My Ultimate OP System: Summoning All Dragons, Gods, Heroes & Villains

Chapter 377: Sourcing Another Solution (Bonus)

His children seemed taken aback by that, but not Ethan, who answered him.

"Your Majesty, I thought I made myself very clear the last time. Ishtar will never be handed over."

King Carson’s eyes hardened. "A demon appeared inside my palace at his leisure and threatened the lives of my people if that girl isn’t surrendered to him by noon."

Rayleigh’s eyes widened. "I don’t believe this... So this is you caving in?"

"No," King Carson answered immediately. "The girl is to serve as bait to draw the bastard out."

"Since that demon wants her, it’ll come for her, and the moment it does... the entire Imperial Guard and every one of us will descend upon him at once."

Only then did Ethan understand why Norman was hovering silently behind the King. The Hero himself would also be participating.

Rayleigh wasn’t letting up. "You want to use her as bait? And if it doesn’t work? What if they take her?"

King Carson’s expression remained the same. "Then the demons can have their demon, but the lives of my people will no longer remain under threat."

"So... I want the girl."

Norman stared down at them with the same look of indifference in his eyes.

Isabella then spoke. "I’m sorry, Father, but that will never happen. And if that’s the reason you came here with all these soldiers, I suggest you leave."

For several long moments, no one spoke amidst the rising tension. The King and his daughter continued staring at one another until Ethan finally broke the silence.

"Your Majesty, can you tell me exactly what happened yesterday?"

He gently held his wife’s hand, as though trying to calm her, while waiting for the King’s reply.

King Carson then turned toward him with a frown before recounting everything, from Lord Krygon’s appearance inside the throne room to the ultimatum.

Ethan listened until the very end, then asked,

"Do you have the Beelstone the Hero recovered?"

"I do," Carson replied. "But why?"

Ethan answered immediately.

"You’ve just come to my home to tell me you’ll be taking a member of my family by noon... That isn’t going to happen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t deal with the threat itself."

"So, Your Majesty, if you have this Beelstone with you, I’d like to borrow it."

Norman’s eyes immediately glowed with a red light, prompting Nina to instinctively turn toward him with a furious look in her eyes.

The Hero clearly didn’t appreciate Ethan’s tone.

King Carson himself wasn’t particularly pleased either, but a part of him still wanted Ethan to prove there was another solution.

In truth, he would much rather find a way to save his people without standing at odds with the only two children he could still look at, compared to the others he had stopped bothering to set his sights on.

King Carson glanced toward General Iroh and gave a slight nod. The General walked behind the cars, retrieved the Beelstone, and placed it into the King’s hand.

King Carson looked down at the crystal for a brief moment before extending it toward Ethan.

Just before Ethan could take it, the King spoke. "I’m only going to say this, Ethan. Whatever plan you come up with... you have until one hour before noon."

"After that, the girl comes with me, and we move with my own plan."

Only then did he release the crystal into Ethan’s waiting hand.

Ethan said nothing. He simply closed his fingers around it before turning toward the mansion.

After taking a few steps, he stopped and, without looking back, spoke. "Your Majesty... you’re welcome to come inside with the General."

He glanced over his shoulder. "But everyone else stays outside."

The King looked at Ethan for a moment before giving a nod. He and the General walked into the mansion alongside Ethan and his children.

By this time, the commotion outside had already drawn the attention of the rest of the household.

Hayley and the others had just emerged from different parts of the mansion. At the top of the staircase, Francesca appeared with Ishtar just behind her.

The moment Ethan noticed them, he immediately looked toward Francesca and gently shook his head before tilting it slightly, signaling for her and Ishtar to go back inside.

Francesca understood immediately, gave a nod, and gently took Ishtar’s hand. "This doesn’t concern us, my dear."

Ishtar looked downstairs with visible concern, wanting to know what was happening. Still, she allowed Francesca to lead her away before quietly disappearing down the upper corridor once again.

Ethan walked toward the living room as everyone else gradually gathered around him.

He slowly raised the crystal and began examining it.

"Your Majesty, have you gotten any new information on this since the last time?"

King Carson answered, "Not much. Except that the Casters in my palace have been able to locate several hundreds of them throughout the city."

Ethan nodded, then borrowed a trait skill from his Super Hybrid. The trait he borrowed was Lebrante: True Sight, which allowed him to see things beyond normal vision.

His gaze focused on the Beelstone, and the crystal’s dark purple shell gradually became transparent to him. Deep within, he saw something resembling a mass of reddish mist constantly shifting and squirming. Every so often, subtle crimson streaks flowed through the mist like veins before disappearing again.

Without doubt, that was the demon’s soul, and it gave Ethan the impression that it was alive.

"...So that’s the demon’s soul."

His gaze remained fixed on the crystal as he spoke to himself, while the others simply watched and listened.

"If we’re going to stop this, we first need to understand exactly how these things work inside the person."

An idea had already surfaced in Ethan’s mind as he quietly called, "Albedo."

Albedo, who was upstairs staying in the room with Ishtar and Francesca, immediately appeared before him in a burst of smoke.

She noticed the number of people staring directly at her and exclaimed, "Whoa."

She slowly looked around the room. "That is a lot of eyes."

Her gaze eventually settled on her Summoner, but before she could speak any further, Ethan walked up to her, holding the Beelstone in one hand. "Open your mouth."

Albedo stared at the crystal as her eyes widened dramatically. "Excuse me?"

A slow, teasing grin spread across her face. "You know... on a good day, I’d probably let you do almost anything to me."

She tilted her head. "But that’s one hell of a new kink."

"What the fuck are you trying to put into my mouth?" She pointed at the crystal.

The room immediately fell into an awkward silence.

King Carson closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The others exchanged thoroughly embarrassed looks.

Ethan gave her a serious stare. "Albedo."

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. I absolutely do not consent to whatever this is..."

She opened her mouth anyway. "But go ahead."

Ethan immediately placed the Beelstone into her mouth.

The moment she swallowed it, her face twisted. "Eugh... that tastes horrible."

Ignoring the complaint, Ethan immediately activated True Sight. His vision changed as he stared at the demon, watching her internal mana system.