Inside the Dawson Family Manor, Eric sat expressionlessly in his chair and asked the steward beside him, "Any news about the Ambrosia?"
There was a faint tone of anticipation in his voice.
Ever since activating the Red Orb, Eric had clearly felt something constantly slipping away from him. In recent days, he had grown noticeably weaker.
From what he understood, what he was losing was his lifespan—and it was still continuously draining away.
This was just the price of activating the Red Orb.
If he were to actually command Groudon, it would probably consume his remaining life directly.
He had previously consumed treasures that could increase one's lifespan, but they only granted him an extra ten or so years—far from enough to offset what he was losing now.
That was why he was desperate to find something that could prolong his life. And the Ambrosia could grant two hundred years of extra life—something he now craved more than anything.
The steward shook his head. "Master, there's no news yet. However, the Walker Family might have it. I heard that John Walker once consumed Ambrosia, and it was given to him by Julian. But as for whether this rumor is true, we still don't know."
Julian would certainly say it was true. Not only his grandfather, but his entire family had consumed Ambrosia. Does that make you envious?
"Julian again."
A flash of brutality crossed Eric's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and said, "Send someone to make contact with the Walker family. Remember, don't let them know it's us."
The steward nodded, then looked at Eric with concern. "Master, how is your condition now?"
In the entire Dawson Family, the person Eric trusted the most wasn't his sons—but rather this steward, who had served him faithfully for over fifty years.
Even the secret of the Red Orb was known only to this man—something Eric hadn't even told his own sons.
The steward was well aware of the side effects of activating the Red Orb. As long as the orb remained activated, Eric's lifespan would continue to drain away until he was completely drained dry or found a way to deactivate the orb.
"I'm not going to die yet," Eric shook his head.
He was quite clear about his physical condition. He could hold on until Groudon reached Victoria.
"Is Julian still at the hotel?"
"Yes, sir. Our people have been watching him. He hasn't left his room today," the steward replied.
Ever since Julian arrived in Victoria, his every move had been under their surveillance.
"Meta~"
"Who's there?!"
The sudden voice made the steward shout in alarm.
Eric turned to see Julian and Metagross appear before them.
Thud!
Metagross dropped two bodies on the ground.
The steward stared at the two corpses on the floor—these were the men he had sent to keep watch on Julian. Clearly, they had been discovered… and killed.
"Champion Walker, showing up uninvited is hardly the behavior of a guest."
The steward's face was cold as he warily watched Julian and Metagross. At the same time, his hand, hidden in his pocket, pressed the alarm button.
Guards across the manor immediately began to rush over.
"Guest?"
Julian shook his head. "I'm no guest. If I were, I'd be an unwelcome one. Don't you agree, Patriarch Eric?"
Eric slowly rose from his seat, fixed his gaze on Julian, and said calmly, "Julian, state your purpose."
Julian looked at him. The shadow of Groudon behind Eric had become much more solid than before—it seemed Groudon was getting closer and closer to Victoria.
"Of course, I came here to kill you."
His tone was mild, yet carried unmistakable killing intent.
"Hahaha! Julian… are you sure you're not joking?"
Eric fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter again. Pointing at himself, he said, "Kill me?"
Julian smiled. "I know you've already reached the Champion-level as a Trainer."
Eric didn't bother denying it—he nodded directly, then asked curiously, "Since you already know that, why do you still think you can kill me?"
"Even if your strength surpasses mine, as long as I stay in Victoria, there's nothing you can do. Even if Duke comes, he won't be able to do anything." His words were filled with certainty.
After all, even two Elite-level Trainers fighting within a city could cause massive destruction and casualties—let alone a battle between two Champions.
A single stray attack from such a fight would be enough to destroy one-tenth of Victoria.
So, attempting to kill a Champion in a city was nothing short of a pipe dream—unless one was willing to disregard the city and the lives of its millions of inhabitants.
Eric had the entire population of Victoria—30 million people—as his hostages.
Unless Drakoria evacuated all 30 million people, but if that happened, Eric wouldn't just sit back and wait for his fate.
For Julian to claim that he would kill him here, Eric could only think that the man had lost his mind.
Did he think this was a battle arena, with protective barriers to block the shockwaves?
Besides, with current technology, the protective barriers in battle arenas could only temporarily withstand the aftermath of a battle between Champion-level Pokémon. They would shatter if the fight dragged on.
"It seems you're quite confident," Julian said with a smile. The more confident Eric was, the harder the slap in the face would be.
Eric's expression shifted slightly. "Don't tell me you're planning to ignore the lives of thirty million people just to fight me?"
If that was really Julian's plan, then no matter whether he won or lost, his reputation would be utterly destroyed. The entire nation would condemn him, and even the Elder Council wouldn't be able to protect him.
"No, no, no."
Julian wagged a finger. "I'm not a lunatic."
He then lifted Jirachi from his arms and said, "Let me introduce you: Jirachi, a Steel-type Mythical Pokémon. Oh, and the most important point—it's a First-class Legendary."
The Pokémon's name, type, and the fact that it was a Mythical were things Julian had publicly announced, so Eric was already aware of them.
However, Julian had not revealed its exact strength.
Still, as a Mythical Pokémon, people speculated that its power would certainly not be low—it should at least be at the Pseudo-Champion level.
But now, Julian was claiming that it was a First-class Legendary.
Eric could no longer maintain his composure. With a thud, he sprang up from his chair again, staring intently at the harmless-looking Pokémon, and said in disbelief, "It's a First-class Legendary?!"
"Jira~"
Jirachi raised its head and nodded proudly. "Yes."
The telepathic voice echoed directly in Eric's mind.
"So this is your reliance. But if you command a First-class Legendary, aren't you afraid of the backlash?" Eric now had no choice but to believe Julian's words.
Because if Jirachi wasn't a First-class Legendary, he couldn't fathom how Julian planned to kill him in Victoria.
After all, if Julian had the help of a First-class Legendary, it would be all too simple.
Comparing a Champion to a First-class Legendary was like pitting a newborn against an adult—there was no hope of victory. Even if this First-class Legendary didn't seem particularly adept at combat, it would only need to lift a finger to deal with him.
"I'm the one who will kill you. Jirachi is just here to lend me a hand," Julian shook his head. He had never considered having Jirachi kill Eric.
*****
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