Chapter 647
“To protect the savior of destiny?”
Zeke realized that the savior Laura spoke of was none other than himself.
Rex furrowed his brow at Laura’s words.
“Are you talking about the savior from that prophecy you mentioned?”
“Yes, the savior with the black eyes. The one destined to break our family’s curse and prevent the end of this world.”
Rex didn’t seem entirely convinced by Laura’s explanation.
Seeing his expression, Laura continued, “Don’t worry too much. It’s just a formal marriage. That monster wants to keep a prophet like me by his side… In fact, being next to him is the safest place for me.”
Laura didn’t hesitate to refer to Arthur Draker as a “monster.”
Rex grimaced at her words. “You still haven’t changed your mind about Arthur, have you?”
“You know it too, Rex. The man sitting as the head of the Draker family now isn’t the Arthur we once knew.”
Arthur Draker, the tyrant of Midland, wielded power like a god as the head of the Draker family. He would eliminate anyone who stood in his way, fabricating evidence of treason if necessary, and if that failed, he would resort to underhanded tactics.
On the surface, he was celebrated as a knight among knights, following in the footsteps of the dragon slayer Terracan Draker. But behind the scenes, he was no better than a ruthless rogue, unafraid to commit the vilest acts.
Yet, under Arthur Draker’s leadership, the Draker family grew stronger and more renowned. After the Eastern Continent’s invasion, his reputation as a tyrant only soared.
No one in the central continent dared to challenge the Draker family, now at the pinnacle of the three transcendent families. This included Rex, the head of the Turn family, and Ramon, the head of the Siemens family, who both elevated their families’ prestige as Draker’s steadfast allies.
Rex understood that his old friend Arthur Draker had changed since becoming the head of the Draker family, but he didn’t share Laura’s extreme view that Arthur was no longer the same person.
Laura looked at Rex and said, “Arthur and Ramon have both changed. The only ones who remain the same are you and me.”
Indeed, Ramon, now the head of the Siemens family, had changed at some point, but Rex understood why. After becoming the head of the Draker family, Arthur discreetly “purged” the Siemens family, eliminating those who had opposed him in the past.
Once the purging was complete, Arthur installed Ramon as the head of the Siemens family and took Ramon’s sister as his second wife, with whom he had his first son, Abel.
Ramon pledged loyalty to Arthur for making him the head of Siemens, but something twisted within him from that point on. The friendship they once shared was gone, replaced by a distorted master-servant relationship.
Ramon severed ties with Rex and Laura, isolating himself in the Siemens family estate, absorbed in some unknown pursuit.
Rex tried to rekindle their past friendship with Arthur and Ramon, but it was impossible. In this situation, where youthful friendships had vanished, Laura was the one who despised and loathed the changed Arthur the most.
So when Laura suddenly announced her marriage to Arthur as his fifth wife, Rex was taken aback. It was an unexpected move, prompting him to come here to hear her reasons.
Laura explained to Rex that marrying Arthur was the only way to protect herself and the future savior.
Rex looked at Laura with a sorrowful expression. “As always, I can’t change your mind, can I, Laura?”
“You can’t, Rex. But know this: the fact that you still cherish our pure friendship means the world to me.”
Realizing he couldn’t sway Laura, Rex nodded and turned away. Though Arthur and Laura were still his friends, he knew their marriage was not born of happiness, leaving him with a bitter taste.
After Rex left, only the translucent figure of Zeke remained. Laura sipped her still-warm tea slowly.
Carmilla approached Laura. “Miss, even the King of Turn came personally to express his concern. Are you truly alright with this?”
Laura nodded reassuringly. “Yes, this is the only way.”
With a determined look, she said, “Carmilla, please prepare what I mentioned before.”
Carmilla, looking more worried, asked, “Are you really going through with that plan? Arthur Draker won’t just stand by.”
“No, the contract is already sealed. It’s just a marriage; I will never consummate it with that monster. All he wants from me is the power of prophecy.”
Carmilla hesitated before asking, “Then why do you need equipment to fake a pregnancy?”
Zeke, overhearing this, was taken aback. “Fake a pregnancy?”
The Laura he had seen in the past was indeed pregnant. She had given birth in a cave, and Arthur Draker had killed her afterward, taking the infant Zeke to the Draker family.
But if Laura and Carmilla’s conversation was any indication, what he had witnessed might not have been the truth. If Carmilla had successfully faked a pregnancy, then…
“Why didn’t Carmilla mention this before?” Zeke wondered, recalling that Carmilla, a true ancestor, had once died and resurrected to escape Arthur Draker’s grasp. Perhaps her memory had been damaged in the process, causing her to forget.
“If the pregnancy was faked… could it be that Laura Agamemnon isn’t my real mother?”
Just then, a massive tremor shook Zeke’s body, as if trying to eject him from this world.
“No.”
If Laura wasn’t his real mother, he needed to find out why she faked a pregnancy and where he, as a baby, had come from.
Desperately clinging to the crumbling world of memories, Zeke focused on Laura and Carmilla’s conversation.
“…savior… Chronos… I… destiny…”
Laura’s words were muffled, as if submerged underwater. Zeke tried to move closer to hear more.
Crack!
The world of memories Zeke had created with his power began to fracture. It was no longer sustainable.
Crash!
As the world collapsed, Zeke was forcefully ejected by a powerful repulsion.
“Ha.”
With a short breath, Zeke opened his eyes. Before him was Rex Turn, sitting with his back against his sword.
In reality, much more time had passed than in the memories, and Rex was now lifeless.
“Master.”
Zeke gently laid Rex Turn on the ground. Until the end, Rex had tried to preserve the friendship and protect the Midland they had built together.
Honoring the final moments of a man as steadfast as he was pure, Zeke knelt in reverence, mourning his death.
After a moment, he rose and, as if making a vow to the deceased Rex Turn, said, “I will ensure your will is conveyed to the Turn family. Rest in peace now.”
Zeke slowly opened the door and stepped out of the room. Kali was waiting for him outside.
Seeing Zeke’s expression, she realized that Rex Turn had passed away.
“Did the King of Turn go peacefully?”
Zeke nodded slowly in response to Kali’s question.
Kali felt a deep sorrow for the loss of the head of the Turn family, one of the continent’s strongest, who had remained loyal to the Draker alliance until the end.
Zeke spoke to the silent Kali. “Please prepare the funeral with the utmost respect.”
Kali nodded at his request. Once she had composed herself, she asked Zeke, “What will you do now?”
The continent was in chaos, besieged by monstrous attacks. Thanks to Zeke, Atlas had narrowly escaped disaster, but other kingdoms and cities had already fallen.
Zeke looked at her and replied, “If we establish a defensive line centered on the base I’ve prepared, we can hold off the monsters.”
He planned to activate defense mode, using karma points to build a barrier against the monsters. For those outside the barrier, he considered using the ark to drive them away and deploying mobile fortresses with the help of the three demon princesses.
However, the immediate concern wasn’t the monsters.
“The real issue is Arthur Draker. We need to find the mastermind behind all this.”
At the mention of Arthur’s name, Kali’s expression hardened. Arthur Draker, the former head of the Draker family who had faked his death, was undeniably the continent’s most powerful figure.
Kali couldn’t fathom why Arthur Draker would go to such lengths, even feigning death, to orchestrate these events.
Zeke looked at Kali and said, “Arthur Draker is using the power of the constellations to destroy this world and create a new world for a new humanity.”
Kali was taken aback by Zeke’s words, finding them hard to believe. “A new world for a new humanity? What on earth does that mean?”
“Does it make more sense now, a world ruled by a ‘new humanity’ reborn with the corrupt power of the name Dreiker?”
Arthur Dreiker, once the head of the Dreiker family and ruler of the central continent, sought to transcend his position and become a true sovereign, a god.
Hearing Zeke’s words, Carly clenched her jaw even tighter, her expression hardening further.
“Are you saying Arthur Dreiker is actually planning such madness?”
“Yes, and that’s why I must stop him.”
Carly looked at Zeke and spoke.
“I agree that Arthur Dreiker must be stopped. But we have no idea where he is right now.”
Zeke shook his head at her words.
“I think I know where Arthur Dreiker is.”
Carly was taken aback and asked again.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, so please, sister. I need you to lead the allied forces in my stead.”
Zeke’s eyes flashed with determination.
“I will find him and put an end to this.”
Boom!
A massive door swung open, revealing the Dreiker family’s sword graveyard.
Arthur Dreiker walked among the countless swords embedded in the ground.
He ascended the platform at the far end.
There, a sword as black as night was lodged.
Arthur Dreiker slowly reached out for the sword.
Vroooom!
Sensing his touch, the sword began to vibrate intensely.
Vrooooom!
He grasped the hilt.
The vibration grew even stronger.
Ziiiiing—
The resonance of the black sword caused the other swords in the ground to hum in unison.
The entire space seemed to warp as the sound of the swords echoed all around.
Amidst the vibrations, Arthur Dreiker tried to pull the sword from the ground, but it wouldn’t budge, only vibrating more fiercely.
Rumble!
As he exerted more force, the vibrations intensified, and the space, unable to withstand the resonance, seemed on the verge of collapse.
Arthur Dreiker finally released the sword.
Vroooom!
As he let go, the resonance ceased.
He looked at the sword embedded in the ground and touched his chest.
“Even this isn’t enough.”
His eyes burned with a deep yearning for something beyond.
As he swallowed his disappointment, a shadow flickered behind him.
Ssshhh—
A young knight, clad in a white uniform similar to Dreiker’s, emerged.
With the same gray hair and sharp gaze as Arthur Dreiker, the knight wore a sword at his waist and white gloves on his hands.
He moved to stand before Arthur Dreiker, bowed his head, and spoke.
“Father, we’ve detected Zeke Dreiker’s movements.”