Chapter 423 Grueling Wake Up Call [Part 2]
With a commanding snap of his fingers, Allen\'s invisible telekinetic force lashed out, encircling Liam\'s body and his grand ax suspended in mid-air. Liam\'s movements were abruptly halted, and he groaned in agony as the unyielding force constricted around him. His attempts to break free were met with futility, and the Healing Plant, an earth-based creature, proved ineffectual in alleviating his pain.
Allen\'s mocking chuckle cut through the air like a poisoned blade, each syllable dripping with disdain. He drew his face closer to Liam, his wicked smile widening with a predatory glint in his eyes. His voice, laced with venom, carried a bitter truth that Liam couldn\'t ignore.
"Hurt, isn\'t it?" Allen taunted, the words landing like a crushing blow. "You strive to be the leader, seeking attention and glory, but in the end, you\'re just a pawn in someone else\'s game." He hissed the last words with contempt, driving the point home. "Once your so-called master gets what they want, they\'ll toss you aside like the worthless pawn you are. After all, rubbish belongs in the trash..."
For Liam, those words were more than just a verbal assault; they were a brutal awakening. The memories of Sophia\'s manipulation and her calculated use of both him and Darren to gather information about Allen flooded his mind. The intimate encounters they\'d shared were nothing more than bargaining chips, a cheap currency used to achieve Sophia\'s sinister goals.
"SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!!" Liam erupted in anger, struggling against Allen\'s unrelenting grip. The truth stung, and he couldn\'t bear to hear any more of it.
Allen\'s laughter cut through the air, a sarcastic symphony of mockery. "Lion\'s head, snake\'s tail," he sneered, driving the harsh reality home. It was a brutal wake-up call, shattering the illusions Liam had held onto and leaving him grappling with the harsh truth.
Darren, seizing the moment as Allen\'s focus was fixed on Liam\'s struggle and the biting words exchanged between them, recognized this as his golden opportunity. His heart raced with a mix of fear and determination as he realized that this might be their only shot at victory.
Summoning all his courage, he swiftly conjured a special plant, one that resembled a colossal habanero pepper but with a volatile twist. This was his secret weapon, the trump card he had been holding onto for the right moment. With precision honed through hours of practice, Darren hurled the explosive plant directly at Allen.
As the fiery projectile hurtled through the air, the thrill of anticipation surged within Darren. This was his moment to turn the tide, to claim victory against all odds. However, in doing so, he revealed his hiding place, the one advantage they had maintained throughout the encounter. The stakes had been raised, and the outcome hung in the balance.
- BOOM!
The deafening explosion rocked the battlefield as the bomb plant detonated in a fiery burst of chaos. Smoke and debris billowed through the air, obscuring vision and sending shockwaves in all directions. Darren, heart pounding and nerves on edge, watched with bated breath, hoping that the blast would be enough to turn the tide in their favor.
As the smoke began to clear, revealing the area where Allen and Liam had been locked in their struggle, Darren\'s anxious gaze searched for any sign of an advantage gained. Had Allen released his grip on Liam? Had the explosion caused Allen to stumble or fall?
The smoke cleared, revealing the aftermath of the explosion, Darren\'s eyes widened with a mixture of shock and dread. His hopes of gaining the upper hand had been shattered as he beheld an astonishing sight.
There, in the midst of the clearing smoke, Allen stood unscathed, protected by a transparent barrier that had shielded him from the bomb plant\'s destructive blast. His expression remained cold and unfazed, as if the fiery explosion had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Even more terrifying, Allen\'s hands were now firmly wrapped around Liam\'s neck, choking the life out of him. Darren watched in horror as his friend struggled to breathe, clawing at Allen\'s iron grip in a desperate bid for survival.
With a sinister smile that sent shivers down Darren\'s spine, Allen addressed him mockingly, "Aren\'t you too naive, Alchemist?"
The words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of their dire situation. Darren\'s heart raced as he realized the depth of his miscalculation, his entire plan unraveling before his eyes.
"Well, I won\'t blame that," Allen continued, his voice dripping with malice. "That\'s why you\'re just a servant. You can\'t do anything but obey the orders of others..."
The weight of Allen\'s words pressed down on Darren, leaving him feeling helpless and cornered. His wide eyes remained fixed on Allen, who had just drained Liam\'s energy with his Soul Siphon skill. Darren watched in helpless horror as his friend\'s energy levels plummeted to zero, the life force sucked out of him by the merciless Devil Emperor.
Liam\'s lifeless body slipped from Allen\'s grasp, plummeting to the ground with a thud. The ravenous carnivorous plants lurking below eagerly seized their opportunity, latching onto the fallen form and beginning their grisly feast. To them, it was just another lifeless husk, devoid of any significance.
In the midst of this macabre scene, Allen didn\'t waste a moment. With a swift and eerie movement, he employed his Shadow Step skill, appearing instantly in front of the trembling Darren. The abruptness of his arrival sent shivers down Darren\'s spine as he found himself face to face with the Devil Emperor.
"Why don\'t you run?" The Devil Emperor\'s voice held a cold, unsettling tone as he confronted Darren.
Darren hesitated for a moment, the weight of his decision heavy on his shoulders. "Because I don\'t want to leave my friend," he finally replied, steeling himself. He knew fleeing would be futile; Allen had an arsenal of ranged skills that would easily thwart any escape attempt.
A wicked grin crept across Allen\'s face as he mused, "What a nice friendship." His tone, however, remained frigid. "But I\'m going to ask you something, are you following a head or a tail?" The implication of his words hung heavily in the air.
Darren\'s eyes widened with realization. He knew precisely what Allen meant by "head" and "tail." He was referring to Liam since Darren always followed him.
With uncanny speed, Allen\'s hand rose, and his black sword gleamed menacingly. In a single swift motion, he beheaded Darren. Darren\'s lifeless body slumped to the ground. While Allen, with inhuman precision, caught Darren\'s severed head in his hand. His eerie, crimson eyes bore into the lifeless gaze of Darren\'s decapitated head.
"Remember this, Alchemist," Allen spoke with an ominous warning, his voice echoing through the desolate battlefield. "Friendship is beautiful, but following the tail will only lead you to destruction."