Free Web NovelChapter 35: Invited to the Royal Banquet
Around the circular table which was suddenly filled with an extremely cold and terrifying aura, all movements froze. Roselina could never understand the reason behind the dark glances Cain directed toward her. She believed she was merely asking a normal, simple question out of human curiosity, wondering with genuine internal terror why the charming atmosphere had suddenly transformed into this suffocating environment.
Little Amelia tried to salvage the situation immediately and calm the conditions before doubts exploded in her aunt’s mind. She spoke in a gentle, confident, and childish tone, "No, Auntie... my real mother went on a journey, very far away now to attend to some business, and she will return to us soon. As for this lady, she is my dear maid and assistant, Maxi, whom my mother sent to accompany me and care for me whenever Papa Cain is busy managing the affairs of the Duchy."
Roselina’s brows furrowed deeply and her facial features shifted. Her female intuition, mixed with the fluctuations of pregnancy hormones, told her that there was something suspicious and hidden that was completely out of place. Moments ago, they looked like a harmonious, warm family filled with affinity. But the moment she asked a simple, spontaneous question, the atmosphere flipped into charges of cold, murderous energy.
Therefore, Roselina tried to be rational and finally calm down to avoid provoking the fury of her terrifying brother. She said with a forced laugh, "Well, well... it seems I was mistaken and hasty in my judgment. But I truly saw a look of deep tenderness in Lady Maxi’s eyes toward you, and the way you handle her, Amelia, looks genuinely different and intimate. That is why I believed for a moment that you two were a real mother and daughter due to the heavy affinity."
However, Roselina realized after her tongue uttered these words that she did not soften the atmosphere, but rather added more coldness atop the table. The feverish psychological tension rose to the point of suffocation while Roselina felt a terrible shiver running through her entire body. She now desired only one thing: to get out of this accursed room at any cost and save her own skin!
Amelia intervened once more to patch up the situation, saying softly, "I treat Lady Maxi in a different and special way because she is truly a very kind and affectionate person to me. Therefore, she treats me gently like her little daughter, and I love this attention from her very much."
Little Amelia had become the official savior of her aunt Roselina for the second consecutive time. Roselina was on the verge of pouncing on the girl to embrace her in thanks and gratitude for pulling the danger away from her, but she decided to immediately use pregnancy and exhaustion as an excuse to leave. It was better and safer for her now to return to the warm and secure embrace of her husband, Michael, instead of remaining in this charged atmosphere.
Therefore, Roselina quickly stood up from the circular table and moved with accelerating steps toward the door. She opened it and exited immediately. The moment she closed it, she let out a heavy sigh laden with relief, feeling deep inside that she had just escaped a great peril!
On the other side inside the salon, after Roselina’s departure, Cain turned toward Lucy and tried to display natural features while laughing forcedly, "Hahaha... Lady Maxi, I hope you do not consider my sister Roselina’s words as anything of value. She is a reckless and impulsive woman indeed due to the pregnancy, and she does not know what follies escape her mouth. Forgive her for her intrusiveness."
Lucy moved her hand softly and replied in a feigned warm tone through the altered voice of Maxi, "No, there is nothing that requires an apology, Lord Duke. In fact, I consider Amelia exactly like my own daughter and I adore her presence beside me. Therefore, do not worry at all from this aspect..."
Cain finally calmed down and exhaled a sigh of relief in secret. He muttered to himself that his sister with her talkative mouth sometimes posed a security threat more dangerous than Lucy herself! He began to seriously doubt whether Roselina was trying to implicate him and intentionally bring about his end, at a time when he was exerting all his efforts to survive and protect the world from destruction.
However, he convinced himself internally that his sister had been a fool since childhood and would always remain brainless, and that his destiny as a protagonist was to endure her trivial mistakes with silence and patience. He gripped the playing cards again, attempting to rearrange them, but his mind was still wondering with curiosity and bewilderment about the real reason that made Lucy sacrifice her winning cards and allow him to win like that.
Meanwhile, on the other side with Lucy, she was exerting the utmost power she possessed to conceal the heavy blush of embarrassment that invaded her cheeks, which was on the verge of showing beneath her disguise. Were it not for the existence of this wretched, mysterious entity that threatened Cain’s life and restricted his confession to her, she would have gripped Cain’s head forcefully and squeezed his lips with a violent, obsession-filled kiss, even if it were against his will and pride!
Cain’s sacrifice of making himself lose for her sake in the game was magnificent and highly exciting to her. This situation gave her a terrifying, sweeping drive to accelerate the development and completion of her forbidden technique, [Soul Touch], much faster than she previously planned. At that time, there would be no power or entity in this universe to prevent her from monopolizing Cain and adding him to her throne. freewebnøvel.com
Lucy smiled with sadistic malice in her depths, suddenly feeling a pleasant, exciting itch spreading between her thighs from the sheer intensity of arousal and thinking of his body. It caused her to press her legs tightly together and slowly rub them against each other while drowning in her fantasies.
She thought that the only way now to calm this burning desire and soothe her condition was to go to her suite and read her favorite book by the famous author: How to Tame Your Husband and Make Him Love You Like a Mature, Open-Minded Woman. But she smiled with cunning, knowing with absolute certainty that even if she read all the books in the world, the only definitive thing that could quench that pleasant itch and extinguish the fire between her thighs was Cain himself and his submissive body beneath her absolute dominance.
Five hours after that incident, in the darkness of the night, Cain sat alone on one of the massive rocks extending along the seashore, the cold breeze playing with his hair. He held between his fingers a strange magical jewel, which would have been exceedingly beautiful and radiant were it not for the dull, faded gray color coating its surface. This artifact was [Michael’s Jewel], according to the detailed description generated by the System.
Cain asked in a bewildered and skeptical tone, directing his speech through his consciousness to the System interface, "Are you certain and saying with absolute surety that through this item I can reclaim the entirety of my original power and advance at a faster rate?"
The mechanical voice of the System rang in his mind instantly:
{Yes, Host... for [Michael’s Jewel] is a unique cosmic item whose efficiency and effectiveness are determined based on its owner’s original power and soul essence. If the Host places another portion of your current power inside it as a catalyst, all you need to do is wait for a short period until the jewel completely awakens to the [Truth Level]. At that time, the Host will be able to fully recover your energy and transition directly to the supreme the Truth Level permanently.}
Cain froze in his place, his eyes narrowing as he asked again with a hint of anxiety, "Does this mean I am forced now to sacrifice another portion of my current power, descending temporarily to the [Immortal Level] so that I can later ascend and advance to the Truth Level?"
The System answered him with cold confidence:
{Yes, Host... for in the System’s opinion, you are already powerful and terrifying even at the [Immortal Level], and there is no one in this continent or world who matches your skills and combat power even with this temporary drop. In addition, this System completely guarantees to the Host that Lucy will not ambush you or cause you any disturbance or danger during this short period.}
Cain thought deeply, feeling that this step was highly logical and strategic in the long run. If he sacrificed a portion of his current power temporarily to retreat to the Immortal Level, he could after just three days recover everything and reach the absolute [Truth Level].
However, he suddenly felt that something was wrong and uncomfortable about this generous offer. Life did not always move this smoothly, and the System never presented gifts for free. Cain narrowed his eyes and asked in a cautious, probing tone, "Are you absolutely certain that I will only lose a portion of my cultivation level throughout the next three days?"
The mechanical voice of the System rang in a cold, transparent tone:
{To be completely honest with the Host... [Michael’s Jewel] is an ancient cosmic item. Upon activation, it will not merely absorb a portion of your energy. It will also temporarily absorb and devour your Divine Immunity, all mental protection techniques, and resistance against poisons and forbidden magic! Even the Host’s magical bloodlines will have their essence completely restricted, while all mana-based self-healing skills will be placed in a state of absolute dormancy... However, these matters are truly unimportant in calculations, as the Host remains stable within the [Immortal Level].}
A sweeping wave of suppressed anger washed over Cain. If he had rushed and sacrificed his power to the jewel without directly questioning the System, he would have fallen into a terrifying predicament without even knowing it!
This sudden revelation caused the worm of doubt and suspicion to crawl even deeper into his mind. He continued his interrogation sternly, "Is that all? Or are there other filthy conditions you are hiding up your sleeve?"
The System answered him immediately:
{In fact... no. The jewel also continuously drains a portion of the Host’s vitality and physical body over time. It will place [Divine Eye], your supreme sensory abilities, and the [Transcendent] state into complete and total dormancy... To put it more accurately and precisely: the Host will have nothing left throughout the three days except your pure physical strength and power derived from the Immortal Level.}
An absolute, chilling silence loomed over Cain’s mind as he measured the scale of risks and threats in his thoughts with genuine tension. He now realized that this jewel was no ordinary treasure; it was an extremely cursed artifact fraught with peril!
Yet he knew with absolute certainty—by virtue of his long experience—that the System did not lie to him regarding matters involving rewards. It might deliberately hide some information from him, but if the Host asked directly and specifically, it would provide him with the truth and precise data immediately.
In its numerical calculations, the System saw that even if Cain were stripped of his skills and immunity, relying solely on his pure physical strength at the Immortal Level, he would still remain an invincible being whom no one in this world could match.
For Cain, this was a highly dangerous and high-stakes gamble. However, he tried to reassure himself that Lucy seemed completely calm and stable these days. Furthermore, there was no one on this continent, even if he were at the Immortal Level, who could inflict harm upon him or destroy his solid physique.
Suddenly, the System screen flashed with an additional warning:
{A small warning for the Host: once the ritual begins, [Michael’s Jewel] will pierce through your body and settle directly inside your heart. If both vital energy and mental energy are cut off from it—or if either energy source vanishes for two full hours without compensation—the jewel will fail completely, and the Host will never be able to reach the [Truth Level].}
Cain was on the verge of rejecting the offer and canceling the entire idea due to these impossible conditions. But anxiety caught up with him, and heavy concerns gathered within his chest. If he did not exploit this available opportunity now, it would take him four full months to recover his [Truth Level] on his own after the severe wound that Lucy had previously inflicted upon him!
In the end, Cain accepted that terrifying risk. He knew very well that Lucy’s current calmness was merely a temporary and limited phase, and her very calmness was what terrified him the most; it always meant she was plotting something suspicious and far worse than before. He could not waste the chance to reclaim his full power as quickly as possible, so that he would be ready and capable of suppressing Lucy once more and subjugating her if she ever ran amok and placed the world in danger.
Therefore, Cain made his definitive choice. He bit the tip of his finger forcefully until blood flowed, and began to draw the sacrifice incantations upon the surface of the gray jewel in absolute silence, his eyes burning with determination.
The moment he finished the magical drawing, [Michael’s Jewel] began to glow violently, gradually absorbing his power levels and aura. This made Cain grit his teeth as he felt a terrible, tearing pain coursing through his entire body and veins. An entire world of his power and energy essence was now pulled and deposited into the gray jewel, which began to throb with life!
The jewel then vanished from between his hands. Right after, he felt something heavy inside his chest, faintly yet steadily absorbing his energy.
He coughed up blood. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
He breathed with difficulty as he sensed the drop in his rank, but he comforted himself that he would return to the [Truth Level] after only three days, and that even at the Immortal rank, he remained the undisputed strongest.
Suddenly, and in a mysterious, abrupt manner, a glowing magical message appeared in his hand out of nowhere, bearing in its center the luxurious wax royal seal of the Holy Kingdom!
Cain opened the message to read its content: [Due to the Holy Kingdom’s magnificent victory in its recent glorious battle on the borders against the invading armies... we invite the Lord Duke Cain Auster to attend the Grand Victory Banquet and Feast at the Imperial Palace east of the province, tomorrow night at exactly nine o’clock in the evening.]
Cain fell completely silent, expressions of utter wonder and astonishment forming on his face. He had sent his powerful followers from the Transmigrators Organization to the front lines just three days ago... could it be possible that they achieved this crushing victory and ended the war with such miraculous speed?
