Chapter 235: Fulfillment of Promise

’I can do this...’

Regis thought as he took a deep breath.

With each and every step he took, the weight of the father and daughter’s hopes that burdened his heart increased.

He did not even dare glance back.

His Gold-grade Tranquility was activated at maximum as his mind reached its calmest state.

He had been preparing for three years— he believed that his efforts would not betray him.

From the time Regis and Aurum first met three years ago, they had already negotiated an agreement; Regis would attempt to dispel the effects of Aurelia’s gift.

So, not long after, Aurum had someone retrieve a sample from the Ruins of Gold.

The chosen sample was an insect, frozen mid-flight, its entire body turned to gold.

However, upon thorough analysis, Regis was flabbergasted to discover the sheer extent of the gift’s gold energy that had permeated the sample.

It was overly chaotic, already deeply embedded into the golden material and reaching down to the very biological structure of the creature.

As it had been in a gold state all those times, any trace of life was already very faint— almost undetectable.

Since then, Regis devoted a great deal of time to researching the phenomenon with his Corruption Manipulation.

This was in addition to his usual activities: taking on quests, both solo and in parties, attending Eldrin’s classes with Pandora and Aurelia, helping the two improve their techniques, especially Pandora’s aura arts usage and Aurelia’s control over her gift.

He also trained with Killian and regularly visited Greg, Lea, and the other children from the demonic human camp.

In other words, Regis had been very busy over the last three years.

Unfortunately, despite all his effort, the effects of Aurelia’s gift during her first awakening were much stronger than the one she had used back then in the Vistruk Swamp.

And with eight years having passed since the incident, the influence of the Hand of the Greedy King had already spread far too deeply into the structures of those affected.

This meant the bodies might have been weakened, making the dispelling even more delicate and difficult.

Regis knew this.

He had studied it thoroughly.

Through the collected samples, Regis continued to analyze and practice, but even with all his experience, he needed more time to be sure.

"Can I practice on one of the frozen people?" He had once asked Aurum with a careful voice.

However...

"No."

Aurum replied firmly, "They’re not test materials. They’re people. Even for the sake of my family, I can’t let you use other people as experimental subjects."

As a result, Regis had no choice but to practice on himself.

He had Aurelia turn him into gold multiple times.

Again and again, he subjected his own body to the effects of the gift just to deepen his understanding.

It took him almost a year before he began seeing clear results.

The samples Aurum provided were so fragile that the smallest mistake in his Corruption Manipulation would reduce them to golden dust.

Of course, Regis informed Aurum of this.

But Aurum had only smiled faintly, "It’s fine. I’ve already waited this long; waiting a few more years with hope is better than waiting forever in vain."

By then, Aurum had become busier than ever, handling the affairs of Montrelle and preparing for the city’s inauguration.

Only now, three years later, had they finally set aside the time to fulfill their promise—this being the only moment when Aurum was completely free of responsibilities, and Regis had made adequate preparations.

Even so, Regis’s confidence in pulling it off flawlessly was only about seventy-five percent.

The reason was simple: this would be his first time attempting the dispelling on another human being.

Combined with the potent effects of Aurelia’s initial awakening and the long-term erosion of the victims’ biological structure, the challenge had only grown.

Despite all the years of preparation, the complexity had not lessened— it had worsened.

Regis was now within arm’s reach of the three golden statues.

’Sixty... no, I think fifty-five. Yes, I’m fifty-five percent confident...’

He said inwardly as he observed the state of the golden statues before him.

The woman was embracing her children tightly, which made the situation all the more complex.

Regis then glanced back— he could not help it.

However, what greeted his eyes was Aurum’s resolute eyes.

The two of them made eye contact for a brief moment before Aurum nodded with a satisfied expression on his face.

Regis understood— the other party could not wait anymore.

Like a flickering candle on the verge of going out, Aurum’s will to live had been dangerously low for years.

’I get it now.’

Through his act of nodding alongside his expression, Regis was able to understand one thing:

Aurum was ready.

Whether it was successful or not, he would not blame him.

He simply could not wait for longer.

At this moment, Regis’s form began to change.

He had nothing left to hold back— nor any intention of doing so.

Two black horns sprouted from his temples, his fingernails extended into dark claws, and black scales spread across his arms and lower body.

A sharp black triangular tail also grew behind him.

In the distance, Aurum and Aurelia watched the scene with wide eyes.

"Are you not afraid, Dad?" Aurelia asked with a careful tone.

Aurum glanced at her with a smile, "I had my suspicions back then, but I was never sure what you were hiding. Now I understand why you kept it from me all these years."

"But no." With a shake of his head, he continued, "I’m not afraid."

"Why?"

"Because you trusted him."

"..."

"And he’s the reason you’ve been able to smile like that since we met three years ago."

"..."

"I had never seen you smile and be so happy without feeling guilty."

"..."

"That’s why I made up my mind back then."

"..."

"That whatever secret you’re hiding, I will accept it."

Aurelia teared up, speechless and at a loss for words.

Aurum chuckled at the sight, "Come on, don’t cry. You don’t want your crying face to be the first thing they see, right?"

"Mhm!" Aurelia nodded with a determined expression.

’Besides, I would have taken the hand of the devils if it meant bringing them back... so this isn’t bad... It’s not bad at all...’ Aurum said in his heart as he glanced at Regis in the distance.

At this moment, the Demonized Regis’s hands were touching the heads of the golden statues.

This was also the first time he attempted to dispel the effects of Aurelia’s gift while in his demonized form— and to his surprise, a renewed sense of confidence began to rise within him.

Regis closed his eyes as he chanted.

[Corruption Manipulation]

Wooong—-

Fluctuations could be felt in the area as Pandora’s mana barrier shook.

She gritted her teeth and concentrated, making the mana barrier stabilize once again.

Five black stars could be seen on Regis’s chest.

In his sight, the corruption energy that completely permeated the golden statues before him was as clear as day.

’Let’s do this.’

Regis thought as he began the dispelling process.

From Aurum and Aurelia’s perspective, a demon was holding the statues of their loved ones; nothing more, nothing less.

The only thing they could feel was the tremors in space caused by Regis’s sheer power.

However, besides that, they saw nothing more.

’Please...’

Aurum begged in his heart, his grip on his daughter’s hand tightening.

Meanwhile, Aurelia was on the verge of tears, biting her lip so hard that it began to bleed.

Silence permeated the surroundings— lasting as seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours...

It seemed like forever, yet Aurum and Aurelia had not moved an inch from their positions.

Tk—

However, it was then that a faint click could be heard within the hall.

Aurum flinched, his golden eyes widening even more.

He saw it— a faint crack on the surface of the golden statues.

Tk— Crrrk—

Clack—

The crack then spread from the statues’ heads, slowly snaking downward as it branched across their bodies like fragile veins of light.

Crack—- Thunk!!

It did not take long before the statues were covered in cracks, and then, the gold finally shattered like glass.

"M..."

Aurum slowly stood up, as if in a trance.

His mouth moved, but no words came out.

He took careful steps, as if on the verge of staggering.

However, his golden gaze only focused on one person.

An elegant young lady who seemed to be in her late twenties.

Her blonde hair cascaded down her waist, her eyes were closed, as if she were in a slumber.

Aurum took one step after another, growing steadier with each pace.

Until his walk turned into a light jog, then a full-on sprint.

As he came within arm’s reach, the lady’s blonde lashes fluttered ever so slightly.

She blinked her eyes repeatedly, as if trying to make sense of the world around her after a long nap.

"H-Hon—"

The elegant lady collapsed, along with the two children in her embrace.

Fortunately, Aurum was able to catch them in time.

His mouth moved, this time more erratically, yet no words came— emotion swelled too heavily in his throat, betraying any attempt to speak.

"I-I..."

Crack—

But just as he was about to speak, another cracking sound echoed through the hall.

Aurum looked down— and to his horror, a fracture of golden brilliance appeared on the elegant lady’s right cheek.

Like a fragile piece of glass that was about to shatter.

Aurum’s heart dropped.