Ch. 1721..1730
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1721
Has Kurt Woken Up
It was indeed Sebastian's plan.
At present, the most straightforward way to locate Eddie's son was to go through the Heard family.
Although he could not be bothered about that unscrupulous scum, allowing him to buzz around like an annoying fly was not the most ideal decision.
Meanwhile, Matteo and Ian managed to besiege the whole casino within an hour. The two brothers complemented each other very well, with one giving strategic commands while the other went on a killing spree.
They carried out their plans swiftly and effectively.
After a tough fight, they stood in the middle of the casino, amidst the enormous number of confiscated weapons. The brothers loomed over the man-in-charge, who had been pinned against the floor by the men from SteelFort.
“I heard that you guys launched multiple attacks, but they were all in vain?”
Matteo was the frisky one of the two siblings.
Seeing that everything had come to an end, he picked an apple up and took a bite as he played with a submachine gun using another hand.
That man raised his head abruptly.
Yes, we've never succeeded in taking down this place. So, who are these two little b*stards? How dare they ravage the casino as bold as brass and wipe everyone out? What gives? They don't know who owns this place, do they?
“Yes! So, have you realized what a big mistake you've made?” That man continued to act insolently.
“Mistake?”
Matteo took another bite of the apple and turned to his brother, only to realize that the composed Ian was staring back at them disdainfully.
The latter sat down with his legs crossed, exuding an imposing aura, looking identical to their father.
Haha...
Matteo withdrew his gaze and crouched. He had an urge to play a game.
“How big is my mistake? Why don't you tell me?”
“Hmph! Let me tell you, no one would have the guts to come cause a scene in this area. Do you know who owns the place?”
“Oh, who?” Matteo took another bite on the juicy apple.
“He carries the last name Heard, one of the two former royal families in the White House. He's also the father-in-law of the president back then. Do you know who he is now?” the man-in-charge exclaimed proudly.
One of the royal families? Does it mean that the other family is the Jadesons? What's wrong with Daddy and Great-grandpa? Why must they always make us keep a low profile? See, nobody even knows or recognizes us. Hey, we're members of the royal family too!
Matteo was feeling slightly aggrieved.
Ian watched on; his face devoid of expression.
“Lo and behold, it's really the Heard family. Thus, Daddy's prediction is absolutely correct. Matteo, don't deliberate into small talks. Ask him if he knows where Elizabeth is,” Ian urged his brother to cut to the chase, considering that it was getting late.
Subsequently, Matteo chucked the apple away and aimed the submachine gun at the man's head.
“Spit it out! Where is your boss?”
“You... You two...”
“Oh, by the way, I forgot to say that my sibling and I are really not afraid of getting into trouble. This is because we are the heirs of one of the two royal families that you mentioned, the Jadesons!”
As he was speaking to that man, he slowly placed his finger on the trigger.
Had it not been for the weapon in Matteo's arm, many might have thought that he was just joking due to his crescent-shaped eyes and bright smile.
Anyhow, his blood-stained hands reminded the man that Matteo's murderous intent was indeed brewing strongly within him.
He's a Jadeson? Both of them?
At that thought, the man's face turned ghastly. Panic-stricken, he stared at the young fellow with a gun pointing at his head. Instantly, his arrogant attitude left him.
“You... You guys...”
“Spill!” Mateo was getting rather impatient.
The man was so terrified that he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
“Our... our boss left the country a few days ago.”
“She's out of the country?”
Ian's expression changed.
“Where did she go?”
“I'm really... not sure. She made the decision abruptly. Please, Mr. Jadeson... I'm only a small fry. Boss won't tell me anything else.”
Now that the two boys had gained the upper hand, the man could only kowtow to them instead of fighting back.
Darn it! So close yet so far.
Anger was written all over Matteo's face.
On the other hand, Ian asked his assistant for his laptop and started clicking away.
Surprisingly, he managed to find news about the Heard family online and discovered that they had departed for Yartran.
This is not good.
Both the brothers' expressions changed drastically.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1722
He Is Conscious
Back at Oceanic Estate.
When Sebastian was about to call it a night, he received a text from his sons and frowned as he read the message.
“What's wrong?”
Sasha had already tucked herself in bed when she saw him remain rooted on the spot.
Everyone's hearts were in their mouths that night, worrying about the two boys.
Though they would soon be two fine adults, it was natural for their parents to feel anxious on the very first day they were to carry out a mission on their own.
As soon as Sebastian got an update, Sasha immediately sat upright.
A mixture of wonder and trepidation filled her mind when she saw him furrowing his brows.
“Elizabeth is in Yartran.”
“Huh?” Sasha was shocked.
“She's in Yartran? Why does she travel there? Could it be to kill Jason's...” Breaking out in a cold sweat, she was not able to finish her sentence.
Instantly, Sebastian's expression turned grim.
Why is that woman in Yartran? Nothing good will come out of this for her to travel there at this juncture.
He called Karl and instructed the latter to bring his men and rush over at once to protect the king.
Unbeknownst to the couple, while they were sending their men to Yartran, something mysterious took place in Kurt's ward.
A clat of worms appeared from nowhere and flew into his ward through the window.
Within ten minutes, a strange gulping sound was heard coming from Kurt's throat. Lying on the bed, he needed at least another six months to be awakened.
“Ahhh!”
To everyone's disbelief, Kurt unexpectedly opened his eyes and sat as straight as a rod.
The men from SteelFort who had been guarding the ward were utterly thunderstruck. They stared at the bizarre scene for a while.
Five seconds later, Kurt fell to the bed again and started coughing severely.
“Doctor! Doctor...” the guards cried upon snapping back into their senses.
Moments later, the doctor dashed to the ward, and found an unconscious Kurt.
After running a battery of tests on the patient, the doctor discovered that the dying organs in Kurt's body had regained almost fifty percent of their function.
In addition, the doctor also heard a strong and steady heartbeat.
This is surreal! Am I hallucinating?
The doctor was so stunned that he dropped his stethoscope on the floor.
One hour later, Grayson arrived at the hospital alongside several renowned specialists for internal medicine.
Upon hearing the strange case, all of them channeled their focus to analyze it thoroughly.
At four in the morning, they received another astonishing news. The result of Kurt's sectioned cells came back, reporting a rebirth that was close to perfection.
Rebirth was the only possible word to explain his condition because when Kurt was first admitted to the hospital, the medical officers concluded his case with a laconic reply, “waiting for a rebirth”.
It was a rather vague yet trendy way to describe his state from a medical standpoint. The elderly specialists would not have spelled it out this way if they had not witnessed how his vitals were deteriorating to where his life was at stake.
The whole dramatic change was like a withered tree dying away, only to be seen sprouting anew and eventually given a new life to grow healthy again.
But this process of growth seems too fast. It has only been an hour, and his recovery has expedited exponentially! How could anyone not find this morbid or scary?
Grayson stepped foot into Kurt's ward to personally check on the latter's condition.
To his surprise, before he could stretch his hands to examine Kurt, the patient had already opened his eyes. In that glaring room, Grayson could clearly see that a pair of eyes were staring at him intently, sending a shiver down his spine.
“Kurt... Kurt, are you awake?”
The men from SteelFort were present too. Seeing the miraculous scene, they called out to him in excitement, but received no response.
Grayson was rendered speechless.
The young man on the bed scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. Then he got up from the bed and sat upright.
Suddenly, a sharp pang was felt in his chest. He curled his body up while clasping his chest with both hands. His entire body trembled violently.
This is so weird. What on earth is going on?
Even Grayson was scratching his head, puzzled at the turn of events.
Someone had contacted Sebastian earlier, and the towering man stormed into the ward shortly after.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1723
A Curse
“Mr. Hayes, you're finally here. Kurt...”
A long silence ensued.
After entering the ward, Sebastian's hawk eye had never left Kurt.
This is definitely abnormal. No matter how incredible a human body is, its metabolism rate and ability to regrow new cells can never achieve full recovery within an hour. It's a long process which needs at least six months.
Sebastian's gaze was fixated on him.
He could tell that Kurt also sensed danger in the air from the moment he entered the ward.
Suddenly, the patient lifted his head, revealing a pale face which was covered with cold sweat. His eyes looked very ferocious, like a beast ready to devour its prey.
A beast?
A foreboding feeling crept into Sebastian's heart.
Hiss!
Just as he had suspected, two seconds later, Kurt leaped from his bed and pounced on Sebastian. His swift action left the SteelFort members gaping.
“Are you out of your mind, Kurt? How dare you lay a finger on Mr. Hayes?”
Upon realizing what had happened, they strode forward and blocked him.
At that moment, Kurt had turned into a monster. Seeing that the others were trying to hold him back, he quickly changed his move and struck the elites from SteelFort instead.
Thump!
In a split second, his one move sent them flying.
Easily bested by Kurt, they knew he had now become second to Karl in his combat prowess.
In fact, Karl was not his match at times.
Sebastian's expression darkened. He took a step back and instructed two doctors to prepare to sedate Kurt. Then, he tossed a dumbfounded Grayson out of the ward.
Thereafter, Kurt defeated another man from SteelFort.
Soon, Sebastian became the last man standing in the room.
“Mr. Hayes...”
Ignoring his subordinate's warning, he stood rooted to the ground and watched Kurt close in on him.
“Are you sure you want to kill me? What's in it for you if I die? Are you doing it for the adrenaline only? Or you're releasing your anger and hatred. I guess it's the latter, right?”
He did it in a very casual way as if he was just chit-chatting with Kurt.
Stopped in his tracks, the patient glared at Sebastian.
His bloodshot eyes hinted at how much resentment he had in him. They strongly felt his malicious intention to tear the man in front of him into a million pieces.
But why is that so? There's no rivalry between us. Where does his hatred come from? It turned him into a totally different person, ready to release his wrath? What is actually going on?
Sebastian sank into deep thought.
Meanwhile, the nurse had gotten a dose of sedative ready outside the ward.
An individual appeared behind the nurse and loaded it into a tranquilizer gun.
Pftt!
A soft sound was heard when he shot at the enraged Kurt.
In just a moment, they saw Kurt wobbling, and he finally collapsed to the ground.
“Oh my heart, what sorcery is this? There's actually something more effective than what I've invented? I do want to take a look at this stuff.”
Xayden snatched the tranquilizer gun away as he cussed and exited the ward.
Sebastian and the other members from Steelfort just let him be.
When everything settled down, it was already dawn.
Upon researching, Xayden came up with a conclusion.
“It's a type of worm that caused him to be like this. I can't brain this mystifying phenomenon.”
Fine, you might as well say nothing. Makes no difference anyway.
Regardless, his words gave Sebastian a direction to investigate into.
On the hand, Vivian also rushed to the hospital with Nina in the morning after she heard the news.
“Daddy, how... how is he?”
“He's fine. Don't worry too much.”
Sebastian did not want her to overthink things, hence he gave her a superficial response.
However, Nina could sense something was amiss even though he kept a tight lip about it.
She looked through the glass panel and noticed three prominent black lines at the back of her brother's ears. Instantly, she trembled with fear and started crying uncontrollably.
“Nina?”
Sebastian realized that something was wrong.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Nina turned around and gazed at him with her tear-streaked face.
“Is my brother dying?”
“What are you talking about?” Sebastian's face fell.
If a random person in the hospital had mentioned anything to him about Kurt's life and death, he would never listen to any of it, let alone take it with a pinch of salt.
However, the person speaking to him right now came from the same place as Kurt. In fact, she was his blood kin. With Nina asking such a terrifying question, Sebastian could no longer be at ease. He looked her in the eyes solemnly.
“What makes you say that?”
“My brother has been cursed, hasn't he? The witch said before that those who have been cursed will not live for long. It was the same to those who died in Black Marsh,” she said while bawling her eyes out.
She pointed two fingers are her unconscious brother.
Sebastian said nothing further.
In the end, he had also discovered the massive secret hidden behind Kurt's ears.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1724
The Truth
He's cursed?
A worldly-wise Sebastian had been through a lot and would never believe in anything unexplainable scientifically.
To him, Elysium's worm still made sense for him, as it was explainable as a type of living thing manipulating human nerves and brain. But how's it possible that he's cursed? It's preposterous indeed!
Subsequently, he seemed to have fallen into a trance for ages.
“Mr. Hayes?” Karl called out to him, breaking his reverie.
“Head for Elysium now to bring me Roppell and the witch doctor as mentioned by her. There's something I need to ask them,” he suddenly instructed sternly.
Astounded, Karl raised his head to look at him as he asked tactfully, “Mr. Hayes, do you think... or perhaps, you suspect that Elysium has something to do with it?”
“Yeah!” Sebastian nodded solemnly.
A quick-witted Karl had a grasp of the situation and set off for Yorksland right away.
Meanwhile, most of the visitors at the hospital had gradually left. Nonetheless, Vivian refused to leave, insisting on waiting outside the ward in anticipation.
On the brink of tears, she pleaded with Sebastian piteously, “Daddy, please let me stay here. I'm sure he'll be able to recognize me after he regains consciousness later. I can assure you he won't go berserk again!”
No words could describe how tickled pink she was when she knew Kurt had regained consciousness while she was still in Oceanic Estate.
She presumed it would take him quite a long time before coming to his senses. Thus, she was prepared to drop out of the school in Yartran temporarily to be by his side, waiting eagerly for him to regain consciousness. It never crossed her mind that he would suddenly come to his senses.
Sebastian eventually relented and permitted Vivian to stay in the hospital.
Nonetheless, she was only allowed to stay outside the ward. On top of that, there were two elite members of SteelFort standing guard to keep an eye on everything. Undeniably, Kurt was highly dangerous at the moment.
Standing in front of the glass window of the ward, Vivian kept her eyes glued to the young man lying in bed.
After what seemed like an eternity, the sun had risen high up in the sky. When the sunlight cascaded through the window left ajar into the ward, she eventually noticed the eyelashes of his tightly shut eyes start to flutter slightly.
“Kurt!” Vivian yelled out at him excitedly; her heart leaped with joy.
He's awake! Ah! They weren't lying to me when trying to reassure me that he would wake up sooner or later! Fastening her gaze to Kurt, Vivian was over the moon.
The latter finally opened his eyes gradually. Perplexed, he threw a glance at the ceiling above him. It was as though his mind was a complete blank, and he was trying to recall what had transpired.
The morning sun was mesmerizing. It was like a layer of gilded veil illuminating the ward through the window, shrouding the young man lying on the bed with golden rays. The breathtaking view was beyond description.
Vivian did not shift her eyes away from him all the while. At the sight of the youth lying motionless like a statue, she yelled apprehensively, “Kurt!”
He finally turned in her direction as though he had heard her calling him.
Vivian was at a loss for words when she caught sight of the familiar pair of eyes.
Right that instant, her heart wrenched. Unable to stifle her inexplicit complex emotions, tears began trickling down her cheeks. Deep down, she kept calling his name. Kurt...
However, he seemed to be unperturbed by the hint of excitement amid sheer anticipation written all over her face.
Looking at her intently, there was a glint of hostility amid sheer frigidness in his beautiful eyes. At that very moment, his eyes resembled the supermassive black hole with exceptionally strong gravitational force, sending a chill down her spine.
Nonplussed, Vivian was utterly speechless. What's the matter with him? He can't recognize me again?
Her mind went completely blank as she stared at him. Snippets of how he could not remember her while they were in Elysium earlier flashed across her mind. In a split second, intense fear crashed into her heart like a series of never-ending waves.
Standing rooted to the ground, her face turned white as a sheet.
By the time Karl led Roppell from Elysium to see Sebastian, it was already in the evening.
Ever since the government of Yorksland had reclaimed Elysium, Roppell's crown was passed down to his eldest son.
At the moment, the elder was in a dishevelment after losing an arm. If the others did not know his exact identity, they would surely mistake him for an old beggar.
“Mr. Hayes, he's here.” Leading Roppell, Karl advanced toward Sebastian.
The latter turned with an intimidating frostiness in his aura.
In a blink of an eye, Roppell felt a shiver down his spine. He was about to drop to his knees in front of Sebastian as his legs gave way uncontrollably.
It never occurred to anyone that the former king of Elysium, who used to have his nose in the air, would end up in such a pathetic state.
At that moment, he could only kneel in front of Sebastian like a lowly small fry.
Devoid of expression, Sebastian looked at how the witch doctor alongside Roppell was just in time to grab hold of the latter. Only then did he gesture to the housemaid of Oceanic Estate to pour him tea.
“Don't worry. I don't intend to snatch your life. I assign my man to bring you here as I need to ask you something.” He cut the crap.
Petrified, Roppell stammered, “P-Please speak your mind.”
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1725
Strong Will
Shortly after, Sebastian signaled Karl alongside him to show Roppell a video clip and a picture. The video clip was taken earlier when Kurt went berserk in the hospital, and the picture revealed the three black lines behind his ear.
“Did you see that? By right, your son's supposed to take a long time before regaining consciousness. Unexpectedly, he was suddenly awake last night and seemed to have turned into a brutal annihilator. He charged at everyone relentlessly and was seemingly striking me with a fatal attack as if I were his mortal enemy. Thus, I wish to know what has gone wrong,” Sebastian queried solemnly.
“Huh?” The elder was thunderstruck.
Hunching over humbly, he took the picture from Karl and started paying attention to the video clip.
Meanwhile, Sebastian never shifted his gaze away from him.
As expected, Roppell did not really react to how Kurt lost his control in the video. Nevertheless, there was a drastic change in his countenance when he saw caught sight of the picture.
His pupils constricted; there was even a hint of unmissable irritation on his face as he fumed, “Da*n it! How could Yonas Morgan have the gut to put a curse on him!”
He turned to shoot the witch doctor alongside him a glare with an instant glint of surging fury in his eyes. Right that instant, it was as though he was still the ferocious king of Elysium with horrendous murderous intent.
Yonas Morgan? Ha! He doesn't seem to have a grasp of the situation. But why is he getting all fired up all of a sudden? Who is Yonas Morgan? Sebastian squinted his eyes as he gazed at Roppell quizzically.
Intimidated by Roppell's bellow of rage, the witch doctor refuted incoherently, “Huh? But I don't think Mr. Morgan is still able to do so. Isn't he being manipulated by that woman?”
“Then tell me what's wrong with him! Only a high priest is able to put such a curse on someone. I don't even know the way, let alone the others! Can you explain to me what happened to him?” Roppell unleashed his wrath on the witch doctor, glowering menacingly at him.
Sebastian suddenly had a clear insight into the situation. Hmm, evidently, he has nothing to do with Kurt's unfathomable condition. But why is he claiming that someone has put a curse on Kurt?
He could not help holding his breath as he waited patiently for the duo to get a clue. Unexpectedly, the witch doctor startled them with overwhelming words. “Your Majesty, usually there're only two black veins on the new hosts if the high priests put a curse on anyone. After all, they can never transfer all the worm eggs in their bodies into the new hosts'. In other words, they won't put themselves on the line just to put a curse on anyone.”
“Do you mean to say that the two black lines are actually worm eggs?” Sebastian piped up, querying him apprehensively.
The witch doctor nodded at once and added, “Yeah! In Elysium, high priests usually force those who have committed felonies to swallow their worm eggs discreetly before they are sent to Black Marsh. It's a way of putting a curse on them.”
At the same time, he handed Sebastian the ancient manual, which he had been holding all the time.
Ever since Elysium was reclaimed, they had slowly let go of worldly matters. The River of Styx, the Black Marsh, and even their former palace had become tourist spots.
Thus, the witch doctor did not see any need for him to continue keeping the ancient manual with him.
Sebastian took it from him and started flipping through it page by page. As time elapsed, the grimness on his face intensified, resembling a thunderstorm that would loom over them at any time.
Ha! My gut instinct is proven right! The so-called curse doesn't exist in this world! So it's all because of the worms! Sebastian read out from the page, “But worms are of the higher range as they are cultivated by the high priests themselves. The black veins are actually the worm eggs produced by the worms in their bodies. As a punishment, the high priests usually force the criminals to swallow the worm eggs. Subsequently, two black veins will appear on their bodies. When a third black vein appears on a criminal's body, it implies even the King Worm is in the new host's body. If that is the case, the high priest will be dead too.”
So the priest's dead? Karl standing alongside Sebastian scratched his head.
“What does it mean when it's mentioned that the high priest will be dead? Didn't that priest claimed to be manipulated meet his end on the alter?” he questioned the witch doctor.
The latter shook his head hastily. “That's not the case. If the high priest intends to transfer the King Worm in his body into someone's body, the new host must have the former's blood transfused into his body before. Furthermore, the King Worm can only be transferred into the new host's body if it is not repulsed by the condition of the latter's body.”
Karl was utterly speechless. What kind of theory is that?
Everyone was flabbergasted. Even Sebastian was rendered speechless.
“That's why none of the high priests in Elysium has done that before. Once the King Worms leave their bodies, they will be doomed. How will anyone do anything that will cost their lives?” Roppell broke the silence after cooling his head off.
The witch doctor nodded and echoed, “That's right!”
Nonetheless, Sebastian, who had been in silence, finally opened his mouth placidly. “Daphne is dead!”
“Huh? What did you say?” Roppell turned hastily to look in Sebastian's direction. “Daphne? Is she still alive?”
“She was alive earlier but is now dead. In actuality, she's the one bringing your son back this round. He actually thought of finishing her off right away when he spotted her in Yartran. However, she threatened him with his mother and younger sister's lives. In the end, your son had no choice but to go back to Elysium with her,” Karl explained on behalf of Sebastian.
His words rang out like a bolt out of the blue for Roppell and the witch doctor, catching them off guard. Daphne? So she's the one?
Dumbstruck, the witch doctor shuddered as he asked subconsciously, “So Daphne's the one putting a curse on Kurt?”
“How could Daphne be the one? She's dead! How's it possible for a dead person to put a curse on Kurt?” Karl raised his voice in exasperation.
Nevertheless, his heart thumped when Roppell turned pale and cast his eyes down.
“How's it possible for the high priests to meet their end easily? Even though Daphne is dead, the King Worm cultivated for a few hundred years in her body will not be easily eradicated. In fact, it will live on with her life force and transform into a bug. Next, it will proceed to track down the person according to her strong will when she was still alive, fulfilling her wish,” he uttered resignedly.
Everyone's jaws dropped. It's incredible!
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1726
Root Cause Of The Sickness
Anyone in the high-tech society nowadays would hardly believe that a bug had such ultimate power. Needless to say, it was relatively unacceptable for Sebastian.
Moments later, Xayden managed to make an analysis based on the blood extracted from Kurt's body. “It's actually a bacterial infection.”
“Bacteria?” Hearing that, everyone was stupefied.
He nodded while displaying the wriggling black microorganisms visible under the microscope lens to everyone.
“The worms of Elysium are actually a type of living thing that has already mutated. After staying dormant for a long period in the human body, they can indirectly cause the hosts' body fluids to be contagious. Based on my observation of Kurt's blood sample, he could have been infected by Daphne long ago.” Xayden pointed at some of the microorganisms that appeared to be tinier. Nonetheless, they were obviously the same as the black ones he showed them a while ago.
He's infected long ago? In an instant, Vivian recalled something and chimed in, ”Yeah! Kurt had first battled against Daphne at Jason's place. At that time, she summoned those snakes with her own blood. Somehow, Kurt managed to get rid of them with a Blood Arrow.”
“That's right. Daphne was able to summon the snakes with her blood as these microorganisms can lure them. On the other hand, Kurt was able to get rid of them because the venomous snakes are terrified of his blood infected by the dormant worm in his body,” Xayden explained analytically.
Unequivocally, nothing in the world was unexplainable by science. For instance, others tended to be fooled and petrified of the worm, treating them like the deities they had reverence. Once the truth was unearthed, it would automatically become something relatively ordinary for the high-tech society.
Roppell and the witch doctor were dumbstruck. On the contrary, Karl furrowed his brows and continued to voice his doubt. “If that's the case, how could such a large number of the bacteria from the worms in Daphne's body be found in Kurt's body instead? Not to mention, they'd even waken him up all of a sudden!”
“There are two explanations for this question. First, the microorganism could still be alive even after Daphne was dead. In fact, it's a normal condition in the hospital. That's why whenever any patients infected by deadly infectious diseases pass away, we have to play safe by getting rid of their bodies with a unique method,” Xayden explained.
“Is it possible for the microorganisms to travel all the way here for Kurt? Don't you know it's thousands of miles apart?” Karl snorted.
“What to doubt on that? Don't you realize how plaque spreads? We were not the only ones back from Elysium before this. Those from SteelFort were together with us too. Even Ms. Riley from the Coopers was with us at that time. Ah! She was back at the Cooper residence yesterday for a special occasion, wasn't she? Could it be she's back with the bacteria attached to her body?” Xayden analyzed further, sending them into a tizzy.
Astounded, everyone looked at each other in bafflement. Even so, when they came to their senses a while later, they had to admit that Xayden's words made sense. Isn't the plaque similar to the Ebola virus disease deemed one of the most horrifying infectious diseases in the world? If it starts to spread, won't it turn into a pandemic?
“Head for the Cooper residence now to check if there is anything awry about Riley Cooper,” Sebastian instructed one of his subordinates.
“Noted, Mr. Hayes,” he replied respectfully and headed for the Cooper residence without hesitation.
In the meantime, Karl continued to bombard Xayden with questions. “How about another possibility? What's that actually? Didn't you mention that Riley Cooper could be the carrier of the bacteria just now? If so, how's it possible that only Kurt is infected? How could the rest of us remain uninfected?”
Da*n it! This man seems to have endless questions! Xayden scowled at him impatiently as he snapped, “Have you ever been infected by this type of bacteria before? Don't you know they will target those who have been gnawed by them first?”
Karl was at a loss for words to refute him.
“There's still another possibility. This type of bacteria could have started increasing drastically in his body. Do you get it now? Aren't you stupid?” Xayden blurted out, startling everyone at present.
My goodness! How could he have the cheek to sound so blunt to our boss! The other two members of SteelFort could only turn their heads to the other side in embarrassment.
“Does it mean to say that he's infected? What will happen to him? Evidently, he's not his usual self now and can't even recognize anyone!” Paying no heed to Xayden's frustration, Sebastian cut to the chase. Irked by Xayden's words, there was an unmistakable hint of displeasure in his tone.
Intimidated by his imposing aura, Xayden exercised restraint and rose to advance toward the microscope. “Based on my observation of his sectioned cells, it seems these bacteria did not really bring any harm to Kurt. In fact, those of his cells that were still recuperating previously suddenly have a speedy recovery.”
Sebastian queried desperately, “So, do you mean to say that...”
“After all, the bacteria are still living organisms cultivated from the human body. I could only presume that Kurt's body is ideal as the cultivation base for this type of bacteria too. Didn't his mother give him the so-called King Worm when he was young?” Xayden cut him off as he scrutinized the sectioned cells with the microscope.
Before Sebastian could utter any words, Roppell, who had been standing in silence behind him for a long time, raised his head abruptly.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1727
Kurt Is Missing
“His mother? You mean Ruby?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Karl sneered at the old man. “Didn't you know? Your son almost died in the hospital. His mother dug out her nest from her body and gave it to him. That was how he survived!”
Roppell looked as if he had been slapped in the face. The veins in his neck bulged alarmingly.
This is the difference between a sacrifice of a mother compared to a father's. I can't even remember the extent of having my hands stained with their blood throughout my entire life. And what of the poor woman? She has given her life up for her son. What right do I have to ask?
Without another word, Roppell slinked away in embarrassment.
After he left, the men sent to the Cooper residence returned with news. Xayden informed Sebastian that Riley had indeed arrived home ill and that her visit to the hospital the night before was confirmed.
“Sounds like it's spreading.”
“It is, Mr. Hayes.”
Xayden heaved a sigh of relief after discovering the key to the matter.
“Then, what are we going to do about it?” Karl asked. “You say he is fine, but he doesn't remember us and he wants to kill Mr. Hayes. What's going on here?”
“What's with all the hurrying?” Xayden replied irritably. “Can't you see that I'm working on it?”
What happened to them over the past two years?
Sebastian did not sleep well the night before. Having put the matter to bed, he was looking forward to going home for some well-deserved rest.
Sebastian gazed at his daughter, who was standing outside the ward. “Come home with Daddy, Vivi.”
The girl shook her head unwillingly without taking her eyes off the inside of the ward.
In the end, Sebastian had no choice but to instruct the hospital to prepare the room next to Kurt's for Vivian. He assigned two of his men to guard her before leaving.
Bacterial infections?
Even after he arrived home, he still felt that something had not been sorted out.
Sebastian was awoken the following day in his bedroom in Oceanic Estate at the break of the day by an urgent ringing of his phone.
“Bad news, Mr. Hayes. Kurt escaped!”
Sebastian bolted upright from shock. “What did you say?”
Escaped? How?
“Didn't you watch him?” he demanded sternly, shocked and angry at the news.
His men on the other end of the line sounded very shaken.
“We couldn't do anything to stop him, Mr. Hayes. For some reason, he became much more powerful than he was before. Even Mr. Frost was knocked out by him. That's not the worst part, Mr. Hayes.”
“What?”
“Ms. Vivian followed him.”
Sebastian felt his whole world crashing down on him.
The silly girl actually followed Kurt!
After the young man woke up suddenly the night before, he had broken out of his ward and quickly subdued the two SteelFort members standing guard outside.
Panicking at the sight, Vivian immediately called Karl.
However, she had never expected Karl to fall by Kurt's hand almost as easily as the two men before him had.
Kurt's combat abilities had drastically improved like an aspiring Kungfu master on television upon regaining consciousness to the extent that even Karl was no match for him.
Fearing the possibility of him getting hurt in the altercation, Vivian rushed over without any regard for her own safety.
“Stop hitting them, Kurt,” she cried. “Don't you remember who you are? Remember me? Kurt?”
Vivian stood before him without fear of his snarling like a beast that had been thoroughly enraged.
However, something strange happened just then. Despite mercilessly knocking Karl and the bodyguards out, Kurt stopped moving when he charged forward in front of her to her surprise.
“Stand aside,” he muttered through gritted teeth, though he did not lay a finger on her.
Though Vivian burst into tears at the roughness of his voice, she stood her ground before him. To her immense relief, the young man did not lash out at her again.
Rather, he turned on his heel and left.
Where is he going?
I will follow him wherever he goes.
Vivian had a nasty shock when she finally realized that she had been led to a police station. It was in the dead of night when Kurt had already entered the building. In fact, he was already on the second floor without caring a da*n about anybody who might see him.
What the hell? Vivian was shocked to the core.
Gritting her teeth in resignation, she ran to the back of the compound and began building a crude flight of stairs with a few bricks to scale the wall.
Darn! Breaking into the police station in the middle of the night is the most terrifying thing I've ever done in my entire life!
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1728
Kurt Is Ill
Vivian jumped into the courtyard of the police station without making a noise.
Looking up, she saw a faint light coming from a room on the second floor. Swallowing her fears, she climbed up in Kurt's wake and found herself in the coroner's office.
A strong smell of formalin invaded Vivian's nostrils at her arrival. She was stunned to see the young man transfixed by a corpse that had undergone an autopsy.
“Isn't that Jason?”
Vivian's dark eyes widened as her tiny hands clapped to her mouth.
How did he know that Jason's body would be here?
Her pupils dilated in horror, and Vivian's head swam with more questions than answers since leaving the hospital.
However, Kurt barely moved a muscle as he stood over the body. After staring at it quietly for five minutes, he gently touched its stone-cold face.
Vivian was not sure if she had imagined detecting a trace of sadness in his gesture.
A little later, Kurt returned the corpse to its locker before emerging again.
“Kurt?” Vivian called tentatively. She did not hide from him. Instead, she craned her neck to look at him cautiously under the cold and dark night sky.
Instead of acknowledging her, Kurt merely stared into the pitch-black distance with a cold menace in his eyes.
Without warning, he jumped out of the window.
Vivian panicked. We're on the second floor! What about me?
After stomping her feet in silent frustration, she climbed down the building clumsily crawling out from the place he had disappeared through seconds earlier.
Vivian detected a sprinkle of white powder on the ground where she last saw him.
“It's a good thing I thought ahead,” she muttered with a triumphant smile. “I knew he wouldn't wait, so I tagged him with a handful of lime powder from the yard before I came up!”
Following the trail of white powder under the faint moonlight, she dashed off in the direction he went.
Vivian next caught sight of Kurt at a hotel in Jadeborough. It was one of the few places in the city where the lights were on at that hour. At that moment, screams of horror were coming from inside.
“Murderer! Murderer!”
Without hesitation and regard for her safety, Vivian ran in.
The young man who suddenly turned into a maniacal killer was wielding a sharp dagger in his hand. Completely ignoring the guests, he stabbed one of the hotel's waiters as soon as the latter emerged.
Vivian must have blanked out for a moment because the next thing she remembered was the noise of police sirens blaring outside the hotel. She looked up and found the dagger in Kurt's hand pointed at the only clerk left at the front desk.
“Did you enjoy committing murder?” he asked.
“You!” the clerk cried, color draining from her cheeks.
“None of you will make it out of here alive tonight. Just like how he didn't.”
Kurt drove the dagger into the clerk's chest until its point came out of her back.
It was done in the same fashion and even at the exact spot of the bullet that had penetrated Jason's bulletproof vest.
“How did you know where we are?” the clerk asked with a horrible gargling sound as her mouth filled up with blood.
A ghostly smile appeared on the corner of the boy's lips. Behind his ears, three black veins became conspicuous, resembling his pupils' blackness at that moment.
Vivian was rooted to the spot in fear.
“Kurt...”
By the time the police stormed into the building, the two had disappeared again.
Vivian spent the night traveling around the city, watching the rampage in Kurt's reckless wake like a fettered demon being unleashed at last.
Ultimately, she could not hold on anymore for fear of being targeted as his next victim.
Nevertheless, he did not turn his weapon on her.
After slaughtering the entire staff of a supermarket, he threw aside the dagger in his hand that was so slippery from all the blood that he could not even hold it.
The weapon fell to the ground with a discordant clang.
Vivian gazed at him numbly.
“I'm done,” he finally said. “Are you still going to watch me?”
She stood there for what seemed like an eternity watching the boy approach her, bringing the stench of iron and death along with him.
“You're not killing them at random, are you?”
“Random?”
“They're the bad guys, aren't they?” Vivian asked softly with tears in her eyes. “Who am I speaking to right now? Is it Kurt or Daphne?”
Kurt would never kill so many people at once.
Also, it was impossible for Kurt to recognize Lucy's henchmen or where they hid when even her father had not managed to unearth anything.
How did he know upon waking up?
Vivian stared at the young man intently.
The question she asked managed to draw his attention. Kurt slowly turned his cold and familiar eyes up at her with such fierce intensity that it felt as sharp as his dagger.
“Daphne? Who is Daphne? I only know that I should execute these people.”
There was a murderous glint in his eyes as he spoke.
Suddenly, Vivian remembered a biologist's report she had seen long ago. The report mentioned the possibility of some viruses having certain memory. Upon invasion of the human body, it would eventually take over its host if the infected victim's immune system could not expel it in time.
Kurt isn't himself. He's ill from the virus.
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1729
Not Letting Go
Vivian followed Kurt when he decided to move again.
Upon his arrival at the location of the tragedy, Sebastian was horrified to see the number of stretchers bearing the bodies being brought out by the police.
“We have confirmed that all of the deceased have the mark, Mr. Hayes.”
At his employer's approach, Karl immediately stopped the two police officers carrying the corpse and lifted the white cloth to reveal a small tattoo on the back of the corpse's neck.
Sebastian leaned in for a closer look.
It was the shape of a small blue flame. Hidden at the back of the neck, it would have been easy to miss.
“So, that's all of them?”
“Yes, sir,” Karl reported assertively. “One more thing. The marks only appear after they die.”
At the same time, he gestured for one of his men to bring over a stretcher that bore a woman who was on her dying breaths. Karl tore her collar off to reveal nothing behind her neck.
Sebastian was speechless with astonishment.
That old viper!
He finally understood how they had been able to remain hidden from his relentless search for so many years.
Sebastian found himself wondering how Kurt had accomplished that feat.
As he was still reeling in shock, another piece of news came.
“Kurt's whereabouts have been discovered, Mr. Hayes. He and Ms. Vivian boarded a plane to Yartran together.”
Sebastian froze in shock. “What did you say?”
Yartran was at that moment a place of high political volatility, with Elizabeth seeking refuge there and the king's rage upon learning that his son had died abroad.
Moreover, the twins are there right now.
Sebastian's expression grew graver than ever.
...
Meanwhile, Kurt had landed in Yartran with Vivian stubbornly by his side.
It had been a long plane ride for her as she had not slept a wink nor had a drop of water to drink, but she did not dare relax. Wherever the boy went, she would follow doggedly behind him.
Fortunately, Kurt did not drive Vivian away despite ignoring her.
Upon exiting the airport entrance, she saw him hail a cab. Gritting her teeth once more in consternation, she dashed over and seated herself in the passenger seat to the astonishment of both the driver and the passenger at the back.
After a few seconds of dead silence, Kurt decided to gloss over her appearance. “To Exerine Palace!” he instructed coldly.
Exerine Palace?
At the mention of their destination, Vivian could not contain another start of surprise as she remembered that it was where Adalyn had taken her to the prince's birthday party.
The Exerine Palace is commonly used to hold banquets. Why is he going there?
Despite her confusion, Vivian did not dare make a sound before she suddenly recalled a friend she had in the country. Immediately, she reached for her phone.
Vivian: “Sonia, do you know what's going on at Exerine Palace?”
Sonia: ”Huh?”
Sonia was pleasantly surprised to receive a message from her friend who she had not heard from in a long time.
She replied: “Hey, Vivi, it's been a while. As far as I know, there's nothing going on at Exerine Palace. Why do you ask? Are you in Yartran?”
Vivian sent a noncommittal reply before putting away her phone, her brow knitted from being deep in thought.
If there's nothing at Exerine Palace, why would Kurt go there? Isn't it an ancient fortress only used by the royal family to entertain in the present day?
Vivian's head was buzzing when her phone vibrated again.
It was a text message from her father.
Sebastian: “Where are you, Vivi? Reply me at once!”
With a start, Vivian recalled that her phone had been turned off since she boarded the plane. In her urgency to contact Sonia, she had turned it on again without considering that she had been unreachable throughout her flight.
Feeling guilty for causing him worry, Vivian hastened to reply to his text.
She wrote: ”We have just landed in Yartran, Daddy.”
Sebastian: ”Where exactly?”
As Vivian was the weakest out of his three children, Sebastian was at that moment wrought with anxiousness at the thought of her traveling abroad without him or Sasha being there with her as they have done over the years. Without his protection, Sebastian shuddered to imagine the malice waiting for his innocent daughter. He had half a mind to book himself a ticket and fly to her himself.
Vivian: ”We're in a cab now, Daddy. Kurt is going to Exerine Palace. I don't know what he is going to do.”
Sebastian: ”Exerine Palace? What is he going to do there?”
Like his daughter, Kurt's next destination surprised him. His handsome face was very puzzled under the fading light of dusk.
“Did he find something again?” Sasha asked anxiously. “Didn't you say that Kurt had killed the remaining men that Eddie's son had hidden all over Jadeborough last night? Are there more of them in Exerine Palace?”
Being an intelligent woman, Sasha quickly pieced together all the information she had heard.
It is indeed possible. But for what motive? Could a new Elysium be contained in the old castle under the nose of the royal family?
His Secret Lover Returning from the Dead Chapter 1730
Another Massacre
Isn't this outrageous?
His forehead throbbed violently, making him look more sinister.
As a matter of fact, he had guessed it wrong this time. Although Eddie was devious, he would not dare to establish his own base right under the nose of the Yartran royal family.
Following Kurt, Vivian sneaked into the old castle garden.
She watched him going straight into the basement in the garden to retrieve a dusty iron box from an abandoned fireplace.
Then, he opened it and took out a map in front of her.
Vivian was speechless.
She was so stunned that she just gaped and stared at him, wide-eyed.
“Kurt, you...”
“Have you contacted your dad? If you want to live, quickly ask him to come and fetch you. I don't want to repeat myself.”
Unexpectedly, after studying the map, his expression turned cold and he kept the map. Then, he spoke in an icy tone.
Vivian clenched her delicate hands and bit her lips. She bent her head and determinedly stood motionless before him.
However, this time, she was taken by surprise. After he had finished speaking, he took out a box of firearms which he knew was hidden there.
He selected two of the most lethal and handy ones.
Then, he just turned around and headed out.
Immediately, Vivian followed suit.
Bang!
He turned around and fired a shot!
Vivian was so frightened that she screamed and ran, covering her ears. She trembled all over and huddled in a corner for a long time, not daring to stand up.
“Kurt, you...”
Ashen-faced, she looked at him with fearful eyes filled with tears.
However, Kurt was completely indifferent.
When he saw that she had finally stopped following him, he sneered and walked away, closing the basement door with a “snap.”
“Kurt! Kurt!”
Vivian was so anxious that she shouted again from the inside. Not caring that her legs were still weak, she ran towards the door and banged hard on it.
She realized what he was going to do.
The map and weapons...
Certainly, he had never been here before, but he seemed to know the place so well. This could only mean one thing. The black creatures in his body had brought him here.
Those things must have been left behind by Daphne.
Daphne had lived in the Yartran King's royal residence for many years, so she must have been to Exerine Palace often. Hence, those must be her belongings.
What is he going to do with those things?
When Vivian recalled the bloodlust that flashed in his eyes when he obtained those weapons just now, she was even more worried and anxious.
“Kurt, let me out, please, Kurt...”
There was only silence outside.
Nobody responded to her calls for help.
After Kurt left, there was dead silence outside the basement. From the far end of the basement, there were only the echoes of her shouts.
Indeed, this castle was deserted all the time, except when there was some party or function. Usually, there was no one here.
She was soon out of breath.
Oh, yes! I can still contact Daddy!
Her eyes lit up immediately when she suddenly remember that and she took out her smartphone.
To her disappointment, when she took it out, there was no signal at all. In this basement, there was not even a trace of the mobile service provider.
Vivian was utterly exasperated.
There was nothing she could do but keep her phone back in her pocket and search for a way out of the basement.
In the end, she really discovered a small door.
Squeak...
When the small dusty iron door was pulled open, she felt an extremely cold wind blowing in her face. The wind, with a very unpleasant rotten smell, made her feel a little nauseous.
Where will this lead to?
Vivian hesitated for a while, and then she stepped into it...
At that moment, outside the basement, Kurt had come out bringing the firearms. Soon, he disappeared into the dark, cold and windy night.
What was he going to do?
Naturally, to kill again!
Later, Sebastian examined all the dead bodies that had been killed by Kurt. It could be explained by science that this young man was infected by bacteria.
However, there was something that science could not explain.
He was getting revenge for someone and that person was Daphne!
Daphne's death was quite abrupt. She was the former high priestess of Elysium who had worked together with Eddie back then. In the end, when she returned to Elysium, she was killed by Lucy.
Was she resentful?
Of course, she was. Just because of a microchip implanted inside a young girl, the importance of her position was being taken over and overshadowed.
On top of that, the death of her son was the reason her hatred became deeper.
So, that was the reason why, after being infected, Kurt killed all the remaining members of the Limmer family living in hiding in Jadeborough.