The Path Of A True King.-Chapter 12: The Winner Was The One Who Decided Which Ideology Ruled
Chapter 52
Kai, Tristan, and Jack had created a good enough distraction—most of the gang members were now running in their direction.
Elijah and Lucas stood there watching before Elijah ordered, "Stay here."
Lucas, confused, grabbed Elijah’s hand. "Wait, Elijah, there are still three men left, and all of them are at the Intermediate Knight stage."
Elijah simply smiled. "Just trust me, okay?"
Lucas hesitated, gripping Elijah’s hand a little tighter before finally letting go.
Elijah’s smile widened before he turned and started walking toward the orphanage.
Lucas wanted to shout that he was being reckless, but the moment he blinked—Elijah was gone.
[Phantom Veil] – The user can become invisible at will. Only those with three times more Ki than the user can detect them. Otherwise, they can only be found if they touch someone or are touched.
Elijah stood right in front of Lucas, watching his shocked expression with amusement.
He let out a small laugh before continuing toward the orphanage.
Most of the gang members were positioned at the front, while one guarded the back—where the children were being held.
The plan was simple: sneak in, get the kids, and escape through the forest behind the building, which led to the park.
Kai and the others had already handled the hardest part.
As Elijah passed by two of the men, he overheard their conversation, forcing him to stop.
"We should’ve had some fun with that woman before throwing her out on the streets," one of them sneered.
"You’ve got a sick mind," the other replied.
"Says the guy who enjoys making his enemies suffer before killing them," the first one shot back, pointing at his companion.
"Hey, they ask for it. They could just give us the information we want, and we’d leave them alone—but no, they have to act smart," the second one tried to justify.
The first man laughed. "Not my fault. If they didn’t look so beautiful, I wouldn’t be interested. And let’s be real—some of those guys didn’t even have real info, but you knew that."
The second one chuckled. "Of course, I did. And really, what girl isn’t beautiful?"
They both laughed, shaking hands, before the first one said, "I don’t think we’re the sick ones. The world is just insane—filled with insane people."
"True," the second one agreed. "We do what we want because we have the power to back it up. And they don’t, simply because they don’t seek power."
The first man smirked. "That’s why I like hanging out with you. You get it. We have the money, the authority, the power to do whatever we want. If they want to act like sheep, then we’ll eat them alive."
The second man shook his head. "In the end, everything in this world is a lie and a distraction. There are no heroes or villains—just the winners, who get to shape the story however they please."
The first man nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! But for now, while we wait for those idiots to return, let’s grab a drink. The boss only told us to keep an eye on the kids, and seriously, who’s gonna attack us knowing the Stray Dogs are here?"
"You’re getting too arrogant," the second one warned. "Let’s just wait here until the others come back."
The first man snorted. "I hate how much you listen to the boss. Do you like her or something?"
The second one shook his head. "Nope. It’s just that going against her scares me. She’s one crazy bitch, and messing with her plans would be a death sentence."
Fear flickered in the first man’s eyes. "Yeah... I get it."
Elijah listened to everything, his red eyes burning with anger.
The worst people always seemed to have all the power, authority, and wealth—only to use it to satisfy their twisted desires.
Men like them had no respect for themselves or anyone else.
But he also understood something else.
There is no good without evil.
That’s the world they lived in.
In the end, the winner was the one who decided which ideology ruled.
And Elijah had already made his choice.
No matter if his ideology was good or evil, he would rather carve out his own path than live under someone else’s rule.
Ignoring them, he silently entered the orphanage.
The gang members guarding the entrance glanced back as the door creaked open.
For a second, they assumed it was the children.
But seeing nothing, one of them muttered, "It’s just the wind, right?"
"...I think so," the other replied.
Inside, Elijah moved quickly, his eyes scanning the room until he found the children huddled together in fear.
Deactivating his ability, he appeared before them.
One of the younger kids nearly screamed, but Elijah quickly covered her mouth, signaling for everyone to stay quiet.
Unfortunately, he was a second too late.
"AAAGGHH!"
A girl’s scream echoed through the room.
Elijah jumped back into the shadows, but the children had already locked onto him in shock.
The gang members at the door rushed in. "What’s going on?" one of them demanded.
They followed the kids’ line of sight but saw nothing. "What are you looking at?"
Elijah frantically gestured for the children to stay quiet.
The older ones understood immediately, and one of them—a boy named Tom—quickly said, "N-Nothing! It was just the light in the next room."
The two gang members frowned before stepping toward the kids, their presence oppressive.
One had a gun.
The other wielded a long blade.
Ki surged around them, radiating raw strength.
Elijah remained perfectly still.
His instincts told him—if he moved, they would sense him.
After a tense moment, the two men exchanged glances, then lowered their weapons. "Tch. Looks like there’s nothing here."
They left, but Elijah stood frozen for another five minutes, making sure their attention was fully gone.
Then, in a low voice, he finally spoke. "Lucas sent me to take you with me."
The younger kids almost burst into cheers, but the older ones quickly silenced them.
Elijah’s eyes narrowed.
There was still one problem left—the guard at the back.
