Chapter 90: Infiltrating Stronghold 3

The creator of Evolution Online?

’I guess that makes sense...’

Kaelen didn’t need to ask the runaway Emperor or the Governor this question. They might or might not have the answers, but Kaelen had the perfect person to ask that question.

His focus right now should be to find and take out the Governor before he made a move.

At that moment, Kaelen tilted his head to overlook the stronghold. At the bewildered gaze of the people, at the distant sirens approaching, at the destruction and sea-wide crater at the heart of the city where the Emperor’s estate once stood.

That was when it clicked with him.

The face of Natasha flashed across his mind, and he remembered they were all still inside the mansion when he and the Emperor clashed, destroying everything and everyone still inside the building.

He’d been too careless and consumed with vengeance that he forgot there were people inside the building who went out of their way to fight on his behalf.

"If you’re worried about the assassins, be rest assured. I was the one who let them inside the estate and predicted something like this might happen, so I gave them teleportation scrolls beforehand to leave the mansion as soon as you found the Emperor." He shifted his gaze towards the stronghold walls to see Black Rose and Cindra looking in their direction, before they jumped into a car and began driving towards them. A look of relief flashed across his face.

Kaelen nodded once, respect flashing across his eyes at Hunter.

He was a good man and had proven himself to be reliable in times like this.

"I’ll not forget this debt." Kaelen said to the man as he shifted his gaze to beyond the stronghold. "Which way leads to Stronghold 3?" His expression turned cold.

"Northeast from here, you should see Stronghold 2, then straight north, you’d find Stronghold 3. Based on your speed, you should arrive in no time." President Hunter explained.

At that moment, several armoured vehicles began pulling up below them as several uniformed men began jumping out of them.

"Go. I’ll take care of them," Hunter added.

Kaelen nodded once, before eight rings materialized around him and he disappeared from the spot before anyone could blink.

"I take back my words," President Hunter mumbled to himself with a wry smile. "He should be there already."

"President Hunter," a voice called out from below with a microphone. "From the power bestowed upon me as the descendant of the Emperor, in the absence of the Emperor, I hereby place you under arrest for treason and attempted murder."

Hunter looked down to see Black Rose with a microphone, who had mobilized these terrified men to arrest him. He smiled warmly, like a father looking down at his daughter.

"I’m glad you’re safe, Rose."

...

Meanwhile, standing at the peak of a skyscraper inside the stronghold, was a figure covered from head to toe in rags, with only their eyes exposed. But it was those eyes that caught the attention of everyone who’d crossed paths with them.

After the Emperor’s utter defeat by the infamous Kaelen Cross, Crimson Purple stared at the floating figure of the man for a long moment, before she raised her hand and pulled away the scarf covering her face down to her neck, revealing the porcelain face of a beautiful woman with crimson and purple eyes that resembled polished marbles.

This was the first time her face was revealed in public, but there was no one at that height to witness the scene.

The woman’s lips slowly parted, staying slightly open for a moment like she was preparing for something.

"K... K-Kaelen Cross..." Those words left her throat like she was testing her own voice for the first time. It was beautiful to the ears.

Her lips curled up in a faint smile.

"...I remember you now."

As those words left her lips, a strong breeze blew the scarf hanging from her neck and carried it away in the wind as it slowly disappeared in the distance.

***

Stronghold 3.

A different scene was playing out in the martial stronghold.

Guards were lined up on the walls, patrolling the empty streets with convoys of armoured vehicles, and a strict lockdown had already been issued.

The stronghold was airtight like an impregnable fortress, and it was obvious that whatever enemy they were guarding against would be at a total disadvantage if they dared to invade the stronghold.

What no one ever anticipated or noticed was a shadow without a body, which slipped under the walls of the stronghold and appeared on the other side, inside the stronghold, and began moving towards the heart of the stronghold, sticking to dark corners, while the guards had their eyes out in the sky and on the ground, expecting a man to brazenly walk up to the walls and try to clap them to extinction.

...

Governor Grey had just finished addressing his people and returned to his study to make his preparations, but not before instructing the guards outside not to let anyone else in.

Suddenly, a short blonde girl with twin ponytails rounded the hallway and stomped her way towards the Governor’s study, and the moment the guards saw her, they swallowed hard.

"Young Miss Elizabeth, the Governor doesn’t want to be disturbed." One of the guards quickly called out.

The girl didn’t reply, nor did she acknowledge the presence of the men before she arrived at the study, and frowned when the men didn’t move out of the way.

"What do you think you’re doing?" She said with a deep frown.

The guard stared at her blankly for a moment. "I just said the Governor doesn’t want to be disturb—"

"Get out of my way." Elizabeth screamed at the men. "He’s my father and not my Governor. No one tells me what to do. I need to see him right now!"

"The Governor gave us clear instructions—"

"I don’t give a damn!" She scoffed in cold disbelief and licked her lips. "Do you want to die? Do you want me to kill you right where you stand?!"

The man was already sweating bullets and looked to his colleagues for help, but they avoided his gaze like they were statues. No one wanted to face the young miss.

"I’m gonna count to three, and if you get out of my way..."

"One..."

"Y-Young Miss, your father is busy right now. If you can come back—"

"Two..."

"Y-Young Miss, hear me out—"

"Let her in." The Governor’s voice suddenly called out from inside, and the guard exhaled in relief as he immediately swung the door open.

Elizabeth glared daggers at the man for a long minute, before she crossed her arms over her chest and stomped into the room as she used her foot to kick the door shut behind her, making the room vibrate from the sheer force of the kick.

The Governor, whose back was turned to her, was surprised for a moment, but before he could speak, Elizabeth spoke up first.

"Three..."

The Governor immediately froze on the spot, and his blood ran cold. Not because his daughter was still counting down even after being let in, but because the voice that counted last was the deep voice of a man.

The unmistakable voice of his greatest nemesis...

...Kaelen Cross.