Chapter 975: The Final Chapter (Part 1)

“Ah...”

Just as Li Ang seized Andrei Prince’s stunned soul, preparing to send it to the Gate of the Dead, a sigh of regret suddenly rose from deep within Andrei Prince’s soul.

“I knew it—never fully trusting you was right.”

“?!?!?”

Hearing that familiar sigh, Andrei Prince’s pupils shrank sharply, then he cried out in shock and fury:

“White Snake? You’ve tampered with my soul... uh...”

“It wasn’t me who tampered with your soul—it was the entire Kill-King Society that placed safeguards on the world fragment you were given.”

The voice called White Snake sighed:

“Black Owl, your abilities and wisdom aren’t lacking, but your mind is still too immature—and since you’re one of the royal houses targeted, how could the Society ever fully trust you?”

So the Kill-King Society had a backup plan on him after all.

After listening to the brief exchange between White Snake and Andrei Prince, Li Ang’s eyes narrowed as he saw strange serpent-scale patterns emerging on the outer layer of Andrei Prince’s soul.

When the Scorpio Director was ambushed, the Kill-King Society had found a way to bypass the Watch Palace, sent down power, and forcibly sealed his soul—causing the Scorpio Director to surrender instantly.

Where there’s one, there’s two; once things slip beyond control, the Kill-King Society’s likelihood of intervening again is naturally very high.

“Li Ang Lyne.”

Silver serpent scales speckled with star-dust spread rapidly, soon climbing up Andrei Prince’s face, covering nearly half of it; the half-scaled Andrei now spoke in White Snake’s voice, his expression wistful:

“Though Black Owl himself had many flaws, even after the Scorpio Director was eliminated, you still managed to seize the chance and turn the tide—apparently, we underestimated you in the past.”

“So what?”

Li Ang, gripping Andrei Prince’s soul tightly in both hands, with the faint shadow of a three-headed dog god rising behind him, narrowed his eyes and replied:

“Andrei’s soul is already in my hands—I can send it to the Gate of the Dead anytime. What do you plan to use to stop me?”

“You misunderstand—I have no intention of rescuing Black Owl.”

Upon hearing Li Ang’s words, “Andrei Prince” shook his head, his expression calm:

“To us, he is no different from your Cleanup Bureau’s Aquarius Director—he was always an outsider, never truly aligned with us. I have no reason to save him.”

“All I need to do now is enforce the covenant he and Snow Owl signed upon joining the Kill-King Society: ensure no royal bloodline escapes the Krook Kingdom alive.”

Covenant?

Li Ang froze slightly, then suddenly remembered something and whirled around.

As expected, the emerald-eyed girl—who had been silent for a long time—was trembling as she half-crouched on the ground; her arms were now covered in black raven feathers, and where her mouth should have been, a glossy black beak had bulged outward.

“Covenant One: As long as the Krook Kingdom endures, never leave the kingdom. Violators shall perish in body and soul.”

As “Andrei Prince” recited, both siblings’ foreheads split open simultaneously; a drop of golden-red blood rolled out from the fissures.

“Covenant Two: Never bear royal offspring; the bloodline shall end hereafter. Violators shall perish in body and soul.”

As “Andrei Prince” raised his second finger, a second fine crack split their foreheads, squeezing out another pale pink blood droplet.

“Covenant Three: No Krook royal shall be captured by the Cleanup Bureau and removed from the Krook Kingdom. Violators shall perish in body and soul.”

As the third crack appeared on their foreheads and a deep gray blood droplet floated upward, “Andrei Prince” raised three fingers, his expression calm:

“Both of you, according to my judgment, the time has come to trigger Covenant Three.”

“No!”

Amid White Snake’s calm announcement, Andrei Prince’s soul churned violently, then reclaimed control of half his face; he roared:

“No one has been taken out of the Krook Kingdom! I haven’t broken the covenant! It’s you who broke it!”

“But this event is now inevitable.”

The other half of “Andrei Prince” said calmly:

“You’ve always misunderstood one thing: the condition for triggering the covenant isn’t that something ‘has’ happened—it’s that it ‘is about to’ happen. At that moment, we already have the right to enforce the covenant.”

“Moreover, if you insist on calling it a breach, then you were the first to break it. After obtaining the world fragment, you embedded the majority of your soul into the painting fused with the world fragment.”

“You retained only your consciousness, your body, and a tiny portion of your soul within the Krook Kingdom’s normal range, hoping to escape the covenant you yourself swore—this is already betrayal.”

“No! You’re—”

“We’ve been fair. We’ve always honored our agreement. Even though you broke it first, we didn’t punish you immediately. No matter how you look at it, you’re the one who wronged us.”

After speaking these words, “Andrei Prince” looked up at Li Ang, whose brow was furrowed, and announced calmly:

“I’ve done what I needed to do. All messages have been delivered. Goodbye. You may send his soul into the Death Realm.”

“...”

Send it into the Death Realm... is that even necessary anymore?

Looking at the two siblings’ souls—though they struggled to hold together—gradually crumbling after White Snake’s departure, Li Ang closed his eyes and sighed deeply inside.

At Andrei’s current rate of soul decay, he’d disintegrate long before reaching the Mirror Lake of Burial Garments; he’d never make it to the City of Regret. And Filia’s soul was far weaker—she’d vanish completely within two or three hours.

So after all this effort, the mission still failed...

“No! It shouldn’t be like this!”

The White Snake markings on his body faded slightly; Andrei Prince’s will regained dominance. He gritted his teeth, tears in his eyes, filled with bitter resentment:

“I had everything ready. I... I was even going to apologize... Why? Why is this happening?”

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.”

Li Ang sighed, lifting the trembling Filia—her entire body covered in raven feathers—and placing her beside him. He looked down at the two siblings lying side by side:

“Life is like this—regret runs through it from beginning to end. If you don’t do something when you have the chance, you’ll never get another.”

“Andrei, given the state of your soul, you can no longer reach the City of Regret to apologize to your family. But you still have one final chance—say something to your sister.”