The Painful Betrayal

At the sound of laughter, Arthur's expression instantly hardened. With difficulty, he lifted his head toward Sylvia.

"Holy Messenger Sylvia… What do you mean?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

For some reason, a sense of foreboding crept into his heart.

Sylvia's gentle smile twisted ever so slightly, turning almost sinister. Her green eyes gleamed with unconcealed mockery.

"The holy water you just drank contains a potent poison," she said coldly. "It will slowly destroy your magic circuits, and in the end, you will die."

Her words struck him like a falling meteor. His already pale face turned even paler, disbelief etched across his handsome features.

"The holy water… has poison? H-How is that possible?" He stammered in horror.

But in an instant, his confusion morphed into fury.

His blue eyes burned red with rage as he glared at Sylvia. "You planned this… didn't you? Why!? I brought victory to humanity against the dragon race!"

He turned his gaze to Julius and Lucas, who stood silently with calm, indifferent expressions. They remained silent, but Arthur knew—they had to be in collusion with Sylvia.

"Because of your achievements, you must be eliminated," Sylvia said lightly.

"What?" Arthur's eyes widened in shock.

Before he could respond, Sylvia continued.

"Arthur Crown, you are the most talented mage we have ever seen. Your brilliance surpasses even the greatest mages across countless eras. You are the embodiment of genius—no, even 'genius' fails to capture your greatness. To put it bluntly, you are a monster."

Her gaze was cold, devoid of the gentleness she once showed.

"Achieving the Sage level at twenty… then reaching the Sovereign Lord realm at twenty-three? Are you kidding me? Someone like you should not exist! You are an anomaly, and we cannot allow you to remain."

"What if you become a threat to humanity one day? To prevent that, we've decided to eliminate you—for good. This way, the world won't be doomed by your existence."

Julius, who had remained silent, gave a small nod before speaking. "What Sylvia said is true, Arthur Crown. But I hope you don't blame us. We simply did what had to be done. If you must blame someone, blame your own overwhelming talent."

"Yes, Arthur Crown, I hope you can understand our position," Lucas added indifferently.

At their words, Arthur gritted his teeth in anger. Sylvia's excuse was utterly absurd and far-fetched.

He had never intended to harm humanity or the world. His only goal was to reach the pinnacle of magic and protect humanity from the thousand-year war against the dragon race. And yet, instead of being honored, he was considered a threat.

Julius and Lucas were even more repulsive.

They poisoned him, then had the audacity to ask him not to hold a grudge?

For the first time, Arthur felt a hatred so deep it made his blood boil. A disgust so intense it was almost unbearable. And it was all directed at those he had once respected.

Anger, sorrow, and disappointment twisted within him, sharp as thorns piercing his heart.

He never would have imagined that the Three Holy Messengers—the very leaders of the Holy See—were this cunning, this cruel.

Had he known sooner, he would have killed them long ago.

But as the old saying goes, "Regret always comes too late. If it comes early, it's called registration."

With his hands tightly clenched, he fixed his gaze on them and said, "If this is what you want, don't expect to leave here alive!"

The expressions of the three of them shifted instantly at his words.

"Not good!" Sylvia reacted quickly, but it was too late.

Boom!

A powerful aura erupted from Arthur's body, ruthlessly overwhelming the three of them.

With great effort, he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the searing pain that tore through his organs.

His blue eyes reddened, and his killing intent, terrifying in its intensity, made the throne hall tremble.

"Never underestimate a Sovereign Lord Mage!" he said coldly.

Buzz!

A golden crown suddenly materialized above his head, radiating blinding light. Its presence intensified the pressure already weighing on the three of them.

"Damn it! How can he still wield his power!?" Julius asked Sylvia, his voice filled with panic.

The pressure Arthur emitted was overwhelming. Even Julius, the archmage, felt like a mere insect in comparison.

Sylvia didn't respond, her face contorted with confusion. She couldn't understand how Arthur was still able to use the Sovereign Lord power, despite the poison ravaging his body.

It didn't make sense!

"Sylvia, find a way to get us out of here! If we let him attack, we'll all die!" Lucas shouted in fear.

Arthur sneered coldly at their cowardice. It was hard for him to believe that the Three Holy Messengers, whom he had once respected, were nothing more than cowards.

He couldn't shake the thought that, if the Holy See were ever under heavy attack and the situation turned dire, these three would be the first to surrender.

With a mocking glint in his eyes, Arthur pointed his index finger at them, his blue eyes flashing with a brilliant golden light.

"World Magic: Destroyer..."

Badump!

Before he could finish the incantation, his heart raced wildly. Blood seeped from the corner of his lips, and excruciating pain ripped through every cell and nerve in his body.

Puff!

He suddenly coughed up blood, and moments later, his body collapsed to the floor, his consciousness slipping away.

At the same time, the crushing pressure he had exerted vanished, as did the golden crown above his head.

With the terrifying pressure gone, Sylvia, Lucas, and Julius finally exhaled in relief.

They slowly rose to their feet, eyes fixed on Arthur, now unconscious and sprawled on the floor.

"The poison should have taken effect by now. He'll be dead within a day or two," Sylvia said coldly. "The priority now is to get his body as far from the Holy See as possible and ensure no one finds him."

Julius and Lucas nodded in agreement, but a curious look appeared on Lucas' face as he asked, "By the way, what poison did you use on Arthur Crown?"

It was worth noting that Arthur was the only person to ever reach the level of a Sovereign Lord Mage. His body should have been incredibly resilient, immune to any poison in this world.

Yet, in just minutes, he had lost both consciousness and strength, which meant the poison was far more terrifying than they had anticipated.

Julius, equally intrigued, turned to Sylvia, his gaze filled with curiosity.

But Sylvia had no intention of sharing. She simply smiled faintly, a mysterious glint in her green eyes.

"It's a secret…"