The Inheritance

-10-

Chapter 451

With that in mind, Yume suddenly found herself growing extremely envious of the woman that Richard had fallen for. Shaking the thought off, she then asked. "…So… You retrieved the woman in white just so Richard would take the initiative to come look for us…?"

"Indeed. After all, that is by far the safest way to lure Richard to us! With any luck, we'll eventually be able to capture him! Regardless, I truly hadn't expected that he would actually manage to flee from us so many times! I was already prepared to receive good news from Felton ages ago, but to think that he was successful in escaping again!"

"…Say, grandma… The Herculean Primordial Spirit… Is it hidden within his body…? Does that mean that once you capture him, you'll have to harm or kill Richard…?" asked Yume.

Shaking her head slightly, Yreth then replied, "As you've said, we only require the Herculean Primordial

Spirit. Whether we kill him or not depends entirely on him!"

The second she heard that, Yume instantly knelt with a 'thud' before saying, "Please, grandma, I beg of you… Please don't kill Richard! Not only is he a good person, but since there's no real reason to kill him, there's no need for you to take his life then, right…?"

Pondering on Yume's statement for quite a while, Yreth eventually said, "…I'll be making the final decision on that. However, I can promise you that I'll only kill him if he shows any resistance or tries to fight back! If he doesn't, then I'll keep him alive!"

Upon hearing that, Yume couldn't help but feel like a heavy load had just been lifted off her heart. Looking at her overjoyed granddaughter, Yreth could only smile bitterly as she shook her head before saying, "Now hurry up and get to your feet already, silly granddaughter of mine!"

"Of course, grandma! Still, if not many people across the globe know about this secret, how did you find out about it? As a top master, I'm sure he had no shortage of enemies. With that in mind, it wouldn't make sense for him to allow so many people to find him upon being reincarnated for the ninth time, right…?" asked Yume curiously.

"It seems that I've not doted on you in vain. Now wouldn't it have been wonderful if Felton was half as smart as you were. Regardless, your doubts are indeed, warranted. While it's true that he's akin to an ancient and flawless god, nothing in this world is perfect. With that in mind, even though he managed to keep the secret hidden for tens of thousands of years, those determined enough to crack the code eventually managed to get that information, and Richard himself had only been able to find out about so much due to this. As for our own family, we found out about the secret due to some vile villain sharing the information with us some forty years ago! Of course, he wasn't doing it for free, and the condition to obtain that information was for our family to hand the Dead Annie Mother over to him!"

"Eventually, we found out that after obtaining the magic artifact, he had planned to annihilate the

Gunters! To think that he nearly wiped our entire family through deception alone!"

"…So… Is this the same enemy who was seeking revenge on us forty years ago…? The one whom you sent all the societies to hunt down? So is the reason behind all that!"

"I'm glad that you're finally understanding everything! Also, if it isn't already evident enough, several forces have already found out about Richard's true identity and have already begun taking action. While we're on the topic, you should know that Richard's rapid training growth isn't due to him having some sort of special physique. Oh no, it's simply because someone out there is helping him unlock his many potentials. Oddly enough, that person isn't releasing all of it in one go, only in small bits at a time. To make it easier to grasp, you can imagine the person scooping water out from the ocean, one ladle at a time."

"However, knowledge of that only makes Richard all the more terrifying. After all, Richard is already this strong despite not even having unlocked his full potential! Should there come a time where he successfully regains all his power, then we'll all be mere ants to him! Just being stepped on by him would kill us! By that point, not only will the Gunters be unable to ever rise again, but we'll also constantly be facing disaster and tragedy! With that in mind, do you now understand why both our family and the Judgment Portal are so fearful of Richard…?"

"Speaking of which, I'll have you know that I've secretly observed him in the past. Though he used to have a very weak temperament in the past and he was both wimpy and fragile at best, I can't pinpoint when it started, but he eventually grew more and more cold-hearted, careful, and meticulous. To make matters worse, he's growing even more quickly now than he ever has before! It wouldn't be a stretch to say that you'll notice obvious differences in Richard even after just a few days of not meeting him! Such changes could be so drastic that there's a possibility that you won't even be able to tell who he is at all!"

—

"With that in mind, I hope you now understand what I've constantly been worrying about! His rapid progression in strength is a clear warning that action must be taken!" added Yreth, a solemn expression on her face.

Hearing that, Yume—whose mouth had been gaping wide for a while in her dumbfounded state—could only nod her head in agreement.

After being granted all this knowledge, Yume truly felt like the door to a whole new world had just been opened to her. After a brief silence, she then asked, "Then… What are the origins of our family, grandma…? Aside from that, I'm also curious about the great masters that managed to escape the great civilization of antiquity… Where did they end up running off to…?"

"Oh, they escaped all over the place! While some of those great masters remained here on earth, most of them chose to escape to someplace known as Jaellatra instead. After all, there are enough holy spirits there to relatively sufficiently sustain them!"

"…Jaellatra? Where is it? Could it be someplace not on earth…?" asked Yume curiously.

Shaking her head, Yreth then replied, "While it's a place on earth, it's located within a narrow gap on this planet! Very few people are able to make it into that gap, and once inside, it's even more difficult to leave!"

"As for the start of our family's great history, it began when one of our ancestors accidentally discovered some miracles that were left behind some tens of thousands of years ago. It was also around then when they inherited something great, and after passing it down throughout the generations, the Gunters eventually ended up becoming one of the most influential families in the world!"

"…I see! I seem to understand everything a little better now!" replied Yume with a nod, feeling that she had now gained a comprehensive understanding of the situation.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now then, since you already see the bigger picture, I believe you won't continue hindering me from doing anything in the future, right? After all, since things have already gotten to this point, there really isn't any turning back anymore. Even if we hypothetically choose not to deal with Richard in the future, he still isn't going to be letting our family off. In case you haven't noticed, the Gunters have already been living through a crisis ever since we boarded ship. With that said, now that you know that the lives of hundreds of innocent Gunter family members are on the line, I hope you're sensible enough not to continue being enchanted by such fruitless and futile love…" said Yreth, slight frustration in her voice.

"…To be completely honest, grandma, from what I've seen, Richard isn't a cruel or ruthless person at all. Since we haven't fallen out with one another yet, perhaps there is still a way to make peace with him once we share everything that we know!"

"Hah! You're dead wrong there! You barely understand him at all, especially since he's changed so much from the last time you've met! Regardless, there isn't anything else to say about this anymore. After leaving this room, I hope you'll obediently remain inside our manor. Please don't make me have to worry about you any more than I need to!" replied Yreth as she waved her hand, signaling for her granddaughter to leave the room.

Though Yume clearly looked like she still had more to say, seeing how reluctant her grandmother seemed to continue talking, she chose to leave for the meantime instead.

The second the door to the secret chamber closed, an almost ethereal voice suddenly said, "It was wrong of you to tell her about our affairs… This could easily be the eventual cause of your precious granddaughter's death! You know how foolish women can be after falling in love! There's a high possibility that she'll end up messing up our plans due to how much she loves him!"

"I know my granddaughter well, and I'm only trying to help her. She's never fallen in love before this, which is why I told her everything so that she can finally understand how powerful Richard truly is! If I had chosen not to tell her, then that ignorant and foolish girl would surely do something stupid for him, ultimately ruining all our plans! Telling her all that was my way of showing how large a gap there was between Richard and herself. Hopefully that'll lead to her finally giving up on him!"

"As for you. You're the one who got us entangled in this situation in the first place. If you don't fulfill your promise to our family at the end of the day, then I'll never let you off, not even after I die and turn into a ghost!"

—

"Worry not, as long as you help me capture Richard, I'll definitely gain the ability to shuttle back and forth between earth and Jaellatra. With that, I'll surely be able to turn your family into the most powerful force there without any issues! Besides, you already know about my background, don't you? Hahaha! To think that Richard would accidentally release me back then… This is surely god's reward to me for remaining locked up for thousands of years!"

Turning around, Yreth looked at the piece of jade—that had previously been placed upright near the incense stand—as a black glow emanated from it. Not long after, the black glow began momentarily swirling in the air before finally forming the silhouette of a phantom-like humanoid!

Upon closer inspection, the phantom appeared to be a young man who had a hooked nose, and a pair of upward-slanting brows that laid above eyes that occasionally glinted evilly. Who would've imagined that this phantom-like humanoid—who had supposedly already existed for tens of thousands of years— would still retain the appearance of a young man!

"I'm going to be frank and tell you that I'm already regretting agreeing to collaborate with you in the first place, King of Judgment Portal… Then again, it was never a willing decision for me to work together with your group and get entangled within all this. Truth be told, I have a feeling that that decision is going to end up becoming the eventual cause of our family's destruction! After all, just as I've told Yume, Richard's getting way too terrifying too quickly based on his rapid progress alone!" said Yreth, a series of complicated emotions currently reflected in her eyes.

"Despite me risking so much, you—of all people—should know that the situation is much different for you, King of Judgment Portal! After all, you currently just exist as the thought of the soul, and that means that you're easily able to use the thought of the soul to control several people at the same time, not unlike your personal puppets! I, myself, am one of your puppets… Regardless, even if everything fails, you can simply continue to exist and eventually find another way to return to Jaellatra to continue being the young lord that you are. However, the Gunters aren't nearly as capable as you are when it comes to retreating! In fact, I have a feeling that even dying with our entire bodies intact will be difficult when the time comes! Do you even grasp how much the Gunters are risking here?" added Yreth.

"Hahaha! You're simply overthinking things! I have a feeling you're only this terrified since I told you a bit too much about Richard's true identity… Truth be told, Richard's far from frightening at the moment. After all, in my eyes, he's currently nothing more than an ant! Regardless, I trust you know that there's no turning back for you anymore. Richard already knows who you are, after all. With that in mind, all we can do now is continue going according to plan!"

"Besides, you were the one who lusted for longevity! Upon finding out about that, I simply promised to bring you and your family over to Jaellatra—where you'd even have your very own place there—in exchange for making a few sacrifices… Think about it, once you're there, you'll be able to continue staying alive for at least another thousand years… Isn't that alone worth any amount of sacrifices…?" added the King of Judgment Portal with a laugh.

"It's honestly the only reason why I haven't backed down yet at this point! Worry not, for I've already made up my mind that I'll personally step up and capture him when it is necessary for me to do so!" retorted Yreth, her voice now both cold and gloomy.

"I'm glad to hear it! You know, it was the Herculean Primordial Spirit's eighth reincarnation back when Jaellatra was still in turmoil. In order to obtain the Herculean Primordial Spirit, I attempted to break through the gap and come all the way to earth. Little did I know that I had severely underestimated the power of the gap. Upon crossing over, I was immediately struck by lightning, and my entire being was reduced to ashes. Not only that, but the thought of my soul was also trapped by others! Ever since that day, I've been far away from my family… With that in mind, if anyone should be anxious, it's me!"

"I'll have you know that I've been waiting thousands of years for an opportunity like this! That said, your assistance is key for me to get anything done! But whatever the case is, you don't have to worry too much since everything is still under control!" replied the King of Judgment Portal.

"…Very well. I hope that the day we'll eventually succeed together will arrive as soon as possible!" said Yreth with a nod.

"…Do you really think that you'll be able to deal with him…? I've already told you many times to cherish your life since you have yet to completely disappear, even after all that you've done… Please don't continue provoking him… You simply aren't his match… Besides, your conspiracy is destined to fail!" said an extremely pleasant-sounding voice—that simultaneously sounded like an oriole—out of the blue.

Not only was it refreshing to listen to, but it also gave anyone who heard it a comforting feeling, as though one was being caressed by a soothing spring breeze.

Following that, Yreth turned to look at the woman in white that had just arisen from the eternal coffin…

As beautiful as a fairy, even the King of Judgment Portal found himself momentarily dazed before eventually shouting, "So you're finally willing to show yourself!"

"Don't get too excited. I only came out to warn both of you. From what I can see, the reason why both of you lack any grudges and grievances is because you're only motivated by greed!  This is your conflict and the only way it'll possibly end is in tragedy!" said the woman in white—with her gorgeous red lips— as she sighed.

"Screw you and your disaster! What makes you so sure that both of us won't be able to deal with Richard? He's only one person! Honestly, don't you think you're underestimating me a bit too much? I'm the King of Judgment Portal! I assure you that it won't be long before this person—who's gained your eternal admiration—ends up kneeling before me, begging me to spare his life and to let him return to simply being the young master that he is! Hahaha!" growled the King of Judgment Portal, hints of anger and jealousy reflected in his eyes.

Just as the woman in white had always been filled with admiration for the deity, the King of Judgment Portal himself had loved the woman in white just as much this entire time. Despite that, he was well aware that she only had the deity in her heart. The deity was her one and only, and the same went vice versa. It was as though to the woman in white, there was no other man on the planet comparable to him. Knowing that, the King of Judgment Portal could only continue burning with jealousy.

Gritting his teeth, he then added, "Regardless, once I obtain the Herculean Primordial Spirit, I'll be the master then! When that time comes, I'll surely make you feel heartfelt admiration for me, and by that point, you'll finally be convinced to be my woman! Worry not, for I'll make you the top woman in the world!"

Chapter 452

Upon hearing that, the woman in white could only shake her head in resignation.

Watching as her figure slowly faded as she returned into the eternal coffin, the King of Judgment—who was now seething in rage—roared, "…What the hell did you mean by that? Didn't you hear what I just said?!"

"I think she's made herself extremely clear, quite honestly," said Yreth who had been watching the entire scene play out with her arms behind her back.

"…What do you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean. How could a woman who's already been with an eagle ever fall in love with a mere locust?" replied Yreth without thinking her words through.

"… What did you just say to me…?! You b*stard!" growled the King of Judgment Portal, his face reddened in rage.

It was only at that moment when Yreth realized that she shouldn't have spoken her mind out to him! Knowing how much she had messed up, the old woman immediately apologized, "I should've watched my tongue, King of Judgment Portal! Please forgive me…!"

"…Humph! Just hurry up and get your things done already! Regardless, I've already sealed her in with the formation method! I'll have her witness with her very own eyes that I'll succeed in achieving everything that I earlier said!" declared the King of Judgment Portal before turning back into a black glow and returning into the jade.

Meanwhile, Richard currently had Rosie with him, as well as Seth and Suri. After successfully healing Rosie's mother, Richard had brought all of them to Seth and Suri's home. While Suri herself was currently indoors, Richard, Rosie, and Seth were chatting in the yard.

From what Leo had told Richard, he needed to wait till at least midnight for him to perform the evocation technique. With how smoothly things were going, Richard honestly wasn't all that anxious, which was why he still found the time to chat with the two.

Suddenly recalling the snake cave where Seth had gained his supernatural powers, Richard asked,

"Speaking of which, Seth… You told me that the snake cave was somewhere atop a nearby mountain… Do you remember its exact location?"

There seemed to be quite a bit of information that had been recorded within the snake cave, and it just so happened that all that information was relevant to Richard.  

His interactions with the Gunters had made him realize that if he simply continued aimlessly looking around for Mila and his second uncle, it was tantamount to him digging his own grave.

With that, he came to the conclusion that he needed to start finding out more about the world in order to better understand how the world worked. After all, he would eventually have to be a part of this path in the future anyway.

"But of course I remember! I've been there a couple of times before, and it honestly hasn't been too long ago since I last went there! I could lead you there right now if you wanted me to, brother!" replied Seth with a nod.

"…Hold up, a snake cave? What snake cave? Bring me along with you! I want to have a look at it too!" said Rosie—who had been standing by the side this entire time—with a puzzled but curious look on her face.

As they continued talking about it for a while—still in the yard—the sounds of a table being flipped and bowls shattering could suddenly be heard coming from within the house!

Upon hearing Suri's scream almost immediately after, Seth was instantly taken aback as he said, "…Huh? What's going on?!"

—

Rushing to the door, the second Seth opened it, he was instantly greeted by the tip of a pistol being pointed at his forehead!

Upon recovering from his shock, he slowly backed off as several guards—dressed in suits—quickly began exiting the house together with Suri as well as Seth's grandfather, both of them held at gunpoint.

"Nobody moves or I'll shoot!" yelled a middle-aged man—who seemed to be the leader of the group— as over a dozen more armed bodyguards rushed out from the woodshed behind the house.

Currently, everyone—who wasn't a guard—had at least a few guns aimed at them, though Richard was by far the one being targeted the most.

Following that, the middle-aged man excitedly said, "For you to predict that Richard would be here, you truly have incredible foresight, eldest young lady! We've truly made a great achievement this time!"

At that moment, a young woman and man—who looked rather handsome—walked out and stood side by side, smiling coldly as they looked at the scene before them.  

"The honor of this success actually goes to Fernando here! After all, he was immediately able to guess who was responsible for the deaths of all those Sime family bodyguards! Following that, we came all the way here to set up an ambush for Richard! To think that everything went according to plan! Hahaha! I'll be reporting this to the Gunters right this instant! We'll definitely be given a lot of credit for our accomplishment this time!" scoffed the woman.

If it wasn't obvious enough by this point, the woman in question was Matilda from the Sime family. As stated by Matilda, the young man, on the other hand, was none other than Fernando, the captain of the Martial Arts Association—who had attended a banquet together with Aiden and many others—and was publicly defeated by Richard at said banquet the other night.

From the looks of it, it seemed as though they hadn't given up on looking for Richard ever since that night.

Thankfully for the duo, it wasn't long before they heard about the tragic deaths of several of the Sime family's subordinates. Being part of the Sime family, it was only natural for Matilda to investigate the matter. As for Fernando—who had been recuperating in the Sime Manor—he simply went alongside Matilda to look into the case.

After realizing that only a top master could have killed this many of their guards so devastatingly, Fernando immediately figured that aside from the Gunters, nobody else but Richard could possibly possess such power in Qerton City.

While he was initially slightly doubtful about his conclusion, he still continued digging for clues and eventually wound up at Seth's house. All that led to the current situation.

To his delight, his assumption had been correct! Richard truly was here! From that, Fernando was able to confirm that he truly was the one responsible for killing all those Sime family bodyguards.

"You flatter me, Matilda! If anyone's to be praised, it should be you! After all, upon hearing my proposal, it was your quick thinking that prompted us to set up this ambush in the first place! Without you, we wouldn't have been able to capture Richard this easily!" replied Fernando, a wry smile on his face.

Following that, he glared at Richard—who had caused his image to plummet the other night—before saying, "I bet you never expected this, did you? To think that despite your immense power, you'd still end up falling right into our hands! Keep in mind that dozens of armed men are pointing their guns at you now, so you'd best be on your best behavior and obey anything we say! If you don't, you better not blame us for killing you on the spot!"

"Speaking of which, I suggest that you don't report anything to the Gunters for the time being, Matilda.

After all, just from how anxious they are to locate Richard alone, you can tell how important he is to them! With that in mind, should he get picked up by the Gunter family's subordinates, there's a high possibility that we won't end up getting anything despite all our efforts! Honestly, I believe that it would be wiser for us to directly meet the head of the Gunter family in order to bargain Richard with them! Should things go smoothly, we could even have the Gunters teach us some of their secret techniques! If that truly happens, then my strength will definitely advance by leaps and bounds by the end of the day! Nobody in the Martial Arts Association will ever come close to rivaling me anymore!" added Fernando, his eyes filled with hope for that possible future.

"You're absolutely right, Fernando! If we're lucky, the Simes could get their hands on some of the Gunter family's assets! Who knows, the Simes could end up becoming the strongest and most influential family because of that! We truly are killing two birds with one stone! What an amazing idea, Fernando! My admiration for you now is boundless!" replied Matilda as she laughed joyously.

"Are both of you done chatting? Though you've said all that, it's not like you've actually captured me or anything, nor have you notified the Gunters about my presence. Also, are you really trying to threaten me with all those toys?" said Richard as he glanced coldly at all the men aiming at him.

From Richard's point of view, the guards were simply akin to children pointing toy guns at him.

—

With that in mind, Richard truly felt like laughing at their attempt at capturing him.

"Humph! Boasting even when you're about to die? How shameless! I hope you realize that I only lost that day since I was careless! Regardless, from the moment I lost, I knew that I'd never be able to forget how humiliating that moment was for the rest of my life! Knowing that, I swore that I'd kill you sooner or later to reclaim my glory, and now, you're finally in my grasp!" declared Fernando before coughing slightly. From that, it was a clear sign that his injuries—that Richard had inflicted upon him back then— hadn't even properly healed yet.

"He's right! We need to settle this resentment between us, once and for all! I definitely won't be letting you off that easily this time!" scoffed Matilda before laughing maliciously.

In response, however, Richard simply shook his head before saying, "What a pity…"

Narrowing his eyes, Fernando then asked, "…What did you mean by that? And why are you shaking your head? While I'm well aware that to you, I'm just some nobody—who you defeated—whose currently using dirty tactics that further plummets what little respect you had for me in the first place, I can assure you that not only am I talented in martial arts, but I was already a genius by the age of six! Can you imagine that? Even at that age, my intelligence had already surpassed a majority of ordinary people!

With that in mind, you'd eventually get defeated by me anyway, even if I hadn't resorted to this tactic!

I'll have you know that I have hundreds of ways to kill you!"

"…Oh? You were a genius from the age of six? Color me surprised! And here I was thinking that you were as dumb as a rock!" replied Richard with a laugh.

Upon hearing that, Fernando instantly began seething with rage, and he was extremely tempted to walk up to Richard and give him a few tight slaps, just to teach him a lesson!

Before he could do so, however, Richard then added, "Look, I'll forget about all this and let you live if you release my friends and their family members. After all, I don't really think there's deep resentment between us in the first place. Just so you know, I've sworn to only kill those who hurt my friends. With that in mind, since you haven't done a thing to them, I'm still willing to spare you!"

"Also, just as you've said, I can't deny that you're talented, and I can assure you that if you train yourself properly in the future, you'll surely have good prospects in the martial arts field. As for Miss Sime, you're undoubtedly unruly and immensely annoying. It'd do you good to learn to be a little nicer and more prudent in order to get yourself good in-laws in the future. Regardless, what I'm saying is that not only do you not have to die here, but you also won't have to die for the Gunters!" added Richard with a sigh.

The second his sentence ended, several of the bodyguards instantly began cackling wildly.

"Haha! Has this guy gone mad already?"

"I know right? Despite there being so many guns aimed at him now—that could easily blow his brains out—to think that he's still daring enough to 'consider letting us go'!"

As the guards continued roaring in laughter while looking at Richard as though he was some mad person, Fernando himself began laughing before saying, "And here I thought you were a smart man, Richard! To think that despite your exceptional martial arts skills, you're merely an idiot! Take a good, long look around you already! You're already under my control with so many of my subordinates aiming their guns at you! Have you truly gone mad?! Also… You said that you'd only kill those who dared to harm your friends, right…?"

Following that, Fernando retrieved a dagger from his belt, and with a swift slash, he left a cut mark on Suri's face!

Laughing as he watched Suri—who now had blood slowly dripping down her cheek—scream, Fernando then shook his head before turning to look at Richard again before saying with a smile on his face, "Hah! Is this considered an injury? Are you dying to kill me now? Or perhaps I should go a little further? Come on, kill me already!"

"How idiotic… I've already given you two chances, you know? Even so, you still wanted to walk down this path so badly… Speaking of which, I was honestly slightly doubtful at the beginning on whether or not both of you actually thought that these guns were enough to deal with me. As it turns out, you've really been thinking that that's the case! Your stupidity truly is endless!" replied Richard before raising a hand and waving it.

Following that, a clamor was heard as over twenty guns flew into the sky in unison! Too stunned to even register how all this was happening, everyone simply continued staring wide-eyed as the guns began falling to the ground again! As if that wasn't already shocking enough, everyone eventually realized that upon hitting the ground, the guns had rearranged themselves to form the number four!

"…What?"

After witnessing that scene—that had happened in the blink of an eye—everyone was now paralyzed in shock. Even the smile on Fernando's face had faded…

Chapter 453

"…How… is any of this even possible…?" muttered the flabbergasted Fernando under his breath.

"I've already told you that those guns were nothing but toys to me. As for your guards, they only have as much presence as rag dolls! You truly shouldn't have acted that rashly you know? Hurting my friend… You truly are courting death, aren't you?" replied Richard with a subtle smile.

"…I… I don't believe that you're that almighty! Men! Let's kill him together!" ordered Fernando while gritting his teeth in resentment.

'We're of the same age… How could he be so much more powerful than me…?!'

By that point, all of the guards were already greatly aware of how dangerous their current situation was. What they were currently feeling was akin to them falling into a frigid cave with no way out. With nervewracking chills running down their spines, the guards knew that death could greet them at any second. However, they weren't willing to just go out like this!

Wanting to live to see another day, their immense desire to survive allowed the guards to switch their fear into great murderous intent!

As they swiftly unsheathed their daggers before rushing toward Richard—intent on stabbing him—Richard simply waved his hand while shouting, "Utter rubbish!"

Following that, over ten people found themselves vomiting blood as they flew backward! Richard had hit them with essential qi, and while it swiftly dealt with the guards—who were still flying backward—it also caused the courtyard's floor to be completely ravaged!

Though about ten other guards remained standing, all of them were now completely paralyzed in terror!

Seconds later, a 'clang' was heard as the middle-aged man from before—who acted as the bodyguards' leader—dropped his dagger before shouting, "B-boss!"

Immediately after, the rest of his men quickly dropped their daggers to the ground as well.

Richard, however, gave them no response, simply opting to rest his arms behind his back.

Understanding what Richard meant, the leader of the group instantly gulped before ordering, "Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

He had already sensed Richard's murderous intent, and though he had been in several life-or-death situations before, never had he felt the omen of death so vividly before. Though it was obvious that Richard had yet to show his true capabilities, the leader wasn't about to stick around to find out the extent of his power. After all, their guns were already worthless against him, what more their daggers! True to his words, they really were nothing more than ragdolls to him!"

Hearing their leader's command, the men instantly ran to the side.

Seeing that, Richard smiled subtly before saying, "It appears you're more intelligent than these two idiots here. Since you're wise enough to retreat, you may leave with your lives intact!"

"T-thank you, boss! Men! Fall back!" announced the middle-aged man as he bowed deeply before leading his subordinates away from the scene.

Watching as their men left, Fernando and Matilda were now completely stupefied.

Trembling in fear, Matilda turned to look at Fernando before asking, "…W-what should we do now, Fernando…?"

Quickly recovering his wits, Fernando immediately placed his dagger near Suri's neck before shouting, "You… You'd better not take another step forward, Richard…! If you do, I'll just kill her! You know how capable I am in terms of martial arts! She's only a slash away from death, you hear!"

"Confident again? And here I was considering one final time whether I'd allow you to escape. Sadly, that chance is no longer available since you're still stupid enough to threaten me! You'll be dying an exceptionally horrible death!" replied Richard as he took a step forward.

"You…!" retorted Fernando, at a loss of words. Had he truly just thrown away his only chance of escaping…?

"…Don't give advice in hindsight…! Regardless, I know you're a loyal person… With that in mind, why don't we settle things this way? I let this woman go, and you'll let me off! What do you say to that?" suggested Fernando nervously.

"So now you're begging for me to let you go? I'm afraid you're all out of chances!" replied Richard as he shook his head.

In the flash of an eye, he then flicked his finger in Fernando's direction! A light immediately shot out and—upon hitting Fernando's palm—instantly mutilated it!

Completely shocked as he watched his hand fall to the ground, the pained Fernando found himself shouting, "Y-you…! How… How are you so strong…?! You… You demon…!"

Now filled with immense regret, Fernando found himself thinking, 'What if what Richard had said was right…? That if I hadn't come over today to cause trouble, I could've eventually made good progress in my martial arts and maybe even end up becoming the president of the Martial Arts Association! After all, even he acknowledged my talent…! However… It's... It's now far too late for regrets…! I truly have offended someone whom I couldn't afford to…!'

Though he recognized his utter defeat, Fernando wasn't going to just give his life up without a struggle. With that, he held on to his still-bleeding hand as he rushed over to the wall, hoping to jump over it and escape!

—

Just as Richard had said, Fernando was now pretty much as good as dead.

The second Richard pointed his finger at him, Fernando instantly vomited blood before flopping lifelessly to the ground. Matilda herself was already screaming in terror as she tugged at her hair.

Falling to her knees before Richard, she instantly began begging, "P-please spare my life…! I swear none of what I did was on purpose…! Please, please don't kill me…!"

"You've been given enough chances. Now cease!" replied Richard as he pointed his finger at her as well, sending a hollow knife slashing across the devastated woman's neck! Falling to the ground, it was only a second later when Matilda breathed her last breath.

After witnessing all that had happened, Rosie found herself shivering as she said, "…How… How frightening… To think that you were able to kill so many people in such a short amount of time…!" "I only kill those who deserve to die," replied Richard casually.

At that moment, he suddenly raised his head and took a glance behind him. His eyelids twitching slightly, he then said, "…Seth, Suri, bring the old master and Miss Slow into the house first. I have something to attend to at the moment. Remember, do not come out no matter what sounds you hear!"

Before anyone could even question his intentions, Richard had already turned around and jumped out the courtyard… Running all the way to the bank of a river in the village, Richard eventually came across over ten corpses lying all over the ground. They were the bodies of those whom he had earlier allowed to leave.

Taking in a deep breath, Richard then shouted, "…I've been expecting you… Reveal yourself!"

"While we've only been apart for a short period of time, you've already made such rapid progress in your strength… That alone only serves to further prove that you really are that man…! You know, from how much you were lying to me in the past, I often found myself wondering if you truly weren't the person I once loved… However, not only have you mastered Thunder Eruption now, but your behaviors and actions are resembling your past self more, and more! With that in mind, tell me. Are you finally willing to admit who you really are?"

As a breeze blew across his face, Richard turned to look at the woman who had finally chosen to show herself. Oozing with an aura of mysteriousness, the woman staring at Richard—as she smiled seductively—was, of course, none other than Queena.  

"And here I thought you had gone missing! After all, even after so much had taken place, you never showed up!" replied Richard while looking at her.

"You still haven't answered my question. Are you finally ready to admit that you're him now?" said Queena, an expectant expression on her face as she walked toward him.

Slightly narrowing his eyes, Richard then replied, "Truth be told, I don't know yet either. However, what I do know is that the deity will never fall in love with you, be it in the previous or this present life! From what I can tell, he only loves the woman in white!"

"…You… What did you just say….?" asked Queena, her expression filled with rage.

"You should very well know what I'm talking about!"

"You…! Don't get all cocky just because you've learned Thunder Eruption! You're far from being able to defeat me! Just so you know, I came all the way here just to capture and bring you back with me! After all, you'd definitely be in much better hands with me compared to a situation where you got captured by other forces such as the King of Judgment Portal!" scowled Queena who was now so angry that she didn't even feel like talking to him anymore.

Knowing that talking wasn't going to get her anywhere, Queena simply stretched her hand out to attack him! In response, Richard manipulated his Thunder essential qi to make a counterattack!

The second the two forces collided, an explosive sound was heard! Not only did the sheer volume of the sound cause several of the sturdy-looking trees nearby to snap clear in half, but even the ground began cracking, sending dust flying everywhere!

As Richard found himself taking ten steps back, Queena retreated three steps herself.

"…That was a powerful Thunder Eruption… To think that your essential qi has already reached such a stage…! Had I been a few days later in my attempt to recapture you, I'd surely have lost!" said Queena— with a shocked expression on her face—as she looked at Richard, wondering how he had made such massive progress in such a short amount of time.

—

'Back then, Richard could hardly withstand a single blow from me… It isn't even a stretch to say that he was nothing more than a puppet to me just a few days ago! Even so, to think that he's become such an exceptional person in his short absence… I hate to admit it, but at his current strength, he isn't too far off from what I'm capable of… No wonder he's been so confident…!' Queena thought to herself.

'While it shouldn't be too difficult for me to defeat him at his current strength, capturing and controlling him will be near-impossible now! After all, from what I can tell, he can easily evade me now, and extremely easily too!'

Watching as Queena continued pondering the situation, Richard simply glared at her before saying, "While I'm incapable of killing you at the moment, I'll have you know that capturing me won't be an easy feat!"

"…You… What did you say…? You wish to kill me…?" replied Queena in disbelief.

'I've loved you for tens of thousands of years…! Tell me, are there any other women as loyal and passionate as I am?! To think that you'd actually think about killing me…!' Queena thought to herself while gritting her teeth in resentment.

After a short while, she turned to look at Richard before giving a firm nod and saying, "…Indeed. I'm well aware that I won't be able to control you as easily as I had in the past. Still, I hope you haven't forgotten that your friend, Jasmine, is still in my hands! With that in mind, it isn't impossible for me to continue controlling you as long as I'm still able to manipulate her!"

"I figured you'd say that. Since you've finally decided to bring it up, go ahead and state your conditions! She has nothing to do with all this, so tell me, what should I do for you to let her free?"

Richard hadn't forgotten that Jasmine was still in her hands. It was the reason why he had chosen to meet up with Queena in the first place—instead of avoiding her—upon sensing her presence.

"Oh, my condition is all but simple! Just get married to me and I'll let her go! Besides, it's for your own good too. After all, even though your strength has increased rapidly, the King of Judgment Portal is still much stronger than you could ever imagine! Quite frankly, if he wishes to deal with you directly, you'll surely end up dying!" replied Queena, her voice filled with worry.

'…From the looks of it, it seems that her worry is genuine…. She doesn't seem to be trying to scare me at all… I have reason to believe her too since I haven't been able to experience the strength of the King of Judgment Portal for myself… Since he's a person that even Queena fears, I can only imagine how frightening he truly is…!' Richard thought to himself.

"…So what I'm hearing is that though you first formed an alliance with the Judgment Portal and the Gunters to capture me, you parted ways with them after finding out that the other two forces wanted me dead. Is my deduction correct?" asked Richard, wanting to find out what the full story was.

Nodding, Queena then replied, "It is. At the very beginning, they had told me that you'd be coming over to Ancient City. Upon hearing that, I thought that I'd be able to capture you with ease! It truly hadn't occurred to me that the King of Judgment Portal would be that strong! With that said, I was unable to defeat him!"

"…Who exactly is the King of Judgment Portal…? And why haven't I heard about him before? Also, why's he so intent on killing me…?" asked Richard. These questions had honestly been bothering him for a while.

"Well, all of this is related to you, of course. Tell me, do you still remember that there was another coffin in the king of the ocean's palace back when you first released me?" replied Queena.

"Of course, I do. That coffin was bound by chains, and there seemed to be figures carved all over it. I also remember that when the king of the ocean's palace collapsed, the coffin ended up being opened as well. Following that, a black light shot out of it!"

As he recalled the scene in his mind, he suddenly paused for a moment. Seconds later, a bewildered expression formed on his face as he said, "…You… Couldn't be suggesting that the black light that escaped was actually the King of Judgment Portal, right…?"

"Unfortunately, you're correct. In life, there are both causes and consequences. I'm sure it never occurred to you back then that not only would you fail to retrieve the woman in white, but you'd also end up releasing both of us!"

Shaking her head with a wry smile, Queena then added, "As for why he planned to capture and kill you, I feel that it's related to him wanting to obtain a chance to return to Jaellatra. After all, he's well aware that you're the reincarnation of Xudon, the god of war. With that in mind, he's probably thinking that once he's killed and refined you, he'll make such rapid growth in his strength that he'll finally be able to return to Jaellatra!"

"…I see. Speaking of which, I know that both of you came from Jaellatra… With that in mind, I'm assuming that marriage isn't the only thing on your mind. Tell me, what other use do I have to you…?" asked Richard casually.

Upon hearing that, Queena's eyes glinted seductively as she smiled before saying, "…You resemble him more and more now… After all, his calmness, resourcefulness, and wisdom are all visible in you… Regardless, you're right. I do have another reason for wanting to marry you…"

Chapter 454

"Go on…"

"Well, I'm seeking union between the both of us. You see, by relying on the pure yang energy in your body, I'll be able to be just like her and get the chance to practice Thunder Eruption as well. Once I've gotten the hang of it, I'll be able to travel back and forth between earth and Jaellatra! In other words, I'll be one step closer to achieving my dream of going through true rebirth!"

Upon hearing that, Richard deepened his voice as he replied, "…I see. From what I now understand, both of you wish to breach into Jaellatra again… If that's the case, negotiation isn't completely out of the question!"

"A negotiation? What are your terms?"

"Well, for now, I suggest we form an alliance in order to take down the King of Judgment Portal. I have two reasons to back that up. Firstly, I could die by his hands if I don't get sufficient help. Secondly, from what I can understand, he's probably not too keen on allowing you to have your way either, isn't he?" proposed Richard.

"As long as we're together, you're my husband, and I'd never allow anyone to hurt you! With that in mind, I naturally agree to the alliance!" replied Queena with a subtle smile as she slowly began walking toward Richard.

At that moment, both of them suddenly heard a male shouting, "You b*tch! Don't you dare hurt my brother!"

Following that, both of them turned to look at who had shouted. As it turned out, it was Seth, and he was currently rushing toward them with a cleaver in each hand!

"What did you call me…?!" growled Queena wrathfully as she lifted her hand, fully prepared to teach Seth a lesson.

Being a beautiful woman, Queena was used to being flattered. Now that someone was actually daring enough to call her a b*tch, she felt that it was no different from being called hideous!

However, Queena quickly found her wrist getting grabbed by Richard as he said, "Don't hurt him! He's with me!"

Upon stepping before Richard, Seth immediately asked, "Are you alright, sir?"

Since Richard had already saved him and his elder sister on multiple occasions, Seth had long treated him as his elder brother.

"I'm fine! Speaking of which, didn't I tell you not to leave the manor? Why'd you run out here all by yourself?"

"I was simply worried that you'd be in danger!" replied Seth.

Feeling touched, Richard then said, "Even if I truly was in danger, it's not as if you could return in one piece yourself, you know…?"

"…That's true… But still. Regardless, who is she? Is she coming along with us to the snake cave?" asked Seth as he turned to look at Queena.

"…A snake cave? What kind of snake cave are we talking about here?" asked Queena in return.

"Well, from what I can assume, the contents we'll find within that cave will possibly illuminate us on some ancient civilization on earth. Speaking of which, I'm also interested in learning more—from you— regarding past incidents that had happened on earth as well as that Jaellatra you keep mentioning. With that in mind, why don't you come along with us to have a look around?" suggested Richard.

'While the Gunters and the King of Judgment Portal are both tough enemies I still have to face, at the very least, Queena's now temporarily on my side… After all, both of us share the same enemy… The King of Judgment Portal…!'

As the saying went, the enemy of his enemy truly did end up becoming his friend. Not that Richard was complaining. The fewer forces he had to deal with, the better.

Now that Queena was a temporary ally, Richard found himself wondering about the secrets she possessed…. She had, after all, been alive for tens of thousands of years…. Perhaps she would even know a thing or two about the Sun League…

—

"But of course I'll come along! After all, this is the first time you've even suggested for me to stay by your side!" replied Queena with a seductive smile.

Hearing that, Richard simply nodded at her with a faint smile.

Naturally, he wasn't about to tell her that he was going to save the woman in white at midnight. However, he was also well aware that if he wasn't willing to make at least a slight compromise, then he'd surely end up suffering much greater losses should Queena ruin his efforts while he was summoning the woman in white's soul…

It was about an hour later when Richard asked, "Seth, do you truly remember where the snake cave is…?"

The trio who were currently following Seth—after all four of them entered the mountain—consisted of Rosie—who had been curious about the snake cave—Queena—who had agreed to come along since Richard invited her to—and Richard himself.

"Of course I do! However, since this place is rather secluded, I still need to gather my bearings a bit better!" replied Seth as he scratched the back of his head before stepping atop a nearby boulder.

A few seconds later, he then exclaimed, "I found it! It's over there!"

Following that, he then agilely hopped off before taking a few steps forward and pushing some dense bushes aside… With that, a round cave entrance—that was almost as tall as a person—revealed itself to everyone.

A much younger Seth had first bumped into it while he was having fun with his friends. He remembered how his friends had dared him to enter the cave, and of course, he had taken the bet. Seth recalled that upon entering the cave, he had found an extremely large piece of discarded snakeskin. He had also come across a fruit in the cave, and eating it allowed him to gain the superpowers he had today.

Regardless, the snakeskin was the obvious reason why Seth had named this place the snake cave.

Moving back to the present day, all four of them found the need to lower their backs slightly as they proceeded further into the cave. After walking for some time, however, the cave soon opened up. As it turned out, that was a gigantic stone chamber in the cave that was honestly quite spacious.

Located right in the middle of the cave, was that large discarded snakeskin that Seth had told them about. From what Richard could tell, the snake that had shed such a massive pile of skin could easily be as strong as the monster that Richard had fought in the underground area back when he was still in the desert.

Whatever the case was, Seth—who now appeared to be so familiar with the place that it almost seemed like he had just returned home—then declared, "Well, this is the place!"

Following that, he then smiled before switching on the searchlight—that he had brought along—and taking a turn in the dark cave.

With the aid of the searchlight, Richard was finally able to see his surroundings clearly. As was expected, strange paintings adorned every corner of the cave. Upon scanning through the area, he even noticed the presence of an enchanting-looking plant growing from inside one of the cave's crevices. However, no fruits could be found growing on the plant.

"That's the plant that I obtained the fruit from back then… However, it seems that it hasn't borne any fruit again ever since I picked the only one growing back when I was still a child!" deduced Seth.

"How truly odd… This ancient plant is called a Lukra, and it has miraculous properties… Since the plant only bears a single fruit once in its entire lifetime, you truly are lucky to have been the one to eat it. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that their fruits' aren't that effective on earth due to its lack of holy spirits," explained Queena with a smile, making it quite obvious that she knew quite a bit about the plant.

"I agree with the fruit being miraculous… After all, Seth did obtain superpowers upon eating it," replied Richard though his focus had been on the paintings on the cave walls this entire time.

From what he could see, the paintings on the walls were extremely old. Ancient, even. After briefly scanning through them, Richard soon found himself raising a slight brow.

The things he saw on the walls were… weird, to say the least. For one, one of the paintings depicted a winged humanoid figure. As if that wasn't already odd enough, the person even had three eyes!

—

Aside from that, there were also several depictions of massive birds and beasts, and nobody could tell whether they were drawn that way deliberately.

Continuing to scan through, Richard soon saw a rather familiar image of a massive bat-like creature. Looking at it for a while, Richard found himself thinking, '...I met something similar to that back in the mine where I saved Yume and obtained the water repellent stone, right…? A large bat with the head of a human… While I had first assumed that it was some bat demon that had undergone immense training, since it's on this mural, it wouldn't be out of the question for it to actually be some kind of ancient creature that survived till today… But… How could that even be possible…? There are simply too many peculiar things at play…'

Turning to look at Queena—who had been utterly fascinated by all the things in the cave for a while now—Richard asked, "…Say, what kind of world is being depicted on the walls…? Could it actually be earth?"

Hearing Richard's question, she then replied, "Indeed. More specifically, it seems to be the legendary earth that existed millions of years ago! I learned about its existence from the data I got back when I was still in Jaellatra. Regardless, the paintings seem to depict a prehistoric civilization that once roamed the earth. If I had to name the exact civilization, I have a feeling that the murals are showing us what happened during the short-lived, but extremely glorious Shunzuog Civilization!"

After hearing what Queena had to say, Rosie's jaw instantly dropped. Nobody could blame her. After all, what Queena had just said was naturally preposterous to a normal person. Richard himself would've had the same reaction as Rosie had he not already experienced so much by this point.

Regardless, Richard already knew that Earth had already seen plenty of civilizations come and go by this point. From what he had found out, there was once a civilization of peculiar and unique humans that predated the appearance of even the dinosaurs! While dragons existed during that age as well, that civilization was rather short-lived.

"…Could it be that this mural had been here ever since the age of the Shunzuog Civilization…?" muttered Richard curiously.

"No ordinary mural could have remained intact for that long, that's for sure. With that in mind, why not try using your Thunder essential qi. I wonder if anything will change…" suggested Queena, her eyes still locked on the paintings.  

Knowing that Queena probably knew the most about all this, Richard simply obeyed. Activating his

Thunder essential qi, he slowly skimmed it across the painted walls…

Instantly gasping in surprise, Queena found herself exclaiming, "It… It's changed! It really has changed!

Look, Richard! There are many more people and a lot more information on the mural now!"

Richard had seen the changes too, and he assumed that his actions had forced the entire mural to completely reveal itself.

"Since you had to use essential qi to reveal the rest of the mural, it's safe to say that the artisans who drew this weren't ordinary people. After all, from the looks of it, they had used the power of thought to hide the rest of the mural from those incapable of manipulating their essential qi, a feat that couldn't possibly have been achieved by those without great strength. As for how I figured this would work in the first place, certain sects in Jaellatra used this method to store other forms of information as well, prompting me to ask you to try it!"

"Whatever the case is, from what I've been able to tell, the large snake was no ordinary creature. After all, I have a feeling that it relied on essential qi to nourish parts of it," explained Queena.

"…I see. As it turned out, the rumors about the peculiar civilization really were true…" replied Richard with a nod.

Moving closer to the wall to have a better look at all the new information that had just been revealed, it wasn't long before Richard added, "…After looking at it for a bit, everyone—including the beasts—in the mural appears to be performing some sort of… sacrificial activity? From what I can tell, both humans and beasts didn't seem to live in harmony before. However, it's seen here that all of them later rushed over—regardless of where they came from—and began worshiping some large stone statue…"

"…I think I get it now. From what I could gather, the murals are apparently depicting the lives of those living within some small area during that era of civilization. For both the beasts and humans to unite, I have a feeling that only someone legendary could've possibly gotten them to do so in such a devout manner…" replied Queena solemnly.

"Do you have any idea who it could've been?" asked Richard, glad that he had decided to bring her along. After all, she knew quite a lot of things.

"Well, I've read about that legendary person before in an ancient book I found back when I was still in Jaellatra… Since Jaellatra is a place that highly resembles the prehistoric Shunzuog Civilization, it's no surprise to me that the legend lives on there. However, while Jaellatra is similar to that civilization, it is by far a lot weaker compared to it. Hell, it wouldn't be a stretch to claim that anyone from the Shunzuog Civilization could dominate Jaellatra with ease! With that said, they'd barely need to lift a finger to take over earth!"

"Regardless, I went off-topic for a bit… Moving back to the legend, the legendary person was apparently the first person from the Shunzuog Civilization who was able to enter the realm of the Immortal Body. Due to that, he was pretty much invincible! With that in mind, it was no wonder why everyone— regardless of status or age—back then worshiped him to the highest degree!"

"…The realm of the Immortal Body?"

Chapter 455

Nodding, Queena then replied, "Indeed. See, the Immortal Body is a realm that used to only exist in legends. It was said that if a person ever entered that realm, then they'd be able to exist alongside heaven and earth. In other words, nothing would be able to truly destroy them. Though it was said that there was one person who was able to attain that legendary realm during that civilization, it's pretty much just a legend!"

"…Assuming the legend is true, that should suggest that that exceptional person should still be alive, correct? But that couldn't be, right? He should've still died along with his civilization!" said Richard rather curiously.

"Well, I, at least, believe that he died. My guess is that he never truly entered the realm of the Immortal Body. Even so, he was still an immensely exceptional person who had strength that clearly defied the natural order. Why else did so many people respect and admire him…" explained Queena.

"I see… Speaking of Jaellatra, how much do you know about the Sun League? That organization should belong to Jaellatra, right?" inquired Richard, finally deciding to ask what he wanted to know about the most.

"…The Sun League? While they do seem to have a special base in Jaellatra, they're not related to that place at all, nor are they affiliated with any other forces. An extremely mysterious and strong organization, I only know that the power they hold is sufficient to dominate nearly anything they wish to. Quite frankly, it wouldn't be out of the question to assume that their group stemmed from one of the civilizations that disappeared millions of years ago!"

"…I see. However, I wonder if you know anything about this… While I was previously deciphering some murals, I found some paintings depicting corpses on a sacred tree… The sacred tree itself apparently fell from the sky, and its descent was accompanied by many other corpses, including the deity's!" said Richard.

"Oh? You know a surprising lot! That's right. We died during a disaster that took place between heaven and earth in Jaellatra. I can see where you're coming from. While it's true that we too had doubts whether that disaster back then was triggered by the Sun League, none of us dared to investigate it. After all, even the past you didn't dare to look into it, even when you were at your peak strength! Regardless, you should note that you died while trying to escape from Jaellatra to Earth. I know this since I had been secretly stalking you the entire time!" replied Queena with a subtle smile.

"…Understandable. Regardless, how's the condition in Jaellatra now, then? And do we not even know what the Sun League truly is…? Is it really that impossible to get to the bottom of it…?" asked Richard, his disappointment evident in his tone.

"All that's to be known is that it's an organization that cannot be offended under any circumstances. With that in mind, you'd best give up if you're planning on investigating them. Again, you wouldn't be able to take on them, even at your peak strength!" reminded Queena.

Though she had no idea why he was even inquiring about the Sun League, she was still going to at least warn him against doing it.

Understanding that she meant well, Richard didn't take offense to her statement. However, as he thought about the previous clues he had come across—that still remained unanswered—he recalled something that prompted him to ask, "…I have one final question for the time being. Back when you were first buried in the king of the ocean's palace, do you still remember the old man who was leading the people responsible for escorting your corpse? If I recall correctly, you were able to break free while they were stopping by an island, resulting in you killing those that were standing guard over you at the time! From what I could tell, it was that old man who brought you down again at the time."

"I truly hadn't expected you to have learned so much! Of course I remember Master Warwick! After all, he's the reason I got sealed for ten thousand years!" replied Queena, a hint of gloominess in her eyes.

"…Master Warwick? From what I can tell, it seems that he's lived an extremely long life… Either that, or his descendants were the ones who had been responsible for the later incidents. Regardless of which it is, he certainly possesses rather remarkable abilities. After all, from what I know, he was able to accurately predict the future! More specifically, he predicted what would happen in current times around eight hundred years ago!" said Richard.

Nodding, Queena then replied, "You're correct there. Master Warwick truly is the most powerful person that I've come across up till this point. Speaking of him, he seems to be related to the Sun League… Well, I say related, but quite honestly, I have a feeling that he's an actual member of that group! After all, he has way too many miraculous powers! Also, it's impossible for him to have any descendants. With that in mind, I'm guessing he's still alive today! The problem is, I have no idea where he is!"

"…I'm assuming that both you and the King of Judgment Portal have yet to act too ostentatiously due to the fact that you can't tell whether he's truly dead or still alive. Is my guess correct?" asked Richard.

"You could say that!"

Though Queena had truly shed quite a bit of light on Richard, the Sun League still seemed as mysterious as ever… No matter how much he tried, he simply couldn't expose their secrets! Even so, there was one thing that was clear to him now…

'There's some sort of secret in me and many people are yearning for it… With that in mind, be it the King of Judgment Portal, the Gunters, or Queena, all of them have their reasons for approaching me… Regardless, while Queena knows quite a bit about the affairs in Jaellatra, as a whole, she doesn't know as much as Finnley… While I'd love to ask him more about all this, I haven't seen him ever since we parted ways… Where could he have gone off too…? I still haven't found out who the person who told me to look for the eternal coffin in the desert is either…' Richard thought to himself.

While many more mysteries remained, Richard felt that his mind was much clearer now. It was because of this clarity that he was able to remind himself that only people who wanted things from him would seek him out in the first place.

Regardless, the group remained in the cave for about an hour before they finally came out again. By then, Rosie had even snapped several photographs in her curiosity.

Now standing at the cave's entrance, Queena looked at Richard before saying, "So… Do you wish to go back with me?"

Since Richard had been the one who suggested for them to form an alliance, it meant that in a way, he had agreed to them being together.

—

Watching as she gazed with gentler eyes than before, Richard replied, "I still have some things I wish to learn about. I'll meet up with you once I'm done settling those issues!"

"Very well! I'll be waiting then!" said Queena with a smile.

Following that, her body momentarily swayed… And the next thing anyone knew, she had disappeared!

Taking a step forward in surprise, Rosie then turned back to look at Richard before saying, "Is… Is she human or a ghost…?"

"Half of both, I'd say!" replied Richard as he turned to look at the direction Queena had dashed off to while heaving a long sigh.

With that, he then brought Rosie back to the shantytown to meet up with Leo and the others. Noticing that the other man was not present, Richard then asked Monica where he was.

After being told that the man had yet to return, Richard found himself feeling slightly dissatisfied as he thought, 'Where on earth has he gone to? What's taking him so long…?'

It was a little while later when Queena finally returned to the manor that she was currently living in. The manor itself was tightly guarded by those from the Squad of Divine Grimness.

Upon entering the manor, Queena was immediately greeted by her subordinates as they shouted, "Welcome back, master!"

Seeing that she was in good spirits as Queena continued walking on, several of her puzzled subordinates found themselves thinking, 'Did something good happen? Why's the master so happy?'

Before they could ponder any further, they heard Queena casually ask, "Has anyone attempted to cause any trouble here during my two-day absence?"

"Not at all, master!"

"I see. Anything to report about Miss Fenderson?"

"She's been staying in her room this entire time, Master! With that in mind, I've been ordering servants to take good care of her!" replied one of the subordinates.

"Excellent. Now go bring Miss Fenderson here. I have some things to tell her!" ordered Queena as she walked further into the manor.

Throughout her journey back, Queena had been keen on telling Jasmine that Richard had finally agreed to be with her. After all, Jasmine had once told her that Richard would only ever love his current lover.

With that in mind, Queena wanted to properly ask Jasmine whether her statement still stood.

Perhaps it was due to Queena being so lonely for over thousands of years, but she found herself seeing Jasmine as a good friend whom she could confide in. While she had to admit that such intimate friendship was a rather new and strange experience for her, at least she finally had a person she could have a heart-to-heart talk with.

As she continued thinking about it, one of her servants suddenly began running—from the end of the hall—toward her as he shouted, "M-master! Something terrible has happened!"

"What's wrong?" asked Queena with a slight frown.

"M-miss Fenderson…! S-she's…" muttered the servant who was so scared that he didn't even dare to finish his sentence.

"What's wrong with her?" barked the subordinate from before.

"W-well! She was still in her room when I went over to bring her her breakfast earlier… Now, however, she's… She's gone missing…! And Hattie—her personal maid—has fallen into a coma as well!" reported the servant as she immediately knelt before Queena, utterly terrified.

—

"…What? She's gone missing…?!" growled Queena in rage.

"P-please spare me, master…! She truly was still in her room earlier! While I did hear her talking to someone earlier, I didn't pay much attention to it since I simply assumed that she was talking to Hattie! By the time I went in to check on her again, she was nowhere to be seen and Hattie was already in a coma!"

As the servant had said before, Hattie was the personal maid that Queena had assigned for Jasmine, and true to the servant's words, the second Queena entered the room for herself, she found that Jasmine really was absent and that Hattie was still lying in a coma!

Following that, Queena closed her eyes slightly to concentrate on her surroundings.

A little while later, she opened them again before coldly saying, "…From what I can tell, she was rescued by others earlier. I believe they haven't escaped too far, so launch an immediate search party for them around the area!"

Shuddering with fear, everyone immediately obeyed, running off to fulfill Jasmine's orders.

Meanwhile, a slightly fearful Jasmine found herself by a large river as she continued trying to struggle free from the random middle-aged man who had kidnapped her.

The strange-looking person had appeared in her room about half an hour ago, and without saying a word, he had easily knocked Hattie out before bringing her all the way here at incredibly high speeds! In fact, he had been so fast that throughout their journey to the riverside, Jasmine had felt like she was flying!

Aside from Richard and Queena, Jasmine hadn't seen anyone this capable, and that was honestly what scared Jasmine the most. The fact that he had brought her to some large river that was surrounded by tall trees only served to increase her terror.

"Please, just let me free… Who even are you…?" asked the frightened Jasmine.

"Is there even a need to ask? I'm clearly the one saving you!" replied the middle-aged man with a faint smile.

"…Do you know Richard? Was he the one who told you to come save me?" asked Jasmine, not knowing who else could be acquainted with such an exceptional person other than Richard.

"…In a way. Regardless, even if he hadn't told me to save you, I'd still have done so!" said the slightly hunchbacked man—who had also been carrying an odd, large bag on his back this entire time—as he flashed a slightly bitter smile.

Though his scar-filled face—that also littered with burn marks—would strike fear in just about anyone, the second Jasmine heard what he said, she was instantly filled with joy.

"So you really do know Richard! Where is he now? Why didn't he come over to save me himself?" asked Jasmine, hints of anxiousness in her voice.

"He's been with me for a while, and he's currently busy dealing with something important. Regardless, since you know Richard well, I'm sure you're well aware that he has a soft spot for you. With that in mind, as long as you're still locked up by that woman, he won't be able to eat or sleep well!" explained the middle-aged man.

Upon hearing that, Jasmine found herself overflowing with joy. So she was still significant to him! Well, maybe not significant, but at the very least, he was still worried for her!

It was at that moment that Jasmine realized that she didn't yearn for much. After all, all it took for her to be satisfied was for Richard to show concern about her, just like he currently was.

"…Hold on, you told me that even if Richard hadn't told you to save me, you'd still have done so. Why is that, sir?" asked Jasmine, feeling slightly bewildered.

For some odd reason, Jasmine now felt that the middle-aged man wasn't as frightening as he had been before. While it probably had something to do with their brief conversation earlier, she felt that it was also because she was finally able to have a proper look at his eyes.

His gaze—whenever he looked at her—seemed particularly gentle, and anyone who saw it would be prompted to behave more friendlily toward him.

"You truly do resemble your aunt, Jasmine! Like two peas in a pod! Actually, scratch that. You resemble Queta even more!" replied the man with a slight chuckle.

"…You… You know my name…? Actually, hold on, you even know who my aunt and cousin are? Who… Who exactly are you…?" asked the puzzled Jasmine.

"But of course I know who all of you are! Hell, it wouldn't be a stretch for me to say that I know more about the Fendersons than you do!" said the man with a bitter smile before revealing a photograph that had been hidden under his sleeve… It was a photograph of Queta.

Being an extremely smart woman, the shocked Jasmine found herself carefully observing the middleaged man's eyes. Eventually, it hit her.

No wonder he felt so familiar… Not only did his eyes resemble Richard's, but the shape of their faces were similar as well!

Chapter 456

Adding that to what he had earlier said, Jasmine instantly began trembling all over as she asked,

"…Could… Could it be that you're my aunt's missing husband…? The uncle me and Richard share…?"

Chuckling as he smiled, the man then replied, "You truly are as smart as your aunt, Jasmine..."

"…So, it's really true…?!" exclaimed Jasmine as she covered her mouth in shock.

"…Sir- No, uncle… Haven't you gone missing for ages…? Why are you only showing yourself now….? Also, how did your appearance turn out this way…?"

Based on what her aunt had once told her, Peter Crawford—her uncle—was quite a handsome and elegant man. With that in mind, his current hideous expression would shock just about anyone!

"Let's just say that I needed to end up this way in order to escape! Still, this appearance isn't all that bad since it allows me to hide my true identity. In fact, it's thanks to how I look that I've been able to easily investigate a few incidents!" replied Peter, his eyes returning to their former tranquillity.

"Then… I'm assuming that Richard still has no idea who you are, right? That you're the uncle he's been searching for this entire time…?" asked Jasmine.

"Of course he doesn't. After all, I haven't concluded on whether a certain someone is good or wicked yet... Anyway, it's just better if I don't reveal who I truly am to Richard yet. Besides, I can still help him in secret!" said Peter with a smile.

"Who exactly are you trying to find out is good or wicked…?" asked Jasmine.

"Sadly, I can't elaborate on that. Just know for now that all my efforts will go to waste if that incident is accidentally exposed. Speaking of which, I wasn't even supposed to reveal my true identity to you today, Jasmine! With that in mind, please promise that you'll keep my identity a secret in the meantime!" said Peter.