Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Chapter 600: Confrontation (2)

Third Person’s POV

The revelations arrived one after another.

Each one caused Ethan’s thoughts to grow increasingly complicated.

He had suspected that Shixea was hiding things from him, and now that suspicion was rapidly transforming into certainty.

At the same time, his evaluation of Dominic continued rising.

This old man was frighteningly intelligent.

Within a few short observations, he had connected multiple clues and arrived at conclusions that were alarmingly close to the truth.

Meanwhile, Ethan could feel an overwhelming soul sense sweeping across his entire body.

Dominic was examining every part of his body, his bones, his mana veins, his muscles. leaving no part of his body untouched.

Everything was being examined.

Yet Dominic’s expression remained thoughtful rather than greedy.

"I can even tell you something else, Eryndor."

The old man stopped directly in front of him.

"The person who placed these restrictions upon your mana veins was none other than Shixea’s father."

A trace of solemnness appeared in his voice as he continued speaking,

"He is a peak Sky Realm mage standing at the third stage of the Realm of World Opening."

Ethan’s expression remained unchanged.

However, his mind immediately recorded the information.

Dominic continued with his tone, carrying unmistakable certainty.

"So you can abandon any fantasies of removing those seals yourself, as no one beneath that level can remove them."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"And individuals capable of matching such a person can be counted on one hand throughout this entire Northern Glacial Region."

The smile slowly transformed into something closer to mockery.

It was not overt or excessive, yet Ethan could clearly sense the meaning behind it.

Dominic was implying that Ethan lacked the background necessary to seek help from such powerful existences and that his situation was hopeless.

And how, eventually, he would have no choice but to rely on others.

However, instead of becoming angry, Ethan became confused as something did not add up about all of this.

From Dominic’s words and behavior, it almost seemed as though the old man believed with certainty that Ethan would never possess an extraordinary background, or perhaps some hidden protector.

Otherwise, why would he repeatedly emphasize the impossibility of removing the seals?

At that moment, Ethan suddenly remembered the strange flash of confusion Dominic had shown upon first seeing him.

Everything suddenly clicked together in his mind, and for the first time in a long while, Ethan finally spoke.

"Do you know who I am?"

The question sounded absurd.

After all, he had already introduced himself, yet Dominic immediately understood the hidden meaning behind those words.

The mockery on his face disappeared, and the disdain in his eyes vanished.

His expression became completely stone cold.

He slowly stepped forward until he was standing directly beside Ethan.

Then he leaned close enough that only Ethan could hear his next words.

"Yes."

The single word sent a chill through Ethan’s spine.

Dominic’s voice became little more than a whisper.

"Yes, young man."

His powdered-blue eyes stared directly into Ethan’s soul.

"I know who you truly are."

A heavy silence filled the room, and then Dominic spoke once more.

"And if you tell me exactly what Shixea asked you to do..."

A mysterious smile appeared on his face.

"...I may even be able to help you reclaim your true past."

For the first time since entering the tower, Ethan’s heart genuinely skipped a beat.

The moment those words left Dominic’s mouth, Ethan’s crimson eyes froze completely, and his face went blank.

For a brief moment, countless thoughts surged through his mind at once as he realized that the old man knew something.

And whether it was the truth or merely a calculated bluff, Ethan could not tell.

However, he instinctively understood that remaining silent now would only place him at a disadvantage.

Dominic was already convinced that Shixea had hidden information from him, and Ethan saw no reason not to use that assumption to his advantage.

After allowing a few moments of silence to pass, he finally spoke in a slow voice.

"Shixea told me that I should expect being called by you sooner or later.

She said that if you asked about my background, I should tell you that I come from a remote city called Dark North City."

His voice remained strangely flat and almost mechanical, as if he had gone into shock and had lost the ability to think any further.

"As for anything else, she instructed me not to tell you. Even if you questioned me further, I was told to reveal nothing."

Ethan paused briefly before continuing.

"If you insisted too much, I was supposed to tell you that I had lost my memories and that I had been rescued by her father."

Naturally, these words were a complete fabrication as Shixea had never given him such instructions.

The only thing she had actually told him was to conceal their connection while displaying enough talent and ability to attract Dominic’s attention.

However, Ethan had his own reasons for lying.

Firstly, he wanted Dominic to believe that he already knew everything.

People often became careless when they thought they possessed complete control over something.

Secondly, Ethan had gradually concluded that Shixea had manipulated him from the very beginning.

If her true intention had been to conceal their connection, then she would never have deliberately sent Elis to escort him.

Even if the relationship between Elis and Shixea was not common knowledge throughout the academy, someone like Dominic would undoubtedly know.

The moment Dominic saw Ethan accompanied by Elis, connecting him to Shixea would have been effortless.

Then there was the matter of the recommendation itself.

Dominic had openly admitted that Shixea had informed him about Ethan beforehand, yet Shixea herself had never mentioned that detail to him.

She had kept him completely in the dark.

The more Ethan thought about it, the more he felt that every person around him was attempting to use him as a chess piece.

Even though all these thoughts had flashed through his mind in an instant, none of them appeared on his face.