Chapter 84

Facing this sudden bad news, the sailors were all in a state of panic, as if they had lost their closest kin. Among the remaining three, Lin Youde was busy calming his men; the Cheshire Cat stood there as if possessed, muttering something incoherent; and Gordon, as always, was observing the Gate of Doom and the patched-up monsters with great interest.

Sercy: "Still unmoved after hearing such news? Should I say you're calm in the face of danger or just thick-skinned and slow to react? Or are you as scared as her (the Cheshire Cat)?"

Gordon: "What are you talking about? I've encountered similar situations many times before. How could I be scared stiff?"

Sercy: "You've encountered similar situations many times and are still alive and kicking? You're just boasting."

Gordon: "How is that boasting? To me, this situation is not as dangerous as the ones I've faced before. Ares is still alive, isn't he? Just let him continue to infuse divine power into the Gate of Doom."

Sercy: "Are you blind? He's in such a state, how can he infuse divine power?"

Gordon: "Oh, don't fool me. The magic array you're drawing is to heal him, right? Once he's healed, everything will be safe."

Sercy: "You have no idea what the cost of using this magic to save him would be. Sometimes ignorance is a blessing..."

Gordon: "Cost?"

Dale: "This is not a regular healing magic array but a damage transfer magic array. This means the patient's injuries will be transferred to the caster and the willing sacrifice (sacrificial offering). Though the healing effect is the most significant, ... is there no other way?"

Sercy: "If there were other ways, would I be drawing this magic array? I, the caster, will also suffer the consequences!"

Dale: "But even if you save him using the damage transfer magic, you will die. The Gate of Doom needs both of you to control it..."

Sercy: "As expected of Princess Eris, you know I am indispensable for controlling the Gate of Doom. To be honest, I drew this magic array with the mindset of trying to save a dead horse. I was betting on whether I could withstand the transferred damage. Even if I couldn't and died, it would be better than suffering eternal torment in the rift of time. But now that you're here, all problems are solved." —— She gave a bitter smile.

Dale: "Are you asking me to die in your place?"

Sercy: "Yes, for the greater good, please die in my place. This is for the lives of all on Paradise Island." —— She was urgent.

Dale: "..." —— Speechless.

I (narrator): "No wonder Queen Persephone didn't let Dale come over but instead told her to run. She knew things would come to this."

Ares: "My dear, dear daughter, save your father..." —— His chest was caved in by some blunt object (Thor's hammer), and he was on the brink of death, his breath faint.

Dale: "You remember me now? Shut up!!" —— She was angry.

Sercy: "Your Highness, please don't be angry. The magic array is ready. Please cast the spell; time is limited." —— She urged.

Dale: "The magic array is ready? What about the willing sacrifice?"

Sercy: "The sacrifice? Isn't the sacrifice already in the magic array?" —— She pointed to Queen Persephone, who had been tending to Ares.

Persephone: "..." —— She was silently crying.

Dale: "..." —— She grabbed Sercy's neck, ready to kill her. "You damn it, using my mother as the sacrifice!!"

Sercy: "I had no choice. The ritual requires a willing sacrifice, not one I forced. This is the great sacrifice the Queen made for all the living beings on Paradise Island (mainly Dale). You can vent your anger on me, but please don't kill or knock me out. Otherwise, saving the commander will be in vain." —— She was fearless.

Dale: "You..." —— Helpless, she let go of Sercy.

Gordon: "To control the Gate of Doom, you two are indispensable? That sounds unreliable. Without you, do we have to eat hairy pigs?" —— He suddenly interjected.

Sercy: "What do you mean? Don't tell me you, an old man, have the ability to replace Ares in infusing divine power into the Gate of Doom. You're just a mortal like me."

Dale: "Do you have another way to control the Gate of Doom?" —— She was surprised.

Gordon: "I don't, but I know who does."

Dale: "Who?"

Gordon: "Of course, the one who started all this — the Illuminati."

Dale: "You mean the enemy?"

Gordon: "Yes. Otherwise, how could they dare to assassinate Ares? Don't forget they have the former Amazon Queen Hippolyta providing them with intelligence and sent the Howling Commandos to infiltrate. They wouldn't be unaware that killing Ares would cause the Gate of Doom to go berserk and cause massive damage. They must have prepared a countermeasure."

I (narrator): "He's right. The Illuminati wouldn't do something as foolish as mutual destruction. They sent volunteer troops to the island. Hippolyta wouldn't hide this information from them, or if things went wrong, Paradise Island would be sucked into the Gate of Doom, and she would lose her territory. What kind of queen would she be then? Her restoration would be in vain."

Dale: "You're right. The Illuminati should have a contingency plan. Even if their plan fails, Hippolyta knows how to seal the Gate of Doom. The goddess Hera taught her. We just need to negotiate with her. Though she hates us, she wouldn't want the entire Paradise Island to disappear and be our sacrificial offering." —— She clung to this last hope, her face showing relief.

Sercy: "Negotiate with Hippolyta? It might have been possible before, but now..." —— She looked troubled.

Dale: "What do you mean now? You're not going to refuse by saying 'we are at war and can't contact them,' are you?"

Sercy: "Of course not. You know I'm not that stubborn old fool who refuses to communicate with the enemy. It's just that the current situation makes it impossible. If I could, I would have done it already. Don't forget, I was the designated caster. If I had other ways, would I deliberately seek death?"

Dale: "The current situation? I don't understand. (A bad feeling) What happened that prevents you from negotiating with Hippolyta? Tell me clearly."

Sercy: "From your reaction, you've already guessed, haven't you? Must I say it out loud for you to give up?" —— She gave a bitter smile.

Dale: "..." —— "She's dead?"

Sercy: "Not exactly, but she has been turned to stone by my curse (ambush), which is as good as dead."

I (narrator): "Hippolyta, who knows the sealing method, was turned to stone by you? This is truly self-inflicted, no, it's to prevent Dale from living."