The Deceitful One

Although Robert appeared to be a stoic person in day-to-day life, deep down he greatly cared for all the members of the Strike Team. No, not just the Strike team but the whole of Silver Owls, even the regular people working there.

Hence, when he saw Henry's and Emma's decapitated and shriveled bodies, he couldn't help but break down. Tears threatened to stream down his eyes as he looked at their lifeless bodies.

Elijah too was in a similar condition. When he lay his eyes on the whole battlefield, he had already realized just how great a battle must have happened here.

Dozens of corpses lay around, all of them devoid of any blood. When he saw his own Strike Team members share the same fate, he couldn't help but blame himself,

"It's my fault… I should have brought enforcements sooner."

Elijah fell to his knees and began to sob incessantly. Meanwhile, Robert slowly walked toward Henry's and Emma's corpses. He sat down on his knees beside the two corpses and cried,

"Forgive me… I wasn't there for you…"

Tim and Elena had somber expressions on their faces as they viewed the whole battlefield. They couldn't help but gulp involuntarily as they thought just what sort of battle must have taken place.

Elena then turned her head and laid eyes on Detective Watson's bloodied corpse. She nudged Tim with her elbow and inquired, "Isn't that Detective Watson that came to Nadir recently?"

Tim followed her gaze and instantly recognized Detective Watson. Both of them had seen him come to Nadir and meet up with their teacher. Their teacher, Victor, was also an old friend of the detective.

"I think he's dead…" Elena muttered softly.

Tim observed Detective Watson's body for a few moments and nodded. He sighed dejectedly, "Yes… He has passed away."

His eyes then fell on the young man who was kneeling in front of Detective Watson and was tightly embracing him with his one arm.

When Tim and Elena laid eyes on Bryan, a cold shiver ran down their spines because they had never seen someone so miserably wounded!

Bryan's left arm was cut off, his chest and stomach had been cut open and the organs and ribs inside were visible. Although some of the skin and flesh had healed, they couldn't hide those frightening wounds.

But more importantly, Bryan's eyes and forehead had turned dark purple! Almost as if they had been poisoned!

Looking at Bryan's bloodied and battered body, Elena involuntarily gulped, "Who is that person? Is he still alive?"

Tim was also taken aback by looking at Bryan's condition. However, he acutely noticed that Bryan's chest was heaving up and down!

"He's alive!" Tim spoke in surprise, drawing the attention of everyone present.

"What!?" Elena was in disbelief, "How can he still be alive after his body has gone through so much?"

Robert and Elijah soon made their way toward the duo, and when they saw that Bryan was indeed breathing, they couldn't help but find a trace of happiness and relief amidst this heart-wrenching atmosphere.

After seeing the fates of Emma and Henry, Elijah feared that his best friends Andrew and Bryan must have also died. However, now that he saw that Bryan was still alive, he couldn't help but hope that Andrew was too.

"Hurry! We need to heal him quickly! He's in critical condition." Tim was the first one to approach Bryan.

Elena was still reeling in from the shock that Bryan was still alive after sustaining such grievous wounds.

Meanwhile, Robert and Elijah were lost in the fact that one of their team members had thankfully made it.

It wasn't until Tim spoke that the three snapped out of their daze and followed him. As Tim approached Bryan, he was able to clearly observe the ghastly wounds on the latter's body.

He couldn't help but wince, 'Just what the hell did he go through?'

Tim approached Detective Watson and Bryan and was about to remove the latter's arm around the former. However, right at that moment, something that he didn't expect, happened!

BANG!

Tim felt as if he was hit by a train as his feet were swept off the ground and he fell a dozen feet backward!

"Uggh!!" He got up from the ground and caressed his face. His nose was broken and his jaw hurt tremendously.

He then looked ahead and then his eyes widened in disbelief! Elena, Elijah, and Robert were also taken aback when they saw Tim fly past them. They looked at Tim who was slowly getting up to his feet, shock etched all over his face.

The three then followed Tim's gaze and turned back around. They were instantly rendered speechless!

All four of them saw that Detective Watson still knelt on the ground, his eyes were shut and a smile adorned his lips. However, Bryan was no longer there, embracing him.

He had gotten up to his feet and was currently facing them! And he was wielding a black staff with his only remaining hand!!

"Oi, what the hell is the meaning of this? We are trying to help you." Elena couldn't help but frown. Tim was only trying to help Bryan, however, the latter straight away attacked him.

In response, only a guttural growl escaped Bryan's lips. His eyes were still tightly shut and his body was emanating a freighting aura.

Elena frowned further, "If you treat us as your enemies, then I will have no choice but to attack you."

Again, Bryan didn't respond.

Tim raised his hand to stop Elena. He knew that this friend of his was quick-tempered and would always jump to conclusions without getting to know the full story.

"Elena, stop!" However, his words fell on deaf ears.

A long whip made completely of water, formed in Elena's hand. She then swung it towards Bryan. However, she made sure that the attack wasn't a lethal one. After all, they were still on the same side.

The whip ferociously attacked Bryan's face. However, the latter didn't respond. Just when the whip was but an inch away from his face, Bryan took half a step back, narrowly dodging the whip.

He then swung the black staff with his right arm and instantly destroyed the water whip!

Elena's eyes narrowed, 'Myriad Martial Technique!'

She instantly realized this technique after seeing Bryan's calm and fluid movements. Elena was surprised that Bryan could perform this technique so flawlessly! She hated to admit it, but he was at least ten times better than her when it came to this technique.

As her water whip was destroyed, she expected Bryan to counterattack, but the latter just simply stood there. As if…he was protecting Detective Watson's corpse!

"Is he…" When she realized this, Elena was taken aback. Now, she felt complicated. She had earlier thought that Bryan was attacking them but it seemed that he was only trying to protect his teacher's corpse!

Right at that moment, Robert approached her and patted her on the shoulder, "Back down."

Elena looked at Robert and was about to retort. However, in the end, she only nodded her head. After all, Robert was still a Rank 2 Transcendent and had to be shown respect.

Robert carefully observed Bryan and stated, "It seems… he is unconscious."

"What!?" Both Elena and Elijah were dumbfounded. Especially the former, she simply couldn't believe that she wasn't even able to land an attack on someone who was unconscious!

Tim who had now walked back to them was also greatly taken aback.

However, there was something that Robert didn't tell them. It was that Bryan could wield Detective Watson's God-Level artifact!

'Has the artifact chosen him!?' Robert thought inwardly, extremely shocked.

Robert then walked towards Bryan slowly as he called out, "Bryan, it's me. Your captain, Robert."

However, Bryan didn't reply. He simply stood there like a zombie. Tim, Elena, and Elijah were so shocked to realize that Bryan's will to protect Detective Watson's corpse was so strong, that even after losing consciousness, his body did it inadvertently!

Elijah couldn't help but cry as he saw Bryan's listless figure guarding his teacher's dead body. His eyes reddened and he mumbled, "Bryan…"

Meanwhile, as soon as Bryan noticed that someone had appeared next to him and his teacher, he subconsciously raised the staff and swung it down! He would not let anyone get close to Detective Watson!

As Robert saw the black staff coming down on his head, he agilely shifted his body to the side in order to evade the attack. However, much to his horror, he saw the black staff change direction mid-swing!

Bryan was now swinging the staff horizontally! This sudden change in the direction of his attack, put great pressure on his forearm, causing the bones to crack, but Bryan simply didn't care!

Robert saw the staff swinging in the direction of his stomach, his only choice was to block. The moment he came in contact with the staff, he spat a mouthful of blood and his body flew across half the battlefield.

He got up to his feet, however, he could feel that some of his ribs had already fractured. Robert wiped the blood from his lips and muttered, "As expected of a God-Level Artifact!"

Meanwhile, Bryan slammed the base of the staff on the ground and leaned against it to support himself. He growled, "Pro…tect…"

Elena, Tim, ad Elijah felt It deep in their hearts, Bryan's desire to protect Detective Watson. He had already lost consciousness, but his will to protect his teacher burned brighter than ever!

They couldn't help but respect and admire Bryan!

Robert approached the three of them and instructed, "We need to stop Bryan as soon as possible. If this goes on, he will soon die of overexertion."

The three of them solemnly nodded their heads. Although they had a four-against-one advantage. They still felt a hint of dread as they felt Bryan's ferocious aura! Even Robert felt the same!

"Go!" Robert stated, and then the four of them rushed toward Bryan in an attempt to immobilize him.

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