Chapter 1642 - 1642: Kill Fast or Run Faster

The remaining Tier 47 fighter stared wide-eyed as his companion fell.

Killed in a single blow?

How was that possible?

Ethan gave him no chance to recover. After killing the first one, he drew more mental energy from Abyron and attacked again.

He could already sense someone outside attacking the spatial anchor, so he had to end this quickly.

Silencing Gaze and Soulbane Gaze activated simultaneously. Before the Varkesh could even collect himself, Ethan brought down another full-power Annihilation Strike.

The result was no different.

The attack split open the Varkesh's skull, sending him to the same fate as his companion.

That was how Ethan fought. Either he couldn't beat his opponent, or he ended the battle almost instantly. He didn't exchange blows for hours like other fighters at the same Tier.

Normally, fighters at the same Tier had attack and defensive power that were roughly proportional. Their battles became contests of endurance, with each side waiting for the other to make a mistake. Ending one quickly was extremely difficult.

Ethan was different.

Annihilation Strike delivered far more explosive power than anyone at his Stage should possess. Absolute Stasis and Soulbane Gaze also prevented his opponents from blocking or dodging, forcing them to take that overwhelming attack head-on.

If Ethan could kill someone, it usually took one strike—or two Annihilation Strikes at most. If that still wasn't enough, his only option was to run as far as possible.

He wasn't built for a drawn-out fight. A full-power Annihilation Strike drained all his mental energy. If it failed to kill the enemy, he immediately lost the initiative.

His defense simply couldn't compare to his offense. Anyone he couldn't kill in one hit could probably do the same to him.

Nullspace Domain had been extremely powerful when he was at Stage S, allowing him to ignore attacks from enemies up to three Tiers above him.

At Stage SS, that gap had fallen to two Tiers.

Now that he had reached Stage SSS, Nullspace Domain could withstand attacks from someone only one Tier above him at most.

In other words, if Ethan couldn't kill his opponent instantly, he couldn't beat them at all.

But if they were within his ability to kill, he could finish the battle almost immediately.

That was why the moment Ethan became strong enough, he could change the entire course of a battle in seconds.

Abyron stared as Ethan killed two Tier 47 fighters with two swings of his poleaxe.

He already knew his boss was absurdly strong, but the sight still left him stunned.

Those were Tier 47 fighters, the same Tier as him, yet Ethan had killed each of them with one strike.

Didn't that mean Ethan could kill him with one swing too?

Just yesterday, Abyron had told everyone Ethan couldn't beat him. Now it turned out Ethan could not only beat him, but kill him instantly.

That boast had come back to slap him squarely in the face.

"The people outside are still attacking the spatial anchor," Ethan said. "My mental energy is depleted, so I can't maintain this place much longer. We have to go out. You still have some mental energy left, so hold them off for a while."

Abyron was Tier 47. Ethan didn't need to drain all of his mental energy to replenish his own, so Abyron still had some left.

There was only one Tier 47 fighter outside now, but more than a dozen other Stage SSS Varkesh remained. Abyron wouldn't be able to hold them off for long in his current state.

Still, every second he bought would give Ethan more time to recover.

"All right!" Abyron agreed without hesitation.

Once they were ready, Ethan dismissed the Deadlock Dimension.

The two of them reappeared, startling the Varkesh outside.

It hadn't even been a full minute, yet both Tier 47 fighters were already gone?

Fear crept into the way the Varkesh looked at them.

"Where are... our Patriarch and the two elders?" the last Tier 47 Varkesh asked quietly, swallowing hard.

"Dead," Ethan replied.

The Varkesh flinched.

They had already suspected as much, but hearing Ethan confirm it still sent a chill through them.

They exchanged glances, seeing the same fear in one another's eyes.

Ethan noticed and immediately pulled the remaining Tier 47 fighter into the Deadlock Dimension.

If he was right, the rest of the Stage SSS Varkesh would take the opportunity to flee. They might not even dare attack the spatial anchor.

That would leave Abyron with only one Tier 47 opponent, giving Ethan plenty of time to recover his mental energy.

His prediction was correct.

The moment the last Tier 47 Varkesh disappeared into the Deadlock Dimension, the others panicked.

They had no idea what existed inside that separate space, but they knew it had to be something terrifying.

Their Patriarch and two strongest elders had entered and never returned. The last Tier 47 wouldn't last long either. Once Ethan came back out, they would be next.

The remaining Varkesh exchanged a look, then fled without hesitation.

Revenge could wait.

Inside the Deadlock Dimension...

Abyron and the Tier 47 Varkesh fought fiercely while Ethan recovered his mental energy in the distance.

Half an hour later, Ethan had recovered enough.

He teleported into the fight without hesitation, activated Absolute Stasis, and followed it with an Annihilation Strike.

The battle ended instantly.

Abyron looked at the opponent Ethan had just killed and shook his head helplessly.

His boss really was a monster.

With the last Varkesh dealt with, Ethan dismissed the Deadlock Dimension again.

He wasn't surprised to find that the other Varkesh had all fled.

"You think you can escape?" Ethan said coldly. "You killed someone from New Atlas. Even if you run back to your world, I'll follow you there and wipe it clean."

Abyron returned to Dahlia's body, lost in grief.

Ethan watched him with helplessness and guilt.

If he had completed his advancement sooner, Dahlia might not have died.

Losing a Tier 47 fighter already hurt badly enough. If Abyron never recovered from her death, it would only make the loss worse.

"I hope he can find a way through this," Ethan murmured.

His phone suddenly rang.

He took it out and saw that Miles was calling, then answered immediately.

Miles's voice came through the phone.

"Captain, bring Abyron and Dahlia's body back first. We have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

Ethan didn't understand, but he agreed anyway.

"All right."

He walked over and patted Abyron on the shoulder.

"Come on. Let's head back. Bring her with us."

"Okay."

Abyron nodded and carefully lifted Dahlia into his arms.

Ethan had wanted him to carry some of the other bodies, but there was no way he could ask now.

His spatial storage ring was still with Miles, and these were all corpses of Tier 47 fighters or stronger. He couldn't leave them behind and waste them.

Ethan used his poleaxe to skewer the bodies together, hoisted them onto his back, then activated Riftwalk and led Abyron inside.