Gargoyle Supremacy-Chapter 53: I Become the Enemy of the State

Gawain faltered. Overwhelmed by the guilt of harming an innocent bystander, he extended his hand, attempting to heal Wong. His voice was filled with remorse, "I’m sorry, I—"

Carn ignored the knight’s apology. He infused his fist with a concentrated burst of Aether. Without hesitation, Carn drove his fist into Gawain’s stomach.

*BOOM*

The impact caved in the knight’s plate armor, sending him staggering five steps back. The struck area turned gray as the petrification curse of Carn’s Aether Fist spread across Gawain’s armor. Within two seconds, the entire suit, except for his helmet, was turned to stone.

Gawain roared, resisting the curse from reaching his soul. His body erupted in a surge of holy power. The stone armor encasing him shattered, revealing a headless humanoid mass of black fog.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

The disembodied helmet floated above him, reconnecting with his shoulders as if guided by an unseen force. The shattered stone fragments transformed into black armor shards, which reassembled themselves around Gawain, reforging his protective shell.

Carn narrowed his eyes, recognizing the complexity of Gawain’s undead nature, his holy power, and his apparent immunity to the petrification curse. This wasn’t an opponent he could dispatch quickly or recklessly.

Prioritizing his mother’s safety, Carn wrapped his arms around Wong and activated his teleportation spell. In a flash, they vanished from the scene.

-

After Carn’s abrupt retreat, Gawain groaned, dropping to one knee as the previous punch almost shattered his soul. His glowing helmet tilted toward the crowd as he shouted orders.

"The entity has teleported away! He’s heading northwest, 550 meters! Move out!"

The hunter teams snapped back to attention, scrambling into action. APCs and vans roared to life as agents boarded, following Gawain’s directions. Helicopters above shifted formation, their rotors slicing through the air as they adjusted course to pursue Carn.

Arthur, who had been silently observing, stepped forward. His narrowed eyes glinted with satisfaction as he addressed Gawain.

"So, what’s your verdict? Is that kiddy brat the infamous demon lord?"

Gawain scoffed, straightening to his full height. "There’s no mistaking it. That petrification curse and the force behind his punch… those belong to Demon Lord Pebble. Your suspect is him."

Arthur’s face lit up with a triumphant grin. He spread his arms wide and turned to the surroundings, gloating about his victory.

"HEAR THAT, KIDDY CARN?! YOUR COVER IS BLOWN! THIS IS MY WIN!!"

Gawain’s helmet turned slightly toward Arthur for a moment, and he shook his head in disapproval. The knight sighed internally at the detective’s self-serving bravado.

His gaze shifted toward the five agents Carn had killed earlier. Their bodies lay motionless, stripped of the corrupted Aether that had once plagued them.

From the start, Gawain had long sensed their corruption. He could have acted against them himself, but he had chosen to respect the jurisdiction of this world’s laws. Now, after witnessing Carn’s ruthless act, he couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

Was Carn still the same benevolent demon lord who had fended off corrupted human hero Ariel and rescued the Kirin Kingdom, the Mother Tree, and the dragoons from the cunning humans?

There were two sides to this story, and both bore the responsibility for their actions. Gawain couldn’t deny the chaos that was initiated by Carn, but he also recognized the provocations and misunderstandings that had led to this point.

Deep down, Gawain believed that reconciliation was still possible. If his apology and dialogue could clarify the misunderstandings, perhaps Carn might even be convinced to join their cause.

Contemplating this, Gawain turned to Arthur and issued a cautious warning.

"I think we’ve made a mistake. Let’s stop the pursuit and leave him be for now. If we sit down and have an honest discussion, we might still correct this misunderstanding, and perhaps convince him to join our side."

Arthur paused mid-step and slowly turned to face Gawain. He placed a finger against his cheek, pushing it upward to exaggerate the expression into something unsettlingly cheerful.

"No. A dangerous existence like him needs to be contained or destroyed for the peace of the world. And let’s be clear, YOU, and I mean, YOU made a mistake. Who asked you to strike first? It was your fault for escalating the situation without my consent, wasn’t it? YOU… injured the woman. Not ME!"

Gawain remained silent, accepting the blame. Still, Arthur’s tone annoyed him.

Arthur’s smile widened, "Oh? No response? Then who asked you to send my men charging after him? Call some of them back right now! I want his house searched, and I want that corrupted artifact!"

A flicker of something dangerous crossed Gawain’s eyes. He took a step closer to Arthur, leaning down so their faces were nearly level. His voice dropped to a growling snarl.

"Don’t take my aid for granted, human. I’m helping you because the Lich King and his undead legions threaten this world, not because I’m some lapdog to follow your orders."

Arthur’s expression shifted, his smug confidence faltering for the first time. A steely glint replaced the mockery in his eyes, and his tone turned ice-cold. "Deflecting, heh? You monsters are all the same. You think you’re untouchable because of your power. But let me remind you, Gawain, you’re not the only one wielding divine power."

As Arthur spoke, a gold figure emerged behind him. The female divine spirit, ethereal and radiating an unnerving energy, wrapped her arms around Arthur’s shoulders, leaning possessively into him. She sneered at Gawain in disdain as she kissed Arthur’s cheek.

Gawain’s frown deepened. The sight of the divine spirit clinging to Arthur struck him as both disturbing and repugnant. It wasn’t just her presence, but it was the obnoxious dynamic between them that fell out of place.

Their intimate exchanges implied one thing.

They were in a relationship.

Disgusted by the relationship between a spirit and a cocky human, Gawain scoffed and turned away.

"I’m leaving. I won’t be working with you anymore."

Arthur let out a bark of laughter, dismissing Gawain, "Suit yourself. I’ll call for ECD agents to pick you up. Honestly, I don’t need you anymore. Shoo-shoo! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out."

As Gawain began to walk away, he hesitated and looked back, his resolve shifting. The seed of doubt in his soul had firmly taken root. Questions about Arthur, the divine spirit, and even his own role in this conflict haunted his mind.

Rather than returning to the ECD facility to face containment and further manipulation, Gawain made a bold decision. He turned in the direction of Carn’s trace, determined to follow him. His aim was not to fight but to reconcile with the demon lord and seek the truth behind this tangled web of misunderstandings.

Behind him, Arthur and the divine spirit exchanged a smug glance, seemingly unbothered by the departure of their supposed ally.