Chapter 142

Chapter 142

"You think a man like him would hand over his territory for a woman? Don't be naive!" Judy let out a cold laugh. "He was only ever after my looks. There was never anything real between us."

"When he saved me back then, it was because of my face too. I made up some sob story about my past, and that's how I got taken in — aren't all men like that?"

Judy's tone was full of contempt, as if she was mocking every man in the world for being so shallow.

"It's all that bastard Bavich's fault for screwing everything up!" she said through gritted teeth. "Otherwise I would've gotten the Wraith Grass from Domingo ages ago, and I'd have had a lot more leverage when dealing with White."

Mention of Bavich brought open disgust to Judy's face, along with deep frustration over her failed plan.

Monty looked at Judy with a kind of admiration. He knew she wasn't exactly welcomed by the Harrison family, but he never expected her to be this ruthless even toward herself. She was something else.

Inside Crescent City, Damien surveyed the scorched bodies of the poison insects scattered across the ground. Thick toxic fumes hung in the smoke-filled air. He had Ironclaw, who arrived shortly after, bring over a purifier and began clearing the air.

This wasn't ordinary smoke — it didn't disperse in the wind like normal. Instead, it slowly condensed into toxic dust that drifted down and settled. Not deadly, but enough to cause endless trouble.

"You actually have something like this?" Domingo asked, eyeing the large assembled purifier with curiosity.

"Had it specially developed, just for situations like this," Damien said casually.

Domingo immediately said he wanted to purchase some, and Damien agreed without hesitation.

Domingo had originally given the Wraith Grass simply to add an extra layer of protection for Crescent City. He hadn't expected to need Damien's help so soon. And the reason Damien had arrived so quickly was that the person who delivered the Wraith Grass had immediately passed word to him the moment Crescent City came under attack.

"Why not stay for a meal? I'd like to—"

"No need, I have things to take care of. I'll be on my way." Damien turned and left as he spoke, as if saving the city had been nothing more than a minor errand.

Still, he had Ironclaw leave some antidote powder for Domingo. Crescent City had no shortage of medicinal herbs, but they likely couldn't match the effectiveness of the antidote Mostad had specifically developed against Monty's poison insects.

Domingo watched them go, then immediately ordered his men to upgrade the city's defenses, strengthen the outer surveillance network, and increase robot patrol units.

With the Wraith Grass secured, Damien prepared to head back to New York with Ironclaw and Mona. But the moment they stepped outside the city gates, Judy was waiting with her people, blocking the way.

"Hand over the Wraith Grass, and we'll go our separate ways," Judy said, looking straight at Damien, her voice unnervingly calm.

"Judy, do you really think I'm someone who backs down?" Damien held her gaze steadily.

From behind the group, Monty seized the moment and released his mutant insects — far larger than the ones that had attacked Crescent City, bred specifically to take down Damien.

"Let me introduce you to my babies!" Monty snarled with a savage grin.

Damien didn't flinch. "I've got something to show you too."

He pulled out his Electromagnetic Cannon and aimed it straight at Monty.

Monty's expression shifted instantly. He threw himself out of the way, but the shot tracked him perfectly and landed dead on target.

Judy, standing right beside Monty, barely avoided the blast.

Fortunately, Monty had defensive gear on him. The hit was bad, but it wasn't fatal — just a serious wound. He spat out a mouthful of blood, glared at Damien with fury, and drove his insects into a frenzied attack.

Damien fired several shots into the swarm, cutting down the insects in droves.

Judy watched the carnage with a lingering chill. She knew Damien had held back. If he hadn't, she wouldn't be in much better shape than Monty right now.

Damien was in the middle of tearing through the swarm when his Electromagnetic Cannon ran dry. Monty saw his opening and pushed through his injuries, hell-bent on killing Damien.

The remaining insects surged forward in a massive wave. Mona's skin crawled at the sight of the writhing mass. She scrambled for her gun and started firing, but her hands were shaking so badly that every shot went wide. A few insects broke through and lunged at her.

Damien pulled Mona close without hesitation — but in that split second, one of the insects sank its bite into his shoulder.

"Damien! Are you okay?" Mona grabbed his arm, her face pale with panic.

"Damien, just die already!" Blood was still running from the corner of Monty's mouth, but he was getting more and more worked up.

"Go — I'll hold them off!" Ironclaw pushed to the front and opened up with his machine gun, spraying fire in every direction.

Damien didn't hesitate. He tossed the lightning gun to Ironclaw and pulled Mona away, retreating fast.

Judy immediately ordered her people to give chase, but Monty was completely pinned down by Ironclaw and could only watch helplessly as Damien slipped away.

Damien could feel the venom spreading from the wound, seeping deeper into his body. Even the Mostad antidote only took the edge off.

Then his vision went dark. His legs buckled, and he nearly went down — Mona caught him just in time.

"What's wrong? This is all my fault!" Tears spilled down Mona's face as she looked at him, desperate with worry.

"I'm fine. Keep moving!" He shifted half his weight onto her shoulder, and the two of them stumbled forward together.

Partway through, Damien carjacked a vehicle and sped off with Mona. They drove hard into the outskirts, but Judy's pursuers refused to fall back.

The Celestial Temple's people stayed on their tail. Judy sat in her vehicle, expression blank. She was worried about Damien, but she couldn't let White suspect anything.

It was the same when Crescent City had been attacked — she hadn't been the one who leaked the information, but when Domingo looked at her with that silent, questioning stare, she hadn't been able to say a word in her own defense.

"Take him alive," Judy finally said, her voice flat and cold. "The God King wants him for conversion."

"Understood. We'll follow your lead."

The pursuers stayed locked onto Damien's car but held off on going for the kill. Instead, they blew out his rear tires.

Damien heard a loud bang. The car lurched violently, and the shredded tire screamed against the road.

He gripped the steering wheel hard and forced the car back under control.

"Hold on!" Damien floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward.

The pursuers kept right on them. Gunfire and engine roar filled the air as Damien's car shook and rattled. Then he yanked the wheel hard, and the car plunged onto a narrow, overgrown path.

The green ahead was starting to blur and double — the venom was getting to his vision now.

The front of the car nearly clipped several trees, but he managed to swerve clear each time, barely.

"Damien, what's happening to you?" Mona looked at him, her voice tight with fear.

He wanted to answer, but all he had left was sheer willpower. Words were beyond him. And Mona had no idea — the road was almost at its end.

Without warning, the car hit a boulder and launched into the air. Mona looked up in shock and saw what was ahead.

A cliff.

"Damien!"

Her scream tore through the air as the car went airborne and plunged straight down into the chasm below.

The pursuing cars were still right behind them. Judy was the first to notice something was wrong. "Stop the car!" she snapped.

Tires shrieked. Everyone inside was thrown forward by the force.

But the car stopped in time.