Chapter 199

Kyle stood silently, watching Theo as the boy sat surrounded by swirling miasma and madness, both forces poised to invade his body at any moment.

Though Theo’s situation appeared precarious, his face, with closed eyes, remained unnervingly calm.

“I have no idea what they’re talking about inside, but it doesn’t seem like a pleasant conversation.”

Kyle wasn’t the only one watching Theo.

Standing nearby were Black Dragon, Julius, and the Maehwa Palace Lord, all key figures who had helped shape the current Ragnar Clan alongside Kyle.

But unlike their usual warm gazes toward Theo, their expressions were tense.

Each of them gripped their swords tightly, cold sweat dripping from their fingertips.

Even when they faced the Nine Vassals of Troiban, they hadn’t shown such unease.

Kyle’s earlier words echoed in their minds:

"If Theo loses control, things could get ugly. Be prepared for the worst."

The weight of the Dragon Emperor’s presence loomed heavily over them.

The coup that had ousted him had left scars that hadn’t yet healed, especially for the Maehwa Palace Lord, who occasionally still had nightmares about those events.

Her trembling hands gripped her sword tighter.

She remembered it all too vividly:

The Dragon Emperor’s domineering gaze, the storm of madness that engulfed everyone, the vassals driven insane and turning on one another, and the soldiers, blinded by frenzy, killing one another.

Even her master’s death, pierced by a stray blade, haunted her still.

"I can’t let Theo endure that pain as well."

She had been furious when she first learned that Kyle had given Theo a fragment of the Dragon Emperor’s sword.

When she later discovered it was meant to awaken the fragment’s consciousness as Theo’s final trial as Young Patriarch, her anger boiled over.

For the first time, she had shouted at Kyle, but his response was calm and unwavering.

"He’s the one who chose to inherit our karma. If he can’t overcome this, he won’t survive what’s ahead."

Though she saw the concern in his voice, it did little to alleviate her worries.

The thought of Theo failing and falling into ruin filled her with dread.

“I just hope he doesn’t fall for appearances,” Julius muttered, drawing the attention of the others.

He shrugged at their questioning looks.

"The man looks so normal on the outside."

Black Dragon nodded in agreement.

He understood Julius’s meaning well.

Before succumbing to madness, the Dragon Emperor had been known as the Gentleman of the Sword, a title that starkly contrasted the Ragnar name.

He had been polite and composed, attracting dignitaries and renowned figures who sought his company.

When the Dragon Emperor was overthrown, many within the Empire had viewed him as an innocent victim.

Even Julius had once fallen for the façade, offering unwavering loyalty to the Dragon Emperor.

But then, one day, he reversed his blade, realizing that the man he had served was no longer the same.

"A monster."

The man who had lost his beloved descended into madness, unleashing his rage on everyone around him.

"In some ways, Theo resembles him..." Julius trailed off with a click of his tongue, glancing at Kyle.

"What are the odds that Theo will overcome the Dragon Emperor’s consciousness?" Julius asked.

His voice was calm, but the others knew that, if Theo succumbed to madness, Julius would be the first to draw his sword.

More than anyone, he harbored the deepest resentment toward the Dragon Emperor.

"Ten percent."

"…Ten percent?"

Julius tilted his head, while Black Dragon and the Maehwa Palace Lord frowned deeply.

"And that’s only because Theo has extraordinary willpower."

Their shock was evident.

"How can you say that so casually?"

Black Dragon and the Maehwa Palace Lord were visibly distressed.

For the first time, Julius’s eyes glimmered with anger, a rare show of defiance against Kyle.

But Kyle remained composed.

"Do you have a better idea? If so, I’d love to hear it."

Julius fell silent.

"That man’s been hiding like a rat for decades. Do you have another way to draw him out? This is a gamble, even for me."

The weight of Kyle’s words sank in.

If the Dragon Emperor used the miasma within Theo to directly influence him, they would lose their Chosen One.

Losing Theo meant losing the ability to challenge the power of regression.

The thought alone sent a chill down their spines.

"But I believe in him. He’s my son. At the very least, respect that boundary, Julius."

The use of Julius’s old nickname, Yus, stung.

But what struck Julius more was Kyle’s claim.

"He’s my son."

Kyle, who had fathered many children, had never spoken of any of them this way before.

Julius clenched his lips shut, realizing that Kyle was the one most anxious about the situation.

"It’s over," Black Dragon said, breaking the tense silence.

All eyes turned to Theo, whose body had begun trembling violently.

The ground shook in rhythm with his heartbeat, waves of madness and miasma intensifying with each pulse.

"This power!"

"How could he have such presence?"

"This could go horribly wrong!"

Even without fully succumbing, Theo’s power was already on par with, if not surpassing, the Nine Dragons.

Kyle’s Dragon Slayer Aura was the only thing preventing the madness from spreading further, yet it felt like a fragile barrier.

"Brother!" Black Dragon sent a telepathic message to Kyle.

"This seems too dangerous—"

Before he could finish, the miasma and madness exploded, engulfing Theo.

"Dragon Madness Manifestation!?"

Julius and the Maehwa Palace Lord jumped to their feet, their old traumas resurfacing.

Black Dragon believed Theo had been consumed and prepared to attempt a seal, just as they had done to the Dragon Emperor in the past.

But before he could act, a blade blocked his path.

"Wait."

It was Julius.

"Julius, move!"

"Big Brother isn’t moving, either."

"If he awakens as the Dragon Emperor’s consciousness, it’ll be disastrous!"

"Didn’t he say ten percent? That means we have to trust him."

Julius’s calmness unnerved Black Dragon, but when the Maehwa Palace Lord stepped beside Julius, her resolve seemed unshaken.

"Ten percent..."

Black Dragon muttered to himself, realizing that Theo’s entire journey had been one of defying impossible odds.

BOOM!

An overwhelming surge of power shattered Kyle’s Dragon Slayer Aura, sending shockwaves through the area.

When the dust settled, Theo stood, his crimson eyes glowing with a deeper intensity, now laced with a faint brown hue.

"He’s grown!"

"Did he truly conquer the consciousness?"

"Could he now surpass even the Lunar Swordsman’s realm?"

The three veterans exchanged glances, realizing they could no longer gauge Theo’s strength.

His aura was either impossibly refined or on par with their own.

Kyle broke the silence.

"How did it feel to meet your grandfather?"

At the word "grandfather," the others flinched.

Theo, momentarily confused by their presence, quickly composed himself. Scratching his cheek awkwardly, he replied.

"Well, he told me to send his regards to you."

Kyle burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the area.

Even as they watched, the others noticed Theo’s careful choice of words—he deliberately avoided calling the Dragon Emperor his grandfather.

It was a subtle but clear declaration of where his loyalties lay.

Kyle’s laughter faded as he asked, "And? Surely he said more than that."

Theo hesitated, recalling the Dragon Emperor’s parting words as he had stepped through the gate.

"See you again."

The Dragon Emperor hadn’t spoken of an end.

"My disciple."