Chapter 193 Hunter (1/2)

As Arran looked at the bodies that lay on the ground in front of him, he felt no sense of triumph or accomplishment

He had no reason to hate these defeated foes That they were enemies at all was a matter of chance — he had blindly chosen a side in Hillfort, and had he chosen differently, they ht well have been his allies

Perhaps they deserved to die for betraying the Shadowflame Society, but in truth, the betrayalhad been to gain power, and his only reason for killing these two Masters was survival — his and Snowcloud's Beyond that, he cared little about the Society's conflicts

Maybe Darkfire had the right of it, he thought

While Arran had spent the past year killing countless people he didn't know for a cause that wasn't his, Darkfire had spent it in safety and comfort, a woman he loved at his side and all the fine food and ale he wanted within reach

But then, Arran didn't have that choice What he had were eneer, he would eventually hed, then began to search the bodies

As he expected, the Masters' void bags were rich in treasure and Essence Crystals, all of which he quickly transferred to his own bags There would be time to examine the contents later

As he also expected, both of them wore Lifesense amulets Since both Masters had died within the barrier, whoever held the amulets' counterparts wouldn't know about their fate just yet, and Arran stored the a Only when they were retrieved froes' fate be discovered

When Arran finished looting the bodies, he saw Rockblaze eh the man had several bloody injuries and walked with a li, and Arran could not help but be impressed by the adept's resilience

”You killed the pleased at their victory, he gazed at Arran with thinly veiled hostility

”Glad to see you're all right, too” Whatever the reason for Rockblaze's ever-increasing antipathy toward hi it

”You killed theain

”That was the plan, wasn't it?” Arran looked the adept in the eyes ”But perhaps I should have let her finish you off first?”

In hindsight, perhaps that wouldn't have been the worst idea

Rockblaze responded with a glare ”Why haven't you gotten the others yet?”

”I was just about to,” Arran replied

Without any further words, he turned around and headed toward the ruined city, glad to be rid of Rockblaze if only for aSnowcloud and Zehava was a quick task, and although both novices had spent a long tiht them outside the barrier, they recovered in a s still unsteady, her eyes fell on the two dead Masters At once, she went pale with shock

”You knew them?” Arran asked

She nodded silently in response, and from her pained expression, Arran suspected she knew them quite well

Yet before he could ask who the tere, he saw Rockblazein between himself and the novices And not just that — the adept's hand reached for his sword, and Arran could Sense that he was gathering Essence

”What are you doing?” Arran said coldly, his handtoward his oeapon as he spoke

”Stay back!” The veil had been pulled from Rockblaze's earlier hostility, and now, he looked at Arran as if he was expecting battle ”I knohat you are!”