Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 193: Chapter 193 — Mortal Enemies

Chapter 193 — Mortal Enemies

Victor moved instantly.

He grabbed Alex by the front of his cloak and slammed him against the wall, pressing his dagger to his throat.

The anger in Victor’s eyes was palpable. Killing intent flooded the narrow alley.

Even Lyra, standing only a few feet away, felt the pressure wash over her.

She was used to Victor’s killing intent by now, but she had never felt him direct it toward someone this aggressively before.

She didn’t understand why he was so angry.

Who was this person?

Lyra knew Victor well at this point. It took a lot for him to lose control of himself like this. Even when they had encountered the Evil God worshippers, his anger hadn’t flared this violently.

Yet all it had taken was this person appearing in front of him.

She watched the two of them closely.

There was clearly a story here she didn’t know.

”Alex,” Victor said through gritted teeth. ”You willingly served yourself up on a platter to me?”

He pressed the dagger slightly harder against Alex’s throat.

The blade broke the skin, drawing a thin line of blood.

Alex flinched.

”You can’t kill me!”

Victor’s eyes remained cold.

”My bracelet has a trigger connected to my father,” Alex quickly continued. ”The moment anything happens to me, it records everything and sends it to him. Everyone will know you killed me, and they’ll come after you.”

”Do you think I care?” Victor asked.

His grip tightened.

”After everything you’ve done, you deserve this.”

The blade pressed closer.

”You deserve worse.”

”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Victor stared at him.

Then a dark smile slowly spread across his face.

”Oh? You’re going to play that game?”

Alex’s expression shifted.

”So Leo telling me you wished me a proper goodbye right before he tried to kill me...” Victor leaned closer. ”You’re going to tell me that didn’t come from you?”

His voice rose.

”You filthy liar!”

Victor’s hand tensed around the dagger.

For a moment, it looked as though he might actually drag the blade across Alex’s throat.

Then another hand closed around his wrist.

”Victor.”

He turned.

Lyra stood beside him, her fingers wrapped firmly around his arm.

”We can’t. Not here.”

Victor looked at her.

The anger remained clearly visible in his eyes.

Lyra didn’t let go.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then, slowly, the pressure filling the alley began to weaken.

Victor knew she was right.

Killing Alex here would create far more problems than it solved. Especially if his bracelet really was recording everything.

Victor gave Lyra a small nod before turning back toward Alex.

The dagger remained at his throat, but Victor eased the blade away enough that it was no longer cutting into his skin.

Alex took a careful breath.

His expression had grown darker.

Until now, he hadn’t known for certain whether Victor knew who had been behind the attempt on his life. He had wondered whether Leo had actually delivered his message before trying to kill him.

Alex’s gaze shifted as he considered the situation.

Things were different now.

Victor was no longer a slave.

He was a Spirit Gathering cultivator. An official member of the Elite Alchemy Class. And Elder Benton was very clearly paying attention to him.

Whatever had happened during those six months, Victor was no longer someone Alex could simply have removed as easily as before.

Victor studied him for another moment.

”So now you’re following me?”

Alex said nothing.

”Are you trying to finish the job?”

”No.”

”Then what do you want?”

Alex’s expression hardened.

”I want to know how you disappeared in Region G for six months and then suddenly appeared again as a Spirit Gathering cultivator with miraculous skills in alchemy.”

Victor remained silent.

”You were nothing but a slave six months ago,” Alex continued. ”Now you come back like this?”

His eyes moved over Victor.

Victor’s eyes narrowed.

”You think you deserve any kind of explanation?”

He leaned slightly closer.

”You filthy rat.”

Anger flashed across Alex’s face, but he quickly forced it back down.

Victor caught it.

Then something about the situation began to bother him.

Alex had chosen to follow him today.

Right after Victor and Lyra had spent the past few days investigating the Evil God worshippers.

Maybe it was a coincidence.

Alex had plenty of reasons to be curious about him. From Alex’s perspective, Victor had disappeared for six months and returned completely changed.

That explanation made sense.

But after everything that had happened recently, Victor wasn’t willing to dismiss coincidences so easily.

A thought entered his mind.

Is Alex connected to the Evil God Organization?

Victor studied his face.

”What do you know about the Evil God?”

Alex reacted immediately.

His eyes widened.

Only slightly.

For a brief moment, genuine surprise crossed his face before he managed to suppress it.

Too late.

Victor had already seen it.

Alex knew that name.

”How do you know that name?” Alex asked.

Victor went still.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

”Oh.”

He stared directly into Alex’s eyes.

”So you do know who they are.”

Alex didn’t answer.

Before Victor could press further, Alex’s hand suddenly moved toward his bracelet.

A light flashed across the bracelet.

An alert.

Victor immediately understood.

Alex had called for help.

It wouldn’t be long before guards arrived, and considering Alex’s position, whoever came would probably be far stronger than Victor.

There was no point staying.

Victor slowly pulled the dagger away from Alex’s throat.

”It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow.” Victor’s voice became quieter. ”But one day, I’ll feel the fracture of your neck between my fingers.”

Alex’s expression stiffened.

Victor held his gaze.

”And I’ll look into your eyes as you draw your last breath.”

Silence settled over the alley.

”Maybe not today,” Victor continued. ”But be ready for it.”

Alex didn’t respond.

They were enemies.

Victor wanted Alex dead for what he had done, and Alex now knew exactly how Victor felt.

Victor released his cloak and shoved him away.

Alex stumbled before falling to the ground.

Victor looked down at him.

”I’ll be watching you.”

Then he turned and left.

Lyra followed without a word.

Behind them, Alex scrambled back to his feet and hurried out of the alley.

Victor and Lyra disappeared in the opposite direction before the guards could arrive.

For a while, Lyra said nothing.

Every so often, she glanced at Victor as they moved through the streets, but she seemed to understand that now wasn’t the time to ask.

There was a history between Victor and Alex that she didn’t know.

When Victor was ready, he would explain it to her.

For now, they still had somewhere to be.

They continued toward the location of the most recent disappearance.

But Victor’s thoughts remained on what had just happened.

Alex had already proven he possessed influence within the Tower.

Six months ago, he had been able to manipulate Victor’s situation as a slave and arrange for him to be transferred to Basement Level Five. He could influence guards and use other teams to accomplish what he wanted without ever getting his own hands dirty.

At the time, Victor had simply viewed it as the influence of the Graveborn family.

Maybe that was all it was.

But Alex’s reaction when Victor mentioned the Evil God had been too obvious to ignore.

How do you know that name?

Victor replayed the question in his mind.

Alex knew something.

Was Alex actually involved with the organization?

Was it his family?

Or had he simply learned about them some other way?

Victor didn’t have enough information to answer any of those questions.

Not yet.

But he intended to find out.

From now on, he would be watching Alex much more carefully.

Victor would look into the Graveborn family as well.

Who they were.

How much influence they truly possessed.

What they were hiding.

And, most importantly, exactly what they were capable of.