Chapter 354 Simply Desiring Power
Near the entrance of the Green family's secret base in Starling City, James was anxiously pacing back and forth.
"Why hasn't Irving come out yet? Could it be that he's in danger inside? Should I go in to rescue him?" James felt an overwhelming sense of tension. He sensed that the situation with the Green family had become even more bizarre than before. Every time he looked at the secret base, it felt like he was gazing at a massive monster.
"If Irving can't defeat Jony, then even if I go in to save him, I probably won't succeed, right? What should I do now? Am I supposed to seek help from others?" James was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, not even noticing that Irving had walked up beside him.
"What are you thinking about?" Continue your journey with empire
When Irving's voice reached James's ears, he suddenly snapped to attention.
"You're finally out! I thought you might be in danger inside! I was just debating whether or not to go into the Green family's secret base to rescue you."
James's words made Irving laugh out loud.
"How could I possibly be in danger? Even if everyone in the Green family attacked me at once, they wouldn't be able to kill me. Even if I couldn't defeat them, I would still find a way to escape."
Having said that, Irving intended to lead James away. As they walked, Irving recounted his conversation with Jony word for word.
After hearing Irving's description, James's expression turned hesitant. After a moment, he slowly asked, "Do you really believe what Jony said? I can't shake the feeling that most of what he said is a lie. He might be trying to use you to kill Sophia.
After all, Sophia now possesses the power of the Blood Moon. If you really do kill her, that pendant you're holding might absorb the Blood Moon's power. Then Jony could effortlessly control the Blood Moon's power, and you would become his tool! I think you shouldn't act on Jony's advice."
James voiced what he believed was the most likely truth.
Irving nodded slowly. In reality, his judgment aligned closely with James's. He also felt that Jony was indeed using him as a pawn.
However, this was a very good opportunity for Irving, as at the very least, he could use the pendant in his hand to find Sophia. Even if Jony intended to seize the power of the Blood Moon, he wouldn't obstruct Irving from locating Sophia.
"I never expected that a father and daughter could have a conflict over the ownership of power," Irving said with a tone of disappointment.
James let out a cold laugh upon hearing this. "What's the big deal? For anyone who desires power, anyone who stands in their way becomes their mortal enemy. Even if those obstacles are family members, they would still try to kill them."
James's demeanor while saying this was somewhat strange. Irving sensed that James had likely experienced a similar situation in the past. So, he directly asked James, "Has your family also had incidents of relatives turning against each other over the struggle for power?"
James turned his face towards the car window, seemingly reluctant to answer Irving's question. However, after a moment of silence, he slowly replied, "Do you think I became the president of the Green Ivy Company by chance? Do you really believe there are no other talented individuals in the White family besides me?"
James paused here, clearly not intending to elaborate further. Irving also chose not to press the issue any longer. Thus, the two remained silent as they made their way back to the City of Warding.
When they arrived at Irving's doorstep, he tossed the keys to James. "I think you don't need me to escort you. You can drive home by yourself."
James nodded and drove away. Not long after James left, the door to Irving's home swung open, and Wendy hurried towards him.
Before Irving could react, Wendy rushed into his arms. "Why did you come back so late?! I thought you were in serious danger! I've been so worried about you!" Wendy spoke in a sorrowful tone, having waited anxiously for Irving's return.
Irving sighed, "Alright, alright! Don't be sad! The reason I'm back so late is that I ran into a series of troubles earlier. But I'll be at home for three days. After that, I'll head back into the Shelter Game world with others to carry out tasks."
Irving's response left Wendy feeling somewhat disappointed. She had expected Irving to stay home for a much longer time this time around.
However, Wendy was quick to adjust her emotions.
"Since you're only home for three days, you should take this time to rest. I'll make you lots of delicious food," Wendy said, pulling Irving back into the house.
The dining table was already filled with an array of dishes.
"These are all your favorites! After you finish eating, you can go rest!" Wendy said, smiling at Irving.
Irving was clearly touched. However, he didn't say much, as he felt he needed to maintain his emotional stability. He simply focused on quickly eating the food on the table while Wendy watched him with a constant smile.
On the Central Avenue of the City of Warding, James drove straight to the entrance of the Angel Guild headquarters. He had no intention of going home, as he didn't feel particularly safe there. Within his family, there were many individuals who were hostile towards him. These enemies would surely have learned about the events at the Green Ivy Company headquarters, and if James returned, they would undoubtedly press him for answers.
James chose to seek temporary refuge at the Angel Guild headquarters. Given the long-standing cooperation between James and the Angel Guild, its members were quite familiar with him. James encountered no obstacles as he made his way inside. He headed directly to Aron's office.
Aron showed no surprise at James's arrival. He simply said, "If I'm not mistaken, you're here to seek refuge, right? I've already heard about what happened at the Green Ivy Company headquarters. While this situation shouldn't be blamed on you, I believe others in your family will certainly take the opportunity to exploit it."
Aron spoke in a gentle tone.
James nodded. "You're right; they will definitely seize the chance to take advantage of me. That's why I can't return until I gain more powerful abilities or find stronger tools and weapons."
James's words made Aron feel somewhat reflective. His own relationship with his family wasn't particularly strong either. While there was no significant hostility from them towards Aron, they hadn't offered him much support either. As Aron became one of the longest-serving administrators of the Angel Guild, his connection with his family members diminished even further.
"By the way, Irving asked me to tell you about his conversation with Jony." Just as Aron was feeling a bit melancholic, James suddenly spoke up.
"Really? Irving actually asked you to share his conversation with Jony? Isn't that supposed to be a secret?" Aron looked puzzled.
In Aron's view, Jony would likely prefer that his conversation with Irving remain undisclosed.
"It is indeed a secret, but Irving trusts both of us very much. So, he wants us to be aware of this matter! If you don't believe me, you can ask him directly the next time he comes by."
After saying this, James recounted the conversation between Irving and Jony in full detail.
Aron's reaction mirrored James's. "This must be a trap! Your reasoning makes a lot of sense! Jony desires the power of the Blood Moon to such a pathological extent?! He actually wants to eliminate his own daughter?!"
Although Aron had been a member of the Angel Guild for a long time, he was still shocked by Jony's true intentions. Even after witnessing many dark aspects of human nature, he found it hard to believe that Jony would make such a decision.
"What is Irving planning to do? Is he really considering taking action as Jony suggested?" Aron didn't want to dwell on the matter any further, as he felt that the more he thought about it, the worse his mood would become.
"Irving said he would come back to see us in three days. He probably won't make a decision before that. Regardless, we must be prepared for battle. Once we enter the Shelter Game world, we will definitely clash with the Night Blades. Elder Astra will surely seize this opportunity to take revenge on us."
Aron agreed with James. He also knew that James had already discarded most of the weapons and tools he had. So, Aron directly offered James the weapons and tools owned by the Angel Guild.
"You can search the warehouse for some weapons that suit you well. In the upcoming battles, you cannot go in unarmed."
Aron led James to the warehouse.
James quickly found weapons that were well-suited to him. "You can take this time to familiarize yourself with the weapons. I will also provide you with a place to stay. I only have one requirement: don't disrupt the operations of the Angel Guild."
"Do you think I'm someone who loves to cause trouble?" James felt that Aron's reminder was a bit excessive, and it seemed to stem from a lack of trust in him.
Aron shook his head. "I'm not targeting you! Anyone temporarily staying at the Angel Guild receives the same warning. Even if Irving were here, he would get the same reminder."
After saying this, Aron chose to leave, as he had more matters within the Angel Guild to attend to.