NOVEL WEB Chapter 90: Keeping A Promise
Revenge was sweeter when executed the right way.
And, of course, Caleb couldn't wait for a better moment than the present.
He cherished that card after Julia's death, and it stung him like a blade. He kept it as a reminder of the promise he made—not just to himself, but to her: that he would kill and destroy all members of X.
What better way to achieve that than by using her powers to accomplish the mission?
He wasn't sure what happened after he accepted the system request. It wasn't what he expected, and he was genuinely surprised when he didn't become a cardholder.
A similar notification appeared when Naya had given him her card previously, but he didn't accept the option then. It seemed like the system was offering to make him a cardholder.
When Naya had linked Nathan's card with herself, he concluded that it could've been the case. But it appeared that wasn't the case at all; for some reason, the card was completely destroyed.
However, Caleb didn't bother to care about that for the time being. His full focus was on the figure in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to see him dead—never to come back this time. He was tired. Tired of that old face.
Caleb didn't flinch, even when the masked man shouted in pain. His hands felt like ice, and he went further, breaking the man's arms off. There was no resistance; they snapped off like biscuits. The cracking sounds sent shivers down the spines of everyone who witnessed it. The masked man's eyes turned white from pain.
"I won't kill him; it seems he doesn't have any special powers like the rest..." Caleb assessed, quickly using the absolute freeze ability to encase the severed arms in ice.
Caleb turned his gaze back to Hakate, his eyes still dark and unsatisfied with the pain he had caused the masked man. Hakate felt an uneasy sensation in his chest. For the first time in years, he felt cold sweat trickling down his face. His hands shook slightly at his sides, but he tightened his fists, regaining his confidence.
"You should have attacked me... In the end, we all know you won't leave here alive, you cocky bastard!" Hakate shouted, spreading his hands.
From the hand that had been cut off, a silvery slime sprang out, forming an arm made entirely of pure silver. In anger, he slammed his hands on the ground, and several clones appeared by his side.
Caleb frowned as he assessed the situation. "Ten? Now I can't tell which is the real one... And how do I keep Naya and Alice safe?" he pondered, worried. Hakate was still the same slimy bastard from before; he could always devise a stupid, unexpected attack like last time, which could easily affect him. He couldn't afford to lose Naya and Alice out of blind rage.
"I have plenty of money, but losing $100K using the Shadow Dispersion skill is a bit too much," Caleb thought to himself. If he could, he would avoid using it entirely. Just using it twice had cost him a staggering $200K! Even with over a hundred million dollars at his disposal, throwing money around like that wasn't advisable.
Although the skill was versatile and made his attacks unpredictable—allowing him to scatter into particles and reform wherever he chose—he recognized its cost. Even Hakate's clone couldn't win against Julia because of the same abilities. It was a great skill, especially when combined with the Shadow Link, which allowed him to use the same skill on others and bring them to himself. They were both powerful skills, but they came with a hefty price tag.
On the other hand, he had the absolute freeze ability and the clone skill. Creating clones to fight Hakate was likely his best option at the moment.
But there was one major concern... Just as he suspected, flames sprang to life around Hakate.
"You think you're the only one with flashy powers? I'll kill you and everyone else here," Hakate declared in a dark voice, his eyes wild with madness. He shot balls of fire at Caleb.
"If I'm using the clones, I'll have to make them use absolute freeze to stop the flames as well..." Caleb thought, gritting his teeth as he rolled away to dodge the blast. Two clones charged straight at him. He was confident he could win against Hakate—all he needed to do was get close enough.
The clones were formed from ice, so even one direct hit from the fireballs could spell their end. The money spent to activate the skills would still originate from him.
"If I waste this much money to deal with you... Damn, you won't die easily!" Caleb thought angrily as four more clones appeared by his side. Two charged straight for the clones Hakate had sent his way, while the other two followed him. He dodged the fireballs, aiming to shorten the distance and reach Hakate and his clones to use absolute freeze against them.
Now it was a race to see who would get closer first. Hakate unleashed a torrent of fireballs, like a rain of flames...
'Fuck... The flame balls are too much...'
Caleb didn't see any chance to dodge.
He pinched his nose bridge and looked at three of Hakate's clones that weren't too far from him.
{Shadow Dispersion!}
Instantly, both Caleb and his two Clones disappeared, each reappearing behind a clone of Hakate.
He didn't hesitate and he didn't waste any time.
Caleb clasped his hands on the two sides of his head.
{Absolute freeze!}
The effect was instant.
The heads were turned into cold ice sculptures.
But in the process, Caleb suddenly felt the link between him and the two Clones break.
'What?' he looked to his side.
And when he turned his head.... He felt it, the sharp sting of pain from down below.
{Shadow Dispersion!}
Caleb reacted quickly, reappearing a distance away his hands clutched to his bleeding stomach.
'What just happened?'
He looked at Hakate who had a dark grin on his face.
His hysterical look was heavily unnerving.