CHAPTER 290: DESTROY THE CURSED (105)

Chapter 290 — The Slippery Hero

"Care to hear a joke?"

LightRunner’s smile was warm and almost too cheerful as he faced the Dark Emissary.

What he got in return wasn’t laughter—just a guttural, painful screech that ripped from her throat.

"Oops... someone’s in a bad mood," he muttered, scratching his head and looking almost guilty.

To him, the Dark Emissary didn’t just look terrifying—she looked pitiful.

Unlike most who injected the cursed serums and turned into monsters, she still had her human shape. But it didn’t matter. Her eyes were hollow, her grin too wide, her soul long gone.

And that grin... the one she wore as she vanished.... wasn’t reassuring.

She moved.

In a blink, the distance between them vanished. Her fist was already shooting toward his skull.

Too bad speed was his specialty.

LightRunner disappeared in a golden flash, air cracking behind him. He was already several meters away before her punch detonated the spot he’d just been standing on.

The shockwave shredded the ground.

"Whoa," he said, whistling as dust billowed behind him. "That would’ve hurt."

The Dark Emissary stared at her own fist, then slowly turned her head to see him waving at her from afar.

"Hey! You’re kinda slow, you know?" LightRunner called, smiling. "We could just talk instead of wrecking the place. Ever heard of the drunkard and the old witch joke?"

He barely finished the sentence before his instincts screamed.

Her aura surged, black and hungry, exploding outward like a collapsing sun. Darkness speared through the air... but once again, she hit nothing.

LightRunner was gone, reappearing right beside Drake’s throne. His golden eyes glinted as he stared down at the mastermind lounging in the shadows.

"So you must be the one behind all this." His smile faded, his voice turning cold. "Remind me... after this is over... to give you the kind of beating you’ll never forget."

Drake’s expression didn’t change. Just a small, amused flicker in his eyes.

Then... BOOM.

The Dark Emissary’s attack slammed into the spot where LightRunner had been, disintegrating the very air.

"You... slippery... brat... stop... running!" she snarled, her voice distorted with fury.

LightRunner shrugged. "Hey, don’t blame me. You’re the one who’s slow."

He nodded at himself, clearly satisfied.

Her grin twisted into something monstrous—pure killing intent burning behind her eyes.

"Die."

The air warped. Reality screamed.

A force unlike anything he’d felt before came crashing toward him.

But LightRunner was already gone again—leaving behind a streak of gold as he vanished deeper into the collapsing throne room.

The Dark Emissary followed, her boosted speed fueled by rage.

Meanwhile, Han stood before a massive black armor half-buried in the rubble. He could feel its dormant pulse, a quiet hum beneath the chaos.

If he was right, this was the project Nathan had been working on for months.

Nova Phase.

Han looked at the armor.

No openings, no seams, not even a place to put it on.

But the moment his fingers brushed against the armor’s surface, a cold blue system prompt flickered before his eyes:

[SS-Rank Soulbound Armor detected.]

[Would you like to bind it to your soul?]

Han didn’t even hesitate.

"Yes," he whispered.

The armor pulsed, a faint blue glow spreading from its surface and seeping into his skin. He felt warmth rush through his veins like a living heartbeat.

[Binding... 10%]

Han exhaled, watching the slow progress bar with a quiet sigh. A small smile tugged at his lips.

If this thing really was SS-rank like the system claimed, it might be enough to turn the tide... maybe even kill the Dark Emissary.

But until then, LightRunner was out there, alone, holding that monster off.

Just long enough for Han to finish.

A near-impossible task.

Still... if anyone could do it, it would be him.... the fastest man alive.

---

Two blurs tore through the ruined throne room. Their movements shredded the air.

Even with her boosted speed and strength, the Dark Emissary was still a step behind. Every time she closed the gap, LightRunner widened it again.... two meters, then three, then five.

But it wasn’t victory.

LightRunner’s speed couldn’t win this. Getting close enough to deal damage was suicide. Her aura—dark, crushing, and alive... didn’t just burn flesh. It ate life itself.

One wrong move, and she’d strip his soul right out of him.

So he danced around her, his taunts sharp and endless.

"Come on, grandma! You losing steam or what?"

Her shriek answered him. The air cracked. The ground ruptured.

He grinned wider. "Oh, I hit a nerve!"

Each word pushed her further over the edge... until her fury turned feral.

She wasn’t fighting anymore. She was hunting.

And then....

"Damn it!" LightRunner cursed, twisting midair. His leg snapped out in a reflexive kick as the ground exploded beneath him.

The next instant, the wall he’d been standing on seconds earlier vanished under a burst of dark energy. The shockwave chased him like a storm.

"Who the hell made her faster again!?" he shouted, blinking from one shattered pillar to the next. "Be fast with whatever you’re doing, two-haired hero!"

---

Meanwhile, Han stared at the floating screen in front of him.

[Binding... 88%]

"Come on," he muttered, sweat dripping down his jaw. "Just a little faster."

He could feel it, the drain on LightRunner’s energy from afar. Even the fastest man alive had limits.

The Dark Emissary was gaining ground. Every second, her speed grew sharper, heavier, deadlier.

LightRunner cursed under his breath, heart hammering.

"Why am I the one dealing with this psycho? Shouldn’t this be Flame’s job? Or Mr. Beast’s?"

But before the thought even finished, she appeared.

A blur of black... faster than before.

Her hand sliced through the air, grazing his neck.

Too slow to dodge entirely but fast enough to live.

LightRunner tilted just in time. Her strike missed his head by a breath.

Then.... BAM!

A fist... not hers... smashed into her face, sending her crashing through the far wall like a meteor.

LightRunner blinked, landing hard.

A figure stepped in front of him, calm, solid, unshaken. His blue eyes glowed like ice.

"Thanks," the newcomer said quietly.

[Binding... 100%]

[Soulbinding Complete.]

Han clenched his fists. The armor pulsed, glowing across his body like living fire.

"Thanks," he repeated, voice firm this time. "I’ll handle it from here."

---

To Be Continued...

AUTHOR’S NOTE

That’s the Chapter, everyone! 🎉

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– Ultra