The sudden shout startled Stelle, causing the pizza she had almost brought to her mouth to slip from her trembling wrist and fall to the ground.
Stelle: The cooked duck flew away again...
With a look of utter despair, Stelle collapsed to the ground. Seeing this, Firefly was somewhat at a loss.
Taking advantage of this moment, the pursuers from the Bloodhound Family rushed in and surrounded the two in a encirclement.
The leader was still the same 'Bloodhound' from last time who had been in charge of capturing Firefly. Looking at the wary Firefly, he couldn't help bursting into loud laughter.
"Heh heh, wanted criminal. Last time that big shot saved your life, but this time we won't let you go!"
Seeing their leader acting so arrogantly, one of his underlings hesitantly asked.
"Boss, if we capture this person this time, won't that big shot..."
"No problem." Seeing his subordinate's worried look, the leader 'Bloodhound' waved his hand dismissively.
"That big shot is an Emanator-level powerhouse. On all of Penacony, aside from Lord Dreammaster, I'm afraid no one can rival THEM."
"Do you think someone like that protected this wanted criminal last time for any other reason? Wasn't it just because of her looks? Now that she's appearing here with someone else, that lord must have already grown tired of her. So THEY won't blame us."
Saying this, the leader 'Bloodhound' slightly furrowed his brows before turning to Stelle, who was currently in a defeated, hunched-over posture.
"Gray-haired lady next to the wanted criminal, who are you? Please present your Dream Passport!"
The 'Bloodhound' barked sternly, but at this moment, how could Stelle possibly listen to his words? She just kept muttering to herself: "Ruined, ruined, everything's ruined..."
Seeing that Stelle had no intention of acknowledging him at all, the 'Bloodhound' couldn't be bothered to waste more words. He signaled to his subordinates and ordered.
"Begin the capture!"
"Yes!" ×N
The pursuers from the Bloodhound Family closed in on Firefly and Stelle, gradually tightening the encirclement. Seeing this, Firefly's willow-like brows furrowed slightly. In her hand, she had already secretly gripped the transformation device for 'Sam.'
She was ready at any moment to transform into the Stellaron Hunter Sam and eliminate every threat around her.
Forget it. At this point, I have no choice but to reveal my identity.
Firefly pressed the switch on the transformer, preparing to summon the Sam mech.
However, at that very instant, a气息 extremely familiar to Firefly suddenly rose from Stelle's body.
"This is... the aura of [Destruction]!" Firefly's eyes widened slightly. She saw the girl who had been sitting collapsed on the ground now slowly standing up.
At the same time, the aura representing the Path of [Destruction] erupted violently.
"Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"
Summoning the Mi family heirloom baseball bat, Stelle—who had just stepped onto the Path of [Destruction]—poured the still-unfamiliar power of Destruction into the bat. In an instant, a blinding white light burst forth from the bat.
"What the hell?"
"This—this girl suddenly stepped onto a Path!"
"No way, seriously?"
"..."
Everyone present was shocked by Stelle's sudden change. No matter how they thought about it, they couldn't understand how the girl in front of them had suddenly stepped onto a Path—and judging by this aura, it was most likely the Path of [Destruction]...
Looking at Stelle's abrupt transformation, the 'Bloodhound' furrowed his brows tightly. As the leader of a group of pursuers, he naturally had some insight and strength.
For example, he himself was a Pathstrider, and the Path he had stepped onto was [The Hunt]. Back then, when his relatives had been murdered, the young him had crossed thousands of miles to avenge them.
After exacting his great revenge and finding release, he had stepped onto the Path of [The Hunt]. However... having just entered the Path, he had been very weak—the power of the Path he could condense could at most shatter a single stone.
Yet the girl before him had only just entered the Path, but had already erupted with an aura comparable to some top-tier Pathstriders.
Though he hated to admit it, even ten of him probably wouldn't be a match for the person in front of him.
"You probably aren't a stowaway, right, miss? I hope you'll abide by Penacony's rules and not interfere with the Bloodhound Family's work."
Knowing he wasn't a match for the girl, the 'Bloodhound' slightly lowered his stance and issued a warning, attempting to use the family's prestige to pressure her.
However, after hearing his words, Stelle not only showed no fear or panic—she instead let out a disdainful laugh and swung the baseball bat in her hand.
"Rules? You're lecturing me about rules? Let me tell you, old lady—rules are made to be broken!"
Stelle's gaze sharpened. She swung the baseball bat in her hand, striking blow after blow toward the encircled Bloodhound Family members.
"Don't hit the face!" "Ouch!" "It hurts, it hurts!" "Big sis, mercy!" "..."
Amid a chorus of wails and cries to the heavens, all the Bloodhound Family pursuers who had come to capture them were beaten down to the ground by Stelle.
Even the Pathstrider 'Bloodhound' himself, after taking one blow from Stelle, felt his blood and qi surge violently—he nearly spat blood from the impact.
"Damn it, just who the hell are you?!"
The 'Bloodhound' roared in unwilling fury. Why?! Why was there always someone protecting this wanted criminal? Last time it was an Emanator powerhouse, this time it's some unknown gray-haired girl—what exactly is going on?!
Just as the 'Bloodhound' raged impotently, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from nearby.
Everyone followed the sound and saw a slovenly middle-aged man who looked like a scruffy uncle yawning as he walked toward them.
Recognizing the newcomer, the 'Bloodhound's' eyes lit up. He hurriedly stepped forward and said.
"Officer Gallagher, you've come at just the right time! There's a wanted criminal here, along with her accomplice."
Hearing the 'Bloodhound's' words, the man named Gallagher gave Firefly and Stelle a faint glance before shaking his head.
"Alright, stop embarrassing yourselves here. The wanted notice says the stowaway is a silver-haired one. You targeted this little girl just because of her hair color?"
After saying that, Gallagher shifted his gaze to Stelle.
"And that gray-haired girl—do you even know who she is? She's from the Astral Express—the Astral Express that assisted the Xianzhou in subjugating two Emanators of the Legion of Antimatter."