Read Novel Full Chapter 504: Global Change
Chapter 504: Global Change
Christine lay in a hospital. She was in a private room, brightly illuminated by recessed LED panels set into the ceiling, their soft white glow leaving scarcely a shadow behind.
Cream-coloured walls reflected the light, making the room feel open and spotless. She lay in the hospital bed at the center, crisp white sheets tucked beneath the mattress.
Beside it stood a bedside cabinet, a reclining chair for visitors, and a heart monitor that emitted a steady rhythm of green pulses. The air smelled faintly of antiseptic, cool and meticulously clean.
Christine’s hair fanned out on the pillow as she looked at the man standing by the window. The curtains were parted, giving him a full view of the dark outside world.
"...Honey, thank you for not calling her," she said in a soft voice.
"We both know how your daughter would have acted. It was for the best," Arthur replied. His hands were clasped behind his back, his eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the glass like a dragon guarding its territory.
Beyond the wide window, a sprawling city of towering, brightly lit buildings lay beneath an endless black sky.
Arthur sighed, gripping his wrist tightly, his eyes closing for a moment. "I just couldn’t."
Christine chuckled softly. "I understand." She lifted up her reattached arms and wiggled her toes. "I feel better than I’ve ever felt. Besides, your battle against Cain meant you were ready to sacrifice yourself. That includes me."
Arthur froze. "Don’t say that name." He turned. "He’ll come." He hid his gaze from meeting hers.
"He has a weakness, you know. A big, glaring weakness." Christine said. "That’s why he didn’t kill me. He wants his victims to still have reasons to be wary while he dances around dealing painful blows. He believes you lost Isolde, and I’m the only thing left. If he kills me, nothing is stopping you from acting out."
"He could kill me," Arthur replied.
"He could, but he’s also cultivating you. Saving you and waiting for your relationship with Godfrey to bloom. Then he’ll come for you. Enough to keep pushing Godfrey further and further to the edge."
Arthur slumped into the chair. "He won. His ability to create clones gives him great advantages. Unbeatable ones. And Godfrey just made a grave mistake that will get him killed," he said. "That Council is bigger than what we all knew. They run an articulate network. They had and are still creating things only a select few know. This time around, they’re serious. Really serious about Godfrey."
Christine closed her eyes. She was at peace. "He won’t fall. Trust him."
"It’s different this time—"
"Arthur—" Christine began.
"He won’t!" Arthur’s sudden outburst shocked her. "They have the technology that won’t just be able to kill Demigods but Ancient Gods! They have incredible assets that keep creating, and those assets are fueled with resources from the entire planet. Every dungeon feeds them!"
Blood dripped from Arthur’s nostrils and ears. His eyes grew red.
"...Stop," Christine said urgently.
"The Council of the Seven Heads is the highest power for a reason. I was stunned to discover what they hide. Their reach extends far beyond this world," he said, much calmer this time as the bleeding stopped.
He hadn’t even revealed the secret. The oath had sensed his intent and struck first. He was this close to being blown to bits.
Christine stared at him, terrified and confused. "You’re a Monarch. You quit Earth’s mana system to get to this tier. How can they do something that affects someone beyond the world’s limit?"
Arthur exhaled. "There’s a reason Cain plays the long game. He knows being forward about his intentions will end in failure. That’s why he creeps around the council. Put him aside, the council is an incredible threat. The only way to win was to convince three of them to side with me. If I had three Heads on my side, there would have been a way to tilt it all in our favour."
He rose to his feet. "Do you know there’s a place here on Earth that even Cain dares not rashly get close to? I saw their past records—" Arthur spat blood.
He coughed.
"Arthur. Stop!"
He stretched his hand toward her. That action stopped her from leaving the bed.
"We’ll find Godfrey, Isolde. Everyone we can gather, and leave Earth once our world becomes an ascended world. We can claim asylum seekers in other worlds. They’ll take us. Let Cain and the Council tear themselves apart. Cain is shrewd enough. He’ll win, but will suffer huge losses. We take advantage of that."
Christine was quiet.
He was thinking more about saving his family and abandoning the world to their fate.
"They’ve passed a law," Arthur said. "Humanoid summoners now have classes. Class 0 to Class IV. Every Humanoid Summoner must wear cuffs and never take them off. They will have no position that puts them in the limelight, no promotions in government offices if they’re above Class 0."
"What?" Christine couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Arthur sighed heavily, wiping off the last of the blood from his face. "They’re to go for orientation on a weekly basis. They can’t even have the right to be summoners anymore. It’s all been there since the beginning, but it’s obvious and glaring now. We’ve stopped pretending they’re our equal. Fear has taken over. Propaganda of Godfrey’s actions floods every gathering and broadcast. They’re calling him a sign that Humanoid Summoners have always been predators. Every horrible thing Cain did is right back on the surface. The zombie plague of Moscow, the bee plague of Chicago. They even blame Godfrey as one of the reasons Tokyo suffered such loss. He’s been branded one of the worst human beings to ever exist in a hundred years, right next to Cain."
Arthur looked at his wife. "The few that support him are silent. Afraid of the populace. Tension is at an all-time high. There’s friction everywhere. 5.2 billion summoners against the oppressed 800 million Humanoid Summoners."
"Oh my God." Christine pressed her palm against her chest. "What will Godfrey think? He just wanted to help."