Chapter 517 The Fruit of Fate III
The branches surrounding Kyle froze in place upon hearing his threat, then slowly withdrew with a remorseful rustle, allowing him to ascend on his own. It was as if the massive tree understood that the human might truly follow through on his words if provoked further.
Kyle's sharp eyes, hidden beneath the hoodie covering his head, covertly surveyed the area as he advanced towards the impenetrable cage awaiting him.
He gazed at the many elves gathered around the staircase on the ground and hovering in the air before glancing at the dark beings with expansive wings behind them. Surprise flickered in his green eyes because oddly, none of them attempted to approach the staircase to climb it or to hinder him.
He blinked once as a sudden thought crossed his mind, and to confirm his suspicions, he raised his fingers to touch the space beside him.
Instantly, a faint ripple formed in the air before him, and he felt the familiar spiritual energy barrier that had stopped him from leaving the place a while ago.
An almost imperceptible 'oh' escaped his lips as a sudden realization dawned on him. It seemed he didn't have to worry about the numerous onlookers because the staircase was encircled by a strong barrier made purely from spiritual energy, and even the supreme-rank individuals are unable to break through or pass it!
Kyle stopped in his tracks and felt the weight of countless intense stares focused on him, each stronger than the last, as if they wanted to eat him alive.
"Haha..."
A soft laughter bubbled out from his throat, and due to the solemn and hushed air, the faint noise intensified. It resounded in the air clear enough for every single individual around him to hear. In an instant, the many eyes staring at him narrowed, but Kyle didn't give a damn, especially after knowing that they can do nothing to him as long as he stood on the staircase.
He couldn't help but think, how long had it been since he felt his body so tense and eagerly anticipating what would unfold once the barrier around him shattered? It's been more than ten years, at least for him, since the last time he surrounded himself with countless manaless beasts to gauge his strength... yeah, he did that many times, so many times that he can't even count.
Those crimson-eyed beasts would always gnaw at his skin whenever he made even a single mistake, but he had long since learned to rip their hearts to make them lose their lives within seconds. But what a pity... after the manaless beasts' population thinned, it became hard for him to gather or find a large number of them.
Right now, the sharp eyes staring at him felt akin to the crimson eyes of the manaless beasts who sought to devour him. The only difference was that these people can only watch as he climbed the staircase and took what they want right before their eyes.
A rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins as this thought emerged in his head, and his eyes gleamed with excitement and amusement. The feeling wasn't bad at all, and the more he thought about it, the better his mood became. That's why he deliberately slowed his pace, almost as if taunting the people watching him, making them see how he raised his leg and slowly placed it on the next stair.
In the distance, the elven Queen's expression turned solemn, especially upon hearing the faint laughter from the hooded individual who clearly resembled a male elf from his body shape. She glanced at the elves around her with furrowed brows.
"Who is this elf? Someone from the town? I can't see his face because it's covered, and due to the strong barrier, I can't even use my senses to communicate with him directly."
But all the elves around her had similar questions, so they simply shook their heads, their attention solely fixed on the man ascending the stairs at a leisurely pace. Suddenly, one of the elderly elves spoke up.
"Regardless of who he is, we need to protect him. Once he obtains the fruit, the tree will temporarily lose its power. If we don't shield him... Samara will surely tear him apart."
Different from the elves, the demons weren't as patient and started to grow irritated with Kyle because he was climbing the stairs too slowly. At this pace, the day would pass, and he wouldn't even reach the fruit of fate! One of the demons licked his lips with a sinister yet annoyed smile and finally broke the silence as he taunted Kyle.
"Little elf, why the delay? Hurry up and ascend. Don't test my patience with your slow steps, or else, when I catch you, I will ensure to crush your bones to dust."
After the first demon broke the silence, it seemed like a floodgate had opened because many demons began urging the man climbing the stairs to hasten his pace.
"Hurry up?? Will you?"
"Damn, this guy, I will break his useless legs... Why is he walking slower than an ant?"
"I never thought watching someone walk could frustrate me so much that I want to chop them into pieces."
The elves clenched their teeth before one of them raised his weapon towards the nearest demon with a dark expression.
"Shut your filthy mouth!"
Samara glanced at the bickering demons and elves with a scoff and refocused her gaze on the man climbing the stairs. She had a faint feeling that this person was relishing the chaos around him and her eyes sparked with interest.
No one among the people present could breach the spiritual energy barrier to harm the person inside as the Tree of Fate was stronger than all of them. Still, all the supreme-rank individuals present could clearly sense the strength of the person climbing the stairs. That's why she couldn't help but wonder what on earth this elf had consumed to exude such arrogance in front of many formidable beings, considering he had just barely entered the divine rank.
On the other hand, Kyle's lips curved upward, and his eyes twinkled with mirth. He was enjoying himself, which is why amid the many noises urging him to hurry up, he halted in his tracks.
Instantly, the demons cried out in frustration, and even the elves began to wonder how the hell someone from their own race could be so irritating as to make enemies of many powerful beings.