Chapter 205: Settling the Score (Part 1)

  "You've grown up." It was only now that Marquis looked Ethan up and down again, his eyes still holding a hint of a smile. "In every respect, you've grown up."

  "So it was you. You're that Necromancer lurking in the Royal Capital, the one who stole Sandro's books and clothes. I never thought... not even Bishop Ronis discovered you." Ethan looked at Marquis. Even at this point, even though he had almost died three times at this man's hands, on a sensory and emotional level, Ethan still found it hard to believe that this witty, refined, understanding, and dashing number one romantic scholar on the continent was actually a Necromancer. Moreover, he had been a good friend of Bishop Ronis and had lived under the eyes of everyone in the Royal Capital for so many years.

  But whether he believed it or not didn't matter anymore. The fact was right in front of him. His hand, with the deadly ring, was on Sophia's shoulder, ready to press that poisoned needle into her body at any moment.

  Marquis said flatly, "People are usually more lax about things right under their noses. Besides, Bishop Ronis has known me since I was a teenager, so naturally, he wouldn't be on guard against me. The key is that I didn't deliberately disguise myself in front of him. I truly did consider him a friend... right up until his death."

  Ethan froze, then asked sharply, "Was Bishop Ronis's death also related to you?"

  Marquis just gave a somewhat desolate smile and didn't answer directly, only saying, "Emotionally, I truly didn't want him to die. I didn't have many friends to begin with. In fact, if it weren't for our differing stances and some unavoidable reasons, we could have been friends. What a pity..."

  Although Sophia's body was now immobile, the horror in her eyes was beyond compare. From Marquis's initial actions, to the dark magic fluctuation coming from the hand that held her, and the conversation between the two, every single thing made her feel as if she were in a dream.

  "Fortunately, I'm not your friend. You've been lurking so deeply and secretly all this time, but now you've rushed out and exposed your identity yourself. There must have been some kind of accident, right?" Ethan said slowly. His eyes, looking at Marquis, were now completely bloodshot. His muscles and nerves were taut, and his spirit was completely locked onto the other. As long as there was the slightest chance, he would strike immediately.

  "Yes, that accident is you. I saw the traces of your escape from the cellar. If I'm not mistaken, you've already used the Meditations on Truth to connect the power of the Sunwell and the Leaves of the World Tree. This is also proof that you are beginning to mature and reach completion on a spiritual level. That's why, no matter what, I can't let you escape again, otherwise, it will absolutely be an endless source of trouble. Things would also completely spiral out of my control. Fortunately, I knew where you would come first after you escaped, so I rushed here at the fastest speed." Marquis gave a bitter smile. "But I still miscalculated somewhat. I originally thought I could subdue you directly, but I didn't expect... you've truly matured so much more than before. You're actually on guard against me."

  Ethan said, "I have your son to thank for that. To be honest, without the setbacks and stimulation he gave me, I wouldn't have reached this point."

  Marquis nodded and said flatly, "Usually, a good enemy is more likely to make a person grow than ten friends. In fact, without you, he wouldn't have his achievements today."

  Ethan saw the confused look in Sophia's eyes as she looked at him, sighed, and explained, "I was just about to tell you. The new Cardinal, Javi, is the former Clovis. This great father of his rescued him from the chaos caused by your father, brought him into the Necromancer Guild, and gave him a new face and identity. He's come back this time to take back what he lost before, including you."

  "Alright, let's not waste any more time on this chat. Rest assured, no reinforcements will be coming no matter how long we delay. The guards at the door, under a mind spell, don't even know I've come in. And right now in this Royal Capital, it seems there's no one who can help you. If you're thinking of distracting my attention and spirit, it's a futile effort."

  A drop of sweat dripped from Ethan's chin onto the floor.

  It was just as Marquis had said. Even though he kept trying to find ways to entice the other to speak, to distract his attention, Ethan couldn't find any opportunity to make a move. Lord Marquis still maintained that casual posture, to say nothing of any imposing aura, even the muscles in his body were relaxed and at ease, but Ethan knew that no matter what method he used to strike, he could press the hand with the deadly ring onto Sophia's body.

  Marquis suddenly spoke up, "Miss Drow behind me, I advise you not to move. I know you're very confident in your stealth and silent movement skills, but I'll still give you a piece of advice. Even if you sacrifice your own life, you won't be able to give him any opportunity to strike."

  Jessica's body froze. Marquis had been standing with his back to her. She had already approached silently to a distance where she could almost strike, just one step away. But just before that final step, the other had issued a warning. It was certain this warning was not just a bluff.

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  "If your goal now is to subdue me, then you've achieved it. What are you going to do next? Do you want me to kill myself?" Ethan asked in a hoarse voice. He knew that he might truly be at his wit's end this time. In fact, even he hadn't noticed how Jessica was slowly approaching Marquis because his own mind was in disarray, but Marquis, who had his back completely to her, could sense it clearly. This already showed that in terms of mentality, spiritual power, or perception, he had indeed fallen behind.

  This opponent was the one Ethan had encountered who had the least sense of oppression, and theoretically, seemed to be the least capable of fighting. But Ethan was absolutely certain that he was the most dangerous one, because he was also the most unpredictable. A snake that could hide and lurk beside you for so long was far more terrifying than a beast that bared its fangs and claws.

  "Suicide? Of course not. Even if my goal is indeed your life, I couldn't make such a request. No one can be sure if a person will give up their life for the sake of emotions..." Marquis let go of Sophia's hand, which he had been holding, reached into his robe, took out two teleportation scrolls, and tossed one to Ethan. Sophia, still under his dark magic, couldn't move a muscle, and Marquis's hand with the ring never left her shoulder. "But I have enough confidence to be sure that as long as there's a sliver of hope to save her, you will absolutely not give up. We'll open these two teleportation scrolls together. How about that?"

  Ethan took the scroll. He had seen this kind of teleportation scroll before; it had a small purple skull on both ends. He said with a bitter smile, "You want me to go to Diya Valley with you? What's the difference between this and asking me to kill myself directly?"

  "Of course there's a difference. You might hesitate with suicide, but you won't refuse this method. We'll both unfurl the scrolls at the same time, which means we can teleport away simultaneously. You can rest assured, Miss Mrak is not my target, and I don't want to be hated by that kid for the rest of my life for killing her. I already owe him too much." Marquis smiled at Ethan, as if to comfort him. "You should know that I might not necessarily kill you. At least I'll let you see someone before you die, so you can tell her with your own mouth that what she believed was wrong. And you should have confidence in your own strength. Who knows, you might even be able to kill me and level Diya Valley with the power of the Sunwell and the Leaves of the World Tree you've comprehended."

  "Then I'll have to take your kind words for it." Ethan said, grabbing the scroll fiercely. He had no choice; this was the only way. "Then you count to three, and we'll unfurl the teleportation scrolls together."

  "One, two, three." Marquis flicked his hand with a single motion, and his body and Ethan's simultaneously emitted the blue light of teleportation.

  The light of teleportation continued, time passed, and the two would immediately teleport away simultaneously. The smile on Marquis's face became even brighter, even more dashing. But in the blink of an eye just before the teleportation was about to occur, Marquis's expression froze again. His gaze changed from sunlight to the glint of a blade, and he let out a heavy, cold snort: "You're courting death."

  "Don't go." Ethan roared, and his figure moved abruptly, rushing towards Marquis. The blue light of teleportation finally dissipated just as it was about to take effect.

  Behind Marquis, Drow's body, which had just leaped up to pounce on him, seemed to hit an invisible wall and was abruptly repelled. At the same time, she let out a shrill cry. Her slender waist, originally as agile and powerful and alluring as a black panther's, silently snapped in two.

  Seeing Ethan break through the teleportation magic, the look in Marquis's eyes revealed immense anger and disappointment. But whether it was the stiffness from casting the Blade Barrier instantaneously or his own slight hesitation, the hand on Sophia's shoulder ultimately didn't have time to press down, and his figure disappeared under the effect of the teleportation magic.

  Jessica's body was split in two, falling in different directions with a rain of blood and ruptured organs. Ethan only had time to catch her upper body. The warm blood instantly soaked his body, and he felt as if a part of his own heart had also snapped in two.

  "That bastard... how could this happen..." Jessica laboriously spat out a few words. The expression on her face was twisted by fear and pain, but it also seemed to hold a helpless, bitter smile.

  Ethan forcefully suppressed the grief and fear that felt like they were draining his body, and at the fastest speed, he brought Jessica's broken waist together. All the white magic power in his body surged forth.

  If he had a month to diligently study advanced white magic, it might have been of some use now. In his body, which had just merged the power of the Sunwell and the Leaves of the World Tree, the magic power was unprecedentedly abundant, and it also contained infinite life force. If he could use advanced white magic, its effect would certainly not be inferior to a Cardinal's, but this was all just "if". In the end, he still couldn't use those top-level white magic spells, and this was no longer an injury, but a death.

  This intermediate healing spell, cast with a large amount of magic power, only slightly delayed the flow of Drow's life by a tiny bit. Ethan could feel that the death of the person in his arms was already inevitable. He opened his mouth, but found he couldn't say anything. Tears were already streaming down his face.

  Although Jessica's body had been joined together under the white magic, even this level of white magic, no matter how much more was used, could not suppress such a massive injury. The blood was still flowing, and the blood that had flowed out had already covered the floor of the study, like a small lake.

  "Don't be so agitated, you fool. Where I come from, men who cry are not worthy of living..." Jessica smiled with great effort. She used all the remaining strength in her life to say, intermittently: "Actually... I wanted to force him to kill that woman... so you wouldn't have to worry... wouldn't have to go to your death... You would actually die for this woman... I'm a little jealous..."

  Sophia's body trembled. Marquis's restraint had lost its effect after he left. But she didn't speak or move, just stood there quietly, watching Ethan and Drow.

  Ethan held Drow tightly, very tightly, but no matter how tightly he held, he couldn't hold back the life that was constantly fading, and instead, he felt more clearly how this body was slowly, continuously dying. He couldn't say anything, nor did he want to say anything. The only thing he had was sorrow.

  "A man crying... is so ugly..." Drow's voice gradually grew fainter, the light in her eyes also slowly fading, gradually disappearing completely. "But for some reason, seeing you so ugly... I'm a little happy now..."

  The body in his arms finally cooled completely, with no longer a trace of life's pulse. Ethan pressed his face against her cold cheek, his tears and sorrow uncontrollable.

  A man who likes to cry is certainly not a real man, but a man who doesn't cry is not a man either. A real man is certainly strong, but the most important thing is to be able to face his own emotions directly, laughing when he should laugh, and crying when he should cry.

  After some unknown amount of time, when the blood on the ground began to congeal, Ethan finally raised his head, gently set down Jessica's cold body, and stood up.

  "Was she your..." Sophia asked softly.

  Ethan shook his head: "She wasn't anything of mine. She was herself. I owe her." The tear stains on his face had already dried, and his eyes weren't red or swollen, showing no trace that he had just been crying bitterly, but his expression now held an inescapable weariness and a sense of having seen too much.

  "What are you going to do now?"

  "The biggest mastermind is gone. The rest, of course, is to go find that smaller fellow and settle the score."

  "Bastard. I really can't take it anymore. Can't you run a little slower? Don't you know I have at least thirty broken bones? Even my magic power has been completely shaken away..." At this time, Sandro, who was three hundred miles away from the Royal Capital, was shouting strangely while climbing on Captain Roland's shoulder. "Bastard. It's been at least forty years since I've been carried around like cargo like this... When I catch the guy who framed me, I will definitely settle the score with him. I'm going to shove his head up his ass..."