Chapter 142

Upon comprehending Lennok's statement, Jenny's expression grew stern.

"Are you saying we're being followed?"

"They switched lanes twice and headed southeast, so it's almost certain."

Life signals were distinctly detected through magical senses.

In contrast to the nearby ordinary citizens, an especially unique aura marked the individual tailing them as far from average.

This was a superhuman endowed with magical prowess, and a notably adept one at that.

"Someone's approaching from the front and rear lanes, and from the lane below as well. We'll be caught up to soon."

"I'm not too confident in my driving skills."

Notwithstanding her muttered uncertainty, Jenny promptly pressed down on the accelerator.

The moment Lennok's words reached her ears, she accelerated to increase the distance from their pursuers.

VROOOOM!!

The surroundings blurred into streaks as the car appeared to lower its altitude.

The chilling wind that entered through the slightly ajar window was piercing.

Lennok's expression contorted as he sensed beyond his usual range that the pursuer was also accelerating.

"...Too late."

CRASH!

Just as he predicted, three jeeps crashed through the guardrails, converging on the sports car from both the front and rear.

"Damn it...!"

Jenny cursed as she jerked the steering wheel, causing the car to skid and narrowly evade an oncoming jeep's headlights.

SCREECH!!

Contrary to her earlier self-deprecating remark about her driving skills, Jenny's maneuvers were impressively composed.

She swerved moments before tipping over, regaining balance, and swiftly sped down the empty road.

Recognizing their failed attempt to obstruct her path, the jeeps roared their engines and gave chase.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT!!

Gunshots rang out from the pursuers clinging to the speeding jeeps.

Instinctively, Jenny ducked, while Lennok realized the intent was to puncture the tires rather than destroy the car.

"Turn the wheel!"

Amidst the chaos, Jenny swayed the car from side to side, dodging the bullets.

Yet, when the bullets failed to hit, the assailants adopted a different strategy to exert pressure.

WHOOOOSH!

Witnessing a fireball hurtling toward them, Jenny's mouth fell open.

Lennok channeled his mana.

"Davi."

ZZZZAP...!

[Confirmed. Taking control of driving from this point.]

VROOOOM!!

In an instant, the steering wheel Jenny had held began to move on its own, and the car veered in an entirely new manner.

VROOM VROOM!!

The car's front lightly scraped the guardrail, using the recoil to sharply alter its trajectory.

The sports car shot off in the opposite direction, narrowly evading a barrage of bullets and various other attacks.

While their intent didn't seem to be lethal, there was no intention of allowing them to escape either.

However, Davi's driving skills, acquired through learning from autonomous driving AI data, exceeded their expectations by a wide margin.

VROOOM!!

"AHHHHH!!"

By tilting the tires on the outer lane, the car leaned and accelerated.

Just as Jenny screamed, fearing the car might plunge off the road's edge, the sports car's wheels ignited sparks, and the vehicle dramatically swerved to the left.

Whoosh!

The bright red sports car executed two and a half spins mid-air before landing below the original lane, leaving everyone stunned.

Given the height, a faulty landing could easily trigger the engine to explode.

Nonetheless, the car executed a graceful landing on all four wheels, maintaining its velocity, and sped down the lower lane.

"Van, you knew this kind of magic too?!"

"It just happened."

Lennok replied, focusing his senses in the opposite direction.

If they managed to distance themselves from their pursuers like this, it would be an ideal outcome. However, given the adversary's determination and readiness, it wouldn't be a straightforward task.

Crash!

Screech!

A massive rock tumbled onto the road ahead, obstructing the entire four-lane pathway and rendering it impassable.

Even Davi, accustomed to autopilot, had no choice but to brake in the midst of this ruinous condition.

At this moment, Lennok realized that this was precisely what the pursuers had been waiting for, and he muttered a curse under his breath.

Their situation seemed grim if they couldn't circumvent this obstacle.

"This is a new kind of greeting for me."

The rock's impact against the ground emitted a weighty sound, indicating its sheer mass.

"Can't escape this time," Jenny remarked, her expression turning cold.

Despite her usual detachment even in the face of danger, Jenny maintained her composure flawlessly. Swiftly extracting her phone, she began contacting others.

"Let's escape to the side of the road, fortunately, Van, you've prevented the car from getting damaged..."

"It's too late."

"What?"

Instead of providing an explanation, Lennok stood up from his seat.

His heightened magical sensitivity detected the presence of numerous individuals, not just advancing swiftly, but already encircling them.

"Don't leave the car."

Lennok instructed, exiting the vehicle and placing various protective spells on Jenny's sports car to safeguard it in the event of a potential confrontation.

While lighting a cigarette, he observed a figure emerging from the opposite side of the shattered road.

Upon catching sight of the man at the forefront, Lennok let out a sardonic chuckle.

"I suspected as much... but didn't expect it to be you."

"Do you know me?"

"Playing dumb now? After causing a scene in the VIP section, it's too late for that."

The blond man clenched his jaw, reacting to Lennok's biting words.

As it turns out, the individual before them was a member of the Arasha expedition team, previously expelled due to a confrontation with an elder at the third-floor VIP section of the auction house.

Despite the irrationality of the situation, Lennok swiftly pieced together the context and let out a sigh.

"It was all an act from the start. Even putting the 'Compassion of the Archangel' up for auction was your doing."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You used Irina Pheffield's death as a bait to cause a disturbance at the auction house, and tried to steal something when attention was diverted... And the moment that plan failed, you caused a blackout at the auction house and immediately left."

Lennok's words prompted the other expedition team members standing behind the man to flinch.

His casually spoken words effortlessly pierced through their intentions.

"If you chose to track us down and attack instead of making your escape, there's only one conclusion, isn't there?"

With a smirk and smoke wafting from his cigarette, Lennok remarked, "You've gone a long way to meet the potion maker."

"......"

"Someone in your expedition team needs top-tier medical treatment. And considering the rumors we've heard about you at the auction house, it's clear who that is."

Lennok produced an amulet from his pocket and gave it a slight shake.

Though the team members struggled to maintain their composure, their gazes inevitably fixated on the amulet.

"It's a tear-jerking story, running around in every direction for an ailing leader..."

If the relic 'Compassion of the Archangel' genuinely emerged at the auction house and the expedition team's true aim was to obtain the amulet for medical purposes, the narrative was straightforward.

Irina Pheffield wasn't deceased; she had suffered severe injuries due to some incident, and they sought a means to heal her.

Remaining silent at this juncture wasn't caution, but sheer foolishness.

Recognizing the futility of concealing the truth any longer, the man finally spoke up.

"You're right."

"......Captain!"

A youth in his late teens reached out in astonishment, grasping the man's shoulder, only to be shrugged off with a somber expression.

"Miles, stay put. There's no point in hiding it now."

"But revealing this would mean the leader is...."

"We have no choice."

With determination, the man brushed off the young man's hand and stepped forward.

"The only way to treat the leader's wounds is this."

The man with short blonde hair swept his locks aside as he approached Lennok, who continued to smoke his cigarette.

He spoke, "Originally, there would have been no issue if we had just acquired the medicinal amulet at the auction house. I never thought that the appraisers at the auction house would fail to recognize the value of the amulet and leave it on the first floor, but it turned out to be good for us."

"......"

"We brought even the Compassion of Archangel to prepare for all scenarios and even put on a silly act to attract attention. I never thought someone would steal the item before the auction was over."

The man's lips trembled with anger as he spoke, unable to contain his emotions.

"It's the kind of thing that fits this filthy and lowly city."

Lennok grasped the man's sentiments to a degree.

The emotional turmoil one would experience after meticulously preparing to secure an item, executing a plan, only for an unforeseen variable to disrupt everything.

Especially if the item wasn't garnering much attention from others, the disappointment would be amplified.

In this scenario, nobody could have foreseen that Liam's small favor would manifest in this manner.

The man took a deep breath and muttered,

"Hand over the medicinal amulet. I'll give you anything you can ask for."

Lennok silently focused on smoking his cigarette, as if to signal the man to continue.

"If we can cleanly wrap this up with a deal, that would be ideal. We can act as if everything that's happened never occurred, and we can each go our separate ways. Even that woman busy making calls in the car can come out unscathed. Isn't it a good deal for both parties?"

"......"

"If it's money, I'll give you as much as you want. After all, you also stole the item in some way or another. Unless you're specifically looking to meet with the potion maker, you'd prefer to be compensated in cash, wouldn't you?"

"Are you done talking?"

Lennok flicked away the ash clinging to his cigarette's tip and buttoned up his coat.

His fingertips subtly trembled in the frigid night air.

Finally, unable to restrain himself, the man queried,

"Exactly what do you want to hear? Are you asking for an apology for our aggressive approach? If that's the case, I can offer it willingly. Just give us the opportunity to heal the Captain...!!"

Uttering these words, he knelt and bowed deeply.

The other members of the exploration team standing behind him displayed varied expressions, yet none halted him.

This emphasized their collective determination to save Captain Irina Pheffield.

"Captain Irina is so competent in archaeological excavation that she has received official cooperation requests from the Vulcan government. It's unthinkable for someone of her talent to die from unintended injuries! Whatever you want, we can do...!!"

The man's desperate pleas echoed.

Nevertheless, Lennok remained unfazed.

"If you talk like that, it makes me sound like a heartless villain."

"I never meant to imply that..."

"What's your name?"

"Brook, Brook Powell."

"Brook. Has everyone gathered?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been talking nonsense and gathering people in this area. You think I didn't notice?"

Brook wore a look of utter confusion upon hearing Lennok's words.

However, Lennok chuckled and gestured toward the other comrades standing behind him.

"You may be a good actor, but the expressions of those behind you give it away. You still don't get it?"

"What are you talking about...!"

Inadvertently reacting to Lennok's words, Brook turned his head, only to realize he had fallen for Lennok's verbal trap and bit his tongue.

He had turned his head because he couldn't fully trust the members of his own exploration team to begin with.

This action inadvertently confirmed Lennok's suspicions.

Lennok smiled, sensing the approaching presence from kilometers away.

"Twenty... no, about thirty. Judging by their low mana, it seems you've hired other freelancers, probably to block escape routes. You say you don't know much about this city, but what you're doing is downright nefarious."

"It was merely a precaution to facilitate dialogue. We genuinely need that item and truly want to save the Captain."

Brook retorted swiftly, but Lennok had no interest in such justifications.

Their pursuit of the Yakson's amulet left no room for negotiation.

"Do I really need to spell it out?"

"What are you talking about...!"

Cutting off Brook's protest, Lennok stated:

"The reason you're looking for Yakson, who's known for patient confidentiality, is clear. Either the injuries sustained by Irina Pheffield are something that can't be revealed, or there are circumstances that mustn't leak to the outside."

"......"

"You stirred up an entire auction house to meet Yakson... and now you're just going to let us go?"

Lennok wore a cold, mocking smile as he surveyed the exploration team members.

"If you hadn't planned to silence us by killing from the start, your mouth wouldn't be so loose."

Brook's expression, which had feigned ignorance, gradually transformed into one of icy resolve.