Chapter 166: The Confrontation of Two Women
“Liliana Crimson, I did not expect to find you here.”
*Whoosh*
Suddenly, the red light slowly faded away, revealing an exquisitely beautiful woman with fiery red hair cascading down to her plump buttocks.
Draped in a loose red gown that scarcely veiled her perfectly sculpted and plump figure, she resembled the epitome of a fire goddess descending to earth, poised to captivate anyone who beheld her.
Observing the woman, Liliana furrowed her brow and fixed her with a frosty gaze.
Her relationship with Athena existed in a gray area, neither good nor bad. Yet, as two of the most beautiful and powerful women, they had always engaged in an unseen competition, more akin to rivals than friends or enemies, although neither would openly admit it.
With a deep breath, Liliana pushed aside her annoyance and looked at Athena with indifference.
“So, Athena Hellness, what brings you here?” She asked without preamble or niceties.
Observing Liliana’s chilly reception, Athena merely offered a faint smile, betraying no hint of irritation.
Having encountered Liliana on numerous occasions, Athena was well accustomed to her aloof and distant manner.
However, as the dragon empress, she couldn’t tolerate Liliana’s disrespect, even though they held similar status.
Maintaining a composed expression on her charming countenance, Athena gently shook her head and responded with equal nonchalance, “What I’ve come for isn’t your business, is it?”
Liliana scoffed disdainfully at her retort, regarding her with a disdainful gaze as though addressing a fool.
“Not my business? Are you certain, Athena Hellness? Do you know whose territory you now stand in?” Liliana’s tone turned icy, her arms folding proudly across her huge breasts.
Athena’s expression froze momentarily as she heard this, realizing she had trespassed into Liliana’s territory, belonging to the Demon race.
Recognizing her mistake, Athena swiftly regained her calm and authoritative demeanor.
“Okay, I’ll admit it, I messed up,” she said calmly, without a hint of anger. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’m on a mission: to find whoever caused that purplish-black light in the sky earlier. Can you help me track them down, or if you happen to know who they are, could you tell me their whereabouts?”
Despite her dissatisfaction with Liliana’s attitude, Athena recognized that now wasn’t the time for arguments.
Rather than engaging in unnecessary conflict, it seemed wiser to pose a question and ask for her help.
Upon hearing her words and purpose, Liliana’s eyes narrowed, and her vigilance heightened.
Her intuition regarding Athena’s purpose, centered on Leon, proved entirely accurate. However, disclosing the true incident was out of the question, as Liliana lacked insight into Athena’s intentions for seeking Leon.
Liliana took a quick breath, swiftly masking her expression with calm nonchalance. “I’m sorry, Athena Hellness, but I’m completely unaware of the individual responsible for the purplish-black light. I can’t offer any assistance.”
Athena narrowed her eyes suspiciously, doubting Liliana’s words.
“Are you saying the truth, Liliana Crimson? You’re not deceiving me, are you?” She inquired, her tone icy.
“Indeed not, Athena Hellness. I see no reason to deceive you,” Liliana retorted casually, her demeanor unwavering and her expression unchanged.
As Athena observed Liliana’s seemingly genuine expression, doubt crept in, but it swiftly dissipated as she recalled the barrier magic she had recently breached, restoring her focus and clarity. It was an ancient-level magic, so potent that even she struggled to dismantle it.
Apart from Liliana, who stood before her, who else in this world could have cast such powerful magic?
As Athena contemplated Liliana’s deception, her expression darkened with anger.
“Liliana Crimson, I didn’t anticipate you would deceive me like this,” she said, her beautiful face now cold and stern. “You claimed ignorance about that figure, correct?”
“Then tell me this: Why did you erect a powerful barrier of ancient magic spanning a hundred kilometers in every direction?”
Upon hearing the question, Liliana’s eyes widened slightly as she realized she had forgotten about this matter entirely!
“Hehehe~ Looks like my hunch was spot on—you’ve lied to me, and you’re concealing that figure from me, aren’t you, Liliana?” Athena’s tone turned cold and grim as she observed the shift in Liliana’s expression.
She hadn’t anticipated Liliana’s audacity in lying to her, which fueled her anger even further.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, a red aura, fierce as fire, burst from Athena’s body and soared into the sky. Two red horns slowly materialized above her head, causing the surrounding space to tremble violently.
Realizing she could no longer conceal the truth, Liliana gazed at the spectacle with indifference, devoid of fear.
“Humph! Even if I am indeed concealing them, what business is it of yours?” Liliana declared coldly.
A blood-red aura, as potent as Athena’s, erupted from her body, piercing the night’s previously calm and chilly atmosphere and instantly infusing it with tension.
The two women, each possessing a temperament distinct from the rest of the world, locked eyes with intense hostility for a few moments.
Just as the tension between them reached its peak and they were on the brink of conflict, a voice abruptly interjected.
“Ahem, two beauties, could you please refrain from fighting?”
Upon hearing the sound, both immediately snapped to attention and instinctively turned towards its source, only to discover a man clad in a black robe with white hair, his face concealed by a black half-face mask, abruptly materializing beside them.
Liliana, witnessing this, was dumbfounded. She recognized the man as Leon, but she couldn’t comprehend how he had suddenly appeared there when he should have been behind her.
Furthermore, seeing the half-face mask on Leon’s face heightened her surprise and confusion.
“Since when did Leon start wearing that?” Liliana pondered inwardly, her thoughts tinged with confusion.
However, suddenly, memories from her past flooded her mind, bringing her back to reality with a jolt.
In the past, before being exposed to the devouring poison, Leon had indeed always worn a mask covering half his face. Yet, since the mask was damaged in their fight, she had almost forgotten about it.
Unlike Liliana, who was taken aback by Leon’s half-face mask and sudden appearance from the side, Athena became alert the moment she spotted him.
She hadn’t sensed the presence of this masked man at all, which naturally left her feeling somewhat perplexed.
After all, there was no one in the world who could evade her detection except for those stronger than her.
With a vigilant expression, Athena attempted to suppress the tension within herself as she scrutinized the man’s appearance from head to toe. “Who are you, and how did you appear without my notice?”
For some reason, the sight of this masked man stirred memories of the person she loved—Leon.
However, the Leon she knew had black hair, wore a white mask, and donned the white robes of a hero, making him very different from the man standing before her now.
Meanwhile, Liliana, positioned across from Athena, also gazed curiously at Leon. She, too, wondered how he managed to elude her detection and suddenly materialize at their side.
Listening to Athena’s question, Leon, his face half covered by the mask, smiled sarcastically, crossing his arms behind his waist in a manner reminiscent of a master.
“I’m sorry, pretty lady, but I can’t disclose my identity,” Leon said calmly before continuing. “However, I can confirm that your arrival must be related to me, isn’t it?”
Athena frowned upon hearing his words, but after a moment, she quickly realized the implication and regarded him with slightly widened eyes.
“Are you the one who released the purplish-black light that soared into the sky earlier?” Athena asked, her tone tinged with surprise and curiosity.
“Well, that was indeed me, pretty lady,” Leon replied with a faint smile, not hiding the truth.
He knew that Athena’s arrival was likely due to something significant, probably related to the hidden race or a similar matter.
After all, the dragon race was one of the strongest, having participated in the 7,000-year war and fought against the evil god.
Of course, this was just his guess, but he was confident that it was ninety percent correct.
However, since he didn’t want to reveal his identity yet and didn’t want Athena to discover that he was the ‘Leon’ she loved, he decided to deceive her first. Fortunately, he found a black mask in the pocket of his new robe, which covered half his face and boosted his confidence.
Upon hearing Leon’s acknowledgment, Athena’s vigilance slightly waned. She looked at Leon from head to toe once more before finally shifting her gaze to Liliana.
“Do you have a relationship with this woman?” Athena inquired, pointing at Liliana, leaving Leon momentarily speechless.
He understood that the quarrel between them stemmed from Liliana’s attempt to conceal the truth, so he had to keep it secret and support Liliana.
Glancing at Liliana, who returned his look, they exchanged a subtle wink before Leon’s gaze shifted back to Athena.
“I don’t know this beautiful white-haired woman at all,” Leon replied casually.
Athena couldn’t believe his words and was about to ask more questions, but Leon quickly interrupted her.
“Alright, let’s settle this matter. Why are you looking for me?”
Hearing this, Athena swallowed her questions and remembered the mission given by her ancestor.
Taking a deep breath, she regained her domineering and majestic demeanor as she looked at Leon and said in an indifferent tone, “My purpose here is to take you away.”
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A/N: I’m sorry, I only uploaded one chapter today because I had some things to do, so I couldn’t upload two chapters. Thank you, and don’t forget your support!
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