Chapter 59: The Potion’s Influence
Ekaterina didn’t understand what was happening to her. As the greatsword left her hand, a wave of reluctance, unexpected and unwelcome, washed over her.
She hated Qin Chu. She wanted to tear him limb from limb, to scatter his ashes to the wind.
He was the one who had destroyed her.
But why did she hesitate?
She wondered if she was going mad.
Fortunately, the feeling was fleeting, quickly suppressed. And it was too late to recall the blade.
Flame Extinction, a blazing meteor, hurtled through the air, its trajectory unwavering.
This was her full power, unleashed without restraint.
The air around the blade seemed to warp and distort, creating a vacuum that made everyone gasp for breath.
The already shattered pavement crumbled further, reduced to dust in the blade’s wake.
The naked eye could barely track its movement.
Even to Qin Chu, with his enhanced senses, the greatsword seemed to teleport, its speed exceeding the limits of human perception.
It wasn’t as visually impressive as her previous attack, Star Shatter, but its destructive power was far greater.
In an instant, the blade reached Qin Chu.
He stood motionless, seemingly frozen in place.
In reality, very few people could react to such speed.
Angelica gasped, her eyes wide with terror. She reached out, attempting to push him aside.
But her movements, like everyone else’s, were sluggish, slowed by the sheer velocity of the attack.
Just as the blade was about to strike, a withered hand shot out.
With a muffled thud, it grasped the blade’s edge.
Flame Extinction, its momentum halted, its energy abruptly restrained, erupted in a torrent of fiery energy.
The Battle Qi, compressed and focused, blasted downwards, its trajectory narrowly missing Qin Chu, Augustus, and the others.
A narrow, impossibly deep chasm opened up in the ground.
Dozens of meters deep? Perhaps even a hundred?
The shockwave rippled outwards, extending for hundreds of meters, splitting lampposts in half, their edges smooth and polished.
This attack, though less visually spectacular than the previous one, was far more deadly.
And Augustus had stopped it effortlessly.
His right hand, enveloped in a milky white glow, held the blade. His left hand, with a flick of his wrist, erected a protective barrier around them.
He leaned back slightly, absorbing the full force of Ekaterina’s attack.
This was the difference in their power.
Though Ekaterina was in her eighties, and Augustus was only in his early nineties, the gap between them was vast. Even five Ekaterinas wouldn’t be a match for him.
At their level, even a single level difference was significant.
“Hey, Shaye…”
“You said your modified Stunning Love potion was more potent,” Qin Chu asked, his voice a mental whisper. “Why didn’t Ekaterina hesitate?”
“Don’t question my skills,” Shaye grumbled, her voice tinged with annoyance.
“My version is flawless.”
“But I also said that a powerful emotional shock could break its influence. Do you think Ekaterina waking up to… her current situation… wouldn’t be a shock?”
Qin Chu was speechless.
She was right. For a woman who loved Jie Luo deeply, waking up to find herself… defiled…
It was a devastating blow.
“Besides, she’s only consumed one dose. The effect isn’t fully manifested yet…” Shaye said, her tone light. “Just wait. Her descent is inevitable.”
No one could hear their conversation.
Everyone’s attention was focused on Ekaterina.
After expending all her energy, she collapsed onto one knee, gasping for breath, her hand braced against the shattered pavement. Her red hair, damp with sweat, clung to her pale skin.
She was exhausted, her Battle Qi depleted…
She probably couldn’t even lift Flame Extinction now.
But she forced herself to stand, her legs trembling.
Her eyes, filled with hatred, locked onto Qin Chu. If not for Augustus, her blade would have incinerated him.
But deep within her hatred, a flicker of relief.
Relief for what?
Relief for failing to kill him?
The unexpected emotion confused her, fueling her anger.
She wouldn’t be relieved. Killing him was her only goal.
She stumbled towards him, her body weary, her movements sluggish. If her blade hadn’t killed him, she would crush his skull with her bare hands.
This was the Crimson Valkyrie.
She wouldn’t stop until she was dead.
If not for her betrayal, her willingness to stab him in the back for Jie Luo’s sake, she would have been an admirable woman.
But that betrayal had sealed her fate. She would suffer, she would endure pain beyond her comprehension. He would break her, both physically and mentally.
This was just the beginning.
“Ekaterina, what are you doing? Stop!” Loseweisse shouted, her voice laced with panic. She could sense Augustus’s anger.
His face was ashen, his jaw clenched, his eyes cold and hard. “Ekaterina, what is the meaning of this? Don’t think your status as a member of the Hero Squad will protect you. Explain yourself, or the Hero Squad will be down to nine members…”
Ekaterina glared at Qin Chu, her hatred burning. “Augustus, this has nothing to do with you. He’s the one I’m after…”
“The Hero?” Augustus was confused. The attack had clearly been directed at Qin Chu. He knew the Hero Squad members weren’t welcoming, but this was… extreme.
“That bastard… last night… he took advantage of me while I was drunk… he…” Ekaterina’s voice trembled. This was her shame, but she didn’t care anymore. She would expose him, even if it meant revealing her own humiliation.
Silence descended upon the courtyard.
Then, all eyes turned to Qin Chu.
Well, well, well… it seemed the Hero was quite the ladies’ man…
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