Chapter 5395

Gideon bellowed with magnificent force, his voice echoing through the air. In Gideon's mind, a vivid scene unfolded as he anticipated the arrival of thunder. He imagined the sky darkening with ominous clouds and thunder booming across the heavens. Then, a thunderbolt as thick as a bucket would plummet from above, striking Charlie square on the head! Gideon firmly believed that even if the thunderbolt didn't outright kill Charlie, it would render him helpless. In that moment, Gideon would have countless ways to torment him and extract every secret from his lips. But to his astonishment, after Gideon cried out for thunder, the sky remained clear, devoid of dark clouds. There was no lightning or thunder, unlike before. The night in Aurous Hill was exceptionally clear, with no light pollution to obstruct the breathtaking view. When one looked up, they would see a crescent moon and a sky adorned with countless twinkling stars. Perplexed by the absence of thunder and lightning, Gideon gazed at the thunder struck wood in his hand and muttered, "What's happening? Where is my thunder?" Even the array he had invoked had ceased to function. The energy he had infused into it dissipated back into his body through the lightning struck wood. Regrettably, the ‘Apocalyptic Book’ contained no record of formations that consumed reiki out of thin air. If only such knowledge existed, Gideon could attempt it twice, exhausting the reiki within him. Puzzled by the sudden turn of events, Gideon didn't suspect any foul play regarding the lightning struck wood. Instead, he assumed he had failed to activate the formation correctly. Inquisitively, Charlie chimed in, "Hey, old dog, where's your thunder? Did your lightning wood run out of charge? Forgot to plug it in before leaving?" Gideon understood that Charlie was mocking him and retorted coldly, "Boy, you still dare to speak so boldly when you're about to meet your demise! It seems you don't comprehend the concept of death!" He pointed at Charlie and declared loudly, "Watch me do it again, boy!" As the words left Gideon's lips, the formation completed once more, yet the sky remained devoid of dark clouds. And then, the thunder struck wood and Gideon's aura returned. It felt akin to a child's frustration when their video game console abruptly shuts down at a crucial moment. Hastily inserting more coins to continue playing, only to have the machine spit them out from the coin slot. Gideon panicked, his eyes fixed on the dark lightning struck wood in his grasp as he murmured in disbelief, "What...what's happening? It worked last time! Why isn't it working now?" Observing Gideon's bewildered expression, Charlie couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Old dog, it seems your Thunder Order isn't all that useful, is it?" Gideon furrowed his brow and questioned, "What Thunder Order?" Chuckling, Charlie replied, "That's the magical artifact in your hand! It's called the Shocking Thunder Order." "You know about this artifact?" Gideon widened his eyes in shock. Charlie nodded, his face serious. "Not only do I know about it, but I happen to possess one as well." Gideon gritted his teeth and scoffed, "Nonsense! The chance of encountering someone who has seen this artifact is slim to none."

Charlie smirked and said, "Call it luck or fate, but I happen to be that person and let me tell you something, mine is far superior to yours." Disbelieving, Gideon blurted out, "You've got to be joking! This artifact I find it hard to believe you possess one as well." Amused, Charlie continued, "If you refuse to believe me, I can show you a demonstration." Without waiting for Gideon's response, Charlie's expression turned serious and he shouted, "Thunder!" In an instant, an immense black cloud rose rapidly in the sky, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, a truly awe-inspiring sight. Gideon was intimately familiar with this scene. Although the dark cloud wasn't as dense and menacing as when he had used the Lightning Struck Wood, the sensation it evoked was identical! Charlie had summoned the heavenly thunder and Gideon was struck with disbelief. Could it be true that his thunderbolt was rendered useless in Charlie's presence? Realizing this, Gideon hastily retreated, hoping to evade the impending thunder. However, Charlie had complete control over the heavenly thunder with his mind. Evading it would prove futile. Charlie fixed his gaze on Gideon's figure and in an instant, a thunderbolt crashed down, directly hitting the top of Gideon's head! Charlie had altered the Thunderbolt to be a one-time use, requiring a significant amount of reiki to activate. It possessed immense power, resembling a colossal thunderbolt. In contrast, Charlie's own Thunderbolt was designed to be efficient and adaptable, able to expand or shrink as desired. Charlie didn't wish to kill Gideon so quickly. Thus, he skillfully controlled the release of reiki, ensuring that the thunderbolt wouldn't inflict severe harm. Nonetheless, Gideon's hair was disheveled, his face blackened and his Taoist robes tattered. His body convulsed uncontrollably, racked with pain and numbness. Observing Gideon's pitiful state, Charlie taunted with a grin, "What's the matter? Did I deceive you?" Meanwhile, Zeba, concealed in the darkness some distance away, paled with terror. Sleep had abandoned her and she never anticipated that the man in black could wield control over heavenly thunder. More surprising still was witnessing the seemingly invincible Gideon succumb so easily. She couldn't help but ponder what her next move should be. If she rushed to Gideon's aid, she knew she would be no match for the man in black. Moreover, Gideon had always held the other three Marshals in disdain and she had no personal connection with him. There was no need to recklessly offer help at this juncture. However, she pondered the consequences of not intervening when the British Lord questioned her later. How would she explain her inaction? After careful consideration, she chose to remain hidden and observe silently for the time being. She possessed the skill of concealing her presence, a technique taught by the Lord, so she was confident in evading detection. If, unfortunately, Gideon perished at the hands of the man in black tonight, she would report the truth to the British Lord. Even if the British Lord scolded her, it would not be a capital offense. It was a far better outcome than rushing in to meet her demise without a plan!