"Aster-sama!"
Kurenai quickly realized Aster's actions and turned around, trying to catch him again—but her hands caught nothing but air.
Without holding back, Aster fully utilized the Qi Techniques he had just learned, enhancing his speed and explosive strength. In an instant, he was already over a hundred meters away from Kurenai, closing in on one of the black-clothed assailants—a member of the Numbers.
Aster quickly analyzed the situation at a glance.
The assailant was locked in a fierce battle against a female rabbit beastman, who was barely holding on. Blood trickled from countless wounds covering her body. She was being pushed back with no room to retaliate.
"Back off...!"
With a shout, Aster adjusted his trajectory mid-air and shot down like a bullet. He delivered a devastating kick to the assailant's head, aiming to end the fight in a single blow!
*BAM!*
But the enemy managed to cross his arms in time, blocking the attack. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"Ugh...!"
Still, the sheer force of the overhead strike sent the man in black crashing down to his knees like a hammered nail, the ground beneath him cracking under the impact.
"Haaap!"
Aster didn't stop there. He kicked the air behind him using Qi footholds, launching himself forward with a spinning tornado kick aimed at the man's side.
This time, the attack connected unguarded. The assailant's arm was still numb from the previous blow, causing a crucial delay in his reaction!
The problem, however, was that Aster's kick wasn't just an ordinary one—it was a technique he learned from Kurenai's mother, Nadeshiko: Whirlwind Annihilation Kick!
As his leg struck, it continued onwards, slicing clean through the man's torso. The Qi coating his leg had been refined into razor-sharp wind blades, tearing through flesh and bone with terrifying ease.
"Oh...!"
Aster's body glowed at that moment, a sign that he had just leveled up. The surge of energy confirmed two things: the enemy had died, and he had slain someone powerful enough to grant him an instant level-up.
"As expected, I'm stronger now...!" He grinned, excitement burning in his chest at his newfound strength.
Before Kurenai could even reach his side, Aster moved toward his next target—this time, an assailant locked in combat with a bear-like beastman.
This battle was more of a stalemate; the attacker couldn't pierce through the beastman's defenses, while the beastman struggled to land a hit due to the difference in speed.
'He's stalling for time…' Aster realized immediately, yet he pressed on, intent on interfering.
Activating his stealth technique, he concealed his presence for a split second before launching forward with a powerful step. The spot where he stepped left behind a large crater, sending him soaring like a missile.
At the same time, he twisted his body, adding rotation to his movement. He flew forward, heels first, like a rapidly spinning drill.
"Void Piercing Kick!"
The next moment, his foot landed right on target—driving straight through the enemy's chest! His entire body followed through, tearing the man apart as he passed through.
The two halves fell lifelessly to the ground.
Aster's body glowed again—another level-up!
"Protect those nearby!"
Aster shouted at the bear beastman before leaping onto the rooftops, scanning the battlefield for his next target.
He activated body strengthening, stealth, and feather steps simultaneously, boosting his speed even further. No matter how many techniques he stacked, with his non-standard amount of Qi, exhaustion remained a non-issue.
One by one, the enemies fell like wheat before a scythe.
All the black-clothed attackers he encountered crumbled without exception.
Before long, he had cleared the enemies inside the village and arrived at the main battlefield—the village entrance.
Hundreds of villagers clashed against thousands of black-clothed warriors. Despite being outnumbered ten to one, the battle remained strangely balanced—neither side overwhelming the other.
"Aster! Stop it! We need to go!"
Just as he paused to assess the situation, Kurenai finally caught up with him and grabbed his shoulder. However, when she tried to pull him away, she gasped softly—he didn't budge an inch. He felt like a mountain, firmly rooted in place.
"Kurenai..." Aster's voice was calm, yet it carried a burning intensity. "I appreciate your concern, but I… don't want your village to suffer because of me."
He gazed ahead, eyes sharp as he assessed the enemies. Then, in a steady voice, he declared—
"I won't stand by and watch people die for my sake."
"Aster-sama…"
Along the way, Kurenai had seen dozens of black-clothed corpses. But she had also seen hundreds of her fallen brethren—the weaker ones who lacked proper combat training. Among them were mostly children.
If not for Aster's intervention, the number of casualties would have easily doubled.
She understood his unwillingness to let people sacrifice themselves for him, but at the same time, she had a sacred duty—to get him to safety. She couldn't just nod and allow him to dive headfirst into danger.
While she hesitated, Aster took a deep breath—
—And that single action made Kurenai panic.
"A-Aster-sama, don't…!"
"BASTARDS...!!!"
But she was too late.
"YOU'RE AFTER ME, RIGHT?! I'M RIGHT HERE...!!!"
His voice rang across the battlefield, loud enough for the entire village to hear.
For a moment, everything fell silent.
Then—
"Target sighted!"
"Capture him!"
The men in black surged forward, trying to break through the villagers' defenses.
"Fuck?! Don't let them through! Defend the village with your lives…!"
"Why is Kurenai still here?! Why hasn't she taken Aster-sama away yet?!"
The villagers fought back even harder, barely holding their ground.
But the real problem was inside the village.
Because of Aster's loud declaration, all the infiltrators abandoned their current mission and turned back—heading straight for him.
Their orders were absolute. Capturing Aster was their top priority.
"Aster-sama, watch out!"
In moments, Aster and Kurenai were completely surrounded—dozens of black-clothed warriors encircled them, moving like shadows despite the daylight. Kurenai sweated profusely, feeling pressured by the enemy's perceivable strength.
Aster swept his gaze over them, counting their numbers before curling his lips into a derisive smirk.
"Just the few of you?" He scoffed. "You'll need more than that to take me down...!"
As if that were the signal, their battle erupted.