Adrenaline filled every cell in Reith’s body, and he moved to the door.
As he desperately tried to bend the handle, he realized that it was locked.
"You know, when I heard there was an SSS-grade talent, I didn’t believe it." The man spoke with his hand on his chin. "Haha! I still don’t believe it. To think that old boss of mine is an SS talent. No wonder he wants you. By the way, you can call me Haze."
He stroked the slimy back of the snake as he moved forward.
Reith’s breath hitched. This man wanted him. And from what he just heard, he must have been planning it for a while.
He felt cornered and instinctively reached for his path.
However, his body system was going haywire, and his concentration wavered. Hana was not responding to him, and he could barely see the lines.
"I’m sure you can feel it," Haze said softly, almost kindly. "The way fear floods your veins. Blood rushing to all the wrong places. Heart pounding. Breath shallow. You’re not built for this choice, boy."
"So tell me, will you fight... or will you flee?"
Reith held his trembling hand and gripped his book harder. He could hear the trembling that came from the lower floor, which meant everyone was already occupied with something dangerous.
The least he could do right now was hold until someone came in.
"I should last a minute." He gulped, sweat running down his back.
Then Haze let out a low chuckle. "I hope you last longer than that!"
He raised the snake above his head, its forked tongue tasting the air.
"The boss wanted you alive. But if you bore me?" His voice dropped to a purr.
"I’ll kill you anyway. Drain you dry. Bloodlines and DNA are where talent really lives, and yours—ah, your blood will be exquisite."
Reith’s grip tightened on his book until his knuckles turned white.
It was going to take him every drop of Hana just to transform his path into a weapon, and he still was not able to use Hana techniques.
Holding his stance, he pointed the tip of his new spear-like weapon toward Haze. There was no need for words, and despite how clammy his hands felt, he would still fight.
Haze’s smile stiffened. It was the first time he had come across a book emblem for a cultivation path.
Nevertheless, he did not care. And he did not think Camilta cared either, because she slithered to the center of his chest, ready for action.
"And for my first trick, Claws of the DemonSerpent."
At the call of Haze’s voice, the snake merged with his body. He grew in size, his eyes transforming into slits.
Reith’s eyes shook as he watched this transformation, and his knees almost gave way.
This was way too much, but why did he not back down?
Why was his body still taking this stance and not looking for a way to flee?
"It’s alright, just block it."
He chanted his plan in his head like a mantra. Track the Hana line. Block. Cut through the door. Run.
Haze moved, swiping through mere air, and to any normal being, he looked like he was playing around.
He could see the channel of Hana energy that was set ablaze with that simple slash.
With one step, Haze was across the room in a moment, and in the next one, his giant-like claws headed for Reith’s head.
Reith had not seen it coming. He was way too slow, and although his brain told him to dodge or raise the sword, his body could not react.
He was completely frozen, and in the next breath, he would die.
Then something happened.
A pulse and warmth flooded the hand holding his spear.
His weapon shifted, and the spear broadened and stretched, turning into a massive shield that covered the boy.
Haze’s claw slammed into the shield with a deafening crack, instantly numbing Reith’s fingers.
The force hurled Reith like a ragdoll, his back slamming straight into the wall. The air was knocked out of his lungs as pain radiated across his body.
The force felt like a truck had slammed into him.
That part of the room did not hold, and it cracked from the impact.
Reith slid down the wall, barely holding on to consciousness.
His vision swam, and his shield clattered to the floor.
Through the loud ringing in his ears, he could hear Haze’s delighted laughter.
"It has not been one minute! But I am so happy you survived." Haze’s maniacal voice echoed in Reith’s ears.
However, Reith was still a teenager, and being able to withstand such a force and not die was saying a lot, but he had reached his limit.
His Hana had completely depleted, and his shield turned back into a book.
Haze looked at him for a while and then moved closer to him.
"I’ll make it quick since I’m bored now." He raised his claw and brought it down.
Reith could barely open his eyes or move, but he still did not want to die, at least not yet.
A few inches before Haze’s claw could hit Reith, something twisted in the air.
And a large shot of water drove straight into Haze’s body, pushing him back.
"Reith!" The person yelled.
It was Felix, and he instantly moved to Reith’s side.
"You are going to be alright. I have a healing technique, and I am going to use it on you." Felix uttered as he looked at the boy’s body, noting everything that had gone wrong.
From broken ribs, sprained muscles, dislocated joints, to multiple fractures.
"Okay. Okay. I can handle this."
Felix immediately got into action.
A water dome appeared over the both of them, and he placed his hands over the boy’s body.
A water-like coat formed around Reith from his head down to his toes, and a cool feeling permeated his body.
It was working, and Felix noted that.
Outside the dome, Haze rose again, dripping wet, his face twisting in a snarl.
"It is very rude to interrupt," he growled, and his claws slashed at the barrier.
The impact rippled through the dome. Felix’s body shook as blood dripped from his nose, but he refused to break his focus.
Felix kept on channelling his healing energy, and Reith took a deep breath.
"Reith," Felix said through gritted teeth, "As soon as you can walk, I want you to run away from here. Go to the ground lobby, and get help back up here. Do you understand?"
Felix uttered, and from the corner of his eyes, he realized that his water dome was starting to have cracks.
There was no turning back now.