Infinite wealth In A New World-Chapter 427: PAST
[Hidden Base — Sitting Room]
The sitting room was an eclectic mix of high-tech surveillance gear and surprisingly cozy furniture. Jinx, Lucian, Destiny, and Treasure sat on a long, plush couch, their postures relaxed but attentive.
Opposite them sat an elderly man with a presence that filled the room. This was Marriott, the patriarch of the Marriott family and a living legend in the world of Summoners. His long white beard flowed down his chest, giving him the air of an ancient sage.
Flanking him were his sons. On his right stood Ethan, a slim man with sharp, calculating eyes and the refined air of a politician or strategist. On his left was Patrick, Esther’s father. He was a mountain of a man, far more muscular than his brother, radiating raw physical power and a protective aura.
"Yes. Yes... You are Lady Jinx," the old man said with a warm smile, his eyes twinkling as he stroked his beard.
Jinx raised an eyebrow. "It seems you already know about me... I am guessing it’s from the Ruler."
"Yes. The god told me everything about you." Marriott nodded, his smile widening slightly.
"God?"
Ethan and Patrick exchanged stunned glances. Even Esther and her team, hovering near the snack table, froze. The term was thrown around often, but rarely with such conviction.
"Well... It’s a long story," Marriott said, his gaze fixed on Jinx, as if seeing something beyond her physical form.
"Can we hear it?" Treasure asked, leaning forward with wide, curious eyes.
Marriott turned to Jinx for permission. She gave a curt nod.
"We have time... Go ahead."
"Ok." Marriott leaned back, his expression growing somber. "I met him seven years ago."
___
[Seven Years Ago — City M]
BOOOOOM!!!!
A cataclysmic explosion rocked the foundations of City M. Skyscrapers trembled, glass shattered raining down like deadly confetti, and the roar of battle drowned out the sirens.
"What the?"
"Don’t tell me Summoners are fighting again!"
"When will there be peace in this world?!!"
"Run!! Don’t stand there!! We ordinary people can only run for our lives!!"
Panic swept through the streets like a wildfire. Citizens scrambled over one another, abandoning cars and belongings in a desperate bid to escape the epicenter of the clash.
High above the chaos, Marriott stood atop a colossal Floating Serpent. The beast’s emerald scales shimmered with mana, its body coiling through the air like a living river. His eyes were locked on a man with wild black hair, standing on the back of a jagged Black Dragon.
"Stop this, John!!!!" Marriott yelled, his voice magically amplified.
"I am no longer known as John, I am Night Ghost!!!" The second snapped at him.
"You think because you’re the Head of the Summoners Force, you can stop me?!!" Night Ghost yelled back, his voice dripping with disdain.
"You can’t stop my goal! No matter what happens, I must accomplish it!"
"You fool!! Are you so filled with greed and power that you overlook all our past battles as comrades?!! Are you that corrupted?!" Marriott clenched his fists, the betrayal burning hotter than the city below.
"Comrades." Night Ghost stared at him, his red eyes glowing with madness. "You dare utter that word in my presence!"
He swept his arm out, gesturing to the destruction. "Do comrades leave themselves behind to die?! Tell me!! The Blood Tower Organization took me in! If it hadn’t been for them, I would be dead!!"
"We thought you were already dead in that war!! I returned to the spot myself but found nothing! You were gone!" Marriott shouted, desperate to reach the friend he once knew.
Night Ghost scoffed. "Lies... The Blood Tower showed me everything!!" He looked at his own hand, clenching it until the knuckles turned white. "They showed me true power!"
"True power?!? Does killing the innocent give you true power?!!" Marriott roared.
"Oh, Marriott... You haven’t seen the world. You’re seventy-three years old, but your eyes are still shut." Night Ghost muttered coldly. He looked up at the smoke-choked sky.
"There are more realms out there. Beyond our world, our growth will be boundless! We can finally touch the heavens!! Don’t you get it?!! I must achieve this power!"
A serrated red sword materialized in his hand, humming with dark mana. "If you plan to stop me—"
"—I will stop you!!"
Marriott extended his arms. Two gleaming white broadswords appeared, one in each hand, radiating holy light.
"Come out!!!"
Both men shouted in unison. The air cracked as mana flooded the space. Instantly, over fifty Legendary-grade summons materialized in the sky and on the streets—griffins, chimeras, hydras, and armored giants.
"ATTACK!!!!"
The command was given. The two armies collided in a shockwave that leveled a city block, turning the urban landscape into a slaughterhouse.
__
[Present — Hidden Base]
"That battle destroyed the city. Thanks to my sons, we eventually destroyed the Blood Tower Organization... But..." Marriott trailed off, his eyes distant.
"What happened next?" Treasure asked, practically vibrating with excitement.
__
[The Past — The Ruins of City M]
Smoke drifted over the ruins. Both men stood amidst the rubble, their armies gone, their mana reserves critically low. They were bleeding, bruised, and gasping for air, but neither would yield.
"You are one persistent bastard," Night Ghost gritted out, clutching a deep gash on his shoulder where blood soaked his black uniform.
"You still have time to redeem yourself!" Marriott raised his sword, though his hand trembled with exhaustion.
Night Ghost stared at the shaking hand and grinned, a macabre expression through bloodstained teeth. "Seems you’re also on your last leg... Just give up."
"Hahaha!! We are both Originals. I know what I am capable of. Including what you’re capable of," Marriott laughed, though it sounded painful.
WIth a thought, deck of cards flew out from his coat, hovering before him—Elite, Rare, and Common grades, numbering in the hundreds.
"You?! What is this?" Night Ghost asked, eyes widening.
"We might be Originals, but there is still some difference between us." Marriott plunged both white swords into the cracked pavement and slammed his palms together.
"Mana Absorption: Sacrificial Rite!!"
BOOM!!
A vortex of wind erupted around Marriott. The pressure forced Night Ghost to brace himself, his boots carving furrows in the concrete.
"What the hell are you doing?!!" Night Ghost yelled, stabbing his sword into the ground to anchor himself.
"Now!!"
"...??!!!"
Night Ghost watched in horror as the hundreds of cards shattered into particles of pure light. The light swirled and rushed into Marriott’s body, forcibly merging with his core. His aura exploded outward, revitalized and overflowing.
"Impossible... What sort of skill is that?" Night Ghost whispered.
"Nowhere to escape!" Marriott yelled, and shot forward, moving with the speed of a fresh warrior.
"You!!"
Night Ghost raised his red sword to defend, but he was too slow, too drained.
BAM!!!
Marriott’s punch smashed into the red blade, the kinetic force launching Night Ghost backward. He slammed into a boulder, the stone cracking on impact.
"AUGH!!"
He vomited a mouthful of blood, falling to his knees. "What the?! No! This shouldn’t be happening... I still haven’t achieved my goal... I won’t die here."
He tried to stand, using his sword as a crutch, his legs shaking violently.
"Still standing?!"
Marriott didn’t give him a second to breathe. He opened his hands, and his swords flew into the air; landing on his hands, and lunged.
"If I can’t change your mind, I will set you free from this corruption by killing you!"
He arrived in front of Night Ghost and swung his blade in a lethal arc. Night Ghost managed a clumsy block, but the force threw him off balance. He stumbled back, exposing his face.
WHOOSH!!
".....?!"
Night Ghost saw the white steel coming, but his body wouldn’t move fast enough.
BAM!!!
The sword slashed across his face, carving a deep, ruinous path from his right eye down to his left cheek.
BAM!
He collapsed, clutching his ruined face. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!" The scream was primal, filled with agony and defeat.
"Surrender. This is your last chance." Marriott stood over him, the tip of his white sword hovering inches from Night Ghost.
"How insolent!!!"
A voice like grinding tectonic plates echoed from above.
".....?!"
Marriott looked up. The sky, already dark with smoke, turned a violent crimson. A massive Red Tower, constructed entirely of blood, materialized in the clouds.
"What the???"
He leaped backward, instinctively putting distance between himself and Night Ghost.
A figure formed from black smoke coalesced between them. It had the shape of a man, but its eyes were burning red coals, and its presence felt... wrong. Like a glitch in reality.
"Who are you?!" Marriott asked, gripping his swords.
"Master!!" Night Ghost screamed, peering through his bloodied fingers.
The figure glanced over its shoulder at Night Ghost, examining the gruesome scar.
"Oh, my subordinate. You suffered." The figure shook its head lightly, almost disappointedly, then turned back to Marriott.
"Do you know who I am?"
Marriott analyzed the entity. Its energy was unstable, fluctuating wildly but hitting peaks that terrified him. He nodded slowly. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
"You’re just a clone," he realized.
"This is a sliver of my consciousness I placed in my subordinate... It activates only in life-threatening situations." The figure closed its eyes briefly.
"It seems you have killed almost all the members of my organization, impressive."
He opened his palm. Space warped behind him, and two figures appeared.
"Huh?" Marriott was stunned.
