Phoenix was stunned, staring at the smoke in confusion, before she could think of anything, a silver Divine stage python shot towards her from the smoke, its maw opened wide.
"What in the world?!"
She gasped, instinctively leaping into the air just as the massive serpent slammed into the ground where she had stood moments before. The earth trembled slightly upon impact. The python recoiled into the smoke, its movements surprisingly swift for its size.
Landing gracefully, Phoenix watched as the smoke finally cleared, revealing Amara standing protectively in front of a trembling Leyla. Amara’s gaze was ice-cold, directed squarely at Phoenix.
But it wasn’t just Amara’s presence that stunned Phoenix. It was the gleaming silver armor she wore, and the sheer scale of the python – a hundred feet of shimmering muscle, so large it would take a dozen men to encircle its body. The serpent’s piercing silver eyes held an ancient wisdom and power that made Phoenix’s blood run cold.
’This... this can’t be real,’ Phoenix thought frantically. ’This is the Boss’s mother... How is she a Tamer? And wielding a Divine stage beast with a Combat Strength of Level 10... Unbelievable, she hid this so well.’
[Valhalla family’s estate.]
"Dad... has Mum ever gotten really angry?" Katherine asked, settling onto the plush couch beside Ethan.
Adonis, perched on the opposite sofa, looked up from his datapad, his curiosity piqued.
Ethan paused his rapid tapping on his laptop, turning his attention fully to Katherine. "Let’s sincerely hope that never happens," he said with a hint of gravity in his voice.
"Why do you say that?" she pressed, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Ethan sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment before reopening them. "Do you two remember the monster raids from a few months ago?" he inquired.
"Yes," Katherine replied immediately.
Adonis nodded in agreement.
"When the late Supreme Tamer and the five Master Tamers went to confront the main monster force with the soldiers, your mother went alone to face a separate raid that attacked from below... It was peculiar; those beasts dug a tunnel and assaulted the city from underground, almost as if they were being controlled. I have no idea how your mother discovered this, but she rushed to the tunnel entrance and single-handedly fought hundreds of those creatures, eliminating every single one of them."
"Wait a minute," Katherine interjected, her confusion deepening. "I’m asking about Mum, not some hero."
"Yes, Dad," Adonis echoed. "The news reports said the legendary Silver Sword fought that battle."
"Exactly," Ethan confirmed, reaching for his teacup on the table. He took a slow sip before continuing. "Your mother, my wife, Amara, is the Silver Sword. She instructed the government to conceal her identity, so no one knows about it... well, except Leyla and me."
"Leyla? How come she knows about Mum, but we don’t?" Katherine asked, her frown intensifying.
"Leyla is your mother’s disciple. Haven’t you two ever wondered why she gifted Leyla a powerful Beast and also leave with her twice a week?" Ethan asked, turning to address both his children.
A stunned silence filled the room. Adonis and Katherine exchanged bewildered glances.
Ethan set his teacup down. "Do you know why your mother seems to cherish your elder brother more than you two? She loves all of you deeply, but the affection she holds for Christopher is... profound, almost beyond comprehension." He fixed his gaze on them.
Both shook their heads, their curiosity now fully ignited.
"Years ago, before either of you were born... during the initial decade of our marriage, we longed for a child but heard no baby’s cry. Your mother fell into a deep depression, convinced it was her fault. At that time, she wasn’t yet the Silver Sword. Then, one fateful day, she went out and encountered something extraordinary." He leaned forward slightly, drawing his children in with his words.
"She told me she met a light. We don’t know if it was a man, a woman, or something else entirely... she only knew she encountered a radiant light. This light granted her a son and even foretold that he would be the passage and the savior of our world... To be honest, I still don’t fully grasp the meaning of that." He offered a gentle smile.
"The light also said that if she accepted this destiny for her son, she would be blessed with the ability to bear more children."
"This passage... what does it entail?" Adonis asked, his voice hushed with anticipation.
"The light explained that this child would be born weak, and when the appointed time arrived, he would pass away, thus completing the passage... That’s why she dotes on your brother so intensely and becomes incredibly worried even at the slightest scratch. Because Christopher’s arrival paved the way for you two. Without him, you might not even exist in this world." Ethan leaned back against the sofa, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
"We watch over him constantly because the thought of losing him is unbearable for her. She even became the Silver Sword after Katherine was born, all to ensure Christopher’s safety... You know, if there were any way to alter this fate, we would seize it without hesitation." He sighed softly.
Adonis turned to Katherine, then back to their father. "But you also said he will save our world... Doesn’t that mean big brother won’t really die?"
"Yes," Katherine affirmed, nodding thoughtfully. "If he dies for real, he won’t be able to save our world."
"Save our world from what?" Ethan asked, his gaze shifting between his two children.
A shared look of confusion passed between Adonis and Katherine.
That was indeed a very good question.
"Master!" Leyla cried out in relief and joy, dropping to her knees behind Amara.
Phoenix stared, transfixed, as Amara extended her hand. An ethereal light coalesced in her clenched palm, and in the blink of an eye, a gleaming white sword materialized in her grasp.
’This... this can’t be happening!’ Phoenix recoiled, taking a horrified step backward.
"You! You are the Silver Sword?!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief and a growing sense of dread.
Amara’s eyes, now glowing with an intense white light, fixed on Phoenix. "How dare you attack my Disciple?" she demanded, her tone dangerously low and filled with palpable killing intent.
The enormous python beside her shifted, its silver eyes burning brighter.
’Disciple?’ Phoenix’s mind raced. ’If this young woman is truly her Disciple, she must be incredibly close to the Boss... No! If I had killed her, what would have become of me?! Angering the Boss is akin to signing my own death warrant.’
Her weapon clattered to the ground as her knees buckled, and she fell to the earth, her face paling with utter terror.
’The Boss took me in, trained me, gave me purpose... How could I have repaid his kindness with such reckless action?! I... I almost killed his mother’s Disciple... He will never forgive me. No, I can’t live with such a devastating mistake.’ Her thoughts spiraled in panic.
Amara and Leyla exchanged stunned glances. Even the colossal python seemed momentarily taken aback by Phoenix’s sudden capitulation.