Chapter 29: Mass Panic
Leonard was caught off guard.
Dimensional Storage had successfully stored Titanic Oath, despite it being a soul weapon with a spirit residing inside it. Yet the skill had been unable to store the crimson pendant.
’The memento Mother left behind is considered alive? Its existence is shrouded in mystery.’
Leonard inspected the pendant, as if trying to probe deeper into its secrets, only to be met with the same message.
[First condition to unlock potential: Reach Level 50.]
Striving to reach Level 50 was a tall order. But this was the only clue Leonard had that could lead him to find his mother and uncover the truth of his origin.
Hiding the pendant beneath his attire, he made his way back to the heart of the ceremonial funeral to find Miranda. With the funeral concluded, there was no reason to linger there any longer, and overstaying was bound to bring trouble.
Sadly, trouble had already been waiting for him. Hugo was resting his back against the wall, his hands in his pockets and one leg propped up against it.
"Junior Leonard..." Hugo heaved a sigh, slowly shaking his head. "To think that our grandfather would lead you to the treasury. And here I got my hopes up that you would get disowned for daring to speak out of line."
"Senior Hugo, are you perhaps questioning our grandfather’s judgment?" Leonard replied calmly. He hated the overly formal manner of speech, but when it came to his siblings, he had little choice.
"Of course not. I wouldn’t dare!" Hugo laughed out loud. "I am just fascinated by how a mere bastard such as yourself possesses a silver tongue."
After a brief pause, Hugo made his way to Leonard and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Nevertheless, congratulations on your awakening, my little brother. Unfortunately, you were forced to rely on an external serum in the end and tarnished our father’s name by possessing the bloodline of your beggar of a mother... Hopefully, the Common Bloodline you possess will remind you of where you stand."
He was obviously trying to rally Leonard into initiating an attack, giving Hugo an excuse to strike him under the pretense of self-defense, yet his taunts didn’t manage to falter Leonard’s composure.
Hugo subtly changed tactics, intensifying the strength of his grip. He applied pressure, aiming to inflict pain.
However, Leonard’s Hardened Physique negated most of it.
"Oh?" Hugo arched an eyebrow in intrigue. "Sturdier than expected... I guess that is the one thing you’ve got going for you."
"Elder brother, are you feeling fine? Your strength appears to be lacking." Leonard remarked with a faint smile.
Hugo’s eyes narrowed slowly before he let go.
"Consider this a warning, little brother. Don’t pry into the line of succession or the circumstances surrounding our father’s death... Otherwise even your precious maid will not be able to save you." Hugo departed with those parting words.
Leonard exhaled deeply, not allowing emotions to get the better of him. Any insult directed toward him could always be ignored, but acting impulsively could lead to unfavorable consequences.
If he were the kind of person to let such a measly thing bruise his ego, he would have long since fallen to one of his siblings’ schemes.
"It’s simply not worth it." He concluded.
Entering the grand hall, his mood improved significantly when he noticed Miranda from afar.
Just then, a man burst through the front gates of the ceremonial hall.
"It’s a catastrophe! Numerous dungeon outbreaks have begun to appear all over the Upper Sector, ranging from Grade 1 all the way up to Grade 4! Some of the monsters are headed here!" He shouted, urgency evident in his voice.
"Grade 4?!" A woman gasped. "Doesn’t that mean monsters up to Level 80 can appear?!"
The only dungeon Leonard had ever visited had been a Grade 1, considered novice-level. However, a Grade 4 jumped past the intermediate stages, Grades 2 and 3, and went straight into the advanced stage!
When multiple dungeon outbreaks occurred simultaneously, the Dungeon Response Unit prioritized sealing the highest grade above all others, minimizing the risk of large-scale calamities.
Unfortunately, that meant the lower-graded dungeons would be left free to wreak havoc and potentially cause casualties.
Nowhere in the Upper Sector was truly safe.
"Dungeon outbreaks all the way up here? Hurry! We must evacuate at once!"
"No! If we take part in the suppression of the dungeons, we will be granted merit points! They can’t be obtained through normal monetary means. This is our chance!"
Leonard ignored the chaotic chatter happening around him. In his eyes, merit points weren’t valuable enough to risk his life over.
Without hesitating, he grasped Miranda’s hand and led her past the panicked crowd.
Her mana oversensitivity didn’t just prevent her from using mana but also harmed her when she was in the presence of powerful creatures since they constantly emitted mana.
Given the level of the monsters approaching, their very existence endangered her life. Since the dungeon outbreaks were concentrated in the Upper Sector, the safest option was to leave it outright.
Leonard had already accomplished everything he wanted to do here anyway.
"Young Master?" Miranda was slightly startled.
"Save your breath and run!" Leonard urged.
***
Meanwhile, Owen promptly descended to the underground tunnels.
"By the sounds above, another wave of dungeon outbreaks has occurred. The Void’s corruption continues to spread..." The man exclaimed dejectedly.
Owen arrived in a wide chamber, where in the center Gideon’s beheaded body lay, taken out of its coffin.
Beside the corpse, Maxwell, the man who had performed the public execution, waited patiently.
"Thank you for heeding my advice, King Owen." Maxwell remarked with an exaggerated bow.
"I am sure letting your only child be executed must have been difficult, but it’s for the greater good. Although strong, Gideon was too shortsighted to lead Eternia City to prosperity. We would have never reached the depths of the Void with him at the top."
"Maxwell." Owen’s heavy voice silenced the man. He didn’t want to hear how great he was after allowing his only son to be killed.
"Begin."
"Certainly, my King." Maxwell smiled in excitement and let the creature he was transporting roam freely.
A long centipede emerged and immediately latched onto Gideon’s body, entering through the exposed wound at the neck and replacing the spine.
A ripple passed over the corpse. Its fingers trembled subtly.
Several seconds passed in suffocating silence.
Then the body rose. Gideon, albeit dead and with a missing head, stood and fell upon one knee.
"Marvelous!" Maxwell visibly rejoiced. "The hero who carried a Divine Bloodline and was once the people’s hope is now nothing more than a mere puppet with no will of his own! The perfect soldier, who will obey every command even at the cost of innocent lives!
Gideon’s good-hearted nature had made him unable to overlook the injustices committed by the influential Houses at the expense of everyday civilians, making him a thorn in the side of many.
However, not only was his rule brought to an end, but his very body had been defiled.
The Divine Bloodline he possessed still surged through his veins, yet rather than being turned toward the defense of the powerless, it was now going to be exploited to strengthen the position of those at the top.
"Complete victory! And what if you possess a Divine Bloodline, oh dethroned king? What good is it when you are now kneeling at my feet?!" Maxwell’s laughter echoed across the underground tunnels.
Owen observed the defiled body of his own child.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
"It’s for the greater good." He whispered to himself.
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