Others Summon Dragons, I Summon Legendary Knights Chapter 492 To Kill

To kill.

This was growing to be a burden due to the tapestry of lies and manipulation he had seen, but Cain, Cain had to go.

Godfrey stared at the floor while Isolde watched him. She cocked her head. "You need to eat. We also have to meet your mother so we can restore your eye and limb. I know what you're going through, but if you grow past this tier, I don't think she'll be able to heal you anymore."

He moved back to the dais, sitting beside her. Although he was silent, Isolde took it as a sign that he wasn't going to refuse.

"We're at the end of the Ruination. I wonder what tier we're going to ascend to. Monarch Tier will transform our blood to ichor, the skill of the Sovereign Tier will give us the ability to compel people with our words. These are skills of a god indeed. But what about the Godking and Godqueen Tiers?"

"She didn't say," Godfrey said.

Suddenly, the plates at his forearm spread throughout his body, then came out. Imperial had only one arm. "I can help with that. I was once the armour of a Sovereign Tier god. Tsk! I can't believe you're already close."

Isolde eyed Godfrey with curiosity.

"He said he can help us with the Godking/Godqueen skill," he explained.

"So you got it all wrong. When your blood becomes ichor, you can still be damaged and captured, but it will be hard for those below the Monarch Tier to kill you. Almost impossible, but there'll always be a few who become Godkillers." Imperial waved his one hand.

"It gets better at the Sovereign Tier though. You have the skill called Will Compulsion. You can only say one word, in your mind or with your mouth, and whatever you speak to will obey. It doesn't matter if it's a living being or a wall."

Godfrey blinked twice, amazed by the skill. Then, he turned to Isolde and told her what he heard.

The edge of her lips tilted up. That skill was a whole upgrade from Will Freeze.

"What about the next?" Godfrey asked.

"At the Godking/Godqueen Tier you gain the skill called Rule of Law. It's not a joke at this point, and we're not dealing with a skill that can affect just one man," Imperial said.

"My owner died before he got to that tier, but from what we heard, a law is etched into your heart. Some laws are either similar or the same, but some are completely unique to the individual. Most times, it's unique. You can't determine which law you will gain at that tier. But Rule of Law allows you to enforce a law over a region. The amount of mana you have to expend will reflect the size of the law it covers. It also takes a ridiculous amount of mana, a great chunk, I'll be honest. It's so ridiculous. At that tier, your body burns a great amount of mana, especially when engaged in battles. Skills are naturally much more powerful, but most Godkings/Godqueens can't handle the mana loss."

Godfrey frowned when he heard that. 'That's a crippling flaw for a tier that's supposed to be amongst the top three in all ascended worlds.'

He turned to Isolde to inform her.

"BUT…!"

Imperial's sudden burst made him shake his head. Was this armour joking the whole time? "There's a balance. At that tier, there is another skill called Mana Tribute. As Kings and Queens, you can find loyalists who shall continually meditate to keep your body flowing with mana."

'That makes sense. Godkings would have been useless without a skill like that. There's no way meditation will keep up with their consumption. They were bound to be crippled.'

He told Isolde, who was surprised at first but frowned a moment later. "That sounds quite complicated. Doesn't that mean Cain will have the advantage? He has been gathering followers for nearly a century now. He should have millions of people."

"She's right," Imperial said. "You see, keeping people's loyalty is essential as a Godking. That tier wasn't just given the titles of King and Queen for nothing. You would have to rule a group of people to ensure you build a set for Mana Tribute. Now, there are two classes on this tier. Fathers, Mothers, and Rogues. You see, as Fathers and Mothers, you have to build and protect your people or other Godkings/Godqueens will crush them, weakening you, then they'll hunt you down and consume your mana core."

Imperial eyed both of them.

"Then there are the Rogues. These ones don't use Mana Tribute. For Mana Tribute to work, you have to put your imprint in a particular place where those meditating gather. Rogues, however, do not follow this tradition. They opt for dungeon hunting, risking being manaless for years. I heard rumours that they hide their Mana Tributes, but Godkings can track those down, so it's impossible. Ah, I almost forgot, there's another group called the Keepers. They're Godkings and Queens that act as protectors to certain places, mostly Mana Tributes to the superior Godking they serve."

Imperial said.

"There are a lot of things to go through. Ascending to that tier alone creates an economy, it makes you a threat to be disposed of. Rogues, on the other hand, just go about raiding dungeons, a great number of them die. But few succeed, they evolved to become Primordials. The logic of that tier is entirely different, rest assured you won't have any problem with mana anymore."

"Oh? That's a relief, then," Godfrey replied, then asked, "What's their skill?"

"I just told you. Your body is made of mana. You have an infinite amount of it… however, your face can't be seen."

"What?" Godfrey looked at Isolde and explained to her. Her reaction was the same. Confusion.

"Why?"

Imperial shook his helmet of a head. "I was at the Sovereign Tier. Primordials are barely seen in the world I was born in. However, when I changed masters and got to other worlds, I was able to see a few. Primordials always have their heads hidden by a hood or helmet that fully hides everything, including their eyes. Some wear hoods above their helmets for assurance."

Godfrey frowned. "Does something happen to their face?"

Imperial shrugged. "I don't know. They're something else though. They have this halo of pure heated energy bleeding faint curtains of light from their heads and shoulders. That halo is a manifestation of the exorbitant mana within them, it's so great it forms a manifestation over their heads. And… I don't know if this is true, but whoever sees the face of a Primordial loses his sight or dies instantly. And the Primordial drops back to a Godking/Godqueen. If that is true, I understand why they protect their faces. It would be madness to drop after all that risk and sacrifice."

"What about True Ancients?"

"I've never seen one. The tier exists, so someone must have gotten there. But you see, the next set of tiers are called Ancient Gods because since the last ascended world, it's been countless years and no other has ascended. So imagine what it means for these ascended worlds to name the peak, True Ancients. They have to be so rare, it would be a phenomenal thing for one to be sighted. In the end, your world's current system cannot hold its power. It's bound to be broken."

After he told Isolde, she didn't seem as concerned as he was.

"Rogue or Father. A Keeper is out of the picture, and we don't even know much of that class's advantage."

"You tend to avoid leading even when almost everything pushes you in that direction," Imperial said.

"He's right," Isolde added.

"How do you know what he said?" Godfrey looked at her.

Isolde scoffed. "I don't have to hear what he said to know it, especially after you spoke. Our plan still hasn't changed. We can seek people, humanoids, beasts, and even plant beast masters that are unhappy with the system. We have the influence."

"Let's set aside the fact that I'm more infamous than famous. Where would I take those people? To Paradise? It has grown used to its population, the economy, and everything else. It can't handle more. That's why they focus on hunting more than gathering more people, with the exception of those that are exceptional. That opens a question of where do I take these people. To Pathan? It doesn't have the technology we have here. That alone will make people want to return."

Godfrey said, then whispered, "I also don't want to tarnish the Pathan culture by introducing too much. Elves can manage the wilds without causing too much change, but if I want to make it comfortable for us, I'll have to introduce our technology. Pathan already has its identity. I won't ruin it."

"Paradise has its own civilization. It's the identity that keeps people there. Even if you don't want to bring Earth's technology, there are thousands that will be willing to leave. To step into a world free of oppression and hate. You've always wanted to help. Even if you keep fighting the bullies, you can't get them all."

Isolde responded.

"With this, however, you can."

"I barely kept the House of Order and now we're fugitives… again. You're better at that, you're handling dragons. You should be a Mother, I'll be a Rogue."

His right eye narrowed. "It's been my one goal. As we ascend and gain godly powers, we also become more of myth than man. More unknown than known."

His eyes narrowed further, then widened.

"That's why! That's why the Primordials can't be seen. The Mana Tree is seeking what isn't known, so the closer you get, the more myth you become, the more you're inclined to be unknown. Maybe that's why the True Ancients are unknown."

Isolde squinted. "If they're already unknown, what is the Mana Tree searching for then? She's gotten what she wanted."

Godfrey was silent. Then it dawned on him. "It's a loop. The Mana Tree has gotten the answer several times. But once the unknown becomes known, it wants to know if there's something higher. It's an endless loop. It's not willing to stop, it's obsessed, and that obsession has been growing after each answer. It's mad at this point."

"It's asking a question. Like we all do. Why me, why this, why that? Look at your world, you still haven't stopped searching for better technology, you're always creating. There is no peak, no rest. The next thing is better than the last, and there's this hunger for something even better. In this case, what's asking the question is an entity like the Mana Tree. An entity crucial to existence itself."

Imperial said.

"So… what is the end?" Isolde's question made Godfrey tremble. He was afraid… he didn't know anymore. There had to be a mistake somewhere. Clearly, the Mana Tree wasn't supposed to have such intelligence.

As frightening as the future seemed right now, Godfrey had pinned down his next few objectives. Become a Godking, hope he gets a good Rule of Law, then go for Cain.

If he could kill Cain, he would be able to break out of the tight corner the Mana Tree had placed him.

His problem lay in the Mana Tribute. Did it really? He had knights. There was no need for people.

His Knights would be inefficient if he didn't have access to the real world of Pathan.

***

On the other hand, Arthur sat in the back seat of a vehicle, heading for his mansion while on a video call with the rest of the Heads.

"Killing a Head on a live broadcast! That Godfrey Daniels must be caught. We are not playing the stupid games the previous Mr. Manhattan was playing. I want him caught, dead or alive. On Earth or any other world. If this isn't addressed, and fast, we lose credibility and respect. More than that, the government falters!" Mr. Moscow ranted aggressively.

Mr. Cairo nodded as Mr. Moscow spoke.

"But Mrs. Fukushima caused the death of a million people. Japan is grieving immensely. Do you know what it means for a million people to die in a span of just eleven days?" Arthur spoke up.

"We need to wait until a new Head is picked to represent Japan, and then we can—!"

"There is no need for that," Mr. London said. Just then, he added one more person, and the name that popped up was Mr. Berlin.

Arthur frowned. "What is this?"

"Exactly what your eyes see." Mr. Moscow's response made Arthur's frown deepen.

"You can't make such a heavy change without the council meeting and voting!" His voice rose for the first time.

"Oh, we shall be voting. All in favour of Aina Bane taking the office of Mrs. Manhattan, lift your hand," Mr. London said, and they all lifted their hands one after the other, except for Mrs. Athens and Arthur.

"Five of us lifted up our hands. Your office as Head is hereby revoked, Mr. Arthur Pendragon. If you choose to submit Godfrey to us, then we shall reconsider." Mr. London disconnected.

The others followed, and Mrs. Athens was the last.

Arthur stared at his tablet with simmering anger, then he slowly lowered his head. Of course, they would not revoke the oath to make sure he didn't reveal some sensitive secrets.

'They want Godfrey at all costs. And they have what it takes if they're willing to go all out. An all-out war against Godfrey will result in countless deaths and bloodshed. Godfrey won't be willing to kill innocent people unless he's pushed too far, and the council isn't willing to sacrifice that much right now, so they want to coerce him to submit. Eventually, this fragile peace will rupture.'

Arthur massaged his head. Godfrey shouldn't have killed Mrs. Fukushima. Unfortunately, as it would seem, this world had turned into a place where the great wicked ones could not be judged or killed.

Godfrey, who stepped out to ensure justice, was on the track of becoming an enemy. A full-blown one.

The car drove into the mansion. Arthur's eyes moved through the greenery. The fields, the flowers on both sides of the lane, the trees planted at certain spots to provide shelter.

It was a wide place that offered serenity just by looking at it.

He descended from the car and entered the mansion.

But the moment he swung the door to the sitting room, what greeted his eyes was his wife lying in the ruins of the furniture. The wall was ripped and broken in some parts.

The two demigods that were meant to keep his wife company had their necks twisted to the back of their bodies.

They weren't even able to unleash their summons. His wife, on the other hand, lay on the ground.

Her knees down to her feet were cut off. Her elbows down to her fingers were also cut off.

Her blood had soaked the rug and spread out.

"No."

"No… no… no." Arthur clenched his teeth, scrambling towards his wife. His knees crashed into the floor as he held her.

Arthur couldn't even hear a heartbeat, so he lowered his head to her chest.

"Please. Please…" His voice trembled.

Thump. A heartbeat, extremely soft.

Right then, a weak voice rang.

"H… He said…. This is mercy. Don't ever threaten me again."

Arthur clenched his teeth, his entire body trembling intensely, both in rage and pain. To turn his wife into a messenger even after all he had done.

"Cain."

A soft rumble forced its way through his clenched teeth.