Chapter 412 The New Holy Sovereign
Now that Zara knew Lucian was in the Divine World, the question was whether she should go after him.
He had supposedly gone to investigate the Martin family. How had he managed to investigate himself straight into enemy hands?
And why had the Divine World chosen this moment to act?
Had they decided the time was finally right?
Or did it have something to do with what happened the night before?
When the power tried to return to her, Zara had refused it and forcibly driven it back into Lucian.
The resulting disturbance had been enormous.
Some of the patients had even thought she was undergoing some kind of supernatural trial.
Could that have caused the other side to misread the situation?
Zara considered the possibility.
Just then, Damien, the traitor to his own side, actually brought her a crucial piece of information.
Lucian had indeed been taken by people from the Divine World.
However, because time flowed differently between the two worlds, he might still be in transit.
If Zara crossed over now, she might reach the Divine World only a couple of days after Lucian did.
His life was still worth something, so she decided to go after him.
She returned home first and brought Aurelion and Pyrelion along.
When Aurelion saw that she was heading out again, he looked surprised. "Where are we going this time? And you're actually taking him with us?"
Naturally, he meant Pyrelion.
After all, Pyrelion was still a wanted fugitive.
"We're going back to your world to rescue an idiot. Waiting around here would only waste time."
Aurelion looked baffled. "Rescue who? Who got into trouble this time?"
"Lucian," Zara answered bluntly.
She had no qualms about telling them the Divine World's entire plan. After hearing it, Aurelion blurted out, "Damn! Since when were they that clever?"
Had he underestimated them all this time?
"I don't know whether they're clever," Zara said. "All I know is that targeting Lucian is the same as targeting me. I won't tolerate anything that could put me at a disadvantage. If there really is no other way..."
She paused and let out a heavy sigh. "Even if Lucian has to die, I'm the only one allowed to kill him."
Aurelion fell silent.
How utterly ruthless!
Pyrelion was equally shocked. "That's an option? But how did Valerius become this ambitious?"
"Exactly," Aurelion said. "Does he really think having half of Zara's power makes him invincible? That he'd be able to defeat the mystic beasts?"
Aurelion added, "If even one ruler of a forbidden zone steps in, they'll make him pay dearly. And now he's gone and made an enemy of Cyranth too. The man has no idea how to keep a low profile. He spends every waking moment courting disaster."
Zara clicked her tongue. "Cyranth isn't exactly reliable either. That useless fossil said he was going to find Soraya's spirit body, but he still hasn't shown his face. All he did was send her some flowers a while ago. What good did that do?"
Zara continued, "She doesn't even recognize him. She thought he was some man I was having an affair with. How low does she think my standards are?"
Aurelion was speechless.
So was Pyrelion.
Zara was probably the only person in either world who dared call Cyranth useless to his face.
Aurelion sighed. "Based on all the TV dramas I've been watching lately, at least you and Lucian haven't fallen in love. That saves us from a full-blown tragic romance."
Two people who loved each other being forced to become enemies would have been unbearably tragic.
But since the heroine was already considering killing the hero herself, this story clearly was not following the usual tragic formula.
"Exactly," Zara said. "I'm a cold-blooded killer with no emotions."
Aurelion fell silent again.
Pyrelion did too.
Neither of them entirely understood her logic, but they had a feeling this trip would be anything but peaceful.
Before leaving, Zara naturally made every possible preparation. She put everything in order and left the children in Allen's care.
Before departing, she added, "If I really don't come back, donate half my fortune and leave the other half to my younger siblings."
Allen understood how serious the situation was. Wiping tears from his eyes, he said, "If you don't make it back, do you really think the Divine World will leave your fortune untouched?"
Zara fell silent.
Right.
If she failed to return, that would mean she had failed to stop them. The Divine World would inevitably find a way to invade Earth.
If Earth itself was doomed, Allen would hardly have time to worry about her estate.
"Forget it. I'll bring Lucian back. I won't let you down."
"That's the spirit, Boss Lady Zara! Think of your houses! Think of your money!"
Zara's fighting spirit surged instantly. "Valerius is dead! The Divine World is finished!"
Allen paused. "...Good luck!"
This time, Zara brought Aurelion and Pyrelion with her.
The portals on Earth were fairly easy to find now. Most had been secured and placed under official supervision, so Zara could simply choose one and cross over.
The only problem was the unpredictable travel time.
Time flowed at roughly the same rate in both worlds, but the time spent inside the passage itself was simply swallowed up. To the traveler, the crossing felt instantaneous, even though several days might have passed outside.
So when Zara finally opened her eyes in the Divine World, she discovered that she had landed right in the middle of a mystic beast settlement.
It truly was a mystic beast settlement.
An entire city of mystic beasts, in fact.
Mystic beasts had cities of their own, and humans were forbidden from entering them.
Yet the moment Zara opened her eyes, she spotted a familiar figure.
"Ash?!"
She had never expected to land in a mystic beast city and immediately run into an old... acquaintance.
Ash was the giant bird who had once been imprisoned for spying on other mystic beasts while they bathed, then escaped from prison with Zara and the others.
Ash looked equally stunned. "What are you doing here?"
Several nearby mystic beasts prepared to attack the moment Zara appeared.
They were all birds, so this was clearly Ash's clan territory.
The towering buildings around them did not look all that different from those in a human city. The only obvious difference was that every creature moving through the streets was a mystic beast.
Ash hurriedly stopped his agitated relatives. "Why did you come here alone?"
"Just doing a little sightseeing," Zara replied.
Ash fell silent.
He looked her up and down, seeming unsure how to break the news. Then he pulled out a device, and a report appeared on its screen.
"How did the man who came with you last time become the Holy Sovereign?"
Zara took a closer look.
The report was about Lucian.
His appearance had not changed, but his entire presence had.
He wore a black cloak trimmed with fur. His hair and features were the same as ever, but his eyes were now filled with icy indifference.
Damn. He looked ridiculously handsome when he got serious.
Beside his image was a headline:
[The True Holy Sovereign Returns: Upper Realm Enthronement Ceremony to Be Held in One Week]
Zara fell silent.
This was obviously a calculated substitution.
They were trying to install Lucian as the Holy Sovereign.
Zara could not help protesting, "That's outrageous! Did they even consider how the previous Holy Sovereign would feel? She barely held the position before they replaced her. My uncle really is a piece of trash!"
Ash fell silent.
He also looked rather confused. "Your human politics seem really complicated. But his strength is terrifying. When he appeared two days ago, he immediately subdued a supreme-rank mystic beast. That was incredible. None of the previous Holy Sovereigns could do it."
Zara rolled up her sleeves. "Tell me where he is. I'll go straighten him out."
"...The Upper Realm."
"Okay. I'm heading there now."
Aurelion suddenly poked his head out. "I just thought of a classic melodramatic twist. The people of the Upper Realm probably won't let you see him. And if he's working for them, there's a good chance he doesn't remember certain things anymore."
"You have a point," Zara said. "But one part of that theory doesn't work."
Aurelion blinked. "Which part?"
"Who in the Upper Realm do you think can stop me? None of those weaklings can. They'll have to send Lucian out eventually, so he'll still have to face me."
Aurelion paused. "...And then the heartbreaking reunion scene will begin."
"Exactly. Who would've thought Lucian would eventually die by my hand?" Zara sighed. "Do you think a will he signs on the spot would still hold up legally back on Earth?"
Aurelion fell silent.
So did Pyrelion.