Chapter 766

Chapter 766:

Ashton wasn’t sure about it, but he made sure not to let down his guard.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. He felt something was wrong, but there was no turning back now. No matter what, he had to enter the vault to search for the three Glorious Heritage items.

His instincts screamed at him to be cautious, but he buried the rising suspicion deep within. After all, the vault was too important. So, he pretended not to notice anything and stepped into it.

Ashton had been right all along. Everything was set up to lure him into a trap. As soon as he entered the spacious vault, he found it was empty. There wasn’t anything, let alone the Glorious Heritage.

There was no doubt this was a trap.

Ashton immediately turned to leave. However, it was too late.

The moment he stepped into the vault, the sound of the steel door slamming shut echoed in the empty vault like a death sentence.

At the same time, strange green gas seeped into the vault from all sides, completely engulfing Ashton in the blink of an eye.

The dense, choking fumes of toxic gas hung heavily in the vault for nearly ten minutes before being drawn away through the pipes.

Once the all-clear was given and the vault was deemed safe, Stephen, guided by Red Jack, cautiously stepped inside.

“See? I told you we didn’t need to use those items on him,” Red Jack jeered, his gaze fixed mockingly on Ashton. “The moment he realized they could put others at risk, he willingly walked right into our snare.”

At this moment, Ashton’s face was ashen, his breaths shallow and labored. He slumped against the wall, looking as though he might collapse at any second.

The sight of Ashton, once an unstoppable force, now reduced to such a pitiful state, filled Stephen with uncontrollable excitement.

With a triumphant smirk, Stephen strode toward Ashton and sneered, “Looks like you finally fell for the bait, huh? I knew those two wouldn’t back me up—they were scheming to betray me. So I made sure I was prepared, just waiting for you to walk right into the trap!”

Ashton raised his head weakly, a bitter smile curling on his lips as he shot a glance at Stephen. “So that’s why it was so easy to get in. It was your trap all along.”

Stephen arched an eyebrow, his expression smug and unbothered. “What did you think? That I was actually that foolish? A gem that grants wishes—I wouldn’t squander something so powerful just to handle you. Moreover, who knows what kind of disaster using those items might unleash? You’re not worth taking that kind of gamble!”

Stephen raised his hand, ready to strike Ashton. But despite his fragile state, Ashton managed to intercept the blow, gripping Stephen’s wrist firmly.

Startled, Stephen instinctively tried to yank his hand back, but Red Jack, watching the exchange with amusement, intervened. He stepped forward and effortlessly pried Ashton’s fingers from Stephen’s wrist.

From that brief struggle, Red Jack could tell Ashton was teetering on the edge of death, completely powerless and at his mercy.

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