Dragon Monarch System Chapter 958:- Reunion [I]

"What just happened?"

"I have no idea."

"Neither do I. It was too fast to even catch a glimpse."

"That was likely a Peak 6th-order cultivator or perhaps someone even stronger rushing along the path. We should make sure not to disturb or anger such a person."

"Completely agreed!!!"

In the meantime, Kaoru was at the limit of her endurance. Aditya dragged her along like a mere object, with heavy chains cinched tightly around her throat. He gripped the other end of the leash, moving at such immense speeds and utilizing constant short-range teleportation that escaping his grasp was a physical impossibility for her.

She couldn't even think about breaking free; she was fighting just to draw breath. Her vision began to blur—not from the velocity of their travel, but because she was literally being strangled to death.

Midway through their journey, a firefly appeared before Aditya and Laura.

Finding a firefly in this region was highly irregular. In truth, these insects didn't exist anywhere in the tunnel world. The brutal environment was far too hostile for such fragile creatures to survive.

"It’s Athena!" Only the Goddess of Wisdom possessed the power to summon and command fireflies so freely.

"She must have sent this one to find you." As soon as he spoke, the glowing insect settled on Laura’s shoulder, dissolving into a tiny speck of golden light no larger than a pupil.

"We need to move faster." By chaining short teleportations of 500 to 800 meters together at maximum agility, they covered ground at a staggering pace. Their speed was so intense that Laura would have surely collapsed if Aditya hadn't been supporting her and shielding her within a Mana Barrier.

_

_

"Mateo, can you hear me?" Bree asked, her voice thick with worry. Mateo’s injuries were catastrophic.

During their combined effort, they had decided that Bree would take the vanguard, engaging Alex Jones in melee combat, while Mateo provided constant magical artillery from the rear.

With perfect synchronization, they stood a real chance of suppressing a Peak 6th-order cultivator.

However, while Atlas was significantly more powerful than Alex Jones, the latter was by no means incompetent. He had quickly deciphered their tactics. Consequently, Mateo was struck by a lethal blow originally intended for Bree, leaving him critically wounded.

A massive hole had been torn through Mateo’s lower abdomen. The wound was so deep that one could see straight through to the other side.

"This is bad!" Bree was on the verge of breakdown. Initially, she had found his constant presence irritating.

He had always seemed overly eager about everything.

She had seen how he was always watching over her. She noticed the way his tone softened and his demeanor became gentle whenever they spoke.

He looked after her with more devotion than her own grandfather ever had. He constantly went to extremes just to ensure her safety. To Bree, it felt as though Mateo treated her like a precious child. Whenever she lost her temper, he was there to soothe her.

When she struggled to grasp a concept, he would explain it with endless patience.

Eventually, Bree had stopped finding him annoying. Without even realizing it, she had begun to develop feelings for him.

"Mateo, please don’t die!!!" Tears streamed down her face. The battle with Alex Jones was forgotten; her only desire now was for Mateo to survive.

Tragically, Mateo had exhausted his supply of high-grade healing elixirs. Because they were branded as wanted criminals, no merchant would risk selling them top-tier pills or potions. The medicine he had left lacked the potency required to knit his flesh back together and close such a horrific wound.

Nearby, the City Leader watched the two "rats" with a sense of twisted joy and satisfaction.

"Don't fret. I'll be sending you to join your lover shortly." Bree met his words with a look of pure hatred.

Cough...!!!

"Bree...!!" Mateo whispered, his voice fading. Combat had never been his forte. Since childhood, his Cultivation had been average and his fighting skills poor. He was far more suited to administration and overseeing his father's lands.

"You have to run.....!!" Even if his life ended here, he wanted her to escape.

"Athena, we have to act." On their side of the battlefield, the situation was equally dire. Alfred, in his weakened state, was struggling against eight different foes.

He was covered in wounds inflicted by the coordinated strikes of the scout-level enemies. Because they protected one another's blind spots, Alfred couldn't land a finishing blow. The best he could manage was a few surprise attacks that left some scouts badly injured, yet they remained functional enough to continue their support.

Meanwhile, Athena was busy shielding Alfred and Bree while maintaining her own front. The Goddess was capable of maintaining six spells simultaneously.

Had she not been forced to split her focus so many ways, she wouldn't be on the defensive. So far, neither Atlas nor Athena had managed to deal a decisive blow to the other. They were stuck in a deadlocked struggle. However, Athena knew that as Atlas adapted to her style, he would eventually seize the upper hand as her allies' condition worsened.

'What is the next move?' She blamed herself for their predicament; if she hadn't let her guard down, their identities would never have been compromised.

Suddenly, she froze as she detected a massive presence racing toward them.

Simultaneously, the heavens above began to dim.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. The sky was rapidly being swallowed by darkness. Heavy clouds blotted out the light, and within moments, a torrential rain began to fall.

Thunder rumbled as strange Crimson Lightning began to coil and strike within the dark clouds.

Recognizing these phenomena from their previous encounter, Atlas knew exactly who was arriving.

"He’s here!!" Atlas abandoned his fight with Athena and forgot his mission to capture her. At this moment, his only concern was erasing the shame of his defeat from weeks ago. Back then, he had been unable to defeat the man because his power had been capped at the Peak of the 5th-order.

But the circumstances here were different.

"Aditya, your life ends today." A thick, suffocating killing intent erupted from Atlas, weighing down on everyone present. Only Athena and Alfred, bolstered by their immense mental fortitude, remained standing firm.

The mention of the name Aditya sparked various reactions.

Athena felt her other half approaching, accompanied by a powerful aura that felt strangely familiar. It was a sensation that made her feel as though she had known this person in the distant past.

Conversely, Alfred began to tremble with pure exhilaration. He realized this was the moment he had seen in his prophecies. Their Crown Prince had finally arrived.

From her position holding Mateo, Bree looked to the sky and then back at her companion.

Alex Jones’s face darkened. He sensed a third presence—the Aura of his most hated enemy.

"Aditya, we finally face each other again."

"I have been waiting for this moment...!!" Before Atlas could finish his sentence, the Monarch slammed a fist into his chest, launching him away like a projectile.

Upon landing, Aditya set Laura down gently on her feet. Then, with a sharp tug on the chain, he jerked Kaoru toward him.

Kaoru was on the brink of death. She only survived because the physique of a Peak 6th-order Cultivator was exceptionally durable.

Aditya scanned the crowd.

His gaze lingered on Alfred for a moment. He held nothing but respect and warmth for the man. Even when Aditya's parents had changed for the worse, Alfred had remained loyal and kind, often going out of his way to ensure Aditya's well-being.

He didn't recognize Bree or Mateo, but he could see that Mateo was fading fast.

Finally, his eyes met Athena’s. She was looking at him before glancing toward her other half.

"Laura, I’ll handle this. Heal that man." He handed her a Peak 5-star Healing Potion contained in a blue vial.

"So, you’re the one called Aditya." Alex Jones stepped forward. He stared at the dying Kaoru.

He was displeased. Kaoru was his prey, and it was supposed to be his privilege to torture her.

"Who do you think you are?" he demanded coldly.

"I am...!!"

He was cut off as an overwhelming force paralyzed his body.

In a flash that looked like teleportation, Aditya crossed the 50-meter gap to stand before him. He pulled Kaoru up so she was level with Alex Jones's face.

In the following instant, a hand transformed into a claw burst through Kaoru’s chest and continued straight through Alex Jones’s heart. Both were impaled in a single, fluid strike.

The sheer violence of the blow caused Alex Jones to spray a massive amount of blood.

"I don't give a damn who you are," the Monarch growled, his voice low and freezing, his eyes burning with a Crimson glow.

----------------

A sincere thank you to everyone who has supported the story with golden tickets and gifts. Let's keep the momentum going!!!