Chapter 177: Prey

Julian Ashford had not approached Cassian out of idle curiosity.

?The moment he noticed an Established Lord aboard a first-class vessel bound for the Orion Rift, he had begun weighing the possibilities.

The Orion Rift was a Tier IV dimensional rift, a hazardous region where even Noble Lords could lose their lives if they ventured too deep.

An Established Lord had no business traveling there unless he possessed unusual connections, supreme confidence, or something valuable enough to justify the extreme risk.

?Julian wanted to determine which category Cassian belonged to.

?If the man was simply an ignorant fool mistaking luck for strength, Julian intended to persuade him to abandon the journey.

Of course, such advice would come at a steep price. There was no reason to waste an opportunity to profit off someone desperate for protection.

?If Cassian possessed powerful backing, however, Julian would let him pass without further trouble.

?It was not as though Julian lacked backing of his own. The Ashford family was a primary vassal of the Legacy Families, and his status as heir afforded him privileges that ordinary Lords could scarcely imagine.

Most people would think twice before offending him, particularly in a domain where the influence of the great families extended into every corner.

?Yet even as Julian weighed his options, his gaze drifted toward the purple-haired woman standing beside Cassian.

?’That woman...’

?Her earlier words had been delivered with such casual indifference that Julian initially struggled to believe she was serious.

She had asked Cassian whether she should eliminate him and his bodyguards, then accepted his refusal without the slightest hint of disappointment.

?There had been no boasting, no attempt to intimidate them through elaborate posturing.

She had simply asked a question, as though killing three Lords were a routine chore she could complete before breakfast.

?And judging by her expression, she genuinely believed it was.

’?Does she have no idea who she’s dealing with, or does she simply not care?’

?Julian’s eyes narrowed.

?A Lord’s true rank could not be judged solely by their raw mana quantity. Mana capacity varied enormously, even among Lords of the same tier.

Some possessed extraordinary reserves but lacked the refinement necessary to wield their power efficiently, while others cultivated their mana to such a degree that every trace carried immense, dense weight.

?The quality of one’s mana was a far more reliable indicator of their true power.

?Anyone with sufficient sensory perception could read that quality. It had nothing to do with the elemental branch a Lord cultivated; rather, it reflected the intrinsic refinement of the mana itself, a trait that sharpened alongside one’s cultivation level.

?And Julian was certain of what he had sensed from the pair before him.

?Cassian was a Tier II Lord.

?So was his Champion.

?That fact should have reassured Julian. Instead, it left him increasingly unsettled.

’?They’re both Tier II. What on earth gives her the confidence to threaten us like that?’

?His gaze shifted toward the two older Lords behind him. Both possessed greater cultivation than Cassian, and neither had been impressed by the woman’s threat.

Their expressions had already darkened, their patience worn thin by what they perceived as an intolerable insult.

?Julian, however, was beginning to suspect that he had overlooked something critical.

?Perhaps Cassian possessed a high-grade artifact. Perhaps he harbored a hidden ability that allowed him to punch far above his weight class.

Or perhaps the woman was simply reckless enough to provoke people she had no hope of defeating.

?There were several possibilities, but none explained the terrifying certainty in her voice.

?She had not spoken as though someone would come to rescue her if things went wrong.

?She had spoken as though she would personally slaughter all three of them on the spot.

?"Watch your tongue, woman!"

?One of the older guards finally lost his temper. His voice barked through the reception lounge, drawing the eyes of several nearby passengers.

?"Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to? If you don’t want that tongue ripped out, you’d better learn some respect!"

?Nyxara turned her violet eyes toward him.

?She said nothing.

?The second guard stepped forward, his face contorted in anger. "You insolent—"

?His words died abruptly in his throat.

?Not because he had reconsidered his choice of words.

?He simply could not speak.

?At the exact same instant, the first guard’s face froze. His mouth remained open, but not another sound emerged.

His eyes widened in sheer terror as an inexplicable sensation washed over him, something so sudden and overwhelming that his body forgot how to move.

?Julian felt it too.

?A cold bead of sweat formed along his temple and trickled down his cheek.

?For the briefest fraction of a second, reality itself seemed to distort.

?It was so fleeting that Julian could barely convince himself it had happened. There had been no burst of visible mana, no elaborate spell circle, and no movement from Cassian.

The golden-haired Lord had merely stood there, his expression as calm as ever.

?Yet Julian’s instincts roared at him to freeze.

?It was a primal instinct older than civilization, one that transcended status, family leverage, or the cultivation he had worked so hard to build.

?The instinct of prey realizing a apex predator was standing directly over its throat.

?Cassian turned his head toward Nyxara. "Let me take us to the dining area."

?"Of course, my Lord."

?Nyxara’s response was as composed as ever. She didn’t spare the three men another glance as she followed Cassian toward the refreshment counter, leaving them frozen in the center of the reception lounge.

?Neither Julian nor his bodyguards made a single move to stop them.

?They remained paralyzed until Cassian had crossed the wide hall and disappeared around the corner.

Only then did the suffocating pressure lift, allowing air back into their lungs.

?The first guard sucked in a violent gasp of air.

?The second followed, his shoulders heaving as though he had just surfaced from the depths of an ocean.

?Julian realized he had been holding his breath the entire time.

?"What..." His voice came out as an unstable raspy whisper. He swallowed hard and tried again. "What was that?"

?Neither of his guards answered immediately.

?They had felt it too. Whatever Cassian had briefly released, it had lasted for barely a heartbeat, far too fast for them to analyze its elemental nature or pinpoint its source.

?But they had felt enough.