Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 131: Tragic Irony (2)

"Argh...!!!"

The commander roared to the heavens, falling to his knees. He had failed the very person he had sworn to protect. No matter how you paint the picture, he killed the count himself.

When his men realised what they had done, all colour drained from their faces. They dropped their weapons and fell to their knees in despair. The light in their eyes dimmed as they lost all will to fight.

At the heart of the explosion was a crater serving as a reminder of their blunder. Had they been faster, had they held off just a second later, maybe...

Unfortunately for them, there was no do-over. The only thing they could do at this moment was make sure the death of the count wasn’t in vain.

"Find her!"

The commander suddenly roared, his solemn expression turning into anger. He couldn’t allow the person indirectly responsible for the death of their lord to roam free.

"Spread out and go after that bitch!" He instructed angrily, his anger manifesting around his body like raging flames. "I want her dead before dawn! No one is resting until we kill that bitch and anyone associated with her!"

"Yes!"

The knights snapped out of their solemn state and got to their feet. Their despairing look was now replaced with a burning determination to kill on sight.

The commander ground his teeth so hard that he bled from his gums. Suddenly, he recalled the second explosion and the men he sent over. There was no news from that direction, but that was enough of a lead.

Whoever was Jess’s partner was most likely engaging the knights he sent over. He didn’t waste a second and bolted in that direction. Soon, others followed after realising where the commander was headed.

’The fuckers better start praying I don’t find them there...’ The commander thought furiously with literal steam spewing from his mouth. He was more than angry – he was livid.

The commander wanted blood...

.....

"That should take care of them..."

Caleb muttered calmly, staring at the knights lying on the ground and crying in agony. These knights appeared shortly after he dealt with the shadow head.

Naturally, he kept an eye on everything transpiring in the Count’s estate. He stepped out of the knights sprawled all over the ground, focusing his senses on Jess and the knights.

This was her fight, and he was only here to support. Caleb was already aware Jess could not kill the count and trusted her enough to hold back.

"Oh, that’s unexpected." Caleb’s eyes widened slightly, surprised at the outcome.

The knights were too impatient in their attempt to rescue their lord, resulting in a situation where they ended up killing their own master. His senses followed Jess as she made her way towards him, reaching him several seconds later.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, staring at his woman calmly.

"Hah... It’s fine." Jess replied with a sigh, looking over her shoulders. "I doubt he would have lived long even if he had been rescued."

"Yeah..." Caleb replied coolly. His attention turned back to the Count’s estate, noticing the movement of the knights. "Do you want to engage the knights running over?"

Jess didn’t immediately respond. She turned to look behind Caleb, staring at the knights groaning and moaning. None of the knights was a match for either of them.

Staying to fight them would only be a waste of time. She had already vented her feelings, so there was no need to engage the knights when the outcome was already known.

"Let’s leave." She replied. "We still have a summons to answer. And I bet you’re dying to see that woman too..." Jess almost sneered, folding her arms over her chest and looking away.

Clearly, the woman was not very pleased with her partner’s shenanigans. However, she also understood his desires, so there’s nothing she could do.

"Hehe... You’re beginning to know me, Jess." Caleb replied and stepped closer to her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her in. "But there’s no need to worry, you’re stuck with me."

"Hmph!"

Jess didn’t respond, choosing to close her eyes. Her arms moved over Caleb’s neck, holding him tight. What was to come next, while not pleasant for her, was necessary.

Very soon, the air picked up speed as Caleb floated from the ground, coming to a stop at a height of 450 meters. The darkness of the knight hid their figures, practically making them invisible.

With their presence completely held in, there was no way to tell if they were around.

"Find them!"

Jess opened her eyes and looked down, noticing the commander looking around in desperation. She and Caleb had exceptional eyesight that was capable of seeing in the dark, extreme zoom, detecting heat signatures and a lot more.

The commander and his men had arrived on the scene, only to find their men and secret forces groaning or passed out. It confirmed the presence of an accomplice or accomplices.

However, as diligent as they were in searching the surroundings, they couldn’t find any trace of the assailants. They were gone.

The commander was fuming; his anger needed an outlet, but there was no one in sight. He was this close to losing it.

But as more reports came in about no traces being found, his raging emotions began to settle, bringing back the grief and guilt that threatened to spill over.

"Ah..." He could no longer hold his grief in. With no outlet for his raging emotions, it was channelled into something else.

"Aah...!"

His men looked away, unable to stomach seeing their commander break down. They were the ones who actually killed the Count, yet the commander did not blame them.

They lowered their heads in shame. At this moment, there was nothing they could do besides grieve the loss of their lord.

"I kinda feel bad for them," Caleb muttered calmly, tightening his hold on Jess.

"Don’t be. This is the fate of the weak, and would have been my fate had you not appeared that day." Jess replied with a serious face. "Even an act of rescue could end up killing your loved ones. The only way to avoid such a fate is to be on the strong side."

There was no hint of remorse in her eyes. It wasn’t her fault the knights killed their lord; this was on their hands, and theirs alone.

"Mm." Caleb nodded in agreement.

This was a truth he knew from the very start. To ensure his new life and loved ones were protected in this world, he would continue growing strong.

Mana flared around his body and Jess, instantly catching the attention of the knights below. But before they could deduce what that was, a sonic boom was heard as a turquoise blue line streaked across the sky, quickly disappearing over the horizon.