Now, there were only some energy and health recovering potions left in her spatial ring.

It had become fully empty of any utility items she always kept with herself to save her life in dangerous events, but even that proved to be not enough.

The more Anastasia killed, the more exhausted she became, yet the numbers of her pursuers never decreased.

To her; a powerful Monarch, it appeared as though her enemies were infinite, making despair slowly but surely crawl its way into her once firm heart, breaking her resolve.

Her mind was nearing its lowest point already.

"Oh... elder sister, elder sister, elder sister—for how long will you keep running? Isn’t it tiring already? Just give up!" He chuckled, his voice slick as oil on water.

Anastasia clenched her greatsword and activated her rank 4 tier 2 ability: [Emberstride].

A movement-type ability that gave her a massive burst of speed by covering her whole form partially into flames; it also had the effect of completely negating the majority of the damage done to her in this burst-phase state.

To the normal elves, Anastasia’s movement appeared more like teleportation; she severed the bodies and heads of more than 60-70 elves chasing her, breaking from their encirclement easily!

Her attack left behind nothing but red embers of crimson flames and the burning blood of the fallen. She was truly ruthless to even her own kind, showing no mercy or compassion to even the weak. Like an executioner, her greatsword kept separating the elves horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.

It was a horrendous sight, where each one who came upon her had their heads fly, or their limbs were cut, or their bodies were separated, their innards visible; it was painful and tormenting. She wasn’t killing them; she was torturing them.

That only fueled the hatred of the subordinate elves for her even more; now they came at her like mad dogs, disregarding their own safety completely.

Such a show; Obrion truly enjoyed it very much.

Also, with Anastasia as a Monarch, none of the other normal rank fours or lower-ranked elves were a match for her. In fact, she had lost count of just how many of these she had killed; she didn’t feel good about slaughtering her own kin, but she had to do it if she wanted to keep her own life!

Actually, she wouldn’t be in this situation and would’ve easily taken care of these people because of how weak they were compared to her; but she was halted every time the distance between her and the elven soldiers grew too much by the combined efforts of eleven rank 5 Elders of her Imperial Elven House: Nizalea.

In these two days, they always kept their distance from her, not engaging with her seriously, but also not letting her escape from their pursuit.

Afraid of her strength despite her main element being sealed, they wanted to weaken her, exhaust her, before making their moves to kill her in one go.

Because they knew that if they fought Anastasia head-on when she wasn’t weakened and her energy wasn’t exhausted, she was perfectly capable of bringing down 7-8 of them with her to their graves easily, if not all!

They didn’t like these uncertainties and "what ifs," nor did they want to trade their lives to kill this bitch, so they took their time, waiting for her to reach her physical and mental extreme.

Anyway, these were just the normal rank 5 elders of her house, since the other Monarchs or Sovereigns of her family did not find her worthy of their time, or more like it was Obrion’s doing that the other Monarchs didn’t come after her. After all, he too was also a Monarch.

"Elder sister, you shouldn’t run away like that!..."

Obrion dove towards her, thrusting his spear towards the back of her head.

Anastasia halted in her steps on the spot, her feet dug into the hard earth. Her grip changed on the hilt of her greatsword as she swung it backward, deflecting the spear; again changing the movement, with a slight shift of her body and a step forward, she thrust the greatsword towards Obrion’s chest.

CLANG! CLANG! SPARK!

He swung his spear, blocking her completely! "Now. Now!..." His lips curled in amusement. "How hurtful; do you actually want to kill this innocent younger brother, elder sister? I feel so hurt!"

He voiced with an innocent expression yet a taunting gaze, his words as hollow as a rotting log.

"Will you drop the act already!" Anastasia voiced coldly. "You infuriate me, Obrion." She threw a kick straight to the man’s ribs. Which he blocked with his spear again, but the impact still made him crash into the tree, releasing two consecutive booming sounds.

AH!

"You’ve become weaker, sister!..." He echoed, coming out of the debris. His tone elated. Lips spreading into a contemptuous grin. His sapphire blue eyes shone in the darkness with malicious intent. "Truly unfortunate, huh~!"

He said, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips. "You cowards can come now!"

’Fucking bitch, she cracked my arm bone just from the impact! Ngh.. I shouldn’t have underestimated her just because she is tired. I’m still weaker.’

"Young Lord Obrion!" Some elvin figures landed behind him, echoing simultaneously.

"Hmm." He nodded. "Go and bring me her head; we have wasted enough time already. I don’t want to disappoint father. We need her head to appease the wrath of Highlord Whiteflame!"

The moment Anastasia saw the [Dragonewts] and the [Drakekins] among the rank fives who had remained hidden all this time, finally coming out of their hiding and showing themselves to her, she couldn’t help but give her little brother a mocking smile. Though inwardly she was bubbling with utter hate and unending wrath.

"Have you truly become the slaves of these beasts, Obrion?"

HHMM!

"What, have you gone insane, elder sister!" He tilted his head at Anastasia’s stupid question. "I suppose you must have, to even think of such absurdity..." He shook his head.

"You do realize that all this happened because of your own stupid pride, correct?" Looking into her eyes. "Of all things, why did you have to go and offend a High Sovereign! Not just any—you humiliated Highlord Whiteflame; a prideful High Dragon, before the main members of the alliance by rejecting his proposal."

"What were you thinking? You should’ve accepted to entertain his son for a night; what was the big deal in that? Considering your status, it was already an honor you got to meet someone like him because of your talent, so spending a night with one of his sons, you might have even become his woman if he took a liking to you. But now look where we are because of your meaningless dignity!"

"Even though I’m the daughter of a mere concubine, I’m still of imperial blood; I never thought that my own father, also a High Sovereign, would abandon me just like that!"

Anastasia commented in a hurtful voice, her words falling like heavy stones into a deep well. "Guess I finally learned how much of a coward that man is!" She said through hatred and resentment.

Her sapphire blue eyes; cold and detached, empty like the endless void, containing a fury within, just so deep and abyssal, waiting to erupt out.