In the hot spring, Verna gazed at the mirror-like screen upon which scenes from outside were projected. The perimeter of the spring was covered by a thick, white curtain to give privacy to the women.
As for potential danger, the others from the group were not really that far away. Besides, they had confidence in their own strength, at least to defend themselves, otherwise they wouldn’t have stepped this far into the forest.
Verna’s body was developed nicely, and it was rather evident from the gazes other women looked at her. Many of them even took deep breaths to calm themselves as they admired her gorgeous figure, accentuated by her wet hair.
If men looked at her body then their blood veins would shatter from over excitement! She was no less than an enchantress!
"Earlier, he might have been pretending," Verna said while enjoying the steam. "But now that he has no woman to impress and he is in the company of only males... he would most likely show his true character!"
Verna refused to believe a man like Zed could even exist. That was impossible as far as she was concerned.
This was the twenty-first century and the honorable men women often fancied only existed in fairy tales! They were just pipe dreams sold to innocent girls by movies and stories!
Verna firmly believed these thoughts and she wanted others to understand her as well. As such, she was obviously disappointed when she saw so many women liking Zed. It was like they truly believed he was a legendary type of man that only existed in fiction!
How was that even possible?!
"What do you mean by a test?" Jenina asked.
"You know how men are, especially the younger ones," Verna answered, her voice filled with disdain towards men.
"Most of their thoughts are on women... What do you think men from our group would do now that they know we are in a hot spring?"
Divya’s eyes turned wide into realization, and she dipped further into the water, her hands covering her ample breasts. Others did the same and they chided themselves for not thinking of this.
"Relax, I have casted an illusion," Verna knew the types of thoughts running in their minds. "If not, I wouldn’t be relaxing with you all."
It was her who shared the information about the hot spring and suggested they should give it a try. They even asked Ashlyn but she refused, and instead, stayed in the camp house.
As for the white curtain around the hot spring, while it gave privacy, it wasn’t really a guarantee in case people tried.
The illusion she cast ensured that when anyone peeked inside, they would see women, but it wouldn’t be them. The scene, instead, would be something from her memory, not at all related to the beauties here.
The others understood what she meant. The men would be looking for opportunities to check them out!
This hot spring was now heaven on earth for any straight man!
Would men waste this once in a life time opportunity?!
They knew the answer! The men wouldn’t for it would be against their nature!
Meanwhile, back in the camp.
Zed was enjoying the fresh air and the morning sky when he learned about most of the women taking a bath in the hot spring.
He noticed Onur and almost every other man from his group stepping out of the camp area and moving towards a particular direction.
The only men left here were him, the servants of Sophia, and the ’new couple’. Launcelot and Carmen have lost all desires ever since the event from the night before.
Zed was a bit curious so he followed the men, his steps quick. It was soon obvious to him where Onur and other men were proceeding.
He looked on as they hide behind a few boulders. They were near the hot spring and even the land texture here was a bit rocky.
They hid well without making the least bit of noise and arrived without any servant or even Aileen noticing.
Only Zed noticed because he was paying attention, and also because they didn’t really try to hide it from him. For others, they made a false excuse of hunting for breakfast...
One of the men named Raxu retrieved a very small drone from his storage device.
The other people, in the meantime, took out digital tablets and entered some codes in an app. The camera embedded in the drone soon started projecting its visuals on the tablets.
Onur and others noticed Zed walking straight in their direction.
"Ah!" Onur was startled but soon his lips curled up. "You are right at the time. The show is about to start."
The drone left the ground and flew upward. It was covered with transparent layers that ensured it wasn’t noticeable, almost like it was one with the surrounding.
Zed arrived next to Raxu and the latter smirked with a smile that was familiar between men.
"To screen mirror, you have to enter this coordinates---" Raxu has kindly begun sharing details for the greater good, when much to his shock, Zed pulled the remote from his hand.
"We should learn to appreciate the right to privacy," Zed said, his voice polite. "It is fundamental to human dignity, regardless of gender. So please, let’s stop before it is too late."
Zed pressed on a switch to make the drone turn its direction.
"YOU!" Raxu and others were incensed.
Back in the spring, Verna was stunned, her expression filled with shock. Just a few minutes ago, she was sure of exposing Zed’s true nature but now...
"How is this even possible?!" Verna refused to believe this.
Zed didn’t know about the trial or even that the women were expecting them to carry out perverted actions. He did it on his own because that was true to his character as Zed.
As for enjoying heaven on earth, well, for that, there was Kiba. His alter ego’s life mission was dedicated to getting women in bed.
The number of women he slept was far greater than the combined number of women people like Onur, Raxu, and others even made hand contact with...
So, for him, there was no reason to be overexcited at the prospect of seeing a few women naked.
When he created his twin personalities, he decided on their roles and limits. This was fundamental, otherwise what purpose having two identities served?
As the drone made an arc to return back, Raxu grabbed the remote back and quickly dashed to another boulder. He commanded the drone to move back to the hot spring for fresh visuals.
"If you don’t want to watch, then don’t, but stop preaching us!" Raxu warned with a fierce expression.
Onur and others nodded in agreement.
If you want to be an idiot and waste this god-send opportunity, then do so, but don’t impose your stupid thoughts on us!
Zed didn’t respond and remained silent in his place. He didn’t run towards Raxo to grab the remote.
In the hot spring, Verna smiled as if she has won. She took a handful of rose petals in her hand and placed them on her face.
Her face was flushed and the rose added a delightful sensation to her smooth skin.
"He might have surprised me with his decision to not peek like a pervert man, but, at least, I have proved he is a coward in face of threats. If he was truly kind and caring then he wouldn’t have minded the warning----"
Verna was saying but she trailed off in between. Her eyes were locked on the mirror-like screen and as she observed the new developments, her mouth turned wide.
The hot spring water entered into her mouth along with rose petals but she was far too stunned to care.
Outside, as the drone swept above, just as it was about to cross the curtain, it was shot by a burst of fire. The heat was so strong that by the time it began crashing towards the ground, it was no better than wreckage.
Zed has an arm, enveloped in flame, raised in the air. As the wreckage crashed down, he lowered his hand and the flame faded from his hand.
"There are things for which a man must fight, even when stakes are against him," Zed said, his expression filled with determination. "And the privacy of individual tops that list."
Verna gulped down in amazement. Her breasts trembled under the hot water, and goosebumps bloomed on her smooth skin.
"This...!"
Her heart thumped loudly as his words rang in her mind like a bolt of lightning.
I was wrong again?!
Sophia’s eyes twinkled and she said, "As expected! He is truly different!"
Jenina also agreed and added, "Perfect men do exist!"
Verna was overwhelmed. She has a strong dislike for men due to their nature. And yet, a man she hasn’t even known for 24 hours was breaking her image.
Meanwhile, outside.
Raxu gripped his hand tightly into a fist and punched out. The air currents streamed around his fist, and the next moment, the entire air was concentrated and blasted outward in the form of countless wind blades.
The wind blades surged with piercing sharpness as they swept forward. The earth shook and trails of rock pieces rose high like a wave as the wind blades rushed at Zed, ready to chop him.
People nearby were alarmed.
Raxu was using such a fierce move from the start, without any warning. Everyone could imagine what would happen if those wind blades slammed onto a person...he would become mincemeat! And given the quantities of wind blades, there was no chance of dodging them!
Zed’s fate was set!
The females inside the spring closed their eyes, unable to look at the scene that was about to unfold. They didn’t want to witness the moment he got cut to pieces!
Zed was surprised by a sudden attack but he wasn’t worried. If Raxu was capable of killing him by this attack, his ability would have warned him in advance.
As the wind blades rushed at him, under the wide eyes of onlookers, he ingeniously jumped above. The spectators were stunned, their expressions filled with disbelief, as he used wind blades as stepping stone to leap further high in the air.
This was shocking.
The wind blades were short and sharp, and yet, he was using them as staircase?! They couldn’t understand how.
From what they knew, he was fire elementalist so how could he do this?!
Verna’s eyes glinted.
"Such creative use of fire element!"
She noticed faint sparks around the wind blades as he used them for stepping up. When he stepped on them, for a very short moment that couldn’t be detected by the naked eye, there would be heat haze.
"The wind blades are nothing but concentrated air. This, in turn, means they have a high amount of oxygen! Oxygen is fuel for fire!"
Verna was impressed.
Igniting the oxygen in the blades to create an explosion would be far easy for powerful fire elementalists, but he was using it to only propel himself by increasing temperature momentarily.
She knew how tough it was.
Even Beta-rank mutants with fire-based abilities would have a tough time, and yet, he could achieve this with so much ease.
"There is only one way he could use his ability in such a way despite his low level... he understood the principle of fire element! That requires enlightenment! But he is only 21 or 22 years old! A few years younger than me!!"
The others were only shocked because they didn’t understand anything, but since she understood, she was terrified.
In cases like this, ignorance was truly bliss!
In the meantime, the wind blades slashed forward. They missed their target, and now they sliced apart the boulders and trees in their path.
Soil and wood particles swept in the air, creating a dust cloud. At the same time, as people were still in shocked states, and before Raxu could react to the development, Zed retaliated.
As Zed started falling towards the ground, he aimed a hand at Raxu. A column of flame shot out, carrying blistering heat.
Even people far away felt hot sweat dripping down their bodies before evaporating. It was like they were fish being grilled!
Raxu gritted his teeth so hard that they emitted breaking sound. He didn’t expect things to happen this way.
Having no time to block on his own and given the intense crisis, he pressed on a charm device on his neck. Streams of prismatic lights swept out, forming a circular barrier around his body.
BANG
The stream of fire crashed on the barrier and sparks flew out. Despite the volcanic heat, the barrier showed no signs of melting.
The air around the barrier was filled with terrifying heat haze that instantly burned what little grass grew in this rocky area.
Raxu chuckled for he knew he was safe.
His friends also smiled in unison.
The protective charms were made of nanotechnology with costly materials. Most organizations and families, even those not affiliated to world government, would give such charm devices to their members.
The price was high but it was nowhere near high enough on the resources already invested in the members.
By now, Zed has landed on the ground and lowered his hand. He eyed the barrier but his expression didn’t change.
"I might not be able to break the barrier in my current form, but only an idiot would think he is safe," Zed coldly thought.
Under stunned gazes of everywhere, after landing on the ground, he crouched down. They wondered what he was doing.
There was no way he could attack Raxu after the use of barrier.
They were still thinking when Zed placed his hands on the ground. He closed his eyes, and large amount of flames cascaded out of his palms.
The flames swiftly surged at barrier but instead of attacking the barrier, they began melting the ground around Raxu. The rocky land below his feet began broiling under radiating heatwaves.
Sure, the barrier prevented his feet from heat, but now that the layers of land started melting, his feet lacked support. He started falling down, still surrounded by the barrier. The flames did everything so quickly that he didn’t even get time to react.
He could have acted before when he had the chance, but he was far too confident in the barrier’s ability, and now there was no time...
What needs to be mentioned is that Zed wouldn’t have used this move if not for the close proximity of this area with the open hot spring.
The ground here was susceptible to his attack thanks to its geological composition, unlike normal ground where he would need an intense amount of energy to barely melt it.
"What?"
Everyone was dumbfounded. It wasn’t a type of move they could think of, at least no so quickly in the middle of a battle.
Th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\
The move might be a bit underhanded but no one could doubt it was smart.
"How dare you!" Raxu screamed in anger.
He has fallen into groundwater whose temperature was very high and not suitable for human, unlike the open spring. Thankfully, the barrier saved him from any injuries, but now that he was in the water, he was having a hard time coming up to the surface.
The barrier was circular like a ball and there was no way he could swim due to its design.
Fuck!
Why couldn’t those damn researches prepare for such a situation when they designed the charm?!