In a blink of an eye, the black-clad warrior appeared in the middle of them, his true countenance hidden from all. Staring up from the top half of his face were narrowed eyes, dazzling and profound, devoid of fear or any other emotion, as though no pretense could escape their penetrating gaze.

His arrival was sudden, like a stealthy assassin appearing before them, or like an imposing statue that had never moved, giving an unreal illusion.

Athena felt lighter as the oppressive sense of fear that had enveloped her suddenly disappeared. A profound sense of safety soared within her, as though her very soul was embraced by the unique aura of the warrior in black.

It was the scent of courage—arrogant and absolute—washing over her, stirring a strong sense of emotion within Athena. So touched, tears of clarity rolled down her cheeks...

At this moment, the two of them became the focus of everyone's attention, and Franklin couldn't hide his displeasure.

Having his high before a battle interrupted was agonizing, similar to a television show being shut off during an important scene. Even a gentleman wouldn't put up with it. Let alone, Franklin was no gentleman. He wanted to vent his anger and leave Athena bare before the dispersing crowds. That would be his perfect script.

But now, he must first squash this fly. Franklin didn't hesitate, he swung his arm back, gathering force...

But there was no effect. To their astonishment, the black-clad warrior held Franklin's arm firm. It was the same hand that had been touching Athena's collarbone.

Boom!

Stones shattered underfoot, and a sudden whirlwind spread out from the center of the two. Despite their seeming stillness, the collapsing ground indicated to those present that this was anything but simple.

Franklin was losing his battle of exerting force, barely stopping before pulling Athena's disguise away, but his trembling arm gradually moving away from Athena's delicate body.

The surprise on Zi Mou's face was hard to exaggerate! There were only two possibilities why this person was completely unaffected by Franklin's aura—they were equal in power or had an indomitable will, forged by countless battles.

She promptly ordered the withdrawal of weapons. The gunfire of regular soldiers had no effect on them. Only a sniper's bullet could pose a threat, albeit negligible. This might risk injuring the black-clad warrior.

Though unsure of the black-clad warrior's identity, the age-old truth remained—the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The crowd erupted, a few people taking out their light screen cameras to capture the duel. This was clearly not a divine spectacle, yet the mysterious black-clad warrior fueled everyone's passion for battle.

At this moment, Franklin realized he was not dealing with a common adversary. Judging someone's skills wasn't difficult; experts could discern it immediately. How could a zone as peaceful as Alpha produce such top-tiered masters? In this era of genetic reform, the fact that the man could withstand him proved that his brain domain development and physical resilience had reached extraordinary levels—the man was a veteran and a warrior of a terrifying level!

No wonder Heart of the Butterfly failed. This level of warrior was simply not someone an assassin relying on assassination could deal with. In a one-on-one battle, Heart of the Butterfly would undoubtedly lose without preparation and even take serious damage.

But Franklin was different from Heart of the Butterfly. This situation was getting more and more interesting.

"Heh heh heh..." He scoffed. His gaze turned icy as he swung his fist towards Feng Yi's face in a devastatingly powerful punch.

Feng Yi felt a gust of wind like a knife hitting his body. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, clenching his fist to meet Franklin's punch head-on. Both of them had utmost confidence in their physical prowess! Their punches collided in mid-air, erupting in a thunderous boom. Both bodies were flung back like bullets shot out of a gun.

Boom! The ground shook as Franklin's body slammed into a wall.

Retreating, Feng Yi couldn't find leverage to stop. He tumbled and skidded into the crowd. Fortunately, he'd absorbed most of the energy, and the crowd dispersed in time to give him a wide berth.

What level of fight were they watching? The audience was thrilled and yet unable to speak a word as they were awestruck by the scene. Their anger finally found an outlet, and an unstoppable tide was about to burst forth.

His arrival was as if a divine soldier had descended from heaven. His agile and swift moves, like a rogue lurking on the edge of darkness, saved Athena in an instant. Overjoyed and moved to the point of breaking, the crowd found a new rallying cry. Someone shouted, urging the "black-clad assassin" on, and then, everyone started chanting the spontaneously-born nickname...

"Black Sting! Black Sting! Black Sting..."

Whether it was students, teachers, women, white-collar workers, or manual laborers from the Shadow District, they were all chanting the same title: Black-clad Assassin!

As her world crumbled, Athena was shielded by a formidable figure. She didn't want to wipe away the tears that blurred her vision, not wanting to miss out on any touching moments. This moment would be forever etched into her memory. The black-clad assassin's simple and efficient clothes and voice gave her a sense of déjà vu. As time passed, his features slowly began to take shape...

He was proud, he was free-spirited, he said: "Take back your pity." He also said: "I'll remember your favor."

However, there was one thing Athena couldn't recall no matter how much she tried—the man's name. She saw nothing but the black-clad assassin in her eyes, the rest of the world fading out of focus. Why was she, who had always been a strong girl, so vulnerable at this moment? She even felt ashamed of her weakness.

She didn't fear death, she feared the mask falling off, and everything she had strived for collapsing. Undeniably, she longed for his protection. The initially insignificant promise now seemed to be something precious that she didn't want to lose. She yearned to return to the late summer in Alpha and meet that man by chance.

As she cried, a smile blossomed on Athena's beautiful tear-streaked face. The phrase 'who's going to pay for your arrogance' echoed in her mind. At least that man knew who she was, and he might be among Wind Thunder, right?

Athena clasped her hands over her chest in prayer, whispering, "Go on!"

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