Chapter 290 We have an event to go to.
Inside the mansion's training arena—a vast hall surrounded by black marble columns and illuminated by magical torches casting golden light—Strax stood calmly at the center.
The stone floor, though pristine, already bore faint cracks from the intense energy radiating through the room. Stay updated via empire
Facing him were his four wives—Cristine, Samira, Beatrice, and Monica. Each carried a different expression: anger, determination, disbelief, and a hint of frustration.
They had accepted the challenge.
Strax wanted to show them how far he had come since his last evolution, and to do so, he proposed a simultaneous fight.
Confident in their abilities and the bond they had forged through countless training sessions together, the four had accepted without hesitation. However, only seconds into the fight, they realized reality would be far crueler than they anticipated.
Monica struck first. Her weapon, a long black spear engulfed in blue flames she had taken from Scarlet's armory, sliced through the air toward Strax with blinding speed. The impact of the spear on the ground unleashed a wave of energy so powerful it fractured the arena floor. But when the dust settled, all she saw was Strax's relaxed smile. He stood several meters away from where the attack had landed. He hadn't even moved.
"Is that it?" Strax taunted, raising an eyebrow.
Before Monica could respond, Cristine appeared beside him in a blur, her daggers crackling with electric energy. She unleashed a flurry of swift attacks, each strike emitting a thunderclap that echoed through the hall. Strax simply leaned back, dodging every move with an irritating ease.
"Are you toying with us?" Cristine shouted, her eyes blazing with fury as she tried to anticipate his next move. She wasn't a woman who angered easily, but this was testing her patience.
"Toying? Of course not. I'm just warming up," Strax replied with a carefree smile, vanishing before her eyes in a blink.
Across the arena, Beatrice and Samira seized the opportunity. Beatrice conjured a massive web of energy, attempting to pin him down, while Samira's blade ignited with fire as she charged toward him, searching for an opening.
Strax, however, remained unimpressed. With a snap of his fingers, a pulsing crimson aura erupted from his body. Before the flames or the energy web could reach him, they disintegrated completely, reduced to shimmering particles. Beatrice and Samira stared in disbelief.
"You're aware I've ascended two hundred levels," he began, turning slowly to face them. "But did you truly understand what that means?"
Samira took advantage of his distraction and attacked again, this time from behind. But just as her blade was about to connect, Strax caught her wrist at the last moment, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He smiled, tilting his head. "You still hesitate at the last moment, Samira. That makes you predictable."
With a smooth motion, he spun her around and sent her flying across the arena. She crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact. Cristine rushed to help her, but before she could reach Samira, Strax was already standing in front of her.
"My, my, Cristine. Giving up already?" he asked, leaning slightly to dodge a horizontal slash from her spear.
Cristine growled, striking repeatedly, but Strax evaded each blow with minimal movement, as though he were dancing. Every swing hit nothing but air as he continued to taunt her in his calm tone.
"Is that your strongest attack? I thought you'd trained harder than this."
"You idiot!" Cristine shouted in frustration, channeling a surge of energy through her daggers. A wave of power erupted toward Strax, but he raised a hand, absorbing the impact as if it were nothing.
Meanwhile, Samira and Beatrice tried to devise a new strategy. Samira conjured a fiery illusion, filling the space with duplicates of herself and Beatrice, while the real Beatrice prepared a powerful sphere of energy above her head.
"Let's see how you handle this, you arrogant husband!" Samira shouted, her illusions attacking from all angles.
Strax sighed, glancing around with a faint smile. "Illusions? Really? You've actually learned a few tricks in your time, haven't you?"
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he reopened them, they glowed with an intense crimson light. "Blood Vision," he murmured. Instantly, all of Samira's duplicates vanished, leaving only her and Beatrice visible.
"Oh, no…" Beatrice muttered, taking a step back.
In a flash, Strax disappeared and reappeared in front of her. With a light flick to her forehead, Beatrice was sent tumbling backward, rolling across the floor.
"This isn't fair!" Beatrice yelled, struggling to her feet.
"Weren't you the one insisting on joining the fight?" Strax retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Samira seized the opportunity to hurl her fiery sphere directly at Strax. It was a massive attack, one capable of destroying half the arena if left unchecked. But Strax simply raised his hand, conjuring a barrier of blood that absorbed the impact entirely.
"Admirable. But still insufficient," he remarked before snapping his fingers.
The fiery sphere was redirected, exploding against the ceiling of the arena and flooding the space with a blinding light. When the brightness subsided, Strax remained standing in the same spot, completely unharmed.
Samira, Cristine, Beatrice, and Monica regrouped at the center of the arena, panting heavily. Their bodies were drenched in sweat, their clothes tattered, and their faces marked with exhaustion. Meanwhile, Strax stood perfectly composed, as though the battle hadn't even begun for him.
"This is… impossible," Beatrice muttered, leaning on Monica for support.
"It's not fair," Samira growled. "You're toying with us, aren't you?"
"Perhaps," Strax admitted with a grin, crossing his arms. "But you need to understand—I'm not the same as I once was. I've become something far beyond what you can imagine. And just because I'm your husband doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."
Cristine stepped forward, pointing her spear at him. "You won't humiliate us so easily."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Humiliate you?" Strax raised an eyebrow. "I'm teaching you. If you think this is humiliation, maybe you need to train harder." He smirked. "But I suppose that's enough for today."
With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the lingering energy in the air, signaling the end of the fight.
The four women exchanged glances, still trying to catch their breath. Despite their frustration, there was a faint spark of admiration in their eyes. They knew Strax had changed, but the gap in power was staggering.
"So," Strax asked, his provocative tone echoing through the arena, "anyone up for another round?"
Before the four exhausted women could answer, a new female voice reverberated through the arena, cutting through the moment. It was firm, commanding, and carried an air of undeniable authority.
"I don't think that will be necessary."
Everyone turned toward the entrance of the arena, where a red-haired woman entered with elegant strides. She wore a black dress that hugged her curves with sophisticated grace, adorned with silver details that reflected the flickering torchlight. Around her neck, an ornate necklace sparkled, and delicate bracelets adorned her wrists. Cassandra rarely dressed like this, and Strax immediately noticed the unusual change.
"Cassandra?" He raised an eyebrow, confused as he took in his wife's uncommon attire. "Going to an event?"
She stopped in the center of the arena, crossing her arms with a faint smile curving her lips. "Actually, you are. With us."
Before Strax could question further, another feminine voice rang out from the opposite side, melodious yet authoritative.
"That's right, Strax. You'd better start getting ready."
Daniela appeared, walking with the same poise as Cassandra. Unlike her usual practical demeanor, she wore a long burgundy dress adorned with golden details, her presence elevated by a soft floral perfume that subtly filled the air.
Strax blinked, growing even more puzzled. "Me? Going where exactly? And why are you all so… dressed up?"
Before he could get an answer, yet another figure entered. This time, it was Belatrix, her commanding presence filling the room. She wore an emerald-green velvet gown that accentuated her striking features. A jade flower brooch shimmered on her chest, and delicate earrings dangled from her ears.
"Don't ask so many questions, husband," Belatrix said with a tone that balanced impatience and humor. "We've been invited to a high-society event. You're coming with us. And, more importantly, your presence is essential to… avoid complications." She finished with a pointed look, making it clear there were political stakes involved.
Strax crossed his arms, scrutinizing the three of them. "Let me get this straight. You all show up dressed like this, interrupt my training session, and plan to drag me to a gathering full of annoying nobles and political games?"
"Basically," Cassandra replied with a sharp smile.
"Exactly," Daniela added, adjusting her earrings. "And you'd better not complain. We're your wives, after all, and we have a role to play. So do you."
Strax sighed, glancing at Cristine, Samira, Monica, and Beatrice, who were still recovering from the fight and clearly trying not to laugh at the situation. "It seems my night will be longer than I expected..."
"Oh, you have no idea," Belatrix commented, her enigmatic smile promising that the event would be far from simple.
With no other choice, Strax raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, I'll get ready. But if any noble tries to annoy me, I'm not responsible for what happens next."
Cassandra laughed softly as she stepped closer. "Trust us. If anyone dares to irritate you, it'll be the last mistake they ever make."