Chapter 241: Meeting Varyn and Caius
Lucy and Lucas were making swift progress on their journey to the Death Volcano, the landscape blurring past them as they moved effortlessly through the vast wilderness.
Their pace was relentless, the distant Celestial Academy now far behind them. But suddenly, without warning, Lucy slowed her pace.
Her eyes sharpened, and her steps became more measured as she noticed a group of people standing ahead, blocking their path.
Instinctively, Lucas, still playing the role of the younger, vulnerable brother, slipped behind her for protection. His sharp gaze flickered toward the back of the group, where two figures stood with familiar arrogance.
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Varyn Steelwind and Caius Arcturus.
Lucas narrowed his eyes, instantly recognizing their auras—both had reached five-star cultivation. The energy radiating off them was heavy, brimming with hostility.
Lucy's expression hardened, her jaw tightening as she glared fiercely at the group. Her fiery gaze, especially directed toward Varyn and Caius, revealed her rising anger. Her aura flared slightly, the heat around her beginning to intensify as her emotions boiled over.
Lucy's gaze was icy as she glared at the group blocking their path. Her voice cut through the tension like a blade. "What do you think you're doing here?" she demanded, each word sharp and cold as the air between them.
Varyn's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing in anger as he stepped forward. "You didn't really think you could just leave after shaming and rejecting me, did you, Lucy?" His voice dripped with venom, and his lips curled into a sneer that betrayed his deep grudge.
Lucas, still standing slightly behind Lucy, sighed inwardly. He had seen this kind of arrogance before. Here we go, he thought, already bracing himself for the inevitable escalation.
Varyn's posture stiffened as he took another step closer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "I can't let that insult slide. Not after you made me look like a fool in front of everyone."
Lucy's expression didn't change. Her eyes burned with disdain as she stared him down, unshaken by his words. "If you're here for revenge, I suggest you reconsider," she said, her tone flat but laced with warning.
Before Lucy could continue, another voice chimed in, low and mocking. Caius, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Varyn, my subordinate, was humiliated by you, Lucy. And as a fellow disciple of a top elder, just like me," he said, placing exaggerated emphasis on their shared rank, "you should show some respect and apologize to him."
His tone was slick, almost patronizing, as if he was speaking to someone far beneath him. Caius's eyes locked onto Lucy, clearly enjoying the situation, a cruel smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Lucy's gaze flickered between Caius and Varyn, her patience visibly wearing thin. "An apology?" she repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "For what? For showing you exactly where you stand?"
Varyn's fists clenched at her words, his face twisting in anger. "You don't get it, do you?" he growled, his voice trembling with rage. "I won't be disrespected by someone like you!"
Lucy's lips curled into a smirk, her fiery gaze never wavering as she locked eyes with Caius. Her stance remained confident, almost casual, despite the tension building in the air.
"And what if I don't want to?" she asked, her voice laced with defiance. Every word she spoke was deliberate, filled with a confidence that sent an unspoken warning.
Caius's smirk only deepened, his eyes narrowing with a predatory gleam. His gaze traveled over her with dark amusement, as if he was already certain of his victory. "Then," he said slowly, savoring the words, "we'll have to resort to force."
The malice in his voice was unmistakable, a threat wrapped in a false veneer of charm. His fingers flexed slightly, a faint ripple of power flickering around him as he prepared for what he seemed to believe was an inevitable clash.
But Lucy wasn't fazed. Her smirk widened, a dangerous light flickering in her eyes. "Force, huh?" she said, her voice smooth and dripping with challenge. "Let's see if you can even get close enough to touch me."
Her words hung in the air like a taunt, her confidence radiating from her like heat. The fiery aura surrounding her body pulsed subtly, a sign of the raw power she was ready to unleash at a moment's notice.
Caius let out a low, dark chuckle, clearly amused by her boldness. "Touch you? Oh, Lucy," he said, his voice growing colder, more sinister. "We're going to do more than just touch you."
He took a step forward, his smirk twisted into something far crueler. "And I'm sure you'll be… delighted," he added, his tone oozing malice, each word laced with vile insinuations. The glint in his eyes made it clear that his intentions weren't just about battle.
Varyn, standing just behind Caius, shifted uncomfortably, but remained silent, his pride wounded from his earlier defeat. He cast a quick glance at Lucy, but his face was clouded with resentment, clearly unwilling to back down despite the tension between them.
Lucy's smirk remained fixed, but her eyes sharpened into a glare, the fire in her gaze growing more intense. "Is that so?" she asked, her voice now hard as steel. "I suggest you watch your mouth, Caius. You won't be laughing when you're crawling on the ground, begging me for mercy like a coward you are."
Her words hit like a hammer, filled with a cold promise of retribution.
Caius chuckled again, but there was an edge of irritation beneath his amusement. He tilted his head, sizing her up with cold calculation. "You've got a sharp tongue, Lucy," he said, his voice dripping with false admiration. "But words won't save you from what's coming next. You will regret it when i am done with you"
Lucy crossed her arms, unbothered by his threat. "Talk all you want," she said coolly. "I'll enjoy making you regret ever crossing me."