18 New crisis

Ryan returned to the desolate village, strewn with bodies. Evelyn and Olaf had long since left, a detail Ryan was indifferent to. His expression grave, he swiftly employed his basic Devouring skill, converting the magic and souls from the scattered remains of the Genis family mages into points. Without a moment's delay, he then hurried towards the village where his sister was, keenly aware that any delay could bring danger closer to them.

In the distant capital of the Aispa Magic Empire, under the night sky, a thunderous roar shattered the silence, echoing in every corner. Inside an exceedingly luxurious residence, suddenly, a dazzling streak of light, like a beast breaking free from its chains, shot up into the sky, slicing a bright crack in the southern night sky.

"Ryan! Even if I have to chase you to the ends of the earth, I will have you torn to pieces!" In the raging stream of light, a figure filled with wrath became unmistakably visible—it was Regen, the patriarch of the Genis family. His voice, laden with endless anger and vows of vengeance, pierced through the night, reaching the heavens.

Through the images sent back by advanced tracking magic skills, Regen saw the entire process of his son Adolf's tragic death, a sight that pierced his heart like a blade, igniting an uncontrollable fury within. Almost simultaneously, he received another shocking piece of news—his brother, Yeru, who was in charge of guarding the western border mines, had also been killed by Ryan. These blows distorted his face into a visage of terror and hatred, his heart swelling with a tumultuous rage like the ocean before a storm, uncontrollable and raging.

As his hatred for Ryan grew, Regen's roar, like thunder in a storm, traversed mountains and valleys, shaking the heavens and the earth. Within that wildly surging light, his figure appeared terrifying, as if dragging the whole world into a vortex of vengeance. In that moment, everything in Regen's vision vanished, leaving only a resolute determination engraved in his eyes and filling his heart—to completely erase Ryan from this world.

As Reagan's roar gradually faded into the night sky, his figure, driven by anger and a desire for revenge, streaked across the dark heavens like a shooting star, vanishing into the southern horizon's black curtain. However, the mark he left in the night sky, akin to a muted scar, silently foretold of an impending storm. The night breeze, cool and soothing, seemed to attempt mending the night torn by fury, yet a cold, ominous air subtly intensified a sense of foreboding.

Under this silent and oppressive night sky, the world appeared to hold its breath, quietly awaiting the storm brewed from hatred.

In the dead of night, Ryan sped through the sky, becoming increasingly anxious. Thus, he pushed the capabilities of the"Wings of Gale" to their limit behind him.

His level 40 experience had expired, and the only thing supporting his prolonged flight was the remaining mana potions in his system backpack. Supported by a continuous supply of mana, his figure was like a shuttle of light, almost merging with the sound of the wind around him. He was filled with intense urgency, wanting nothing more than to quickly return to the village where his sister was, and then to hurriedly take her away.

The head of the Genis family, Regan, was a level 59 second-order Grand Mage, his power just a step away from that of a third-order Grand Mage. Even if Ryan were given a level 60, third-order Grand Mage experience card now, he wouldn't be confident in killing Regan within ten minutes! Regan's strength was worlds apart from that of the level 56 Yeru! Now, until he became stronger, Ryan had no choice but to flee with all his might!

During these thoughts, Ryan checked the total points on his system panel. After killing 10 Advanced mages and devouring their souls and mana, he had gained an additional 50,000 points, bringing his available points to 135,000. Ryan didn't rush to deal with these points, feeling that the future was uncertain and that there might be a more suitable use for them.

Quickly, after nearly two hours of uninterrupted flight, Ryan soon returned to the village where his sister was.

At this moment, all was silent, and the village was quiet, free from monster disturbances. Even the villagers responsible for night watch at the village entrance had unwittingly dozed off, completely unaware of Ryan's descent from the sky into the village.

Ryan, anxious, hurriedly returned to the village chief's courtyard upon landing and went straight to his sister's room.

On the way, the hurried footsteps woke Anne, who was sound asleep. Panic-stricken, Anne walked out of her room to investigate and then saw a horrifying silhouette walking in the yard. The figure was covered in blood, and under the moonlight, its icy face was marked with gruesome bloodstains, quickly approaching the room where Alice was.

Anne was terrified, her face pale. She covered her mouth, forcefully controlling the urge to scream, her eyes filled with immense fear.

However, she remembered Ryan's parting words, promising to take good care of Alice. Thus, she forced herself to calm down, a hint of resolve passing through her eyes, mustering the courage to quickly go back inside and find a pair of scissors to use as a weapon, charging straight at the bloody figure.

"Stop!" Anne's voice broke the silent night, revealing her fear and panic. Her hands trembled involuntarily, gripping the scissors tightly as if they were her only support in the darkness. Despite being filled with fear, her voice was unexpectedly firm, shouting angrily at the receding silhouette.

Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Ryan turned around, seeing Anne poised as if facing a great enemy. Only then did Ryan notice his blood-stained clothes, the sticky feeling on his face, and the nauseating smell of blood on his body.

"Anne, don't be afraid, it's me, Ryan!" Ryan urgently spoke out, worried that his sudden appearance would frighten Anne.

Anne's face was filled with disbelief. She blinked, as if to confirm that what she was seeing was not an illusion, and asked with a trembling voice,"Lord Ryan, is it really you?"

"It's me, sorry! I scared you." Ryan sighed helplessly, extending his hand to release a ball of flame condensed from magic, illuminating his blood-stained, stern face.

"My lord, are you alright? What exactly happened, and your body..." Anne's gaze was filled with worry, her voice trembling as she tightly focused on the not yet dry blood on Ryan's clothes, her anxious emotions nearly overflowing.

"I'm really fine, Anne. This blood isn't mine," Ryan gently shook his head, trying to use a firm tone to ease Anne's nervousness, his gaze revealing a gentleness that wished she wouldn't worry.

As the flame in Ryan's hand extinguished, his body's magic surged, forming an invisible fluctuation. This power gently swept across his body, like a spring breeze, and the bloodstains on his clothes and the odd smell in the air dissipated as if touched by this force. Ryan did not wish to appear before Alice in such a gruesome, bloodied state. If it weren't for Anne's unexpected appearance, he might have forgotten to deal with these details.

Then, Ryan gave Annie an apologetic smile, turned around and continued walking towards his sister's room.

The door creaked gently open, and as the soft moonlight gently spilled into the room, Ryan's gaze slowly moved to the bed, where his sister Alice was immersed in sweet dreams. He sighed softly, silently walking to the bedside, carefully picking up the sleeping Alice.Suddenly, Alice was awakened by the careful movements. She opened her sleepy eyes, appearing a bit surprised at first. But when her gaze focused on her brother's familiar face, her face immediately lit up with joy.

"I'm sorry, Alice, I really didn't want to disturb your sweet dreams. But we must go now, time waits for no one." Looking at his sister whom he had awakened, Ryan's tone was filled with helplessness and tenderness.

"Are those bad people coming after us again?" Alice, with sleepy eyes, showed deep concern. With that question, her drowsiness seemed to vanish.

"Yes." Ryan softly replied, his eyes filled with pity for his sister, who looked worried and fearful in his arms. His expression grave, he walked out of the room slowly.

Annie, puzzled, came over and saw Ryan holding his sister with a solemn expression and couldn't help asking:"Lord Ryan, what is this…?"

"We must go now!" Ryan said firmly and calmly.

Hearing this, Annie was struck as if by lightning, her body instantly stiffened, frozen in shock. She couldn't understand why the young mage in front of her had suddenly decided to leave in such a hurry.

"You don't have to worry too much, Annie," Ryan noticed Annie's subtle emotional changes and hurriedly comforted her,"I've fulfilled my promise to you. That monster won't appear again, I've taken care of it."

After hearing this, Annie just quietly nodded, her thoughts obviously more on the fact that Ryan was about to leave. Her eyes shimmered with an undisguised sadness, tears swirling in her eyes.

"Do you really have to go?" Annie's voice was weak and choked up, she tried to suppress her emotions, but the sadness and melancholy overflowed like spring water. If possible, she wished Ryan could stay here forever.

"I'm sorry!" Ryan looked at Annie, whose eyes were full of tears and complex emotions, took a deep breath, and the"Wings of the Gale" appeared behind him, emitting a dazzling light in the night.

"Wait!" Seeing Ryan's determination to leave, Annie knew she couldn't change anything. So, she made up her mind, called out to stop Ryan, who was about to leave, and then quickly walked up to him.

She tiptoed up and, without hesitation, pressed her lips lightly against Ryan's in a final goodbye, then turned and ran back to her room with her face covered in tears. She didn't want Ryan to see her crying face as he left.

Feeling the warmth that lingered on his lips, Ryan smiled bitterly in his heart. If he and his sister weren't in a situation where they were being hunted, maybe their story could have had more possibilities, more time to explore and cherish. But the harsh reality made all that seem unattainable, he knew his departure was the only way to protect Annie and the others from danger.

Annie and these ordinary people couldn't possibly withstand the wrath of the Genis family's repercussions. Staying here would only harm them.