Chapter 449: He Wants To Kill Me
"Gabriel." Ronald called out, and Gabriel turned. He saw Ronald and Valentina attending to some well-respected individuals in society. Seeing Ronald beckoning for him to come over, he took a step in that direction, then paused, tilting his head to gaze at the small group once more.
There was something in their gaze, barely hidden for that matter. It was defiance, especially from Lucy and Isaac. In Percival’s eyes was rage swirling behind the calm front while Godfrey... his to be general stared at him deeply, but in those eyes, he saw no readable emotion.
The corners of Gabriel’s lips curled up a bit. From what he could interpret, Godfrey had made up his mind. His emotions couldn’t be seen anymore because they had sunk deep enough to become a part of his being.
’He wants to kill me.’
Gabriel chuckled. With a light smile, he left them, heading for Ronald and the other older adults.
’He’s wiser. They must think I have something to do with Cain and, beyond doubt, a younger Godfrey would have pounced on me.’ His smile widened.
’He’s growing up... just nicely. I’m creating something dangerous.’ His eyes shone with exhilaration. ’I actually feel threatened. This is exciting. When our clash comes, I won’t fight you anymore. But you shall face Sebastian, and it will be surprising when you discover how abominable your headmaster truly is. I trust you also have your secret card, or I shall teach you... in the most painful way possible.’
"We can kill him. Lucy is our evidence. No one will stand against us." Isaac turned to the others and said softly when Gabriel was far away.
"I see four demigods with over twice the number of demigods. Even if he’s a Monarch Tier, there’s a possibility we can defeat him, especially with Mia’s skills. It can counter his Spatial Tear." Lucy added.
"It won’t be possible." Godfrey shook his head with a soft sigh.
"Why?" Percival stared at him.
"Because Monarchs do not have blood, it’s ichor. And because of that, they can’t be killed by beings that aren’t true gods. That aside, I think he’s most likely a Sovereign, quickly rising to the Godking Tier. Cain has hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of clones. I’ve been thinking, what if they strengthen him? It could be why he grows stronger faster than anyone or anything I’ve ever known." Godfrey stated.
He tapped his fingers against the floor. "I think his summon is like Isolde. She grows rapidly from battles, that growth is so substantial that she can grow without relying on mana cores. Maybe Cain grows from crafting clones, and he does that without end. Maybe all three heads also have a way of increasing their points, which goes to one source, making their growth much faster."
"He’s absurd." Isaac frowned.
"Well, if you look at it from a perspective, he’s not. He’s just a means to an end, like the rest of us. We are racing towards one objective, even if we don’t want to participate." After Godfrey said that, Lucy bit her lip.
"We have to even the odds. I recovered five mana cores from the red gate you guys cleared. Percival and I did nothing, so don’t think about sharing them with us."
Percival agreed with a nod.
"I don’t want them either. I think I’ll petition the Elders to allow me to devour the memories of prisoners on death row. I grow better that way. Who knows, I might end up as an executioner. Fits my summoner personality quite nicely." Isaac crossed his arms.
"I’m still giving you one." Godfrey scowled.
"I won’t take it. I have an alternate way of getting stronger, and much faster. Tiers don’t affect my gain, so I can be the most powerful person in the world if I just keep absorbing memories without a care, but that will just make me worse than Cain." Isaac paused. "All I’m trying to say is, I don’t need those cores."
"You think I’ll become a Monarch if I absorb all these cores, don’t you?" Godfrey looked at all of them.
"That won’t be possible. If I absorb these five cores, I’ll still need one more. And that aside, you all forget that once the Ruination is over, your gains will determine your next rank. Many people will rise. If you don’t, you’d have to bow your head or become a source of strength for others."
"We did not say you’re going to have all the cores. Just these ones. Speak with Isolde. Once she agrees, they’re all yours." Percival patted his shoulder.
***
Isolde strolled on the shores of a sea. She bound her red hair in a high ponytail, yet it cascaded down to the slender curve of her waist, fluttering as the cold wind from the sea blew.
The white gown she wore also fluttered as her bare feet sank into the wet sand, leaving footprints that could be tracked several hundred meters back.
Her upturned eyes, once alluring and sharp, now had this grieving softness. Dragons flew above the sea, their distant roars carried by the wind, echoing like cries, wounding her ears.
But her face remained placid.
She kept walking until she arrived at a huge cavern mouth. The soft cries of little dragons drew her in. Her fragile porcelain feet left the wet sand and stepped on the hot, rocky ground.
Yet that scalding temperature just felt a little warm to her. Isolde walked in, and a massive cavern graced her eyes.
A huge dragon lay within it, and four small dragons that had just hatched waddled around their sleeping mother.
The moment Isolde took another step, the dragon’s eyes snapped open and she quickly rose to her feet, baring her enormous fangs.
She paused, then retreated while lowering her head.
"You just came."
’I did.’ The dragon’s voice rang in her mind.
Isolde squatted, staring at the four dragons that gathered before her, all staring at her with large, innocent eyes.
Isolde smiled, then caressed their heads and stubby little horns. These tiny ones were nothing like the massive behemoths that were always at her side, but those behemoths were once like this.
"What is your name?" Isolde tilted her head toward the mother and asked in a gentle tone.
’I have none. But the orcs, they called me Mourning Ash.’
"You were born in their world?"
’Yes.’
"I’ll call you Ellia. Welcome to my world, Ellia." When the four baby dragons bared their fangs and flapped their wings, Isolde found herself chuckling.
"And you four. Of course you’re welcome. This is an oasis for our kind." Her sweet smile brightened her face.
***
Meanwhile, in the hall of his castle, Godfrey sat on the floor, leaning on the armrest of the throne. He rested one arm on his knee and placed the other on his forehead, pondering...
What could she be doing?
