CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER53-THE FINAL RECKONING

Everyone present knew clearly that Aurek’s secret weapon was his assassins, who could strike with incredible stealth. But now, with the Forbidden Domain in play, these assassins had nowhere to hide.

With their hidden nature nullified, Aris was confident that he could catch them all. Even though Aurek’s hidden power had just been displayed, which was overwhelmingly strong, Aris still had no hesitation in stepping forward to face him.

However, when the Forbidden Domain expanded, what happened next stunned everyone. In the Valoria Palace, Aurek was still surrounded by the same people as before. No additional figures appeared.

Wait, where are the assassins?

Everyone in the room froze. No one had expected such a result.

"Why is there still no one?""What is going on?"Aris felt his heart sink as his mind became a whirlwind of confusion.Because he suddenly realized that the situation before him had completely surpassed his understanding.

What’s happening?The Forbidden Domain had already been activated. Why isn’t it working as expected?Shouldn’t those hidden shadows reveal themselves now?

"What’s going on here?"

Outside the imperial city, a blacksmith in the outer city gazed in shock at what was happening in the Valoria Palace. Even the Cardinal Austin, who had been quietly observing in the cathedral, wore an expression of confusion.

Such methods of hiding? Even he couldn’t pull that off.

At that moment, Troy’s smile froze, and his heart collapsed in an instant.Wait, what the hell?They had brought everything to the table from the Leap Mercenary Corps, but now you’re telling me it was all useless?!

What do we do now?

Troy felt like a joke, and even more so compared to Jacoff beside him.

"Troy, is this your plan? Seems like it’s not of much use."Jacoff’s mocking voice came from beside him. He had no hesitation in ridiculing his old rival.

Aris didn’t pay attention to Troy’s reaction but instead focused his gaze on Aurek.At this moment, Aurek’s expression remained calm, even showing a faint glimmer of mockery in his eyes.Aris immediately understood that he hadn’t just lost; he had lost terribly.

"Retreat!"He shouted, turning and charging towards the outer gates of Valoria Palace.The other members of the Leap Mercenary Corps were stunned for a moment, and it wasn’t until a beat later that they began to react. However, leaving was far more difficult than entering.

At almost the same time, the Elemental Assassins sprang into action once again.In the blink of an eye, the elite members of the Leap Mercenary Corps were decapitated!The once proud elite mercenaries were now like stray dogs, their heads easily severed.

They cried, they screamed in desperation, but the scythe of death never paused for a second.

Meanwhile, Aris, in a desperate flight, left the onlooking factions dumbfounded.What? The Leap Mercenary Corps, such a huge force, was originally thought to crush everything. But now, you’re running away, and you didn’t even bother to collect your gold-grade items?

Was the only value you brought to Aurek simply handing over a gold-grade item?

Under Aurek’s orders, the Elemental Assassins showed no mercy.In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen elite mercenaries at the Expert Rank were slain.The remaining two Hero Rank killers from the Killer Guild understood that they were in danger.

Without hesitation, they made a break for it, heading toward the outer edges of the Valoria Palace.

But it was too late!Two-thirds of the Killer Guild and Leap Mercenary Corps’ elite forces had already been wiped out. The remaining ones were seriously wounded and could hardly escape.

The two Hero Rank killers, too, were in no better condition.Their bodies were covered in wounds, and with the Forbidden Domain preventing them from using energy, they could only rely on what little power remained to stagger through.

But against the relentless onslaught, they couldn’t hold out. They leaned back against a wall, breathing heavily, exhausted.

For these killers, murder was not a painful task.

They derived pleasure from the thrill of the kill.But now, when they became the hunted, this sensation was terrifying.

The strong urge to survive and the cold reality plunged them into endless despair.

They struggled, they feared, they writhed in agony, dreading that they would lose their lives at any moment.Yet the Elemental Assassins showed no mercy.

In just a few breaths, the two Hero Rank killers were cut down by a flurry of blades.Outside the Valoria Palace, the rebel forces were in complete disarray.With the Imperial Knights’ arrival, the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt.

At this moment, both Grand Marshal Jacoff and Minister of Police Troy wore expressions filled with despair.The moment Aris chose to retreat, they knew the rebellion was doomed to fail.Once an army is defeated, it crumbles like a mountain, and few can reverse the tide.

From this moment onward, Jacoff and Troy were no longer high-ranking officials, but prisoners, traitors to the empire!No one had anticipated the true depth of Aurek’s methods.No one could have imagined that Aurek, right under their noses, had built such a terrifying force.

Aurek... how did he manage to pull this off?He grew up under our very eyes, yet how did he assemble such a formidable power?

At this moment, scholars, long-sword mercenaries, and Yule, among others, let out a sigh of relief.They knew they had made the right choice. In the end, it was Aurek who triumphed.Everyone involuntarily turned their gaze to Aurek.

To their surprise, they realized that, from start to finish, Aurek had not moved from his spot!His expression remained calm, still carrying an air of undeniable authority.

Is this the bearing of an emperor?Even in the face of such danger, he could remain calm, observing the situation.

The Crossbridge Empire was on its last legs, but Aurek still maintained firm control over the entire situation.Anyone who underestimated him would pay a tremendous price.