This Is Seeking Death

"You think that if you find Avalon, you might gain the Ebony Sword’s recognition, or even… perhaps obtain power greater than the Ebony Sword?"

Oaks understood what Garrett meant and could not help shaking his head.

"So that’s why you targeted me?"

"Yes…"

Garrett had completely let go. At this point, this Druid who possessed miraculous healing abilities had no intention of treating him at all.

His life was about to end. He had already awakened from his unrealistic dreams.

"I spent my entire life gathering information on Avalon. By chance, I obtained part of a legacy suspected to have come from there… but with my technology, I couldn’t decipher its mysteries."

He barely turned his head toward the distance. Night had already fallen, and he could no longer even distinguish the direction from which he had come.

"But when I learned that there was another ‘Druid’ in this world who had already displayed miraculous spells, I regained my confidence!"

Even in the darkness, Oaks could clearly see the regret on Garrett’s face.

"So I secretly contacted the elders of New Druidism whom I had met while investigating Avalon in my youth, and quietly arranged for those young people to seek you out at the Benevolence Society—

"I knew… my nephew was in contact with some of those young people. He would definitely be interested in this matter!"

"So naturally, you waited for the Benevolence Society to contact you—

"And because Dane was willing to stay with the Benevolence Society, you ended up receiving a call from me personally. You knew that your status as a top genetics professor would definitely catch my attention!"

Oaks snorted. At last, he understood the reason behind this strange affair.

"Then you could naturally invite someone like me, with whom you had no real relationship, to meet in person…

"And after several exchanges, you used certain approaches from our discussions—approaches completely different from a scientific perspective—to uncover the secrets of Druust magic and create those Constructs!"

"Druust? What is that?"

Garrett confirmed Oaks’s judgment, but confusion flashed through his eyes.

"What I found should have been fragmented remnants of the Ancient Druid Priests’ legacy…"

"That was a fallen Druidic Path, a blasphemous product born from war."

Oaks glanced in the direction of the abbey and gave a soft snort.

"If it hadn’t been for those fallen Druid Priests, if Avalon had retained its original Druidic legacy, perhaps Arthur really could have survived."

"You really have been to Avalon… cough, cough, cough!"

Although his dream had already been shattered, Garrett could not help growing agitated. He coughed violently several times, then struggled to let out a low laugh.

"So the strange energy fluctuations at the abbey really were the signal that Avalon’s entrance had opened!"

"You detected the opening of a Space Passage?"

Oaks was somewhat surprised.

"In other words, you were certain that the abbey was Avalon’s entrance, but you simply couldn’t find the Space Passage?"

"That’s right…"

Garrett no longer cared what Oaks thought of him. This had been his goal for more than half his life. Even if he could not enter before he died, having a definite answer was enough to bring him comfort.

"Although the world believes it is merely a legend, my investigation showed that it truly was the most likely location…

"Moreover, Garrett Castle, passed down from my ancestor Sir Percy, was not far from there. I had always monitored the energy fluctuations around the abbey from there!"

"A few years ago, a faint fluctuation appeared there, vanishing in an instant—

"And not long after that, you appeared on the New York battlefield and displayed astonishing Druid Magic…

"So I was certain that you had some connection to Avalon!"

"Not a bad deduction."

Oaks almost wanted to applaud. The first fluctuation should have been caused when Havier guided his soul to Stonehenge.

And just now, Garrett had detected the second fluctuation and brought his latest research results to ambush him!

"So you thought that pile of stitched-together monsters could defeat me and force me to reveal how to open Avalon?"

Oaks looked at Garrett, whose body had stiffened again, and sneered.

"You really underestimated me—I’ve killed who knows how many authentic Druust Constructs in there!

"And once those things driven by Death Qi spread, did you ever consider how much destruction they would cause?"

"By the time I truly discovered that those Constructs had gone out of control, it was already too late…"

Garrett glanced at Pegasus, which was still obediently lying on the ground, and let out a deep sigh.

"Fortunately, you destroyed them… Dr. Oaks, I’m sorry. I… probably won’t have the chance to atone."

His hollow gaze turned toward the sky. Oaks had originally only intended to heal him enough to let him finish his last words before dying.

For scheming against Oaks himself, betrayal, a despicable ambush, and attempting to lay hands on a legacy…

Any one of those gave Oaks reason to erase him from the world completely!

But now, there was one more matter.

"So, do you want to die as the Black Knight, or as Dr. Nathan Garrett?"

Although Oaks admired his accomplishments in genetics, someone like this was not suited to joining his team.

"I…"

Garrett’s eyes brightened again, but they were filled with intense unwillingness.

"I have disgraced my family’s great name… No, I must atone. I must restore my family’s glory!"

He struggled to look at Oaks, his dimming eyes filled with pleading.

"Dane! Dr. Oaks, my nephew Dane—I want to pass my knowledge and the family inheritance on to him…

"Perhaps he can inherit the Ebony Sword!

"Please, give me a little more time. I… I cannot let my family’s legacy die out. I cannot do nothing and meet my ancestors like this!"

"…"

Oaks was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh. He rubbed his fingers together, and a ball of green light entered Garrett’s body, slightly revitalizing his spirit.

"Thank you…"

Garrett trembled as he barely sat up, then patted Pegasus’s body.

"Aragorn, carry me for one last journey… Once we return to the castle, you will belong to Dane!"

Pegasus gave a neigh and allowed Garrett to climb onto its back with difficulty. Only then did it rise to its feet and lower its head toward Oaks.

"Go."

Oaks had no reason to make things difficult for a loyal mount. He took out his phone and called Dane.

"Dane? Go to your uncle’s castle now… Yes, it’s complicated. He wants to arrange his final affairs with you."

"What?!"

At the Benevolence Society’s Europe Branch, Dane was eating takeout when his eyes widened and he abruptly stood up.

"My uncle is in trouble?! But chairman…"

"I can’t save him."

It was the first time Dane had heard Oaks’s voice sound so cold.

"Because he tried to attack me and coveted my abilities."

"…"

Dane’s legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed back into his chair.

After a long while, he suddenly snapped awake.

"Yes, chairman… I… I’ll go right away!"

After hanging up, Dane fiercely grabbed a handful of his hair, then weakly swung his fist.

Though his relationship with his uncle had not been good, Garrett was still his only relative.

And President Oaks had shown him immense kindness, even arranging for him to manage the entire Europe Branch!

His uncle had set his sights on President Oaks’s abilities and tried to seize them?!

Why had something so absurd happened!

He did not doubt that Oaks was deceiving him.

Because his uncle wanted to leave him last words, which meant the chairman was sustaining his uncle’s life!

If the chairman intended to lie, he would not have killed his uncle at that moment and then called him!

The Benevolence Society colleagues would arrive tomorrow morning. Dane locked the door, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for his uncle’s Garrett Castle.

He understood that Oaks and his uncle Garrett had previously gotten along rather well. His uncle had even invited him to the castle tomorrow morning…

In other words, whatever President Oaks had gone out to do tonight had caught his uncle’s attention and made him decide to strike early?

"Ah…"

Dane let out a bitter sigh.

Perhaps President Oaks was the only person who could save his uncle, but now…

"Latest reports: Glastonbury Abbey has suffered a terrorist attack. Fortunately, the Avenger Druid, who was knighted by the Queen earlier today, arrived in time and defeated the terrifying monsters.

"Here is the detailed report…"

The news from the car radio startled both the driver and Dane.

As the driver marveled at Oaks’s power and cursed the mastermind behind the attack, Dane…

"Uncle really brought this on himself…"

By the time Dane, his mind a complete mess, stood before Garrett Castle, nearly three hours had passed.

He hesitated for a while before finally opening the door and walking inside.

He had lived here as a child, so it was not unfamiliar to him. But for one thing, he had not come here or met Uncle Garrett in person for more than ten years.

And for another…

"Damn it!"

He fiercely swung his fist.

A man so full of justice naturally understood that his uncle had brought this upon himself.

But Oaks could save him with just a wave of his hand!

"Come up."

Oaks appeared by the railing on the second floor. Looking at Dane’s complicated expression, he shook his head slightly.

"I’m sorry, Dane. He crossed my bottom line."

"Yes… I understand, chairman…"

Dane shook his head bitterly and hurried to the second floor.

When he entered the room, the first thing he saw was his uncle lying in a chair in full armor!

Though they had not met in over ten years, he could still recognize him.

"Uncle! What happened to you…?"

Dane, already distraught over the news, stared in shock at his uncle’s armored, dying form—

The news report had not mentioned anything like this!

"Dane, my nephew…"

Garrett barely opened his eyes. Upon seeing Dane’s shocked expression, a trace of joy finally appeared on his face.

"You finally agreed to see me… I’m sorry, but do not resent Dr. Oaks. I brought all of this upon myself…

"And now, I need your help… to atone…"

"Go on."

Oaks patted Dane’s shoulder, turned, walked out of the room, and closed the door.

His feelings were complicated as well.

He had not expected that this young man he intended to put to great use also had such an extraordinary family background.