559
Chapter 559
TSSSTSTSSTS!
Harvey West was thrown out as the gate opened.
"UNGGGHHHH!"
Sticky blood was seeping profusely from his side.
At the same time, blood was surging up from his mouth.
"KUHEURKK!"
He didn't die because the homunculus appeared at the critical moment to block Zeke's sword strike, but he had suffered a fatal wound from the soul-cutting blade that severed his essence.
Since the essence of his soul was damaged, the wound wouldn't heal no matter how much magical power he poured into it.
Harvey West somehow gripped his wound to stop the bleeding and tried to crawl inside the hideout.
Feeling such pain while bleeding was harder than he had imagined, but he gathered his wits.
'...I need to go to the laboratory and prepare a new body.'
The reason he hadn't shown himself for a long time and had possessed the bodies of other dark mages to give orders was none other than the instability of his physical form.
The Great Sage had used the soul of the Arrogant Savior to create a perfect ‘Immortal’ To make a new savior.
The Great Sage's theory, which even created the Hero King Kaisir, was perfect.
The problem was the constraint of karma.
The karmic constraint created by the Primordial Light did not allow the existence of an immortal to remain in the phenomenal world.
Thus, Harvey West gained immortal power but became an unstable existence in the phenomenal world.
There was no problem when he was free from the karmic constraint through the Great Sage's power, but after he left the Sage and developed the will to resurrect the Demon King, he needed to somehow stabilize his existential instability.
That's why Harvey West researched immortal power to allow his existence to remain and sustain in the phenomenal world.
CRAAACK!
Harvey West endured the pain of all his fingernails falling out as he somehow crawled toward his laboratory.
If he could just reach the cultivation room where the holy blood cells were being cultivated, he could at least prevent his body from collapsing.
But he sensed someone in his hideout.
A man with firm boot steps.
It was none other than the Black corps Captain, Baron Draker.
Harvey West couldn't hide his bewilderment seeing Baron in his secret hideout.
'How did he get here…?'
Beside Baron stood hooded figures, and Harvey West realized they were Kaisir's homunculi.
He then understood that it was also a homunculus that had blocked Zeke's attack in front of the gate in his place.
Originally, it was Baron Draker who had attached the Hero King's homunculus to him.
The homunculus was one of the many secret relics left by Arthur Draker before his death, given to him as a gift when they agreed to make a pact.
'I never imagined the Hero King's homunculus wasn't just one...'
Then Baron Draker spoke, looking at Harvey West who was bleeding and nearly dying.
"You look like you're in a lot of pain."
Harvey West looked at Baron who was staring down at him with cold eyes and said:
"...What are you doing here, Baron?"
At those words, Baron lowered his body to meet the fallen Harvey West at eye level.
"I came to keep our promise. Arthur Draker's body is ready."
Harvey West flinched at Baron's words.
The energy emanating from him felt ominous.
'Could it be…?'
SWISHHHH!
Baron Draker's face slowly began to change.
The face of a young man with ash-gray hair swept back appeared.
A man similar to Abel Draker, but with drier eyes.
It was the young face of the Overlord Arthur Draker.
Seeing this, Harvey West clenched his molars.
"...So everything was your scheme all along?."
At those words, Arthur grinned as he looked at him.
"Not at all. I told Baron that if I couldn't properly digest the Elder Dragon's heart, he could indeed give my body to you. I simply took a gamble, and I won that gamble. Nothing more to it."
Arthur Draker slowly rose from his seat.
Then, looking at Harvey West whose body was collapsing after being attacked by Zeke, he shook his head.
"How severe. Was it Zeke who did this to you?"
Harvey West considered various ways to escape this situation.
'If I abandon my body and escape as just a soul... it will take a very long time to regain my strength.'
Just like Germain, who had been the boss of the Nostra family, Harvey West too would need to spend hundreds of years to create his own body and prepare to stand on the stage of the final chapter again.
But still, escaping from here was the right move.
Harvey West began preparing to abandon his damaged body and escape as just a soul form without Arthur Draker noticing.
SLIIIIIDE!
He thought that if his soul slipped out secretly like a snake, even Zeke Draker with his divine status wouldn't be able to trace him.
But then Arthur Draker looked at Harvey West with emotionless eyes and said.
"You still don't know much about me, it seems."
Harvey West was startled when he felt Arthur Draker's gaze accurately identifying and targeting his soul form.
At the same time, he realized his soul couldn't escape from his body as intended.
'How is this possible...?'
Arthur Draker continued with a cold gaze and a slight smile:
"Since you're so good at slipping away, I made some preparations before coming."
As he raised his hand, the Kaisir homunculi behind him raised their swords.
The homunculi's swords emitted a faint light, revealing ancient magic formations connected to them that appeared on the floor and walls throughout the hideout.
WOOOOONG!
Ancient magic formations that held souls in place.
They were made of forgotten knowledge that had disappeared from the phenomenal world.
TSSSSS!
A mist-like energy leaked from Harvey West's body.
Arthur Draker muttered as he watched this:
"A replica of the first Draker created by the Great Sage. Perhaps its performance is inferior since it's not the original. Not as good as I expected."
Harvey West glared at Arthur Draker with glowing red eyes.
"How did you…?"
"Oh, was that your secret? Sorry. I just happened to find out somehow."
Arthur Draker spoke glibly with an emotionless expression.
Seemingly uninterested in Harvey West's anger, he gestured to the homunculus behind him, who slowly approached Harvey West with raised swords.
KRUGUGUGUGU!
As the magical swords' influence drew closer, the haze leaking from Harvey West's body fluctuated, compressing his soul form.
Arthur Draker smiled coldly and said to Harvey West:
"I found them in a very ancient temple. Both the swords and the homunculus."
He patted the shoulder of a nearby homunculus and continued:
"When I first discovered them, they were sealed in an unbreakable icy coffin. I tried commissioning the mages of Nirvana, known for their ice magic, and many others to find a way to open it. But magic couldn't solve it."
Harvey West's face was turning pale as his bleeding worsened.
Arthur Draker continued:
"Now I know it was frozen by the Great Sage's authority, so the attempt was impossible, but I didn't know that then. Eventually, I found a solution. Dragon's authority could break the seal."
Harvey West bit his lip tightly.
Dragons were the only beings in the phenomenal world not subject to karmic constraints, the only creatures granted authority.
'To think he used dragon's authority to break the Great Sage's seal...'
The Draker family's reputation as dragon slayers must have helped in finding this solution.
Arthur Draker continued, looking at Harvey West:
"I learned a lot from the dragons' legacy. It's unfortunate I couldn't recover the Elder Dragon's legacy completely... but since Zeke has it, it'll eventually come into my hands."
Arthur Draker had already figured out many things.
Harvey West looked at him quietly and said:
"You seem quite concerned about Zeke Draker."
"Well, I am his father, so I should be, shouldn't I?"
At those words, Harvey West sneered.
"How amusing that you say such things knowing he's not your biological son."
Arthur Draker shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"My, you don't seem to understand that the bonds formed through raising can be stronger than blood ties. Perhaps it's because you're an artificial life form."
Arthur Draker casually uttered these insulting words.
He said to Harvey West, whose face had hardened:
"Anyway, the introduction has been long. Let's get back to the main point."
Arthur's eyes flashed and changed into golden dragon eyes as he looked down at Harvey West.
"How about joining hands with me? I'll help with the Demon King's resurrection."
At Arthur's sudden proposal, Harvey West first looked puzzled, then disbelieving.
"...You expect me to believe that?"
"What's not to trust? Just think of it as making the same deal with me that you made with Baron. Of course, I can't hand over my physical body."
Harvey West barely managed to speak through his rough breathing.
"The King in Yellow needs a physical body to manifest. Since you destroyed Abel Draker's body, there's no vessel left!"
Arthur Draker nodded at those words.
"That's right. That's why you were trying to use my body instead."
After finishing his words, Arthur Draker stared intently at Harvey West, then continued while winking one eye.
"But think carefully. Isn't there an even more suitable body?"
At those words, Harvey West looked at Arthur with a disbelieving expression and said.
"You mean Zeke Draker?"
Arthur Draker clapped his hands and smiled sinisterly again.
"Isn't he the most suitable vessel for the Demon King to settle in? If the Demon King enters that child's body, it will become the ultimate weapon to destroy the heavenly realm."
Having faced Zeke directly, Harvey West understood this point, but knew it wouldn't be easy.
His prowess far exceeded that of an overlord, having not only absorbed the soul of the Arrogant Savior to gain a divine status like a lord of the demon realm, but also subdued and sealed one of the Thirteen Zodiac Constellations, the master of the Lion Palace.
Arthur Draker smiled, reading these thoughts from Harvey West's expression.
"Zeke, it seems you were overwhelmed by that child. Isn't that right, High Priest?"
Though Harvey West didn't want to admit Arthur Draker's words, they were true.
He had misjudged Zeke Draker's limits and ended up having the Arrogant Savior's soul taken from him.
Then Arthur Draker took something out from his chest and held it out to Harvey West.
'...That's.'
Surprisingly, what Arthur Draker held out was a sacred dragon's Dragon Heart.
A Dragon Heart from a sacred dragon that had lived for thousands of years held value more precious than any mineral.
Arthur handed the Dragon Heart to the surprised Harvey West and said.
"This is a gift to show my sincerity. With this, you should be able to heal your crumbling body and soul."
Harvey West felt strong suspicion while looking at Arthur Draker making this sweet offer.
But in the current situation, without this, his soul would surely scatter and perish.
Either perish or accept Arthur Draker's offer.
Harvey West couldn't tell which option was worse.
'The Drakers, more devilish than devils themselves.'
Harvey West, while being the founder of the Drakers, despised the Draker bloodline.
After contemplating, he finally reached out and took the Dragon Heart that Arthur was offering.
Seeing this, Arthur grinned.
"Very good thinking. You made the right decision."
Simultaneously, he snapped his fingers toward Harvey West.
TSSSSSS!
Surprisingly, Harvey West's physical condition began to gradually recover. It happened as time reversed in his body.
He was shocked to see this.
'This is... Ramon Jimenes's power?'
To be precise, it was the power of the Evil God Ajitahaka that he had possessed.
Arthur Draker's golden dragon face had already turned red.
Looking at Harvey West holding the Dragon Heart, he said.
"Harvey West, no, I shall now bestow upon you the name Draker. Harvey Draker. Let's create the strongest Demon King together."