Chapter 234: Soul Poisoning

Amon called Ragnar as he walked away, leaving the queen’s speech playing above the capital.

Ragnar answered after a few seconds.

"What the hell is going on?" Amon asked. "The queen announced Arthur’s death and declared war. Is she seriously dragging the kingdom into war now?"

"Everything is going to shit," Ragnar replied. "The queen has taken over the situation, and she’s making decisions before anyone can understand what happened."

"What exactly is she planning?"

"I have no idea," Ragnar admitted. "She’s using Arthur’s death to rally the people, and anyone questioning her risks looking as though they’re defending the vampires."

"Do you think she killed Prince Arthur herself?"

There was silence from the other side. It seems like he was debating that question as well.

"...No," Ragnar replied. "Arthur died during last night’s attack, the one carried out by the vampires. We have no evidence that the queen arranged his death, and I won’t accuse her without proof."

"The timing is still convenient. With the prince dead, she can use her grief to justify anything."

"You’re not the only one who has noticed. The Odette family is already trying to initiate a regime change, using the royal family’s failure to protect the prince as their main argument."

"A regime change? They’re moving that quickly?"

"They’ve been waiting for this. The king and prince are dead, and the queen is injured. The royal family has never been more vulnerable."

"What about the Janard family?" Amon asked. "They’re powerful enough to influence the outcome."

"The Janards support the queen. They say the kingdom needs strong leadership to prevent the nobles tearing it apart. Whether they trust Eleanor or expect to benefit is another question."

"So the Odette family wants a regime change, the Janards support the queen, and everyone else wants power. Wonderful."

"Unfortunately, it gets worse. Several noble families are already accusing one another of secretly cooperating with vampires. Some claim their rivals are letting vampires in; others say the accusations are meant to weaken political opponents."

"Then we’ll see a few smaller disputes between the nobles," Amon said. "They’ll accuse one another and exchange threats, but starting a fight now would be foolish."

"That’s what I would have thought yesterday," Ragnar replied. "But these disputes won’t remain small for long. Once a family believes another has betrayed the kingdom, every disagreement becomes evidence of treachery, and every political move looks like an attempt to destroy them."

"More nobles will begin to hate one another. Some will demand arrests, others will seize their rivals’ territories, and a few will use the chaos to settle old grudges. Eventually, even a minor incident could ignite a conflict between powerful families."

Through the window, Amon could see people gathered in the streets, some frightened and others shouting about vampires.

"So the vampires might not need to attack again," Amon muttered. "If they make the nobles turn against each other, the kingdom could tear itself apart without them lifting a finger."

"Exactly. If the queen wants war, she’ll need noble support, but half of them may be too busy fighting each other to provide it."

Amon asked, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"I may need to take you on a few trips to meet nobles or inspect places where I suspect vampires have infiltrated the kingdom."

"Your ability should make identifying them easier, especially when we lack evidence to accuse anyone openly."

"Call me whenever you need me. If I can identify vampires before they cause more trouble, I’ll do it."

"Good. I’ll contact you when I’ve worked out the details. Until then, stay out of political disputes. I don’t want you caught between two families."

"I’ll keep that in mind," Amon said, knowing it would be easier said than done.

After exchanging a few more words, he ended the call and slipped his device into his pocket.

He turned toward the main hall, but someone rounded the corner and collided with his shoulder.

"Sorry, I wasn’t--"

A sudden headache stopped him mid-sentence. Pain spread through his skull, blurring his vision.

He looked up at the young man standing before him.

The stranger had neatly arranged dark hair, a pale complexion, and causal dress that looked rather poor. He seemed unconcerned by the collision.

...Kael Arven.

The bastard son of the dead king.

Before Amon could speak, a sharp pain pierced his chest, as though an invisible hand had closed around his heart.

’...What the hell is this?’

Kael studied him for another second, his expression revealing nothing.

Then he stepped around Amon and continued down the corridor without apologizing or asking whether he was alright, as though nothing had happened.

Amon followed him with his eyes, but darkness crept into his vision.

His knees weakened, forcing him to reach for the wall as his body threatened to collapse.

Notifications appeared before his eyes.

[Host’s life is in danger!]

[System Override Initiated.]

[Identifying the cause of the abnormal condition...]

Another wave of pain passed through his chest as students approached, noticing his struggle to remain upright.

[Analysis Complete.]

[The host has been inflicted with a poison.]

"What type of poison is it?" Amon demanded inwardly. "How do I neutralize it?"

[Calculating the poison’s properties...]

Something spread through his body, attacking him in a way he couldn’t identify. The pain made it difficult to concentrate.

[Analysis Complete.]

[The poison is a specialized substance capable of gradually eroding the victim’s soul.]

Amon’s heart skipped a beat. A poison that eroded the soul was far more dangerous than one that attacked the body.

[Recommendation: Activate the Spirit Sovereign Scripture to refine and neutralize the foreign substance.]

Amon took a deep breath and circulated the Spirit Sovereign Scripture, guiding his spiritual energy toward the substance attacking his soul.

The pain resisted, and his chest tightened as though the poison sensed his attempt to remove it.

He kept cultivating, refining the substance without letting panic disrupt his control.

Within seconds, the pressure in his chest began to fade.

His headache eased, his vision cleared, and the weakness in his legs subsided until he could stand without leaning against the wall.

[The foreign substance has been significantly refined.]

[The host’s immediate condition has stabilized.]

Amon straightened. Several students had gathered nearby, and one stepped forward with a worried expression.

"You alright?"

"I’m fine," Amon said, keeping his voice calm. "I just felt dizzy for a moment."

Amon assured the students he was fine and walked away.

Only then did his face turn cold.

’Why would Kael try to kill me?’

He had barely exchanged a glance with Kael, yet the poison had threatened his soul.

Without the system, he might have collapsed before understanding why.

He thought of the ring on his hand. The ring had helped him, but its intentions remained unclear.

’Could the ring be connected to this?’

Perhaps it had discovered his unusual body and soul, deciding his soul was worth taking.

The poison might have been meant to weaken him until something else could take control.

His expression grew colder. The ring might be preparing to take over his body, and he didn’t know how far its influence had spread.

The air around him grew colder, frosting the nearby window.

Passing students moved away, but he barely noticed them, absorbed in the possibility that something wanted his soul.

His communication device vibrated, pulling him from his thoughts.

Marielle had sent a location and a brief request to meet her there.

Amon looked toward the corridor where Kael had disappeared.

His fingers tightened around the device.

He started toward the university exit, his expression deadly cold. ’I am going to fucking kill you Kael.’