When Daisy, Alexander, and Sophie returned to the sea, the surface had completely calmed down.
The sea was as still as a mirror, its vast expanse undisturbed by any waves. As dusk approached, the golden hues of the setting sun shimmered on the water, like countless fragments of gold floating amidst the ripples.
However, the Cerulean Continent was in ruins. The once-thriving cities were now nothing but rubble and debris.
The air was filled with dust and smoke, creating a heavy atmosphere that made it hard to breathe.
Among the ruins lay the lifeless bodies of countless foot soldiers and knights. Some had died in fierce battles, while others had been reduced to empty husks after their souls were devoured by the Cerulean King.
Rows of trees had fallen, and the ground was scarred by countless fissures, as if recounting the brutality of the catastrophe.
The Cerulean Continent had originally fractured into three separate islands, each isolated from the others.
Alexander, flying low in the sky, couldn’t help but gasp at the sight before him, his brow furrowed in concern.
Daisy and Sophie were also worried about Lin. The sheer devastation made it clear that an intensely fierce battle had taken place.
What surprised them was that the surviving members of the Cerulean Court were all prostrating themselves on the ground, as if worshipping a deity.
At the front of the crowd was a young man with golden hair and blue eyes, someone they were all too familiar with—Lin.
By Lin’s side lay two people: one was the unconscious Duke Hall, and the other was a woman with long black hair, her naked body partially obscured by her locks.
Sophie and Daisy quickly made their way to Lin’s side, just in time to see him remove his coat and drape it over the woman.
The woman had lustrous black hair and delicate features, bearing a striking resemblance to Catherine. However, she was clearly older and more mature, with a more voluptuous figure. Had she not been veiled by a face-covering charm, she might have been even more stunning than Catherine—a testament to the allure of maturity.
“Wait, wasn’t this woman sent back already? Why is she here again?” Alexander asked in confusion.
“She’s not Catherine,” Lin said. “She should be from the Jackson family.”
Seeing that Lin was unharmed, Daisy immediately felt a wave of relief. But when she spotted her unconscious father, her expression turned tense once more.
She hurried to Duke Hall’s side, knelt down, and checked his condition. His vital signs were normal, and his wounds were healing, likely due to a healing spell cast recently.
Daisy looked up at Lin with gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you for saving my father again. I don’t know how to repay you.”
Lin’s actions only added to the guilt she felt toward him.
“There’s no need to thank me,” Lin replied. “We’re connected in ways that go beyond gratitude.”
Though Daisy was moved, she couldn’t help but think of ways to repay Lin.
“Sophie, I’ve made you worry again, haven’t I? That’s why you came back,” Lin said, looking at Sophie with a mix of exasperation and happiness.
Sophie nodded slightly, acknowledging that Lin had indeed given her cause for concern. Her gaze then shifted to the mysterious woman.
“I’ve seen her before,” Sophie said.
“Really?” Lin asked in surprise.
Sophie nodded again. “Yes, in the late lord’s study. There was a portrait of her hanging there.”
Lin’s eyes widened in realization.
The woman before them was none other than the Dragon Mother. With the Cerulean King’s death, the curse he had placed on her was lifted, restoring her to her true form.
However, her current state was unusual, and Lin still couldn’t see her character stats. She existed in a state between human and otherworldly being.
Lin had been puzzled earlier about why she reacted so strongly to him. It wasn’t because of him, but because of Jack Molia. His face bore a striking resemblance to Jack Molia’s youthful appearance, and his golden hair had stirred her memories, leading her to mistakenly believe he was Jack Molia.
Given that she was from the Jackson family, her identity became clear. She was none other than Megawati Jackson, Catherine’s missing aunt and the second daughter of the JacksonHouJue.
Years ago, after being jilted by Jack Molia, Megawati Jackson had been heartbroken and left her family, disappearing without a trace.
It now made sense why she had been silent for so many years. She had been imprisoned by the Cerulean King, forced to become the Dragon Mother and bear an army for him.
But why had the Cerulean King chosen someone from the Jackson family—or a human at all? Lin didn’t believe it was out of love; it was nothing short of hellish torment.
Considering how much his father had sacrificed for him, Lin decided to take good care of Megawati Jackson.
He picked her up and placed her on Alexander’s back.
“We’re taking her back,” he said.
Alexander nodded in agreement.
Alexander noticed he was completely out of the loop in their conversation and could only pout, feeling like a mere tool. Daisy, however, placed her unconscious father, Duke Hall, on Alexander’s back as well and turned to Lin.
“What do you plan to do with these otherworldly beings?” she asked.
Lin looked at the Cerulean clansmen, who were still prostrating themselves on the ground, unwilling to rise. Among them was the young Cerulean Crown Prince.
Lin hesitated for a moment before walking over to the Crown Prince and asking, “If you answer my questions honestly, I might spare your lives.”
The Cerulean Crown Prince felt no hatred toward Lin, only overwhelming fear.
After all, Lin had taken the Cerulean Whip, the cornerstone of the Cerulean Clan’s power. Without it, the already relatively weak Cerulean Clan was left vulnerable to the ferocious sea monsters and these terrifying humans.
The Cerulean Crown Prince felt that his clan had lost all hope.
Some of the nobles with a bit of backbone wanted to resist, attempting to strike at Lin as he approached. Predictably, they were all frozen into ice sculptures.
Ice arrows hovered above the heads of the noble family members, teaching them to behave.
“Please, ask your questions,” the Cerulean Crown Prince said.
Lin was somewhat satisfied with the Crown Prince’s cooperative attitude. At least it saved him the trouble of translation.
“Are you one of the Dragon Mother’s children?” Lin asked.
The Cerulean Crown Prince hesitated for a moment before looking up at Lin’s cold gaze. He knew that if he lied, he would be killed instantly.
“No,” he replied.
This answer was within Lin’s expectations. The Cerulean Crown Prince was likely born before the Cerulean King obtained the Cerulean Whip. His bloodline and power were far inferior to those of the Cerulean Army’s knights and foot soldiers.
“How did the Dragon Mother come to be here?” Lin pressed on.
In his view, since the Cerulean Crown Prince had been groomed by the Cerulean King as the next heir, he must know something about this secret. Moreover, the Cerulean King had likely told him everything about the Cerulean Whip, especially since he planned to marry Catherine and make her the next Dragon Mother.
“The Dragon Mother… she was brought back by my father from the sea,” the Cerulean Crown Prince whispered.
Though his voice was barely audible, Lin heard him clearly.
“Explain in more detail,” Lin demanded, his words carrying an air of compulsion.
The Cerulean Crown Prince swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he asked, “If I tell you everything, will you spare me?”
“If you’re honest, I’ll let you die with dignity and spare your people,” Lin replied.
He had no intention of leaving the Cerulean Clan intact, nor did he want to give the Cerulean Crown Prince a chance for revenge. With the Cerulean Whip in hand, Lin could understand the dragon language even without speaking it, and the clansmen could hear him as well.
“I—I—”
The Cerulean Crown Prince wanted to say more but felt the intense gazes of his people.
They didn’t want to die alongside the Cerulean King. They wanted to live, and the survival instinct is the strongest and most ruthless trait of all living beings.
“Your Highness, if you know something, please tell him. Save the Cerulean Court, save our people,” the High Priest urged.
“Brother, Father valued you the most. If you know something, tell him. Please, spare us,” the Second Prince said.
“Yes, Your Highness, for the sake of the Cerulean Clan, please take the bigger picture into account,” an elderly official pleaded.
More and more people joined in, begging the Crown Prince to reveal the truth.
“Your Highness, please, save us.”
“Your Highness, please, we’re begging you.”
“Your Highness, please tell him the truth.”
Their pleas were like spears pushing the Crown Prince toward his doom.
Lin didn’t pity the Crown Prince. If he wanted to become the future king, he had to face such pressures and betrayals.
“Are you willing to die for your people?” a female voice suddenly spoke up.
The speaker was a woman, the only one who had stepped forward to plead for the Crown Prince.
(To be continued)
Although she was also looking down, her hair ornaments and attire revealed that she was a princess.
Summoning her courage, she spoke these words, her entire body still trembling.
"I'm very sorry," Li En said calmly, "I don't intend to spare anyone from the Cyan Dragon Royal Family. You don't need to take anyone's place because you will die too."
The Cyan Dragon Princess, having exhausted her last bit of courage, collapsed onto the ground, her expression a mix of sorrow, hatred, and despair.
"I don't want to die, please, I'm willing to be your slave, to have the entire Cyan Dragon clan be your slaves. I'll tell you everything I know, including the secret of the Cyan Dragon Whip. These are things you'd surely want to know."
The Cyan Dragon Prince, Tia, knelt before Li En, lowering his body even further.
If everyone wanted to abandon him, then this ridiculous royal dignity could be cast aside.
The High Priest was stunned, never expecting that Prince Tia would be so cowardly and fearful of death, willing to hand over the entire Cyan Dragon clan as slaves to the enemy.
He had hoped that Prince Tia would sacrifice himself to save the Cyan Dragon Court, not surrender the entire nation.
"Your Highness, you can't do this," the High Priest said, filled with sorrow.
"How I act is none of your business," Prince Tia said angrily, drawing his sword and piercing the High Priest's body.
The High Priest fell into a pool of blood, his eyes filled with resentment and hatred.
Tia sheathed his sword and glanced fiercely at the crowd. His eyes met those of his sister, YUNIS, who had been the only one to plead for him. He grabbed her arm and said to Li En, "I can offer YUNIS to you as your lowest slave. You can do whatever you want with her. Please don't kill me, and I'll be your most loyal dog."
Tia's transformation surprised even Li En. YUNIS had been the only one to plead for him, even willing to die for him. Yet, to save his own life, he pushed her forward.
"Prince Tia, how can you treat the princess like this? YUNIS is your only sister," one of the princess's knights said angrily. If he could draw his sword against the prince, he would have done so without hesitation. But rules and order restrained him. He could only use words to confront the prince, though his words came at a cost.
Tia's blood-stained sword pierced the knight's body as well, killing him and leaving him alongside the High Priest. The knight's eyes were filled with shock; he had never imagined that Prince Tia had lost his mind and become like a mad dog.
Princess YUNIS saw the knight fall into the blood and cried helplessly. Yesterday, she had been the proud princess of the Cyan Dragon Court, admired by all. The Cyan Dragon army was said to be invincible, yet today she witnessed their complete defeat, the guardian dragons fallen, her father killed, and now her brother had slain the High Priest and the knight, offering her as a slave to the enemy.
YUNIS hoped that all of this was just a nightmare, and that when she woke up, her father would still be alive, and her brother would return to being the gentle, loving prince he once was.
"No one here has the right to judge me," Tia said, his eyes red with rage. He tore off YUNIS's elegant top, showcasing her to Li En as if she were merchandise. "Look at her. She is the most beautiful woman of the Cyan Dragon clan, pure and untouched, perfect for being your slave."
YUNIS hugged her body tightly, crying out in pain, but no one dared to step forward to speak for her. After witnessing Tia's ruthlessness, they all wanted to retreat and stay silent.
Paulis frowned, showing disgust toward the Cyan Dragon prince. Sophie, though expressionless, had a noticeably colder gaze. "What an ugly face," Alexander said with contempt. "Dad, let me devour him now."
Tia heard the Black Dragon's words and cowered behind YUNIS. Li En reached out and lifted YUNIS's chin. She was indeed very beautiful, her looks rivaling Paulis. Her ears and cheeks had a few dragon scales, which only enhanced her beauty, giving her an exotic charm. Her tears fell to the ground, transforming into dazzling diamonds, a rare and cherished commodity in this other world, adored by the nobility.
"Do you know your father's secret or the secret of the Cyan Dragon Whip?" Li En asked.
"I don't know," YUNIS cried.
Li En could sense that she was telling the truth. "Are you willing to become my slave? To save everyone here, to be the lowest of slaves."
YUNIS hesitated, looking back at Tia's pleading gaze and the kneeling subjects who dared not lift their heads. She seemed to be in a daze. "Not yet, you can consider it first," Li En said, then called out to Tia again. "Our business isn't over. Tell me everything you know."
Tia thought that if Li En was interested in his sister YUNIS, then as long as he told him everything he wanted to know, Li En might spare his life out of regard for YUNIS. Tia understood his sister; she would never watch him die.
"The Dragon Mother—the woman—was brought back by Father from the sea. At the time, Father brought back many people, likely from the same ship of humans. They were at sea when they encountered a storm and were rescued by Father. He brought them to the island. The male humans were fed to the sea monsters, while the female humans were used for experiments. At that time, Father had just obtained the Cyan Dragon Whip and urgently needed test subjects. These women appeared at the right time, as if guided by the gods. Father experimented on them, but only that woman survived; the others died during the experiments. So, Father married her in a grand ceremony, making her the Cyan Dragon Queen and the Dragon Mother."
Li En frowned. So, the Cyan Dragon King had killed many human women because they couldn't endure his power, leaving only Catherine's unfortunate aunt, who survived due to her unique physiology. Though she was called the queen, she lived a life worse than death, a captive without freedom or rights. Any being with emotions wouldn't want to be a queen like that.
The women present didn't look well. Paulis and Sophie clearly found this act cruel, and even Alexander felt pity for the unknown woman on his back. As for the Cyan Dragon Princess YUNIS, her worldview and values were deeply shaken. She had always respected her father, seeing him as a loving king, a kind father, and a great hero. In her memory, he had rescued Mega Watte Jeckson from the sea, and Mega Watte Jeckson had willingly married him to repay his kindness, bearing him many children. Mega Watte Jeckson was the revered queen of the Cyan Dragon Court, the savior of the Cyan Dragon clan, solving their population crisis. She was a legendary woman admired by all Cyan Dragon girls and idolized by the boys. Yet Tia had just said that Mega Watte Jeckson was the only surviving test subject, forced to become the queen and the Dragon Mother.
"This isn't true, isn't true. Father didn't force her. She wanted to repay him and married him willingly. We all witnessed the wedding; she was smiling then," YUNIS said, her voice trembling.
"Be sensible. Father altered her memories so she would willingly marry him. That's why she has stayed all these years, and to control her better, Father even took away her ability to speak, leaving her mute."
Tia's words plunged YUNIS into deeper pain. The noble image of her father was crumbling in her heart. "This is for the continuation of our race, Your Highness. You can't blame His Majesty," YUNIS's maid said, trying to comfort her while also convincing herself. Her words made sense; sacrificing one human had given them a powerful army. Perhaps the Cyan Dragon King hadn't used his own kind for experiments because he still had some compassion for them.
"How long has she been imprisoned?" Li En asked.
"Twenty years," Tia replied.
Li En couldn't imagine how Mega Watte Jeckson had spent those twenty years—likely living in false memories until his arrival, with his dazzling golden hair awakening her long-dormant memories and revealing the darkness and despair of the world.
"What about the Holy Maiden?" Li En asked.
"After twenty years of breeding, Father and the Dragon Mother were exhausted. She could bear fewer children, and their quality was far inferior to before. The Cyan Dragon Court needed fresh blood, so a new Dragon Mother was necessary. However, the Cyan Dragon Whip has harsh requirements for women. Father believed only that woman's blood relative could meet them, a human female, not a Cyan Dragon woman. That's when the Holy Maiden appeared."
Her hair color was exactly the same as the Dragon Mother's, and her appearance was also very similar to the Dragon Mother's in her prime. Her father was convinced that this was a gift from the gods, sent to bring prosperity back to the Azure Dragon clan."
"We truly didn't know she was yours," Tiya explained, leaving nothing unsaid. "I had never offended her before. Until the Dragon Whip was officially handed to me by Father, the Holy Maiden would remain by the Dragon Mother's side. She needed to stay there until the Dragon Mother's death, when she would consume her blood and flesh to complete her final evolution. Only then could we hold the wedding and begin the path of procreation."
Tiya spoke with complete sincerity, hoping to make Li En understand his goodwill.
"If you want to know how to use the Dragon Whip, I can tell you. It's simple—"
Before Tiya could finish, Li En reached out and gently patted him on the chest. With that light tap, the heart inside his chest cavity shattered.
Tiya fell backward, his eyes wide in death, unable to even reflect on his short life before meeting his sudden end.
The death of Prince Tiya instilled deeper fear in the royal family, the ministers, and the kneeling Azure Dragon people. Only Princess Eunice dared to question Li En.
"You killed my brother."
"Yes, I did."
"But you promised him that if he told you everything, you'd let him go."
Princess Eunice, tearful, looked at Li En.
"Did I?" Li En's gaze shifted to her face. "What I said was that if he were honest, I would leave him with a whole corpse. And that's exactly what I did."
Eunice recalled Li En's words and found herself unable to refute him. She and Tiya had misunderstood, thinking the God of Slaughter might spare him if he cooperated.
"Now it's your turn. Have you decided? Will you become my slave for these people?"
Li En looked at Princess Eunice.
Eunice glanced at her brother Tiya, who lay silent on the ground, and thought of the elderly Azure Dragon King.
"It's fine if you're unwilling. I'll leave without harming you. Your ultimate fate will be with the Sea Serpents."
Li En said calmly.
"I'm willing."
Eunice mustered her courage. She didn't understand why the Azure Dragon King could be so ruthless to the queen, but she knew that regardless of her father's and brother's actions, she couldn't change her own identity. She was the only princess of the Azure Dragon Court.
If she could save the Azure Dragon Court, she was willing to give up everything, even if it meant becoming the next Dragon Mother to save her people.
"Let me be your slave. I'm willing to give up everything, just please protect us, the Azure Dragon clan."
Eunice didn't want her people to become slaves alongside her, but she also didn't want to see the Sea Serpents slaughter everyone. The Sea Serpents were the natural enemies of the Azure Dragon clan. Without protection, they would be as helpless as hatchlings without their elders, unable to resist the Serpents' attacks. If Li En refused to help, their fate would be annihilation, and dignity would mean nothing.
Seeing Princess Eunice's determination, nearly all the people of the Azure Dragon Court felt a surge of resentment and sorrow. Unlike Tiya, Princess Eunice had always been kind and compassionate. She would treat sick children, educate the illiterate, and was like a warm light to her people. Her importance to them was entirely different from Tiya's.
"Your Highness, he's human, and we're the Azure Dragon clan. He'll never keep his promises. Don't do this. Let us face the Sea Serpents instead."
One of the knights beside Eunice pleaded.
The ministers also began to persuade her, but Eunice remained resolute. She wiped her tears, knelt before Li En, and placed her pale hands on his shoes, the highest courtesy of the Azure Dragon clan, also the gesture of a slave to a noble.
"Eunice is willing to become your slave, just please protect us. Eunice will never seek revenge, and neither will the Azure Dragon clan."
"Very well."
Li En nodded slightly and turned to look at Polly.
Polly handed Eunice a blood contract. Both parties signed their names, finalizing the agreement. Eunice became Li En's slave.
Li En helped the tearful princess to her feet. "Since you're now my slave, you don't need to kneel all the time."
Eunice felt everything was surreal, as if she were trapped in a nightmare, but she could only accept it.
"Eunice, from today on, you'll be the Queen of the Azure Dragon Court."
Li En said casually.
Eunice's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Li En, but she quickly understood. Li En intended to control the entire Azure Dragon Court through her. This was a logical move, and her surprise stemmed only from her naivety and youth.
"She can't be the queen. She's just a humble slave now."
The Second Prince gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath. He naturally didn't dare question Li En, the God of Slaughter, but couldn't hold back his words.
These words caught Li En's attention. "It sounds like you're unhappy with my decision."
"N-no, I didn't say anything."
The Second Prince now wished he could flatten himself completely on the ground, daring not to meet Li En's gaze.
"Oh? If that's the case, then this is my decision. Everyone, listen well. From now on, your queen is Eunice. She is my puppet, and defying her is challenging my authority."
Li En swung the Dragon Whip, striking the ground with a dull thud. The sound echoed across the three fragmented islands, and the survivors felt a deep, primal fear. They could only obey the God of Slaughter before them.
But knowing their queen was Princess Eunice, their hearts lifted slightly. At least she was a leader they acknowledged and respected.
"Even though our king is his slave, he will give us a barrier to protect us from the Sea Serpents."
Hearing this, everyone felt a wave of relief, their hope to live rekindled.
"Good, we don't have to die."
"Thank the princess. If not for her sacrifice, we'd surely perish."
"Yes, we can live. It's wonderful."
Mothers cried with their children, husbands with their wives, sisters with their younger siblings. The commoners of the Azure Dragon clan wept, kneeling to thank Li En and Eunice.
Li En turned to Polly and Sophie for help. Sophie used her ice magic to connect the three floating islands, restoring the Azure Dragon Court to its original size. Polly, with her fairy tale magic, constructed a large protective magical array to block the Sea Serpents' attacks.
Both magics were undeniably costly in terms of magic, but with Li En as their support, they didn't need to worry about losing control. They could use their powers freely. If they did lose control, Li En could harvest the points, a win-win situation.
However, Sophie, who now had three magic pathways, didn't lose control, nor did Polly, which left Li En slightly disappointed.
Alexander also wanted to help but could only fly around, letting the Azure Dragon people realize they had lost their Spirit Dragon and gained a True Dragon, reshaping their faith.
The second task Li En gave Eunice was to change the national religion. The Azure Dragon Court's god, Mohan, was the owner of the "Siren's Mouth," or rather, the "Siren's Mouth" was what remained of Mohan's will in this world. From now on, the Azure Dragon Court would no longer worship Mohan but the Golden Goddess.
As for why they didn't directly worship Tegra, it was because Tegra, though the superior of the Golden Goddess, hadn't fully earned Li En's trust. The Golden Goddess Solara, on the other hand, was one of his own.
By worshiping Solara, her Tree of Life could grow in the Azure Dragon Court, providing energy for Polly's protective magic array. Solara herself could also gain followers and strengthen her power.
Of course, changing the religion wasn't something that could be done overnight. It would take time to dismantle all of Mohan's temples and build churches for the Golden Goddess before the effects could truly be seen.
As for why Catherine appeared in the Azure Dragon Court, Li En suspected that the "Siren's Mouth" was pulling strings behind the scenes. He remembered Catherine had told him she could hear the voice. In the Black Tower, the "Siren's Mouth" had begun to influence Catherine. After the rules erased her presence, making everyone around her forget her, the "Siren's Mouth" saw its chance, taking her to the Azure Dragon Court.
It was all to guide Li En here, to find Catherine, board the Blue Whale, uncover the secret of Lord Holbach's second personality, and be killed by him. This would help Landel resolve the remaining threats and allow Lord Holbach to take the Blessed Item from Li En, returning it to Landel. This was the "Siren's Mouth's" Plan A.
If he wasn't killed or managed to survive, solving Lord Holbach and continuing to the Azure Dragon Court, killing the Azure Dragon King, obtaining the Dragon Whip, and gathering more Blessed Items, this would be Plan B.
So, this entire event was both a trap and a test. From Plan A to Plan B, the "Siren's Mouth" would certainly discover the secrets hidden within Li En and realize his value. This would pique its interest, and it would inevitably come for him next.
Whether through Catherine or Landel remained to be seen.
After Sophie and Dorothy completed the construction of the Dragon Court's defensive spell array, Leon took the group aboard Alexander, preparing to leave the Dragon Court.
Eunice had expected Leon to exercise some of his rights as her master, such as ordering her to bear him a child, but to her surprise, Leon did nothing to her. This left her feeling both uneasy and hopeful.
Yet she knew she had to prepare herself mentally. That man would eventually need her, for he held the Dragon Whip. Unless her body was unsuitable to become a dragon mother, she would have to make the sacrifice.
Leon did not attend Eunice's coronation ceremony, nor did he have the heart to rule the Dragon Court. Signing the master-servant blood contract with Eunice was not because he was taken with her, nor was it because he desired the Dragon Court. It was entirely because he wanted to test whether this method could remove the "World Destroyer" entry.
As it turned out, it worked.
When Leon left the Dragon Court, the red entry "World Destroyer" automatically disappeared. In its place was a silver entry: "The King Behind the Scenes."
"You are the Queen of the Dragon Court, Eunice, and she is your most humble slave. No matter what you command her to do, she will carry it out without complaint. Thus, you have taken control of the entire Dragon Court and altered the fate of everyone within it."
"This entry allows you to lower your presence."
"This entry allows you to hide the aura of your divine gifts."
Leon thought the additional properties of this entry were quite good. Lowering his presence and hiding the aura of his divine gifts were exactly what he needed now. With his charm value being too high, Leon often attracted too much attention, which was not ideal for someone hiding secrets. Hiding the aura of his divine gifts was even more necessary, especially since he now possessed so many of them.
The Future Eye, the Canvas, the Dragon Whip, and the Splitting Seal in Nina Owen's possession, along with Dorothy's fairy tale book—these combined likely surpassed any empire on the continent. Especially now that Ogulas was deeply obsessed with the Dragon Whip. If he were to learn that the Dragon Whip was in Leon's hands, and that the Jackson family held the key to unlocking its power to create an army, he would undoubtedly kill without hesitation.
The group passed through the portal and returned to Dorothy's tower. Sophie was somewhat exhausted, so Leon had her rest in the bedroom Dorothy had arranged for her. Leon then asked Dorothy to help him hypnotize Catherine and alter her beliefs. The effects were immediate.
Catherine, who had once again devoted herself to the God of Tigers, had the entry reappear above her head. Leon found the "Erase Memory" red entry among them.
"Entry points +1000" (Total points: 6,001,000)
With her memories restored, Catherine instantly threw herself into Leon's arms. The two embraced tightly.
Catherine recalled the recent events, and all she felt was a sense of dread. "I thought I'd never see you again."
"I thought the same, Catherine. It's all over now."
Leon stroked her black hair, comforting her softly.
Dorothy, witnessing this moment, chose to leave. She took Alexander and Cruz, boarded the pumpkin carriage, and sent Earl Holbert back to his estate, leaving Leon and Catherine some alone time.
"Mom, you don't look very happy," Alexander said curiously. He didn't understand the differences between his father's friend, his father's lover, and his father's fiancée. Having been born less than a month ago, he couldn't possibly know how many mothers he would have in the future.
"I'm worried about your grandfather," Dorothy replied.
"Mom's lying. Grandfather is fine," Alexander said, seeing through her lie.
"Alexander, your mom is jealous," the fire demon Cruz remarked.
"Jealous? What's that? Is it delicious?" Alexander asked curiously.
Inside the tower, Leon and Catherine leaned against each other for about half an hour before Leon finally reminded Catherine that her aunt, Megawati Jackson, was the dragon mother. They then went to Megawati's bedside, where Leon used healing magic to awaken her.
Megawati, though nearly forty, looked no older than thirty. The moment she saw Leon, her eyes turned red, completely ignoring Catherine standing beside her.
"Moria, you've come for me."
Leon knew that Aunt Megawati's memories must be in disarray. Although the curse had been lifted, and she could now speak human language, the trauma she had endured left her unaware that she had spent twenty years in the Dragon Court. The young man she once knew had long since grown old.
