Chapter 74: Emperor Tier

Stella's face was covered in blood, her expression frozen in shock as she stared at the bodies before her. They were hacked into countless pieces, with their heads the only parts left intact.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at the man who had saved her. "Levi," she whispered.

"Are you okay, princess?" Levi asked. Stella nodded with a faint smile, but her relief was short-lived. She noticed Mark, injured, and rushed to him.

"Mark, are you still with us?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Mark coughed weakly, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Don't worry. I'm still hanging on," he reassured her. Stella sighed with relief.

Levi approached, lifting Mark's body onto his shoulder. "We need to move, princess," he said.

Stella looked confused as Levi started walking in the opposite direction. "Levi, isn't the boat this way?"

"That path isn't safe. If we continue, we'll be walking straight into our deaths," Levi replied.

Stella glanced back, suddenly feeling the presence of something watching her—like a predator stalking its prey.

About 3 kilometers away, at the opening of an underground path that led to the sea but remained hidden, a large Ship awaited.

Standing near it was a towering figure—a man with green skin, pointed ears, and a physique chiseled like stone.

His muscles were well-defined, and he was casually eating an apple. He smiled as he stood up.

"Who gave you permission to run from me?" the man spoke, his voice carrying an eerie calm.

In an instant, he vanished, covering the 3 kilometers in a blink. He reappeared right in front of Stella, towering over her with a menacing presence.

"Who are you?" she stammered, fear freezing her in place.

Though Stella wasn't a cultivator, she could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from this man.

She couldn't move, speak, or even breathe. For the first time in her life, she felt the cold grip of death, and it was terrifying.

Mark, struggling from Levi's shoulder, threw himself in front of Stella and shouted, "Run!" Without hesitation, Levi bolted with Stella in tow.

"One of the Beast Race... The brother of the Orc King... Zen," Mark gasped. The man smirked in response.

His brown hair and eyes, along with his clean-shaven face, gave him a surprisingly handsome look for an orc, despite the small tusks protruding from his mouth.