As the black clad assailants lunged at her, Athena met them with an unnerving smile playing on her lips
The men exchanged bewildered glances at the sight before them, as if thinking, “She’s at death’s door…and still smiling?”
Just as they were raising the blades, every one of them suddenly clutched their chests, their movements freezing mid–strike
The next instant, blood gushed from their mouths as they collapsed to
to the ground
A searing pain ripped through his chest. One of the assailants staggered, eyes wide in shock as he glared at Athens. “You… you poisoned on?” he gasped before collapsing.
Athena slowly rose to her feet, brushing the dirt from her clothes. With an icy smile, she said, “Without poison, how else could I kill you scumbag
Her master taught her to keep compassion in her heart, but also warned her when facing the truly wicked, extraordinary measures are necessary. show them mercy is to be cruel to herself
When facing these black clad assailants, she feigned weakness to full them into a false sense of security.
Then, when the opportunity arose, she struck them down with a single, lethal blow
All the black–clad assailants collapsed, blood gushing from every orifice as they died.
Athena stopped over their lifeless bodies with chilling composere
Just then, one of the dying black clad assailants suddenly locked his arms around Athena’s leg with a desperate burst of strength.
Blood gushed from his mouth and nose as he glared up at her with manic eyes, clearly intent on dragging her down to death with him.
“Forget it! Let go!” she said.
But Athena’s injured leg gave way, and with a sudden yank, the black–clad assailant dragged her hard to the ground.
Seeing her fall, the man’s face contorted into a crazed grin. He said, “if i’m going down, you’re coming with me?
The dying black–clad man raised his dagger and hanged at Athena.
Athena instinctively snatched up a blade and, without a moment’s hesitation, slashed down at her attacker’s am
The black clad assailant was already on his last legs, so when Athena severed his arm, he collapsed without a sound.
Athena kicked the corpse aside. Gritting her teeth, she dragged her injured leg and painfully limped away.
The mountain path was breacherous, the night obscuring h
her vision.
With each painful step, Athena moved forward, chasing the faint shimmer of distant light
Jessa will surely come for me,”
„Athena thought with certainty.
Suddenly, a noise came from behind Athena’short skipped a beat as she quickly scrambled under a large boulder for cover
The footsteps grew louder. Athena som several more black–clad assailants appear on the slope above her,
“That damned woman!” one of the black clad assailants snarled. “She’s killed so many of our men. When I get my hands on her, bear her limb from
limb/”
Realizing these were more of the black–clad assailants‘ accomplices, Athena pressed herself deeper beneath the boulder and stilled her breathing.
Chapter 294
Only when their footsteps had faded into the distance and Athena was certain the danger had passed did she finally emerge from behind the boulder.
“Found you at last,” a cold voice came from behind, freezing Athena in her tracks.
Athena whirled around, only to find those black clad assailants staring at her with murderous glints in their eyes.
Little did she know, they had been patiently lying in ambush all this time, just to lure Athena out into the open
With no escape in sight, Athena subtly clenched her fists, bracing herself for a desperate last stand. If she was going down, she would take them with her,
The black–clad assailants, seemingly consumed by a frenzied hatred for Athena, swung their long blades and rushed at her.
With a swift motion, Athena unleashed a volley of hidden blades from her sleeve.
Aware of the hidden blades” deadly nature, the black–clad assailants frantically swung their swords to parry.
A sharp metallic clang sliced through the night with startling clarity.
However, the black–clad assailants only faltered for a split second before charging at her again.
The whistling of blades sliced through the air behind her, so close that Athena could almost taste the metallic tang
if that blade struck true, it would surely be her end.
In a desperate move, Athena threw up her arm, ready to sacrifice it if that was what it took to survive
Suddenly, at this critical moment, a dark figure flashed across Athena’s vision.
A sickening sound of a longsword piercing flesh filled her cars
The black–clad assailants let out blood–curdling screams and crumpled to the ground all at once. The forest reeked of blood.
Athena’s terrified gaze snapped to where alone swordsman stood, sword still in hand,
The dim light only revealed the man’s silhouette and his taut, narrow waist.
Only when Athena’s eyes adjusted to the dim light did she finally make out the man’s face.
“Prince Xander!” Athena gasped in surprise
Xander flashed to her side, finding Athena leaning against a boulder, her body swaying precariously.
The commotion had already alerted the black–clad assailants lurking in the distance.
Kander swiftly pulled Athena close, his arm encircling her waist as he murmured urgently. “We need to leave now.”
Athena nodded. The next instant, she suddenly felt weightless. Xander had effortlessly scooped her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest.
The wind whipped past Athena’s ears as the world blumed by in a dicrying rush,
Suddenly, Xander’s deep, urgent voice rang in her ear. “Hold on to me. Tight!”
His voice carried both urgency and deadly intent. Athena immediately wrapped her arms around his neck.
Xander tightened his grip around Athena’s waist and whirled. His longsword flashed, strel rang out as he cleaved an incoming arrow clean in two
Seeing them try to flex the assassins let loose a bail of arrows to seal off their path.
Xander swept his longsword through the air, unleashing a devastating surge of sword energy that lashed out at the black–clad assailants.
Seeing this, the assailants scattered for cover. Seizing the moment, Xander had already dashed nearly a hundred yards away with Athena.
Now beyond arrow range, the black clad assailants were forced to abandon their pursuit.
Clutching Xander’s neck, Athena broke out in a cold sweat at the sight
Had it not been for Xander’s incredible martial prowess, they would both be corpses by now
But what truly awed Athena was Xander’s ability to block the enemies retreat, all while holding her securely in his arms.
In the entre Petation, no one could hold a candle to his courage and strategic brillance
Xander Landed softly once he spotted a safe place.
Yet he didn’t release Athena. Holding her close, he cared her forward.
me down,” she murmured, “I can walk on my own.”
Pressed so closely against him, Athena felt a Bush of embarrassment. “Put me
Kander gave her a measured glance, but the force intensity in his eyes made Athena look away.
She lowered her gaze, unable to hold his burning stare.
“With that injured leg of yours, if I let you walk on your own, you wouldn’t make it out of these woods by dawn,” he said.
His voice brimmed with a silent, tinder devotion, while his gaze on Athena was filled with aching remorse
Xander said with regret, “If my men hadn’t lost track of you this time, you and Jessa would never have ended up in such danger.”
Athena caught the implication in his words and immediately asked, “Did someone intercept your shadow guards?”
Xander responded in a low, rumbling voice from his chest, it was Michael”
Athena’s eyes widened in shock. “How could it be him?”
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xander’s gaze turned icy. “Lord Osborne is truly calculating. While pretending to play the hero and protect you, he deliberately put you in danger. It’s shocking that the Osborne family raised a son like him.”
at he wanted.
Athena’s cheeks burned, Michael was indeed the type who would stop at nothing to get what
If Michael was capable of forcing her into the military academy before, no one could have imagined the greater evils he might be capable of now
The mony was that Michael remained completely oblivious, always convinced he had everything under control, arrogant and full of himself
“What are
e you thinki
Xander murmured, lowering his gaze to find Athena burying her face against his chest.
She looked like a guilty child, and his heart meted with tenderness.
He realized he had arrived just a moment too late, Athena had surely been scared.
But then she lifted her eyes to his, her voice quiet and unsure. “Prince Kander… why aren’t you scolding me?”
“Scold you? Why would ever do that?” he asked,
“You warned me before you left not to act recklessly.” Athena said, her voice heavy with shape. “But I completely neglected your warning and nearly gut Jessa killed”
So that’s the reason” Xander’s stern expression satened.
He stopped in his tracks and gently ruffed Athena’s hair.
I were in your shoes, I’d have done the same. You’ve been striving to clear General Perkins.“)
14:13
Chapter 294
name, now that y
you have a lead, how could you let it pass?
“Atheny, people grow up little by little. Don’t be so hard on yourself”
