Chapter 63: Escape
At this moment, Amorpheus’s body was violently lifted from the ground, his feet dangling helplessly in the air as the Lightning Arrow remained embedded within him. The raging current coursing through the spell tore through his flesh layer by layer, sending violent spasms through his body. The scorching lightning traveled along his veins like molten metal, making it feel as though his blood itself was boiling before evaporating beneath the overwhelming heat.
Yet Amorpheus didn’t seem to notice the agony tearing through his body.
His entire consciousness had been overwhelmed by disbelief.
His eyes were stretched wide, almost as though they were about to burst from their sockets, while a single question repeatedly echoed through his mind.
How... could this be possible?
He already knew who had launched the attack.
There was no need to guess.
Cole...
But that realization only created an even greater mystery.
How?
How could Cole possibly possess such terrifying power?
Amorpheus’s mind raced desperately through every possibility. He hadn’t seen Cole consume a mana potion before launching the attack. Even if he had somehow managed to hide it, there was still another question that made absolutely no sense.
Since when had Cole become a wizard?
The useless young master of the Saint Family, the trash who couldn’t even properly cultivate on the physical path, had suddenly unleashed a powerful lightning spell capable of killing a Moon Knight Realm warrior.
Countless thoughts collided inside Amorpheus’s mind, but none could provide him with an answer. His lips parted slightly as though he wanted to question Cole directly, yet before a single word could escape, the terrifying lightning coursing through his body reached its limit.
His vision suddenly darkened.
The last thing Amorpheus saw was the distant figure of Cole standing amid the chaos.
Then darkness swallowed his consciousness completely.
His body lost all strength and crashed heavily onto the ground.
For a brief moment...
The entire battlefield seemed to fall silent.
The countless battles taking place throughout the Saint Family compound appeared to freeze at the same instant. Even the terrifying clashes high above the clouds seemed to lose their momentum.
Then...
A roar erupted from the sky.
"Amorpheus...!"
The voice carried overwhelming fury and anguish, descending from above like thunder and shaking the entire battlefield.
High above the clouds, Markovich’s previously indifferent expression had finally shattered.
His face was twisted with rage, his eyes burning with murderous intent as he stared downward.
The senses of a Sun Knight Realm expert were terrifyingly sharp. From dozens of meters above the battlefield, Markovich had witnessed everything.
He had watched the entire sequence unfold in slow motion.
He had seen Cole raise his hand.
He had seen the triangular spell formation emerge.
He had seen the lightning arrow form.
And he had watched it pierce directly into his son’s body.
Markovich had been close enough to understand exactly what was happening.
Yet...
He could do nothing.
The three patriarchs had locked him in combat, and even someone at his level couldn’t simply ignore their attacks to save Amorpheus. By the time he could have broken away, the Lightning Arrow had already reached its target.
His son’s life had disappeared before his eyes.
The helplessness of that realization made the fury within Markovich even more terrifying.
Dozens of meters away, three imposing figures hovered above the battlefield.
The Patriarch of the Blue Pegasus Family stood at the forefront, his blue robes fluttering violently beneath the turbulent currents of energy. Beside him stood the patriarchs of the other two Ancient Families, their expressions equally solemn as they watched Markovich’s reaction.
None of them spoke.
They didn’t need to.
They had all witnessed what had happened.
The Saint Family’s young genius...
Amorpheus Saint...
Had just been killed by Cole.
Looking down from the battlefield above, the Blue Pegasus Patriarch’s eyes contained a faint trace of surprise as they settled upon Cole’s figure.
Below him, amid the chaos and destruction, Cole was desperately trying to carry the broken body of a woman across his shoulders. Trisha’s limp figure hung against his back, her blood-stained hair swaying wildly with every movement while one of Cole’s arms firmly supported her legs.
The sight was somewhat unexpected.
Just like Amorpheus, the Blue Pegasus Patriarch couldn’t understand how Cole had managed to cast such a powerful spell without consuming a mana potion. His sharp gaze lingered upon Cole for another moment, carefully observing the strange fluctuations surrounding his body.
Yet even with his considerable insight, he couldn’t immediately find the answer.
In the end, he simply let out a cold snort.
It seemed...
The Saint Family’s retribution had finally arrived.
A faint mocking expression appeared in the Blue Pegasus Patriarch’s eyes as he looked toward the battlefield below.
One direct heir had already died.
The other...
They were preparing to kill themselves.
The situation couldn’t have been more ironic.
The Blue Pegasus Patriarch couldn’t help but wonder what his old rival would think if he could witness this scene right now.
Would he be disappointed?
Would he be furious?
Or perhaps...
He would finally understand what it felt like to lose something precious.
The thought had barely surfaced when the atmosphere suddenly changed.
A terrifying aura erupted from Markovich’s body.
Boom!
The clouds above seemed to be forcibly pushed downward by the invisible pressure. The turbulent sky twisted around him as an overwhelming force spread through the battlefield, causing even the surrounding patriarchs to narrow their eyes.
The sheer intensity of the aura made everyone’s hearts churn.
Even the strongest warriors below instinctively felt their bodies grow heavy.
It seemed...
After witnessing his son’s death, Markovich had finally lost control.
...
Meanwhile, on the ground below, Cole had only one thought in his mind.
Run.
His legs moved at their fastest speed as he carried Trisha across his shoulders, his figure flashing through the chaotic battlefield.
Countless questions were racing through his mind.
Why had the three Ancient Families suddenly attacked?
Why had the Blue Pegasus Patriarch appeared at this exact moment?
Who had stopped the execution?
How had he managed to cast the Lightning Arrow?
And what exactly was happening between the Ancient Families?
But none of those questions mattered right now.
He didn’t have the luxury of finding answers.
He needed to escape.
As quickly as possible.
Every second he remained inside the Saint Family compound was another second in which he could die.
Trisha’s body rested heavily against his back, her weak breathing barely audible beneath the roar of the surrounding battlefield. Cole tightened his grip around her legs, making sure she wouldn’t fall as he sprinted forward.
The battlefield had become a complete mess.
Explosions shook the ground.
Weapons clashed.
Spells tore through the sky.
Warriors from the three allied Ancient Families fought against the Saint Family’s forces, creating countless pockets of chaotic combat throughout the compound.
Yet strangely...
Nobody stopped Cole.
The allied forces seemed to completely ignore his existence.
Whenever a Saint Family warrior attempted to move toward him, someone from the opposing side immediately intercepted them, forcing them into another battle.
Cole didn’t question his luck.
He simply ran.
Faster.
And faster.
His surroundings became nothing more than blurred fragments as his feet repeatedly struck the ground.
Buildings flashed past him.
Broken walls.
Fallen guards.
Cracks spreading across the streets.
Everything became a fleeting image.
Cole didn’t even realize when the Saint Family estate disappeared behind him.
He only knew that he was getting farther away.
Farther from Markovich.
Farther from the execution stage.
Farther from death.
Then...
Just as he was about to leave the city, two familiar figures suddenly appeared in front of him.
Cole’s footsteps slowed slightly.
His eyes widened.
Jessica.
And Ethan.
The Summers siblings.
The two people he had helped inside the Thunder Domain.
They stood beside a prepared carriage, its exterior reinforced with thick metal plating and several glowing formations etched across its surface.
Jessica immediately waved toward him.
"Come on! Get in here!"
"We already have the carriage prepared."
Ethan’s expression remained serious as he glanced toward the chaos behind Cole.
"Let’s leave."
Cole hesitated for only a fraction of a second.
There were countless reasons why he should have been suspicious.
Why were they here?
Why had they prepared a carriage?
How had they known he would need one?
But...
He didn’t have time.
Not now.
Even a single second of hesitation could cost him his life.
He was already in the worst possible situation imaginable.
He didn’t believe things could somehow become even worse.
With that thought, Cole immediately rushed toward the carriage.
The moment he stepped inside while carrying Trisha, Ethan immediately activated the formation engraved across the floor.
Hum!
A deep vibration spread through the carriage.
One formation after another lit up beneath their feet, lines of brilliant energy connecting together like an intricate network. The air around the carriage suddenly distorted as an enormous amount of mana was drawn into the formation.
Then...
BOOM!
The carriage launched forward.