Episode 181
Kay’s face turned ashen at Zeke’s words.
She wanted to say something, but Zeke, standing right in front of her, clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her.
Zeke continued in a cold, unyielding voice.
“Kay, I never forgive a traitor.”
“Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!”
Kay struggled, trying to say something, her body twisting violently.
But Zeke, with a steely expression, tightened his grip on her shoulder and injected Hydra’s venom.
Sssssss—
The venom seeped into Kay’s body, paralyzing her nerves.
Her eyes bloodshot, Kay trembled violently.
She could feel her body gradually stiffening from her fingertips.
Zeke didn’t stop there. He unleashed an electric skill on her.
Crackle!
Electricity coursed through the chains and into Kay’s body.
Despite her body convulsing in pain, Zeke intensified the electric current.
Crackle!
The electricity surged through her, searching.
Then, Zeke’s eyes gleamed.
‘Found it.’
He had located the parasite cunningly hidden within Kay’s body.
Increasing the power of the electricity, he focused on burning the parasite.
Crackle!
The parasite, unable to withstand the electricity, squirmed, trying to escape her body.
But Zeke didn’t let it slip away.
He increased the output further, concentrating on incinerating the parasite.
Crackle!
The parasite, assaulted by both the venom and electricity, desperately tried to escape Kay’s body.
Crack!
As it attempted to break through her skin, Zeke moved swiftly.
He had to kill it before it fully emerged.
Crackle!
Focusing the electricity even more, the parasite was charred black just before it could break free, dying completely.
Only after confirming the parasite’s complete stillness did Zeke relax his tense expression.
He exhaled deeply, then drew a dagger to cut into Kay’s shoulder.
From within, he extracted the limp, dead parasite.
He placed it into a prepared glass jar and sealed it.
Then, he quickly retrieved Agamemnon’s mask and used its purifying power.
Sssssss—
A golden aura flowed from Zeke’s hand, cleansing Kay’s body.
The power eradicated even the remnants of the parasite clinging inside her.
Only then did Zeke release the chains and heal Kay’s body.
“Gasp!”
Kay awoke with a start, gasping for air as if she had returned from the brink of death.
She stood up, glaring at Zeke, and shouted angrily.
“We swore an oath! How could you think I’d betray you?”
Zeke nodded, meeting her fiery gaze.
“I know. Thanks to you, I found the traitor.”
He showed her the parasite he had extracted from her body.
Kay recoiled in horror at the sight of the grotesque creature in the jar.
“What… what is that?”
“I told you. A traitor. It was inside you, stealing information.”
“What? That’s impossible!”
It was beyond anything she had ever heard of, even in the shadowy underworld where she operated.
Zeke returned to his seat, clicking his tongue as he looked at the parasite in the jar.
“It’s the work of the Abyss. Not a creature of this world. They must have summoned it from the demon realm and used dark magic to create this.”
Zeke mentioned that even the youngest disciple of the Silent Blade had a similar parasite embedded in them.
Kay shook her head in disbelief, exhaling sharply.
“My God. Even the Silent Blade… Who are these Abyss people?”
“Abel, Siemens, and even the Empire are all entangled. At first, I thought they were just an unknown clan of dark wizards, but it seems they’re much larger than that.”
Kay looked at the dead parasite and asked Zeke.
“When did that thing get inside me?”
“There are many ways. It could have been in your food, or implanted through contact.”
“True… But it could be in someone else too, right?”
“I cross-referenced various pieces of information to see where the leaks were coming from. At first, I suspected Lord Fainan, but it wasn’t him. That left you, Kay… But I knew you wouldn’t betray me because of our oath.”
Kay let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. I almost got branded a traitor.”
“I knew you wouldn’t betray me, so don’t worry.”
Zeke knew Kay well, their bond stretching back to a previous life.
Her ability to trust her comrades, unlike others in the underworld, was what made her the Dark Queen.
Zeke, who had been betrayed by allies multiple times, initially found Kay’s trust burdensome.
But realizing her sincerity, he opened his heart to her as well.
They weren’t lovers, but they were almost the only friends who could confide in each other.
Zeke looked at Kay and said,
“Kay, from now on, you’re a dead woman.”
Kay’s eyes widened in surprise, but she slowly nodded.
“You mean to deceive the enemy into thinking I’ve been dealt with as a traitor?”
“Exactly. The Syndicate is one of the central pillars of my power. Seeing the parasite dead, they’ll think I’ve purged you. It might be a good opportunity to reorganize the Syndicate.”
Since Don Juan’s death and the absorption of the McCain Cartel, the Syndicate had grown rapidly.
Though Kay managed the organization well, its growth made covert operations increasingly difficult.
The Syndicate, alongside the Nostra Family, Red Eye, and Crossstel, was becoming known as a major organization.
As the Syndicate’s boss, Kay was concerned about this, so she agreed with Zeke’s plan.
“I understand. So how do you plan to reorganize the Syndicate?”
“We’ll minimize our presence in the Central Continent and move our base to the South. The McCain Cartel’s influence will be absorbed by the Kingdom of Cusco.”
Kay was taken aback by Zeke’s words.
“The kingdom will absorb the cartel’s influence?”
“Even after the McCain and Pavela Cartels disappeared, small cartels still run rampant. For the Kingdom of Cusco to regain strength, the Southern Continent needs stabilization.”
“As long as Soma is produced in the South, cartels won’t disappear.”
“Eliminating them all at once is impossible. I don’t plan to eradicate Soma. It’s a vital livelihood for the people of the South. Once the Kingdom of Cusco stabilizes, we’ll control the Soma farms to produce it as medicine. If we can use Soma as a medical raw material instead of a drug, its value will increase. The research is slow, but results will come.”
“Right. But… is that really possible?”
“Kay, I’m entrusting this to you because I believe in you.”
Kay’s heart raced at Zeke’s words of trust.
It was the first time a younger man had made her heart flutter.
‘Get a grip. Get a grip.’
Kay’s principle was never to let personal feelings interfere with work.
She composed herself and nodded.
“Alright. I’ll head to Cusco for the time being.”
“Good. Have the Syndicate minimize its activities for now, and let rumors of internal discord spread.”
If Abel and the Abyss thought there was trouble within the Syndicate, they might seize the opportunity to attack.
Zeke planned to turn their attack to his advantage.
‘Whatever they try, I’ll be ready.’
Zeke’s eyes gleamed sharply.
Rumble—
The carriage carrying William Siemens came to a stop in front of the Siemens family estate.
An old mansion nestled deep in the mountains.
William stepped out of the carriage, gazing up at the mansion he hadn’t seen in a while.
For the most powerful bloodline allied with the Draker family, the Siemens estate was modest in size.
William entered the estate and, guided by a servant, descended the stairs to the basement.
After a long descent, he paused, waiting.
Soon, the iron door before him opened, revealing a portal magic circle inside.
The true Siemens family estate lay beyond this portal.
William stepped onto the portal magic circle.
A red light rose from the circle.
Vwoom!
As the portal activated, William held his breath.
Whoosh!
The energy enveloping him dissipated, and when William opened his eyes, the scenery had changed.
The space, adorned with ancient reliefs, was dimly lit by magical lamps installed on the walls.
William steadied his breathing, stepped off the magic circle, and opened the door.
A corridor, like an ancient labyrinth, appeared, as if from a long-lost ruin.
Even as a direct descendant of the Siemens family, William didn’t know the exact location or layout of this labyrinth.
Only the head of the Siemens family knew the secrets of this maze.
William began walking, heading to meet the head of the family, who was preparing for the ceremony.
Just then, a figure cloaked in black emerged silently from the shadows.
The figure bowed slightly to William and spoke.
“Master Abel requests your presence.”
Abel, too, was deep in training within the labyrinth, preparing for the day of the ceremony. If Abel was seeking him out now, it could only mean something was amiss.
William hesitated for a moment before following the robed figure to where Abel awaited.
The labyrinth’s paths shifted with time, making it impossible for anyone unfamiliar with its rules to escape.
After a long walk guided by the figure, William finally reached the sanctuary where Abel resided.
The robed figure opened the door, and a strong scent of blood wafted out.
“Welcome, William.”
Abel stood in the center of the sanctuary, naked in a massive tub filled with crimson blood. He stepped out slowly, the blood trickling down his sculpted body.
Servants approached to wipe Abel clean, and he donned a light robe, gesturing for William to sit.
The servants brought wine and glasses to the table.
“Care for a drink?”
William shook his head.
Abel shrugged and took a sip of the wine, as red as blood.
William looked at Abel and spoke.
“Abel, I know you’re busy with the ceremony preparations, but… I need to talk to you about Zeke Draker.”
Abel grinned at that.
“What a coincidence. I have something to say about Zeke too.”
Abel set his wine glass down and continued.
“I’ve already heard that Dario testified at the trial.”
William was taken aback. Even isolated in the labyrinth, Abel was already aware of everything.
It was a stark reminder that Abel’s influence over the Siemens family far surpassed his own, despite being a direct descendant.
‘Is this the difference in class?’
Realizing the insurmountable gap between them, William had long ago given up competing with Abel. Instead, he chose to become Abel’s most trusted vassal and friend—a decision that proved wise.
Abel harbored ambitions to conquer not just the Draker family but the entire empire, and he had the stature to match.
Watching Abel transcend human limits, William felt a mix of awe and fear.
Abel turned to William and spoke.
“It seems the mouse got caught by Zeke.”
William’s face hardened.
“What do you mean?”
With a snap of Abel’s fingers, the robed figure brought something forward—a glass jar containing a lifeless parasite.
It was from the same batch as the one implanted in Kay’s body. The parasites communicated by sending signals to their counterparts, which would then tap against the glass to relay information.
Abel looked at the dead parasite and said, “The last signal indicated that Zeke dealt with the woman. Electrocuted her, branded her a traitor. The parasite inside her died with her.”
“He figured it out already?”
“I told you, Zeke is no ordinary man. He’s more thorough and terrifying than Kali.”
Abel clicked his tongue and took another sip of wine, a smile playing on his lips.
“But this time, Zeke made a misstep. He was too hasty in killing Kay.”
William spoke up at Abel’s words.
“Do you mean her death will cause a rift in the syndicate?”
Abel nodded, rising from his seat.
“The syndicate was Zeke’s eyes and ears, and it was Kay’s abilities that kept it intact.”
He placed a hand on William’s shoulder.
“The poison of betrayal is more lethal than you’d think. Having dealt with someone he trusted with his own hands, Zeke will find it hard to trust anyone now.”
“The organization will crumble from within.”
“Yes, like a hastily built sandcastle collapsing.”
Abel’s smile turned cruel.
“Now is the perfect time to destroy my youngest brother, William.”
He whispered in William’s ear.
“This is our chance to lure him in and bring him down completely.”