Chapter 91 – Zod Cooper
The moment Gavin spoke, every eye turned toward the warehouse's landlord.
"I… I don't understand what you're talking about," Barton muttered, lowering his head as he adjusted his glasses. He was a balding middle-aged man, his expression clouded with guilt.
Gavin grit his teeth. His mind flashed back to what had happened not long ago inside the warehouse.
---
"Barton, are you sure this thing can neutralize the plague gas?"
"Master Gavin, rest assured," Barton had replied smoothly. "I procured it from the tribes."
Gavin had stared uneasily at the lump of flesh in his hand.
As an illegitimate child of the Cooper clan, he was born without inheritance rights. His life had been one of boredom wrapped in luxury—pleasant, but empty. He had assumed it would remain that way until his death.
But then he met Ophelia at a tavern.
She was fiery, vibrant, full of life.
From her, Gavin received something he had long yearned for—respect.
And so he fell helplessly in love with her, even though she was the daughter of a rival family.
For her, he was willing to do anything—even betray the Cooper clan's greatest secret, the "hounds."
But secrets don't stay hidden.
He was strung up in the Cooper clan's training kennels, a bloodstained chamber of horrors. After brutal torture and veiled threats against his mother, he confessed his relationship with Ophelia.
To his shock, the family didn't forbid the romance. Instead, they encouraged it—urging him to continue.
That was when the nightmare truly began.
Manipulated rendezvous, endless lies… their love became a weapon in the Cooper clan's feud with their enemies.
Gavin wanted to quit, but there was no turning back.
Then came the day Ophelia begged him to steal a Cooper hound.
That was when Gavin realized Ophelia's feelings weren't as pure as he'd believed.
Devastated, he confessed everything to his clan, hoping to sever himself from the trap. But almost instantly, he regretted it. Logic couldn't smother the ache of his attachment.
His brother Zod, however, really did hand him a hound.
From that point, Gavin began to see more clearly. He secretly investigated and discovered that the beast carried the plague's taint. If Ophelia used it in her experiments, she would become a monster like the rest.
"So this is the Cooper clan's goal…?"
At last, Gavin resolved to save Ophelia.
He sought out Barton, the man who supplied meat to the Cooper hounds. Barton had agreed readily to help, preparing a lump of flesh infused with tribal herbs and charms said to suppress plague energy.
And thus the "warehouse incident" was set in motion.
Before the experiment began, Gavin had already fed the tainted meat to the hound. He thought it would shield Ophelia, thought he could protect her while still obeying Zod's orders.
His plan failed catastrophically.
When Ophelia released the beast for her trial, it mutated into the abomination that now terrorized the warehouse.
In a desperate bid to save her, Gavin was swallowed whole—and awoke only to this ghastly half-life.
---
"You gave me meat from the plague zone," Gavin roared now, eyes wild. "You were in on it! You were the ones raising mon—"
He was cut off by a sudden barked command.
"Barton! How dare you!"
The crowd turned sharply. A tall, cold-eyed man had stepped forward.
"Zod Cooper."
The name rippled in a hushed murmur through the onlookers.
Zod wore a knee-length leather coat, his back straight and rigid like a hound standing guard over its territory.
At his signal, two men emerged from the crowd. One of them struck Barton in the gut.
"Gah—!" Barton staggered, coughing blood, only to feel a small pill forced down his throat.
His eyes went wide. Moments later, he discovered he couldn't speak.
"Tie him up," Zod ordered coolly.
Then his gaze slid to Gavin.
"And you, mongrel… conspiring with outsiders, raising abominations, and even daring to steal from your own clan."
When he said "outsiders," his eyes flicked deliberately toward Sadie. The implication was obvious.
Sadie's brow furrowed. She knew she couldn't stay silent.
"Mr. Cooper, isn't it a bit premature to draw such conclusions?" she asked evenly. "Gavin clearly hadn't finished speaking."
"Hmph." Zod snorted. "And how much trust would you place in the words of a man already turned into a wraith?"
"If his words can't be trusted," another voice cut in, calm but sharp, "then why silence Barton the moment he was about to respond?"
It was Gideon Black, the priest. He gestured casually toward the restrained landlord.
"And why was the timing so… convenient?"
Zod's brow furrowed as he turned his gaze on Gideon.
"And who exactly are you?"
"Just a passing priest."
Zod narrowed his eyes. The man's robes bore no church insignia. Likely not one of the clergy's higher ranks.
"Outsiders have no right to meddle in the affairs of demon hunters," Zod declared flatly. Then he turned to an elderly man in ceremonial tribal garb.
"Honored Priest, to prevent the spread of plague, I must ask you to banish this monster."
As he spoke, Zod cast a meaningful glance to one of his clansmen. The man immediately advanced on Gideon, drawing a dagger.
"So, brute force then," Gideon murmured, stroking his chin.
The clansman lunged, blade flashing—then froze, stunned.
His dagger was no longer in his hand. It was twirling idly between Gideon's fingers.
Worse, his belt had been neatly sliced. With a humiliating thump, his trousers slipped down to his ankles.
"In addition to reciting scripture," Gideon remarked mildly, "I've picked up a few hand-to-hand skills."
Zod's frown deepened. He had barely registered the priest's movement. Was this man more than he appeared?
And then—
"Oh… such pure holy power," the tribal elder exclaimed suddenly, rushing forward. He pressed a hand to his chest and bowed respectfully before Gideon.
"Thank you for preventing the evil spirit's spread."
Gideon arched a brow, but nodded.
Sadie leaned closer, whispering quickly:
"The tribes have fought against darkness for centuries. They don't pledge themselves to any faction."
"I see." Gideon's eyes glinted with understanding.
Then he looked back at Zod.
"Now… can we let Gavin finish his story?"
Zod's face hardened. His eyes locked on Gideon, cold and sharp as knives.
This time, Zod truly found himself unlucky. He hadn't expected a mysterious priest to suddenly intervene halfway through his plan.
Now that even the High Priest stood on the stranger's side, Zod knew his scheme had failed.
Seeing the head of the Cooper family fall silent, Gideon smiled faintly and turned his gaze back to Gavin.
Sadie looked at Gideon with admiration, silently thankful she had invited him.
Ralph, meanwhile, shifted awkwardly, trying to stand between the two.
Around them, the crowd murmured in hushed tones. The Cooper family's arrogance had long been a source of resentment, and seeing their heir stumble now, many secretly thought it was well deserved.
"Please continue, Mr. Gavin. You don't have much time left."
Gideon pointed at the abomination, its body beginning to unravel.
Gavin's eyes widened. He hadn't expected even his brother Zod to be helpless before this priest. At the same time, he could feel his own life draining away.
At death's door, Gavin resolved to speak the truth—he couldn't let Miss Ophelia's family carry an unjust stigma.
But then, he froze.
Zod had pulled a silk banknote from his coat—the very keepsake Gavin had once gifted his mother.
Gavin opened his mouth, and what came out was a different "truth."
In this version, it was Barton who had bred the abomination. Gavin, desperate for Ophelia's love, had stolen a family hound to offer her.
Yes—it was a lie. But at least it cleared the Allard family's name. And in that small deception lay Gavin's final act of rebellion against his own bloodline.
The crowd erupted, furious eyes turning toward the warehouse landlord.
Gideon narrowed his gaze. The goal was achieved, but he knew Gavin had not spoken honestly.
"A threat…" he thought, glancing at Zod without knowing what exactly had been done.
"Miss Sadie, I have something to tell you."
Gavin's sudden words caught her off guard. But Gideon stopped Sadie—entering the warehouse before the exorcism was complete was far too dangerous.
Gavin seemed to understand, so he mouthed two silent words: Mother. Mental resistance.
Then, with a final glance at Zod, he let his message settle in Sadie's mind.
Moments later, Gavin exhaled for the last time—his breath gone, his story ended.