Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 163: Slavery

Chapter 163: Slavery

Aetheria remained poised, her garments clinging snugly to her form as the unseen force of Alex’s mana surged around her, enveloping her like an ethereal tempest.

Her eyes flicked toward him, wide with tension—he stood silent, an immovable statue, yet radiating a pressure so intense it felt like a tangible weight pressing against her chest.

Every fiber of her being screamed one undeniable conclusion: Legend Rank.

But that could not be. With a flicker of her internal mana, her gaze sharpened, meticulously scrutinizing his physical presence.

Just as she had anticipated, the telltale signs revealed his rank to be Grandmaster—no higher, no illusions to mask the truth. He bore no signs of aura manipulation, nor any disguise to alter the perception of his power.

It was as if two contradictory realities were colliding before her: the unfathomable presence he projected stood in stark contrast to the rank that her eyes discerned.

The dissonance left her mind tingling with confusion and intrigue.

’What... is he?’

Then she glanced sideways at Nyxara, whose previous serious demeanor had vanished entirely.

The tigress was now lounging once again, playfully licking her front paw as if none of this mattered. Her eyes were half-lidded in feline indifference.

That contrast only made Aetheria more unsettled.

’These two... they’re not ordinary. No, I’d bet my wings they were the ones responsible for Voltage’s death.’

She knew about the thunderous clash far in the distance, the distorted mana echoes of a battle that only those of high power could sense. Then silence. And the silence spoke volumes. One of the most brutal predators in this part of the domain had disappeared overnight.

Her spine stiffened at the memory.

With a sharp breath, she steadied herself and released her mana. It burst out like a protective cocoon, red and sharp, surrounding her in a dome that pushed back Alex’s oppressive aura.

Her trembling ceased immediately, though her heart still beat faster than she liked to admit.

She raised her head and spoke with a steady voice, though her eyes watched Alex carefully.

"So if I’m to guess..." she said slowly, "...you two were the ones responsible for Voltage’s death."

Alex didn’t answer right away. He merely looked at her—his eyes unreadable, neither confirming nor denying—but that lingering silence said more than words could.

Then, calmly, as if discussing something as mundane as the weather, he spoke.

"If you’re referring to the Thunder Wolf... then yes."

Aetheria’s eyes narrowed slightly, while her fingers tightened around the mana contract still in her grasp.

But just then, Nyxara, who had been utterly silent and uninterested in the exchange, lifted her head and tilted it curiously. She blinked once, then asked with complete sincerity:

"Wait... was that a name he gave himself, or did you give him that?"

The question hung awkwardly in the air for a beat.

Both Alex and Aetheria slowly turned to stare at the tigress.

Their expressions, vastly different, mirrored the same thought:

"Is that the part you’re surprised about?"

Nyxara blinked again, still awaiting an answer as if nothing in the last few minutes had been more interesting.

Alex exhaled through his nose and lowered his mana just slightly, while Aetheria let out a tired sigh.

The tension didn’t fully vanish, but something about Nyxara’s absurd timing broke the weight of the moment, like a crack in a frozen wall, revealing a hint of the wild unpredictability behind the pair.

----

Neither Alex nor Aetheria acknowledged Nyxara’s odd question. The silence that followed her remark stretched thin between them like a taut string, vibrating with unspoken tension. Their eyes locked again, the air around them heavy.

Then Alex spoke.

"How do you know his name?" he inquired, his tone sharp yet composed, akin to the glint of a blade poised delicately against skin. "Even the Patrician of the Earth Clan was unaware."

Aetheria’s expression remained largely unchanged, but a fleeting shadow of something—perhaps wariness—flickered behind her eyes. She stood firm, not a trace of hesitation crossing her features. Her voice emerged flat and dismissive, devoid of warmth, "We all can communicate with one another."

That was the entirety of her response.

No further clarification, no subsequent words.

It was as if she had quietly closed a door, the finality echoing in the air between them.

Alex observed her for a heartbeat longer, weighing the moment, yet he refrained from pressing further.

He understood when a line of inquiry was bound to lead nowhere. After all, Nyxara—despite her prowess as a Legend-rank—did not share such a gift.

Thus, if Aetheria was indeed speaking the truth... what lay behind her cryptic statement was not merely a skill or talent. It was something far deeper.

But again, not the priority.

His expression remained unreadable as his mana surged outward once more, dark and suffocating, spreading like ink in water. The temperature seemed to drop.

Then, with a tone stripped of all emotion, Alex said, "What is your answer?"

The contract still floated lightly in Aetheria’s grip, the runes across its surface glowing faintly with waiting power.

She stared at it.

Again.

And again.

Her fingers clenched slightly, the skin around her knuckles tightening as she reread its lines.

No preemptive attack. No disobedience to orders. No secrets kept. Retaliation only after the human strikes first. Bound by blood and soul.

The more she read, the more bile climbed up her throat.

She had seen contracts like this before.

Had been part of one, once.

To Aetheria, this was more than just control—it was subjugation hidden behind false civility. Leashes wrapped in fine silk.

Her voice was low, almost quiet, when she finally spoke, though her eyes still burned with stubborn light.

"This..." she said, holding the contract with a disgusted expression, "is nothing short of slavery."

Her wings twitched—reflexive, defiant.

"I’ve tasted what it’s like to have my will shackled before. And I swore I’d never return to that... not for anyone."

Her eyes rose to meet Alex’s once more, and though she was suppressing the pressure his mana exuded, her spine remained straight.

"This contract might as well be a cage."