Scarlett Fox was the first to catch up to him.
She was coated with a red glow, flickering lightly like flames. Though she was fast, she was not even half as fast as Lancelot.
Breathing heavily, she stood still for a moment, scanning the area with sharp eyes, searching for any sign of him.
"Let me guess, he escaped, right?" she said, a smug grin plastered nicely on her face. It was obvious—she was mocking Void.
"How did you expect me to stall him for five minutes... He is a THREE-STAR Souler! For goodness' sake... I managed to hold him for three minutes, but you guys are slower than a tortoise!" Void snapped back, his voice tight with frustration.
His reputation was on the line here—this was the first time someone had escaped his dimension.
"Seems like you've grown lazy all these years," Scarlett Fox teased, her smirk widening.
Void scratched the back of his head, his face a mix of anger and embarrassment. He wanted to fire back at her, but he knew better, Scarlett was the queen when it came to playing word games. He clenched his jaw and swallowed the insult, taking the blame.
Seeing him submit, she grinned even wider, her eyes glittering with mischief. "Why didn't you just teleport to him right now? Is my boy's soul energy all dried up?" she added, her voice laced with sarcasm.
"You're right," Void grumbled, his shoulders slumping. "He destroyed my spatial dimension, and my beast soul consumed my energy and essence to repair it... Now, will you let me be! It's not like you could stall him for a single minute... Uurgh!" he groaned, his voice raw with irritation.
Scarlett Fox chuckled lightly, her voice smooth as silk. "As expected of a peak Three-Star Souler... I wonder just how many soul energy crystals he had to gobble up to reach that level. As for how long I can stall him..."
She paused and then, with a wicked grin, she caressed her big, perky breast in a slow, teasing manner, deliberately putting on a seductive display.
Void's throat went dry. He gulped. He could feel something... growing, poking hard against his pants. He was turned on.
But unlike many inexperienced men, he didn't look away. Such a sight—this was a rare treat for the eyes! He decided to enjoy it while it lasted.
Scarlett Fox noticed where his gaze had drifted and smiled mischievously, but she gave up on whatever wicked thought was running through her head. She ended her silent torture right there.
It was at this time that the other bounty hunters finally reached them.
Scar arrived first, his steps heavy and controlled. Then came Drake, alongside Lone Wolf and Tigress who moved together like shadows. Bald Eagle was the last to show up, following closely behind the others.
With a cold voice, Scar asked, "He escaped?"
"Yes, he did. My essence is drained, so I couldn't chase after him," Void answered bitterly, his shoulders drooping even lower in defeat.
"How could you let him es—" Drake started, his voice sharp with anger, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. He was about to step forward, ready to unleash his fury on Void, but Scar raised a hand to stop the chaos from erupting.
"Let him be," Scar's voice was firm. "Besides, we wouldn't have even known that Lord Lancelot was spying on us if not for Void. So instead of blaming him, blame yourselves for being too slow!"
Drake's face twisted in frustration. He was infamous for his short temper, and Scar knew exactly how to handle him. Drake never admitted fault—it was always someone else's mistake.
But Drake wasn't done yet. He spat out, "I see... then why didn't he just teleport to him? Huh?!"
Void sighed, already tired of explaining. "My soul energy is depleted. Lancelot destroyed my spatial dimension, and my beast soul used up everything I had left to repair it. I'll need at least an hour before I can teleport again," he muttered, his voice bitter.
The bounty hunters exchanged glances and gasped slightly. This was the first time Void's spatial dimension had been destroyed.
It shook them—this was the very thing that made Void one of the deadliest among them.
"Hmmph! Is that so!" Drake snorted, trying to act nonchalant. But deep inside, he was rattled.
'Is this the power of a peak Three-Star Souler...!? Of course! What was I expecting? A weakling can't become an Emperor!'
"So what do we do? Should we head back and rest, or search and chase after him?" This time, it was Lone Wolf who spoke, his voice low and steady.
The others raised their brows at his words. Lone Wolf rarely spoke unless it mattered.
But they didn't dwell on it—they fell into deep thought, considering their options.
"I say we chase after him," Scar declared, breaking the silence. His voice was thoughtful yet firm. "Besides, tonight is our only chance. If we fail to capture him and his wife tonight, by tomorrow they'll enter the Great Lumen Empire... and once they do, it'll be near impossible to get our hands on him."
His words sank deep into them, and after a moment, they all nodded in agreement. Determination burned in their eyes—they would not stop searching until they caught Lancelot.
Meanwhile, Lancelot could be seen running and leaping over broken walls and crumbling ruins—remnants of what was once a proud city.
His body was coated in the light blue glow of his phantom soul, the lightning flickering with each stride. His breath came in heavy bursts, but he pushed on, driven by sheer will.
After what felt like forever, he finally stopped at a familiar house—an abandoned shelter where Deus and his wife were resting.
"Phew! Lightning Cheetah... you saved me big time... I don't even want to imagine what would've happened without you," he whispered under his breath, exhaustion weighing down his every word.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, and he leaned against the wall for support.
'I'm sure those greedy bastards are hunting me down right now... You lot just wait. Once I overthrow and kill my brother... I'll make you all pay. I'll make sure every single one of you pays... even if it's the last thing I do!'
His fists clenched tightly, the veins popping on his hands.
Those bounty hunters—they used to serve under him. They used to call him Emperor. But now, stripped of his power, they didn't even spare him a glance.
He forced himself to calm down, sucking in a long breath.
Controlling his anger, he sighed and then staggered towards the door, his body heavy like lead.
Running this far had drained whatever little essence he had left.
His legs felt weak, and all he wanted now was to collapse and rest.
'I just hope those bastards don't find me and my wife... and if they do, I hope that unknown God kills them all. If He lets me torture them first... oh, I would be very grateful.'
He reached the bed, every muscle screaming in pain. He breathed heavily and then slumped onto it, his body giving out completely.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, ready to sink into the sweet relief of sleep—
—that was when he heard that voice.
The voice he dreaded more than anything.
Just hearing it was enough to jolt him wide awake.