Chapter 169
“Kaine, stand before me.” Melissa’s shout shook the place, her voice stern and cold, filled with unshakable authority.
Zarek nodded and stepped forward, coming to a stop directly in front of her. He met her green eyes in silence.
“Kneel,” she commanded.
He obeyed, dropping to one knee.
She extended her sword, resting it lightly on his right shoulder as she spoke in an even colder tone filled with authority:
“I have considered your achievement in the military. We’ve been trying to breach that group of Level Nine bases for nearly a year, with countless Level Nine operatives dying in the attempt. Yet you alone have succeeded, risking your life to do so.”
She paused, letting the silence build a sense of anticipation in the air. Then she spoke, her voice deep and utterly serious:
“That’s why we have decided to grant you the position of General. Do you accept it?”
Zarek raised his head. His boundless blue eyes locked onto hers, unwavering as he answered:
“Yes.”
“Your blood will carve a path to the greatness of the Empire. From this moment forward, the Empire is all you will see, all you will serve. Do you accept this fate?”
The sword moved, resting now on Zarek’s left shoulder.
“Yes,” Zarek said firmly.
Melissa nodded, then raised her sword before her. She traced a finger along its edge, drawing a small cut on her thumb.
She let her blood drip onto the blade, then hoisted it high into the air before slashing toward the sky.
Swish!
The air split with a sharp hiss.
Zarek looked up, his pupils flickering. The clouds above were cleaved apart, leaving a hundred-meter-long sword mark etched across the heavens.
“Today, a new General is born, one who has walked through fire and flames for the Empire!”
Melissa roared.
Citizens watching the Empire’s broadcast erupted in cheers, filled with glee and excitement.
In the Ragnorak Empire, every General was a prized asset. With each new one, it was a sign that the Empire’s strength grew and with it, the prosperity of its people.
After the ceremony ended, Zarek was presented with the official military uniform of a General and a nameplate engraved with his new title: General Kaine.
With that, he had fully assumed the identity and responsibilities of one of the Ragnorak Empire’s highest-ranking officers.
He was then promptly guided to his luxurious quarters, where a maid left him with a simple parting message:
“Princess Melissa will arrive shortly.”
Zarek gave a lazy nod, casually scanning the lavish room—until his gaze landed on two unexpected figures. One was a chained shinobi, the other a pink-haired woman standing nearby with a helpless expression.
His brow furrowed.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, frowning.
“We were ordered to be here,” Kiki replied with a bitter smile.
Rawr!
Nanami let out a fierce, catlike growl, hatred blazing in her eyes as she glared at Zarek.
“Oh?”
Zarek raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the intensity in her gaze. From the look of it, this shinobi clearly had anger issues, but, well, being captured by the enemy was a deeply humiliating experience. He supposed her rage made sense.
With a sigh, he walked over to her and did something he’d already done with two other women: he reached out and patted her head.
Instantly, Nanami trembled with fury. Her entire body shook with humiliation, and the grinding of her teeth echoed in the room.
Zarek shrugged.
“Why are you so angry? Try to relax a little, okay?”
“You… bastard…” she growled, struggling to speak through the cloth gag muffling her words.
“Hey, don’t be so angry.”
Zarek’s expression shifted, turning ice-cold.
“I am a General of this Empire. Do you dare defy me?”
His piercing gaze froze Nanami in place. Panic flared in her eyes, and she immediately fell silent, averting her gaze.
Zarek let out a disappointed sigh and turned away.
“You two can leave,” he said flatly. “Tell them I don’t need you. Your fate will be decided by them.”
Kiki’s face turned pale.
“Please don’t do that,” she said, her voice trembling with desperation. “Maybe I’ll be fine… but for Nanami, with her temperament, her fate could be worse than death.”
Zarek’s gaze darkened.
“And why,” he asked coldly, “should I care about either of you?”
Though Zarek was soft-hearted by nature, his actions were guided by principle. He wasn’t the kind of man who’d take everyone under his wing out of blind charity, especially not without a reason.
“I… I…”
Kiki stammered, clearly struggling to find the right words.
Just then, Nanami managed to force out a muffled plea:
“Remove… gag… from… my mouth…”
Kiki glanced at Zarek for permission.
“Can I remove it?”
“Yeah,” Zarek replied with a casual shrug.
“Thank you.” Kiki quickly moved to untie the cloth, freeing Nanami. Nanami gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
But instead of taking time to recover, she fixed her gaze on Zarek and said clearly:
“I can work for you.”
“Work for me?”
Zarek raised an eyebrow, mildly intrigued.
“Yeah, work for you. So will you help me?” Nanami asked quickly, not giving him time to respond before continuing:
“As long as it doesn’t involve killing anyone from the Reinhart Empire, I’ll follow your orders completely.”
“Oh, not bad,” Zarek murmured, almost to himself, as if weighing the offer.
‘This can’t possibly work so easily… right?’
Kiki thought to herself, slightly amused by Nanami’s naivety.
But to her shock, Zarek gave a simple nod.
“Alright. You two will work for me. But remember this, my orders are absolute and must be followed without hesitation,” he said, his tone firm and commanding.
“Yes,”
Both women replied in unison, nodding quickly.
Not only Kiki but also Nanami was surprised; however, in her mind, she felt like this was a better option. Also, she had a hot head, but she still had some brains left.
Then Zarek extended his hand and removed all the bindings from Nanami.
And the two just remained in place while Zarek brewed some tea, which was at the table, patiently waiting for Melissa to come.
There was an awkward silence in the room that was never broken by anyone until they heard footsteps outside.
Melissa entered the room with a smile on her face:
“How are you guys doing?”
“Good.” Zarek nodded his head with a casual shrug.
The two women beside Zarek glanced at Melissa, fear flickering in their eyes.
No one dared forget the reputation of the strongest Telekinetic Master in the land. Known as the Princess of Carnage, she inspired terror in the hearts of all who crossed her path.
Seeing her now, their heart rates inevitably skyrocketed.
Zarek chuckled softly.
“Is my teleportation ready?”
Melissa nodded without hesitation.
“Yeah, it’s ready.”
How could they instantly cross two empires and arrive at the Falcon Empire so quickly?
The answer was simple: teleportation.
Though a complicated process, human telekinesis wasn’t as limited as it seemed, it could accomplish incredible feats, and this was one of them.
“Follow me.”
Zarek turned quietly to the two women, then glanced at Melissa, who gave a subtle nod. Without hesitation, they all quickly left the room.
As the two women trailed behind Zarek and Melissa, uncertainty gnawed at their hearts. They couldn’t decide what path they were on or what they should do next.
Zarek had already noticed their hesitation, but he didn’t care much. As long as they did their jobs properly, he’d be content. After all, both were powerful Level Nine Telekinetic users, and having them on his side would be invaluable.
As for the idea of betrayal?
They should already know the consequences. And if they still dared, well, Zarek would deal with it as the situation demanded.
As thoughts swirled in his mind, they soon arrived at the deeper part of the palace and entered a dark room, where a faintly glowing circle shimmered in the center.
“Go,” Melissa commanded.
Zarek stepped into the glowing circle, the two women following close behind.
Melissa finally broke the silence. “I’m surprised you’re bringing those two along. Aren’t you afraid of betrayal?”
“Never,” Zarek replied confidently with a shrug. “They’re free to betray me if they want, if they can handle the consequences.”
“Haha, that’s my man, speaking so confidently.” Melissa smirked. “After you’re teleported, remember to wait a while. The army will be coming after you. I don’t care what your goal is, but remember this: you represent the face of the Empire. Never let it be tarnished.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Yes,” Zarek nodded, flashing a thumbs up. Little did she know, he wasn’t going there to help humans instead to support the dragons while he grumbled silently in his heart, ‘Woman, since when did I become your man?’
He couldn’t let the balance between the humans and dragons fall that might ruin his chance to profit.
The circle beneath them glowed with bright blue rays, and in the next instant, they vanished from the palace.
Zarek felt momentarily disoriented, even a bit nauseous, before he quickly “adapted” to the shift. The next moment, he found himself under open skies, greeted by a crowd holding smiles and flowers.
“General Kaine of the Ragnorak Empire has arrived!” The announcement boomed loudly.
A Falcon Empire general with a warm smile stepped forward to greet him.
Zarek returned the smile and walked ahead confidently. The two women behind him, still recovering from their nausea, followed closely with shaky steps.
Soon, soldiers from the Ragnorak Empire arrived as well. There were dozens of them, low-level Telekinetic users, but enough to take down hundreds of ordinary troops with ease.