Chapter - 5883

Charlie's playful question left Tara Decker momentarily taken aback.

Although she recognized that Charlie was a stranger, his attire revealed him as a Cavalry Guard of Duke Mining. Given her position of authority, it was clear that no one could infiltrate her domain unnoticed.

Thus, her surprise stemmed primarily from the audacity of a mere Cavalry Guard to engage her in such a manner.

Tara Decker felt a sense of indignation; her eyes burned with anger and disdain as she glared at Charlie. In retaliation, she summoned her reiki to channel it into her longsword, directing the tip straight at Charlie's neck.

In her mind, Tara Decker had already deemed Charlie a dead man. She regarded him silently and remarked coolly, "You are far too arrogant to perish beneath my blade."

Charlie smiled in response: "Confidence is admirable, but too much can be your undoing."

As those words left his lips, the sword flew towards him, yet he remained unfazed.

While the longsword imbued with reiki would be nearly impossible for ordinary warriors to contend with, to Charlie, it posed hardly any threat.

Just as Tara Decker anticipated Charlie's blood to spill mere meters away, he unexpectedly stepped forward, moving into the room.

As he crossed the threshold, the sword's tip approached him, gleaming ominously, seemingly unstoppable.

Displaying no fear, Charlie's restrained reiki suddenly surged into his right arm. The immense energy burst forth, striking terror into Tara Decker's face.

She could hardly fathom that a simple Cavalry Guard could possess such formidable power. If her reiki was a gentle stream, then Charlie's was a raging river.

In that moment, it dawned on her that this man was anything but an ordinary Cavalry Guard.

Suddenly, an audible snap echoed through the air as her slender silver sword was easily caught in Charlie's grip. The sword quivered and struggled, yet it couldn't break free from his hold or make him flinch in the slightest.

With a firm grasp on Tara Decker's sword in his right hand, Charlie closed the door with his left and approached her, who was still reeling in shock. He asked with a grin, "So, what will your next move be, little girl? Did Morgana teach you how to open the Soul Palace?"

"You... you..." Tara Decker had only been cultivating for two years and had never met the renowned Morgana. Naturally, she had no way of learning the infamous technique attributed to her.

What terrified her most was the realization that Charlie, despite being nearly her age, wielded such frightening strength.

Moreover, it was unimaginable to her that he would dare to refer to Morgana by her name. This was an absolute breach within the Warriors Den, punishable by severe consequences even for the Mirren family and their direct descendants. No one could be so brazen!

Instinctively, she took a step back, anxiously inquiring, "Who... who are you?"

Charlie responded with a smile, "My last name is Wade, my first name is Charlie. You can call me Charlie. You set a trap in Nigeria to catch me."

"You..." Panic seized Tara Decker as she stammered, "Why... why did you tell me that?"

Charlie smiled, meeting her gaze, "Wasn't that your question?"

"I..." Tara Decker breathed heavily, fear evident in her eyes as she murmured, "I only asked you... you didn’t have to be so blunt... you... you don’t plan to let me live, do you? That's why you're so straightforward, right?"

Charlie grinned, "You're quite perceptive."

Tara Decker's face drained of color. At 24, she had only grasped the truth of her family's legacy two years prior and was their sole hope for the future. The fear gripped her, and realizing he had revealed so much with such ease led her to believe he had no intention of sparing her life. Forcing herself to remain composed, she gritted her teeth and asserted, "It doesn't matter! I wish to remain loyal to my Lord. If I die at your hands, my family will certainly be rewarded once they know of my sacrifice!"

"Ouch..." Charlie observed her and shrugged, smiling, "With that in mind, perhaps I shouldn't kill you. If I were to take you and the Cavalry Guards away, would Morgana believe you've betrayed her?"

Tara Decker looked at him in terror, and after a moment of consideration, she resolutely proclaimed, "I would rather die than betray my Lord!"

With that, she gathered her reiki in her palm and with all her might slammed her hand against her forehead.

The attack was powerful and decisive; it was evident she put everything into it. Such a blow would undoubtedly crush her skull.

Charlie hadn't expected this young woman to possess such a fierce determination. It seemed she was so committed to her ideals that she wouldn't grant herself a chance for survival.

He didn't want her to perish; she still held value. How could he allow her to end her life here?

Acting swiftly, Charlie dropped the rapier in his right hand and seized her reiki-powered palm. The moment his hand clasped around her delicate jade hand, he channeled his own reiki into her body, sealing her dantian and meridians in the process.

Tara Decker had never experienced physical contact with a man before, and now that Charlie held her hand, the embarrassment overwhelmed her. She didn't register that her cultivation had been sealed. Instead, she screamed defiantly, "Let me go, you lecher!"

"Alright, alright." Charlie nodded before instantly releasing her hand.

Despite the absence of reiki, Tara Decker still held considerable physical strength. As soon as Charlie let her go, she promptly slapped her forehead once more.

Her gaze remained fixed on Charlie, bloodshot and filled with rage as she yelled, "Charlie, right? I swear I won't let you escape, even if I become a ghost!"

With that, she delivered a powerful slap to herself.

"Smack..."

The sharp sound echoed through the office, leaving a purple-red palm print across her smooth forehead, contrasting sharply with her beautiful yet cold features.

Charlie watched in a mix of pain and amusement as he shook his head, joking, "Wow, look at this bee, she's really committed to her act."

Tara Decker winced in pain, incredulous that she was still alive. She stared at her right hand in disbelief; it was swollen, now appearing like a tender pig's hoof, leaving her utterly baffled.

In horror, she thought, "How could this be... I truly gave it my all, yet I am still unscathed?!"

In the next moment, she began to sense her sealed reiki, dantian, and meridians, and the realization struck her: she had become completely powerless!

Staring at Charlie in shock, she blurted out, "You... you sealed my cultivation?!"

"Indeed," Charlie replied coolly. "From now on, you're a mere bystander. Here, any Cavalry Guard would have no trouble ending you."

Tara Decker understood that Charlie's power was beyond her comprehension and deduced he was the elusive enemy that the Warriors Den was searching for. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "Then let them avenge their fallen comrades! I'm not afraid of death! But you won't survive much longer either. There will be no need for my Lord to intervene; the Three Elders alone can swiftly deal with you!"

Charlie merely smiled and quipped, "Let those three old dogs come for me, then! I've already made it clear that you can't die yet! If you had really wanted that, I would have allowed you to end yourself earlier! I find you more valuable alive!"

Tara Decker eyed him nervously and demanded, "What do you want?! If I'm not mistaken, you plan to take all those dead soldiers and Cavalry Guards with you next. While you can easily seal my cultivation, you could also cure them. They'll certainly express their gratitude and work for you loyally, but let me be clear: I, Tara Decker, will never submit to you! Keeping me alive would be a ticking time bomb! Those who seek glory must act decisively; I urge you to kill me now to avoid future complications!"

Charlie arched an eyebrow and clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk... Tara Decker—such an old-fashioned name. It doesn't quite suit a young woman like you."

"What business is it of yours?!" Tara Decker retorted, grinding her teeth. "What are you yap—just kill me already!"

Charlie mused aloud, "Honestly, this name doesn't reflect your nature at all. You see, 'Jade' is highly regarded in Chinese culture, representing something beautiful, warm, and flawless, capable of bringing joy. Yet, looking at you, there's little resemblance to jade. You seem more akin to a barking Pomeranian, amidst all the dogs in the village—pretty or ugly, good or bad. You may not be the biggest or the most appealing, but you certainly outdo the rest in barking!"

"You... you're talking nonsense!" Tara Decker never expected to receive such humiliation from Charlie. Angrily, she spat, "Mr. Wade, you'd better off me right now, or I swear I will never forgive you!"

"Fine," Charlie nodded with a smile. "Truth be told, I don't enjoy keeping dogs around. They often annoy me with their incessant barking. Yet, right now I'm beginning to think that training a fierce dog to be obedient could indeed be quite fulfilling!"

Tara Decker clenched her teeth, asserting defiantly, "I am not a dog!"

Charlie chuckled, “Of course I know that. I'm simply using a dog as a metaphor. And if I happen to insult a dog, I'm more than happy to apologize to it."

With a sudden shift, Charlie’s expression turned grave as he said, "So, Tara Decker, isn’t it? You are my captive now. You are exactly what I say you are, and you have no right to be picky!"