The place was filled with dust, thick and choking. A red glowing silhouette could be seen faintly, shining amidst the swirling cloud of debris.
The aftermath of the Void skill was terrifying. The spatial tear had sucked in a huge chunk of land — the exact spot where Void and Lancelot had clashed was now completely gone.
In its place was a gaping void. A blank space that looked no different from the empty darkness beyond the sky.
Dark. Brutal. Silent.
It was void, but unlike before, this void was now inactive — a dead zone. The inactive void now occupied the space where the battle had erupted in chaos just moments ago.
Seconds passed, and the dust finally began to clear a little.
And there stood Lancelot. His figure glowing in red, a clear sign that he had fused with his void-chattering beast soul.
But his form was ragged — he was coughing wildly, his voice rough and dry, every breath sounding like sandpaper scraping against stone.
As he coughed, he furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
'Luckily... I didn't hesitate to use that barrier... Damn, space-type beast souls are utterly terrifying.'
He clenched his teeth. 'A Two Star Souler almost managed to injure me. No... I need to get my hands on a strong space-type beast soul myself. They're heaven-defying!'
His eyes scanned the ruined land, sharp and restless. 'Where is he? Why can't I find him? Did he escape? Or... did his own skill kill him?'
Lancelot's gaze narrowed. 'I really hope it's the latter. He's strong as a Two Star Souler already... If he makes it to Four Star...'
He gritted his teeth harder.
Normally, a Souler couldn't be killed by their own skill. But Void's ability was different. It wasn't targeted at an opponent — it affected the entire space itself. Both he and Lancelot had stood on that doomed ground.
It was like a person with a fire-type beast soul using an area combustion skill — if they stood in the center of that blaze, they'd be burned along with everything else, unless they had a way to resist their own flames.
Lancelot's mind raced, but despite searching with his senses and his eyes, he found no sign of Void. As much as he wanted to convince himself that Void was dead, he couldn't shake off the possibility that the bastard had escaped and was on his way to alert the others.
Unbeknownst to him, Void had been swallowed entirely by the chaotic tear.
But then—he stopped.
His breath hitched. A sound echoed nearby, soft but distinct.
Clapping.
Lancelot's eyes darted sharply toward the source, and through the clearing dust, a figure emerged — graceful, poised.
A female silhouette came into view before her face revealed itself.
Scarlett Fox.
Lancelot's body tensed, not because he was surprised to see her, but because she had managed to perfectly conceal her presence from him this entire time.
His mind raced. He had already checked that spot — twice — and sensed nothing. So for her to suddenly appear now...
His pupils shrank slightly. He couldn't hide his amazement.
He sighed and shook his head. 'These bounty hunters... They really do have terrifying abilities.'
And it was exactly those abilities that made him wary.
Scarlett Fox smiled, stepping forward with a graceful sway of her hips. "I didn't expect you to defeat Void so easily. Your beast soul... it's surely not ordinary. It even has the physical manifestation effect..." She paused, her lips curving into a playful smirk. "That calls for celebration, don't you think?"
She winked, tilting her head slightly, her alluring figure on full display as though it was crafted to tempt men into ruin.
Lancelot felt his throat dry up. He swallowed hard, a storm of conflicting emotions swirling within him.
He shivered. 'There's no way I fall for this... right?'
An angelic voice echoed in his head, trying to rein him back from the edge. 'Come on, Lancelot! You've seen countless beautiful women — even had fun with some. Don't stare too much. Don't give in!'
But then came the dark whisper — his inner demon.
'One more addition doesn't mean much, Lancelot! And you might not know this... but the Scarlet Fox is hot — and I bet she's good at—'
"Fuck!" Lancelot cursed out loud, clenching his fists tight. 'I fucking have a wife!'
His glare shot toward Scarlett Fox, his voice cold as steel. "What do you want?"
Scarlett blinked, feigning surprise, her voice light. "What I want?" She put a finger to her lips in mock thought. "I want nothing but you — your body... and your soul."
Her words dripped with honeyed seduction, her voice soft and feminine — the kind that could drive weaker men insane.
Lancelot clenched his fists harder, trying to suppress the heat rising inside him. "And you expect me to believe that!?"
"Huh? Believe it or not, that's up to you." She pouted — an innocent gesture laced with dangerous charm. The way her lips curved, the slight tilt of her shoulders — everything about her was designed to entice.
Lancelot swallowed again. 'Oh boy... I could watch this all day long...'
He could feel it — the uncomfortable hardness pressing in his pants.
He was a man, after all. No way he wouldn't be turned on by such a sight.
Technically, Scarlett Fox wasn't lying. She did want him — but from the way she said it, anyone would think of only one thing.
Sex.
And that's exactly the image she wanted to paint.
Lancelot, however, wasn't a fool. He knew she didn't want him for that — she wanted to capture him. Exchange him for a fat bounty. Money.
Still, despite knowing this, the first thing that slipped out of his mouth was that foolish question — [What do you want!?]
And now, as the seconds ticked by, he regretted saying it. That was probably the dumbest thing he had ever blurted out since he was born.
He could already feel it — this conversation was going nowhere. He needed to finish this quickly before the other bounty hunters caught his scent and surrounded him.
Meanwhile, Scarlett Fox's smile faded ever so slightly.
She was disappointed. Her usual tactic — the one that had brought countless men to their knees — had failed this time.
Lancelot showed resistance. Rare resistance.
She had hoped to stall him longer. If she wanted, she could've just stayed hidden and waited until he got spotted by the others. But no — she chose to reveal herself, curious if he would fall for her like the others always did.
But it seemed today was not her day.
Then... her smile changed. Slow. Ominous. A sly, villainous grin that made Lancelot's instincts scream.
His body tensed.
Something bad was about to happen — he could feel it in his bones.