Chapter 203: Resolved
Although Kai completely destroyed Thorax’s body, he made sure to keep his soul intact. Technically, Thorax was dead, but because Kai held on to his soul, he didn’t enter the reincarnation cycle. So instead of being dead, Thorax was actually in limbo.
"W-What are you doing?! We needed information out of him, not him dead!" The king nearly lost his mind. Hero or not, he would not allow for this, especially when his family’s lives are on the line.
"Relax, I know what I’m doing. Simply prying information out of his mind isn’t going to work. We need to break him first." Kai could have technically read his mind, but he didn’t want to since this method was more fun.
Slowly, Thorax’s body started reconstructing itself, blood, guts, and body parts moving in reverse as if time had reversed. Eventually, Thorax’s body had been fully reconstructed as if he had never been obliterated in the first place.
However, because his mind and soul weren’t inside his body, his eyes were staring off into space, and he started drooling.
"Time to get back in there." Kai threw Thorax’s soul back into his body, jolting him awake.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" He patted his body, remembering that he literally had been killed.
"W-What happened?! What did you do to me?" Fear crept into his mind as he slowly backed away from Kai. He didn’t want to experience that again.
"Get away from me!"
Kai rolled his eyes. "Just tell us your whole master plan, bla, bla, bla, and we’ll let you go."
Thorax’s eyes were shaking, fear plastered on his face, and his body would not stop trembling. "I-I just have to tell you, right?"
Kai smiled and nodded.
"I-I’ve been plotting your downfall since you were chosen as King, b-brother. I was jealous, and then you married her." He pointed to the queen. "I’ve loved her all my life, but not only did she choose you, you also had a child with her! I was crushed. After that moment, I set everything in motion to have you killed, but you’ve always escaped my grasp. So I turned to your daughter instead. But that bastard hero ruined everything."
"Ha, I’m always happy to help." Kai gave Thorax a thumbs-up.
"I even teamed up with demons to kill you! They were going to let me rule when the demon king took over the continent, but again, he ruined everything." He was talking about Kai again.
"Wow, I’m just really helpful, huh?"
"But it doesn’t matter, because I have one last plan that’s in operation. None of you will make it out alive, and I’ll finally be able to rule this kingdom!"
"For being the Land of Grace, you sure arent Graceful." Kai shook his head.
"What is this plan of yours? Talk!" The king grabbed Thorax by the collar of his shirt and yanked him around.
"Hehehe! I have men everywhere! You think you caught all of them? Well, think again! My hands and feet, eyes and ears are always operational, and you cant do anything to stop it! Who knows, these guards might be working for me as well. Hahahaha!"
"Dammit! Send word to the head of security in the castle. We need to interrogate every person in the castle." The king demanded a guard.
"No need. I got this." Kai squatted, looking Thorax in the eyes as he read his mind. Everything he said was true. While he did omit things, it was more so to make his story shorter than to not give out information.
Kai searched for the people working for Thorax, and luckily for him, he found them pretty quickly. After leaving his mind, Kai reached out into the air, and his mana exploded. Tendrils of mana flew all over the room and into every part of the castle.
They snagged up every person who was in the pockets of Duke Thorax and dragged all 50 of them into the throne room.
"This is everyone, your majesty." Kai bowed.
"H-How?! T-That’s impossible!" Thorax how no idea how Kai knew these people worked for him and how he managed to drag them all here. All he knew was that he was fucked.
"Lock them all up! We’ll interrogate them!" The king demanded.
"You don’t have to worry about that. They are only here to take over the place from the inside. You know, the classic manipulation, sabotage, bla bla bla. As for the others who follow Thorax, you already got them."
The king nodded, impressed by Kai’s abilities and how he made things very efficient.
"Very well. Take them to the dungeon. We’ll execute them later. Have my brother join them as well."
The guards nodded and did as the king asked.
"Thank you for your help, Kai. Without you, we could have been in trouble." The king and queen bowed.
"It’s no problem. I am the hero after all." Kai was honestly getting tired of saying that, but he was retiring soon, so he decided to bear with it for now.
"How about you stay for dinner?" The queen suggested.
"Yeah! Stay, Kai!" Tyria pulled his arm and looked at him with pleading eyes.
"I appreciate the offer, but I have to get going. I’m still in school, and apparently, I have to appear at the Hero Academy Festival in three days. So I should prepare for that."
"Very well. Our doors will be open for you at any time. Take care."
"You too."
Kai said his goodbyes to the royal family, plus Annabeth, then teleported back to his home.
When he arrived, he saw all of his girls waiting for him.
"Kai, you’re finally here! Where were you?" Gwen gave him a kiss and led him to the couch to sit on.
"Ha, funny story actually. You remember Tyria?"
"Are you seriously asking me if I remember the freaking princess? Of course I do! Did you meet her or something?"
"Yup, ran into her while getting you all food. She took me back to the castle, and I met her parents. Her mom is a hottie. Would smash, no cap."
"Wow, you got to meet the King and Queen? That’s amazing." Vanessa said as she rested her head on his lap.
"Yup. I also helped solve an ongoing problem that was going on. Gwen, you remember her uncle...."