Regan's Hunt
Watching helplessly as his sister Alice's figure vanished into the horizon with a nearly invisible stream of light, Ryan's heart plunged into an endless darkness. His sister, his only family, was so easily taken away right before his eyes!
"Ah!" Ryan looked up to the sky and let out a roar of frustration, his voice filled with despair and anger. Deep inside, endless regret and self-blame consumed him like a black hole, inflicting deep pain and helplessness. His fists were clenched so tightly they trembled, his nails digging deep into his flesh, every nerve sharply outlining his current despair.
"Ha ha ha ha… this damned world... ha ha ha ha ha... is this the law of the jungle? Ah ha ha ha, what a law of the jungle!"
A terrifying smile squeezed through Ryan's tear-streaked face, the madness-driven laughter echoing piercingly in the silence around, like an invisible storm wreaking havoc in an empty space. Each"ha ha" seemed like the sound of his heart shattering, those laughs like sharp blades tearing at his seemingly impenetrable shell, until revealing the fragile, scarred self within. In such laughter, there was no joy, only mockery of cruel fate and ridicule of his own powerlessness to change his circumstances. In this moment of despair, Ryan's laughter became his last stand against pain and desperation.
After a long spell of deranged laughter, Ryan's gaze gradually turned icy, and the laughter abruptly stopped.
"If this damned fate has abandoned me, letting me fall into the abyss..." his voice was low and firm, his gaze dark and chilling as he murmured coldly,"then I shall become the darkness! In the abyss, I will stare back at this damned fate!"
"Alice, wait for me! I will become strong! I will be so powerful that even fate will bow before me! I will be so powerful that all enemies will tremble at my feet! I will kill anyone who dares to stand in my way! Even if it's a god!"
Amidst endless rage, Ryan knew that succumbing to despair was futile; only by pulling himself together could he see hope. With his sister's fate uncertain, he could not afford to fall but must become stronger quickly and then take back his sister!
Thus, he quickly rallied himself, spending 1000 points in the system shop to buy a bottle of primary recovery potion that could heal his damaged soul and physical injuries, drinking it in one gulp.
A warm sensation spread through him, his torn soul and shattered bones rapidly healing.
Immediately afterward, he activated his primary devouring skill, slowly eroding the powerful force still tightly binding him. This damned old mage possessed such terrifying power that even after his departure, the magic binding Ryan hadn't weakened in the slightest!
As time ticked away, it wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that Ryan finally freed himself from this cursed restraint. During this period, Ryan had to consume over twenty bottles of primary magic potion to replenish his magic power barely to break free, indicating the terrifying extent of this binding force!
Ryan dared not linger any longer and activated Wings of the Gale quickly heading towards the Nolan Magic Empire. Having been delayed in the air for a whole day, Regan was probably close to catching up! Ryan even suspected that the damned old man did this on purpose, to have him killed by his enemies!
Thinking of this, Ryan's hatred for the old mage boiled even more fiercely. He silently vowed that one day, he would crush every bone in the old man's body, making him pay a heavy price for today's deeds!
Sure enough, not long after Ryan had left, a wildly furious presence instantly descended upon the area, a streak of light swiftly passing through the sky and then following in the direction Ryan had left.
"Muahaha, run! Run all you want! When I catch you, I will make you wish for death!" That figure let out a creepy and eerie voice. It was Regan, seeking vengeance.
Soon, he saw a speeding figure on the horizon— Ryan.
At the same time, Ryan also sharply noticed Regan, who was furiously pursuing him from a distance, causing his eyelids to twitch in alarm.
"Damn it!" Ryan cursed internally, shocked at the speed at which Regan was closing in, much faster than he had imagined!
"Where do you think you're going? Die!" Regan, with a dark face, watched the figure close at hand, a tremendous power surging in his hand. In a moment, it formed a blue-glowing magic circle, from which he grabbed a long spear composed of mighty magic power, hurling it viciously at Ryan!
A piercing sound of breaking through the air echoed, and Ryan, seeing the huge commotion behind him and the magic power long spear filled with intense killing intent coming at him, didn't hesitate to spend 50,000 points in the system shop to buy a temporary tenfold speed buff amplification card, turning into an afterimage that broke through the air.
The magic power long spear exploded at Ryan's original location, sending a shockwave that scattered the clouds within nearly ten kilometers around, leaving behind a vacuum zone raging with violent magic power in the sky.
"Huh? How could this be?" Missing his target, confusion flashed across Regan's face, quickly followed by uncontrollable anger.
Seeing Ryan suddenly increase the distance between them, Regan's face turned so dark it was almost dripping with anger. He was clueless about what trump card Ryan had used to achieve such a significant boost in speed.
"Could those wings be of epic grade?" Regan's gaze turned suspicious and thoughtful as he eyed the pale blue wings on Ryan's back.
"Hmph! Thinking a pair of epic-grade wings could help you escape from the palm of my hand? Wishful thinking! If I don't kill you today, it won't quell the raging hatred in my heart!" Regan's eyes filled with a fierce determination, quickly summoning a pair of mechanical wings with a soft yellow glow from his magical space ring and equipping them on his back. Instantly, the mechanical wings exuded an extremely mystical aura.
Named Swift Mechanical Wings, this epic-grade magical equipment could enhance the wearer's flying speed, one of Regan's rare treasures. Allegedly crafted by a Supreme mage skilled in forging during the ancient times, it could boost the user's flight speed. Regan had survived numerous dire battles, several times narrowly escaping death, all thanks to this prized possession, which speaks volumes about the incredible speed of the Swift Mechanical Wings.
However, such a treasure was not without its flaws. The magical power required to activate it was astronomical! To fully unleash the power of this equipment, it needed a continuous supply of Supreme magic crystals. Only the immense magical energy contained within these Supreme crystals could sustain its consumption. The wings could increase the wearer's speed up to nearly tenfold, depending on the amount of magic power consumed.
"Boy, you better not let me catch you, or I'll make sure you experience the most cruel torture known to this world!" With a pained expression, Regan took out several dazzling, multicolored Supreme magic crystals from his magical storage ring and crushed them in his hand.
Immediately, the crushed crystals transformed into surges of immense magical power, crazily flowing into the mechanical wings on his back under his mental command.
Another ear-piercing sound of tearing through the air followed, as Regan's speed drastically increased, rapidly catching up to Ryan.
Thus, the chase ensued, with both participants maintaining a certain distance in the sky, resulting in a stalemate. About an hour later, the mental states of both parties began to shift.
Seeing that he had been speeding for an hour without being able to shake off his pursuer, Ryan's anxiety began to grow. With the time of his speed boost temporary card already half expired, if he couldn't escape the pursuit within the next hour, he faced certain death.
Regan was equally desperate, watching as the Supreme magic crystals in his magical storage ring rapidly diminished, feeling as if his heart was bleeding. Supreme magic crystals were exceedingly rare, with the entire Genis family's mines producing less than a hundred annually. These crystals were years of his reserve, intended for emergencies. Now, to think that he was depleting nearly a third of his stash because of a mere Advanced mage was unbearable.
Despite continuously crushing Supreme magic crystals to power his mechanical wings, Regan still couldn't close the distance between himself and that detestable youth. The gap of several kilometers seemed insurmountable, pushing his frustration to its limits.
"I've got to find a way to shake off this damn guy!" On the run, Ryan's expression turned serious as he brainstormed for solutions.
"I absolutely can't let him escape!" After much hesitation, Regan made a decision. With a fierce glint in his eyes and a flash of white light in his hand, he revealed a mysterious, crack-covered purple longbow. Having already wasted so many Supreme magic crystals, allowing his sworn enemy to escape would be an unbearable disgrace.
"Boy, to die by this legendary Thunderbow is an honor for you!" Regan sneered, decisively crushing nearly ten Supreme magic crystals and channeling the magic frenziedly into the purple longbow.
This Thunderbow, his most treasured possession, was a legendary magical weapon, albeit a flawed one. Each use reduced its lifespan, and with every crack that appeared, its durability decreased, inching closer to its demise.
Regan briefly halted in mid-air, fully focusing on controlling the Thunderbow. He pulled the legendary bow to its limit, channeling a tremendous force of lightning and electricity into a dazzling lightning arrow. Not only did this arrow contain destructive power, but it also carried an unstoppable momentum. Regan's eyes were icy as he locked onto Ryan, who was speeding ahead. It was as if time stood still, the air humming with the sound of thunder and filled with tension.
"Die!" Accompanied by Regan's thunderous roar, he released the bowstring, letting go of the arrow filled with lightning and thunderous force towards Ryan's back. This arrow of destruction whistled through the sky, making the surroundings tremble. The light left a long trail in its path, swiftly reaching behind Ryan!