CHAPTER 930: SERAPHINA’S WORRIES

Max looked down at the crowd of angry geniuses and sneered silently, the corner of his lips curling in cold amusement. He could see through this situation with ease—it was nothing more than Arnold’s scheme.

Arnold had been pulling strings from the shadows since the very beginning, and now this angry mob was the result. True, Max had killed many geniuses from Thunder Monarch Hall, Void Soul Tower, and Mountain Gods Valley over the past month, but he hadn’t done so out of malice.

Every single one of them had come for his life, driven by Arnold’s manipulations and promises. And Max’s code was simple—if someone wanted to kill him, then he would kill them first. There was nothing wrong with it. It was survival, pure and simple.

Still, despite all his kills, one name had eluded him—Arnold himself. That man hid deep, never revealing himself directly, always working from the shadows. For an entire month, Max hadn’t been able to find him.

Only now, at this final gathering of all geniuses at the central mountain peak, did Max finally lay eyes on him standing within the crowd.

"Max, surrender yourself; otherwise, you will be killed by the elders of our three forces," a voice called out sharply. Kyle, the strongest three-star genius of Thunder Monarch Hall, floated out of the crowd and stopped in front of Max, his expression cold and arrogant as he confronted him directly.

Max’s eyes narrowed slightly before a sneer formed on his lips. "You’re Kyle, right? The strongest three-star genius of the Thunder Monarch Hall?" he said, his tone laced with mockery. "You don’t look like it."

Before Kyle could respond, two more figures emerged, both exuding powerful auras that instantly intensified the tension in the air. One was Tron William of the Void Soul Tower, his eyes blazing with fury, and the other was Agatha Stark of the Mountain Gods Valley, her killing intent palpable.

Max’s smile widened, showing teeth now, sharp and fearless. "I didn’t want to kill anymore," he said casually, as though discussing the weather, "especially since we’re about to leave the secret domain. But it seems you all want me to keep killing."

As he finished speaking, power erupted from him like a tidal wave. His level 2 sword concept and level 2 flame concept burst forth, roaring into the air and intertwining around his body like twin dragons.

The winds screamed as the violent aura he unleashed swept through the mountain peak, pushing back loose stones and shaking the very ground beneath their feet.

"Humph, you’re too arrogant if you think you can stand against all three of us," Kyle sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. Even as he spoke, he couldn’t fully hide the faint tension in his eyes. He knew Max was strong—after all, Max had killed countless elites who were supposed to overwhelm him—but Kyle still refused to believe Max could withstand three peak Legend Rank experts at once.

Tron William’s face twisted with fury as he stepped forward. He had lost more than anyone to Max’s rampage—one of their Heaven Grade geniuses had fallen to Max early before the secret domain opened, and since then, countless Void Soul Tower disciples had been killed one after another in this secret domain.

Tron even regretted letting their elders push for Max’s elimination, but now it was too late. The orders had been given, the blood had been spilled, and pride demanded vengeance.

Agatha Stark said nothing, but her aura flared like a storm, the oppressive weight of her killing intent locking onto Max with suffocating sharpness.

The air grew heavier, filled with violent energy, as all eyes focused on the four figures at the center—Max, Kyle, Tron, and Agatha. War was moments away from breaking out.

Among the countless geniuses gathered around the mountain peak stood the members of the Great Ruler Empire. They all looked worried for Max. Even though they knew nothing about Max, simply because Max was a part of the Great Ruler Empire, they felt worried about him.

However, it was a pity they weren’t allowed to interfere at this moment.

"I think we should at least stall for Max. The secret domain will close any moment now—it would be best if we can at least buy some time for him until then," Seraphina said, her expression visibly tense, worry lacing her voice.

She had been recruited personally by Princess Lyra, just like Max, and because of that connection, she felt a sense of responsibility for his safety. Her fists were clenched tightly as she watched the scene unfolding at the mountain peak, anxiety evident in her eyes.

"You don’t understand, Sera." Alaric’s tone was calm, even slightly amused as he smiled faintly at her reaction. "It’s not that I don’t want to help him. We, as members of the Great Ruler Empire, are more united than any other force. But charging in to help Max right now would only create unnecessary trouble for him."

He paused, his gaze steady as he looked at the group of hostile geniuses facing Max. "I’ve spoken with some geniuses from the Eternal Sun Empire recently. Do you know what they told me? They said Max saved their lives, and they were so grateful they went out of their way to thank me. And from their description, I learned something important—Max is already capable of handling opponents at the 7th level of Legend Rank with ease."

Alaric folded his arms and gave Seraphina a knowing look. "Even though our strength has reached the 10th level of Legend Rank now, there’s still a clear gap between us and the likes of Kyle, Tron, and Agatha. That trio aren’t ordinary geniuses—they’re the sharpest blades of their respective forces in the 3-star department. If we interfere now, we’ll only end up being obstacles to Max, not help."

"I see, but still—" Seraphina began, unwilling to let go of her concern, but Alaric cut her off with a calm gesture of his hand.

"Just watch and see how this unfolds, Sera. From how confident Max appears to be right now, I don’t believe those three will be able to do much to him," Alaric said with quiet certainty, his eyes never leaving Max’s figure.

Seraphina bit her lip, frustration mixing with hesitation, but she eventually fell silent. All they could do now was watch... and wait.