Chapter 145: Snatching

Sophie Wexler froze, her eyes locking onto the figure in the distance, brimming with caution.

She had been extremely careful when leaving Salencia. Anticipating that he wouldn’t give up easily, she had even lingered a while longer and switched to a new mask.

’There’s no way he should have been able to recognize me.’

Sophie Wexler suppressed her unease. Looking at the man before her, she feigned confusion and asked, "Who are you? Do I know you?"

The man let out a low chuckle. "Stop pretending. It’s just one of Salencia’s requisite masks."

His words instantly saw through Sophie Wexler’s disguise.

Sophie Wexler froze.

She said nothing, instead scanning her surroundings with her peripheral vision, already plotting an escape route.

"Hand over what you just bought in Salencia!" the man demanded, his brow furrowing as his voice turned sharp.

Sophie Wexler had already stowed the item away safely upon leaving. As the man spoke, she continued to size up her surroundings. "What are you talking about? I don’t understand."

She had cased the area near the teahouse before even coming to Salencia, forming a rough map in her mind. She already knew how she would escape this confrontation.

"I said, stop playing games with me! Hand it over!" With that, the man lunged at Sophie Wexler.

Sophie Wexler leaped back, instantly deploying her spiritual power into a defensive barrier while simultaneously unleashing another wave of it to attack him.

Although the spiritual power of a Healer-class was relatively gentle, this was still 3S-level spiritual power. An ordinary person would be unable to withstand it.

To avoid revealing her identity, Sophie Wexler deliberately suppressed the intensity of the spiritual power she unleashed.

The man seemed surprised that she would fight back, and his gaze hardened.

"You’re a Healer-class!"

Only the spiritual power of a Healer-class had such a gentle feel.

’How could she be a Healer-class?’

For a moment, a flicker of apprehension sparked within him.

After all, the importance the Empire placed on the Healer-class was common knowledge.

Moreover, he could sense this Healer-class was high-level, though he couldn’t tell her exact rank.

’I can’t believe I got tangled up with a Healer-class. I even attacked her.’

’This is bad.’

Sophie Wexler was preternaturally calm, her mind racing. "That’s right, I’m a Healer-class!"

"And you should know how severe the Empire’s punishment is for harming one!"

The man’s expression faltered.

But then he remembered the mission from his superiors: he had to obtain the method for removing the Slave Necklace and destroy it.

The man’s eyes darkened. ’Since I’ve already attacked a Healer-class, I’m doomed if they track me down later. In that case...’

’...might as well go all the way.’

’If I kill her here, there’ll be no one left to testify. No one will ever know.’

Having made his decision, a vicious expression twisted the man’s face. A cold sneer played on his lips. "Since you won’t hand it over..."

"...then you can just leave yourself and the item behind!"

With that, he whipped an Energy Gun out from behind his back.

Sophie Wexler’s pupils contracted. A sense of dread washed over her, and in the next instant, she scrambled backward, wishing she had eight legs.

At the same time, an object materialized in her hand.

Watching Sophie Wexler flee, the man’s lips twisted into a smirk, mocking her for not knowing her own limits. "Trying to escape?"

His words had barely faded when he pulled the trigger. A powerful Energy Cannon tore through the air, heading straight for Sophie Wexler.

BOOM!

A deafening roar echoed through the alleyway. The massive energy shockwave rattled the surrounding buildings.

Everyone nearby was startled by the commotion!

’What’s going on?!’

Since the explosion was not far from Salencia, the people in charge there grew grim. Any trouble in the vicinity would disrupt their peace, so they immediately dispatched men to investigate.

Crowds of people, drawn by the noise, began to rush toward its source.

The man who had fired the Energy Cannon knew he had made too much noise. Someone would be here soon.

He needed to leave, and fast.

The collision of the two energy waves had kicked up a huge cloud of smoke, obscuring the scene within.

He walked toward the cloud of smoke, toward the spot where Sophie Wexler had been.

"My aim was dead on. She couldn’t have been blown to smithereens, could she?"

He muttered as he walked, "Then again, she’s just a Healer-class. How much resistance could she possibly have? There’s no way she could withstand the power of this Energy Gun."

This Energy Gun was given to him by his superiors. It was equivalent to a Level 3S attack. Forget a person—even a common High-level Star-Swarm couldn’t withstand it.

He was absolutely certain that the Healer-class couldn’t have possibly survived.

Now he just had to go and confirm it—confirm that the Healer-class was dead, confirm that the device for removing the Slave Collar was destroyed, and his mission would be a complete success.

Brimming with confidence, the man strode forward. But in the next second, he stopped dead in his tracks.

As the smoke cleared, he saw that the area was completely empty. Not only was there no body, there wasn’t even a trace of anyone.

Nothing at all.

The man’s eyes widened. "How is this possible!"

How could a fragile Healer-class possibly escape an attack from a Level 3S-powered Energy Gun?

It’s impossible!

Just as he was refusing to believe it, a clamor of voices reached him from a short distance away. "Over there! Hurry!"

"It’s right there!"

A large crowd was surging in his direction, and he could even hear the sound of military craft.

It was the Imperial army unit responsible for this sector.

The man had no time to wonder how a Healer-class had survived a blast from an Energy Gun. If he didn’t leave now, it would be too late.

A mini-flyer appeared from out of nowhere. The man climbed aboard and immediately took off.

’The Healer-class escaped, I didn’t get the item, and now I’ve caused this mess.’

The man didn’t dare to imagine how his superiors would punish him. He didn’t dare go back. He just fled.

He piloted the flyer right out of The Capital Planet’s atmosphere.

「Meanwhile.」

Only after confirming that no one was following her did Sophie Wexler finally bring the small flyer under her feet to a halt.

She patted her chest, her heart still pounding, and let out a long, shaky breath.

"Thank goodness for the Defense Device General York gave me."

That was right. Sophie Wexler hadn’t taken that hit without a plan.

She had remembered that before coming to The Capital Planet, Felix York had given her a special Defense Device to thank her for removing the toxins from his system.

It could withstand a Level 3S attack.

That was the only reason she had dared to face that blast head-on.

Luckily, the man had been overconfident and hadn’t checked on her immediately, giving her the perfect opportunity to escape.

"Wants my stuff, my ass," Sophie Wexler muttered to the empty air.

With that, she took out the small casket and checked it over. "Perfectly intact."

"Now, Cillian Forrest’s neck ring can finally be removed."