Life Number 0-Chapter 37: Melissa Baron

Unfortunately, I’ve decided to kidnap you, my lady." His voice carried a weight that made the words feel like they were collapsing over her head. Egologia was in no rush. "The men here are stubborn—they won’t reveal a thing. But you... you might help a promising man like me." The taut threads coiled around her wrists twisted slightly, as if reminding her of their presence. Her breath was ragged, her eyes unable to focus fully on him, but she spoke. Because silence was worse. "The Heavenly Conflict... you’re asking about that?" she stammered, inhaling a shaky breath before continuing: "The Five Kingdoms." Her lips trembled. "Far to the north, beyond what the people can even imagine... there’s a battlefield that hasn’t yet begun." "Clarify, my lady." With unsettling politeness, his request sounded like nothing more than a conversation between friends. "The Five Kingdoms aren’t moving. No one dares take a single miscalculated step. Any unusual movement, any approach, any attempt to advance... will be met with equal violence. No one wants to be the one to start, but everyone is waiting." "Everyone is after one thing..." She paused for a moment, as if the words were heavy on her tongue, as if speaking them might make them too real. "Control over the heavens." "And why?" "Because whoever controls them... gains access to their treasures." For a moment, it was her own mind that began to deceive her. Egologia hadn’t moved, yet his presence felt even more suffocating. "And what are these treasures?" She fell silent. Perhaps because she didn’t know—or perhaps because she feared that speaking them would cost her more than it should. Egologia didn’t repeat his question. He didn’t need to. Instead, he smiled softly. "Which family are you from?" Her mouth was half-open—half a gasp, half a word that couldn’t escape her tongue. "I’ll repeat... which family are you from, my lady?" Her eyes darted violently, her breath quickened. Finally, she whispered: "Ba... Baron... I am of the Barons, my sir..." A small laugh. A laugh... then silence. "Baron? Truly?" The blood in her veins turned to hot, and she let slip what she had kept from him: "Treasures...It’s... something that grants eternal prosperity." "Eternal prosperity?" She nodded. "The treasure of the heavens isn’t just power. It’s something... that changes everything. It grants long life, ensures prosperity... Any kingdom that possesses it could rule forever." She paused, her breath uneven. Then, in a quieter but more fearful voice, she added: "This treasure is the reason for this conflict. All the kingdoms aspire to it. All of them believe it’s the only path to survival." Egologia watched her without blinking, as if reading his favorite lines... "So, only the great kingdoms could join this conflict?" She nodded again. "Yeah. Only the great kingdoms. Those who weren’t great couldn’t even reach it. Couldn’t survive in this struggle." "What about Zirafin? Now?" She couldn’t hide her reaction. "Zirafin..." she hesitated. "I fear we’re about to be pushed out of the conflict... and everything will collapse." "So, you’re retreating." She shook her head, trying to deny something... "No... we’re not retreating..." He cut her off in a voice barely above a whisper: "How interesting." "A kingdom that once fought among the greats... now fears falling." His tone wasn’t mocking, but it wasn’t sympathetic either. It was closer to an observation—like someone examining a torn painting and wondering if it could be repaired. "It seems I’ve enjoyed this conversation very much, my lady." Her shoulders trembled, but she didn’t dare reply. "But..." He paused for a moment, allowing the tension to sink deeper into her, then continued: "I’m not as cruel a man as you think. You’ve been quite useful indeed." She held her breath, unable to believe it, not daring to believe it. "Congratulations, my lady... your freedom." She gasped—a sharp, sudden sound—unsure whether it was from joy or shock. Her tears flowed freely now, tears of deliverance. Egologia smiled a barely formed smile before raising his hand slightly in the air. The crimson threads began to disappear. No sound, no creaking, no tearing. Just... vanishing. In an instant— "Wait! My lord, wait! Please, wait! Wait, wait!" Her exhausted body was released, plummeting... her form collapsing vertically at a terrifying speed... Her eyes barely registered the ground rushing toward her before her breath was cut short in... scattered limbs and splattered remains, a scream that would never be completed. Egologia stood there, whispering softly: "Long freedom... my lady."

He raised his hand and struck with his palm—the lion’s hand extended forward to clash.Howard caught sight of it. He clenched the spear. Jerked Frederick—dropped him! Smashed him into the ground, embedding him into the crater forming beneath him.’Tsk!’And howard in his fury, he turned! Crossed his arms. The palm came!! He braced against it, the pressure immense. Bones cracked. Roar [howard] "yeah! Roaaard! prove me now!"Howard, straining against himself, And roared as he threw his arms open with force. The palm dissolved. The aura dissipated. He moved swiftly, slicing through it—reaching silan before him.A direct clash erupted. Punches exchanged. The ground trembled beneath them as they continued with relentless ferocity and challenge.Reinhardt—his body transformed into a golden statue—decided to intervene...A step. Then another. He approached, preparing a strike that would change the outcome.Howard chose to finish silan first. He grabbed his fist, then the other, catching them in his colossal fingers. He squeezed! Bones groaned... Silan wavered, cracks visibly forming in his body! He staggered."Hah! You fucking! weak!"He tried to kick, shifting his leg slowly, but Howard was faster.A kick—striking his leg. His balance shattered, his body twisted, sweat flung into the air.Howard didn’t wait. He leaped! Kicked him straight in the face... a lightning-fast blow.Silan was hurled back, his body scraping across the ground, sliding without resistance.Howard landed, turned! And prepared.The third and final.But a massive golden sphere was launched from the unknown.Howard met it with a vertical kick, his other foot firmly planted on the ground, the pressure immense, yet he did not budge. His foot ground against its surface, stopping it.Howard roared, "Youuuuuuuu!"It was Morgan.Reinhardt was closing in, but Howard raised his arm, and the axe obeyed, launching toward its target.Reinhardt shouted, excited, "You’re kidding, right? An axe? I’m a golden beast now!"He raised his fist to shatter it.Morgan shouted at the top of his lungs, "STOP! Don’t try to punch it!"Reinhardt ducked just in time. The axe passed over him, its pressure washing over him.A heavy sensation. A momentary fear. He turned. The axe was returning, spinning as if it were a living creature."Damn... how does he do this?"Howard didn’t wait.He lifted his second foot, leaped, kicked the golden sphere with both legs together, sending it flying away, then landed swiftly, launching forward... and Morgan moved.Two auras on his arms—golden lions, flames surging from his skin, rising, advancing to tear his opponent apart.But Howard broke his natural speed... vanished for a moment.Then he appeared above Morgan, spinning! Flipping through the air, then ended the sequence with a direct descent...A vertical headbutt!Morgan’s back split. The ground shattered.A massive earthquake spread beneath its impact...The three glared in anger, tension rising between them.Suddenly, Frederick moved—he wanted to do something!!!But something else, rushing through the smoke in an attack, had arrived. Howard caught him off guard—an upward punch struck Frederick’s jaw directly, lifting him into the air for a moment before Howard’s hand seized his neck, squeezing with crushing force.Frederick, powerless, convulsed within his grip.At that moment, Howard’s eyes and hand glowed with a strange, ghastly color—dark energy materialized around his fingers, choking Frederick’s neck as if draining his very soul.On the other side, the others prepared themselves.They raised their hands, ready to unleash a barrage of golden bullets. But before they could, Morgan burst out of the dust, exhausted, shouting at the top of his lungs:"Stop, you idiots! He’ll use him as a shield!"They halted at the last second."Oh, damn..."Morgan let out his final breath before leaping toward the sky. He clapped his hands, then raised his legs, which began to glow in the air. Pressing down with force, he created a foothold from the air beneath him, then launched himself at truly incredible speed.Silan and Reinhardt didn’t lag behind; both of them surged forward as well.Meanwhile, Howard swung his other arm—the axe was returning to the battle, spinning through the air.The golden meteor crashed down, the impact pushing both him and the ground beneath him. Before he could regain momentum, the two had already arrived—they closed the distance, joined forces, leaped, and struck Howard with their kicks, their radiating auras shattering the air around them.Morgan’s blow struck his back, while the others targeted his abdomen.They were truly crushing him!Howard, however, did not stop—he grabbed Frederick and hurled him at them with tremendous force!But Silan reacted swiftly, letting go and catching Frederick firmly, while Reinhardt continued his relentless pressure, his aura growing denser.At that moment, the axe arrived...Morgan didn’t hesitate. He abandoned the press, leaping to intercept it himself—it was heading straight for his sons.As for the others, they continued crushing Howard on their own, pressing him with all their might in direct combat.Morgan, in that instant, gathered all of his emitted energy, drawing it entirely into his fist in a single, decisive move—a single punch, the fate of this clash...Then, he struck!