Chapter 927: Alternate Timeline: Save the King

A while later, the helicopter landed in a deserted area on the outskirts.

The moment the helicopter touched down, she dismissed it and summoned her Light Multirole Vehicle.

With little ceremony, Caleb Crescent was placed in the back seat.

Zion drove through the quiet streets of Ironvale City, located far away from the Royal City of Lunaris, until they encountered a patrol of eight soldiers already searching for the mysterious intruder.

Kiara presented her invitation letter.

The captain examined the royal seal and the king’s signature.

Questions filled his mind.

Was this guest arriving late?

Or absurdly early?

But the seal was genuine, and that was enough.

A royal order was like a sword hanging over one’s neck. Wise men did not test its sharpness.

He returned the letter and bowed politely.

"How may I assist you, Milady?"

Kiara replied, "I need an inn. The cost does not matter. I only want a quiet place to freshen up and then sleep."

The captain answered immediately.

"There is an inn called the Boar’s Den. It is well known for its peaceful atmosphere."

Kiara followed his directions.

At the inn, she arranged for servants to bathe Caleb Crescent and dress him in clean clothes after introducing him as her uncle. Of course, a hefty amount of gold coins is provided to keep their mouths shut, not to report to the authorities because of Caleb’s unconscious state.

As for herself, she refused the maids to serve her, and she bathed alone, lying in the tub with warm water that was infused with medicinal herbs.

After traveling for half an hour, while adjusting in the rear seat with the unconscious Caleb, who smelled like a rotten corpse due to not having bathed for a decade... Kiara felt disgusted to have that stinky smell on her clothes.

She had a good, warm bath, tossed away those clothes for good, and wore a nice set of wear, taken from her inventory.

Though it was still early morning, the owner was exceptionally cooperative. Royal guests tended to inspire remarkable enthusiasm.

Even after the old king was washed and changed, he did not awaken.

His breathing remained steady.

His eyes stayed shut.

Kiara frowned.

"Is he in a coma?"

When she inspected him again, no such status appeared.

That left only one source of answers.

She turned to the system.

The response came immediately.

[Ding! The Seal of Doom placed on King Caleb Crescent is stronger than a standard version. As a result, his consciousness has been sealed along with his ether energy.]

[Ding! You have triggered the hidden quest: Break the Seal of Doom.]

Quest: Break the Seal of Doom

Description: A Legendary realm (8-star rank) expert cast a unique sealing technique known as the Seal of Doom upon King Caleb Crescent before he was imprisoned in the Prison. Break the seal and save the victim.

Reward: Unique Skill – Seal Breaker

Kiara’s eyes lit up.

"Seal Breaker?" she murmured. "System, explain."

[Seal Breaker allows the host to remove any type of seal as long as its grade is below Ancient.]

(Seal grades: 1st to 10th tier < Earth < Sky < Heaven < Ancient < Mythical)

Kiara’s lips curled into a smile beneath the mask.

"That is an excellent reward."

Free rewards were like finding gold hidden beneath a floorboard. One never complained about them.

But the next thought arrived immediately.

"Now, how am I supposed to break the seal? I don’t know any methods. System, do you have any solutions, or should I find it on my own?"

The system provided three answers as if it were waiting for Kiara to ask.

[Ding! Solution 1: Use 1 billion EP (ether points) to forcibly destroy the seal.]

[Ding! Solution 2: Purchase a high-grade purification stone from the store and nullify the seal.]

[Ding! Solution 3: Exchange the EC665 Attack Helicopter with the system for temporary access to Protos energy reserves and remove the seal.]

Kiara stared at the holographic screen.

Her hopeful expression slowly collapsed.

She let out a long sigh and rubbed her forehead.

"Does the system hold some secret grudge against me?" she muttered. "Not a single one of these options is remotely practical."

One billion ether points.

A platinum-grade purification stone.

Or the sacrifice of her beloved attack helicopter.

Her lips twitched.

There were some choices in life that were difficult, and then there were choices that were so absurd they felt like a cruel joke.

However, Kiara did not even need a second to decide on this one.

She had neither the strength to brute-force the seal nor the heart to part with her attack helicopter. As for purification stone, she didn’t have the money to buy it.

The battle tank she had traded before was another matter entirely. That exchange had brought her the divine sword Lux, and Lux had transformed Zion into a walking powerhouse. That trade had been painful, yes, but worthwhile.

This?

This was different.

Kiara turned her head and looked at the unconscious Caleb Crescent, who lay motionless on the bed like an old tree trunk that had been uprooted and forgotten by the roadside.

The old king’s beard was now clean, his clothes fresh, and his face no longer caked with prison filth or smelled rotten, but that did not change the essential question.

Was this man’s life worth her attack helicopter?

Her answer came swiftly and without ceremony.

"No."

She folded her arms and leaned back in the chair.

"Sorry, old man," she muttered inwardly. "You may have worn a crown once, but even a king cannot ask me to trade away my helicopter."

The decision settled in her mind with surprising ease.

There was no need to force the issue.

She could simply deliver Caleb Crescent to the royal palace and let fate play its own game.

If the palace chose to present him to the world as proof that Edward Crescent was an imposter, then so be it.

If they buried the truth again, that too was their burden to carry.

As the saying goes, if two brothers fight over a throne, the sword may be sharp, but it is not meant for the hands of passing strangers.

Kiara exhaled and waved dismissively at the system screen.

"Forget the quest," she said. "I will hand this old man to the royal family and let them untangle their own knot."

At this point in her life, combat aircraft were more precious to her than warships.

A submarine could hide beneath the sea like a patient crocodile.

A destroyer could dominate the waves like a floating fortress.

But an attack helicopter?

That was freedom with spinning blades.

That was thunder on command.

That was her treasured steel hawk.

And Kiara was not about to clip its wings.

But the system, as always, did not retreat after the first refusal.

The system was like a seasoned merchant in a bustling bazaar. If the customer rejected the silk, it would quietly reveal the velvet hidden beneath the counter.

A new notification appeared.

[Ding! The host can use the purification stone first and pay later.]

Kiara straightened in her seat.

"Pay later?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "You mean in credits?"

The response came at once.

[Ding! 1 credit = 5 gold coins. The purification stone costs 50,000 credits. A debt of 250,000 gold coins will be added to the account.]

Kiara nearly choked.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins?"

Her voice rose so sharply that Zion, standing nearby like a silent sentinel, turned his head slightly.

She looked at the screen as though it had just demanded one of her kidneys.

"Are you insane?"