Chapter 1051 Turning Evan against Salesi
Inside the cozy wooden cabin nestled deep within the forest, Michael stood before Evan and Victoria. They were seated in chairs facing a large mirror that Michael had conjured for this moment. He wanted to reveal Salesi's treachery to the couple and make them understand the truth. With a determined look in his eyes, Michael took a step forward and raised his hand, gently spraying a potion onto their faces. As the potion touched their skin, Evan and Victoria's eyelids fluttered, and they slowly regained consciousness.
When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a dimly lit cabin, the sound of heavy rain echoing outside. Their memories of the events before losing consciousness flooded back, but they didn't focus on each other just yet. Their attention was fixed on the enigmatic figure before them—the Dark Lord himself. A mix of fear and curiosity washed over them, but Michael's soothing words and a calming potion diffused their initial anxiety.
"Turn your heads to the side," Michael calmly instructed.
Evan complied first, turning his head to the side, and what he saw sent shivers down his spine. There, gazing at him with tears streaming down her cheeks, was Victoria. It had been several long days since they had seen each other, but for Victoria, it felt like only a few moments had passed since her encounter with the bone dragon. Unbeknownst to her, Michael had kept her unconscious while Evan sought his revenge on the dragon that had taken her life. The emotions in that moment were overwhelming—a mix of relief, love, and sorrow.
To Evan's utter shock, Victoria was alive and well. Overwhelmed with joy and disbelief, he lunged at her, accidentally tripping over the chair she was sitting on. Ignoring their surroundings, the couple embraced tightly, tears of relief and happiness streaming down their cheeks.
Michael watched the emotional reunion from the sidelines, allowing them the moment they deserved.
"I thought you were dead," Evan said, holding Victoria as if he would never let her go.
"Evan," Victoria choked out through her tears, her heart overflowing with emotions.
"The dragon... how did you... I saw your wrist," Evan's words trembled with the memory of the horrifying scene he had witnessed. He vividly recalled finding a wrist with the engagement ring covered in blood in the forest. Unbeknownst to him, Michael had orchestrated the ruse by placing the ring on a severed undead wrist and leaving it at the scene.
Suddenly, Evan released Victoria from his embrace and examined her arms, only to find no engagement ring on her finger. Victoria, too, was baffled by its absence, as she had no memory of losing the ring. Unbeknownst to them, it was Michael who had removed the ring after knocking her out.
It was only then that they both turned their attention to the Dark Lord, who had been silently observing them.
"Are you finished reuniting and ready to learn who sent a dragon after Victoria?" Michael asked Evan and Victoria, his calm demeanor contrasting with the whirlwind of emotions surrounding them.
"How are you still alive?" Evan asked in complete shock, unable to fathom how the Dark Lord stood before them unscathed. Victoria was equally speechless, her mind struggling to process the impossible reality. Although Michael had concealed his true power, both Evan and Victoria could sense that he had reached a realm beyond any mortal's capabilities.
"You must have called the dragon and pretended to save me," Victoria finally spoke, her voice tinged with suspicion and disbelief.
"Can you, for once, use your brain?" Michael rolled his eyes, a hint of annoyance in his tone. With a wave of his hand, Evan and Victoria's bodies jerked involuntarily, their fear growing.
As Michael waved his hand, the mirror behind him flickered to life, revealing a scene. Evan and Victoria saw Salesi, accompanied by a figure dressed in black robes, hovering in the wind. The scene slowly moved to a grand manor with soldiers lying unconscious on the surrounding grounds. To Victoria's surprise, she immediately recognized the manor as her own and furrowed her brow in confusion and concern.
"Evan has been compromised," Salesi's voice echoed through the scene in the mirror, and Evan listened intently, his heart racing.
"My lady, how would you like me to handle Evan? It poses a challenge since you have elevated him to the status of a god," responded the cloaked figure floating beside Salesi, who Evan now recognized as Stormwing.
"You are mistaken, Stormwing. The god-killing arrows, even if retrieved by Noah, can only slay either him or the Dark Lord. They are single-use weapons, unable to be replicated or merged into a new form. Once the Dark Lord perishes, the arrows themselves will cease to exist," Salesi explained, her voice calculated and composed.
"Then how do you propose we handle Evan, my lady? The longer we allow Evan to roam freely, the greater the potential damage he can inflict upon our entire operation," Stormwing inquired, concern lacing his voice.
"If Evan has indeed struck a deal with the Dark Lord, his actions will undoubtedly revolve around the life of Victoria. The Dark Lord will undoubtedly use Victoria as a pawn to manipulate Evan into carrying out his bidding. However, if we eliminate this pawn, Victoria, the Dark Lord's hold over Evan will crumble. Evan is a valuable asset that we cannot afford to let slip away," Salesi explained, her tone firm and resolute.
Evan's and Victoria's minds went blank with shock and confusion as they listened to Salesi's ruthless plan. Michael couldn't help but grin, seeing the emotions play across their faces. Salesi intended to turn Evan into a weapon against the Dark Lord, but little did she know that Michael was now turning Evan against her.
"Eliminate Victoria, Stormwing. Make it appear as though her death is accidental. If the Dark Lord truly struck a deal with Evan, we cannot orchestrate her demise to make it seem like the Dark Lord was responsible. It would raise suspicions, and Evan might grow wary. However, if her death appears to be an unfortunate accident, the Dark Lord will lose his hold over Evan. This will enable Evan to focus his energies on defeating the Dark Lord's army, without the distraction of his fiancee. I can channel his grief and anger towards our advantage," Salesi's cold and calculating voice echoed through the cabin.
The pain of betrayal slowly dug deeper into Evan's heart as he clenched his fist. He had served and believed in Salesi, thinking she was a strong and benevolent leader, only to be proven wrong. The revelation showed Evan that Salesi was not the leader he thought she was but a vengeful snake.
"Is that so?" Michael snickered, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the image of Stormwing. For a brief moment, Stormwing's cloak "No, this must be trickery!" Victoria shouted in disbelief, unable to accept the shocking truth.
"Is that so?" Michael snickered, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the image of Stormwing. For a brief moment, Stormwing's cloak moved, revealing a glimpse of his upper body, and Michael's instincts picked up on a crucial detail.
With another wave of his hand, Michael changed the scene in the mirror once again. This time, he showed Stormwing standing atop a tree branch, pouring a gray powder into the air. As the scene unfolded, Victoria's memories came rushing back. She recalled the events of the campsite, the peaceful cultivation, and the sudden ambush by the bone dragon.
"What he scattered in the wind is a powerful substance that lured the bone dragon to your place," Michael explained calmly.
"Lady Salesi... she cannot..." Victoria's voice trailed off, unable to comprehend the depth of Salesi's betrayal. Michael understood her confusion, knowing how skilled Salesi was at manipulation. Blaming the Dark Lord and painting him as the villain was a tactic that easily deceived people, even those like Victoria who believed in her cause.
As silence enveloped them, Michael allowed Victoria and Evan to process the shocking revelation.
"I have seen him," Evan finally broke the silence.
"I saw him once," he continued, recalling a day when he entered Salesi's meeting hall and saw a figure leaving through a window. Although Salesi dismissed it as one of her spies, Evan had caught a glimpse of an eagle-faced man, just like the one the Dark Lord had shown them.
"You and the whole world believed I was evil. You said I am evil when I destroyed Thusia. You said I'm evil when I fought Nagaland. But you never bothered to ask why," Michael's voice was cold and powerful, sending shivers down Evan and Victoria's spines.
They were left speechless, unable to trust anyone anymore, as the truth of Salesi's betrayal sank in. Evan's mind replayed Salesi's words about fighting the Dark Lord's minions and making Victoria proud, only now realizing it was all a manipulative ploy.
"Think about this, she could have called off the assassination because the whole world saw me dying, including Salesi. Yet, she proceeded with a hit, just to manipulate and use you," Michael revealed, exposing Salesi's deceit.
But there was more shocking news to come. Michael revealed that the powers Salesi had given Evan were killing him. Evan wasn't born as a god, yet Salesi had somehow infused his body with a grace that was now rejecting him.
"The grave is rejecting you. It's only a matter of time before your soul explodes into nothingness," Michael stated, leaving Victoria in panic and her heart aching for Evan's fate.
Evan was stunned, unable to dismiss the acute pain and energy radiation surrounding him. The reality of his body rejecting the grace Salesi had given him was hard to ignore. He knew the Dark Lord wasn't lying to him; his words resonated with Evan's own experiences.
"If you don't believe me, you are welcome to leave this place. But when you explode, you will take out everyone around you," Michael warned Evan.
Victoria, on the other hand, was hesitant to trust Michael completely. She questioned his intentions, fearing that he might be manipulating them for his own gains.
"So how do we know we can trust anything you say? What if you are just manipulating us?" Victoria questioned.
"He is not," Evan answered Victoria.
"I feel something wrong with me. I asked Salesi, but she said it was nothing. But I can feel the grace is rejecting my body," When Evan explained, Victoria instinctively grabbed Evan's hand and shivered at the thought of losing him.
"Whether you choose to believe me or not, I am the only one who can save you and reveal the truth of what's really happening. I am not your enemy, Evan. In fact, neither you nor the world truly understands the impending terror that awaits us," Michael asserted.
His voice was filled with conviction, and he looked directly into Evan's eyes, trying to convey the urgency of the situation.
Follow current novels on (f)reew𝒆bnovel