Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 213: Book 3: Chapter 64: Splitting Restraint

Read chapter 213 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book 3: Chapter 64: Splitting Restraint Chapter 64: Splitting Restraint [Time Remaining: 602 Days, 07 Hours, 11 Minutes] Alex stiffened. He didn’t even know her name, but his gut already soured at the sound of her voice. The way she said it, like everything was already decided, like he was already hers. He hated her. “No,” Alex said flatly. The woman, her eyes molten gold, her hair like spun sunlight, tilted her head slightly, as though she hadn’t heard him correctly. “I am Karsali Erenaeth, Knight Captain of Urhara,” she declared. Her words cut like steel against stone. “And I am not making a request. You will all come with us. Refusal is not an option.” Her tone was final and commanding. Like the words themselves carried law. Alex tsk’d loudly. He glanced around at his people, his squad, even Ghrukk and his warriors. Every single one had a weapon half-drawn, fingers tense and auras roiling just below the surface. All of them with grim faces, and hard eyes. They didn’t need to say it. Alex knew their answer as well as his own. “We’re not going,” Alex said again, firmer this time. Malric sighed, like a teacher disappointed with a student. “Alex, be reasonable. You of all people should know where defiance leads. The Empire doesn’t forget, and it doesn’t forgive. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” Alex met his gaze squarely. “Then you already know my answer.” The memory of chains and uniforms tugged at his mind, of orders shouted at him, freedom stripped away one piece at a time. He’d worn the yoke of subservience in this world once, the weight of authority pressing down on every choice he made. He wasn’t going to do it again. “I won’t bow to another leash,” he said unyieldingly. “Not yours. Not theirs. Not ever again.” Karsali’s eyes lit up. She stepped forward, and the air shifted instantly with the movement. Her aether flared like a golden tide, crashing outward in waves. The sheer pressure dropped like a hammer over the campsite, stunning half of them where they stood. Devon’s breath hitched, Allie staggered, and even Sarson’s knees buckled. But Alex stayed on his feet. He bared his teeth, forcing his own aether out in a sharp, azure burst. His aura roared forward, clashing with hers in a crackling collision. Golden light and azure flame tore into each other, pressure smashing against pressure. The storm broke in the middle ground between them, but Alex wasn’t fighting for petty dominance, but he was shielding his friends. His aura wrapped around his squad, holding the crushing weight back. Holly straightened, Eric drew in a breath, and Ghrukk looked up, blinking through the painful feeling of their energies. Karsali’s brows furrowed, her perfect control flickering for the first time. Alex stood there, shoulders square, meeting her golden gaze without blinking. “You can try,” he growled, his words calm despite the tremor in his arms, “but you’re not taking us.” The moment Alex’s words left his mouth, the air snapped. Karsali moved like lightning, her blade already half-drawn before her golden aura condensed around her form. Alex reacted on instinct, his body whipping into motion, arm sweeping up as azure aether burst across his skin, a [Shield] forming just in time to catch the first slash. CLANG! The impact rattled him, sparks spraying from the clash as her longsword skidded across his conjured barrier. He pushed back, forcing the shield into her blade with pointed force, and lashed out with his other hand. [Aether Burst] detonated point-blank, a compressed cone of a shockwave slamming into her breastplate and denting the metal inward against her torso. He was surprised it even held up to his spell. Must be really good quality armor. She stumbled, but only half a step. Her eyes burned with anger, and then she was on him again, a whirl of gold and steel. Alex ducked under the next swordslash, pivoted to the side of the second, his own aura surging out like snapping jaws to bite into her aether. The ground cracked ben