NOVPUBAs Donovan recounted his memories, Ethan finally understood. So, he was a casualty of family power struggles.
And shockingly—so was Lyla's grandfather.
"That means the family head position should've fallen to Lachlan Silverwood, right?
So why did Lyla's father inherit it instead?" Ethan asked, voicing his confusion.
Donovan shook his head. "The Silverwood family doesn't allow same-generation successions."
Ethan nodded in understanding. "Then it should've gone to Liam Silverwood. After all, he helped your eighth brother."
Donovan shook his head again. "Impossible. Liam isn't a direct descendant of the family head. He never had a chance."
"Only the family head's direct bloodline can inherit after his passing."
Ethan frowned. "But if Lachlan was ruthless enough to kill both you and the previous generation family head, couldn't he have just changed the rule?"
At those words, Donovan shot him a sharp glare. "Are you the reincarnation of 'Why-Do-Things-Work-This-Way'? I already said it's not possible. Some things simply can't be changed by human hands!
That's also why they locked me in here."
Saying this, he turned toward the statue behind him.
"I suppose… they needed my soul to suppress its power."
Ethan was baffled.
But Donovan clearly wasn't interested in explaining further.
Seeing his reaction, Ethan figured the statue—and even the patriarch's inheritance—was a deep family secret.
"Does your eighth brother have children?"
Donovan shook his head. "Like me, he never married or had kids."
Pfft—
Ethan snorted with laughter.
"What the hell are you laughing at, kid? …But fine, I owe you one this time. If not for you, I'd still be trapped in that illusion.
It should be time for the Decennial Gathering, right? Go find an expert in barrier magic among the guests and bring them here to take a look.
Right now, I can only stand up and sit down. I feel like I'm trapped in some kind of magic formation."
To prove his point, Donovan stood and stretched his hand forward, only for an invisible wall to stop him.
"Well, damn… That's crazy. But wait—how did your stone get through?"
Ethan had barely finished his sentence when Donovan casually flicked a pebble, catching it effortlessly as it phased through the barrier.
Then, with a lazy flick of his wrist—whizz!
The pebble shot out completely unaffected by the invisible boundary.
"Wait here. I know someone who's good with magic formations. I'll bring him over."
With that, Ethan turned to leave. After a few steps, he hesitated and glanced back.
"Oh, and when I come back—please, for the love of god, stop throwing stones everywhere."
Donovan rolled his eyes. "Just go already."
Soon enough, Ethan returned with Ryan, who immediately started circling Donovan like a vulture. A full hour passed, and Ryan was still pacing, inspecting, and muttering to himself.
Finally, Donovan lost his patience. His brows furrowed, and he growled, "Kid, are you a fucking donkey? What the hell, are you plowing a damn field around me?!"
Just get me the hell out of here!"
Ryan blinked, confused. "Weren't you asking me to break the formation?"
"Yeah… So break it and get me out!"
"Uh?" Ryan glanced between Donovan and Ethan, then asked, "Wait—do you want him out, or do you want the formation broken?"
Ethan's face twisted in confusion. "Is there a difference?"
"Of course there is! If he just wanted out, he could've said so. How was I supposed to know that's what he meant? You only said 'break the formation'—you never said he had to come out right now."
Ryan shrugged, looking completely innocent.
"Wait… Are you saying you can get me out without breaking the formation?" Donovan's brows furrowed.
"Yep. And I can even leave a fake version of you inside."
Both Ethan and Donovan's eyes lit up at that.
Seeing their expressions, Ryan smirked and got to work.
From a worn-out cloth pouch, he pulled out a runic parchment and a dark, unidentifiable slab of wood. He sat on the ground, taking out a small carving knife.
Ethan and Donovan watched in silence as he began engraving.
The first cut landed, and immediately—a drop of blood seeped from the wood.
Donovan's eyes widened. "Millennium Bloodwood?!"
Ryan remained focused, ignoring the outburst. Ethan had no idea what Millennium Bloodwood was, but judging by Donovan's reaction, it had to be something insane, otherwise, this old man wouldn't be so shocked.
Half an hour later, Ryan finished the first carving, then, without hesitation, he pulled out another identical slab and started on a second one.
This time, the process was significantly faster.
"Kid, I owe you a big one for this." Donovan gave Ryan a long, serious look.
Ryan didn't even glance up. Instead, he stared at the statue standing nearby and asked, "Your soul was bound here to suppress something, wasn't it?"
Donovan silently nodded. He hesitated for a moment—then said nothing more.
Ethan, however, found it strange. What's with this statue?
Wasn't it just a pompous old dude posing dramatically? Why was it suddenly giving off mysterious vibes?
He frowned and scanned the statue with his senses, but… nothing seemed off.
Ryan, still working, finally spoke again.
"This formation is a one-way seal—it only blocks spirit entities from leaving."
"I can get you out, but I can't sever your connection to it."
He pointed at the statue.
"I know." Donovan didn't seem fazed.
Ethan, however, wasn't satisfied.
"You know? Then how do we completely free you?"
Despite everything, Donovan was still someone Ethan trusted. Sure, he was technically responsible for Lyla going missing all those years ago, but if not for that, Ethan and Lyla never would've met.
Donovan lowered his head, lost in thought. After a long silence, he finally sighed and looked up.
His eyes flickered with an unknown emotion.
"It doesn't matter anymore. The Silverwood family today… is nothing like it used to be."
"Sigh… That statue isn't just a symbol. It's the core of this entire Hidden Territory. It's also the key to the Silverwood Family's defensive barrier.
And most importantly… the patriarch's inheritance is tied to it. Without its recognition, no one can truly control this place."
At those words, Ethan finally understood.
No wonder Donovan had said the family head position couldn't simply be taken by force.
So that was their goal all along—to extract Donovan's spirit and use it to manipulate whatever was inside the statue.
But where did this willpower inside the statue come from? And what exactly were they planning to do at the Decennial Gathering?
By all logic, Donovan should've died at the last gathering ten years ago. Yet, they had done nothing back then. Even back then, Dr. Aldric and Leeroy had attended.
Ethan's thoughts raced. The statue…
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Hey everyone, just wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who's been reading, commenting, and supporting this story.
I'll be taking a short break to recharge and sort out a few things, but don't worry, I'll be back soon, and when I return, updates will be more consistent like they used to be. Thanks for sticking with me
