Chapter 86

Dragon Lure Grass was a pretty smart plant.

Too bad it ran into a bunch of folks who were even smarter.

When the vines showed up, trying to trap Karen and the gang and snatch the black dragon hatchling, it was game over for the plant.

Richardson whipped out his old pocket watch!

Time froze, and he zipped over to Karen and the others.

He sliced through the vines that were closing in.

Then he snapped the pocket watch shut.

In a flash, Dragon Lure Grass realized it had bitten off more than it could chew, and all its vines were cut off.

This sudden twist threw it off balance, and it lost its cool.

It didn't care about staying hidden anymore!

Dragon Lure Grass went all out, a massive root bursting up from the underground parking lot.

"Couldn't hold back, huh?"

Richardson grinned, ignoring the vines still squirming on the ground.

He didn't sweat the mature fruits either.

The moment he saw the huge roots, he knew this was it—no surprises, just a clean win!

"Die!"

A mysterious figure popped up at the core of the underground parking lot, right where the root of Dragon Lure Grass was.

Lily yelled and drove a dagger into the main body of Dragon Lure Grass!

Then she sliced it open from top to bottom, leaving a huge gash!

Nasty green goo oozed out, and the whole parking lot echoed with the plant's roars!

But it didn't get a chance to fight back.

Because in the next moment, Richardson was there too.

Using the pocket watch, he teleported right in front of Dragon Lure Grass, grinning coldly as he slashed his machete into the wound Lily had made!

"Still think you're so smart? Just a brainy plant. Game over."

Richardson's machete was razor-sharp!

Not only did it pierce through the root, but with his second swing, he chopped it clean in half!

Dragon Lure Grass was done for!

No coming back from that.

A shiny magic crystal dropped to the ground as its body shriveled up.

Richardson picked up the crystal and looked around. The seven fruits had lost their spark and were lying limp, stiffening up.

But the horde of zombies in the parking lot, now free from Dragon Lure Grass's control, turned their attention to Richardson's crew!

Luckily, dealing with these zombies wasn't too tough.

"Richardson, go help Iris first, we'll handle things here."

Worried about the female hunter, Karen shouted for Richardson to go back up Iris as soon as Dragon Lure Grass bit the dust.

"Lily, you're with me."

With Lily by her side, Karen was way more effective against humans or Demon Beasts than zombies.

With Number One and Number Zero, Richardson wasn't too worried about Karen and the others.

He hoisted Lily onto his back, shifted into his dragon form, and bolted out of the zombie-infested parking lot towards the battle outside."Iris. Struggle's not so tough after all. Didn't think taking down a top-ten bounty like you would be this easy. Guess I'm lucky. Maybe I'll even snag that Dragon Clan brat for Lord Dragon,"

Amon sneered, pinching his fingers and stepping on Iris.

Iris wasn't a pushover.

Before Amon got the upper hand, she had been running circles around him with her speed, even taking out all his goons.

But hey, sixth-tier power was undeniable.

After a brutal fight, Amon finally came out on top.

Coughing up blood, Iris glared at the big foot on her chest. The pain made it hard to talk.

But stubborn as ever, Iris forced a twisted smile.

"Die with me!"

The magic inside her went wild, surging into her bow!

This was Iris's last-ditch move!

Blow up her bow!

With a massive explosion, she'd take Amon down with her!

"Shit, what the hell!"

Amon might be a brute, but he wasn't dumb.

Seeing Iris about to go kamikaze, he scrambled back!

But Iris clung to Amon's right leg like a spider.

Her bow started glowing bright!

It was happening!

An explosion was an art!

Iris laughed like a maniac, and Amon, who had been so cocky, was now freaking out!

He tried to shake Iris off, hoping this crazy woman would let go.

But Iris, ready to die, wasn't letting go just because of a few hits.

"Gonna collect my bounty? Be nice to my face. They need to identify me. Wouldn't want those Creator's Guild rats to miss out," Iris taunted, even at death's door. Ever the smart-aleck.

This chatty woman, even now, couldn't resist a few jabs.

"Damn it, get off me! Crazy woman, I don't wanna die here with you, get off me!"

Amon kept beating on Iris.

Seconds felt like centuries.

"Don't worry, it'll be over soon, and it won't hurt."

Spitting blood but laughing like a lunatic, Iris didn't expect any miracles. She only trusted her bow and arrow.

Now, with the magic crystal in the bow, the explosion could easily kill a sixth-tier Sorcerer!

This was Iris's ace in the hole against Lord Dragon's followers.

"Damn, she's really going for it!"

Richardson showed up, and from a distance, he saw Iris clinging to Amon's leg, her bow glowing and ready to blow!

Richardson instantly figured out what was happening. Without a second thought, he used his telekinetic power to activate the pocket watch!

Time stopped.

Miracles do happen.

Because Richardson was all about miracles!

"I haven't given you permission to die yet!"

Rushing to Amon, Richardson used all his strength, even shifting into his dragon form, finally yanking Iris off Amon's leg.

Then, he slapped the about-to-explode bow onto Amon, scooped up the critically injured Iris, and bolted towards the underground parking lot. The situation was dire—they'd rather be buried by the explosion's aftermath than stay on the surface!

Richardson wasn't sure how terrifying an explosion that could kill a sixth-tier Sorcerer would be.

Time resumed, and he snapped the pocket watch shut.

Iris was laughing maniacally, but in a blink, she found herself in the underground parking lot!

"I... You!" Iris was stunned, lying motionless on the ground, completely clueless about what had just happened.

Just as Richardson was about to explain, he suddenly remembered that Lily had gone up with him!

Without further ado, Richardson immediately opened the pocket watch again.

Back on the surface, he frantically searched for Lily, not caring where he touched her. He scooped her up and rushed back to the underground parking lot.

After confirming the invisible girl was indeed Lily, Richardson closed the pocket watch again.

"I..." Iris was still in shock.

But Richardson covered her mouth.

"Shh, listen up. I used a teleportation-like ability to save you. That bow is now on that musclehead's body. Stay quiet, don't move, and just listen to the sounds outside. If you get it, blink."

Iris, still a bit dazed, quickly blinked to show she understood.

The next moment, a massive explosion echoed!

A powerful blast that could level the entire academy, flattening the buildings above ground.

As for Amon, he was caught right in the center, taking the full brunt of the explosion.

"I survived?"

The explosion ended.

The underground parking lot collapsed from the impact.

But this level of collapse couldn't harm Richardson's team—they were all power users.

"Yep, you survived. How was it, exciting?" Richardson grinned at Iris.

Then, with her and Lily, he navigated through the collapsing ruins.

Soon, they reunited with Karen and the others.

If they had stayed on the surface, they might have been directly hit by the explosion.

But being underground not only avoided the initial blast but also provided a relatively safe buffer zone for everyone.

However, this method wasn't recommended for everyone—not everyone was a power user like Richardson.

"Iris! Thank goodness, Richardson, you brought her back. How's the situation outside? That explosion scared me to death!"

Anna was the first to spot Richardson and Iris, rushing forward excitedly.

Seeing Iris's injuries, she immediately began treating her.

"Outside..."

Thinking about Amon, Iris couldn't help but laugh.

She had been ready to die with Amon.

But at that moment, Amon wasn't willing.

Now, things had changed. They didn't have to die together; Amon was going to die alone!

Seeing Iris's smile, Anna was confused and looked to Richardson for answers.

"Everything outside should be taken care of. You must have felt the power of that explosion."Pointing to the now-ruined underground parking lot, the team realized they had no way out.

If the explosion was this intense underground, imagine what it would have been like outside!

"Thanks," Iris said, enjoying Anna's treatment.

Seeing Iris pretend not to care, Richardson smirked.

Women, they were always so stubborn!

"Just a small favor, no need to thank me."

He shrugged, acting like it was no big deal, with his usual indifferent expression.

This response irritated Iris.

With multiple fractures, she couldn't move freely.

So Iris simply opened her mouth and bit down on Richardson's arm!

Seeing the two of them playfully bickering, Anna chuckled.

The team's mission was a complete success after dealing with Dragon Lure Grass and eliminating the threat from Lord Dragon's followers.

With that in mind, what was there to be unhappy about?

Following Anna's smile, Richardson's lips curved slightly.

Releasing Richardson, Iris was surprised to find herself still alive and couldn't help but smile too.

Not far away, Karen and the others saw their smiles and also felt relieved.

In the underground ruins, the team actually laughed together in such a grim environment.

"Let me tell you, I was amazing! Taking down enemies left and right! Lord Dragon's champion was begging for mercy! I only sacrificed my bow because it was an emergency!"

With the danger over, Iris recounted the battle on the surface to everyone.

As she spoke, her eyes stayed on Richardson, ready to bite him if he dared to deny even a single word.

However, Iris didn't know that Lily, who had gone up with Richardson, was invisible the whole time.

Listening to Iris boast about her grand feats and how she supposedly made Lord Dragon's followers beg for mercy, Lily couldn't help but recall the earlier sight of Iris clinging to Amon's leg, refusing to let go despite her injuries. Lily couldn't hold back anymore.

"Richardson, let's go check out the front. Shouldn't we be able to leave from this direction?"

Turning around, Lily pulled Richardson, escaping from Iris's boasting.

Lily couldn't bear to listen any longer. She had just thought of all the heartbreaking events in her life and still almost couldn't suppress her laughter.

If she stayed any longer, she feared Iris might come after her with a knife tonight to silence her.

"Alright, let's go check out this way first."

Richardson followed Lily, both of them fleeing.

When the team returned from the ruins to the surface, they made their way back to the 11th floor of the Golden Karen Hotel.

The team finally relaxed.

Iris, who had regained basic mobility, suddenly lay down on the living room floor.

Feeling that she was still alive, she excitedly shouted, "Sixth-tier, huh? Still alive! Struggle's Iris is moving up the Creator's bounty list!" she crowed.

Richardson muttered under his breath, "Let Anna fix your face before you start bragging…"