Man With Super Medical Skill (Matthew)

were bloodshot, his voice rasping, sounding like a vengeful spirit.

The sound of snapping bones behind him sent a jolt of terror through Kurtis. He turned to see his brother, Cyrus, with his neck grotesquely twisted, his head lolling to one side. His mouth gaped open as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Cyrus' eyes "Leave now, and I can pretend none of this ever happened. Otherwise, the entire Gloam Division will hunt you down without mercy!" Cyrus rasped, his voice hoarse and his eyes blazing with madness.

But Mortimer was unmoved by Cyrus' threat. The idea that he would simply leave and trust that Cyrus would let things slide was laughable. Only someone with a death wish would believe such a lie.

He didn't bother responding and instead vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing directly in front of Kurtis. With a swift, powerful strike, he slapped Kurtis hard across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Kurtis' eyes were wide with shock and confusion, unable to comprehend how Mortimer had appeared so suddenly.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Before Kurtis could recover, Mortimer drove a boot into his chest, causing Kurtis to cough up a mouthful of blood, his eyes bulging with a mix of pain and hatred. "You... d*mn... b*stard..." he spat out with his last breath.

As Kurtis' breathing slowed, Mortimer pressed down harder, crushing Kurtis' heart. Even if Matthew were present, there was no salvaging.

The two women who had been with the Hale brothers were petrified, their instincts urging them to scream, but Mortimer swiftly knocked them both unconscious with a sharp chop to their necks.

Suddenly, Mortimer felt a presence and looked up toward the rooftop. Standing on the edge, bathed in the pale moonlight, was a figure dressed in white, exuding an air of aloofness and cold detachment. The person's skin was as smooth as polished jade, with delicate eyebrows and deep, piercing eyes. The thin, slightly curved lips gave an androgynous appearance, making it difficult for Mortimer to discern the stranger's gender.

"Who are you?" Mortimer asked warily, his senses on high alert as he stared at Aelion. There was something about him that made Mortimer feel a subtle sense of danger-an instinctive recognition of another grandmaster-level opponent.

The Aerial Legion had been established only a few days ago, so Mortimer knew nothing about Aelion.

"You come to Montiria, kill my

people, and now you ask who I am?" Aelion replied, glancing down at the

There was no emotion in his

lifeless bodies of Cyrus and et

gaze-these were just two useless men who had spent their lives vying for power and indulging in their vices. Whether they lived or died mattered little to Aelion. If Mortimer hadn't killed them, Aelion would have eventually done so himself.

"From what I know, Montiria doesn't have any grandmasters like you," Mortimer said, his hands subtly preparing for a possible attack. In a battle between grandmasters, even the slightest lapse in focus could be fatal.

"Montiria belongs to His Majesty the

King, and I, Aelion Tarian, am the General-in-Chief of the Aerial Legion. Would you be willing to come with me?" Aelion's tone was calm, almost indifferent, but neither of them lowered their guard. Between

Aelion's fingers appeared two small,

flawless jade needles.

"From what I know, Montiria doesn't have any grandmasters like you," Mortimer said, his hands subtly preparing for a possible attack. In a battle between grandmasters, even the slightest lapse in focus could be fatal.

"Aelion Tarian, General-in-Chief of

the Aerial Legion, directly under His Majesty of Montiria. Would you be willing to come with me?" Aelion's tone was calm, almost indifferent, but neither of them lowered their guard. Between Aelion's fingers appeared two small, flawless jade needles.

"It seems we can't settle this peacefully tonight. Let's fight," Mortimer responded, just as Aelion flicked his wrist.

The two transparent jade needles shot out, disappearing into the darkness. Mortimer's expression changed as he heard the needles whizzing through the air. He quickly stepped back, and two small holes appeared in the spot where he had just been standing.

"It seems we can't settle this peacefully tonight. Let's fight," Mortimer responded, just as Aelion flicked his wrist.

Mortimer's expression darkened as he heard the needles slicing through the air. He quickly leaped back, just in time to avoid the spot where the needles struck, leaving two small holes in the ground.

Aelion lightly pushed off with his toe, his white cloak billowing behind him as more invisible jade needles flew toward Mortimer, sealing off all possible escape routes.

Mortimer's face grew even more grim as he gathered his internal energy, throwing a powerful punch. Yet, the jade needles, made from an unknown material, did not break.