Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Showdown, and a Sudden Windfall!
Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Showdown, and a Sudden Windfall!
"It's you?"
Miranda Joy quickly realized the truth, though her heart filled with confusion. "But you've been here the entire time. How could you have helped them break the sealing magic array?"
"Could it be… you have another avatar?"
Surprise flashed across her face as she asked in astonishment, "What kind of magic are you using? Why is it so strange?"
Normal magic typically aligns with specific elements, and most mages specialize in one. But Dean Bruce had already demonstrated mastery of several elements, and each with unique effects.
Add to that his mysterious avatar, and it left Miranda Joy doubting what she was seeing.
Dean Bruce spoke calmly, "Though I've been here physically, through our previous interactions, I already figured out that the true powers within the empire had been imprisoned by you. Naturally, I arranged for someone to set them free."
"How dare you?" Miranda Joy questioned, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Aren't you afraid that once they're freed, they'll side with me?"
At this, Dean Bruce smiled for the first time, responding with a question of his own. "If they were willing to help you, why would they have been sealed away by your magic in the first place?"
"…"
The red-haired man, recognized as the royal advisor, sighed and said, "Thank you, Dean. We have learned everything we needed. Now, we ask that you join us in the palace to present this matter before His Majesty, so that Miranda can be punished."
As Terrynas Gold had mentioned earlier, Miranda Joy was still a member of the royal family. Despite her conspiracies, she wouldn't face execution—at worst, she would be punished in some other way.
Dean Bruce didn't mind this outcome. His goal had always been to save the Quirell family.
And if Miranda Joy dared to make another move, he was confident that he could take her down.
As for those so-called powerful figures?
Once Angel's Light was activated, no one could harm Dean Bruce. Killing Miranda Joy would be a trivial task.
Dean hadn't acted earlier, choosing to wait for reinforcements from Pur-cloud Imperial Capital, because killing Miranda Joy too soon might have jeopardized the chance to rescue the Quirell family.
Only by dismantling Miranda Joy's plans and showing her complete failure could those who had disappeared potentially be returned.
"Uncle Rulda, she's not my sister!"
At that moment, Apollon Joy suddenly shouted, "The way she speaks, her personality—everything about her is different from my sister! My sister never had such cunning, nor could she hide so well!"
"She's definitely not my sister!"
Hearing this, Miranda Joy remained calm, merely casting a fleeting glance at Apollon Joy without any expression.
Rulda Chel furrowed his brows, casting a doubtful glance at Apollon Joy. He was hesitant to make any decisions.
If Apollon was making these claims merely to secure the throne, then killing Miranda Joy would certainly lead to severe consequences.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Rulda Chel quietly said, "Your Highness, this is only speculation. It's best we return to the palace and let His Majesty deal with this matter."
Hearing this, Miranda Joy flashed a mocking smile.
Dean Bruce suddenly spoke up, "You can take Miranda, but what about those others? They dared to attack me—there must be a price to pay."
As his words fell, beads of sweat appeared on Terrynas Gold's forehead. He swallowed nervously, casting a fearful glance toward Miranda Joy.
But she remained utterly calm, as if resigned to the situation.
Terrynas Gold's body trembled, and in a moment of panic, he turned toward Dean Bruce, falling to his knees. "Elder Dean, please forgive me! I was forced into this!"
"Silence!"
Dean Bruce's gaze turned icy as he raised his hand and punched forward, unleashing a burst of lightning aimed straight at Terrynas Gold.
Terrynas Gold barely had time to lift his hand in defense when a blaze of fire erupted from beneath his feet, launching him into the air—right into the path of the lightning.
Crackling!
Dean Bruce did not hold back. Coupled with Rulda Chel's earlier magic attack, the combined force shattered Terrynas Gold's armor.
As the lightning surged through him, Terrynas Gold's body could not withstand the power. He was reduced to ash, carried away by the wind, vanishing from sight.
Witnessing this, the soldiers who had followed Terrynas Gold grew fearful.
After all, they had been following his orders!
Rulda Chel bowed slightly to Dean Bruce and said softly, "Dean, the one who caused you trouble is now dead. I kindly ask you to be merciful and not pursue further punishment against Miranda. Once we return to the palace, His Majesty will take care of her."
Pausing for a moment, Rulda Chel added with a smile, "Miranda is, after all, part of the Magic Guild, isn't she? If she displeases you, you could always have her transferred to the headquarters later on, where you could handle her as you see fit."
Dean Bruce, remaining calm, replied, "There's no need for such words. I know you're trying to save Miranda's life. If she's willing to reveal where she's keeping the bodies and souls of those she's abducted, I'll spare her."
"Of course," Rulda Chel responded softly. "You needn't even ask. We won't allow those officials to die. A tragedy on that scale would shake the royal family's hold on the empire."
Miranda Joy, standing to the side, spoke calmly, "They're still alive. I want a smooth transition of power, so naturally, I won't kill them."
As she said this, she glanced toward Dean Bruce, her voice soft. "I admit, you've seen through all my plans, but you still won't win. As long as I stay alive, once this matter is resolved, you'll leave Pur-cloud Imperial Capital."
"I refuse to believe you'll stay here forever."
Hearing this, Dean Bruce narrowed his eyes, his mind stirring with murderous intent.
Unfortunately, Miranda Joy still hadn't revealed the whereabouts of the Quirell family, so he couldn't kill her just yet.
"Your Highness, please say no more," Rulda Chel sighed, signaling for the others to escort Miranda Joy to the palace.
Dean Bruce's gaze swept the scene, noticing the shopkeeper among the crowd. He nodded slightly to himself.
He suspected that the shopkeeper's true identity was far from simple.
Nicholas William approached and asked, "Master, are we following them to the palace? Hmm… But Miranda's status is quite unique. Shouldn't we be more cautious?"
"There's no need!"
Apollon Joy clenched his teeth and said, "Once we meet with Father, he'll believe me. And that Miranda is definitely an imposter! She is not my sister. She won't survive this!"
Nicholas William nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Dean Bruce let out a sigh.
What am I supposed to do with a disciple this naive and trusting? he thought to himself.
Not bothering to pay any more attention to Nicholas and the others, Dean Bruce silently followed the group, his mind already turning to the system, ready to spend some Supreme Mage points.
After all, they were heading into enemy territory, and Dean Bruce knew he needed to gather as many treasures and resources as possible to strengthen himself.
Better to be prepared—who knew what might happen next?
Without any hesitation, Dean Bruce spent 500 Supreme Mage points and initiated a ten-draw.
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Book of Dispel Magic X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Mirror World Magic Scroll X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Ice Wall Eruption Magic Scroll X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Space Teleportation Scroll X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Healing Spring X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Decoy Scarecrow X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Random Magic Insight Scroll X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Blank Spellbook X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Soul Blood Nail X1!
System Notification: Congratulations! You've received the Secret Training Space X1!
"???"
As the flood of system notifications appeared, a wide grin spread across Dean Bruce's face.
This time, almost every reward was high-quality!
It felt like his luck was at its peak.
With a smirk, Dean Bruce quickly began reviewing the specific properties of each item, already contemplating how to make the best use of them once he entered the palace.
[Book of Dispel Magic (Special Item): When used, it can dispel any magical existence within a designated area.]
[Mirror World Magic Scroll (Special Item): When activated, this high-level spell casts Mirror World over all targets within an area. Every target becomes a replica, while their real bodies are immobilized and unable to make judgments. If a replica dies, the original falls into a state of confusion for 300 seconds. The Mirror World effect lasts for 60 minutes.]
[Ice Wall Eruption Magic Scroll (Special Item): Instantly casts advanced magic, Ice Wall Eruption, surrounding the user with four freezing walls that reflect incoming attacks and deal damage to nearby enemies. The ice walls have limited durability, and if the damage threshold is exceeded, they will shatter.]
[Space Teleportation Scroll (Special Item): When used, this allows the user and friendly targets to teleport in a specified direction within a 3000-yard range.]
"!!!"