Kingdom’s Bloodline

Behind the dark palace’s gate.

Simon Torre adjusted his heavy chain armor. He gripped onto the pike in his hand tightly—it had been cleaned until it was glossy and shiny. He stood behind his master, his cousin-brother, Enrique Torre, who was seventeen years older than him. Simon regulated his breathing.

There were countless knights and warriors beside and behind him. They stood close to each other behind the palace floodgate. Everyone’s expressions were different. Some were so nervous they were trembling, and some had determined gazes, unflinching in the face of death. There were also some who had numb expressions and lax gazes. Quite a number of people were whispering among themselves. Simon could vaguely hear words such as ‘monster’ and ‘complete annihilation’.

His cousin-brother, Enrique the Knight, nodded at the middle-aged man beside him who wore a purple robe. The latter turned and left. Simon recognized that he was Geri, the Wizard who originated from Soul Tower and was the current wizardry advisor of Sword Lake City.

‘But why is he leaving?’ Simon thought in puzzlement, ‘Soul Tower has already been destroyed. Where else can he go?’

Enrique the Knight bestrode his battle steed and pulled up his vizor. He glanced worriedly at Simon. The latter tried his best to stand even straighter.

‘I am, after all, a knight attendant…’ the nervous Simon thought, ‘I must not be a disgrace in the first battle I serve my cousin-brother.’

Enrique did not look at his cousin-brother anymore. Instead, he raised his head with a resolute expression. He turned the head of his horse and looked towards the dense mass of knights and soldiers before him.

“They are right outside the gate!”

He spoke in a loud voice, “Those disgraceful followers—Rudollians, Nedaneses, Calunsians, Northlanders, Far Easterners. There might also be other damned races of various colors and shapes. Many kinds of them!

“But I do not care!” Enrique’s determined eyes swept past every single person, then unsheathed the longsword on his saddle and roared loudly with every ounce of his strength, “Because they all share one similarity! They will not live for long!”

Almost all the knights and warriors raised their weapons. Some knocked their weapons and shields against each other, and some raised theirs high into the air. Amid the metallic clanking sounds and the sea of pikes and blades, every single person who followed their respective commanders instinctively let out a furious roar, “Woo-ah!!”

Simon was also among them, shouting especially loudly at the top of his lungs. This gave him a lot of confidence to enter the battlefield for the first time.

“The Northlanders’ victory proved that they, those monsters—those calamities—are not invincible!” Enrique exclaimed, “And what we are facing… are only the remnants of their army!”

Many of them gripped their weapons tightly.

“We will squash them to pieces!

“Woo-ah!”

“Open the city gates!” Enrique ordered loudly.

The soldiers on top of the city gates turned the reel. The castle gates began to rise.

The commander of these vanguards, Enrique the Knight, rode to the very front. Simon quickly followed suit with his pike in hand.

“After the gate is opened, no matter what you see, you must remember.” Commander Enrique raised the iron-colored longsword that he inherited from the Temple of Knights, his powerful voice travelled to every single warrior’s ears. “We are the sons and daughters of Sorenlan, the warriors of the Land of Thorns, and the protectors of the Southwestern Land!”

“Woo- ah!”

“Better to bleed for freedom than to submit in fear. The brilliant rays of the Republic once shone on our ancestors’ bodies, and not even the powerful Empire could erase it!”

“Woo- ah!”

“Dragons, elves, orcs or the diabolic Empire, none of them can make us bend our knees. All the Children of Thorns were born to revolt!”

“Woo- ah!”

“The brilliant rays of Errol will forever protect Star Lake City! Children of Thorns, advance!”

“Woo- ah!”

The gate finally rose to the top.

Standing beside his cousin-brother, Simon looked at the shield on his cousin-brother’s saddle—it had the pattern of a rapier wrapped in thorns on it.

‘I am from the Torre family.’ He gripped his pike tightly and looked outside the city gate.

There was a murderous, but obviously fatigued and wounded army outside. The army was also smaller than theirs.

“Is this the supporters and followers of those calamities?’

Simon shook his head and cleared those distracting thoughts from his mind.

‘We, the Torre family have guarded Star Lake City for generations. I am a Child of Thorns. I never give in.’

Enrique the Knight put down his longsword. He took the pike from Simon, which the latter was holding tightly in his hand.

“Stay close to the formation, Simon.” A hesitant expression appeared on Enrique’s face. Simon’s cousin-brother struggled internally for a moment before furrowing his brows and speaking to Simon in a low voice, “If the battle does not go well…”

Simon was stunned.

“There is a secret passage under the Southern City Gate, in the drain to the left.” His cousin-brother finished his last sentence.

‘Huh? Secret passage?’

Before Simon could react, Enrique the Knight raised his pike. His superpower surged into his arm and he spurred the horse into a dash.

‘What did cousin-brother mean?’

Simon unsheathed the sword at his waist. His whole body trembled uncontrollably as he stepped out of the gate with the battalion. He saw that they had moved into their battle formation in a very short time. The knights were in front, the infantrymen at the sides, and the archers at the back.

He saw his cousin-brother roar furiously. Enrique kicked his horse’s belly and its hooves trotted at an increased speed. The knights beside him followed fearlessly.

He saw the commander of the infantrymen draw his longsword and raised his shield as a signal for the infantrymen to advance.

He saw the archers fire two rounds of arrows, bringing down a rain of arrows as they fought against the enemy archers. He raised his shield with all his might, feeling the vibration on it. Many of the people within the infantrymen’s battle formation fell under the rain of arrows.

He saw the knights roar in synchronization, holding their pikes horizontally and charging forwards in a row. Different kinds of superpowers appeared on the knights. He saw the superpower taught in the Temple of Knights also appear in his cousin-brother’s hand. Enrique swung his pike and held it horizontally, pointing it towards the enemy. He saw himself raising his longsword high and furiously roaring while advancing with the infantrymen.

And then… He saw that right in front of his cousin-brother… A person had suddenly appeared. A maiden.

His cousin-brother raised his pike and thrust it at her without hesitation.

…..

Simon Corleone was abruptly jolted out of his thoughts. His head became clear again.

The Blood Clan marquis’ thoughts returned from being that knight attendant more than six hundred years ago, to the reality now; to the birch tree forest that can only be found in the Northern Territory of Constellation.

He stared at the area before him in fear. It was that same maiden.

A battle erupted without warning.

“Attack.” Katerina’s apathetic order rose into the air.

“Die!”

Two Blood Clan warriors from the Sacred Blood Army appeared, one in front of the other as they flanked the strange maiden. Another warrior ferociously appeared mid-air and attacked from above her!

The maiden softly raised her head and smiled. Simon extended his hand towards the solemn looking Night Queen Katerina and shouted in panic, “No!”

Beside him, Thales, the little boy who was around seven or eight years old, spoke to the two people beside him in annoyance.

“Why did they start fighting like this?”

As he spoke, the three warriors from the Sacred Blood Army had already extended their claws—which were comparable to military weapons made of steel—mercilessly.

Katerina furrowed her brows tightly and fixated at the maiden, but the maiden was still smiling, not caring about the danger one bit about she faced. She did not even resist.

The next moment, the pupils of everyone watching the battle, including Katerina and Thales’, narrowed.

‘What is going on?’

*Tear!*

The Blood Clansman in front pierced through the maiden’s chest with his claws and dug out a bloody heart.

*Swoop!*

The Blood Clansman at the back cleaved the maiden in half at her waist, and she still gave no response.

*Tear!*

The Blood Clansman on top grabbed and twisted her head, pulling out the maiden’s head from her thin and frail neck while she was alive and dragging out a segment of her spine. Blood surged out from her arteries like a fountain.

Under the cruel and bloody attack, the maiden’s body was immediately snapped into three! Blood splattered everywhere.

Resisting the urge to vomit, Thales furrowed his brows slightly. He saw that Serena still had a despaired expression, but beside her, Chris Corleone had his brows tightly furrowed.

In the blink of an eye, the three Blood Clan warriors had killed the enemy. It was surprisingly easy, causing them to stare at each other in puzzlement. However, they still respectfully returned to the queen’s side and scrupulously handed over the maiden’s head.

Looking at the maiden’s head and the smile she showed on her face before she died, Katerina let out a low-pitched roar.

‘Just like this? This is way too easy. Is this… Serena’s reinforcement?’

Only the besieged Serena had a dull gaze and was laughing strangely.

Everyone could feel the bizarre undertone in the situation.

At this moment, Aida opened her eyes wide and shouted, “Something’s not right!”

Those who had been skeptical from the start immediately looked towards the maiden’s corpse on the floor. However, there were no changes at all to the two sections of the headless, mutilated corpse.

In the next moment, the situation of the scene changed abruptly.

“Aah!” A few miserable screams of pain cried out suddenly!

The ones who screamed were the three Blood Clan warriors who were involved in the maiden’s slaughter!

All three of them had their hands pressed against their chests and stomachs, and their bodies bent over in pain.

One of them even fell onto the ground.

“Your Majesty!” He scratched at his chest and stomach, and his face was twisted as though he was going through the most dreadful torment in the world.

Katerina watched in shock and fury at the miserable state of her three subordinates.

‘Was it poison?’

Thales lifted his head, and the fluctuation surged into his eyes.

Immediately after that, he opened his mouth wide in surprise.

A blood-red light that was more dazzling than anyone else’s radiated from within the three Blood Clansmen’s body!

Katerina was about to check her subordinate’s condition when a figure, faster than the speed of light, immediately appeared beside her in a flash. Before Katerina could react, the figure dragged her back.

“No, Your Majesty!” Simon, having changed into his True Form, forcefully dragged the furious Katerina away. He shook his head in agitation. “We must retreat!”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah- No—”

“So hot—”

“Something-Something-There’s something!”

The miserable screams of the three Blood Clan warriors became more and more terrifying. Two of their anxious comrade-in-arms appeared beside them and examined them keenly.

Through the peculiar vision brought on by the strange fluctuations, Thales watched the scene in shock.

“No matter what that trick is,” He said anxiously to Aida and Ralf, “I think we should leave first—” But before he could finish speaking—

*BOOM!*

A massive, thunderous boom suddenly surged into the sky! Thales instinctively shut his eyes and covered his ears.

Everyone watched the scene with their eyes wide and mouths agape as the three elite warriors from the Sacred Blood Army exploded like bursting balloons!

They were blasted into countless pieces of severed limbs and flesh. There were also thousands of red, blood droplets splattering in all directions.

The two comrade-in-arms nearby were affected by the blast. They fell on the ground powerlessly. After convulsing for a while, they too, began screaming miserably.

“Damn it!” Katerina shrugged Simon off as she roared furiously. But immediately afterwards, something even more bizarre happened.

The blood and severed limbs that littered the ground were actually moving like they had a life of their own. They gathered towards one place.

The blood that was all over the ground flowed joyfully and coalesced into a blood-red ball!

Thales furrowed his brows. He swore he had just seen the most disgusting scene in his entire life.

A severed hand that belonged to a Blood Clansman crawled nimbly by dragging itself on the ground using its fingers. It crawled nearer towards that blood-red ball, then the five fingers ‘leapt’ with all their might and jumped into that blood-ball.

The severed hand was not the only thing that could move by itself; calves tumbled about, lips opened and closed while advancing towards that ball of blood, livers moved while expanding and contracting, organs moved about with overflowing vitality, eyeballs bounced about, brains rolled forwards ‘strenuously’, and spinal cords wriggled forward like snakes!

They were all like slaves, summoned by their masters, joyfully coalescing into that red blood-ball!

*BOOM!*

The two Blood Clansmen who were screaming miserably while lying on the ground also exploded into bloody limb fragments that scattered in all directions.

Their blood and severed limbs also ‘came alive’ in the blink of an eye and coalesced into that massive ball that had expanded to the height of a person!

Katerina watched everything unfolding before her eyes in shock. This surpassed her understanding of the world.

The Blood Clansmen looked at each other for help in panic. Simon fixated on the ball, recalling the most unbearable and terrifying memory in his mind.

“You disgusting wench! What have you done?!” the queen roared frenziedly at Serena.

However, Serena only laughed drearily. “As long as we all die here, we will be freed from his curse!”

Beside her, Chris sighed.

Thales felt a strong desire to throw up, so he covered his mouth.

“What the hell is that?” Thales pointed at the ball and the severed limbs that were joyfully leaping around the area. He stared at the strange scene before his eyes in disbelief and spoke with a stammer.

“I don’t know.” Aida watched in a daze, as though she was struck dumb with terror. “But I don’t want to die like that…”

On the other hand, Ralf had a terrified expression. He gestured frantically. ‘Terrifying!’

At this moment, the ball finally stopped expanding, and shriveled slowly. At the same time, a hand suddenly reached out from the ball of blood.

It was a person.

Everyone watched, stupefied, as that strange, smiling maiden walked out of the ball, naked. Her hair and body were covered in red blood. The maiden shut her eyes, smiled, and said, “I told you… it will be painful.”

Katerina gritted her teeth hard and shouted furiously, “What in the world are you?!”

The maiden raised her head. She wiped the area around her eyes—which was covered in blood—revealing her skin and eyes. She looked at Katerina. “Aren’t you the queen?” the maiden smiled as she spoke, “What’s wrong? Didn’t they tell you about it when you were coronated?”

A puzzled expression appeared on Katerina’s face.

“Ah, you probably did not succeed the throne the normal way.” The maiden smiled good-naturedly, but she then shook her head and her smile turned strange. “Or… has that b*tch, the Blood Spike, already given up on all of you?”

At that moment, shock and terror appeared in Katerina’s eyes.

Thales furrowed his brows. ‘Blood Spike. This name again. And this maiden… Hopefully she is not who I think she is…’ Thales gritted his teeth hard and decided to ignore the issues here and make his escape first.

At this moment, the maiden stepped forward. Everyone became nervous and instinctively wanted to step back.

Only one person went forward in desolation, one step at a time under everyone’s gazes. It was Serena. Behind her, Chris showed a hesitant and heartbroken gaze.

“According to the promise… I have brought you the Dark Night Black Coffin…” Thales watched, surprised and bewildered, as Serena lowered her head with a pale face and knelt, trembling.

“Esteemed Blood Mystic.”

At that moment, the whole place became silent.

Thales opened his mouth wide and covered his face with his hand. ‘Jinx.’

He turned towards Ralf.

“Is that your previous boss?” Thales furrowed his brows tightly.

However, the latter’s face was also deathly pale. He gestured, ‘Never seen her!’

Thales gestured back with an unpleasant expression, ‘Alright. Quick, run!’

Ralf tightened the steel prostheses below his legs and picked Thales up while he maintained his composure.

“True.” The Blood Mystic flashed a cute smile. “A promise that was fulfilled two hundred years too late.”

“I deeply apologize, Madam,” Serena said bitterly, “When I took action…”

“So.” the Blood Mystic obviously did not intend to listen to Serena’s explanation. She only looked at the black coffin a distance away with a smile. “How do I open it?”

Katerina’s expression changed, but Serena did not look at her younger sister. She shut her eyes and said with a look of no longer having any regrets, “With the ruler’s key, and my blood.”

“Very well.” The Blood Mystic repeated with a pleasant smile. “With your blood.”

The Blood Mystic extended her hand gently towards Serena and touched her face. Then, agony suddenly appeared on Serena’s face.

But at that moment, an unexpected figure charged over without hesitation while growling!

“Ah!” Chris Corleone changed into his True form while roaring furiously. He flapped his skeletal wings.

*Tear!*

He severed the Blood Mystic’s hand with a slap! And then, under the Blood Mystic’s surprised gaze, Chris turned and pulled Serena, who looked dejected, and threw her over ten meters away!

‘This is…?’ Serena was shocked. She looked at the old butler from mid-air.

“Chris…” she muttered.

“Your Highness!” Chris Corleone brutally severed the other hand of the Blood Mystic with his claws, and shouted furiously, “You cannot give up! What was the reason you took this path?!”

Serena trembled and tightly gritted her teeth. Her body fell with a large crash. But then, the Blood Mystic’s severed hand pressed onto Chris’ body. The latter immediately roared in pain, “Ah—!”

He shut his eyes and abruptly knelt down, as if he was being tortured. His skeletal wings convulsed without pause.

Immediately, blood-red smoke rose from Chris’ whole body!

“See, your blood is boiling.” The Blood Mystic whom had lost both her arms stopped moving. She looked at him, smiled as she said, “Your life is on fire!”

*Swoop!*

In the next moment, Simon Corleone charged at the Blood Mystic’s side with a speed so fast that he could not be seen, wearing an expression showing that he did not fear death. With his hand straight, he sliced off the living blood-colored maiden’s head and sent it flying!

He turned his head and said, “You are so disappointing, old man.” Simon gritted his teeth and forced down the terror in his heart.

Chris could only relax then. His face was pale and he panted continuously.

“Heh heh,” he smiled and bitterly said, “Unexpectedly, you were the one who saved me, Simon.”

“Shut up, old man.” Simon’s gaze was a mix of fear and hatred as he moved away from the Blood Mystic’s severed body and shot towards Chris. “Among the three of you, I hate YOU the most.”

Katerina spoke at the same time, “Have five people act as rear guards and cover our retreat!” She flew into the air and shouted the order in a frenzy.

“The rest of you, take the black coffin and retreat immediately!”

The Sacred Blood army did not hesitate at all. Among the seven remaining Blood Clan warriors, two of them shot out from their group and dashed towards the black coffin.

With one in front and the other at the back, they hoisted up the black coffin.

But in the next moment, a head grew out of the chest of the blood-colored maiden’s severed body in a bizarre fashion! The head did not grow out of the neck. Instead, it tore through her chest and popped out from between her breasts.

Chris and Simon stared at each other. ‘What is this monster?’

“None of you can run away, okay?” Amid Chris and Simon’s terrified gazes, the head on the chest looked up and smiled happily. “If those people find out, I will be very troubled. Not a single one of you can run away, okay?”

The Blood Mystic gently took a step forward and raised her only remaining hand. The head on her chest said in a loud voice, “All the blood in this world… Belongs to me.”

In the next moment, a terrifying rumble came from below the ground.

*Rumble…*

Chris and Simon looked at the ground in surprise and bewilderment, they then stared at each other.

‘What is this?’

…..

Ralf carried Thales. Along with Aida, the three of them moved stealthily for more than twenty paces.

Then—

*Boom- Dong!*

A figure fell from the sky, landing with a loud crash in front of Thales’ on the snow-covered ground.

Thales’ expression changed. With great distress on his face, he stared at Serena who fell from the sky. He sighed and said, “Why is it you again?”

The heavily wounded Serena supported herself with one hand on a birch tree and got up laboriously. Then, she looked at them with a fierce expression.

‘Did Chris… deliberately throw me over here? Did he still think that this boy has any solutions?’

Serena’s eyes suddenly brightened. She remembered something. ‘No wonder… No wonder Chris wanted me to follow them and leave.’

“Let us make a deal—take me with you,” she said coldly, “Then I will not stop you from leaving.”

Thales was stunned. Immediately afterwards, anger appeared in his heart. ‘This old witch!’

However, the Blood Mystic’s chuckles rang faintly from the area. “Not a single one of you can run away, okay?”

A quake came from below the ground.

The next moment, Aida roared furiously and pushed Ralf and Thales away, sending them flying. Serena was also thrown off in a flash as shock appeared on her face.

*Clang!*

The elf turned and attacked with her machete, chopping a section of a tree root that emerged from the ground!

“Leave with him first!” Aida shouted furiously and turned again to break another section of a tree root that wanted to chase after Thales.

However, one, two, three more tree roots emerged with a loud sound from the ground and swept towards Aida.

The elf roared furiously, swinging her blade at the tree roots that were coming from all directions!

Ralf and Serena did their best to climb up higher trees.

‘Damn…’ Thales watched these tree roots in astonishment. ‘What on earth is this power?’

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Serena following beside them.

“You brought this rotten mess upon us.” Hugging Ralf’s neck, Thales spoke fiercely, “Why do I have to clean it up?!”

But Serena could not reply him in time… because the birch trees beside then came ‘alive’!

*Boom!*

The birch trees possessed consciousness, and one of them swung its large branch and slammed into them, forcefully sending them back towards their original path!

Having no way to avoid it, Ralf’s expression changed. He could only summon strong gusts, trying his best to ward off the tree branch.

*Boom!*

Behind him, more than ten tree branches whipped towards them!

Ralf’s expression changed again. This time, the Phantom Wind Follower summoned every ounce of his strength and threw Thales towards the empty land outside of the forest!

*Boom!*

Right after that, Ralf was whipped by the tree branches from all sides, falling towards where Aida was.

‘No.’

Watching as the snow-covered ground became nearer and nearer, Thales could only shut his eyes…

Until an arm wrapped around him and brought him to her bosom.

*Dong!*

Hugging Thales with one hand, Serena fell on the snow-covered ground and rolled twice. Panting, Thales was hoisted up by Serena. Both of them stared at each other and snorted respectively.

“Having just saved your life, I can, of course, take it back… For the sake of your life…” Serena said fiercely, “Quickly take me away. I know that you definitely have a solution. Like Morat said, your relationship with Mystics is shady—”

“Bullsh*t!”

Thales’ mood was also extremely bad. He held on to Serena’s neck in a disheveled state, not in the mood to enjoy the softness of her chest at all. He could not help but cut her off with a cuss. “You are the one who has a shady relationship with Mystics. Your whole family and Mystics…”

However, they came face to face with a group of acquaintances.

“Ugly-faced woman, how dare you still come back?!” Katerina, who was in an extremely bad mood, had already changed back into human form. She landed on the ground and spoke furiously, “And you, brat… do you want to die?”

Behind her, two Blood Clansmen who were carrying the black coffin arrived in a flash.

“I don’t want to, either.” Thales gritted his teeth. “It’s all thanks to your good older sister!”

*Boom!*

The next moment, a few sections of tree roots emerged from beneath the ground!

“Careful!” Thales cried out in surprise.

Katerina rapidly flew off in a flash. She watched in shock and fury as the two Blood Clansmen who were carrying the black coffin were tightly entangled by the tree roots.

“AAAHHH!”

The two Blood Clansmen entangled by the tree roots immediately let out earth-shattering howls. But it rapidly turned into painful, miserable wails.

Thales and Serena flew around in a flash to dodge the roots, while watching in terror as countless miniature root hairs grew out of the tree roots that entangled the two Blood Clansmen, piercing into their skin! The two clansmen’s blood and flesh shriveled and withered rapidly, changing into the same color as the tree roots. They were then fused with the tree root before burrowing into the ground with the roots.

Thales furrowed his brows and shouted, “Are you sure she is the Blood Mystic and not the Tree Mystic?!”

Compared to the distinct power belonging to Asda, the Air Mystic whom he had seen before, he did not understand what the Blood Mystic’s ability was at all.

‘Blood, reviving herself, fragments of dead bodies. And now trees, too. My God, what else is she capable of?

Thales sighed. He suddenly and sincerely felt that compared to the Blood Mystic, no matter which aspect he looked at it from…

Asda was a good person.

‘Compared to this way of dying… being molded into a human ball of flesh is truly the VIP treatment.’

Carrying Thales, Serena somersaulted onto the black coffin to dodge the attack from two segments of tree roots.

“I don’t know,” she said through gritted teeth, “It’s not like I am a prophet!”

The tree roots seemed to have a deep fear of the black coffin, not daring to enter its proximity. They only prowled about, as though they were consciously waiting for their prey.

Katerina had also skittered onto the black coffin.

As the sisters met each other’s gazes, hatred and disgust surged into their hearts at the same time. Both of them roared!

“Cry-baby!”

“Ugly-faced woman!”

…..

The five Blood Clan warriors charged forward in a flash.

The strangely shaped Blood Mystic let loose a long string of chuckles.

She raised her severed hand.

Before the five Blood Clansmen could go near her, their entire bodies trembled. They then convulsed and fell onto the ground at the same time beside the Mystic. Then, all of them started groaning in agony.

“Monster!”

Chris pounced forward while roaring furiously. His highly acidic blood with corrosive powers seeped out, corroding half of the Blood Mystic’s body in the blink of an eye!

“Ah, using blood to fight against me?”

As the Blood Mystic smiled, the highly acidic blood that shrouded the air shook, and all the blood then coalesced into her body.

Chris watched in surprise and bewilderment as the Blood Mystic absorbed his blood. As if she just ingested drugs of the highest quality, the later exaggeratingly opened her mouth and gasped in praise. And then… she nonchalantly plucked off her head that had grown at the wrong place—

And put it back on her neck.

“Monster? Don’t say that…” She chuckled. “Aren’t you all becoming monsters soon, too…”

Simon flew towards the Blood Mystic’s back in a flash. He was about to attack when he saw the scene before him and was seized by terror.

The five Blood Clansmen who had been kneeling and groaning suddenly began screaming in pain.

A Blood Clan warrior watched in fear as a cloud of blood-mist burst out of his chest. A blood-red hand then grew out of that hole wriggled ceaselessly! The color of that hand was like that of a newborn baby.

“Ah-no!” This warrior was the toughest soldier. But right now, seeing the strange arm that kept wriggling on his chest, he emitted a scream of pain that was shaky because he was almost in tears, “Help me!”

A strange eye suddenly opened on the back of that hand. Then, as if gaining consciousness, the hand grabbed the warrior’s head, and tore off his head while he was alive.

*Rip!*

Blood splattered everywhere.

Chris and Simon watched the scene in a daze. The lives of the other four warriors also ended in a similar manner.

A peculiar tentacle grew out of one person’s eye and dug her heart out. Hair had suddenly grown rapidly from another’s head and pierced into his body to rip his spin into a dozen something pieces. One clansman actually had another head identical to his existing head grow out of his shoulder and smile mischievously at him. It continued smiling at him until that warrior chopped off the head on his shoulder, then he died in a baffling manner. It was the scariest for the last person. Two mouths filled with fangs actually grew from his palms and dashed towards his body. The mouths ate him up alive.

“Ah, ah! What is this?!”

“No! No! Let me go!

“Monster! Die! Die!

“Don’t! Don’t! Ah—”

*BOOM!*

Simon could not endure looking at what was happening anymore and attacked resolutely. He tore the Blood Mystic’s body in half again! He then turned and ended the suffering of the warrior who was being eaten by his own hand.

However, Simon was not completely unharmed.

His sharp claw that was torn by the Mystic immediately started convulsing without end. It began to expand…

*Tear!*

Simon furrowed his brows and cut off his arm without hesitation!

“I thought you were too scared to attack.” Chris sighed and stood up unsteadily. “You know what she is, don’t you?”

Simon stared, with mixed feelings, at his severed hand on the ground that started moving around. He also looked at his trembling body. ‘Know what she is? Far more than that.’

His cousin-brother’s final expression appeared before his eyes.

Simon clenched his remaining sharp claws tightly, shut his eyes, and spoke through gritted teeth, “Yes, of course I am scared, but there is also hatred.”

‘Cousin-brother… And all of Star Lake City… It was by such a monster that…’

“Haha.” Chris chuckled bitterly. He unfurled his skeletal wings as he watched the blood-red ball rise again. “It appears that my power does not actually work on her.”

“Bullsh*t, she can’t be killed at all…” Simon gritted his teeth and panted twice, exercising his sharp claws. “If you’re scared, then it’s better for you to flee for your life quickly, and leave her to me.”

Chris snorted coldly. “You mean leave YOU to HER?”

Their eyes met and suddenly, both of them laughed at the same time.

“I truly miss those old days,” Simon said softly, he felt his anxiety and trembling reduce significantly.

“Only three of you,” Chris said quietly, getting rid of that massive, dark shadow—that stood before the four of them in the past—from his heart.

“How much time do you reckon we can buy?” Simon clenched his fists tightly.

“Three minutes?” Chris’ brows were tightly furrowed. He watched as the blood-red Blood Mystic’s figure walked out from the ball made of converged blood again.

“No ambition at all.” Simon shook his head disdainfully and watched the maiden solemnly. “It has to be… at least five minutes.”

The blood-red maiden walked slowly towards them. “I have not exercised my muscles for a long time,” she chuckled as she said, “neither have my pets.”

The two Blood Clansmen’s expressions froze.

*Rumble!*

A massive noise boomed.

Amid their terrified gazes, a monster that looked like a massive, blood-red octopus crept out from the snow-covered ground and rose into the air. It was as tall as a few humans and was formed with countless pieces of severed limbs.

It extended a huge tentacle and hoisted the Blood Mystic up.

“Roar!” The blood-red tentacle monsters extended another two of its tentacles and attacked the two supreme class Blood Clansmen.

“Is this that thing?” Simon asked, pale-faced.

“Ah, it appears that it is.” Chris sighed and prepared to dodge early—he did not have fast speed like Simon. “According to legend, Raikaru’s archenemy in the Battle of Eradication… Hydra Kilika…”

The two Blood Clansmen vigorously flapped their skeletal wings to dodge the tentacles’ attack.

“I just didn’t expect…” Chris said slowly, “that it was… the Blood Mystic’s pet.”

Then, the airborne Chris and Simon froze at the same time. Their skeletal wings flapped backwards and they pounced towards the hydra instead!

“Damn it!” Chris glared at his skeletal wings—flapping against his will—and at the increasingly large tentacle before his eyes in fear.

The two tentacles split into a few dozen something other thinner tentacles. With a sudden burst of strength, they bound themselves tightly around the two supreme class Blood Clansmen.

…..

*BOOM!* Thales watched the massive, blood-colored, tentacled octopus that crept out from the floor in a daze. Fortunately, he did not look at it too closely, or else, he would have probably thrown up at seeing the severed limbs wriggling inside it.

However, the two silver-haired Blood Clanswomen only glared at each other fiercely.

“All of this is a disaster you caused!” Katerina flashed out her sharp claws and a murderous glare shone in her eyes.

“I caused? No.” Although Serena was heavily injured, she showed her remaining claws without backing down. “I myself am your disaster, am I not?”

“Selling out our family to a Mystic… are you retarded?!” Katerina bared her sharp fangs.

Serena lowered her body and prepared to launch a sudden attack, “Ah, at least I don’t have to be captured by you idiots—”

“Stop!”

Thales watched the fierce tree roots around them while he was between the sisters. He then looked despondently at the large, blood-red octopus that was a distance away. Stroking his fragile little heart, he raised his hand and said in exasperation, “Time out! After we escape from this danger, you can go on ahead, find a place, and rip each other to pieces. And no one will complain, okay?!”

The sisters snorted coldly and turned their heads away.

*Boom!*

Their expressions immediately changed when they saw that both supreme class Blood Clansmen were entangled by a tentacle each.

“We will have to depend on your solution, brat,” Serena turned her head and said coldly, “After all, you have a shady relationship with the Mystics…”

“Look at the pot calling the kettle black!” Thales said furiously, “You were the one who made a deal with the Mystic, taking the coffin and…”

At this moment, Thales suddenly had an idea. He turned towards the black coffin beneath his feet and looked at the tree roots that wriggled endlessly but did not dare approach.

“Hey.” Thales extended both hands and poked the Blood Clan sisters on either side of himself.

“I heard that… This broken coffin is a legendary anti-mystic equipment?”

Thales recalled Yodel’s gray short sword, and what happened when it pierced through Asda’s chest. The prince turned his head to look at the sisters. “According to all of you, it is the only weapon that can fight against Mystics…”

Katerina glared at Serena opposite her, and shook her head coldly. “It is useless… The Dark Night Black Coffin’s only function is to lock them up.”

Thales was stunned. Scratching his head, he asked, “Lock them up? Isn’t that enough? That disgusting psychopath…”

“Stupid, what she meant was that the Dark Night Black Coffin has already locked one Mystic up.” Under Thales’ puzzled gaze, Serena glared at Katerina in disgust.

Serena said to him, “If we are to lock up the Blood Mystic… we have to release the one inside first.”