Chapter 1031: Surrounded Once Again
His lips curled into a bitter smile. The Four God Nations... He could already imagine their displeasure. His sudden escape from the Great Ruler Empire, his defiance of their orders—it would surely have angered them. But what of it? He wasn’t their pawn. He wasn’t some chained dog to be thrown at enemies at their command. He was Max Voidwalker, and he would walk his own path.
His thoughts shifted, his brows furrowing.
’Bright Buddha Palace... Hunter Association...’
He recalled Lucien’s words, and the Tower Spirit’s warnings. Both places held sealed demons, imprisoned since the ancient war. If those seals were to break, if those beings were to rise again... Max’s fists clenched unconsciously. The human race might not survive what followed.
A heavy silence hung in his heart.
Time passed as he flew, the sky splitting around his scarlet figure. Eventually, the familiar aura of the Middle Domain welcomed him once more. But Max did not stop there. His destination was clear.
Without hesitation, he turned his course, his crimson wings flaring wide as he surged across the skies—toward the Balerog Region.
Currently, Max had nobody he could fully trust. Every interaction, every alliance, carried threads of hidden motives and schemes. In this world where betrayal was often disguised as protection, he could rely on no one. No one—except the Black Lotus Guild. They were the only force he felt any shred of loyalty to, the only ones who had stood with him without asking to chain his wings.
His figure cut through the skies like a scarlet comet, red demonic wings spreading wide as they beat against the heavens. Each flap sent trails of crimson energy slicing through the night, painting a brilliant but ominous red star across the firmament. He was fast, unstoppable—his path aimed straight toward the Balerog Region.
But then—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Figures materialized from the void around him, emerging in flashes of brilliance and power. In an instant, the skies were no longer empty. A circle closed around him, their combined aura pressing down like a mountain.
Max’s crimson eyes narrowed dangerously as he slowed, his wings flaring outward defensively.
Before him stood Lady Divine, calm but with a trace of strain in her eyes. Beside her, Emperor Hermes, his golden robes flowing with imperial might. To the left, Aden Fireborne, leader of the Phoenix God Nation, his long red hair blazing like fire itself. At their flank, President William of the Hunter Association, and several elders of both the Association and the Great Ruler Empire. Together, they formed a wall that stretched across the heavens, barring Max’s path.
Max’s voice was cold as steel, his crimson aura pulsing violently. "I told you not to look for me. Which part of that did you not understand?" His words cut through the night like blades.
Lady Divine took a step forward, her tone calm but carrying an unusual softness. "Your aura vanished from the Middle Domain for an entire week. We were worried something might have happened to you."
Max’s lips curled into a bitter smile, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he shook his head. "Worried about me? Is that what this is? Then I must have been mistaken, because I thought all of you were simply waiting for another chance to lock me up."
Lady Divine’s expression flickered, but before she could respond, President William raised a hand. His face carried a heavy solemnity. "It’s not like that," he said, his voice steady. "I won’t deny it. What we did before was... too much. But we did it only because we wanted to keep you safe."
"Safe?" Max sneered, his wings flaring wide, the air trembling under the weight of his infernal aura. "By locking me in a cage? By treating me like some pawn to be preserved until the right moment?" His eyes burned as he swept his gaze across them. "Don’t insult me with your excuses. I don’t need your chains, nor your protection. If you truly cared about my safety, you would have trusted me to walk my own path."
His aura spiked violently, the pressure in the skies intensifying as his crimson wings beat once. "I appreciate your concerns," he said coldly, "but I don’t need your help. Nor do I need anything from any of you."
With that, Max’s figure blurred as he shot forward, breaking through the air like a red comet once more.
But before he could escape, the skies trembled.
Boom!
In perfect synchronicity, the gathered leaders moved again, their combined auras spreading across the heavens as they flickered into place ahead of him. Once more, they blocked his path.
Max’s figure halted abruptly, his expression darkening into a storm. His aura twisted violently, crimson flames erupting around his body like the fires of hell. His voice roared, each word laced with restrained rage.
"What is it that you people want from me?!"
The night shook under his fury, his crimson gaze piercing each of them in turn.
Lady Divine stepped forward, her calm yet firm voice breaking the silence. She raised her hand toward the red-haired, middle-aged man whose presence radiated authority and flame-like pressure.
"Max," she said steadily, "this is the leader of the Phoenix God Nation—Grandmaster Aden."
Max’s expression shifted instantly. The storm of rage in his crimson eyes softened into something almost flustered, as if he had been caught off guard. His mind pieced the truth together in an instant. ’Grandmaster Aden... that means he must be... Alice’s father.’
His chest tightened. Straightening himself, Max bowed respectfully, his wings folding close to his back. "Greetings, Grandmaster Aden."
Aden studied him quietly for a moment before a faint smile curved across his lips. "Huh. Alice said you had white hair."
Max froze for a second, his crimson hair shimmering faintly in the starlight. Then his eyes widened, glowing with sudden eagerness. "Alice is here too?" His Three Dimensional Body spread out instinctively, scanning the skies around them, reaching across the surrounding space in search of her familiar aura.
But there was nothing.
"She is not here, kid," Aden said gently, shaking his head. "She remains in the Great Ruler Empire." His expression softened. "But she has told me quite a few things about you."
"Ah... she did?" Max’s voice cracked slightly, his face flushing despite the infernal aura around him. He couldn’t help it. His mind spun in circles, wondering what exactly Alice had said. Did she tell her father about their time together? About the battles they fought? Or—Max swallowed—about his feelings?
Aden’s eyes held a subtle glimmer of amusement, but his tone shifted, becoming more serious. "I have something to ask of you, kid."