Chapter 12: Reversal
The night at the police station was cloaked in stillness, broken only by the faint flicker of dim yellow lights in the corridor.
Angus sat on a bench in the waiting room, her hands clasped tightly, knuckles white from the pressure.
Her eyes brimmed with anxiety, silently praying for justice to prevail.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps shattered the quiet.
Angus looked up to see a portly officer enter the interrogation room, his uniform straining against his rotund frame, adorned with countless badges.
“Who’s he?” Angus asked Buck, who was beside her.
“My dad, Chief Gavin,” Buck replied.
Angus’s heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
Moments later, Chief Gavin emerged with Eric, saying, “Eric, my apologies for the misunderstanding.”
His tone was warm with regret and admiration.
Eric lifted his head, his gaze calm as he looked at the chief.
Gavin continued, “I never imagined we’d find that long-wanted fugitive in your home. That monster raped and killed so many—we’ve been chasing him for ages with no leads. You’ve done a great service!”
With that, Gavin took a thick envelope from an officer and handed it to Eric.
“This is your reward for your contribution. Keep up this righteous work—it’s never wrong!”
Eric accepted the envelope, saying lightly, “Thank you, Chief. It was just a coincidence.”
Gavin laughed heartily.
“Coincidence or not, you’ve rid society of a scourge. Come on, let’s grab dinner to celebrate.”
Eric shook his head.
“It’s late, Chief. I’d like to head home and rest.”
Gavin frowned but relented.
“Alright, but this mess today was caused by that woman, wasting your time. I suspect she’s a spy from an enemy nation. We’ll interrogate her thoroughly.”
Eric’s face darkened, and he snapped, “She’s mine!”
Standing abruptly, he moved to take Angus and leave the station.
Buck stepped forward to block him.
“Eric, you can’t just take her. The investigation isn’t over.”
Chief Gavin’s face reddened with anger.
He bellowed at Buck, “Step aside! Didn’t you hear Eric? Apologize to him!”
Buck stood his ground.
“I suspect this man abused Miss Elena. She can’t go with him.”
Gavin’s fury intensified.
“You little brat, move! Stop causing trouble!”
Buck refused to budge.
“No way, Chief. Think about it—Miss Elena’s amnesiac. Couldn’t that be from Eric’s abuse? He’s got a history of it.”
Angus suddenly spoke up, “Mr. Buck, I misjudged him.”
But Buck still blocked Eric’s path.
Ignoring him, Eric sidestepped and reached for Angus with his right hand.
In that instant, ice spikes erupted from the ground, instantly freezing Eric’s hand in place.
“I said no, and you still try? Think I’m a pushover? This is my Eternal Frost!” Buck declared, chin raised smugly.
Eric’s voice was icy.
“Can I kill him now?” His eyes gleamed with chilling intent.
“No, no! I’ll discipline this brat. Step aside, now!” Gavin shouted, sweat beading on his forehead, his voice trembling.
“Move,” Angus urged, stepping toward Eric.
“Let me teach him a lesson,” Eric said.
With a sharp crack, he yanked his hand free, severing it at the frozen joint.
Buck smirked.
“That’s the power of Eternal Frost. Wondering why your battle aura didn’t work? Let me enlighten you—Eternal Frost combines magic and aura. My aura’s trait is disruption, blocking your aura and senses, so you don’t even feel the danger before it hits.”
Every person’s battle aura has a unique trait, either innate or honed through grueling training.
Eric’s severed hand sprouted bandages, rapidly coiling to form a new one.
Buck taunted, “Saving on healing magic’s mana, huh? Looks like you really want a fight.”
Mana regenerates slowly, typically requiring a night’s meditation, unlike battle aura, which recovers in moments.
A tier-X spell consumes 20% of a tier-X mage’s mana, and low-tier spells have little effect on higher-tier opponents.
In short, in same-tier combat, a mage can only cast five spells.
To counter this, mages developed sustained magic.
Buck’s right hand bore a blue magical array, continuously emitting cold air—the source of his earlier attack on Eric.
Blood oozed from Eric’s left hand as his fingernails were forced out, replaced by bandages.
With a swing of his arm, five aura-infused slashes shot toward Buck, threatening to tear him apart.
Buck drew his longsword, slashing out an ice arc that collided with the aura slashes.
Eric thought, Damn, I have to pretend I’m only a third-tier mage and warrior to fight him.
As smoke rose from the clash of ice and aura, Buck struck again.
His sword danced, unleashing icy blades that shot toward Eric.
Eric’s bandages yanked him aside, nimbly dodging the ice.
His eyes sharpened, and his right hand’s bandages formed a drill.
He hurled the drill at Buck.
Sensing its power, Buck’s face grew serious.
He swept his sword across the ground, raising a thick ice wall.
The drill hit the wall with a deafening boom, cracks spiderwebbing across it, on the verge of collapse.
Buck began chanting a second spell.
As the drill shattered the ice wall, a massive ice dragon roared forth, smashing the drill and lunging at Eric with bared fangs.
Unfazed, Eric raised his left hand.
Countless wounds opened, spewing bandages and blood.
The bandages ensnared the ice dragon, pinning it midair.
Gavin, watching in panic, shouted, “Stop them! They can’t keep fighting!”
“Get in there and help!” he roared at the other officers.