Reborn as the Failed Lord with my Resource Gathering System. - Chapter 207

Chapter 207: She yearns for you.
“Who are you?”

Dorian asked, making sure he was holding her neck tight enough that there would be no way she could escape.

Yet, his question hung in the air for a long time.

In that brief moment, he noticed two things.

The first was the obsessive smile on the woman’s face as she stared into his eyes, not even a single hint of fear that she was held down to the ground.

And the second was the fact she was holding onto his hand, rubbing it up and down as though trying to feel his entire body.

“It really is you. Ahh~ I can’t believe this is happening.”

Dorian raised a brow, wondering what she was talking about.

[Information on said target has been identified.]

[Target has been identified as a witch. She bears the name Bonnie, a powerful witch said to have existed for hundreds of years.]

Dorian immediately frowned.

“She sent you, didn’t she?” Those were the next words that left his lips.

“Should I take that as you wanting to finally meet her? Yes, please do! The Witch God has been so eager to see your presence!”

Dorian’s eyes widened again.

Her words confirmed it just now. Yahoshi was still in this world, and this Bonnie individual knew where she was.

“You know where she is, don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, I do. Just say the word and I will take you to her. Rest assured, Demon Lord, the Witch God is willing to meet you whenever you want. Those around you are but thorns stopping her.”

“Stop!!!”

Yelena screamed, still seated at the edge of the chair.

Her eyes were turned toward the witch, flames already swirling around her body, threatening to turn into a fiery storm.

Dorian and the witch were quick to look toward her location, and it wasn’t just them. Most of the students who had been unaware of the situation immediately turned their gazes there.

“Don’t take my brother with you! That wasn’t what I agreed on!”

Yelena’s eyes burned with fury.

The flames around her grew even larger, burning both the chair and Ciel, who was standing unbothered at the back.

In response to her outrage, Bonnie frowned, carrying a disgusted look on her face.

“Huh? Perhaps I didn’t hear you right? But did you just—tell me what to do?”

Still holding onto Dorian’s hand, she slowly began to squeeze tight, her face getting contorted in anger.

“Don’t you dare speak like you have a say on the matter, you damn fake!!! I’ll murder you if I hear another word!!!”

While Dorian and Ciel were shocked by the sudden outburst, Yelena didn’t seem that surprised. Instead, she herself seemed mad, her eyes widening as the flames continued to spread even wider.

Without uttering a single word, she stood up from the chair and pointed at the witch.

“Get away from my brother. I might as well kill you now that I have the chance.”

In the blink of an eye, Dorian had considered himself an outsider.

There was obviously something happening, but even he could not figure it out in the moment.

That said, one thing was certain. At the rate at which the flames around Yelena were growing, there was a high chance she could kill a lot of students if she was not stopped.

Looking around, Dorian could already see many of the students running as the flames poured to the ground like rain, burning anything they touched.

‘This won’t end well.’

Dorian then turned to look at Ciel.

“Cei—”

He was just about to tell Ciel to stop Yelena before she destroyed everything. Or at least he tried.

Not a single letter after, and Yelena had charged forward, her eyes glowing, her fist clenched.

Standing beside Dorian, she locked her fist, ready to slam it right on the face of the witch.

Bonnie, seeing that she was already a target, smiled crazily and then uttered a single word—

“Doom.”

Dorian, once again being able to sense the danger, acted as quickly as he could.

Stretching his hand to the side, he summoned his shield—

[The earth shield Agnois has been activated.]

The entire school instantly got shielded under his barrier, blocking away the strange rocks that were falling from the sky.

Even though he acted quickly, a few rocks still managed to land right inside the school.

Some on the rooftops.

Some right on top of a few students, instantly ending their lives.

“Shit! Ciel!!!”

Dorian screamed.

Ciel nodded, understanding what he was asking her to do.

She quickly charged away, grabbing as many students as she could away from the strange purple glowing rocks.

In the meantime, Dorian used his other hand to hold Yelena, his voice ringing into her ears.

“Yelena! You need to stop right now! You’re going to burn this entire place to the ground if you don’t!”

Yelena almost instantly calmed down.

She looked at him, the anger on her face clearing, giving way to a small confusion.

“Brother…”

“Listen to me, right now I ne—”

Boom!!!

An explosive sound echoed from a far distance, along with the sudden screams of students as well.

Dorian immediately looked over to the source of the sound and noticed the rocks that had managed to land on the school grounds were now splitting apart and exploding.

But that wasn’t all.

Walking out of the smoke were large-sized monsters, their arms long enough to touch the ground as they walked, along with claws that easily dug into the earth as though it was made of butter.

Their skins were dark and transparent, their eyes round and empty, scanning even the tiniest details around them.

As they walked out of the rocks, the first thing they did was search for the areas with the most crowd, and then they slowly walked toward there.

The security agents around the area, who were already yelling at the students to evacuate, could only stare at the giants. Not a single hint of confidence hinted on their faces.

This was the first time Dorian had seen such monsters.

They weren’t demons. They weren’t witches either. Yet, the pressure they emitted was strong enough to make even an elite Dragon Monarch like him take a step back.

“Brother… what are those things?” Yelena asked, her voice barely a whisper, the flames around her body dying down completely.

He didn’t answer her. Instead, he raised his gaze toward the witch, Bonnie, who was now standing unbothered, her smile returning to her face, even widening, while holding her staff.

“They’re called the Doom Walkers,” she said, answering the question for him. “The perfect monsters to distract the tiny ants while we continue our conversation.”

Dorian’s eyes narrowed.

“Is that what you call those students? Ants?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“What else are they, Demon Lord? They’re weak, fragile, and utterly useless,” Bonnie sneered, finally letting go of his hand and taking a step back, her attention now fully on the approaching monsters. “They are merely sacrifices for a greater cause.”

Dorian was enraged. Not only did she attack the school, but she also killed some of the students and created a distraction with these powerful creatures.

“You’re not going anywhere, witch,” Dorian growled, tightening his grip on Yelena before gently pushing her behind him.

“Ciel! Protect the students! I’ll handle the witch!” he commanded, his voice booming across the rapidly emptying school grounds.

Ciel, who had just managed to get a small group of students to safety, nodded and charged toward the largest group of escaping students.

With a final determined look, Dorian turned back to the witch.

“Here’s how it’s going to be. I’ll catch you, make you tell me everything you know, and then you’ll take me to Yahoshi,” he declared.

Bonnie simply laughed—a loud, maniacal sound that chilled him to the bone.

“You don’t seem to understand. There is nothing stopping you from seeing her, oh great Demon Lord. That aside, if in exchange, you wish for me to reveal vital information, I am afraid I can’t do that.”

She sighed.

“I already caused a scene, so I guess it’s only normal that my peers get angry at this. Still, if your wish is to meet the Witch God, then be my guest. I’ll take you to her myself.”

This time, Bonnie stretched her hand, urging Dorian to take it.

It was an open invitation. Was there truly any reason for him to overthink it?

If he could speak to Yahoshi, then everything would be settled, right?

[Advice: Going with the witch does not necessarily advocate for your safety. Capturing this witch for questioning is far better.]

Dorian gave a smile after hearing the system’s voice. It was just what he needed to hear.

Woosh!

He suddenly charged forward, stretching his hand to reach for the witch’s head once again.

This time, she saw right through him.

As soon as he was right in front of her, she slammed her staff to the ground, her body immediately drifting into the sky.

Purple energy burst from the staff’s impact, creating a shockwave that pushed Dorian back several steps.

“Too slow, Demon Lord!” Bonnie cackled from above, her pink robes billowing in the wind. “Did you really think I would fall for the same trick twice?”

Dorian steadied himself, his eyes tracking her movements. Behind him, the screams of students echoed as the Doom Walkers continued their rampage. Ciel was doing her best to hold them back, but even she was struggling against their sheer numbers.

“Yelena, can you still fight?” Dorian asked without looking back.

Yelena nodded, flames rekindling around her fists. “Yes, brother. What do you need me to do?”

“Help Ciel with the monsters. I’ll deal with the witch.”

“But—”

“Go! Now!”

Yelena hesitated for only a moment before charging toward the nearest Doom Walker, her flames roaring to life.

Dorian turned his attention back to Bonnie, who was now floating leisurely in the air, her staff glowing with dark purple energy.

“You know, Demon Lord, the Witch God speaks of you often,” Bonnie said, her voice carrying an unsettling affection. “She dreams of you. Yearns for you. Every night, she whispers your name like a prayer.”

“I don’t care,” Dorian said flatly. “Whatever Yahoshi wants with me, she can come and say it to my face. I’m not interested in playing games with her servants.”

Bonnie’s smile faltered for just a moment before returning even wider.

“Oh, but you will care. Soon enough, you’ll understand. The Witch God has plans for you, Jacob Orian. Plans that will reshape this entire world.”

Dorian’s blood ran cold.

She knew his real name.

She knew who he really was.

“How—”

“The Witch God sees all,” Bonnie interrupted, her eyes gleaming with madness. “She knows your secrets, your past, your future. She knows everything about you, down to the very core of your soul.”

Dorian clenched his fists.

“I see the fear in your eyes,” Bonnie continued, descending slightly. “Good. Fear is the first step toward acceptance. Soon, you’ll come to her willingly. And when you do, she’ll welcome you with open arms.”