The Invincible Full-Moon System Chapter 1801: The Peacemaker’s Switch

"What sort of nonsense are you uttering, Amanir?"

Linthia stepped out from the shadows.

Her footsteps felt as light as air, as if she were gliding, accompanied by Ethan.

"A sneak like you giving advice?" She sneered, amused by the absurdity. "Stop bothering the poor woman."

"Linthia?" Amanir growled, folding his ears as though crossing his arms. "Back already? Things were calm without you here."

"His Majesty dispatched me back—since he doubts your ability to guard them," Linthia motioned for Ethan to take a seat nearby. "You allowed him to roam alone? What if a voidal beast had grabbed him?"

"But he's unharmed, right?" Amanir shot back.

"True, thanks to my intervention," Linthia tilted her chin toward Ethan. "I spotted him straying beyond the boundary."

"What?!" Amanir burst out in shock, his expression swiftly shifting to fury. He glared at Ethan, eyes narrowing. "I warned you against going too far, didn't I? Rex would have my head if you perished. If you're set on dying, wait until you're home. Don't pull me into your mess."

"Sorry about that," Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. "I lost my way."

"His Majesty must hear of this," Linthia sighed, shaking her head in dismay.

"Hey," Amanir hovered closer, jabbing his ear toward her face. His teeth ground together in a mix of rage and irritation. "You're not the gentle, pure Linthia I remember. What occurred in the Well of the Untold? Have you been taken over by some bitter, spirit-loathing middle-aged aunt?"

"I'm not possessed," Linthia replied with a casual shrug. "I just see now how much of a fool you truly are."

"Fool? Me, a fool?! Lest you've forgotten, I aided Rex more than anyone."

"Heh... You're boasting like some flash-in-the-pan hero—"

April listened as their squabble faded into the distance.

She fixed her gaze on the ground, as if it held greater fascination than their spat.

Her thoughts swirled chaotically.

’Chance...’ The word echoed in her mind, her eyes locked on a fissure in the rough terrain, hoping the solution might emerge if she stared long enough. ’Revenge against the empire.’

Despite racking her brain, no plan came to her.

She struggled to devise a method to seize this moment.

Yet she conceded that Amanir had a point.

She couldn't afford to appear weak, and exploiting this opening was essential.

That was, if she truly desired what she claimed to crave.

A spark of determination ignited in her eyes, absent just moments before.

Before long, Rex came back from his errand.

He had vowed to Ethan to stroll together one final time as companions.

But after concluding his chat with April, Linthia reached out about Haxel. He instructed Ethan to hold on until he returned. The route to escort Ethan back aligned with April's location, so she lingered as well.

Though Rex had settled matters with April, one last shared walk wouldn't harm.

Upon his return from handling affairs, his power had partially recovered, yet new injuries scarred his form. April's eyes widened, her brow furrowing. Her thoughts were tangled, but she could still detect the strange aura.

The cuts were recent, but what truly caught her notice was the crackling voidal essence.

Voidal creatures must have clashed with him en route.

Still, intuition suggested deeper layers to the encounter.

Her instincts insisted as much. And they had always proven reliable regarding Rex.

"Been in a scrape?" Amanir chuckled. "You look rough."

"Yeah, you could say that." Rex brushed it off with a wave, unwilling to elaborate.

Amanir glanced at Linthia, silently querying if she knew Rex's activities.

She gave a subtle shake of her head.

All she grasped was his departure with the Shade Crawlers to an unknown spot.

Both shifted their attention back to Rex.

Even as he led the way along the winding trail encircling the modest hill, vanishing into the gloom with Ethan and April trailing, they caught the grin on his features. Satisfaction radiated from him over some secret triumph.

That grin sent shivers racing down their backs.

No one grasped Rex's scheme, but his expression spelled doom for foes.

Amanir and Linthia felt sorry for the empire daring to oppose him.

Traveling on foot would drag on endlessly and waste time. Thus, Linthia summoned a shadow-formed hovering platform that raced near supersonic velocity across the Black Rift. Impressive, given the resistance of the flow.

Delivering Ethan to his sanctuary would require scarcely ten minutes.

Owing to his pledge of a walk, they'd halt two or three miles out and proceed on foot.

Rex occupied the sled's leading edge, arms folded.

He cast a quick look at April.

Positioned on the right side, she peered into the vast void, lost in contemplation.

He'd anticipated some words from her, yet conversation seemed absent.

April had come to terms with his choice.

The mere idea of parting carved an emptiness in his chest, though he knew her pain dwarfed his. This quiet served well. Resentment toward him would pave her healing.

Emotions churned within him—sorrow included. Yet this path was his to forge.

Meanwhile, Ethan proved chattier than anticipated.

"Can't you reconsider?" he pressed, bending forward over the sled's edge to meet Rex's gaze. Desperation flickered in his eyes, yearning to avert disaster. "Princess Davina will surely aid in clearing your name. Lady April can assist too."

"That's overly optimistic," Rex answered, eyes averted. "Neither can intervene. Ultimately, the family leader calls the shots. The Duke and Marquess will rule. To them, I'm a traitor who betrayed the empress—a traitor akin to Mirza."

Rex spoke truth.

Ethan recognized the validity.

Still, he held onto the dream of avoiding carnage.

Noting Ethan's furrowed brow, creased like damp fabric from intense pondering, Rex mirrored the sentiment. His wrath targeted Empress Morgana alone, not the realm. He sought only her surrender and empire aid in negotiating with the Sky People.

Should the empire yield to those terms, he'd forgo violence.

Despite the urge pulsing through him, self-control held firm.

His savage hunger likely stemmed from the Blood Moon.

With fury ebbing, indifference might follow.

Moreover, lacking a System quest against the empire felt unusual. Rex sensed disquiet. Paranoia, perhaps.

Regardless, options existed.

Peace would prevail if demands met.

Provided he obtained his desires.

Forcing an empire to yield its empress... Unlikely submission.

Rex remembered Empress Morgana's reverent stare at Stelios.

As if beholding a god.

Evelyn's words to her echoed—mere puppet, existing to grin and gesture.

That jab must have wounded deeply.

In her position, Rex might shatter.

A smirk tugged his lips as a theory formed about her actions.

Grasping her intent opened paths to countermeasures.

Bloodshed might prove unnecessary.

Locate and neutralize Empress Morgana first, and the empire need only concede mildly. No full capitulation by surrendering her—just a humbled acknowledgment of repercussions.

Rex revised his strategy mentally.

He withheld it from Ethan.

Not from reluctance, but the empire's vast resources might uncover her first, forcing conflict. Better no vows to Ethan then.

Linthia dispersed the platform, and the party pressed toward the distant bubble.

No voidal beasts lurked here.

This zone stayed monitored, with ongoing patrols and clearances.

Ethan persisted in urging an alternate route.

His tone rang with raw urgency. Loyalty to friends? Dread of empire or Rex's loss? Unclear.

His alarm felt authentic.

Strangely, proximity to the bubble amplified his distress. Likely realizing separation meant no further pleas—enmity sealed forever.

Now positioned hundreds of meters from the luminous city dome.

Warmth enveloped the air by the bubble, a stark shift from the chill clutching them.

Winds whipped fiercer.

Though farewell loomed, the realm's immensity remained indifferent.

Rex had never ventured this sector, never faced gales so relentless.

He believed mastery of the land, yet gaps persisted.

A puzzled crease formed on April's face as she scanned about.

But Rex ignored her focus.

Ethan froze in place, head bowed.

"Stay hidden," Rex instructed, clapping a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "I'll limit the harm for your benefit. No indiscriminate civilian deaths. Once the empress is mine, I'll depart the empire. That much, friend... I swear."

Ethan remained silent briefly.

Rex noticed him clasping April's hand, startling him as it did her.

Reflecting, Ethan had shadowed him the whole trek.

Now he hovered by April, inching nearer.

"Forgive me," Ethan whispered.

Rex's brows knit in concern.

Icy dread pierced his chest at the phrase. He whipped his head around, activating the System to sweep the surroundings frantically, but delay proved fatal. Twisting roots erupted from below, ensnaring Linthia and Amanir.

An energy projectile hurtled from afar, striking them without delay.

"Ambush!" Rex bellowed, transforming into his beastly form.

He lunged for Ethan, who dodged, yanking April with him.

A flash of green streaked by.

A huge war-axe descended from overhead, yet the arcane core within Rex thrummed, triggering his Blank state. A surge of crimson force halted the blade from cleaving his skull, granting a moment to identify the assailant.

A royal knight, clad in full battle attire.

Emerald plating, a billowing cloak of white and regal green, radiating ancient warrior fervor.

He'd glimpsed one at his own knighting rite, recognizing their visage.

Far from feeble—an Eternal Spirit.

Yet his presence dwarfed Rex's level.

Twin thuds echoed as two more green blurs swooped low, evading his sightlines. But a werewolf's instincts proved keen.

Rex dodged a keen edge with a foot lift, springing back to create space.

A fourth royal knight materialized overhead, axe-kicking him earthward.

Boom—!

Amid the rising dust, Rex hacked up blood.

A barbed vine lay in wait below, now skewering his gut on impact.

Denying any chance to unleash his might, the fifth royal knight struck his leg.

The armored boot crushed his knee squarely. A crack resounded, shattering the cap, drawing a sharp gasp. Regeneration surged immediately—terrifying to witness. But the fifth swiftly drew a finger-length needle and plunged it into Rex's throat.

Toxin flooded his veins, halting healing and sealing his energy.

Rex fell captive.