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*****
Once Li Muxuan joined the battle, Stephen White—who had been struggling to hold out under the Guardians' siege—could no longer endure.
Though he was the most powerful dark wizard in the world, a master of black magic who had refined his craft to perfection, in the end he still collapsed to the ground, gravely wounded.
"I did not expect so many formidable experts to be hidden away on this island.
It's just a pity… I never got to witness what that so-called ancient sorcery truly looks like."
White's purpose in coming to the island had not been solely the Emerald Society's command.
In truth, his capture by the Emerald Society had been due to his own despair—he had simply stopped resisting. Otherwise, they could never have contained him.
The real reason he agreed to John's request to destroy the Divine Tree was curiosity. He wanted to see for himself just how powerful the tree, born of ancient sorcery, truly was.
"King, shall I kill him?"
Elijah stepped forward and pressed the barrel of his revolver against White's forehead. At George's single word, he would fire without hesitation.
George only chuckled and shook his head.
"No need."
He stepped up to White, raised his crimson hand, and with a single wave healed all of White's injuries.
"I know why you came to this island. Don't be in such a hurry. Stay a while, see for yourself, and perhaps you'll come to a different conclusion."
"You're not afraid I'll strike again the moment you let down your guard?"
White was stunned by George's miraculous healing. To restore such grievous wounds in an instant was beyond comprehension. But he was equally puzzled—why spare him?
With his strength, unless the Guardians worked together, none of them could stop him.
Soon, Behemoth Corporation would invade Nassen Island. The Guardians would be overwhelmed, and with the Divine Tree left unprotected, he could claim it with ease.
Surely, George must have considered this?
"How dare you!"
Hearing White's words, the Guardians immediately erupted in anger.
But George only smiled lightly.
"If you think you can manage it—then be my guest."
White fixed his gaze on George and cast Legilimency, attempting to peer into his mind.
The very next moment, his body froze, and cold sweat poured down his face.
"What a terrifying power! The King of Nassen actually possesses such strength!"
What he saw defied imagination. Within George's body surged a power so vast it was bottomless. Compared to it, he was like an ant gazing up at a dragon—utterly insignificant, unable to perceive the end of the gap between them.
"Who is this man? How did he become the King of Nassen? And granddaughter—what is going on here?"
Li Muxuan, hearing everyone address George as king, was bewildered.
It had only been a few hours since he'd last seen his granddaughter, and somehow the king was no longer her?
If someone had killed her by breaking the golden branch and claimed the throne, he would not have been so surprised.
But his granddaughter was perfectly unharmed.
So who was this stranger who had suddenly appeared? And how had he become King of Nassen? His tone was certainly arrogant enough.
"Grandfather, you must not be disrespectful to the King. He became one by sheer strength, defying the rules of succession and fusing directly with the Divine Tree."
Though Li Mumu appeared to be reproaching him, she was in fact covertly warning her reckless grandfather, fearing he might offend George.
Li Muxuan's pupils contracted sharply.
"What did you say? He fused with the Divine Tree by strength alone!"
After years of seclusion on the island, he knew well how overwhelming the Divine Tree's power was. To conquer it through might alone—just what kind of origin did this new king possess?
Had the outside world's superhumans grown so strong during his absence?
"Mumu, gather all of the islanders and bring them back to the palace."
George did not yet bring up the matter of Lu Jin. That could wait until after the crisis of Nassen Island was resolved.
Li Mumu frowned slightly.
"King, the islanders all possess respectable combat abilities. If they remain scattered throughout the forests, they can make better use of terrain and environment. Concentrating them here in the palace may limit their effectiveness."
What made Behemoth Corporation so dangerous?
It wasn't only the superhumans they experimented on and recruited. More crucial was their cultivation of vast numbers of gene warriors.
Individually, those enhanced soldiers could not compare to genuine superhumans.
Gene warriors like the hero Sean were rare exceptions—created using the most powerful, most dangerous gene serums with an almost nonexistent success rate.
The vast majority had been injected with stable, high-success serums that produced only moderate enhancements—stronger than ordinary humans, but nothing extraordinary.
Yet when armed with the most advanced modern weapons and deployed in large-scale formations, their collective lethality became terrifying.
Li Mumu's original plan was for the Guardians to lead the islanders in scattered ambushes, using the forests' terrain to divide and crush the gene warriors piecemeal.
But if everyone was gathered at the palace, concentrated firepower from advanced weapons could break their defenses swiftly.
"They need not fight. Bringing them here is to protect them."
George spoke calmly.
"As for dealing with the invading enemies—one man is enough."
"What!"
At his words, everyone's eyes widened. They all knew George was strong—strong enough to forcibly fuse with the Divine Tree, strong enough to defeat all the Guardians together.
But to claim he alone could defeat every invading faction, to stand against Behemoth's gene warriors and advanced weaponry—wasn't that arrogance beyond reason?
"Ha! Boy, I like your guts! What's there to fear? Just go for it!"
Li Muxuan burst into hearty laughter at George's declaration.
George remained unfazed.
"Relay my orders."
He had commanded only that the native islanders be brought to the palace. He made no mention of the market folk or those in the pleasure district.
The islanders, after all, were utterly loyal to the Divine Tree, and thus to him. They would serve well as subjects for his future experiments into the magic of "loans," and also for his studies into the power of faith—something he found particularly intriguing.
Those in the market and the pleasure district, however, were outsiders—blacklisted rogues and criminals who could not survive in the outside world. They could be taken in or wiped out by the invading factions, leaving Nassen Island pure once more.
As for the island's future resources and livelihood—those were trivial problems, easily solved.
"Yes, my King!"
All of the Guardians lowered their heads in unison, their voices filled with reverence.
They could offer suggestions, but the final word always belonged to the King. And once the King gave an order, no matter what it was, they would carry it out without question.
Meanwhile, aboard the warships stationed outside Nassen Island—
"Excellent. Then I wish you all the best."
Ron Keller, one of Behemoth Corporation's board members and the leader of the current operation, hung up his final call with satisfaction.
The Fish-Dragon Society's president had already stated they would not interfere with Behemoth's campaign on Nassen Island. They only wanted to retrieve a single islander named Mochizuki Satoru.
Once they had him, they would immediately depart.
The Naodotong Organization likewise promised non-interference, merely wishing to extract some of their countrymen willing to leave with them.
(End of Chapter)