The Invincible Full-Moon System

Chapter 1692: Double Onslaught (3)

Secrecy is of the utmost importance for Haxel.

His plan of shaming Empress Morgana’s name will only be beneficial for him if his hands stay clean from the atrocity he committed. Once exposed, he would be branded a traitor and would be hunted down to be captured and punished. Severely punished.

And that would ruin whatever future he was hoping with Empress Morgana.

Naturally, he can’t be proven to be the perpetrator and caught.

Rex didn’t know for certain what Haxel hoped to achieve from this, or the details of what made him do this, but it was clear that he wanted Empress Morgana. He wanted to somehow strip Empress Morgana of her status by ruining her reputation.

It was an attempt that reeked of desperation.

Just the thought of being held back by someone who can’t accept reality—and move on was maddening for Rex. He couldn’t believe that Haxel was motivated by something so delusional. Something that did not concern life or death.

Somehow, Rex’s desire to kill this man was equivalent to his anger at the Lunirich Gods.

But regardless, he’s going to focus on stopping Haxel first.

From the chain of sudden quests issued by the System, Rex could confirm that this was Haxel’s last attempt to sabotage the mission. His ultimate last resort—that he was confident would succeed. Now that Rex has pummeled this last attempt to the pit of failure, desperation should be kicking in more.

No nobles died.

And that would also mean there’s no chance for Haxel to turn this around.

Empress Morgana’s reputation will soar, and there will be no more threat to her status and throne.

Based on how elaborate and thorough the attempts Haxel prepared for this specific mission showed that he had been meticulously planning this for years. Years of hard work and dedication to drag the empress down to his level again.

His determination for Empress Morgana is unquestionable.

It crossed the border of obsession and madness.

And what would a man with a weak, fragile mindset—unable to accept reality, obsessed with returning to the illusion he once called ideal, fixated on someone who had long outgrown him—do when his plans were shattered, completely and irreversibly?

He became vindictive toward the one who destroyed his plan.

Bam!

Rex shoulder-charged Haxel before he could shove April into the fissure, his right arm snapping around her waist to stop her. He had seen this coming—from the moment Haxel realized April meant something to him, Rex knew this situation was inevitable.

If he succeeds, Haxel will certainly attack April.

No matter who the person was, once frustration gripped them, their next move became predictable.

And Rex was prepared to stop Haxel’s outburst.

”Are you okay?” Rex asked without looking.

April was stunned initially, but she soon rested her arms on Rex’s chest.

”I’m... okay.” She answered hesitantly.

Not because she was hurt somewhere, but because she realized that, despite avoiding death so nearly a couple of seconds ago, being near Rex’s presence dispelled all worries she had. Of course, it’s largely because Rex’s form was massive right now.

If his human form was capable of carrying a mountain, this form could carry the world.

Rex gave her a small nod and looked ahead.

”As expected, you’re going to play cheaply. You’re a snake, and I’ve dealt with people like you in the past. Don’t think you can bear your venomous fangs—without me knowing, Haxel...” Rex said with a mocking undertone. ”Weaklings like you are easy to predict.”

Haxel’s body trembled.

Right now, he was invisible to the naked eye—shrouded by red energy.

It was the Necklace of Anger he was wearing.

Rex had skimmed through its description earlier while searching for clues about what the final attempt would be. This necklace granted invisibility to its wearer, visible only to those who harbored great personal anger or hatred toward them.

Naturally, Rex could see Haxel fine.

But he was surprised that April could see Haxel too—she had reacted earlier, though a little too late.

”I’ve never wanted this to spiral like this, and this is not my own decision in the first place,” Haxel said, eyes locked onto Rex. ”Do you even know how it felt for not having a choice? That every single thing in your life was predetermined? Decided by others? I lived that life.”

Rex pulled April closer, noticing the rise in aura that only he could see and sense.

Not the aura birthed from life energy, but the danger that morphed into heat that Haxel was emanating.

”I have never once thought of being anything more than siblings with Morgana. I have never—seen her more than a sister, but for more than a hundred years—it has always been Morgana this, Morgana that, every single damn day I was lectured—about how amazing she was,” Haxel scoffed, a chuckle slipped out of his lips as he grabbed his face with his hand. ”Do you know how long it was for me to accept this arrangement?”

”Now, when I accepted their arrangement, the emperor...” He peeked through the cracks of his fingers, eyes bulging with anger. ”Took her from me. Brainwashed her against me! And the people who shipped me to be with her? All changed their minds. My neighbours. My friends. Even my goddamn parents!”

Swoosh!

Haxel attacked with bare fists.

Instinctively, Rex pulled April and placed himself between her and Haxel.

Both engaged in a fist-fight, with Rex being pushed back from Haxel’s aggressive attacks.

”Do you think that’s fair?!”

Rex raised his arm to block a wide swing—the thudding sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed.

”Am I supposed to swallow my pride and smile?!”

Again, Rex blocked a straight punch.

”Am I wrong to fight for her?! Am I wrong to fight for what I want?!”

Bam!

One punch slipped through Rex’s defense and drilled into his stomach, pushing him back hard.

It wasn’t that Rex was outclassed by Haxel’s close-combat ability—in fact, it was far from it.

Haxel’s attacks were nothing but wide, reckless swings, driven purely by frustration—and sheer anger rather than purpose or technique. Not that he was unskilled, but emotions got to him. And for someone of Rex’s caliber, defending against such mindless assaults was effortless.

He could even do it with one hand.

But what made him falter was the realization that swirled inside of him.

Not having a choice...? Predetermined?

Seeing the madness and obsession behind Haxel’s eyes from the pain and suffering he had gone through, Rex felt a deep echo inside him that resonated at the sight. He has always been the unbreakable protector for those around him, the one who must endure, the one who can’t falter.

Unlike Haxel, this doesn’t stem from the others around him.

Instead, it stemmed from the world that always forced him into a situation that left him no other choice.

And unconsciously, it became a burden.

Becoming stronger and stronger, that’s what he aspired to be to protect the others.

Adhara, Evelyn, and the others... Do they ever expect me to always protect them?

I always thought it was natural, but have they ever expected that from me?

But what other choices are there? The world is a dangerous and dark place, and I’m built for it.

”Because of you, I can’t get Morgana back! Because of you!”

Swish!

Rex’s eyes narrowed as he sidestepped a straight punch and hurled his knee into Haxel’s stomach—so hard that his body was forced to bend. Expertly, he seized Haxel’s wrist—and swept his legs, dropping him to the ground.

He wanted to break Haxel’s arm, but Haxel rolled forward and freed himself.

Climbing back to his feet in an instant with blood trickling down the corner of his mouth, Haxel turned to April on the side and immediately moved. He reached out his hand, eyes maniacal, ”If I can’t have her, then it’s only fair for you to also lose her!”

Before he could grab April, a precise punch landed on his chin, rattling his brain.

In the next heartbeat, an uppercut landed squarely on his chin, causing the world to spin.

Despite that, Haxel gritted his teeth and kept reaching for April.

Rex pulled April again and placed her behind him—shielding her from Haxel’s lethal hands.

”I understand your frustration and anger, and frankly, I’d do the same in your position but,” Rex raised his black steel claws flaring with sharpness, prepared to land the ending blow. ”Your goal crossed with mine. You can learn to accept reality or even try this again in the future. As for me, if I fail this, everyone I care about will die. So, stay down right now. I might even help you escape if you stop.”

Seeing this, Haxel’s pupils dilated in helplessness and anger.

But it was then that his eyes widened.

Crash!

Rex and April were startled by the crashing sound that echoed so close, but before they realized what had happened, the ground underneath them buckled. Both of them were sinking. What?! Is it one of Haxel’s tricks? How did he do it?!

In panic, Rex pulled April close and looked at Haxel.

No, he’s also surprised. It’s not his doing, so who?!

As time slowed down, Rex looked over his shoulder and almost immediately, his heart sank.

It’s that damn petty reptile again? Again?!

Behind him was the serpent and the White Mask, still bound by the Immortal Slugs.

But the serpent looked at him with a devious smirk—a clear, taunting expression that revealed it was the one responsible. Rex’s breath hitched as realization struck: the Voidal Prince had used the last of its strength to swing its tail at the perfect moment, with precise, calculated timing.

Rex was focused on Haxel, and he didn’t realize he was edging closer to the edge of the fissure.

From the start, he was already near the fissure.

And unknown to him, the serpent had been waiting for him to get close enough to the edge, and it used its tail to shatter the ground underneath Rex’s feet with a simple lash. An opportunistic move to escape the Immortal Slugs’ bind.

No nobles or soldiers were in the Desolate Zone anymore.

Nothing was distracting the Immortal Slugs, and now, their focus rested on the serpent and its master.

Severing the main body from the nobles exhausted the Immortal Slugs a bit, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the serpent and the White Mask to break free from their perilous situation of being eaten. Naturally, they needed a distraction.

And what better distraction than the very person who had been causing trouble?

Now, with no ground under them to support them, Rex and April were falling.

”Rex!” April exclaimed in horror.

”I know!” Rex gritted his teeth and dashed forward with sheer physical strength. ”Hold on!”

Hearing this, April crossed her legs over Rex’s waist and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She clung like a koala to a tree.

Rex, on the other hand, reached out his free hand to grab the edge, to catch them before they fall.

But it wasn’t enough.

Even with his burst of power, his claws couldn’t reach the solid ground—inches away.

Krrk!

Rex and April fell, but he managed to catch themselves by digging his claws into the wall.

His claws created sparks as they scraped against the wall until coming to a halt.

Not even wasting a single second, Rex hurled himself upward to get out of the fissure, to reach safety one more time. With his incredible physical strength, he could easily reach the top again, but as he met Haxel’s eyes again, something dragged him down.

Crash!

Sensing easy prey, the Immortal Slugs immediately attacked Rex.

A spout of its main body created a black goo tentacle that wrapped around Rex’s ankle and dragged him down. Rex was fast enough to hold onto the edge of the fissure before being dragged deep into the pit.

But he was now stuck.

Rex was desperately holding on while the Immortal Slugs were pulling him down.

And to make matters worse, April was wrapped in this deadly situation with him.

Not to mention, even before trying, Rex knew that the odds were stacked against him right now.

He needed help, but his only option was Haxel.