Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

The elevator space is small, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

Ryusha couldn't help but sigh at this, and Ruklati's earlier warning suddenly echoed in her mind—never get too close to Mayocles, who carries the broken Demon Sword, otherwise the fragments in both of their bodies will resonate strongly, directly exposing their tracks.

With many concerns, Ryuka could only stop and stand quietly in the shadows, watching helplessly as the elevator doors slowly closed, completely isolating Mayocles' figure. Accompanied by the flow of magical light, Mayocles slowly descended and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"My true form! Ryukatsu! How could you let him go!"

In her mind, Ruklati was completely anxious. She didn't even bother to address her "little master" as she usually was. Her tone was anxious and furious, full of regret and resentment.

Missing the chance to retrieve the large broken blade at close range was heartbreaking for her.

Liu Xia raised her hand and gently pressed it against the cold stone wall, her fingertips gathering power as she carefully sensed the magical structure and spatial patterns within the wall.

The walls are densely packed with layers of magical runes and locking structures, so intricate and complex that it would take a considerable amount of time to find the right magical energy fluctuations to open them.

However, if we force a solution, it will inevitably cause a huge commotion and alert the enemy.

“The interior is a vertically downward hollow passage, with a deep structure and numerous mechanisms,” Liu Xia judged in a low voice. “They really did hollow out the entire mountain, and there are complete underground levels and secret bases hidden underground.”

After thoroughly investigating the general structure, Liu Xia calmly responded to the agitated sword spirit, her tone steady and composed:

"What's the rush? You've been torn apart and scattered for so many years, what's a little more time? Don't worry, now that the prey has shown itself, I won't let it escape. But a qualified hunter never acts rashly. He must first find out the prey's lair, find out all its tricks and hidden dangers, before he can strike with a single blow and secure victory."

After saying that, Ryuka stopped worrying about Mayocles' disappearance, turned around and walked back towards the examination room where Reed and his daughter were.

Mayokris has temporarily left, but Reed and his daughter are still there. He believes that the father and daughter must still have a lot of useful information to him.

Moreover, although Ryūsha's investigation has uncovered traces of Mayocles, one of the cloaked figures, the true center of Cornwall—the 'saint' mentioned by Tipalotura—still mysteriously sits atop his head in the church bell tower above the sanatorium.

The day after tomorrow is the day she will make a public appearance and hold her regular charity ceremony.

Chapter 39 Analysis of Ruklati

Before Liuxia even reached the door of the consultation room, the suppressed arguments between the father and daughter could be heard coming from inside the tightly closed door.

Gavin's voice was hoarse and broken, filled with utter despair and confusion. The humiliation, despair, and regret that had been building up for days erupted as he questioned his daughter with every tearful word.

"Ada! How did you get involved with these people?! I've had enough of this! The men we brought are now missing, their fates unknown! That Mayocles is a complete madman! Is this what you wanted?!"

Ryuka peeked through the crack in the door and saw that the atmosphere inside was extremely tense and oppressive.

Gavin was agitated, his body tense, and his eyes bloodshot, completely losing the composure and dignity of a noble count.

Faced with her father's almost out-of-control questioning, Ada stood to the side with an indifferent expression, her eyes calm and undisturbed, her tone cold to the point of being heartless, as if the person in front of her who was breaking down and crying had nothing to do with her.

“Give up, Father. I know what you’re thinking. But Father Mayocles has implanted a magical artifact in your body, so you can’t leave Cornwall. As for our retainers, they should be fine. After all, they’re not of much use to the organization, so they won’t be harmed.”

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.

The cold words utterly shattered Gavin's last struggle, leaving him no room for maneuver.

After a brief silence, Ada tidied up the messy equipment on the table with steady and orderly movements, and then slowly spoke again, her tone carrying a hint of self-deceptive certainty.

"As for the current situation, please be patient for a while longer. Once Father Mayocles' research is completed, he will allow us to travel to the capital of the Bauhinia. At that time, the others in the organization will help us return to Linze Fort. Please believe me, as members of the Reed family, we are of value to them."

This seemingly comforting reassurance sounded extremely ironic to Gavin.

All his strength seemed to have been drained away in an instant. His taut back collapsed completely, his shoulders slumped, and as he looked at his daughter, who had changed so drastically, a bitter, dejected smile appeared on his lips. His voice was low and hoarse, filled with endless regret.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten involved with them in the first place. I was greedy and tried to use their power to strengthen myself and my family. I never imagined that while they were making deals with me on the surface, providing enhancement potions and ancient secret techniques, they had already secretly contacted you and infiltrated your mind. I really don’t know what kind of bewitching potion they gave you to turn you from a vibrant and bright person into the numb and paranoid person you are now…”

"I did these things voluntarily."

Ida remained expressionless, her movements of packing up the equipment continuing without pause.

She looked up at her disheveled and haggard father, the usual indifference fading from her eyes, replaced by a faint trace of longing and stubbornness, as she slowly revealed the root of her obsession.

"You've seen it too, haven't you? The priest's research into the secrets of life has already touched upon the realm of the gods. When you were little, you personally taught me about the ancient legends of gods circulating in the Kingdom of Linze. You said that beyond this world, there exists a supreme power far surpassing magic and martial arts, a power even more mysterious and transcendent. If we could completely master this power of life, Mother..."

"Your mother has been dead for many years!"

Gavin pressed his hands tightly to his forehead, his chest heaving violently, and finally couldn't help but let out a painful roar, each sound filled with powerless despair.

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the cycle of nature, and no one can escape death! I know that your mother's departure has left you with unresolved obsessions and deep pain! But how can you completely destroy yourself and sink into darkness for the sake of a vague and illusory obsession!"

“Necromantic spells exist in this world that can control the souls and bodies of the dead. Since necromancy can be controlled, ancient life secrets may also be able to bring the deceased back to life.”

Ada's tone was calm, yet carried an unshakable stubbornness, as if she had already silently recited these words a thousand times in her heart.

She reached out and pushed the patient's gurney, which was about to wake up, to leave the examination room. Before leaving, she was still worried and looked back at her dejected father, revealing the ultimate secret she had kept hidden in her heart for many years.

“Father, I have never told you this. Mother’s body has always been kept perfectly in the frozen cave beneath Linze Fortress. It has been preserved by the extreme cold all year round and is completely undamaged. As long as I can learn the complete life secrets from the Chosen Ones organization and bring Mother back to life, our family reunion will never be just a pipe dream.”

Gavin was already exhausted and could no longer listen to any explanations or delusions.

He was completely exhausted and slowly slid down the edge of the pool, collapsing onto the cold ground. Leaning against the stone wall, he could only shake his head and smile bitterly, his eyes filled with sorrow and helplessness.

Seeing that her father couldn't understand her obsession at all, and even resisted it wholeheartedly, a trace of loneliness flashed in Ada's eyes. She said no more, lowered her head and silently pushed the hospital bed out.

As she passed by her father, she paused slightly, lowered her voice, and whispered a few words of advice with the last vestiges of tenderness.

"Father, I still have a lot of soap left. Please take good care of yourself and try to make yourself more comfortable..."

She pushed the hospital bed slowly through the door, brushing past Liu Xia who was hiding in the doorway.

Just as she stepped out of the room, a very soft, whispered voice quietly drifted into Liuxia's ears.

"I will definitely succeed. As long as I master the complete secrets of life and gather the legendary fragments of order, I will be able to wield godlike power..."

Liu Xia watched her slender, lonely, yet determined figure recede into the distance, her heart churning with emotion.

He pondered for a moment, then silently asked Ruklati in his mind:

"Is it really possible for the dead to come back to life?"

"Sure, at least in my remaining ancient memories, it's entirely feasible."

Ruklati's lazy, nonchalant voice echoed in her mind, and her straightforward answer gave Ryusha a slight jolt.

Before he could think it through, the sword spirit changed the subject and revealed the cruel premise.

"However, it is completely impossible for your era. To resurrect a being like humanity is not something that can be accomplished by a single force. It requires the intertwining and resonance of multiple divine authorities related to life, soul, and destiny, as well as the combined support of multiple supreme powers. None of them can be missing. Ordinary methods simply cannot defy fate."

"So, in other words, the gods of ancient times perished, and the authority in the world was incomplete, so this path was completely severed?" Liu Xia pressed on.

Ruklati responded softly, her tone carrying an indifferent detachment that seemed to have seen through the vicissitudes of time: "This is why the ancient times were far more prosperous and brilliant than the present. The gods were in power, order was perfect, the laws of the world were complete, and countless miracles and possibilities were unimaginable to later generations. But after the witch's calamity broke out, the order of heaven and earth collapsed by more than half, and the rules of the world reverted to their original state. The spirit world became a ruin, and not a single ancient star spirit remained. Most of the supreme authority of the past was lost."

"But for you, this is an incredible opportunity."

Ruklati changed the subject, her tone becoming more serious as she meticulously analyzed the current world situation and Ryukyu's opportunities.

"The world has been broken and silent for a thousand years, and now it has been restored to a virgin land full of energy and empty of authority. The overflowing primordial energy and the supreme authority that no one holds have all the opportunities reserved for those who first ascend and dare to explore."

"That's why you've grown so rapidly, gaining the recognition of the Star Spirits as soon as you entered the Spirit Realm. In the era of perfect ancient order, there would have been no possibility of such an extraordinary leap forward."

"As for Chloe, she survived the catastrophe of the fall of the gods and the collapse of time, so she naturally wanted to rebuild the former order of heaven and earth and restore the glory of the gods. But a single god is ultimately weak and powerless and cannot hold all the power alone, so she guided you step by step and supported your growth."

"Ultimately... the hidden danger of the Primordial Witch has never been completely eliminated, and she does not want to experience another apocalyptic catastrophe."

Liu Xia listened quietly, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

The reality he lived in was a chaotic secular world of empires, the papacy, conflicts between nations, and the fragmentation of the chosen ones; a world of power struggles, influence, and interests.

But the world described by Ruklati and Chloe is a supreme realm of gods, authority, chaos, and witches, a world of ancient grudges and cataclysms spanning millennia.

The power of order he held in his hands and the witch bloodline accompanying him both proved that this grand conflict, which transcended the mundane world, was already tightly bound to his destiny and could not be avoided.

Seemingly sensing the complexity and confusion in Ryusha's heart, Ruklati sighed softly and clearly explained the situation to him, pointing out the future direction.

"It's no use thinking about it now. Your foundation is not solid, and it's too early to try to grasp the top-level strategy. Kurowell's approach of not telling you all the truth at once, but guiding you to grow step by step, is precisely the safest arrangement."

"Let me give you a brief overview of the current situation: While Kuroe is restoring her divine power, she is also cultivating and supporting you. Her core objective is to counterbalance the hidden Primordial Witch and the power of chaos. At the same time, she is also searching for the remaining ancient gods to accompany her. However, this search is fraught with risks, and not all surviving gods may share her stance."

"The little witch of the empire and Sienna beside you, their obsessions are different, but they are both struggling against their fate. One is trying her best to avoid her predetermined fate of dying young, while the other is trying to completely sever the witch bloodline and eradicate the fate of her race. Especially the little girl who inherits the bloodline of Kranar, who hides an ancient secret that even I do not know."

"As for the Chosen Ones, they are essentially ordinary people who understand the truth about the gods. They are ambitious and will stop at nothing to frantically dig out ancient divine power, alien secret techniques, and witch authority, attempting to plunder all usable power. Their ultimate goal is most likely to ascend to godhood and reshape the new order, which is vaguely similar to your original intention of expanding your power and establishing a foothold in a region."

"But you are destined to be mortal enemies. You are both vying for the same path to the top, with conflicting resources, power, and opportunities. You may seem to be doing nothing now, but you will inevitably face off in the future. Moreover, this group is too crazy and has no bottom line. They have explored countless taboos. Considering the clues from the previous unusual activity of the earth dragon beast, they are very likely to awaken the sleeping witch Belle ahead of schedule and unleash an even greater disaster."

After hearing Ruklati's complete hostility towards the Chosen Ones, Ryusha couldn't help but chuckle and casually teased, "What about me? I also have a deep bond with the witch. According to you, wouldn't I be in just as much danger?"

"You are different."

Ruklati's answer was straightforward and sharp, with a hint of mockery: "Your deep bond with the witch is mostly due to personal feelings, and has nothing to do with ambition or chaos."

Liu Xia: "..."

"Just kidding."

The sword spirit sighed softly, his tone returning to seriousness, and revealed the true core reason.

"There are only three systems in the world that can restrain and eradicate the witch's chaotic power: the power of order, the power of orthodox gods, and the ancient holy sword. The power of gods can restrain it but is difficult to eradicate it, the holy sword can kill it but cannot completely eliminate the source of chaos, only the power of order is the only ultimate power that can fight against chaos from the root and seal the witch."

"Back then, the hero Kranar gathered the power of order, the divine power of the Church, and the ancient holy sword to barely seal the Primordial Witch. However, the three powers came from different sources and were fragmented, so they could not be perfectly integrated. Therefore, he could only seal her away, not eradicate her, just to give the world a thousand years of respite."

"But you are different."

Ruklati's tone carried a firm sense of approval.

“You possess the full potential and time to become a god. Most importantly, you have remained true to yourself throughout your time with the witch, never being tempted by chaos, falling into depravity, or going astray. Compared to those chosen ones who will stop at nothing for power and recklessly violate taboos, Chloe and I are naturally more willing to support you and believe in you.”

Ryuka understood.

He fully understood the advantages and disadvantages and the trade-offs for all parties involved.

Kuroel supported him because he needed a sharp blade to balance chaos and counter various forces, in order to protect the world's order; Ruklati followed him for two reasons: first, she needed to use his power to reforge the sword and find the fragments; second, she despised the Chosen Ones' scheming and madness and did not want these lunatics to control supreme power.

The cooperation between one person and one sword is always a matter of mutual benefit and disadvantage, and a two-way choice.

Ruklati is usually docile and ingratiating, always doing what she pleases. But once her bottom line is crossed or her interests clash, she will inevitably reveal the cold edge of the Holy Sword.

The fact that she was tricked and dismantled by Carmela back then is the best proof that people and swords can never be completely intertwined.

So, given the current situation, what are your plans?

Ruklati asked softly, returning the choice to Ruka.

Liu Xia collected all her thoughts and slowly walked into the consultation room.

Inside the room, Gavin remained slumped on the cold floor, his back hunched, his hands tightly clutching his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

The once dignified and noble count was now so vulnerable that his suppressed sobs echoed intermittently in the silent room, filled with despair and sorrow.

Liu Xia stood in front of him, her posture upright, and the aura that had been hidden around her slowly unfolded, no longer deliberately concealing her whereabouts.

Looking down at the man who had completely fallen into despair, he spoke slowly, breaking the deathly silence with a calm tone and a hint of indifferent detachment.

"My Lord Earl, how have you been?"

written request for leave

I have something to do tonight, so I need to take a day off.

Chapter 40 Decisive Surrender

"Who is it!"

Suddenly seeing a figure appear out of thin air in front of him, Gavin instinctively shrank back, pressing his back tightly against the cold stone wall of the pool.

The composure and demeanor that once belonged to the great noble lord had vanished. At this moment, he looked like a once arrogant lion that had roamed the plains, but had been stripped of its claws and mane, and reduced to a dejected and bewildered wild dog.

When he looked up and saw the calm smile on Liu Xia's face, he was first shocked, but then felt an unexpected sense of relief. His shoulders, which had been tense for a long time, slowly relaxed, and he lowered his head slightly, his tone filled with self-mockery.

"Ah... so it's the Governor."

In Gavin Reed's mind, Ryusha was just a lucky kid who had stumbled upon good fortune.

She was simply exceptionally talented and had climbed the social ladder by marrying the princess of the Otus Empire, rising rapidly through the ranks to become one of the empire's elite.

Gavin harbored a deep-seated jealousy and disdain for such a genius who could only be admired and never reached.

Even though they had met twice before, in Linze Fort and Leiting Fort, he secretly believed that he could handle the situation with ease and that, given time, he might even be able to take advantage of the young governor through various schemes.

But after a series of misfortunes and imprisonment, those delusions of the past have long since vanished.

Liu Xia appeared here without warning, and many of the questions that had been lingering in his mind no longer needed to be asked.

The fact that this young man was able to sneak into the heavily guarded treatment room of the sanatorium without making a sound was enough to prove that his strength and mental ability far exceeded his expectations.

Lady Sophie, who had long suppressed Linze Fort, was like a terrifying behemoth with a visible limit and a clear boundary of combat power in his eyes, but he was powerless to fight against her; but Liu Xia, who was also a Heaven-rank expert, was like a bottomless dark abyss, with unfathomable levels and no way to fathom her bottom line.

Since Ryuga was able to sneak here invisibly, and then deliberately broke the concealment to reveal his figure, his intentions are self-evident.

Now that things have come to this, Gavin no longer clings to maintaining the last vestiges of aristocratic dignity, and manages a helpless, bitter smile.

"Have you seen it all?"

"Ah."