Chapter 124: Transferring the Ian family
Amid the sheer terror and astonishment gripping the police officers surrounding the area, their commander had mysteriously vanished inside the armored vehicle in a manner that could only be described as miraculous. The officers were preparing to open fire and deploy tear gas against the limousine.
However...
Suddenly!!
An overwhelming aura of Mana erupted from Cain’s body!
It burst outward in an instantaneous shockwave, knocking every police officer and security guard on the street unconscious within a single second.
It was as though their very will had been stripped away.
Even the security helicopter hovering overhead began to stagger and wobble dangerously as the pressure wave swept through the air and its pilot lost consciousness. It barely managed to recover its balance through its emergency autopilot system.
Then, the helicopter’s warning lights flashed bright red as piercing sirens rang out, automatically calling for air support and federal reinforcements!
With lightning speed, Cain opened multiple dimensional portals simultaneously before the astonished eyes of the old man and his grandson, who could only stare at the unfolding miracle.
The magical portals appeared before Vincent, Nathan, and all the black-suited guards scattered throughout the convoy.
Cain’s deep, commanding voice rang out, carrying through the walls of the vehicle and reaching everyone’s ears:
"Jump through these portals immediately. Don’t hesitate!"
Old Man Vincent and his grandson swallowed hard before breaking into a sprint and leaping through the mesmerizing portals without the slightest objection. Through their openings, the portals appeared to lead into a breathtaking palace of legendary luxury.
One by one, the guards followed, disappearing completely from the street.
The few onlookers who had regained consciousness and witnessed the strangest and most terrifying event of their lives could only stare in disbelief.
One of them finally cried out:
"What the hell is happening to this world?!"
Still seated inside the limousine, Cain let out a heavy, irritated sigh. He then rose from his seat and stepped through the final portal before him.
The magical portals closed and vanished from existence, while the helicopter’s sirens continued to wail throughout the street.
Traffic along the entire road came to a complete standstill. People slowly stepped out of their cars, their eyes fixed on the scene before them in utter disbelief.
What they saw looked like something straight out of a nightmare.
Police officers, security guards, and special forces personnel lay scattered across the ground in every direction, motionless like corpses.
Amid the gathering crowd, a physician who had happened to be caught in the traffic jam rushed forward toward the unconscious officers. He knelt beside them, checking their pulses and searching for any signs of life.
In this miserable world, the general public had not the faintest idea what Mana or supernatural energy even was.
But this incident was unlike anything that had ever happened before.
A live-broadcast vehicle belonging to one of the country’s largest satellite news networks happened to be nearby.
Its high-definition cameras had captured every horrifying detail unfolding before the limousine and were broadcasting it live to screens across the nation.
This was not merely a strange incident on some forgotten side street.
It was a pivotal historical moment, one that would forever overturn humanity’s understanding of the world and its perception of reality.
In an entirely different world...
Far from the chaos of that street and the eyes of the surveillance vehicles...
Specifically, on the Lower Continent, within the Province of Hal, at the heart of Duke Ostar’s main palace.
Dozens of black-suited guards stood around in confusion, their minds struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
It was simply impossible.
How had they been transported in a fraction of a second from an ordinary civilian street to a legendary palace overflowing with grandeur and magical splendor?
Their minds were already in turmoil beneath the terrifying spatial pressure emanating from the Duke’s city.
Yet if the guards were in a miserable state, Old Man Vincent and his grandson Nathan were in an even worse condition.
The two looked around at the luxurious palace as dozens of servants and royal knights stared at them with sharp, penetrating gazes. The sheer magical auras radiating from these people were enough to make the two feel suffocated, even though none of them had any intention of intimidating their guests.
Nathan swallowed hard as his knees began to tremble. He grabbed his grandfather’s hand and whispered in terror:
"G-Grandfather... where in the hell are we?! Are we in the world of the dead or something?!"
At that exact moment, the fabric of space tore open, and Cain emerged from the final magical portal with great dignity.
He adjusted his collar, casually straightened the edges of his jacket, and cast a cold glance at the men he had just transported from the human world to his palace.
The moment Cain appeared, one of the senior servants hurried toward the Duke and bowed deeply.
"Welcome back, Lord Duke. I see you’ve brought some guests with you today?"
The servant’s name was Zardar.
It was immediately obvious from Zardar’s magical aura, which he made no effort to display, that he was far from an ordinary servant.
He was an extraordinarily powerful entity, radiating a level of strength and majesty utterly unfitting for someone in his position.
Yet in this world, such a thing was perfectly normal.
It only seemed absurd because Nathan and his grandfather were human beings who had never encountered anything remotely like it.
As Nathan looked around the palace, a beautiful maid walked past him.
She had a pair of genuine oval-shaped rabbit ears growing naturally from her head.
Nathan’s mind nearly stopped functioning.
Had he not been desperately trying to suppress his instinctive reactions and hold on to what remained of his sanity, he might have actually rushed after her and asked for her phone number.
Nathan cursed his own stupidity and the ridiculous thoughts running through his mind.
He was in the middle of a terrifying, life-changing situation. He was supposed to be completely panicked.
Yet somehow, he was thinking about getting the rabbit-girl maid’s phone number.
Meanwhile, Old Man Vincent was in an entirely different state.
Almost nothing was left of his ability to think.
His mind had practically shut down after one miraculous shock after another. He could no longer analyze, question, or even doubt what he was seeing.
Perhaps this numbness was the only thing preventing his mind from collapsing beneath the sheer weight of everything he had witnessed.
Cain turned toward his stern servant and spoke calmly:
"Zardar... Take these guests to the palace’s inner suites. They will remain here and be provided with everything they need until the problems in their world have been resolved."
Zardar bowed respectfully.
"Your word is my command, Lord Duke."
His sharp eyes swept over the guests accompanying the Duke.
A single glance was enough for him to count them, determine how many suites would be required, and assign each of them an appropriate room within the vast palace.
Cain added as he prepared to return to Earth:
"You may transfer them now and arrange everything they need. I shall return to the other world immediately. There are matters I need to attend to. You may continue with your duties."
However, just as Cain was about to leave, Zardar suddenly spoke in an unusually serious tone.
"Lord Duke... I sincerely apologize for interrupting you, but you must remain here for a few moments."
Cain stopped.
His expression shifted slightly as he let out a long, weary sigh.
Why did trouble always seem to follow him one disaster after another?
Despite all his recent efforts to stay away from chaos and live a peaceful life, it seemed that "Cain" and "a quiet life free of trouble" were the two most incompatible concepts in all of existence.
Cain looked at his servant and asked in a low voice:
"What is it, Zardar? What happened here while I was away?"