CHAPTER 242: PATHETIC GAME

The car rolled to a stop, silence pressing heavier with each passing second. Smoke from the earlier fight still clung to the night air, drifting through the cracked windows.

David’s grip on the wheel was iron-tight. "If we go in now, Nathan... this is war."

Nathan didn’t move his eyes from the road ahead. His voice was calm, cold.

"They touched my family. If war is the price... then let it burn."

The road ended at a towering white spire. Ten-meter walls loomed, the emblem of a serpent coiled around a spear etched across a black iron gate. Torchlight revealed ranks of armed guards, runes faintly glowing across the stonework.

Sophia’s breath caught. "That’s WhiteSnake headquarters..."

Validia’s smile was faint, unreadable. "Their welcome won’t be warm."

The woman they had captured suddenly raised her head, desperation cracking her voice.

"You idiots... if you go in like this, you’ll die! The Division Head already knows. She’s been waiting for you!"

David slammed the brakes. The car skidded to a halt just short of the gate. Guards braced their weapons, a web of blue light from the barrier formation sparking awake above.

From the shadow of the gate, a tall figure emerged. Long robes of white trailed behind her as she stepped into the torchlight. Silver hair spilled down her back, eyes sharp and gleaming like blades of ice.

"Welcome, Nathan." Her voice was smooth, laced with authority. "The son of a mere commoner... daring to stand against WhiteSnake. How amusing."

Nathan’s gaze sharpened. His hand rested calmly on the hilt of his dagger.

"If my father is inside... bring him out. Now."

A smile curved across the woman’s lips—neither kind nor cruel, only dangerous.

"If you want to see him alive, step through these gates. But understand this..." her tone dropped into a cold whisper, echoing in the still night. "...once you enter, you’ll never walk back out so easily."

The air thickened, pressure bearing down on everyone present. Validia’s eyes glowed with subtle amusement, Sophia’s hand clenched on her sword, and David muttered a curse.

Nathan opened the car door, stepping out with steady steps, his voice cutting like steel.

"Then I’ll tear this place down from the inside."

The trembling WhiteSnake captive suddenly cried out, her voice shrill with both fear and reverence.

"L–Lady Rion!"

The silver-haired woman’s eyes flicked down at her, lips curling faintly. "So you’ve betrayed your own guild, hm?"

Nathan didn’t waste another word. His body blurred.

WOOSHH!

In a single burst, raw mana ignited around him, legs twisting with wind and lightning he had stolen earlier. His figure vanished from sight, slipping past the gates before the guards could even lower their spears.

Lady Rion’s eyes widened, shock flashing across her face. "Impossible... that speed—!"

The torches scattered sparks as Nathan shot into the heart of WhiteSnake’s headquarters.

Inside, the scene struck him cold.

A man sat bound tightly to a chair, head hanging, ropes digging into his wrists—his father. His chest rose faintly, still alive, but blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Standing beside him was a hulking hunter. Muscles bulged beneath silk frills, heavy makeup painted across his thick face. His voice was high-pitched, mocking, as he rested a gleaming sword against the prisoner’s neck.

"Well, well," the hunter cooed, batting long false lashes. "So the son finally comes to play."

Nathan’s lip curled in disgust. Pathetic... The sight of this grotesque parody, a brute dressing in caricatured femininity, was almost enough to make him gag.

"You..." Nathan’s voice was low, venomous. "...don’t deserve to breathe the same air as him."

He stepped forward, aura pressing like a tidal wave.

The cross-dressing hunter only laughed, lifting the blade higher. "Careful, boy. One step closer and—"

The sword shifted, gleaming dangerously as it drew closer to his father’s throat.

Nathan’s eyes narrowed, mana screaming in his veins.

Then suddenly, CLANG!

Nathan was already there. His hand clamped around the hunter’s sword, dragging it away from his father’s throat with effortless force. The steel trembled in his grip.

The cross-dressing brute gasped. "W–What—?!"

CRRRK!

Nathan’s fingers crushed the blade, metal groaning before splintering into jagged cracks.

With a flick of his wrist, raw mana surged. Invisible force blasted outward like a violent tide—BANG!—hurling the flamboyant hunter across the chamber. The man’s massive body slammed into the wall, plaster raining down around him.

Nathan stood tall, his shadow draping over his father.

The old man stirred weakly, lifting his head with effort. His eyes, weary but alive, softened at the sight before him.

"Nathan... are you... alright?"

Nathan’s jaw tightened, a mix of relief and fury burning in his eyes. "You shouldn’t be the one asking that."

The heavy doors creaked open.

Lady Rion strode in with calculated grace, silver robes sweeping the floor, Sophia and David close behind, weapons drawn. Validia followed last, her aura taut like a coiled storm.

Lady Rion’s lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Touching, isn’t it? But you should know—your father’s veins already run with our poison. Without WhiteSnake’s antidote, his body will fail within the hour."

The words slammed into the air like a cruel blade.

Nathan’s breath hissed through his teeth, rage flickering behind his cold eyes.

But before he could speak—Validia moved.

Her eyes flared crimson. Dark horns threatened to pierce through her pale forehead, her aura thick with killing intent. "You dare..." she growled, voice shaking the walls. "You dare use family as toys...?"

For a heartbeat, everyone froze.

Then she inhaled sharply, forcing her horns to recede. Her gaze cut sideways, icy calm once more. "Humans are fragile. There’s no need for me to unleash full power."

She stepped forward, kneeling beside Nathan’s father. Her hand pressed firmly against his shoulder—her touch glowing with hidden authority.

The poison’s corruption flickered... then crumbled. His breathing steadied, color returning to his cheeks as the ropes binding him loosened and fell away on their own.

The room froze in stunned silence.

Sophia’s eyes widened. David’s jaw dropped. Even Nathan blinked once, surprised.

But none were as shocked as Lady Rion.

Her mask of composure cracked for the first time, eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"Impossible... how did you—?! How could you neutralize our poison?"

Validia rose slowly, her expression cool and dangerous. "Because I don’t play your pathetic games."