e-booksonline Chapter 729: Chapter 166.1 - Interrogation
Chapter 729: Chapter 166.1 - Interrogation
Chapter 729: Chapter 166.1 - Interrogation
"Indeed.....You are dead."
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the small warehouse, shaking its flimsy walls and filling the space with smoke and debris. Rovan and the executives were thrown off balance, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons as their ears rang from the force of the blast.
Through the smoke, a figure emerged, cloaked in an orange aura that shimmered like molten sunlight. Her red, short hair floated weightlessly, as if carried by an unseen wind, and flames coiled around her hands, licking the air with deadly intent.
"Irina Emberheart!" one of the executives choked out, his voice a mixture of disbelief and terror.
Irina's amber eyes burned with cold fury, her steps measured and deliberate as she advanced into the room. The firelight around her cast dancing shadows against the walls, amplifying her already commanding presence.
"How did you find us?" Rovan demanded, his voice steadier than he felt. His mind raced for an escape, for any chance to salvage the situation. But deep down, he already knew there was
none.
Irina tilted her head slightly, her expression almost bored. "Did you really think you could run from me?" she asked, her voice low and cutting. "After what you tried to pull at the museum? You should've known better."
Her words sent a chill through the room, and Rovan clenched his jaw, his gaze darting toward his subordinates. We need time, he thought desperately. Anything to figure out a way out of this. "Listen," the scarred man said quickly, stepping forward with his hands raised. "We-we didn't mean for things to escalate like that. It was just business. We were hired-"
"Business?" Irina interrupted, her voice laced with venom. Her hand shot forward, and a whip of fire lashed out, striking the ground inches from the man's feet. The flames roared upward, forming a wall that forced him back. "Do you think I care about your excuses?"
The stocky woman, her face pale, tried to edge toward the door, but Irina's sharp gaze snapped to her. With a flick of her wrist, another burst of fire erupted, cutting off the woman's escape route.
The stocky woman, her face pale, tried to edge toward the door, but Irina's sharp gaze snapped to her. With a flick of her wrist, another burst of fire erupted, cutting off the woman's escape route.
"You don't get to walk away from this," Irina said coldly, stepping further into the room. The flames surrounding her seemed to grow brighter, hotter, as if feeding on her anger. "Not after what you tried to do."
Rovan's hand moved to the hilt of his weapon, his mind racing. "You're making a mistake," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "Killing us will only bring more trouble to your doorstep. We're not the real threat."
Irina laughed, a cold, mirthless sound that sent a shiver through the room. "Killing you isn't the goal. No, I want you alive-for now. But you will suffer."
Before anyone could react, Irina moved. She was a blur of motion, her flames surging forward in waves that seemed to consume the very air. The first executive tried to raise a defense, activating an artifact on his wrist, but the fire overwhelmed him, sending him crashing to the ground with a scream.
The stocky woman lunged for her weapon, but Irina was faster. A blast of fire struck her square in the chest, throwing her against the wall, where she crumpled in a heap, coughing and gasping for air.
Rovan drew his blade, a finely crafted weapon etched with anti-magic runes, and charged at Irina with a desperate cry. But she sidestepped him effortlessly, her movements fluid and precise. She spun, her hand blazing with fire, and slammed it into his back. The impact sent him sprawling, his weapon clattering uselessly to the ground.
"You're outmatched," Irina said, her voice as scorching as the flames around her. "You never stood a chance."
Irina stared down at him, her fury simmering as her thoughts raced. 'This wasn't just business
for them. Whoever hired these idiots made sure they couldn't back out. But why go through all this trouble? What's their endgame?'
Her gaze swept over the other executives, her lips curling into a cold smirk as her flames danced brighter around her. "Looks like I'll have to try my luck with the rest of your friends,"
she said, her voice laced with menace.
One of the other executives, the younger one who had dropped to his knees earlier, whimpered audibly. "P-please," he stammered, his hands trembling as he raised them in surrender. "I'll tell you what I know! Just don't... don't burn me!"
Irina turned toward him, her smirk widening as she took a slow step closer. "Good," she said,
her flames licking the air menacingly. "Because I'm not done yet."
And so, with her flames crackling like a predator circling its prey, Irina began her interrogation in earnest, determined to uncover the truth behind the attack-and to ensure
that those who dared target her would regret it.
The acrid scent of smoke and scorched metal filled the air, punctuated by the whimpers and pleas of her battered captives. She leaned over the younger man, her flames licking dangerously close to his trembling hands.
"Start talking," she demanded, her voice low and cutting. "Who hired you? What else do you
know?"
"I-I don't know their name!" he stammered, his eyes darting nervously between her and the still-burning embers near his feet. "They gave us instructions through encrypted scrolls. Payment was guaranteed, and there was no way to track them."
Irina narrowed her eyes, her flames flaring briefly before dimming again. "Pathetic," she muttered, turning to the stocky woman who still clutched her side from an earlier blow. Irina crouched in front of her, tilting her head slightly as she studied the woman's face. "And you? Do you have anything more useful to say? Or are you as worthless as the rest of
your team?"
The woman swallowed hard, her pale face streaked with soot. "We didn't have a choice," she rasped. "They knew where to find us, knew about our families. They said if we didn't do this,
they'd-" She hesitated, her voice breaking.
"They'd what?" Irina snapped, her flames crackling impatiently.
"They'd kill them," the woman whispered, her eyes squeezing shut. "My son, my mother...
they made it clear we couldn't say no."
She was left with no clues....
Or was she?