2023-12-16 15:08:11......
......"Hmmn, it's my sister-in-law. Why is she calling me?" Aarav was surprised to see Bella Rossi's name flashing on the caller ID.Bella, his wife's younger sister and the owner of Bella Couture, rarely contacted him unless there was something urgent."Hello," Aarav answered the phone."Good, the call went through. Hey, listen up, 'cause I won't say it twice. If you want Bella Rossi alive, then bring 100 million Celestial Crowns, in half an hour, at the back of Second Venue Dome Plaza!" Instead of Bella's sweet voice, a gruff man's threatening tone demanded a ransom.(Note: Currency of this world: "Celestial Crown" (C₢))"Du...du...du...Hello...hello...fucker!" Before Aarav could react, the line went dead."What kind of situation did she get herself into, and how the heck did this bastard get hold of her?" Aarav muttered, his mind racing with concern for Bella Rossi.He swiftly changed into simple clothing he found in a drawer before rushing out."Where is the place again? Right, let's take a cab!" Aarav left the estate in a hurry, arriving on the main road, his thoughts consumed by worry and confusion about Bella's kidnapping."Second Venue Dome Plaza, ASAP. I'll double the fare if you get there the fastest!" Aarav instructed the cab driver, who eagerly agreed, eyes lighting up at the promise of extra payment."Right away, Mr. Fasten your seatbelt. It won't take much longer than ten minutes!" The driver assured as Aarav settled into the back seat."Vrooomnm...!"The cab's engine roared, and with a thunderous sound, it sped up, providing Aarav with a thrilling yet tense experience as they raced against time to reach Second Venue Dome Plaza.The urgency in the air added to the palpable tension, amplifying the intensity of the situation.......Second Venue Dome Plaza,A bustling hub where a weekly herb market unfolded, drew crowds seeking various herbs.The sizable area enclosed by the dome-shaped venue had two sections: one for market exhibitions, including auctions for rare herbs, and the other for the public to rest and discuss.On this particular day, the plaza was alive with people searching for herbs, and officers worked to maintain public order.However, the back of the dome Plaza was deserted, with six black cars parked in a circle behind Second Venue.In the middle of this quiet space, a group of dozens of men encircled a young lady sitting timidly on a stool."Who are you people, and how dare you try to kidnap me! Do you know who I am?" The lady spoke in a slightly cold tone, attempting to appear tough in front of the intimidating men surrounding her."Hahahaha! Look, lady, we know exactly who you are, your background, Ms. Bella Rossi." The men erupted in laughter, finding her defiance amusing.A strong and intimidating man stepped forward, towering over her, and spoke, acknowledging that they knew who she was and addressing her by name."What do you want? Why did you kidnap me?" Bella Rossi asked, sensing that these men didn't seem to fear her family background.The leader, with a sinister grin, leaned in, his face inches from hers. "Oh, Ms. Rossi, you're quite the catch. Your family's got deep pockets, and we're here to empty them. A hundred million Celestial Crowns, to be precise."Bella's eyes widened in shock and fear. "You think my family will pay such a ransom?"The leader chuckled menacingly. "Oh, they will. And if they don't, well, let's just say we've got other ways of making them see reason. Maybe a lovely piece of you in the mail as a reminder."Another man, with a menacing grin, chimed in, "Oh, we're counting on it. Your precious family won't risk harm coming to their beloved fashion icon."Bella recoiled, her bravado wavering. "You criminals! My family won't bow down to such threats."The leader grinned, revealing a cruel satisfaction. "We'll see about that, won't we? You're not in a position to negotiate, Ms. Rossi. Now, make yourself comfortable. This is gonna be a long day." The menacing laughter of the men echoed through the dimly dark space, intensifying the chilling atmosphere of the situation.The menacing atmosphere intensified as Bella faced the grim reality of her situation."Hehehe, now we're talking, but don't worry. I already called your family. If they bring the money I asked for and arrive on time, we'll let you leave peacefully. Otherwise, you can imagine what would happen...!" The leader chuckled, a sinister satisfaction in his smile as he felt pleased that she understood their demands.His words didn't bring comfort; they instilled more fear in Bella as she observed the other men ogling her without concealing their wretched expressions.'I really hope they arrive here on time. I don't know how much longer I can withstand these ugly, disgusting men staring at me!' Bella thought, praying silently that her family would come to her rescue swiftly.Feeling violated just from their stares alone, she never imagined she would be in such a horrifying situation. Even her brother-in-law hadn't displayed such depravity; at least she didn't find his glances towards her body repulsive.'Why is that good-for-nothing brother-in-law coming to my head!' Bella Rossi shook her head, unexpectedly finding herself thinking about him amidst the chaos."Brother Tiger, can we have some fun with her before we exchange her for the ransom?" After a prolonged wait, one of the men spoke up, turning towards their leader."Hehe, Brother Tiger, we won't damage her, so can you let us have some fun!" Another one chimed in, displaying a lewd smile, making his intentions clear to Brother Tiger, the leader of this group of men."Yes...yes, Brother Tiger, let us play a little!" Another one joined in, mirroring the lecherous expression of the others.Then, all of them directed their attention back to her, their expressions suggesting they were undressing her with their eyes.Bella's heart pounded, a nauseating realization of the grim fate that might await her in the hands of these menacing captors.The atmosphere grew even more sinister, casting a shadow over her already dire circumstances.............
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336. The Small Victory With Big Price
............"Boomnn...Swiish...!!"Just as Aarav was busy thinking of a solution, he flashed to the side as a massive, corrupted branch slammed into the ground right where he had been standing, shattering the earth into pieces.Previously on the ship, seeing Marcus smash through the sea creatures with pure, direct force had given Aarav a flash of inspiration. Because of that, he didn't need complicated magic when he had his own physical strength and raw divine energy, along with this awesome new battle art of his—that's what he decided to call it."Let's see how effective it is against this massive tree creature," Aarav muttered while coating his fists in a dense, glowing layer of divine energy."Whoosh...Crashhh...!!"Aarav darted forward like a streak of light. He used swift, precise body movements to weave through the barrage of whip-like tendrils raining down on him. A thick, corrupted root tried to crush him from the left, but Aarav slipped beneath it with a quick pivot and dro
335. Puppets Army
............"Be careful, these guys are most likely his puppets. I have fought one before, so be careful not to get touched by these puppets as they corrode your body from the inside using the corrupted energy they got from Sylvanus," Aarav warned everyone as he explained how dangerous these puppets are, but as long as they were careful, they could deal with them."Kekekehaha...!!" Sylvanus laughed loudly, seeing their meaningless struggle while controlling the puppets to attack them relentlessly."Swooosh...! Swiishh...!!""Banggg...!!""Ms. Aria and Ms. Emilia, please be careful of them," Aarav again warned the two ladies while he swatted another puppet with ease. Even though their numbers were overwhelming, their strength wasn't that great.The only troublesome part of their attacks was that corrupted energy of Sylvanus, but that was manageable with his purifying spell—and that's also why he warned everyone to be careful and not get deeply corrupted by them."I will be fine, but
334. Sylvanus Rage
............The ground shattered beneath their feet as the massive, corrupted branches slammed down like towering pillars, sending waves of black sludge and jagged debris flying through the air."Boooomm...!!""Quick... get away from there!" Aria barked, her hands glowing with a soft, divine light as she cast a temporary barrier to deflect the splintering rain of wooden shrapnel."Emilia, keep their fear at bay, otherwise they might lose their wits when it matters most." She didn't forget to remind Emilia to keep providing support to uplift their spirits and bravery."On it!" Emilia replied as she gestured with her fingers, sending a soothing wind flowing toward their men."Marcus, it's your turn, and please stick to the plan—don't wander off on your own!" Aarav shouted at Marcus while defending against the attacks, reminding him once more so he wouldn't forget the plan they had discussed."Okay... okay, I get it," Marcus nodded at the nagging words before a wild grin broke out acro
333. Confrontation With Evil God Part I
............Behind them, Emilia and Aria were quite surprised by their reckless way of fighting, but they quickly adapted to the chaotic rhythm.Seeing a flanking group of agile, lizard-like creatures preparing to ambush Marcus's exposed left flank, Aria raised her staff. A brilliant light swirled and formed an star shape net that shot forward, pinning the creatures to the ground before they could even leap."These guys seriously aren't holding back, moving like a group of raging bulls," Emilia muttered, while she also precisely executed her special spell, maintaining their positive emotions and unity. She glanced back at Aarav, who was casually jogging a few paces behind them, his hands glowing with a soft light, healing the injured quietly while also taking care of the monsters that slipped past the main advance group.Whenever a vanguard fighter took a serious, deep gash from a monster's claw, Aarav would simply wave his hand. A flash of light would wash over the warrior, sealing
332. Advancing Forward With Momentum
............"Ohh... no problem! Men, listen up! They are our valuable allies, give them your support so they can have some breathing room!" Marcus, hearing Aarav's shout, nodded back before turning to his own men, who weren't any better than him—having too much fun even though they were bleeding like geysers."It's alright now. Lady Aria and Lady Emilia, rest for a while and let me heal your injuries first." Aarav flashed toward them with extreme speed, reaching Aria and Emilia's side and quickly using his divine energy to heal them first.Before either of them could even thank him, a warm, golden radiance washed over their bodies, instantly soothing the ache in their muscles and knitting their shallow cuts back together."Phew... Hmmn!" Aria let out a long, ragged breath she hadn't realized she was holding, the brutal mental feedback from her shattered shield finally fading out slowly."Don't push yourselves," Aarav said in a low voice, his gaze already shifting back toward the dar
331. Encountering Their Ally
............"Don't lose your positions, keep up the barriers!" Aria shouted while using her divine powers. She increased their buffs and positive emotions so they wouldn't stumble from fear and panic."Alright, we don't need to keep butting heads with them! Retreat in that direction...!" Emilia shouted, looking at the mainland as their only option to retreat. She was hoping to encounter their ally, otherwise, she really wasn't sure how many of them would be left alive even before they faced the Evil God Sylvanus.Aria and Emilia provided limited support, as they needed to conserve their energy for an emergency, and kept retreating.Fortunately, their men were holding on for their dear lives and haven't lost hope completely.But not everyone could sustain the heavy energy drain, and some were picked up by the monsters, who ate them whole without leaving even their bones behind.If not for the artifacts their men were equipped with—which seemed to have a suppressing effect on the corr
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