Chapter 274: Confrontation With The Three Strongest

Chapter 274

The auras grew stronger with every passing second, and Annie soon caught sight of three figures moving toward her. They were approaching without making any effort to hide their presence, as though they had every right to appear wherever they pleased. Given who they were, perhaps they did.

The first was a tall man dressed in dark clothes, his face hidden behind a plain mask. His steps were light, and he moved so quickly that the distance between him and the others seemed to shrink with every blink. Annie recognized him immediately.

The Ripper. He was the third strongest Awakened in the Heukryeon Organization, a man whose name was feared even among experienced killers. He was known as the fastest person in the organization, and the number of people he had killed was said to be in the tens of thousands. Nobody knew the exact figure, and few were foolish enough to ask him about it.

The second figure was a woman whose appearance was almost as famous as her attitude. She wore a fitted purple dress that showed off her curvy figure, and her long purple hair fell neatly over her shoulders. Her face looked young, gorgeous, and carefully well maintained, but Annie knew better than to be fooled by it. The old cougar was around sixty or so.

Madame Purple.

She was the second strongest person in Heukryeon and one of the people Annie personally disliked the most. For as long as Annie could remember, the woman had looked down on her, treating her like an insignificant child who should be grateful for every scrap of attention she received. The slutty bitch rarely missed an opportunity to humiliate her, and she seemed to take particular pleasure in doing it whenever other members were watching.

The last person was a man who walked a little behind the other two. His appearance was striking, with mixed Korean and Japanese features, and his dark hair was neatly tied back. A sword rested at his waist, but he did not need to touch it for Annie to recognize him.

Velvet Blade.

He was indisputably the strongest person in the Heukryeon Organization, an Ascendant whose record was almost impossible to believe. Every mission he had accepted had ended in nothing short of success, and not once had he suffered a defeat. His kill rate was said to be one hundred percent, which was why even the other top members treated him with respect.

The three of them stopped a short distance away.

The Ripper remained silent throughout the exchange with his masked face turned toward her. He had not shown the same surprise as Madame Purple, but the slight tilt of his head suggested that he was studying her closely as if trying to reconcile whether she was the one responsible for the whole event that just happened a minute ago.

Annie noticed his attention and briefly met his gaze. She remembered hearing stories about him long before she became an Ascendant. Some members claimed he could cross a battlefield before an opponent realized he had moved. Others said he had once killed an entire squad in the time it took a person to draw a breath.

But Annie felt no need to lower her eyes.

Not long ago, these three had stood far above her. Madame Purple could insult her, the Ripper could ignore her, and Velvet Blade had barely needed to remember her name. Now all three had come to see the source of the disturbance, and they were all looking at her with surprise.

The thought brought a small smile to her face, although she quickly hid it.

For a moment, none of them spoke. Their gazes moved over the damaged ground, the fading traces of crimson Primordial Essence, and finally settled on Annie. The surprise on their faces was difficult to hide.

Madame Purple was the first to break the silence.

"No way. You’re telling me this little girl caused all of that?"

Her eyes widened as she looked Annie up and down. She seemed unable to accept the fact that the powerful pillar they had sensed from across the city could have come from the same person standing before them.

"Just look at her! How long has she even lived? How could someone so young reach that kind of realm?"

Annie’s mouth twitched. Then her expression darkened.

"just who are you calling a little girl, you old slut?"

Madame Purple’s smile disappeared.

"Just because I’ve managed to surpass you, now you’re standing there spewing rubbish? Do you want to freaking die?"

The air between them became tense.

Madame Purple’s eyes grew wide with rage, and her beautiful face twisted in disbelief. Old slut? Had this little brat just called her an old slut?

She was only a little over sixty years old, and she still looked like a young woman. It was not as if she had allowed herself to grow old and unattractive. Besides, sixty was practically young for someone in the Ascendant Realm who could live for three centuries. She had many years ahead of her, and there was no reason for some upstart to speak to her like that.

"You... You!" she began, her voice trembling.

Annie raised an eyebrow defiantly.

"What? Did you suddenly forget how to speak old slut?"

Madame Purple’s expression turned even uglier. She wanted nothing more than to rush forward and teach Annie a lesson, but the pressure coming from the younger woman kept reminding her of the difference between them. Annie had just entered the Master Realm. Even if Madame Purple wanted nothing more than to kill this little girl right here right now, there was still a huge chasm between them.

"Enough, Madame Purple."

Velvet Blade’s voice was calm, but it carried enough authority to make the woman stop. Though he had not even raised his voice, the warning in his words was still clear.

Madame Purple turned toward him, visibly annoyed. "Velvet Blade, did you hear what she just called me?"

"I heard you both. But this is not the time. Besides do you think you have a chance against her?"

His gaze returned to Annie. Unlike Madame Purple, he did not seem interested in arguing with her. Instead, he studied her carefully, taking in the strength of her aura and the way the remaining Primordial Essence moved around her.

He recognized her as the woman who had once been taken hostage by an Underworld Ruler from the United States. The incident had caused quite a stir within Heukryeon, especially after the organization discovered that the woman had become an Ascendant. The higher-ups had eventually been forced to make concessions and make a deal with the Underworld Ruler rather than risk making the situation worse.

At the time, Velvet Blade had not paid much attention to Annie herself. She had been an Ascendant, certainly, but there were many Ascendants in the world. Her circumstances had made her important to the organization, not necessarily powerful enough to interest him.

Now, however, things were completely different.

He could sense the difference between her current aura and the one she had possessed before. It was not simply a matter of having more Primordial Essence. The quality of her power had changed, and the pressure she released was something that made him feel suffocated.

Master Realm.

The realization made his eyes narrow slightly.

He had spent years trying to cross that final distance. He had reached the very edge of the Master Realm, so close that he could almost feel the barrier waiting in front of him, yet no matter how much effort he put into it, he had never managed to take the final step.

It was a frustrating feeling, like standing before a door that was only a few inches away but somehow impossible to touch.

And now this woman, who had only recently reached the Ascendant Realm, had crossed that same barrier in what seemed like no time at all.

How was that possible?

Velvet Blade’s expression remained composed, but his thoughts were far from calm. He wondered whether Annie had encountered some rare opportunity, received help from an extraordinary expert, or discovered a method that the rest of them had never known. Whatever the reason, her breakthrough was not something the organization could afford to overlook.

More importantly, he had to be careful with his words.

Annie was no longer an ordinary member who could be ordered around or treated as an insignificant subordinate. She was now an existence far above the three of them. Even if Velvet Blade was the strongest person in Heukryeon, he could not ignore the difference in their realms.

He took a small step forward and gave her a respectful nod.

"Congratulations on reaching the Master Realm, Annie."

Annie glanced at him. His attitude was noticeably different from Madame Purple’s, and she could tell that he understood the situation better than the other woman.

"Thank you," she replied.

Velvet Blade continued, choosing his words carefully. "Now that you’ve reached this realm, the higher-ups will need to be informed. It would be better if you came with us and reported what happened. There are matters they will want to discuss with you."

Madame Purple’s expression tightened when she heard him speak so politely. She looked from Velvet Blade to Annie, and the envy in her eyes became harder to conceal.

Only moments ago, Annie had been someone she could insult without worrying about the consequences. Now, Velvet Blade himself was treating her with respect.

The difference was infuriating.

Annie noticed the look but did not bother responding. She had spent enough time dealing with Madame Purple’s attitude, and she no longer felt the need to prove anything to her. The woman could be jealous all she wanted. It would not change the fact that Annie had surpassed her.

She casually glanced at Velvet Blade before answering.

"Alright. Lead the way."

Madame Purple stared at her with pure envy in her eyes.