Chapter 699
But such skinship was only temporary.
William threw himself onto the bed as if collapsing, closing his eyes.
He thought that the abilities he had manifested were nothing but a nightmare.
He pondered how he ended up like this.
…
…
…
“What? A funeral ceremony? With a… child?”
“William. Have you finally lost your mind? No, good heavens…!”
“Oh my God. Oh Lord…!”
As he closed his eyes, memories floated to the surface.
The whispers he heard when he returned home married to a ghost of a young girl.
William remembers.
The faces of his clan members, who looked at him in horror.
People who seemed unable to believe that he had returned having married a ghost, especially one that was a little girl.
Yet the disgust etched on their faces faded away rather quickly.
Having fallen under a spell, William became unable to form relationships with living human women.
He could only be with Beatrice Mary Marriott, his ghost bride.
And the ghost contact brought him intense pleasure, yet it burdened his body, making William, who had an overwhelming amount of life energy, confined and bedridden.
Naturally, he couldn’t gallivant around outside as he used to, nor could he meet the numerous lovers he had exchanged frequently.
“Hmm. William is unusually quiet?”
“He hasn’t started any trouble as usual.”
“He isn’t causing a ruckus at the family’s business establishments.”
“Ha ha. It’s been ages since the paparazzi were this quiet. I didn’t know that keeping that brat quiet would lead to such peace.”
“As long as this continues, I wish for nothing more.”
“When I saw that he had come back married with a ghost, I thought I should thank that girl instead. Hmm.”
Could it be because of that?
The gazes of those who had initially expressed horror and rejection started to shift.
And at a remarkably swift pace.
The servants, who were the first to be exposed to William’s antics, the family’s business places where he used to play the master, citizens who had been unreasonably bullied or harmed, police officers who sighed at the mere mention of William’s name, family members who struggled to clean up the messes he caused…
All of them warmly welcomed “William, who doesn’t create incidents.”
And naturally, they began to send goodwill to the girl ghost, Beatrice Mary Marriott, who had made it so William didn’t wreak havoc.
And eventually…
“Tsk tsk. I knew this would happen someday. He must be receiving karma for sure.”
“What? My son has turned out like that…!”
“What’s there to be angry about? Isn’t it a good thing? He sowed the seeds all over the world, so there’s no need to worry about heirs. And even though she’s a ghost, he’s married his first love and started a family, and he doesn’t cause trouble anymore. Isn’t that actually good?”
“But…”
“Honestly, did anyone really think he would settle down? He had that witch following him around, but if he were sane, he would never have married him. He would have just lived recklessly and died after causing some massive incident or ended up in jail after causing chaos that his family couldn’t cover up, or stirred up trouble with someone he shouldn’t have messed with. Everyone thought that way, didn’t they?”
“No.”
“Honestly, wasn’t that brat a reckless fool? If he became of age, he would have been locked up in a tower or an island somewhere. Isn’t it good that he’s not causing trouble and is settling down? Plus, she’s his childhood first love. This must be a blessing for our clan, a blessing.”
“…Hmm. A blessing, you say. What kind of blessing.”
“Oh, I’m just saying it could be a blessing, not that it really is. But honestly, it’s a positive thing, isn’t it? From the elders in the clan to his maternal relatives, how much hardship did they endure because of him? No wonder everyone furrowed their brows when they hear his name. If he hadn’t had those prophetic abilities, things would have fallen apart a long time ago.”
“…”
“Think positively. His life didn’t ruin ours, but rather, it turned good. What’s more, he has so many seeds sprouting all over, and if we just bring back someone smart with potential, that’s enough.”
“That’s true… sigh. Yeah. Even though she’s a ghost and a young girl, it might indeed be a good thing to gain such a daughter-in-law….”
…In the end, even his parents accepted Beatrice as their daughter-in-law.
Yeah.
Perhaps, just as his relatives said, everything might be karma.
Karma returned to the brat who caused trouble day in and day out.
The karma from actions that made him a “nuisance”.
Thus, even the absurd situation of marrying a ghost of a young girl became something they would come to accept.
And.
And….
“Mikael has warned us! O people of Europe, guard your sacred treasures! The clouds will part, and a brilliant light shall descend, drawing a holy cross in the sky. Under the guidance of that light, to the rhythm of angelic wings, we must be vigilant and protect everything we have!”
It can be heard.
It comes to the ears.
The consciousness teetering on the edge of deep slumber suddenly awakens, and light begins to fill the black darkness. From afar, a resounding voice echoes.
The warping of time.
The shifting of position.
The paradox that powerful prophets must inevitably endure.
Now, he exists within a fractured time.
“Do you remember those wicked ones who invaded Europe long ago! Who rode forth like a storm, slaying the brethren of faith! Do you remember the harbingers of doom who cast corpses into the fortress and spread disease? Do you remember those half-human, half-horse fiends with yellow skin?!”
A cross made of light is drawn in the sky.
A sweet fragrance that clouds the mind.
A square bustling with countless crowds.
Beneath the cross made of light stands an instigator.
“History tends to repeat itself. Beware! Europe now exists in a horrific crisis. Like a precariously flickering candle, we are weak beings that can be devoured at any moment by the evil and terrifying winds blowing from the East!”
The instigator speaks to the crowd.
To those gathered in the square, and to those watching through the camera.
“The yellow-skinned invaders will attack us as they did before. They will trample Europe underfoot and ride in iron steeds to slaughter us as they did long ago. They will trample faith and desire obedience, shackling us with chains and using our sons and daughters as slaves, coloring the entire world with yellow!”
The instigator shouts.
“We must unite against the invading forces from the East! We must demonstrate Europe’s brilliance which has illuminated and progressed the world! We must forget the grudges of the past and, as brothers sharing the same skin and faith, prevent our world from turning yellow. That is our obligation as Europeans and a noble will to prevent the decline of civilization!”
The instigator.
That man who united Europe against the threat of China.
“This is a holy war! A holy war against the wicked dictator seeking to bring the world to its knees! A holy war to protect our faith and our ethnicity! An inevitable battle to prevent our sons and daughters from becoming slaves!”
He was speaking of a war with China, leading the people of Europe.
Talking about a holy war, and the superiority of the white race.
And.
And….
“Waahhh—!”
Amidst those enchanted by his rhetoric were the Artua Clan.
William realized that the blood of the Artua Clan would surely mix with the rivers of blood flowing in this war.
William opened his mouth to say something to his father, who was cheering for the instigator.
But at that moment.
The world fell into darkness, and time twisted again.
[ Humanity of the world, rejoice. As of this moment, humanity has successfully taken another leap. We have gained control over evolution. ]
[ Our Gift Corporation has succeeded in controlling genes after long research. We’ve successfully pinpointed the hidden genetic map and can now selectively produce designed children. ]
[ High intelligence, exceptional physique, and strength that does not tolerate diseases. Plus, the outstanding appearance that will seem attractive to everyone. ]
[ Everything is possible at Gift Corporation. ]
[ People. Humanity has succeeded in its leap. Now we have truly gained wisdom. ]
Like a future that had vanished, a new future appeared as if he had entered a parallel world.
Or perhaps, it felt as if sounds were reaching William’s ears.
Szzzzzztt.
It was the sound of time tearing apart.
Time fast-forwarding and the sound of fracture.
William exists now within the twisted time.
Neither front nor back, neither above nor below.
Quickly speeding up, slowing down, and flowing.
He exists within this multi-dimensional time.
[ Numerous conspiracies speak. That the designed children have significant flaws. ]
[ But I assert this. Since we have perfectly understood and controlled the genetic map, flaws cannot exist even theoretically. ]
Szzzzzztt.
[ Many people say that the reduced empathy of the designed children will pose a significant problem. ]
[ People. Empathy shines brightest when it is controlled. Overabundance of empathy means a lack of proper control, leading to ’emotional’ — in other words, ‘inefficient’ judgments. Our Gift Corporation has controlled and rectified such flaws from the genetic level— ]
Szzzzzztt.
[ Long live the New Humanity! Long live! ]
[ The Old Humanity must be controlled. We must break away from the foolishness of the past and make a new leap! ]
Szzzzzztt.
[ …It seems this will be the last record from the hideout. We have made a grave mistake. The arrogance of thinking we could control everything has brought disaster, awakening the madness that had lain dormant across the world. The world has become filled with madness, ashes, and flames, and madmen and the states they have created run rampant. We were the spark and the flame that ignited the powder keg. We should not have done this. We were— *BOOM!* Ah! They are here, those who have failed to color the world with madness, the cruel thieves who have fallen— ]
…
…
…
“Hahaha. Dammit.”
Time writhes and intertwines.
What is the future and what is potential?
What is dream and what is reality?
The present and the future.
In this madness-filled future, William screamed amid uncontrolled prophetic abilities.
