122: Father dies, son laughs

In the back seat, Serena and Alfred couldn't see anything because the windows were completely blocked off.

They had no idea exactly how fast Locke was driving.

They only had the faint sensation that they were about to fly.

Since Serena currently couldn't be exposed to sunlight,

Locke drove during the day while Serena took over at night, the two of them alternating shifts to rest.

When Serena drove, the speed dropped sharply to around 120 miles per hour.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly without any mishaps.

After driving for most of the day,

The two finally arrived outside Alexander's villa in Arizona just as dawn was approaching.

As soon as Locke stepped out of the car, he immediately noticed a figure plummeting from high in the sky toward the villa at extreme speed.

It seemed their timing was perfect.

Beside him, Serena's expression was heavy. "It seems we're a step too late."

"Not late. This timing is just right."

Locke looked at the villa standing in the dark night with a thoughtful gaze.

"Serena, you might get a massive opportunity later because of this, a chance to advance to Sequence 9."

"Huh? Do you want me to swallow Marcus's supernatural polymer later?"

"No, no, no. You'll understand in a moment."

Locke beckoned. "Alfred, conceal yourself now. Make sure Marcus doesn't discover you. I need you to stay hidden until the final showdown."

"Understood."

Alfred immediately activated his skill, vanishing into the night. He circled above Serena's head, observing the surroundings and acting as a lookout.

Having arranged the details, Locke took out a silver cruciform longsword from his storage space.

He planned to wait for a moment,

And if the opportunity arose, give Marcus a little surprise.

If the opponent flew slowly later, he wouldn't mind sending him on his way right now.

Meanwhile, Serena regained her icy demeanor. With a cold face, she drew two silver Glocks from holsters on either side of her thighs.

Together with Locke,

She walked side-by-side toward the villa, which looked low-key on the outside but was extremely luxurious within.

Their footsteps were light and silent as they crept toward the spot where Marcus had just landed.

Inside the villa's hall, the lights were brightly lit.

The hideous-looking Marcus, sporting a pair of leathery wings, stood beneath a crystal chandelier.

Opposite him was an elderly man in a well-fitted suit with silver hair and a noble aura.

This was the biological father of Marcus and William, Alexander Corvinus.

"Father, give me that damned necklace. My dear brother has been imprisoned for so many centuries; it's time he came out for some fresh air."

"Marcus, what on earth are you thinking? Why would you want to release that incredibly dangerous madman, William!"

Alexander frowned deeply, shouting in a stern rebuke.

Marcus merely gave him a cold, indifferent glance. "If it weren't for you, would my brother and I have become like this?"

"That I became this monstrous shape and William lost his mind—isn't that all thanks to you?"

"You!" Alexander's face couldn't help but fill with rage, but he found himself speechless.

He panted heavily a few times, then turned his back and raised a hand.

"Forget it. I will never give you the necklace to let you release that incredibly dangerous fellow, William."

"Do you really have to go this far?"

"He is no longer William."

"You surely don't think I want to release him because of family ties, do you? Hahaha, how truly ignorant."

"It's no wonder you possess the longest lifespan yet remain like this, having accomplished nothing."

Marcus shook his head while laughing.

His laughter was incredibly arrogant, and his expression became somewhat crazed and distorted.

"I don't care if he's still my brother or not. All I need is the power flowing through him."

"You're insane!"

Just as Alexander turned around, he saw a figure suddenly lunge in front of him.

Faced with Marcus's attack, he seemed unable to react in time and was pierced straight through by a claw.

"I am insane, but isn't that all thanks to you? Hahahaha."

With a wicked smile on his face, Marcus tore the necklace from his neck.

Looking at Alexander's aged and battered face, he leaned in and whispered softly,

"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not being ruthless enough to kill me and William back then."

This behavior was truly adding insult to injury.

And this scene of 'filial piety' was witnessed clearly by the arriving Locke and Serena.

Serena took a step forward, wanting to charge, but was held back by Locke's hand.

"Don't be in a hurry. Don't alert the enemy."

"But..."

Serena wanted to rush out, but Locke immediately shook his head at her and explained patiently,

"Now is not the time for sentimentality. You don't know Marcus's strength, but I know it very well. Wait a bit longer and see."

He was telling the truth.

They were still nearly 50 meters away from Marcus's position.

Even if Locke went all out, without activating [Great Muscle Tyrant], it would take several blinks of an eye to reach Marcus's back.

But Marcus had already fought him once; he definitely wouldn't be as careless as last time.

When they first met outside the old castle, Marcus had clearly underestimated his enemy.

So now, Locke had to wait for a critical opportunity.

After hearing his explanation, Serena nodded and stopped being impulsive, standing behind him.

Together, they quietly watched the situation in the hall.

"Cough, cough... Marcus, you're crazy. You've truly gone mad..." Blood flowed from the corner of Alexander's mouth as he rebuked with a heavy expression.

"You couldn't possibly be planning that! William is your biological brother."

"What biological brother? Since the day my mother died, I haven't had any family."

Marcus's expression grew increasingly frantic, his eyes turning more and more bloodshot. He pressed his claws onto Alexander's shoulders.

"And all of this—the one who started all of this was you! It was you who wouldn't let me resurrect Mother!"

Clearly, his mother's death was the pain of Marcus's life. When this topic was brought up, his emotions clearly showed signs of collapsing.

"You..." Opposite him, when Alexander heard Marcus's questioning words, his expression also flickered momentarily, and then he fell completely silent.

"You what? Even now, you still don't dare to admit it? It was your fault!"

"Silly boy, you don't understand at all. Even if you had bitten Lilia, she wouldn't have come back to life."

A trace of reminiscence appeared in Alexander's expression, but Marcus clearly didn't believe such words.

"Stop pretending. As long as the body is still there, she could have come back to life with one bite from me." Marcus shook his head frantically, his face full of resentment.

"Stop making excuses for your own cowardice. You simply didn't want to see Mother become a monster like me!"

Seeing that his son had already become so frantic, Alexander could only let out a silent sigh and then closed his eyes tightly, as if giving up resistance.

"Sigh!"

However, the light flickering in the depths of his eyes suggested that all of this seemed to be exactly as he had anticipated.

No one knew what that sigh truly meant.