Chapter 221: Teleported
Back inside, Nox's heart pounded, and his muscles burned, but he maintained the perfect speed. Any slower, and the rocks would fall—any faster, and he risked losing control of the vortex. Sweat dripped down his face.
The force of Nox's Divine Velocity had deflected the avalanche's momentum. Rocks that would have crushed them were redirected, circling helplessly within the storm. The swirling air pushed the debris upward, forming a protective dome around his team.
Meanwhile, the siblings were tumbling through the chaotic storm helplessly.
"Ugh! Kuuuuk!" The third sister groaned as her body slammed into a huge chunk of rock. Her entire body burned with pain, and her once-beautiful face was filled with bruises. It had only been a minute, yet her HP had reduced significantly.
"Such creativity! Ladies and gentlemen, this is beyond mastery—this is sheer brilliance! Nox isn't just controlling the storm; he's dancing with it! I wonder how long Nox can keep this going!" Klein's voice boomed throughout the area, his eyes sparkling. He was inwardly pleased to have accepted this job.
Usually, he was hired for more important competitions within the eastern regions, the most prosperous area in the Vermilion Kingdom. Initially, he had been skeptical about coming to Vermilion.
But... who would have thought he'd witness such overwhelming creativity and power? Even the other towns were fascinated by this display, and respect gradually grew in their hearts.
At this moment, all doubts they had about Nox completely vanished, replaced by a mixture of awe and fear.
Wendy stared at the cyclone with wide eyes, admiration flickering within them. She clenched her fists to stop her body from trembling with excitement. "Just... just when I thought he'd shown me everything, he surpasses my expectations again." Her heart raced as if she were caught in the storm herself.
"Hahahaha! Bastard, this is what you get for sneaking up on us! How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine, huh?" Rab shouted, flipping the middle finger at the Armstrong siblings, who were still swirling helplessly inside the cyclone. Seeing the pain they were going through made him very excited.
"It would've been even more fun if that white-haired bastard was with them," he thought, referring to Hendrix—the same kid who had smashed his head into the cobblestones a few years ago. Determined to repay that humiliation, Rab had trained diligently over the years. Though he wasn't as strong as Nox, he was confident that he wouldn't be vulnerable again. Now, he stood a fighting chance!
There was a strange gleam in Nyx's eyes as she followed the flickering figure of her brother, who was gradually increasing his speed. Each turn was faster than the last. If not for the afterimages he left behind, she wouldn't have been able to keep track of his movement.
Nyx didn't feel jealous; instead, pride crossed her features. She had bragged about her brother back in the capital, but now she realized her boasting hadn't even scratched the surface of Nox's abilities.
"Faster! I need to be faster!" Nox shouted internally. He pushed himself harder, shifting his spiral to intercept the secondary avalanche rushing from the opposite side.
"Is he going to run like this forever?" someone from the audience shouted.
"He must have a plan!" another added.
"Fool, he's just fighting the inevitable... no matter what happens, that avalanche will still crash on them," a cold voice sneered from the Armstrong Duchy.
"Hmph, seems like someone's trying to be optimistic!" a man from the Cromwell Barony retorted.
Meanwhile, inside the eye of the storm, the Armstrong siblings fought to stay conscious. Their bodies slammed into rocks and debris as they were flung mercilessly through the vortex.
"Get a grip!" the third sister shouted as she clutched a jagged stone, trying to stabilize herself. Her face was pale, bruises covering every inch of her skin. The once-arrogant scion, who had worn a wild grin just moments ago, now looked like a ragdoll caught in a hurricane.
"Do something, fourth brother!" the second brother shouted in frustration. Despite his affinity with earth, which allowed him to manipulate some debris, it didn't stop his health from gradually hitting rock bottom.
"You—ouch! Fuck!" The fourth brother tried to retort, but he slammed into another rock. This one was jagged and stabbed into his flesh, making him groan in pain. He gritted his teeth, extracted himself, and started making hand signs in the air.
However, he kept slamming into more rocks, and his teleportation skill failed over and over again, leaving his swollen face red with frustration. They had thought this plan through... but they forgot one crucial thing—Nox was an anomaly! Now, they were suffering the consequences.
"He's slowing down!" someone from the crowd suddenly pointed out, snapping everyone's attention in that direction.
Indeed, Nox's speed had decreased slightly compared to before. At that moment, the two avalanches collided at the edge of his windstorm, crashing harmlessly into each other and shattering into smaller, manageable chunks that were swallowed by the swirling vortex.
With a final burst of speed, Nox launched himself upward, using the force of his own storm to propel himself into the air. As he reached the peak of his jump, he twisted midair and stopped the vortex entirely. The collected debris fell harmlessly around his team in a light shower of small rocks.
"Hahahaha!" Wendy's pleasant voice filled the air as she spun around like a child playing in the rain.
"This tickles!" Cole commented, his eyes shining with admiration as he gazed at Nox, who had landed gracefully on his feet, breathing heavily but with a satisfied smirk.
"Is the commander even human?" Cole wondered aloud.
"Of course not." Rab, known as Nox's biggest supporter, didn't miss the opportunity to chime in. "He's something more!"
Slowly, the group started to approach Nox, who was panting heavily. However, before they could reach him, a teleportation circle suddenly appeared between them, and the three Armstrong siblings materialized, barely standing on their feet.
"You bastards!" the second brother groaned, his face purple with anger as he made a hand signal. "You'll all pay for what you did to us!" As he shouted, a teleportation circle appeared beneath Nox's feet and enveloped him. His body instinctively tensed, and his dark eyes flashed dangerously.
Before he could react, a powerful force yanked him from the ground, and the familiar valley vanished in a blinding flash of light.
"Nox!" the group of three shouted as they witnessed the scene.
"Now that he's gone, let's see who will save you!" the third sister declared coldly as she stepped forward, activating her skills. "I'll make sure you feel twice the pain that little bastard made me go through!"