Chapter 120 - 552 - 560

Chapter 552 A Proper Meeting II

Zed grabbed the crystal and closed his eyes. He felt a warm, jovial sensation from it, just like he always felt when he held Hope in his Kiba form.

Rebecca didn't say anything more. She came here to give him what was his.

Of course, she desired more, much more, but she knew her desires didn't hold any value, at least not for him. Perhaps rightfully so...

But she knew he didn't wish to meet her, maybe never did.

So she left the chair and rose to her feet to leave.

Zed placed the crystal on the table and spoke.

"Except for the last six months... I always wished I could meet you."

"!" Rebecca stopped and looked at him.

Zed gazed at dreamy lighting on the ceiling, the waterfall that created a calm, soothing atmosphere, and the fireplace that emanated a royal feel. The entire hall was a display of sinful vanity, with money poured like water to build it, for no other purpose than to look really good.

"And for the last few years of my life... I wanted our meeting to happen in this hall."

Rebecca remained silent, letting him speak.

Zed ruefully smiled and shut his eyes.

"I think... I was around three years old when I first actually desired to meet you. No, desire would be an understatement. Back then, I begged and prayed.

"Whenever the caretaker whipped with me his belt, I prayed you will show up and save me. When he trampled me under his feet for not getting alcohol, I begged to every god that I knew... to please send you to rescue me. And when he kicked me... I was ready to apologize to you for any sin I have committed and beg for mercy."

"!!!" Rebecca was stunned.

Caretaker?!

Can he be talking about Red Fox!?

Did he abuse Zed!?

Her body turned icy cold as she imagined the scenes her son spoke of.

Him getting whipped, trampled, and kicked by Red Fox.

Despite her extraordinary powers, she felt her stomach twist with a terrible sensation.

"Even though you never came... I still waited. Then again, what else I was capable of? I believed a day will come when you shall forgive me for whatever wrong I might have done.

"Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years... but you still didn't appear! I then realized my fate: rotting in the slums, getting abused by those powerful than me, and dying in some unknown street.

"And all these times I thought of you.

"Caretaker... I guess for you he must be Red Fox... well, he never revealed your name or background... but he always told me about how rich and powerful you were.

"He assured me if I have to blame someone for my fate, it has to be you... sometimes it was also my father, but most times, it was only you!

"Whenever I thought of that, I wondered how someone so rich can let her child starve, force him to seek food from trash bins... while herself enjoying the most lavish meals the world has to offer.

"When I turned nine... I let go of the illusions.

"Maybe it was some enlightenment or just a moment of clarity. But I learned something very important.

"The only person who can help me... the only person who can save me from my fate!

"And that person was... I!

"So I stopped apologizing and praying!"

A burst of wild flames erupted in his eyes as he took a short pause and continued.

"And the first thing I did after that... was murder!"

"!!!"

Rebecca tensed up. She stared at him, perceiving how the flames in his eyes were tainted with the aura of murder.

"Red Fox! It was him I murdered!"

As he said this, he broke into laughter. His face was pale and his body weak, but his laughter was maddening and powerful.

The guards were dumbstruck. They didn't know why but they felt dread from that laughter... that despite him being weaker than an ordinary human!

"Oh god! Even now it feels so liberating! You should have seen his face when I ripped his throat and stabbed holes into his heart!"

Rebecca clenched her hands tightly. Not because Red Fox was murdered, but because at an age where her son should have a happy, carefree life, he murdered to escape from abuse.

"And that day I decided!

"I don't need a mother or a father for a set of warm clothes... a two-time meal...and a roof over my head!

"It wasn't a fairy tale I wanted, but I survived... and finally years later, I became capable enough to never worry for anything!"

Zed looked at Rebecca and paused.

"And can you guess what I secretly wanted when I became capable enough?!"

Rebecca gazed at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"You! I wanted to meet you!" Zed answered. "I wanted to show you... that you might be rich and powerful, but even without you... I lived! I achieved everything you refused me!

"So I built this villa... Don't misunderstand, I always wanted to have my home! But never this grand and luxurious! I only made it like this so I can throw it on your face!"

Rebecca lowered her head. She never knew what he had suffered nor the amount of resentment he carried.

"I did fool myself by believing I was doing everything for my sake... while secretly hoping to meet you and show-off!" Zed took a deep breath. "But then six months ago, I realized something far more important! There was no reason for me to hate or resent you!

"You didn't owe me anything so why do I have to be angry at you for not giving me a life I felt entitled?

"I was wrong and I realized that.

"Even this doesn't matter. Why should I care about someone who was never a part of my life, to begin with?

"Everyone has their own life, their own reasons... why waste it on past or thoughts of others?

"Life is far too precious to waste it on anyone else!

"And that day... six months ago, along with my past of being a discarded bastard, I became free of my wish to meet you!"

Chapter 553 A Proper Meeting III/III

"I became free of my wish to meet you!"

Zed stopped and looked at her with the same indifference she first saw in his eyes.

Perhaps what he did now was venting, emptying the emotions he had built up for over two decades.

Or maybe, he had really moved on, and what he shared now was his perspective of meeting with her... now that she came to meet him after so many years.

Regardless of his reasons, Rebecca could see that he was honest when he said he no longer hated or resented her.

As for love and longing... perhaps they died long ago.

A droplet of glistening tear slipped out of her eye.

He thought she had lavish feasts while he struggled for food.

How can she tell him... she never felt any taste for she always wondered if he had food or not.

How can she tell him... having royal roofing over her head didn't stop her shivering from loneliness.

How can she tell him... being powerful meant nothing when she couldn't have him in her arms.

~splash~

The tear droplet splashed on the carpet.

Behind Rebecca, the female guard from House of Hestia - Heather - was startled. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw her all-powerful mistress shedding a tear.

Heather then turned towards Zed who showed no emotion. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either!"[1]

Zed eyed her and replied, "I'm not judging her so what truth exactly?"

"She had been looking for you ever since she lost you!" Heather answered. "And you know nothing of her struggles, sadness, and desperation!"

Rebecca glanced at her and Heather didn't dare continue. She knew she had spoken when she didn't have the right to.

"Lost me? Wow! Isn't that a surprise! Guess Red Fox must have been lying when he claimed she went back on her promise... or whatever deal they had regarding me and pretty much discarded me!" Zed replied with amusement in his voice.

Rebecca's eyes flashed with shock.

Red Fox claimed she had gone back on her words?! Why would he do such a thing! She was at the promised place, ready to fulfill her part of the deal! It was him who didn't show up!

Heather clenched her fists. Knowing full well she was defying her mistress' command, she shouted, "Red Fox was lying!"

"I see. So what you claim is The Truth!" Zed couldn't help but laugh. "And I should believe you why exactly?"

"!" Heather's body jerked.

Indeed! When she thought of it, why will her, or even Rebecca's words hold any weight to him? Even if their words have any weight, how can they surpass that of Red Fox's?!

"If you are speaking the truth... then that would mean whatever anger and hatred I felt from him when he spoke of her... was all a deception! Now wouldn't that be shocking?" Zed continued with a smile. "I guess he must be similarly lying when he said he lost his powers while protecting me... Oh wait! That wouldn't be a lie, unless he pretended to be so weak that I was able to murder him with a knife!"

"!!!!"

Heather was alarmed as she realized how difficult a task it would be to override the narrative he had in his mind.

Even if he knew Red Fox was biased in what he claimed, what was the guarantee he won't feel the same for what she said? After all, every speaker was biased when they shared their stories!

That was humane nature! They try to show themselves in sympathetic light!

Furthermore, she knew how mind resisted any statement that tried to change core beliefs! It was psychologically impossible to overwrite the conditioning of over twenty years with a snap of fingers! Perhaps, only in a fairy tale, such a thing might be possible!

Zed turned towards Rebecca and with a sigh, he said, "I really don't care what's true or lie any longer. Maybe you were right or maybe wrong. It might have mattered to me when I was a kid waiting for you and father to rescue me, but not now."

"....."

"Perhaps you found me now to ease your guilt, or perhaps you are here for what your servant claims. Regardless, it no longer matters. Everything is in the past."

"...."

"And you can rest assured, I will never judge you or my father for being bad parents," Zed said while rising to his feet. "I have lost that right after almost failing my duty as a father."

"!!"

Rebecca was dumbstruck by his last statement.

Almost failing to do his duty as a father?! Surely he couldn't mean something bad happened to my grandchild!?

"So if you are here to ease your guilt, there's no need. Even if not for the recent incident, I wouldn't judge you."

Zed walked to the bar cabinet. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and added ice cubes.

"We get only one life. There's no need to waste it on judging others or feeling guilty."

He stepped in front of the waterfall. On it, he could see the reflection of Rebecca.

"You have my gratitude for bringing me the source crystal that connects to my daughter."

He took a sip from the glass before continuing.

"I now owe you for not only giving me life but also this. Someday in future, I will repay you."

"...."

Rebecca turned around. She walked to the exit of the hall before stopping as she recalled the words he spoke.

Without turning around, she said, "It is your right to have a negative impression about me for I failed in my responsibilities as a mother. But not your father!"

Zed: "?!"

"He sacrificed everything so that you can have everything, including the name he bestowed upon you! He knew the price he would pay long before you were conceived but he didn't hesitate! No parent can ever do what he had done... sacrifice honor, family ties, respect, and freedom for the birth of his flesh and blood!"

"!!!!" Zed snapped his head back, a look of deep shock plastered on his face.

"You are always free to hate me, curse me, despise me, wish me ill... but please don't fault your father for my failings."

After saying this, she left the hall. Heather and the other guard followed, leaving Zed all alone in the vast hall.

Zed emptied the entire glass in one gulp. He then went back to the bar cabinet and grabbed the whiskey bottle.

"I really need something strong."

[[Sir...]]

Claudia has heard and seen everything. Even without the sensors in the hall, she knew the emotions that would erupt in his heart. That was the extent of how much she knew him, no matter if he was Zed or Kiba for the world.

Now seeing him drinking directly from the bottle, she knew how rattled he was.

"We don't really know if she was being honest!"

Zed said after emptying half the bottle.

"She sounded genuine for sure... but then again, in this world, one can fake anything! Love, lust, warmth, longing, anger... every possible emotion and desire can be faked! Who would know that better than me?!"

[[...]]

✼✼✼✼

Stormseal Island.

In the last cave, the one-eyed man lifted his head. Despite being confined by burning chains, he broke out into laughter as if he had heard a funny statement.

"Not everything can be faked!"

His icy blue eye glowed brightly.

"Not true warmth and love, kid!"

[1] Aesop

Chapter 554 The Calm Before The Storm!

The next day.

Zed arrived at what remained of Royal Heart Academy.

The ground was flipped upside down, covering the academy campus with layers of soil. Given the academy was within the range of shockwaves when Extermination fought Hyperion, Zed knew below the soil, there might be only debris and nothing else.

"The academy is also gone... just like Wife Pleasuring Service Ltd and my other properties."

Zed let out a bitter sigh.

It was ironic that the one who destroyed what he loved was himself.

"Extermination... I guess I now really have Dissociative Identity Disorder."

Whenever Agatha noticed the big differences between Zed and Kiba, she would make jokes about him having multiple personalities disorder.

After all, what else can explain how they were so different, totally opposite of each other?

Of course, she understood that both Zed and Kiba were one and the same. They were also different because of the roles they served in his life.

Now... with Extermination... he really had a new personality.

Zed let out a sigh before tracing the amulet charm on his right wrist. It was a thick, white bracelet with golden engravings.

"Claudia used every precious resource we have to create it in a hurry... It has to work!"

He observed the ruined campus for a few minutes before turning around. As he started stepping towards his car, someone shouted from behind.

"Zed!"

Jessica shouted as she rushed at him.

Zed looked at her with a smile and noticed Felicity following behind, though her expression seemed to be... very complex.

Before he could ask her, Jessica gasped.

"What happened to you?!"

"Nothing, I'm alright."

"No! You aren't!" Jessica shook her hand. "I can feel it!"

She grabbed his hand and injected a flash of white light into him. The flash channeled through his body, making her see the deteriorating condition of his cells. Most of them were broken, and others were barely holding up. She then noticed medical particles inside his bloodstream, and realized, if not for them, he would not be in a condition to stay conscious.

Swish~!

Streams of white light surged out of her and entered into his body. She poured a great portion of her healing energy into him.

But to her shock, the energy barely made a difference. Except for relieving some stress from cells, it made no difference. It was like the amount of energy his cells needed was as vast as a sea... and she could barely provide a few buckets.

This made her eyes dilate in shock.

"Just what sort of pressure the cells took for them to be in such a condition?!" Jessica asked.

Zed didn't reply.

Some distance away, Felicity closed her eyes as she remembered the scene of him transforming into Extermination.

What he then did terrify her, just like the rest of the world.

For a long time, she refused to believe it was Zed... but she knew it was him. She had observed it with the seed she sent... something she wished she hasn't.

It has stained her image of him.

Zed glanced at her. Her mood was totally different from Felicity he knew; the thrill-seeking, cheerful girl.

She felt his glance and looked back at him. Neither of them spoke, despite the emotions they carried.

...

They only stopped looking at each other when they heard the sound of a car approaching. They turned around.

"Sophia? Lady Katherine?" Zed called in surprise as the mother-daughter pair left the car.

"You said we will have breakfast! Since I didn't find you at your house, we arrived here!" Sophia said as she arrived before him.

Zed opened his lips to reply when Sophia noticed Felicity. Her eyes sparkled and she exclaimed, "You must be Felicity!"

"Yes?" Felicity was startled. She was sure she didn't know this eighteen-something girl so why was she exclaiming with emotions?

"It is a relief to see you have recovered!" Sophia said excitedly. "But then I never doubted Zed will fail after what he did in Desolate Blood Forest!"

"!!!"

Felicity was stunned.

Desolate Blood Forest?!

Could she mean... to find a cure for her injury from nanites... he went to that forbidden forest!?

Shock crashed through her body.

"He really loves you!" Sophia added with a radiant smile. "So I'm glad you are safe!"

"!!"

Felicity clenched her fists.

Right!

And she loved him... like she always had, despite knowing about Extermination.

She has always known that. Even if he hadn't gone to a dangerous region, the love wouldn't change.

So why should one event change what existed between them?!

She recalled the promise they made: to be always there for each other... How could she forget that?! How could she let a secret spoil their relationship?!

"Thanks," Felicity responded to Sophia with a composed smile. "I guess he must be far more adventurous than I give him credit for."

"Yes!" Sophia nodded her head.

...

Katherine suppressed a smile. She turned towards Zed and said, "Can I have a minute with you?"

Zed was surprised but he nodded. They walked some distance away from the group.

While walking forward, Katherine gazed at the ruined surrounding before bringing her eyes on him.

"What I want to say will be presumptuous," Katherine started. "But I will say it nevertheless."

"?!"

"Your mother... she had suffered, a lot more than you can imagine." Katherine stared into his eyes. "Whether you trust me or not, that's up to you, but believe me she has been looking for you ever since she lost you."

"!!!!" Zed was dumbstruck.

Katherine knew the reasons why Rebecca failed in finding him.

One of the major reasons was Zed being in slums for starting eighteen years of his life.

There were countless slums over the world. They lacked digital or any form of records about their dwellers. So it was impossible to find, especially with half a billion population living in them.

Not to mention, when Rebecca first searched, Red Fox knew means to avoid tracking by World Government...

Katherine noticed the shock in his eyes. She smiled and continued.

"And that's not to say you must forget what happened or develop a relationship with her... No, all it means is that you shouldn't fully trust what your biased perspective tells you about her."

"!!"

Zed didn't expect her to speak on his mother, and definitely, not in such a way.

"Just remember no matter how powerful one is, they always have some weakness," Katherine continued. "Your mother is the same. Perhaps, someday, you will understand."

After saying this, she turned around and started walking back.

Behind, Zed took a long breath. He suppressed his thoughts and caught up with Katherine.

"Sophia was right!" Zed exclaimed as he arrived next to her. "You are really wise!"

Katherine was amused. With a faint smile, she said, "I pray my daughter didn't bore you with my wisdom!"

"No, she didn't." Zed replied with a sincere smile. "Without knowing you, I came to know of you from her. I always imagined you as a wise, beautiful lady with a heart of gold. You just proved me right."

Katherine was startled. She could feel he was being honest.

"Thank you for the compliment," Katherine responded with soft laughter. "Though I don't think I deserve to be called beautiful."

"No, you deserve more than that." Zed disagreed with her. "You are the most wonderful woman I know of, not only in physical appearance but also from the beauty of the heart."

After saying this, he joined Sophia.

Katherine was stunned by his genuine praises.

If any other male had praised her in such a way, she would know that man was trying to flirt with her. But she knew his personality and knew how pure-hearted he was.

He wasn't the type to flirt with a married woman... much less a mother.

✦✦✦✦✦

State of Avalon.

House of Hestia.

"It seems Rebecca has failed!" Lord Harley remarked while reading the latest report from Delta City. "Her son has no love for her!"

The spies from World Government have collected information from Sylvan and the bank manager who witnessed the first meeting. The spies then also shared information about how Rebecca was in the hotel while her son continued to be in his villa.

Everything denoted nothing went as per her expectations.

"Then there's no need for her to be there!" Xalion said with a big grin. "She has to be here!"

"Fufuf! You are right!" Lord Harley's eyes glinted sinisterly.

Whoosh~!

Blue flames erupted under his feet like a volcano. They sucked him and he disappeared.

...

In her room, Kirstie explored a digital gamebook while resting on the bed. The doctors and nurses continued to examine her condition through virtual monitors.

Without anyone of them realizing, Lord Harley appeared beside the bed. He was invisible, his body in the form of nothing but intangible vapors.

He took out a gel bottle and squeezed a droplet of it into Kirstie's eye. The gel was invisible, and Kirstie didn't even feel it as it fell into her eye. The instant it dropped, it dissolved and spread into her head.

~BEEP~ BEEP~ BEEP~

The doctors and nurses were startled. The readings on the monitors exploded to an unbelievable degree.

They hastily turned towards Kirstie just as she started trembling violently. Her face turned ashen and she began to cough up blood.

"Oh no! She's having another of those episodes!"

The doctors panicked. Under their horrified eyes, blood started trickling out of her facial orifices.

"Dammit! Contact Lady Rebecca! She needs to provide Source Blood as soon as possible!"

The doctors then started the procedure to suppress her condition for the time being.

✦✦✦✦✦

Delta City.

Rebecca's heart sank as she got the message from her family.

She didn't think her daughter will face one of those tragic episodes so soon. They used to be occasional, once or twice a year.

Just three months ago, she had one... so how could it repeat so soon?! Was her condition deteriorating further!?

Rebecca turned towards Heather.

"I have to leave."

Heather bowed down in understanding and said, "Please rest assured. I will handle things here."

Rebecca nodded.

BANG

Powerful, violent flames exploded out of her body. They wrapped her, transforming her into a bird of flame as she shot out of the hotel, disappearing between the clouds.

Inside the hotel, Heather felt bad for her mistress. She knew Rebecca wanted to stay here... perhaps wait for a chance to speak with her son again and try to develop their relationship.

But now... with Kirstie's health failing, she had no choice.

"I have to complete my duty!"

Heather resolutely muttered as she left the hotel and rushed towards Dream Rise House.

✦✦✦✦✦

House of Hestia.

"Rebecca is on her way! It is now safe there!"

Xalion said as a virtual screen flashed in front of him. Upon it, a man was visible, his face covered with strange tattoos.

"You know what you have to do!"

The man nodded.

✦✦✦✦✦

Dream Rise House.

Zed sat in the living hall, observing the sunset.

Chapter 555 Please Don't Open It!

Dream Rise House.

As orange hue covered the evening sky, the setting sun splashed its magical colors on the waterfall, making it look as if it was set ablaze. The mist glittered with beautiful fire colors, making it a spectacle to behold.

Zed observed this through the living hall, feeling the hypnotic sensation of the mist brush past his face.

"Hehe, you have a beautiful house."

A voice erupted in the hall.

Startled, Zed swiftly turned around. Some distance away from him, dark smoke burst out of nowhere, and through it, five figures stepped out.

All of them had their faces shrouded. Four of them by masks and the last one with dark smoke.

"W-who are you? And how did you appear here?!" Zed asked, his voice panicked.

The four grinned while glancing at the one shrouded with smoke.

He was a mutant named Yose, a high-ranking Beta! One of his powers gave him an ability similar to teleportation, making it easy for him to bypass security sensors.

Yose also grinned. The villa has many motion detectors and surveillance drones, but for him, it was nothing.

He then glanced at his companions.

Sylvan - The Chief Supervising Officer of Delta City.

Mountain-head Wong [1]- The infamous criminal that World Government was hunting for.

Marlon[2] - The chief bodyguard of the former President.

Amora[3] - The grotesque killer.

All of them were Betas! And it was a strange combination for sure with criminals working with those affiliated to the government!

Yose's grin couldn't help but spread further. After all, not only was he getting benefits from these four, he would also earn from what they would acquire from this kid.

And seeing how panicked this kid was, he knew everything would be far too easy.

"We aren't here to answer your questions, kid."

Sylvan said as he stepped forward.

He examined Zed through his senses and concluded his condition was as bad as when he saw him two days ago.

This made his heart pump with greed.

Zed had used two Rank VII pills for stabilizing his body!

Rank VII!

Creating such pills not only required rare, valuable herbs and precious mutated components, they also needed the skills of a scientist that was at least Rank VII!

A level that not even a hundred scientists have achieved around the globe!

Then there was the requirement of formulas and advanced genetic machines!

These series of reasons made it impossible for one to purchase even one Rank VII pill all the money in the world! Something even the echelons of Nine Aristocrat Families couldn't afford to waste!

And yet, this kid consumed two of them like they were ordinary pills! This made him sure he had many such pills!

Sylvan arrived before Zed and placed a foot on the armrest.

"Kid, I should kill you for your impudent behavior!" Sylvan said as he recalled how Zed humiliated him in front of Rebecca

"...." Zed cowered back in the chair, his face ashen.

"No need to cower!" Sylvan laughed malevolently. "You are lucky I plan to spare your life!"

Behind, the other four scoffed in secret. They knew why he didn't want to kill Zed... because he didn't have the guts to do so!

And truthfully, who could have guts to kill a child of an aristocratic family, even if it was a bastard?!

Not them. They arrived here to seek resources and whatever secret this kid had.

What they didn't know was that Sylvan planned to torture Zed. Of course, it would be after getting what he wanted!

"Answer my few questions and I will let you live!"

Sylvan grabbed Zed by his neck.

"First, where are the pills?"

He noticed Zed didn't have his storage ring so he asked. Otherwise, he would have directly grabbed the ring.

"Pills?"

Zed tried to pretend to be clueless, but the panic on his face made it obvious he was lying.

"No need to pretend! We have information you have high-ranking genetic pills!"

Sylvan snorted and squeezed his throat. As veins popped on Zed's forehead and his face turned further pale, Sylvan commanded, "So tell us, where are those powerful pills?!"

Zed's eyes momentarily darted to a shelf above the fireplace before arriving back on Sylvan. It was only for an instant, and if it was anyone else, they wouldn't even notice.

But they did! They were Betas!

They brought their eyes on the shelf and noticed a glass bottle hidden by a book. It was filled with six capsules!

"Hehe, kid, you might want to deceive us, but your fear answered us!"

Sylvan laughed happily.

He knew the panic made Zed look at what he wanted to desperately hide! This was a common psychological phenomenon!

While saying so, he shot at the shelf. The other fours weren't any slow as they too arrived before the shelf.

While they were in an alliance, no one trusted each other when it came to priceless pills!

"Let's not create trouble for each other," Sylvan said as he grabbed the bottle. "As we agreed, we will distribute every treasure equally!"

The other fours grunted. It was Sylvan who recruited them so they allowed him to unseal the bottle.

"Please don't open the bottle!" Zed's voice came from the chair. "Those capsules are dangerous!"

Sylvan lifted his head and broke out into wild laughter. Even Mountain-head Wong, who had a relatively serious personality, couldn't help but laugh.

This kid was far too stupid!

No! The fright has ruined his brains and made him an idiot!

Did he believe they will fall for his obvious lie?!

"Well, kid, we don't mind!" Sylvan grinned while tossing the seal away. "Stay there while we take them! Hahaha!"

Powerful, medicinal aroma drifted out of the bottle, making the space tremble with intense energy fluctuations.

Eyes of everyone instantly brightened. There was no doubt the capsules were high-ranking!

Sylvan shivered from excitement.

Even working like a dog for World Government never brought him this close to such priceless treasures! But now robbing a kid was giving him far more than he ever imagined!

The gods haven't forgotten his hard work! They were rewarding him today!

Smiling happily, he emptied the pills on his palm.

Sss

The moment they made contact with his skin, the outer shells of the capsules melted, leaving behind crystalline medicinal liquid.

Sylvan was startled and before he could wonder about this, the liquid poured into the pores of his skin.

At the same time, the outer shells - that had melted - turned into drifts of moistures. They enveloped the alarmed four.

Yose was the fastest to react. Turning his body into a cloud of smoke, he drifted back, far behind the range of moistures. The others weren't so fast as the moistures entered into their nostrils.

"What the hell just happened?!" Yose wondered while retreating back.

In front of him, Mountain-head Wong and Marlon jumped on dumbstruck Sylvan. What they did next almost frightened Yose to death.

"No way!"

Even though he was in smoke form, the back of his hair stood up.

His masked companions have shredded their pants and started doing something that should be illegal!

Sylvan released heart-wrenching screams as the two men above him carried out the most monstrous act possible on him!

Yose hastily turned around. Just seeing that immoral act terrified him out of his wits.

BOOM

Beams of energy erupted fro Sylvan's eyes and smashed into Mountain-head Wong. Sadly for him, Mountain-head Wong has an almost impenetrable defense, and the beams didn't even let behind a scratch. All the attack did was make him angry, and this anger was vented on Sylvan in the worst way possible!

Marlon was the same as Sylvan tried to surge energy blasts out of his palms. Marlon wrapped his body with a darker shade of steel.... this naturally also hurt Sylvan.

"Save me, God!" Sylvan cried.

Yose shivered as he heard these cries. The man who inspired fear and demanded respect from an entire city was now crying in such a terrible way.

A few seconds later. the cries stopped. Yose didn't dare imagine why. Even if the cries have stopped, he could hear grunts of his two male companions... they made him almost throw up!

Amora swallowed forcefully as her heart rose to her throat. The moistures have also entered her nostrils, but it didn't work. Most likely because just like her eyes, the inners of her nose were also stitched.

As she perceived what was going on, her face turned white as a paper. She could imagine what would have happened had those moistures worked on her.

And she then thought of the scenario where she had taken out the capsules instead of Sylvan... and the crystalline liquid had seeped into her skin. That made her break out in cold sweat.... because that scenario was far too terrifying! It made her stomach twist!

"I told you guys, those capsules are dangerous."

Zed's voice came from the chair.

"But you didn't listen."

Amora and Yose spun around. They noticed with shock that he had put dark goggles on his eyes and wireless headphones over his ears.

🎶🎵♬🎼

Even at this distance, they could hear music playing through his headphones.

Headphones with powerful music that could filter noises! And heat-sensitive goggles that could block vision depending on the intensity of heat!

Could he have put them before the capsules took effect so that he didn't see or hear the repulsive act... then that would mean... he was expecting this?!

This possibility made their hearts pound heavily for it would mean... he was expecting them! That should be impossible, right!?

✵✵✵✵✵

Half a mile from Dream Rise House.

Heather sat leg-crossed on a boulder. She read readings from the tablet and noticed the energy signals of the one who mattered were the same.

"I can't intervene until he's in fatal danger..."

She thought of her mistress's commands. She knew they were because her mistress' son wouldn't appreciate any help from them.

Of course, she wouldn't care for his wishes when he was in a life-threatening crisis.

She placed the tablet down and closed her eyes. Her body was ethereal and in just a blink of an eye, she could reach where she had to.

✵✵✵✵✵

Some hundred meters away from Dream Rise House.

Many people from different factions were outside, waiting. After the events that rocked Delta City, they had arrived in the city. And when the news of Zed spread, the factions sent them here.

With Rebecca gone, they wanted to test their lucks. Of course, most of them were of cautious nature and they didn't take action, afraid of any traps set up by Rebecca or House of Hestia. They only observed.

BOOM

A muffled explosion caught them by surprise. They looked ahead and noticed a window leading to the living hall exploding from energy beams.

Glass fragments spread into the sky and dust cloud masked everything. It was impossible to see clearly, but they noticed a figure leaping out of the window and running. Behind him, two figures followed, charging at him at top speed.

"Let the dust settle! I want to see what's going on!" A member from a powerful faction said.

"Same here! The dust is blocking everything!"

Others agreed.

They soon got their wish as the dust settled. What they saw was a man pinned to the ground... and two men doing an act that shouldn't be mentioned.

The scene made their hearts jolt and vision darken. It was a scene that was forever imprinted in their memories... something they never wanted as this wasn't the type of scene one wants to remember forever!

"Oh god! You should have made me born blind if you hate me so much!" The man who wanted the dust to settle down broke into tears. "Or at least give me a chance to stab my eyes in advance!"

[1] Introduced in Chapter 329. During the end of The Fair Arc (Desolate Blood Forest), he tried to capture Kiba for resources.

[2] Chapter 493. He was also the one who activated Anti-Cosmic Field, indirectly responsible for the awakening of Extermination.

[3] A comrade of Marlon. She has come with him and Goten Whiteskins to Delta City to complete the mission of seeking a shard of Cosmic Spark

Chapter 556 The Man of The House Is Sick So...!

Outside the villa.

There were many forms of humiliation, but nothing as bad as the one suffered by Sylvan. His body was defiled in the worst possible way, giving him unbearable pain.

Something he didn't dare imagine even in his worst nightmares!

Yet it was happening. That too not by one, but two mutants!

Just when he thought the situation couldn't get any worse, he noticed a dozen of people observing what was happening with him.

This made him infuriated. He was a man of high ranking, and yet, people had seen him being humiliated.

While his face was masked, he knew there were chances of someone realizing his identity. This made him think about how they might share this story with others. Furthermore, he can imagine how the story would be propagated with various extra, juicy details!

The future was far worse than the present!

"No! I won't let it happen!"

The temperature in his eyes reached scorching hot as they shot out yellow beams of light. No matter what happens, he couldn't let details of today spread! Otherwise, he would never be able to show his face to anyone, especially his family!

The sense of crisis helped him in exploiting his untapped powers, amplifying his strength! He evolved directly to the peak of Level V!

BANG

The beams smashed into Mountain-head Wong, blasting him back. He collided into a tree, destroying it.

At the same time, columns of yellow light surged out of Sylvan's palms, crashing into Marlon. The latter was sent flying high in the air.

Sylvan swiftly turned towards the direction where others who observed him were hiding. Those people were startled by his gaze, and before they could react, he shot out destructive beams at them.

BOOM

They were all caught off-guard as beams pierced into many of them, breaking their bodies into a shower of blood and gore.

"Fuck! First that bastard ruins our memories with his grotesque activities and now even attacks us!"

A mutant shouted angrily while dodging beams.

"Could that shameless bastard be attacking us because he was caught?!"

"If he is, then he shouldn't be engaging in those unspeakable acts in open!" Another mutant added while creating an energy shield to block the beams.

"He should do it in the comfort of his home!"

"Fucking loser! The world is open-minded, so why the hell is he trying to kill us?!"

"Maybe so that he can continue to stay in the closet!?"

The area might be filled with multiple explosions that dazzled like firecrackers, but their voices were clear to Sylvan. His expression turned unsightly and he blasted far more powerful beams.

Meanwhile, the effect of the pills continued to work on Mountain-head Wong and Marlon. They ignored the damage they took and once again, charged at Sylvan.

"Damn!"

Sylvan's heart sank for he knew if they caught him, he would be reduced to a sorry state. So he ran outside the villa while attacking those who survived his beams so far.

Even though he has got a power boost by his recent evolution, his body hurt like hell, especially a certain part that made it painful to run.

"Everything is that kid's fault!"

✵✵✵✵

Living Hall.

The goggles Zed had put on blocked his vision from areas where there was a high amount of body heat. This prevented him from seeing anything that might stain his memories.

With Sylvan and his two companions gone, he turned towards Amora.

"Ah! The capsules didn't work on you!" Zed exclaimed in surprise.

He was sure she didn't escape the moistures, unlike Yose.

Amora and Yose flinched. His statement pretty much confirmed he expected this to happen!

"Claudia and I made them as a variation of hormone pills in a hurry... can they be defective because the target and subject were of the opposite sex?"

Zed placed a hand over his chin to contemplate.

Amora's face twisted.

This kid!

Does he sees her and her companions as some guinea pigs to test his pills?!

"You just lost the right to live!" Amora shouted as she charged at him.

Till a few days ago, she and Marlon held special positions in World Government. But after Anti-Cosmic Field fiasco and the change of President, they fell from grace and lost their influence. This was why they had to resort to joining Sylvan in a mission like robbing.

Something that was supposed to a chid's play turned into a living nightmare!

"And don't think I will fall for more of your tricks!"

Amora declared as she thrust her palm at him. It swirled with currents of malevolent energy, turning into the shape of a monster that was ready to devour him.

With Zed's present condition, this was more than enough to kill him. The palm smashed into his chest.

"!"

Amora's expression drastically changed. The attack should have sucked Zed into her palm, shredding him to pieces.

Yet nothing like this happened despite landing on him.

Even as she wondered why, her stretched hand phased through his chest and emerged from his back.

"Intangibility?!"

She was shocked.

He had such an ability!?

No!

Even if he had, he should be in no condition to use it, especially to resist her attacks. No, even if he was, it shouldn't make a difference. The currents on her palm should surge through his intangible body and attack him.

After all, she was a peak Level V mutant! Her attacks can't be resisted by an early-stage Level IV Zed!

No matter how powerful one's ability, its effectiveness on the target depended on both one's level and that of the target.

This was especially true when there was a gap in level.

So why?!

Suddenly, she felt something and turned towards the fireplace. Yose was the same as his smoke body jerked back.

The fireplace distorted as a beautiful woman emerged from it.

Agatha!

"The man of the house isn't healthy enough to welcome you," Agatha said as she arrived in the hall. "So I will be taking his place."

Yose's eyes constricted.

Not because of her sudden arrival, but because of the changes her presence did.

He could disintegrate his smoke body into molecular level and rush at lightning speed, thereby giving him an ability similar to teleportation.

With him being a mid-stage Level V mutant, this ability made it possible for him to go anywhere as he pleases, and carry others with him.

Now, he felt that ability losing its use as a strange force isolated space!

Through her stitched eyes, Amora perceived the energy fluctuations from Agatha.

A cruel smile appeared on her face as she said, "A peak Level IV? And you want to face two of us?! You must have been tired of living!"

Agatha stepped forward with a smile.

"Trust me, I haven't," Agatha replied. "Rather, only now I gained interest in living."

Swoosh~!

A frightening power surged out of her, breaking through the void, and directly wrapping both Amora and Yose.

"Let us start."

✵✵✵✵

Outside.

Sylvan ran in one direction, firing beams. In another direction, there was a group of six people who weren't noticed by him. They were stunned by his actions but didn't leave their position. Their job was to observe the villa and act when a chance arrives.

They took out spy gadgets to scan the living hall where the window was broken. Just as they began, shadows underneath their bodies rapidly crawled up, like sticky liquid.

"What?!"

They were shocked as, by the time they noticed, the shadows tightened up on their bodies like nets.

"Let me get out!"

They tried to protest as the shadows started squeezing their throats. Their faces turned pale and they broke out in sweat due to the pressure on their windpipes.

"Screw off!"

A cyan-haired man named Lazeer growled. Dazzling bolts of electricity unleashed out of his body, slashing through the shadows.

BANG

Explosive crackling sounds ringed out, and the shadows on him exploded in a splash of darkness. He didn't wait to catch a breath as he discharged more currents to help his companions.

ZZZT~!

The electricity slashed apart the shadows.

"Damnit!"

Lazeer's face turned ugly as he realized he was too late. Three of his companions had already died by strangulation.

"Who the hell did this?!" Lazeer demanded. "Come out if you dare!"

~step~

A stunning woman stepped out of the darkness and appeared in front of him. She adjusted her glasses, and smiled, her smile both innocent yet seductive.

Chapter 557 I Learned From My Love!

As the woman emerged from the darkness, Lazeer fiercely glared at her.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

Lazzer demanded as thick ropes of electricity materialized on his body, emitting crackling sounds.

Behind him, the two survivors lifted their hands as translucent shields appeared. Their auras then violently erupted, causing the ground to tremble and nearby trees to collapse.

Earlier they were caught off-guard by her strange shadow attack, but now they were ready to make her pay the price!

Lazzer was at the peak of Level V while his companions were at the peak of Level III. Their release of power was shocking, creating unbearable pressure that rumbled through everything.

"Evangelina Webley."

The woman introduced herself. Her seductive yet innocent smile didn't waver as the men released their terrific auras.

"You can call me Eva."

BANG

The space behind her exploded, instantly changing into a turbid sea of ominous shadows.

Lazeer and others felt their hearts jolt. They felt a chilling sensation as the shadows opened their dark mouths, exposing canine teeth.

Whoosh~!

Even as looks of shock appeared on their faces, the sea of shadows flooded out in all directions, wrapping everything. In a matter of seconds, the night sky, the ground, the villa... everything dissapeared. If there was anything in sight, it was shadows.

"Domain!"

Lazzer's expression drastically changed in disbelief. He has electronic sensors that can capture the level of a mutant, and if the readings were right, the woman in front of him was a mid-stage Level IV.

Yet she has summoned a Domain! It has to be remembered even among Betas, only a selected few could do so!

Eva's hair floated in the air as shadows danced around her, turning into constructs. She flicked a finger and waves of shadows surged out, charging straight at the three men.

Lazeer didn't lose his cool. He aimed at the waves, blasting out an intense amount of electricity.

BOOM

As the waves and electricity collided, an explosion rang out like peals of thunder. Shadowy shockwaves followed, entangled with wisps of electricity.

The two men used their shields to block them as the fight started.

Backed with a torrent of electricity, Lazzer shot at Eva, his hands booming out blinding projectiles.

Every single projectile emanated off such high voltage that it could even blast a hundred stories building, much less a human!

Eva didn't do anything as projectiles rained down on her. The shadowy constructs around her whipped forward on their own, smashing into the projectiles and retaliating.

✵✵✵✵

Living Hall, Dream Rise House.

Amora and Yose were stunned as they looked at Agatha. Energy frantically poured out of her, enveloping the villa and themselves.

"What on Earth is this power?!"

Amora wondered as she saw dazzling streams of energy wrapping her. She could feel its nature was entirely different than the one created by Divine Particles and that frightened her.

A second barely passed and by then, to her shock, she felt she and Yose were isolated from the space of the villa even they were in the villa!

She then eyed the chair where Zed was sitting.

It was just a few meters away, and yet, it was like he was in a different dimension!

How could that be possible?!

She brought her eyes back on Agatha, her expression serious as a possibility struck her.

"You have the ability to influence space?!" Amora asked.

Space was one of the great concepts of the universe alongside Time and Fate. Very few mutants existed that have the ability to influence them!

And yet, a mutant in front of her had this great power!

Next to Amora, Yose didn't care about getting the answer. He opened his mouth and breathed out piles of smoke.

Swoosh~!

The smoke gushed with poisonous gases, and it rushed at Agatha. He knew Agatha existed in the same space as theirs, so he wanted to crush as her as soon as possible.

In a fight against any mutant that could influence the great concepts of the universe, the only way to win without suffering any damage was by smashing the opponent in the quickest possible time!

Giving even one extra second to such a mutant could be fatal!

As the smoke descended on Agatha, it poisoned every molecule of oxygen around her, giving her no possible route to survive.

Whish~!

Agatha found herself submerged in the smoke. It tried to enter into her facial orifices and melt her body, but her expression didn't change.

"For years, I was terrified of my real powers," Agatha said as she lifted her hand. "I always tried to come up with excuses to not use them, but that stops now."

Yose's pupils dilated as a chill crawled through his smoke body. As he tried to make sense of this sensation, the smoke submerging Agatha collapsed.

"What?!"

Yose was connected with the smoke. He felt it losing its materialistic characteristics, thereby collapsing, and even as this happened, the space around him tightened, locking him. It made it difficult for him to even discharge a puff of smoke.

Much less discharge, the tightening space compressed his smoke body, making him feel as if he was being hammered.

"Dammit! I didn't even get the chance to use my abilities fully!"

Yose complained as space continued to tighten around him.

Amora's heart sank.

She was sure Agatha was far weaker than them, and yet, the quality of her power was countless times higher than theirs!

She didn't know how that was possible, but she knew now was not the time to think! She has to act, and that too quickly!

"I have to go all out!"

BOOM

Her aura exploded out like an invisible cyclone, causing everything to shake violently. The stitches on her eyelids tore and her eyes opened, revealing nothing but the blazing void.

Frightening presence surged out of them, releasing a world-devouring force.

Her face also underwent a monstrous transformation, making her look like a demonic creature. The pressure she emanated instantly reached the early-stage of Level VI!

Had space not been isolated, the villa would have exploded to pieces under the eruption of her new powers!

"Let me show you the price for your impudence!" Amora announced.

If she couldn't defeat her opponent in quality of power, then she would let the quantity do all the talks.

"You must have undergone experiments to gain such a powerful transformation!" Agatha couldn't help but remark with a smile.

"Are you looking down on me?!" Amora thundered.

How dare this bitch look down on her just because she was beautiful!?

"My apologies," Agatha replied. "I wasn't looking down on your appearance. Rather, I smiled because I thought what my love would do in front of a dangerous opponent like you."

"Your love!? That man who has to rely on you to save his pathetic life?! Hahaha! What can that weakling do anyways?!"

Amora flooded out the devouring force, attacking the confines of the isolated space. Cracks appeared on it as the force sucked the powers creating this space.

Yose took a breath in relief as he became free. He stretched his hand towards Agatha and launched a column of dark smoke that smashed forward like a roaring dragon.

Amora appeared before Agatha from another direction, her hands clawing down on the gorgeous face!

"Many things, far too many things! He is a big cheat!"

Agatha answered as she unleashed her strength that she derived from the alien particle!

A whirlwind of pure power surged out, chaining the hands that wanted to rip her face. Alongside this, the power cut into the column of smoke, charging straight at Yose.

"!!"

Amora's heart skipped a beat and she broke out in cold sweat as Agatha's power chained her hands.

An overwhelming power made every cell in her body bow down. She felt an overbearing sense of reverence, something she felt not so long ago when Hyperion destroyed Delta Military Base.

"Power Cosmic!"

Amora cried in shock as the majestic power rippled out.

Even as the shock of her realization gripped her, the splitting space collapsed.

To both Amora and Yose's terror, they collapsed alongside it. That wasn't what terrified them, rather where the collapsing space brought them.

They phased through the villa floor and crossed thousands of meters before landing in what appeared to be a lab!

Still, they had plenty of battle experience and they didn't learn the shock overpower them. They were put to the sorry condition because of the shock element, otherwise, they were sure, they could defeat Agatha!

All they need to do was fight with everything they got!

Having power Cosmic didn't make that big of a difference because Amora knew the laws of Earth tried to suppress such powers! This was why the terrifying battle between Hyperion and Kiba didn't destroy the planet! And since Amora worked for the World Government, she knew the reason why such suppression existed! It was for the same reason why the World Fragments of Celestial Elysian Plane arrived on Earth!

Of course, despite suppression, power Cosmic was far superior to the powers derived from Divine Particles! Not only was it superior, but it also gave envy-worthy abilities and a long lifespan. Something why the echelons of the world so desired this power!

As Amora and Yose rose, their expressions turned unsightly. They realized they haven't actually fallen on the lab floor but rather somewhere else!

"Underestimating my love because he had turned weak is courting death!"

Agatha said with a loving smile.

"Anyways, what he taught me is that... why waste your strength in defeating your opponents when you can use others for that! So I choose science to complete the job!"

Amora wanted to shout and scream, but she knew that would make no difference. Everything was blocked because she and Yose were in glass chambers!

She was far too familiar with them because they were also called:

"Experiment pods!"

She looked uglier than crying.

These pods were used to conduct dangerous experiments on mutants. So they were obviously designed to restrict any possible thoughts of struggle!

A blue gas discharged in the pods, nullifying the senses of the subjects, making them feel sleepy.

"Bitch! Let me out!"

She finally shouted but it was useless.

Science defeated her and Yose... not even giving them the opportunity to show-of their superior abilities.

[[Lady Agatha, thank you for gifting me such high-quality specimens.]]

Claudia expressed her gratitude. It had been many months since she had live specimens.

Agatha nodded and replied, "You are welcome."

✵✵✵✵

Living Hall.

Zed observed the visuals from the lab. He closed the virtual screen and let out a sigh.

"Agatha... how could she accuse me of being a big cheat?!"

He was a very honest guy who spent his resources for the greater good, especially of that women. Yet, she almost implied he was shameless while praising him!

[[Lady Agatha only stated a fact. There was no accusation.]]

Claudia's voice ringed in the hall.

[[Every boyfriend/husband whose girlfriend/wife you bedded with your sly schemes would agree.]]

"...."

Zed released another sigh. He didn't reply because he knew Claudia's retorts would be far too vicious.

He rose to his feet and arrived before the broken window. Looking out, he saw an area wrapped with a sea of shadows.

He wasn't worried for Eva because in case her opponents were far too strong, he has given her backup of science.

[[Sir.]] Claudia turned serious.

"Hmm?"

[[You think the plan would work?]]

"No, it won't," Zed replied. "All it would do is buy us some time."

[[....]]

Everything today happened was to deter those who have nefarious intentions regarding him.

Of course, Sylvan's actions went against the plan when he started attacking those who witnessed him in a compromising situation.

That didn't derail the plan so Zed didn't mind. No, if he was honest, Sylvan somewhat helped him in spreading the message that he wasn't an easy target.

"We only need three more days... so even though the plan won't work, everything would be fine."

Greed and lust for power and riches were impossible to stop. No amount of deterrence could stop them.

Otherwise, no adventurer would explore World Fragments where countless people died every year.

People always seek opportunities even if they were dangerous. Desires overpower common sense...

✵✵✵✵

Next day.

Morning.

Half a mile away, Heather opened her eyes in surprise. She thought she might need to take action, but no such situation arrived.

"Maybe I was worried for nothing."

Her ethereal body returned back to its physical form. She turned around, but then, she jerked her back, her pupils constricting in shock.

"!!!!"

Above Dream Rise House, a mutant had appeared. His face was full of strange tattoos, giving him an eerie look.

"Drackon Moonfall! The Blazing Demon!"

Heather's face turned solemn as she identified him.

Inside the villa, Zed was in the middle of breakfast.

Agatha was in the underground lab, observing Hope who was about to awake in three days. Eva was also in the lab after the fight that ended six hours ago, now undergoing treatment.

Zed took a glass of juice when a virtual screen flashed in front of him. It projected the security visuals of Drackon Moonfall.

[[His readings are far too high for our outside sensors to capture! Most likely, he's an Alpha!]] Claudia warned.

"!!"

✵✵✵✵

House of Hestia, State of Avalon.

Lord Harley and Xalion looked at the live satellite visuals of Dream Rise House.

"Fufufu! That kid did what we expected!" Xalion burst out laughing.

Lord Harley smirked.

"Heather should have seen Drackon! Everything is working as per the plan!" Xalion continued. "Now is the time to take the kid out of his comfort zone!"

Chapter 558 First Dream!

Zed jumped to his feet with a start.

He didn't expect this, at least not so quickly.

"We earned no time at all!"

Zed looked at the screen.

Dracon Moonfall floated high above the villa, doing nothing, but gazing down with a nonchalant expression.

Zed could feel his vision and even though the latter hasn't unleashed his aura as an Alpha, a pressure descended on him and the villa. The pressure was sharp, like a sword, and the breakfast plates and glasses split into pieces.

Cracks erupted on the windows and fissures sprang on the floors. The waterfall split into two as the dark rocks underneath it crumbled into fragments.

The drones and droids emitted crackling noises as they started bending, their circuits exploding.

Zed knuckled his fists and lifted his head. His veins popped out and his body trembled under the pressure, but he refused to bend.

In the sky, a smile appeared on Dracon's face. He lifted a hand towards the morning sky.

Whoosh~!

A burst of winds rushed into his hand, gleaming with dazzling strands of energy.

In the hall, the virtual screen dimmed down as the pressure turned stronger.

[[Power system is being affected, sir. You need to leave now!]]

Zed nodded but the pressure made it too difficult to even move.

"I will be there in a second!" Agatha's voice came out of the screen. Claudia had informed her of the newly arrived enemy.

"No!" Zed shook his head. "No matter what happens, neither you nor Eva would leave the lab!"

The villa and the underground facilities were cut off from each other despite the elevators and secret routes. The outside of underground facilities was enhanced with unbreakable walls that could restrict ocular powers and cast an illusion of being soil.

So even a Level VII Alpha wouldn't detect the presence of the facilities unless they carefully scan the area. This was especially true after Kiba arrived from Desolate Blood Forest. He had enhanced the arrangements with the items he acquired to make them foolproof.

So as long as there were no movements from the villa to the lab or vice-versa, the secret wouldn't be exposed.

"What?! I can't do that!" Agatha said as she rushed for the villa.

"Do you want our daughter to be an orphan?!" Zed asked.

"!" Agatha stopped with a jerk.

"If we both die, who would take care of her?! Or do you want her to live like I had in the slums!?" Zed demanded.

Agatha clenched her fists.

Behind her, Eva lowered her head as mist erupted in her eyes. She was street-smart and practical so she understood Zed's points far better than Agatha.

If an Alpha was here, neither she nor Agatha could make a difference. They would just throw away their lives for nothing.

She placed a hand on Agatha and said, "I know you love him, and that's why you need to live."

Agatha barely managed to nod.

"Haah~"

Eva's mood was far too complex.

She also had emotions that she suppressed, and now was not the time she could let them erupt. She has to protect Agatha from doing anything reckless and ensure Hope wasn't discovered.

"Zed... Kiba! You have to live!" Eva said while taking Agatha back. "Don't forget your cheesy promises!"

Zed smiled.

"I won't!"

He concentrated on his storage ring and took out the bottle containing energy pills. The pressure destroyed the bottle and most of the pills, but he managed to grab a few pills and consume them.

The high-rank pills circulated his blood with vitality and provided a boost in his strength. He managed to move towards the exit.

At the same time, as dazzling winds concentrated in Dracon's hand, Heather appeared in front of him.

"Dracon! He's a child of Lady Rebecca!" Heather thundered as she flicked a hand at him. "You are courting death by targeting him!"

RUMBLE~~~

A trail of illusory palaces appeared in the air, bombarding with the pressure of mountains, smashing into the concentrated winds.

BANG

An ear numbing explosion ringed out. In the fraction from the time the explosion occurred, Dracon's body flickered and it split into two.

"!"

Heather's pupils constricted. It wasn't her attack that split him, rather he did himself.

The split parts regenerated, unleashing a mass of blood and flesh, turning into two Dracon. One of them charged at Heather while the other created another wind attack, albeit leisurely.

Aurora infused into Heather's fists as she punched at the incoming Dracon.

"Why are you provoking House of Hestia?! Have the other families paid you!?"

Heather demanded as the aurora in her fists swirled, and then blasting out in the form of spikes.

Dracon didn't answer.

Meanwhile, on the ground.

Zed got out of the hall and stepped into the garden. He utilized the energy from the pills to run, knowing full well he can't go to the lab or other underground sections.

He barely crossed the garden when the imposing pressure returned. The flowers decayed and the tress shattered in the form of shards.

Some of them pierced him but he didn't stop.

Blood trickled out of his wounds and as the blood dropped on the ground, killing intent flashed in his eyes.

If he died, he would accept it.

He had killed countless and when one starts treading the path of killing, one has to be ready for their death as well!

While he wanted to live and wouldn't accept death without struggling, he was ready for death. He always had since the time he killed his caretaker.

Death was a part of life.

Why fear it?

If there was something to fear, it was living life on the terms of others!

Something that the slums and BSE-79 expedition in his life represented, and even then, he resisted! He destroyed the strings of others and carved a life for himself!

Women.

Riches.

Vanity.

He had everything he always wanted... and then needed.

Love!

Romance!

Yes, he didn't want death to separate him from his daughter and those he loved, but he was ready for death!

After all, what was the reason to fear death?! He had lived a life only a handful of people can boast of!

He raised his head towards the sky. If today was the day he would die, he would accept it with a smile on his face.

This was his disposition as the true devil!

By now, he was out of the villa, his body stained with blood and sweat. Just as he arrived, a dazzling ball of twirling wind smashed into the waterfall upon which the villa was partly built.

The villa was the sign of his first dream. The proof that he had succeeded in completing his desire of having a shelter... a place which he could call his home.

As the ball smashed, the lights in the vicinity dimmed, rushing into the ball. Then, a devastating force surged out, sweeping through the waterfall and the house.

BOOOM

The villa exploded!

A blazing shockwave swept out, knocking Zed with its impact. He was sent flying back by hundreds of meters before smashing into a tree far away, coughing up blood.

He ignored the raging pain and the blood that fell into his eyes as he looked in front.

His home wrapped in flames, smoke trailing out.

His first dream was destroyed...

Chapter 559 You Are Right Again!

The impact of the explosion was so powerful that the villa knocked off into the sky before crashing down, engulfed in blazing flames. By the time it dropped on the ground, every room was separated from another, broken into fragments.

The waterfall disappeared amidst the burning fragments, its source forever wiped out.

One of the fragments landed near Zed.

It was the bedroom where everything was charred black, disintegrating into ashes. Only the family portrait remained: Kiba holding Hope as Agatha looked at him.

The portrait caught fire, burning within red flames.

Zed looked at everything in despair.

Dream Rise House was the first thing he ever built. Its importance was far higher than everything he pursued as Kiba.

He had felt bad when the properties he owned as Kiba were destroyed, but not enough to sulk or feel sad.

But now, seeing his villa exploding in front of him, emotions erupted inside him.

Sadness, loneliness, and melancholy.

When he lived in the slums, he desired nothing more than a roof of his own.

A place where he could rest peacefully, without any worries.

A place which he could hall his home.

A drop of tear fell from his eye as the villa completely disappeared into ashes. If there was anything left, it was the smashed ground.

"My home!"

Rage pumped through his heart as he lifted his head and looked in the sky.

One Dracon fought Heather while the other floated freely, gazing at the ground with indifference. He felt Zed's stare and he looked back at him with plain ridicule.

Does an ant dare to be angry at him?! What a joke!

If not for his mission, he would smash this ant to pieces for being so impudent.

Zed's expression turned into that of the devil.

RUMBLE~~

High in the morning sky, the clouds turned stormy and dark. It happened for an instant, at a rate that one couldn't even perceive the changes.

Dracon snapped his head up as he felt something. By the time his eyes looked at the sky, it was again clear and shiny, but his expression dramatically changed.

A bolt of lightning shot down at him!

Its speed was so fast that he failed to notice the lightning emanated a sinister gray radiance.

He was an Alpha so his very presence acted as a shield. Yet, the air around him cracked like a growing spider web and through it, the bolt of lightning slammed into him!

BOOOM

With an explosive sound, he smashed into the ground, creating a crater and sending waves of soil high in the air.

Heather and the Dracon fighting her were startled. They didn't notice what happened, but they felt the impact from him smashing.

Dracon looked at his replica on the ground. His body was reduced to pulp!

"What was that bolt of lightning?! It was a surprise attack so I can understand why I got no time to defend, but how could it be so powerful?!"

Dracon wondered as his replica regenerated from its pulp-like state.

Since the replica was a part of him, he knew everything the replica did and vice-versa. They even shared their powers and stamina.

"!!"

Dracon shivered and coughed up blood. He didn't know why but he felt something sinister channeling into him through the bond he shared with the replica.

"What the hell!?"

Dracon shot back a mile while scanning his body. He was sure something had entered his bloodstream and yet, no matter how he examined his body, there was nothing!

"Who the hell is here!? Show your face!"

Dracon shouted.

He saw Heather looking at him with a bewildered expression and then he noticed the kid named Zed. The latter was violently shaking as if he was going a seizure and then coughing up blood nonstop.

Dracon was confused.

That kid was obviously not responsible for what happened. Even if he wasn't in the sorry state, he wouldn't have such powers.

Heather was the same as Dracon knew her nature of powers.

Even if she had hidden abilities, she couldn't create such damage as she was only peak Level VI, at the border of being an Alpha. The chasm that separated her from being an Alpha was as vast as the oceans!

So what happened?!

Was an Alpha hiding in the shadows?! Could he/she be a part of Rebecca's preparations!?

"Xalion! It is even possible that bastard sent an Alpha to silence me!"

Dracon realized this possibility as well.

His replica arrived next to him, floating alongside. He confirmed there was nothing wrong in the replica so he felt perhaps, his earlier thoughts of something channeling into him were imagination.

Confirming it again, he tapped a hand into the chest of the replica.

Swish~!

The replica dissolved into a mass of blood and flesh, merging into his real body.

Dracon wanted to be in his best state to tackle any situation. So he prepared himself.

Heather was perplexed by Dracon's actions. She knew he loved to toy with his opponents so she could understand why he didn't defeat her in one go, and dragged the battle.

But his present actions puzzled her. Why has his expression changed so unsightly?! He was more than capable of killing everyone here!

And why did his replica smashed into the ground?! There was no one who could do that! Could he have turned crazy and attacked himself!?

On the ground, Zed continued to shake and cough blood. The rage had taken control of his senses and he summoned his powers without realizing. He might not have, but his body did as it paid the heavy price.

Dracon eyed Zed.

One part of his mission was yet to be fulfilled, and in case his possibility was wrong, he knew he would be going back on the deal if he didn't complete the mission.

As he started rushing at Zed, he sensed a powerful force erupting far away. Through the layer of clouds, a streak of light swept forward, rushing here.

Heather noticed it as well. Her eyes brightened as she realized who it was.

"Lady Katherine! Sophia!"

She called out happily.

Sophia had her arms wrapped around her mother as they flew forward.

Katherine nodded before arriving next to Zed. She placed a finger on his head and a burst of energy swept into him, providing him vitality.

"Are you feeling better?" Sophia asked as she jumped from her mother's back.

"Yes," Zed replied. He then turned towards Katherine and said, "Thank you for helping me. I won't forget this favor."

Katherine's lips curved up into a beautiful smile as she replied, "You have helped my daughter many times so you don't owe me for this."

"No, what exists between her and me is friendship so we never owed each other. But I do owe you for helping me when I needed it."

Zed rose with Sophia's support. Her eyes glittered as she thought of what he said.

With a cheerful smile, she turned towards her mother.

"Mom! You were right again!"

Sophia exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

"A great man never considers his help to others as anything worth mentioning! But he always remembers the help of others as acts of kindness and repay them!"

".........."

"Though I'm sure if that shameless scoundrel was in Zed's place, he would say you are lucky to help him! He might even claim you owe him a favor for getting a chance to help him!"

".........."

Katherine was stunned.

She had often heard her daughter talking about the greatest villain out there and wondered just what type of man he was for Sophia to have such an opinion.

Chapter 560 You Hurt Our Feelings!

Katherine cleared her thoughts and brought her eyes to Dracon. The latter stopped in mid-air, his expression nonchalant though with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

"Do you still want to target this child!?" Katherine asked.

BANG

The air around her churned before violently exploding into the sky, turning into a frightening curtain that was half black and half white. Billowing energy ripples surged out of it, radiating a force that resembled both life and death!

If one looks carefully, they could see the outline of a gate on the curtain!

Life \u0026 Death Gate!

Dracon eyed Zed for a moment before replying, "Naa. I have lost interest."

After saying this, he turned into a prismatic beam of light and shot into the distance, disappearing on the horizon.

Heather was pleasantly surprised by his refusal to engage in a battle. She gazed at Katherine with reverence.

Katherine was also glad Dracon stepped back. Had they battled, she wasn't sure who would win...

Shaking her head, she glanced at the razed ground where the villa used to. It was charred, filled with cracks and fissures.

"Zed," Katherine gazed at him and said. "Why don't you stay with us for some days?"

Some distance away, Heather was pleased. She knew he wouldn't accept her help due to his strained relationship with her mistress, but Katherine was different. There was no animosity or resentment!

Zed opened his lips to refuse. But before he could, Katherine added, "What happened here was partly mine and Sophia's fault... so please, give me a chance to make up for it."

Sophia was startled.

How were they responsible for this?

Zed looked at Katherine for some time before nodding.

"Thank you."

He politely expressed his gratitude.

Katherine let out a sigh in relief.

Zed, in the meantime, turned towards Heather.

"You have my gratitude for what you did today," Zed said, his voice calm. "Most likely you did it at the behest of Rebecca but nevertheless, I owe you for this."

Heather didn't reply.

Him calling her mistress name directly instead of addressing her as mother made her heart heavy. There was so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't.

✻✻✻✻✻

Half an hour later.

Zed sat in the mansion Katherine had reserved for herself and her daughter. It was on the border of the city, and one of the few properties that survived when Extermination fought the three Alphas.

The servants provided him a set of clothes and other necessary items. His storage ring had exploded so he literally didn't have anything left.

"Only two more days..."

He thought as he took a shower. The fall of cold water on his face helped him calm down...

An hour later.

Katherine invited him for lunch.

As the servants served dishes, he noticed Sophia was downcast, her mood bitter. Surprised, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Sophia looked at him and said, "You are too much of a good guy! Why didn't you blame me for what I did?!"

After they arrived here, she had asked Katherine what she meant when she said they were responsible for the crisis Zed faced. Katherine explained her in details and that left her in a state of shock.

Based on her interactions with Zed in Desolate Blood Forest, especially what he did during the trials when he took "precautions", she was sure Zed was more than smart. There was no way he wouldn't know she was responsible for the mess he was in, and yet, he never showed any anger, much less blame her.

Why does he have to be so good to her?

No! Not only her but also to those who hated him! There was Carmen, Launcelot, and so many others whom he helped in the forest despite the antagonistic relationship!

"Because you aren't at fault despite what you might believe," Zed answered with a smile. "So unless you want me to blame you of something you aren't responsible for, I don't see why you should be downcast."

"!" Sophia was stunned by his reply and as was her mother.

"But it was me who told my family which was..." Sophia started.

"Not really," Zed cut her off in between. "There are many survivors from the core region and I'm pretty sure most of them would have noticed what you did. You wouldn't share what you consider as my secrets, unlike most of them. So you didn't really do anything, except for bringing your wonderful mom to help me! So I think I should be thanking you!"

Sophia broke into a smile.

She had blamed herself and his response made her worries disappear.

Katherine was amazed by his response. She noticed her daughter smiling and this made her cherry-colored lips gleam with charm.

"You are really too kind," Katherine said as her beautiful lips stretched into a sweet smile. "Sophia was right!"

Zed was tranced by her smile.

She was gorgeous just like her daughter, especially those innocent eyes that carried softness like water...

Desires that his alter ego was known for erupted in his heart.

But he easily suppressed them with control.

"No, it is you two who are far too kind," Zed replied with a gentle smile. "I was only being honest and that's not kindness."

Katherine disagreed for she knew everything he had done to help others, both in the forest and the city. Throughout the globe, not even a handful of people were capable of doing what he did.

And yet, he suffered today. He might disagree but some of it was their fault. At the very least, they sort of acted as a catalyst.

"What happened with me recently was for good," Zed continued with the smile. "So you two shouldn't feel bad for me."

"Good?!" Sophia was startled.

How can facing a deathly crisis be considered as good!?

"Well, in the last four years, I had become far too complacent..." Zed answered. "What happened in the last few days provided me with a heavy dose of reality so it is for good."

Before he fused with the Cosmic Spark, he was a survivalist. He was always on guard, training what little power he had to perfection and ready to tackle any situation with both wits and strength.

But afterward?

The Cosmic Spark made him so overpowered that he became lazy. He never bothered to train despite the extraordinary abilities he gained.

But then again, he never felt the need to do so... until recently.

Sophia was awestruck by his words.

Her misty blue eyes sparkled with respect as she once again turned towards her mother and exclaimed, "Mom! You were right again! A great person doesn't despair from a crisis! Rather he sees it as an opportunity to evolve!"

Katherine's cheeks flushed by constant praise from her daughter...

✳✳✳✳✳

House of Hestia.

"Well, this works as well!" Xalion said as he read the report. "Dracon not completing his second part of the mission due to Katherine is rather good for the plan!"

Lord Harley nodded while observing the virtual images of the place where Dream Rise House used to be.

"Everything is working as we wanted."

Lord Harley grinned.

The mission of Dracon was never to kill or cripple Zed.

Rather it was to check whatever backup Zed had... and verify if it had the strength to face an Alpha. That wasn't the only objective though.

It was to also destroy his safe haven and make him terrified so that he would have no choice but to seek help, or risk death!

With multiple factions eyeing Zed as a prey, the actions of Dracon would be considered as an act by other great families. So everything was easy.

"Humans are the most stupid beings! They can be easily swindled by narratives!"

Before the age of evolution, the rulers of mortal countries would often create crises within their own countries. It was in the form of plundering, massacres, assassinations, murders of soldiers, etc.

Obviously, the masses would never even think the rulers could do such a thing. After all, what type of rulers would harm their own subjects!?

So the masses blamed renegades, foreign countries, and so on.

What they didn't know was that they were duped! Their own thinking wasn't theirs but rather something cultivated by the rulers!

It was done by the power of narrative!

Since the rulers had the machinery to propagate their views and plant any evidence to fool masses, the narrative was never questioned. Those who dare counter it were labeled as traitors.

As for why the rulers would do such a thing... it was to distract the masses. The distraction could be to make people forget about corruption, power abuse, or any reason that might bring instability to those in power!

The era might have changed, but the techniques of the past still remained.

Lord Harley and Xalion had made enough preparations to sell the narrative they wanted. It would not only help in fooling Rebecca but also in controlling Zed!

At least, that's what they believed...

✳✳✳✳✳✳

Delta City.

Let's rewind the time to the moment Dracon left what remained of Dream Rise House.

If not for the risk of another possible Alpha, Dracon would have challenged Katherine and showed her the extent of his true powers. Since he wasn't sure, he didn't take the risk.

At lightning speed, he left the city and flew high above the sea, just a few miles away from the adjacent city.

Suddenly, his eyes flickered and he jerked his body back.

The sea below surged out an enormous wave of blood, emanating a dreadful power. It narrowly missed him and crashed into the clouds, creating a spatial crack!

"Aww... why would you dodge it, uncle?"

A feminine voice asked him.

Dracon was dumbstruck for the voice was too close, far too close! It was behind him!

He shot forward at light speed.

"It was a gift and yet you refused it without caring about our feelings!" Another feminine voice erupted, this time from the sea. "Daddy said only evil people hurt others feelings!"

Dracon finally sighted the speakers. They were beautiful women who drifted in the sky with innocent expressions.

Their cute smiles made his heart constrict in shock for he knew them.

"The crazy twins?!"

It was obviously none other than Madison and Lillian!

"Crazy?" Madison looked bewildered as she turned towards her sister. "Could he be calling us crazy?"

"I think so!" Lillian replied.

Tears erupted in Madison's eyes and she burst up crying. Lillian quickly hugged her and rubbed a hand over her back.

She then turned towards Dracon and said, "You hurt her feelings again! You are really evil!"

Evil?!

Dracon retreated.

He didn't fear anyone but he dreaded these two! Because they were the actual evils!

No mutant would kill or destroy without a reason.

But not these two! They would massacre entire towns just for fun!

They were completely insane!

And facing an insane opponent was suicide! Especially when there were two of them, and that too Alphas!!