Chapter 402 The Abyssshade
"No intelligence?"
Zara rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not so sure about that."
"I sensed it two days ago. It seemed to be targeting Vivian and Enoch, but it didn't make a move until today. It probably couldn't hold back any longer. If it truly had no intelligence, it wouldn't have known to hide for several days."
Aurelion stared blankly for a moment. "Then I don't know. We've only assumed Abyssshades have no intelligence. There must be something controlling them, though. Otherwise, they would've invaded human and mystic beast territory in force long ago."
"They're supposed to be trapped inside the abyssal forbidden zone. How did one end up on Earth?"
Zara began to find the situation troublesome. "Wouldn't all hell break loose if more of them came here?"
Aurelion shook his head. "Not necessarily. They have little interest in ordinary humans, and most people probably can't even see them. Only those who possess vital essence can."
"But their presence is terrible news for anyone from the Divine World. Abyssshades are particularly dangerous to us."
Zara's eyes lit up.
In that case, perhaps these creatures had their uses after all.
"Who did you say it was targeting?"
Zara thought for a moment. "Enoch..."
Right.
It had gone after Enoch.
But Aurelion had said Abyssshades were most attracted to darker, more evil beings.
What did Enoch have to do with evil?
Anyone with eyes could see that it would be hard to find a more innocent-looking boy.
Zara knew there was something unusual about Enoch, but one person after another kept implying that he was somehow evil.
Had he even committed a crime yet?
Zara now felt a hint of contempt for the clearly blind Abyssshade.
Of course, its attack had failed.
Judging by the van's trajectory, it had most likely tried to control the vehicle and ram Enoch. But some force had shoved it sideways and sent it crashing into the supermarket instead.
That sudden change in direction had probably been caused by Enoch's own power.
Zara rubbed her chin, wondering how the Abyssshade had reached Earth.
Before long, someone knocked rapidly on her door.
When Zara opened it, Adolph and Bruno stood outside looking visibly shaken.
"Z-Zara..." Bruno forced an awkward smile. "Would you mind if we came in for a while?"
They had both sensed the Abyssshade.
To people like them, Abyssshades were practically natural predators. The creatures did not normally target them without reason, but simply knowing that one was nearby was enough to make them uneasy.
Adolph and Bruno's first instinct had been to seek Zara's protection.
Once, Zara had been someone even the Imperial Clan feared.
Now, she had somehow become their guardian.
Zara glanced at them and scoffed. "Ten million dollars each."
"Not a problem!" Adolph answered immediately.
"That's fine! Ten million is nothing!" Bruno added.
Either of them could earn that much from a single movie or television project. Paying for protection would cost them no more than one job.
Of course, most people would never have been bold enough to approach Zara so directly. By now, her reputation in the Divine World had become both widespread and terrifying.
But when Bruno had heard Zara quote a price of ten million dollars each, he had somehow felt extraordinarily reassured.
The two stepped into the room.
It was only an ordinary hotel room, but the lingering stench of the Abyssshade was still faintly detectable.
Bruno asked nervously, "Was it here just now?"
Zara answered calmly, "It's dead."
Bruno fell silent.
So did Adolph.
A true powerhouse really was on another level.
Bruno gave Adolph a mocking snort.
Just then, both of their phones began ringing. Their managers were probably looking for them.
Before either could answer, the entire hotel room jolted violently as though something massive had slammed into the building. Adolph and Bruno nearly lost their balance.
Adolph immediately took the opportunity to fall toward Zara.
Without the slightest hesitation, she shoved him away.
"Behave yourself!"
Bruno fell silent.
So did Adolph.
Heartless woman!
The shaking lasted only an instant. Once it stopped, however, a suffocating chill rapidly seeped into the room and surrounded them.
The damp, icy sensation felt like a cold-blooded creature crawling across their skin.
It was enough to make anyone break out in goose bumps.
Aurelion immediately raised his head.
Zara might constantly call him a cauliflower snake, but he was not actually a snake. Even so, he now sensed genuine danger.
Adolph and Bruno were even worse off.
Goose bumps rose across their skin, their scalps prickled, and every hair on their bodies stood on end.
"What is that...?"
They had been on Earth for a long time, yet they had never experienced anything this threatening.
It was a nameless terror that made their entire bodies tremble, made worse by the fact that they had no idea where it was coming from.
Compared with their panic, Zara remained remarkably calm.
What terrified them was little more than trash in her eyes.
Troublesome trash, perhaps, but trash nonetheless.
To Zara, black shadows were gathering around the room. The darkness was far denser than the Abyssshade she had just killed, making the situation obvious.
The underling was dead, so the boss had come for revenge.
No wonder people said Abyssshades were mindless. Anyone with common sense would have fled the moment they saw Zara.
This thing had actually come looking for a fight.
It had more nerve than sense.
The darkness did not bother Zara, but Adolph and Bruno were suffering badly. The icy sensation crawling over their skin made them desperate to move closer to her.
Unfortunately, they suspected Zara might shove them away just as brutally as she had Adolph.
With no better option, the two clung to each other and trembled.
Aurelion was far less restrained. He shot straight onto Zara and wrapped himself around her arm, frantically looking around. "What is this? What the hell is it?"
Zara gave him a contemptuous look. "You're supposed to be a guardian divine beast of the Upper Realm. How can you be this pathetic?"
Aurelion showed no shame whatsoever. "Put me back in my true form, and I swear I won't be scared of anything!"
The problem was that he had been severely weakened. He looked like a cauliflower snake but did not even possess the fighting ability of one.
Now that he had suddenly encountered something capable of threatening him, how could he not be afraid?
He was terrified to his very core.