Chapter 525 Unwelcome Guests
Michael's memories of the final battle against the Tekur and the human traitors were still fresh in his mind. He recalled taking control of Archangel's Grace with brute force and how his skin and flesh were extracted, layer by layer. Everything in the range of Extraction had been extracted, one layer at a time.
It was a grotesque way to use Extraction. A brutish method, and certainly inefficient as it drained a tremendous amount of energy.
But it was also powerful. Powerful enough to kill Lords at the Peak of the 3rd Tier. No one could enter the dome of Extraction at some point. The closer the enemies, the stronger Extraction's power grew. The Stigmatas that had manifested all over his body unleashed the Essence of Extraction. They strengthened Extraction's power and unleashed its latent potential. At least, that was Michael suspected.
Michael recalled that something deep within him had been unleashed after his arms had been cut off. He was certain that there was something hidden deep inside him, and that some sort of seal holding it inside broke when he went all out. You can trace the roots of this content at n0v@lbin
'Did I shatter Extraction's limiter? No. I cannot sense the tremendous power anymore. It's almost like the power appeared when I was in peril, just to disappear once again. I didn't unlock some sort of new power either. Also, Extraction feels a little bit stronger than before but there is no major change. Does that mean I can strengthen Extraction by jumping into more perilous situations, or was that just a one-time thing?'
Various questions formed in Michael's mind, but there was no answer. He didn't really plan to jump into a dangerous situation anytime soon, either. Michael's priority was to develop his territory, earn a fortune, and grow stronger. The last few months had been busy enough. Fighting with his life on the line shouldn't become a habit. Though...maybe, it was already too late for that.
'Did I unleash the full potential of Extraction that is sealed within me? Is that how strong Extraction can be at 6-Star?' Michael couldn't really believe it.
Fortunately, he had various other doubts and queries that tormented his mind. The questions revolving around the power he'd executed at the end of the Flag War were pushed aside. Meanwhile, a particular memory resurfaced in his mind. The memory showed Giuliana Seraph as she spoke to Michael...speaking about Hesta.
'The Matriarch of the Seraph Family knows that Hesta is my sister...' Michael understood at last, his heart skipping a beat.
He thought about his sister every now and then. It was not too often these days, but Michael had a bad feeling about it. He was unsure why, but in the last few weeks he would sense increasingly uncomfortable whenever his thoughts drifted to his family. His gut twisted and he felt like destroying something. Michael encountered a similar phenomenon before Danny died and right before his parents messaged him on Starnet Messenger as well. The timing had been so uncanny that now he was dreading two possibilities.
Either that meant his parents died, or they were about to message him again. Michael was not sure which option he preferred at this point.
One way or another, Michael figured that something was about to happen. Something related to his family. That made him feel sick in the stomach.
"Fuck this shit," He cursed, sensing that his good mood after his talk with Kraft Viton was now in the gutters.
'Just forget them. None of them are important anymore. They will never come back, either way.' He thought, choosing to distract himself by creating the customized Soul Technique for Maria's Soultrait.
They were Tier-5 Lords, each of them.
'I doubt that they came over for afternoon tea.' Michael joked in his heart, while his expression stiffened.
It was quite obvious what was going on. No one with good intentions would try to hide their presence like the four Lords by sneaking up to his room uninvited.
Michael understood at once that the four Lords were about to kidnap him. He opened Starnet Messenger in an attempt to send some messages to the people around him and to alarm the bodyguards that had been assigned to protect him, but Michael noticed several things simultaneously.
First, the energy fluctuations of the bodyguards located all around the building were extremely weak. They were not dead, but they had been knocked out and injured severely.
Second, Starnet Messenger was not working. His signal was blocked.
Third, his access to the Runic Gate was capped temporarily as well.
Michael couldn't even seek protection in the Origin Expanse. He had nowhere to run or hide.
The four Lords came prepared.
Interestingly enough, Michael was not as nervous as he should have been. On the contrary, his heart palpated in excitement as a sly grin appeared on his face.
**
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