The lab, with a security level of 1, posed no threat to Ascan. To stop him, the current level 2 wasn’t enough. I had to raise the level to the most dangerous level 3.
It wasn’t an easy task to stop Ascan, who was the strongest in the novel’s world. But the magical engineering weapons I had created over the years were not to be underestimated.
The problem was that I couldn’t acknowledge the situation where we were in conflict with each other.
“Ascan, it’s me. Don’t you really know who I am?”
As I asked, Ascan’s eyes narrowed, and I felt him observing me.
He soon replied in a dry voice, “Aren’t you Brelopf Yeong-ae?”
It was clear that Ascan didn’t remember me.
Even if his response wasn’t cold, there was no trace of the emotions from the past in the gaze he directed at me.
Yet, the man standing before me was Ascan.
No matter how much memory he lost…
“…It’s Ascan.”
I had imagined him being brought back to the lab and returning in an exhausted state. Still, I had promised to treat him the same.
I didn’t know what had happened to Ascan during that time, but fortunately, he seemed physically unharmed, with no visible injuries.
Regardless of why he lost his memory…
Anyway, he was alive.
Ascan approached, narrowing the distance, seemingly uninterested in my return to the lab as he had mentioned earlier.
It seemed he had realized that the magical engineering weapons I created were not to be taken lightly.
Zen wasn’t staying still either. To prevent Ascan’s approach, he rushed forward.
Clang!
The clash of the two emitted a flash of light.
Zen’s sharp sword was blocked by Ascan’s bare hands.
Upon closer inspection, Ascan’s hands were transformed into steel. It seemed he could freely manipulate not only flames but also steel now.
“Zen, stop!”
I shouted, but Zen didn’t stop attacking Ascan.
For Zen, Orlando’s orders took precedence over me. And the order he received was to ensure my safety.
Zen seemed to have no intention of allowing Ascan to approach me.
“This is insane.”
I found myself cursing involuntarily.
I hadn’t spent ten years searching for Ascan to witness a situation like this.
Moreover, unlike ten years ago, Zen now couldn’t defeat Ascan.
Zen was an exceptionally rare individual with the dark attribute ability.
Since he could momentarily conceal his appearance, he was optimized for infiltration or assassination.
But the opponent was Ascan, the strongest in the novel’s world.
If they confronted head-on like this, there was no chance for Zen to win.
Whooosh!
Seven flames instantly rose around Ascan.
It seemed Ascan had no intention of just letting Zen block his way.
The atmosphere was tense. It felt like one of them had to die to end this.
In this situation, I couldn’t go back to the lab to manipulate the security level.
I didn’t want to attack Ascan, and I also didn’t want Zen to get hurt while I was absent.
I didn’t want either of them to get hurt. And I had been tirelessly working to avoid helplessly watching such a situation.
Now it was my turn to step forward.
The one who installed magical engineering weapons in the laboratory was me. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I had all the locations and devices in my head.
I reached out towards the largest tree in the garden. Upon doing so, a dagger with magic stones embedded in it flew into my hand like a magnet.
A bracelet that could pull nearby magic stone weapons, like the one in my hand, was wrapped around my wrist.
The magic stone weapons were based on Barten’s developed magical formula, and they were created to maximize performance by placing locking mechanisms to recognize the owner.
They were developed to cope with various situations, but I never expected to use them in a situation like this.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, I plunged the magic stone-embedded dagger into the ground.
The power contained in the magic stone dagger in my hand was the ability to freely manipulate the tree branches.
In an instant, the power of the magic stone spread through the ground, allowing me to move all the nearby tree branches at my will for a short period.
Whoosh─
A massive tree branch blocked Zen’s hand, trying to attack Ascan.
As a result, Zen seemed momentarily exposed to danger, but Ascan was also not in a situation where he could move freely.
Dozens of tree branches not only wrapped around Ascan’s body but also redirected the lake installed for watering the garden, turning the surroundings into a sea of water.
It was to weaken Ascan’s flames to some extent.
Having forcefully stopped the two, I shouted loudly.
“Stop, can’t you hear me?”
Only then did Ascan and Zen’s gazes turn towards me.
Even though I succeeded for a moment, it was impossible to continue restraining the two. They were both exceptional ability users to be easily stopped by mere tree branches.
“Ascan.”
At my call, Ascan’s pupils narrowed. It seemed uncertain whether I really knew his name.
“The Emperor of the Kalua Empire desires to see me, as mentioned in the letter?”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
