Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 164 Chaos arises
"So, you have to tell me..."

King Nuen stood in his bedroom, wearing his crown and armor, with two rows of guards standing guard on either side of him.

The king turned to his personal guard captain and said majestically, "In my Dragon Sky City, something unseen in the Kingdom of Exter for centuries has appeared..."

King Nuen had a sword strapped to his waist, his face solemn.

"Disaster?"

“To be precise, Your Majesty,” Nikolai said, sword in hand, his face icy, “it’s not just Dragonsky City…”

"The Book of Legends records the warning range of the Soul-Slaying Spear—at this very moment, that thing is probably in the Hall of Heroes."

The old king pondered for a few seconds.

“Very good, at least now we know… those monsters are not just legends.” King Nuen’s expression turned serious as he strode out of the bedroom, with the White Blade Guards following closely behind.

The old king glanced at the numerous guards outside the door, who were standing at full alert: "What's the situation now?"

“I have sounded the highest alarm, sealed the gates leading to the Axe and Spear zones, and ordered my men to report regularly,” Nicolai shook his head. “Unfortunately, so far, not a single guard, servant, or member of the White Blade Guard has gone missing or acted suspiciously.”

King Nuen turned around and frowned as he stared at Nikolai.

Unlucky?

“I’m sorry for using that word,” the latter said, bowing slightly, “but in that case, we can’t pinpoint the location of that thing.”

King Nuen took a breath and nodded:

"Go and inform the dukes first—they should know why our alarm has sounded..."

"Then lock up all those drunkards from the banquet, and kick them out at dawn..."

"Recall the White Blade Guards who are currently on rotation. If possible, send someone to the Shield District to summon Grivol. I need him to take command of the Soul-Slaying Spear..."

"Notify the commander-in-chief to send all his order officers out to patrol the various districts, fire signal bolts, and report back regularly..."

"Light the flares on the first gate, all archers, get to your posts, and don't be stingy with the eternal oil..."

As orders were issued, the guards carrying them rushed back and forth.

“No need to be nervous, boys,” the old king said, his eyes gleaming as he continued walking. “This is Exter, the homeland of Nekaru.”

"It's not like six hundred years ago anymore, not like the final war, not like the days when those monsters ran rampant."

“But they are, after all, legendary calamities,” Nikolai said warily. “The Book of Legends records their power…”

“I know they are powerful—every Grand Duke is taught that,” King Nunn’s voice boomed, “but if power is everything…”

"Six hundred years ago," the old king's expression turned serious, his eyes sharp:
"What's the point of us fighting a final battle?!"

“Of course,” Nikolai nodded, his face pale. “Next, after ensuring the safety of the palace, I will expand the search beyond the gates.”

Just then, an unidentified commotion arose from the rear of the group.

"Shh!"

The guards and the bayonet guards all tensed up and drew their weapons!
They surrounded the king tightly.

King Nuen snorted coldly as he watched his subordinates' actions.

Only after Nikolai's reprimand did the guards relax their overly tense nerves and return to normal alertness.

A guard rushed in with a message.

"Your Majesty!" the guard shouted, "It's the deputy envoy from the Imperial people—he insists on seeing you!"

King Nuen frowned.

"Let him come over."

Soon, Lord Putila Niman, the deputy envoy of the Star Envoy, appeared before the king.

“I know who you are. This isn’t your first time in Dragon City—Nieman, is it?”

King Nuen snorted and sized up the disheveled deputy envoy.

But the gaunt deputy envoy was deathly pale and clearly had no time for respectful greetings. Ignoring the unusually high level of security around him, he said anxiously, "Your Majesty Nuen, there are intruders in your palace..."

“I already know,” King Nuen waved his hand impatiently. “It’s being dealt with.”

The guards on both sides stopped Putila and gestured for him to go back.

“No, Your Majesty!” Putila grabbed the guard’s arm and shouted, “Whoever the intruder is…”

"He just kidnapped Prince Thales!"

King Nuen's expression changed drastically!
Nikolai looked at Putila with a strange expression, clearly harboring suspicion.

The old king stared at Putilai, his face grim.

"What's going on?" King Nuen took a deep breath and asked calmly and cautiously.
Are there any other missing persons?

The guards released Putila, who was panting heavily.

“Yes, they went missing at the same time,” Putila said, taking a deep breath, as she dropped another bombshell: “And your granddaughter…”

"Miss Walton!"

----

"What bad luck, why do I have to see you here?"

Ashida closed her eyes, her tone full of displeasure.

"When did the Brotherhood launch a sightseeing route through the North?" the Air Mage sarcastically remarked. "Or perhaps your resentment towards me has grown so intense that even Dragonslayer Fortress can't contain it?"

Thales took a deep breath of the cold outdoor air.

From Ashida's words, he finally confirmed the man's origins.

The man in front of Ashida slowly shook his head.

“Someone told me I could meet an old friend here,” the man said slowly, but his words carried a strange pressure. “I thought he was lying to me.”

“I never expected to run into you,” the man sighed. “It seems that lies can sometimes be true.”

Looking at that man, Thales couldn't help but think of his old fraternity days.

As the lowest-ranking members of the Black Street Brotherhood, Beggars are both a lowly existence who can be beaten and scolded at will, and also the future blood of the Brotherhood. Therefore, the internal affairs of the Brotherhood are the most frequently spread news among Beggars.

In the Brotherhood's decade-long history, the thirteen most well-known members have risen to prominence in the last five years, characterized by ruthlessness, ferocity, and youth. Meanwhile, the six powerful figures are seasoned veterans, each controlling different business lines within the Brotherhood, and each a formidable force in the Kingdom's underworld.

But when it comes to the most powerful, terrifying, and incredible existence in the Black Street Brotherhood...

Without a doubt, they are the three assassins who stand above the six giants—there are also rumors that they are the four assassins, although the fourth person is so mysterious that even his code name is subject to much speculation.

Whether it's a self-designation or a nickname, the three assassins are strangely named after three bizarre weapons:

Reverse curved blade.

Prison Chains and Scythes.

Black sword.

Of all these, the story of the Black Sword is undoubtedly the most legendary.

The rumors Thales heard included stories of how he, alone with a sword, in one night, cut down multiple factions in the underworld, leaving rivers of blood and corpses everywhere, ultimately securing the first territory for the fledgling Brotherhood.

There are also horrific stories of the Brotherhood's enemies uniting together, making threats and offering huge sums of money to buy Black Sword's life, only to have their heads disappear one by one in their sleep.
There was even a legendary figure named Black Sword who sat alone in the Sunset Bar, calmly drinking and eating meat while facing the city defense soldiers who came to arrest him after accepting bribes, using his eyes and actions to deter the hot-blooded legend of the Seventeenth Guards.

The most bizarre story is that the cunning Blood Bottle Gang laid a series of elaborate ambushes, determined to kill him, with hundreds of men surrounding and killing him. However, the next day, they were horrified to find Black Sword walking on the Black Street again, completely unharmed.

In the tales told by everyone from beggars and thugs to ordinary people, Black Sword is like a myriad of faces, an omnipotent legend of the night, the embodiment of fear and a symbol of legend in the underworld. During the ten years that the Black Street Brotherhood rose to power with him, dominating a region of the kingdom, even the two magemasters heavily promoted by the Blood Bottle Gang paled in comparison to Black Sword's legendary status.

And now, the legendary black sword stands right in front of Thales.

The latter found it hard to believe.

Compared to the rumors of his ferocity, ruthlessness, and cruelty, Black Sword's appearance under the moonlight was quite unremarkable. He had a flat forehead, small eyes, and even his build was only slightly above average, neither fat nor thin.

In a crowd, he would be an ordinary person, so unremarkable that he wouldn't even have any distinctive features that would make him memorable.

It was as if he had nothing worth mentioning about himself.

Aside from his sharp eyes, which seemed out of place with the overall style.

And his sword.

Thales narrowed his eyes, watching the man slowly raise the sword in his hand.

It was a strange sword.

The weapon's all-black appearance may explain its nickname, the Black Sword, but that's far from its only strange feature.

This strange sword was of moderate length, with a slight curve in the blade, but the tip was curved like a bird's beak. The blade was single-edged, and the blood groove was deep and long.

The unsharpened back of the sword had a section of the blade hollowed out at about one-third of its length, creating a barb. From this barb on the back of the sword all the way to the hilt, it was covered with fine serrations.

Looking at the legendary, strange black sword, Thales couldn't help but frown.

The hilt of the strange sword is not aligned with the center line of the spine at all, but is off to one side—like a… kitchen knife? In addition, this sword does not have a cross guard, but only a single guard that extends down from the hilt and is almost parallel to the hilt, protecting the hand. It seems to be able to fit the four fingers other than the thumb.

Looking at the sword, Thales thought to himself: It doesn't look like a sword at all, but more like a long, straight knife with various small designs on the blade.

This reminded Thales of the Swiss Army knife from his previous life.

But Thales also realized that the strange black longsword was not Black Sword's only weapon; the latter also had a long, strip-shaped weapon covered in burlap tied to his waist.

Is it another sword?
“And you, you’re like an annoying black cockroach, insignificant yet incredibly resilient,” Ashida said calmly, seemingly unconcerned about the legend before her: “You always manage to drag your last breath, crawl back in a sorry state, and then crawl back again in a disgusting way.”

"Keep being annoying."

The man did not answer; his gaze passed over Ashda and landed on Thales.

A glance from those sharp eyes sent a chill down Thales' spine.

These two guys… Thales thought to himself: They are both extremely dangerous beings.

But clearly, those belonging to the Brotherhood and the Blood Vial Gang are enemies.

Perhaps one of those opportunities is for me to escape Ashida.

“Over the years, I’ve watched you grow from the Super-Rank to the Ultimate Rank, becoming stronger and stronger,” Aishida looked at the black sword and shook her head slightly. “I’ve almost developed feelings for it.”

Black Sword remained silent.

“You know, standing there dumbfounded in front of me is the most foolish thing to do,” Ashida chuckled, unfazed by Black Sword’s rudeness. “During this time, I can completely shut down the air inside you…”

However, before Ashida could finish speaking, the black sword moved in the next moment!
With a swift movement, Black Sword strode through the snow, dragging his sword in one hand and holding his chest with the other, charging towards Ashida!

Ashida's lips curled slightly, seemingly unconcerned.

Thales was startled.

Since arriving at Red Town Street, he has witnessed the movements and techniques of many masters in his brief but exciting experience, ranging from advanced to ultimate levels, each with its own unique characteristics.

The elusive Yordle, Chris who transforms into a blood mist, Ada who is so swift and agile that it's dazzling, the Corleone sisters who are so fast in battle that their figures are barely visible, the Fortress Flower who carries immense power yet moves with ease, and the unstoppable Wrath of the Kingdom once it erupts—all of them leave a deep impression.

Even Rolf's soaring figure in the wind, Istrom's astonishing speed, and Nekra's increasingly powerful punches were all distinctive.

But... Thales frowned as he watched the black sword approaching at a steady pace.

It wasn't because the Black Sword's performance was particularly sharp or dazzling.

Rather, it was because the way Black Sword strode and ran was simply...

It's too ordinary.

He was as ordinary as the most common soldier, charging towards the most powerful enemy.

It has absolutely no distinguishing features.

Even Yara's agility, which allowed her to dodge and leap with incredible precision, seemed to be a level above the black sword before her.

Compared to the legendary reputation of the Black Sword...

wrong.

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

The most ordinary soldier? The most powerful enemy?
He squinted and saw the black sword's movements clearly.

The hand raised high to the chest, the sword trailing behind, the distance between the legs...

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

That movement... it looks so familiar. A thought struck him, and Thales' eyes once again entered that peculiar observation mode.

As expected, Ashida in the field of vision transformed into the most dazzling blue light.

Strangely, the figure of the black sword remained unchanged.

But Thales had no time to worry about any of that.

Because Aishida, who remained motionless, watched the approaching black sword and gently snapped her fingers.

"Snapped!"

A wave of panic washed over Thales.

"call!"

The next second, between Ashida and the black sword, countless snowflakes on the ground suddenly flew up!

Snowflakes scattered, revealing the underlying black and gray rock layers.

In Thales's vision, a surge of energy dotted with blue light suddenly rose up, starting from the midline between the two and sweeping towards the charging man!

Thales' pupils contracted, and he immediately realized: that was airflow, the most turbulent airflow.

Reaching a height of over ten meters and a width of several tens of meters, this airflow layered upon layer, like a moving high wall, forcefully intercepted Aishida and the Black Sword, completely covering this cliff top.

Now, it whips up countless snowflakes, its momentum fierce, as it swirls towards the oncoming black sword.

"Shh-"

It's like a giant slap, striking the smallest insect.

Oops.

Thales frowned anxiously: Black Sword could only see the drifting snow, he couldn't see this invisible current of air.

No matter whether he charged left or right, leaped back or forth—unless the black sword could burrow into the ground, he simply couldn't avoid the relentless sweep of air currents.

"Watch out!" Thales exclaimed as he took in the situation. "What's in front of you... is a wall of wind! Get out of the way!"

Ashida stirred slightly and glanced back at Thales.

His eyes were playful.

And the black sword...

The black sword seemed oblivious, continuing its charge.

Thales gritted his teeth.

Is the airflow too strong? Didn't you hear it?

He will be blown away by the airflow.

Then it was blown off this high cliff.

He fell from the highest peak of Dragon Sky City and crashed to the ground.

Thales felt a wave of despair: the black sword might be his only chance to stop himself from being kidnapped by the mage; at the very least, he had to keep him alive so he could go and deliver the message…

But he could only watch helplessly as the black sword, without deviating or retreating, charged straight towards the invisible and inescapable wall of air currents.

Rushing toward his own death.

Finally, Black Sword charged into the turbulent airflow, his hair whipped back and his robes billowing, as if he were about to be swept away by the airflow.

But the next moment, Thales opened his mouth in astonishment.

The black sword was not scraped away.

He was seen crashing into the air currents, holding his sword with both hands, the tip of the sword pointing straight forward, swaying in the air currents.

Black Sword suddenly shifted to the side, his feet began to turn strangely, no longer charging in a straight line, but moving forward in a zigzag pattern in the direction the sword tip was pointing!
And so, Black Sword, wielding his longsword and braving the air currents that could sweep away boulders, changed direction from time to time, but his speed never diminished as he continued to charge toward Ashida.

Like a wedge, it is driven into the airflow, going deeper and deeper!
Thales watched his movements in disbelief.

How can this be?

Why is Ashida's airflow having no effect on him?

Thales narrowed his eyes, and the energy within him began to gather, making his vision clearer.

Soon, Thales understood why.

In his vision, the black sword wasn't just aimlessly stumbling around. He saw it bend regularly towards a few specific spots within the blue-glowing current of air—almost always in the sparsest and dimmer parts of the blue light.

Using some unknown means, Black Sword had already detected the invisible airflow. He found the weakest point in the uneven airflow and, by using his footsteps and angles, forced his way into the airflow controlled by Ashida.

Thales couldn't help but wonder: normal people can't see those air currents at all, let alone the black sword in the air currents—how did he do it?
As his opponent, Ashida seemed completely unsurprised; he merely twitched his fingers slightly.

In Thales' eyes, the blue light flashing in the air instantly brightened!

The airflow suddenly increased dramatically!
The black sword's advance halted abruptly! It was about to be swept away.

At the same time, Black Sword twisted his arm, and his strange longsword suddenly trembled.

Amidst the oncoming turbulent air currents, the black sword slashed out an arc with both hands!
Thales' eyes widened: in the instantaneously intensified blue light, a faint dark spot was struck by the Black Sword—Thales really couldn't distinguish between his nickname and his weapon.

Aishida's expression changed slightly.

With this sword strike, the momentum of the air currents became disordered.
Thales saw it clearly: in that instant, the blue-glowing airflow actually came to life...

The man ripped a gash in it with his sword.

Although it was only for a moment, at this moment, the black sword seemed like a legend that had suddenly come to life. With a light step, it leaped into the air and squeezed through the narrow gap in the airflow that Thales could not see how long it would last!
In the blink of an eye, the black sword was already five steps in front of Ashida.

The man's eyes were cold as he looked at Ashida, his feet never stopping.

In that instant, Ashida suddenly raised her arms!

For some reason, Thales sensed that Ashida's action seemed somewhat flustered.
The air pressure around Ashida seemed to explode instantly!
"boom!"

A large amount of air burst out in all directions from Ashida as the center, spreading outwards!
In Thales' eyes, all he saw was blue light radiating outwards in a ring around Ashida.

At that moment, Thales thought of a funny analogy—Aishida at this moment was just like a porcupine with arrows flying everywhere, angrily and furiously retaliating against the black sword that charged in front of her.

A tremendous force surged through the air, and Thales was forcefully pressed to the ground, forcing his mind back to reality.

Thales knew this was Aishida's doing, to protect him from the immense pressure bursting forth. He gritted his teeth and struggled to lift his head, trying to see the battle clearly.

Snowflakes swirled and danced in the air.

A powerful surge of air pressure erupted violently, and the black sword, which was a few steps in front of Ashida, was the first to be hit.

But Black Sword made another unexpected move.

As if knowing what kind of threat was coming at him, Black Sword's figure swayed as he advanced!
Start...rotate?
Thales's surprised gaze was fixed on the black sword.

"Hiss..."

He brushed against the terrifying air pressure, emitting a loud and piercing hiss.

The man's figure continued to spin, like a strange dancer, twirling and moving forward amidst the bursting air pressure.

However, it cleverly reduced the frontal pressure load he was subjected to to a minimum.

Black Sword spun twice, and with each spin, he took a step toward Ashida while maintaining perfect balance.

Air pressure had absolutely no effect on his speed.

With a piercing sonic boom and under Ashida's solemn gaze, the black sword stepped in front of him.

In that instant, the eyes of the air mage and the black sword met in mid-air.

The next moment.

Ashida, her face pale, raised her right hand and clenched her fist!
Black Sword, meanwhile, swung his arm and swiftly thrust out his strange sword!

The surrounding air trembled and began to change strangely.

The black sword's longsword swung, tracing an odd arc.

"laugh!"

The sound of a sword piercing flesh rang out.

But at the very moment the black sword was swung, as Ashida clenched his fist, the air around them suddenly seemed to thicken, become heavier, and become incredibly viscous!

This reminded Thales of the suffocating move that Ashida had used on him before, and he couldn't help but feel a chill.

"Boom!"

Ashida's clenched right fist detached from her body and fell to the ground.

"boom!"

An immense pressure descended from the air, forcing the black sword to kneel on one knee!
Before his opponent could react, Black Sword braced himself against the ground with his left hand, performed a backflip, and slashed out with his longsword, breaking through the heavy atmosphere.

The black sword rolled back a few meters, leaving Ashida's air pressure range. With the longsword across his chest, he panted and watched Ashida warily.

The Qi Mage stared blankly at his arm lying on the ground.

This fierce and swift battle has finally come to a temporary end.

Thales got up from the ground, so engrossed in watching that he forgot to breathe.

Ashda's ability to manipulate the atmosphere at will was already astonishing enough to him—the powerful, sweeping air currents, the violently exploding air pressure, and the viscous, thick, heavy pressure. Thales believed that anyone would have no choice but to run away in fear if they encountered any of these situations.

But Black Sword—in the shortest amount of time, every move he made effectively cut into the weaknesses of Ashida's strange abilities, overcoming every obstacle and rushing to the front of the mage.

They even severed the mage's arm.

Compared to Giza, who bled "excessively," Ashida's wound did not bleed at all, but instead emitted a faint blue glow—just like the one on Red Street.

The Qi Demon Master was stunned for a full ten seconds.

Black Sword used this time to adjust his breathing, and his panting gradually subsided.

Finally, Ashida let out a deep sigh, and the strange mage slowly spoke.

"This is the closest you've been to me in over a decade since we first met."

“You even cut off my arm,” Ashida shook her head, shaking her severed arm. “Whether it’s quick thinking, physical strength, or on-the-spot intuition—I have to admit, you’re getting stronger and stronger.”

“It seems I have to retract my description of you as a ‘black cockroach,’” Ashida said sarcastically. “You’ve become a venomous black scorpion.”

Black Sword stared intently at the mage, without answering.

Moreover… Aishida thought to herself: Since our first encounter twelve years ago, this guy’s strength has increased rapidly, as if there were no bottlenecks or obstacles.

Back then, he was just an insignificant nobody, but now...

Thales watched with a chill run down his spine as Ashida's arm on the ground turned into blue light and dissipated—although he had expected it and had seen it before, seeing this scene still felt somewhat strange.

At the same time, the blue light on Ashida's severed arm shone brightly again, and the light condensed into a new arm, as did her robe.

"With flesh and blood, and a sword made of ordinary iron, you are someone who can stand up to a mage in a head-on confrontation without being at a disadvantage," Ashida said, gripping her newly acquired right arm. "Black Sword, you are probably the first in history."

As Ashida recalled the past thousand years, he couldn't help but sigh: Was there any master in history who had the strength he has now?

Upon hearing this, Thales stared blankly at the black sword.

The latter slowly stood up and flicked the snowflakes off his longsword.

"You flatter me," Black Sword said calmly, his tone still flat. "But I can sense that you are intentionally suppressing your power."

Black Sword raised his head, looked at the statue of Nekaru, and frowned slightly: "In the past, you would have blown the entire mountain to smithereens long ago."

Aishida squinted.

"What?" Black Sword turned his head and looked directly into the mage's eyes: "Are you wary of... something in this city?"

Thales frowned: Of course, Aishida had said it himself before—there are at least two legendary anti-magic weapons in Dragonsreach.

Aishida smiled slightly.

“This is, after all, the capital of a country, a place of order,” the Qi Mage shrugged, saying indifferently, “I don’t want to escalate to the point of massacring the city—that’s not my preference.”

"The capital? Order?" Black Sword took a deep breath, and in that instant, his expression became extremely terrifying: "Twelve years ago, when you, monster, were wreaking havoc in the Palace of Restoration, why didn't you have such concerns?"

Thales was jolted awake!
But what Ashida said next shocked him just as much as the former:
"Tsk tsk, it's so ironic to hear you say that," Ashida stared at the black sword, chuckling and shaking her head slightly, a faint blue light flickering in her eyes.
"If I remember correctly, you were the assassin who killed the Crown Prince, weren't you?"

(End of this chapter)