dealt with.
Chris entrusted the cleanup to James Mester and Lightning, then returned alone to Cloud Bay.
—
When Chris arrived at the villa, Esther and the others were still at work.
“Mr. Shelby!”
Suddenly, a figure threw herself into his arms.
Startled, Chris looked down and saw Seraphina.
“Seraphina, you’re back?” he asked, his face a mix of surprise and joy.
Seraphina, the Princess of Monroe from Aethelgard, had returned unexpectedly.
She let out a soft huff. “Mr. Shelby, ever since you left for Earth, I’ve missed you terribly. So, I came back. I first went to Middleton, but when I heard you were on the East Coast, I rushed over to find you.”
Chris smiled. “Why have you returned this time, Seraphina?”
Her face brightened with a smile. “Mr. Shelby, my father has found a way to restore your arms.”
She pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a vibrant green fruit.
“This is the Emerald Fruit,” she explained. “Once you consume it, your arms will be restored.”
Hearing this, Chris’s face lit up with joy.
Although he had tried to appear indifferent about his condition, deep down, he longed to regain his arms.
—
Chris went to his room, seated himself on the bed, and consumed the Emerald Fruit. The moment he swallowed it, a surge of vitality erupted within him.
Seraphina left the room quietly, closing the door behind her as Chris immersed himself fully in the process of refining the fruit’s energy.
Later that evening, Esther and Juliette returned to the villa.
Spotting Seraphina, Esther raised an eyebrow, surprised by her presence.
During dinner, Mara Wainwright asked curiously, “Why hasn’t Mr. Shelby come down to eat?”
Seraphina explained, “He’s refining the Emerald Fruit to restore his arms. Let’s not disturb him.”
Excitement spread across everyone’s faces.
“Seraphina, are you saying that Mr. Shelby’s arms can be restored?” Mara asked, her voice trembling with hope.
Seraphina simply nodded.
—
At eight o’clock, Chris emerged from his room.
As he descended the stairs, everyone turned to look at him, their faces tense with anticipation.
“Mr. Shelby, have your arms been restored?” Seraphina asked nervously.
The others stared at him, equally anxious.
Chris gave a wry smile. “No, they haven’t.”
“What? That’s impossible!” Seraphina exclaimed, her face filled with disbelief.
“My father said the Emerald Fruit would definitely restore your arms. Why didn’t it work?”
Chris shook his head silently.
The room fell into a heavy silence, and despair settled over Esther and the others.
Chris offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t look so down. Even though my arms haven’t been restored, I believe I’ll find a way one day.”
Though his words were meant to comfort, the disappointment lingered in the air.
If even the miraculous Emerald Fruit couldn’t restore his arms, how could they ever hope to find a solution?
—
That night, as Esther slept, Chris lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Despite his outward calm, he was deeply troubled.
Who wouldn’t want to be whole again? Who would willingly remain disabled?
He recalled the day’s events. While refining the Emerald Fruit, he had felt an invisible barrier blocking the fruit’s vitality from reaching his severed arms.
Eventually, the energy dissipated, and his arms remained unchanged.
—
Unable to sleep, Chris sat upright and focused his soul power on his severed arms.
To his shock, he discovered a cluster of black mist lingering at the site of the injury.
“What is this?” he muttered to himself.
The memory of Henry’s final moments flashed in his mind.
During the battle, Henry had self-destructed, and a black mist had entered his body.
Could this black mist be the same?
Chris clenched his fists. Whatever it was, he had to expel it.
Leaving it inside his body was too dangerous.
And who knew? It might even turn him into a mindless zombie. After all, vampires could infect others, turning them into soulless creatures.
Chris made up his mind. No matter what, he would rid himself of the black mist.