Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 81: The Beginning (2)

BOOM...!!! BOOM...!!!

King Gray and the cloaked figure exchanged rapid strikes are they blazed through the woods, bringing down anything that stood in their path.

Several hundreds of meters of space were cleared with but a single strike from the king’s sword, and while the assassin was able to keep up, it was proving to be more of a challenge than expected.

The assassin was covered in cuts and burn marks. The king’s sword was more powerful than he had anticipated. It enhanced his attack speed and strength, and the sword’s enchantments were lethal if struck directly.

More than once had the assassin found himself in the direct line of King Gray when he unleashed one of its spells. One fire spell had scorched several meters of land, disintegrating plants.

’Tsk!’ The cloaked figure cursed his bad luck. ’Here I was thinking I can take on someone like me.’ It was now a battle of chase.

King Gray cut off all paths of escape for the assassin. When the cloaked figure attempted to direct the fight towards the King’s family, a powerful spell would be thrown at him, cutting off his route.

’It’s not just the weapon boosting his power. The man himself is a veteran. I doubt I would fare any better had he used a simple artefact.’ The cloaked figure admitted his shortcomings.

’Unfortunately for you, this is just the beginning.’ He grinned under his cloak as he clashed his dual daggers with the king’s sword, sending sparks flying everywhere.

"What’s with the grin?" King Gray muttered coldly, pressing on to overpower the assassin. "You won’t be getting out of this alive. This is your end of the line for you."

The sword lit up with black lightning, completely different from the ones the cloaked figure had seen. It sent a cold chill down his spine.

’Fucking hell...! Which one is this?’ He had no intention of finding out as he gave up on trying to overpower the king and leapt backwards.

King Gray didn’t delay as he swung the lightning-charged sword in the assassin’s direction; not where he was, but where he was going to be.

A loud rumble of thunder accompanied the black lightning as it crackled through the air, instantly reaching the figure.

’Over my dead body!’ He cried out as he channelled his mana and conjured a defensive ward in front of him. For the briefest of moments, his gaze shifted in the direction of where the king’s family gathered.

A sudden flash of red came from under his cloak as the black lightning impacted the barrier, shattering it without much effort. The cry of agony that followed was enough to chill anyone’s heart.

Aside from the stunning effect of the lightning, the black properties wreaked havoc on the assassin’s mana channels, shredding them apart and disrupting the mana flow.

Black blood and mist flowed from the cloaked figure’s orifices as he slammed into the ground with a thud. His body pulsated from the shock and damage; his neurons were given a thorough wake-up call.

He could barely form any coherent thoughts. Still, he wondered why the king didn’t use a spell like this from the start. He managed to shift his head in the king’s direction, only to see black veins creeping up his neck to the head.

King Gray was on one knee, his sword planted into the ground for support as he took heavy breaths. From all

’I see...’ The man noted as his body continued to tremble. ’This is truly the end for me...’ He was effectively crippled. Putting his channels back together was next to impossible.

The spell went deeper than just destroying the mana pathways and nerves. It affected a person’s framework as King Gray called it. This particular enchantment of the sword was a terrifying one, leaving the user almost drained.

’The side effects should wear off soon.’ The king thought as he looked at the sorry figure of the assassin on the ground. ’I should finish him off before that thing gets here.’

King Gray got to his feet with much difficulty, dragging his feet and sword towards the collapsed assassin.

"Father!" Osbourne’s worried voice came from the back. The prince was sure the fight was over and wanted to help his father.

"No!" King Gray suddenly turned around, stopping the prince in his tracks. "This isn’t over yet. Stay with your mother and sister."

The prince could only stop in his tracks. However, he didn’t immediately return to the others, opting to observe from where he stood.

"Hehehe..." The assassin laughed in derision as the king drew closer to him.

"What’s funny?" The king couldn’t help but mutter. His brows furrowed as he looked around for anything unusual but found nothing.

While it appeared as though he was engaging a dying man in conversation, it was more for himself to recover. Who knew what last tricks an assassin could have up their sleeve?

He didn’t fail to notice the flash of red the assassin emitted. Whether it was a signal or something else, King Gray preferred to be prepared.

"Y-you many have d-defeated me..." The assassin managed to say. "But this isn’t over, king. Choose..."

King Gray didn’t like the sound of that as a sudden feeling of dread hit. He snapped his head back to his family where the queen and the knight carrying Celine stood worriedly, or at least that was what he expected to see.

"!"

The king’s eyes widened in horror as he saw his wife knocked to the ground by the very knight who was supposed to be carrying and protecting the princess.

It all happened too fast for anyone to react. The princess found herself on her knees as a dagger was placed over her neck.

’Oh shit!’ The prince cursed as he attempted to rush towards the unfolding event. Unfortunately for him, he was forced to come to a halt.

"Don’t move!" The knight yelled as she positioned herself away from the queen and the knights. "You should know how this goes. Any funny movements and the princess gets a one-way pass to the goddess."

The knights cursed their foolishness as they backed away from the knight. They had been too lax once they eliminated all the goons. Had they paid more attention to their surroundings, they could have... they could... sadly, there was no room for regrets.

"D-daddy...?" Celine called out helplessly, unable to determine her bearing. Tears welled in her eyes as she called for her father’s help. "W-what’s happening...?"

"Quiet!" The female knight ordered coldly as she pressed the dagger, drawing a groan and blood from Celine.

Seeing his daughter so helpless broke King Gray’s heart more than anything he could imagine. The sight of Celine on her knees with a dagger over her neck froze him in his spot.

He couldn’t even bring himself to tell her everything was going to be alright. The sheer powerlessness he felt at that moment nearly made him fall to his knees.

"What will you do now, oh great king?" The broken laugh of the assassin echoed in the now quiet space.