Chapter 333

Chapter 293: Breaking Free

After using the iron shipping container as a shield to block Edmond’s attack, Adele grit her teeth and threw the several-ton heavy container along with the cargo toward Edmond in the sky, but Edmond easily dodged it. He then launched an offensive against Adele.

Thus, Adele and Edmond battled in the storage yard. Although both were extraordinary beings of the White Chalk Tier, Adele found herself at a disadvantage against Edmond and could only barely defend herself passively without the strength to counterattack.

The reason for this was simple: Adele needed to ensure her identity remained undisclosed. She couldn’t let her disguise drop. Furthermore, to fully utilize her ability as a Desire Dancer, she needed to dance and reveal her charm, but facing Edmond—the official extraordinary being—Adele absolutely did not want to expose her identity as a major celebrity.

Due to the necessity of keeping her identity a secret, Adele and Edmond’s fight was constrained. She rarely used her abilities as a Desire Dancer, primarily relying on some passive powers of the White Chalk Tier’s “Cup” to resist, which was clearly not enough to match Edmond. As the battle continued, Adele’s disadvantage became more apparent.

‘This is bad… I can’t escape with this mad black dog on my tail… Do I have to face him head-on? But if I do, my identity will be exposed, and whether the theater can continue is one thing, but I definitely don’t want to face both the Wolf bl**d Association and the An Yin Bureau’s pursuit afterward.’

Adele thought anxiously. Just then, Edmond pointed his staff at her and fired an air cannon. Adele barely dodged Edmond’s attack by using her desire manipulation, but the air cannon’s projectile struck the ground nearby, causing a powerful shockwave that exploded outward. To avoid the rushing air and flying debris, Adele rolled on the ground. When she stood up, she saw Edmond aiming his staff at her again.

Just as Adele was about to continue dealing with Edmond, the sudden sound of gunfire erupted on the scene. Edmond deftly sidestepped the bullets flying his way and looked toward the direction of the gunfire, momentarily taken aback.

At the edge of the storage yard, where the bullets had come from, a line of around seven or eight people was kneeling. They all wore different outfits, looking like civilians. They were all on the ground with their hands behind their heads, nervously looking at Edmond in the distance. Behind them stood two men holding guns, looking fierce, as they pointed their weapons at the heads of the kneeling people. One of them shouted up at Edmond.

“Hey! Black dog over there! You better stop and let them go! Otherwise, I’ll blow their brains out! Understand?! If you got it, let them go! I warn you, black dog! I’ve got hostages in my hands, so watch it!”

The man behind the terrified line of hostages shouted arrogantly. Facing the thug’s threats, Edmond gazed at the trembling hostages and then turned to Adele below with a sneer.

“Hmph, looks like you’ve got some accomplices. Coming at me with such lowly tactics, you really underestimate me.”

Hearing Edmond’s words, Adele also looked toward the hostage situation in the distance, involuntarily curving a smile on her lips.

‘Heh… Looks like we have a new show…’

Edmond remained cold and indifferent to the thug’s shouts while simultaneously keeping an eye on Adele’s movements. He maintained a silent watch on the two kidnappers holding the hostages, the staff in his hand slightly trembling. Then, with a subtle flick, two nearly invisible wind blades shot forth, heading toward the “thugs.” Before they could react, their throats were slit, bl**d gushing out as they fell to the ground.

With the “thugs” dead, the “hostages” screamed and stood up, horrified, trying to flee the scene. Just as Edmond was satisfied with what he saw, an unexpected occurrence took place.

The fleeing “hostages” suddenly either had a nervous breakdown or something snapped in their minds and began to quarrel among themselves. Former companions, just moments before bound together, were now pointing fingers at each other angrily, escalating to physical confrontation. Ordinary people began to hurl insults and strike each other, some even choking one another, while others fell bleeding to the ground.

Seeing this, Edmond frowned. He had witnessed such scenes before; back at the Charred Wood Intersection, people there also inexplicably intensified their conflicts and engaged in mutual fighting. What he saw now was a repeat of that event.

These hostages’ minds were being controlled!

“Stop it!”

Edmond shouted sharply and then released wind blades toward Adele. She managed to evade, but the hostages continued to fight, some already bleeding and losing teeth yet still refusing to stop. Edmond immediately increased the intensity of his attacks on Adele, using wind to whip up dust and obscure her vision, launching even more violent assaults to force her into inaction, but it was useless. The “hostages” were still locked in their violent quarrels, and some had even had their heads smashed open, collapsing to the ground in a bloody heap.

‘Useless… I can’t stop them from killing each other no matter how I act against that woman, even if I obscure her vision. Is it she who still has the energy to maintain control despite this assault… or is it simply… she isn’t the controller at all?!’

Edmond thought urgently as, at that moment, the eyes of one of the “hostages” suddenly turned dazed. He turned to look at Edmond and shouted loudly.

“Don’t think killing my men will save them! No! You may have liberated their bodies… but their minds are in my control… they can’t escape! Black dog, now listen to me and leave here immediately! Otherwise, I will control more innocent people to k*ll each other!”

That battered “hostage” threatened Edmond, and hearing those words manifest under mental control, Edmond was finally convinced that the one manipulating these people’s minds was not the woman he was pursuing, but someone else.

So who was he!? Where is he now? If his power has a distance limit or requires the controller’s line of sight, he’s very likely nearby!

Edmond thought urgently, scanning the area to locate any suspicious targets. Many extraordinary abilities require the target to be sensed, and the most direct way to sense was through sight.

Finally, from his aerial perspective, Edmond spotted a figure hiding behind a streetlamp at the edge of the storage yard, peering in curiously at the “hostages” engaged in fighting.

Found you.

Seeing this, Edmond launched a wind blade towards the figure. The blade struck the metal lamp post, creating a gash, causing the hidden figure to jump in surprise before turning and running away.

Just as that figure was about to flee, the “hostages,” who had been fiercely fighting, suddenly stopped their actions. After a moment of confusion, they turned in terror and scattered to escape. Witnessing this, Edmond felt a surge of joy.

‘The extraordinary ability has been interrupted! It’s him!’

Confirming the true mastermind behind it all, Edmond wasted no time pursuing the direction the figure was fleeing. He no longer cared about Adele.

Because this time his main target was the extraordinary being capable of influencing the minds of residents in the Coal Ash District, leading to an increase in crime rates. Based on recent behavior compared to Adele, that fleeing figure was the one that truly mattered!

Meanwhile, seizing the opportunity as Edmond shifted his focus, Adele immediately fled in the opposite direction, successfully evading Edmond’s pursuit, disappearing into the city of the Coal Ash District.