Chapter 36: Back
A blinding pillar of light, as thick as an adult person’s waist, descended from the heavens, tearing through the air. The air around it screamed as its intense heat scorched the atmosphere by tens of thousands of degrees in a fraction of a second. As the hot air tried to escape, a terrifying shockwave spread in every direction.
Boom!
Cole’s pupils shrank to thin needles as his instincts screamed danger. Without thinking, he threw his body to the side with everything that he had.
The bolt landed exactly where he had been standing a fraction of a second earlier.
The earth exploded, sending fragments of burnt ground and scorching magma flying in every direction. The violent shockwave slammed into Cole’s body, sending him tumbling seven meters before he crashed against a black boulder.
"Ugh!"
Blood spilled from the corner of his lips, his vision completely blurry. Even objects placed just a few meters away were not clear.
His clothes were torn apart by the scattered arcs of lightning, while dozens of tiny burns had appeared across his arms.
For several seconds, his ears rang loudly.
He lay motionless, chest heaving, staring at the dark clouds overhead.
That was close...
Cole’s thoughts flickered, the scene from just a moment ago replaying in his head. If he had been just a second slower...
Thinking up to this point, a chill ran down his spine. He could not even continue thinking, as the outcome was crystal clear in his head.
The next moment, he gritted his teeth and tried to slowly push himself back to his feet. Lying here for long was the same as suicide.
Once back on his legs, he looked toward the sky.
His expression immediately darkened.
The lightning clouds had become noticeably closer, seemingly just a few meters away. Just from a single look, he noticed a violet lightning dragon tearing through the clouds in giant motions. Compared to the lightning bolt that had just hit the ground, it was at least double its size, if not even larger.
It looked even more violent than before, as if the entire Thunder Domain was sharpening its knife to get rid of him.
Bolts descended one after another without even giving him a moment to breathe.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Every strike shook the earth. With each strike, a large chunk of ground was blasted into the air, creating enormous craters in the earth, while the surroundings were filled with smoke.
The scene looked straight out of the deepest pits of hell. If anyone wanted to witness hell while they were still alive, coming to the Thunder Domain would be enough.
"It is really becoming more dangerous..."
Cole muttered before taking a deep breath to stabilize himself, sipping the last drop of the healing potion given to him by Ethan.
He no longer had the luxury of wasting time.
Holding the ingredients tightly in his mind, he accelerated again, one herb after another disappearing into his storage pouch.
Seven Dew Essence Flower.
Tyrant Kind Horn Powder.
Sky Lightning Moss.
Lightning Crystal Fungus.
Thunder Spirit Vine.
...
The ingredients gradually accumulated. Whenever lightning descended, Cole would force himself to continue what he was doing before dodging at the last possible moment. Even though he did his best, slight grazes were still impossible to avoid. Slowly, the injuries were starting to pile up.
Sometimes the lightning would miss him by barely half a meter, sometimes even less. Every successful dodge felt like dancing on the edge of death.
Fortunately, the A.I. chip’s detailed analysis allowed him to identify every incoming threat instantly.
Hours of searching were compressed into mere minutes.
"Finally..."
After collecting the very last ingredient, a satisfied smile appeared on Cole’s face.
Done.
Everything required for refining the Bloodline Fusion Potion had finally been gathered.
Without another sign of stopping, he immediately sprinted toward the distant Summers family carriage.
Night was rapidly approaching.
The purple clouds overhead had already begun turning pitch black. The further the darkness spread, the more violent the thunder would become.
Soon...
Cole ran as fast as his legs could carry him, the wind severely grazing his cheeks as he moved forward. Soon, the familiar carriage appeared atop the hill.
Several glowing iron rods surrounded it, continuing to absorb the descending bolts.
Since the carriage was still intact, Cole secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Before he could climb aboard, a mocking voice filled with disdain and naked anger entered his ears.
"So... you finally decided to come back...?"
"Weren’t you very proud of your strength? Now what happened? Is that strength unable to save you...?"
Ethan crossed his arms while looking at Cole with obvious anger, the corners of his lips stretched into a thin smile.
"I thought someone was too busy to help us two miserable siblings and wanted to leave without even saying goodbye..."
He slowly shook his head.
"You left without speaking a single word, and now the moment things become dangerous, you suddenly remember we exist, that the safe confines of the chariot exist..."
By the end of those words, a painful smile spread across Ethan’s face.
"I have to admit..."
After saying those words, he paused for a brief moment, the mockery in his tone distinct.
"Your skin is really thick."
Normally, these words would have annoyed anyone. However, Cole merely scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
He wanted to say: so what if he left? Did this simple act wipe out the fact that he had saved them?
Or just because he had saved them once, was he obligated to save them again for a lifetime while ignoring his own goals?
If it were anyone else, they would have been too proud to return, but not Cole.
For him, other things did not matter. Survival was the priority. For survival, he was willing to go to any lengths.
So he simply swallowed the words that he wanted to say and stayed silent.
Seeing Cole remain unusually quiet, Ethan became even more surprised.
"Huh? No comeback? Not even a word of apology?"
"Fine, if you don’t want to say anything, then let me tell you."
A darker smile appeared on Ethan’s face for a moment.
"If you want to take a single step inside the chariot, get on your knees and beg for mercy."
"Once I am satisfied, I will let you in..."
Finally, Cole’s face showed slight reaction. His two sharp brows scrunched up together in a tight frown. Ethan’s words of pure disdain disgusted him.
Was this fellow out of his mind? Did he really think he was still in the protected state of the Summers family, or did he take muscle for granted just because I saved him once?
It was at this moment some dark thoughts started to appear in Cole’s mind.
Just then...