Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 17 Dawn: Blood and Light

When a second, even louder explosion came from the center of Red Street, Morris, Lyok, and the others had already fought their way out of the Blood Bottle Gang members who were unable to rally due to the chaos in their command, and saw Qincha fighting against Clown Kex in the distance.

Grindelwald was nearly two meters tall, but he didn't appear thin; instead, he was strong and steady. His dark skin, straight blond hair, and cold face made him look rather serious, but the old guard of the Brotherhood all knew that "The Uncrowned Fist" Grindelwald, the leader of the six leaders, was the most reliable person in the organization besides the three assassins—no, most of the time, he was more reliable than the three assassins.

"You call this a superpower?"

Qincha coldly looked at "Knife-throwing clown" Kex, who was soaring high on the rooftop, constantly shooting knives from his bottomless pocket, and said contemptuously.

Morris, Edleyonza, and Leyok—one a 'super-level' expert, two 'mortal-level' experts, and who knows how many more there are—Kex, one of the eight superpowered warriors of the Blood Bottle Gang, squatted on the rooftop as he watched more and more Brotherhood experts gather, his face grave as he silently pondered.

His elite Blood Bottle Gang members have been completely slaughtered.

There's also Qincha, this guy who's close to "extreme".

The Blood Bottle Gang's reinforcements are nowhere to be seen. Song, Rube, and Rolf are still missing. Solo lost contact ten minutes ago. Tinker, that coward, is hiding in the shadows, probably observing. As for Numino, he's the one in charge of Qincha. Since Qincha is unharmed, he's probably already by the River of Hell and has met the ferryman.

Worse still, the air wall disappeared with the explosion, but the air mage's instructions were nowhere to be heard.

Kex's consideration did not last long.

Behind Qincha, one of the Brotherhood's thirteen generals, the Northerner "Steel Cone" Edleyonza, gritted his teeth and casually tossed the head of Song, a super-level ability warrior, puppeteer, and nicknamed "Chaos Soldier" from the Su Ye Kingdom, whom Qincha had just hunted down, onto the ground.

The clown pondered for a moment, then pulled out two throwing knives from his special ability space, bit an oxygen tube (to guard against Morris's abilities) into his mouth, and at the same time made up his mind to leave immediately.

In this situation, even a Qi Demon Master cannot criticize his choice.

But the next moment, Kekes was surprised to see Cincha's fist coming straight at his face.

When did Qincha become so fast!
But then he saw a fat figure behind Qincha, Maurice, who was clenching his teeth and activating his supernatural power.

"He didn't drain the air around me," the clown thought in astonishment and despair, "but rather—he drained the air around Qincha."
When the first explosion caused the invisible barrier to disappear, Morris knew that something unexpected had happened that night. When the second, astonishing explosion rang out in the distance, Morris realized that the opportunity to retaliate had arrived.

Without a word, he decisively emptied the air from the path between Qincha and Kess.

Qincha sensed the change in his surroundings. His boxer, with whom he had a tacit understanding for many years, instantly held his breath and launched an attack. Ignoring air resistance, he threw a punch at several times the speed he usually did!
The battle didn't last long.

As Cincha effortlessly caught Kex's two throwing knives and shattered the Joker's life-saving superpower space with his relentless, unwavering, and deadly iron fist (which the Joker used to block ranged attacks and had prepared by storing oxygen and throwing knives, making it impossible for Maurice to deal with him), Lyok had already silently landed behind him.

Morris, who had used his powers, bent over, panting with his hands on his knees, his fat flesh jiggling on his face. He didn't look at the clown who was already certain to become dead, but turned to Qincha and said, "The second—the second explosion came from deep within Red Street, there must have been an accident that happened—something we didn't know about."

“But regardless, the air barrier has failed, and the air mage is definitely—probably in trouble!” Although Morris had calmed his breathing, his face showed hesitation as he said, “We…we…”

Qincha turned his head and looked at his old partner with a resolute expression: "Fight back?"

Morris frowned for a long time, unable to make a decision.

Until his subordinates couldn't help but speak up.

“Song and Kex have both perished here. If they’re used as bait to lure us in, then the sweetness of that bait is enough for us to risk everything!” Ignoring Kex’s pleas for mercy, Leyok coldly slit his opponent’s paint-covered neck, feeling inexplicably puzzled by Morris’s unusual behavior.
"After the road was cleared, the body of 'Wind-Walking Ghost' Rolf was found ahead, and Lord Lancer sent news of the deaths of Spin and Dorno from behind. With the addition of Kex, the enemy's combat power in Everstar City has been reduced by more than half."

Leyok nodded to the two giants.

In response, Qincha lowered his smoking fist, and his reply was brief and clear:
He rushed straight to the center of Hongfang Street.

"follow me!"

Thus, the dawn on Red Town Street was greeted with the color of blood.

When Nal Rick, as Lancer's designated logistics commander, saw Maurice and Cincha returning bloodied and battered at the intersection of the Lower Town and Red Street, it was almost dawn.

Morris patted him on the shoulder, exhaled, and laughed, "Although the process had its ups and downs, but—"

"Red Town Street is ours now."

“I expected this, and it’s to be expected.” Rick replied with a smile, while in his mind he was thinking about how to repay the beggar who escaped from the abandoned house and Quaid’s death.

At least that ghost won't come back.

Rick thought to himself, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on a figure in a mysterious cloak in the distance.

Moreover, with Lord Lancer's promise, I won't be demoted too badly.

"Silent Killer" Leyok didn't even glance at Rick, walked past him, and despite the blood on his face, embraced "womanizer" Belicia, who was coming from behind Rick.

"You're not dead yet?" Belicia chuckled, showing no sign of worry.

"Who can kill me but you?" Lyok sneered, kissing the woman's lips fiercely.

"Has anyone seen Edmund!" Cincha's voice came from the crowd. "Without him, I wouldn't have been able to take down the 'Chaotic God Weapon' so easily!"

"You damn cook!" Qincha cursed angrily when no one responded. "He always runs away when it's time to drink!"

In the world of Errol, at dawn on October 14th, 672 of the End Calendar, the two overlords of the underworld of the Star Kingdom, the second largest kingdom on the Western Continent, clashed in a bloody and brutal "One Night War" on Red Street.

This was an asymmetrical battle. From the very beginning, the Black Street Brotherhood walked into the Blood Bottle Gang's ambush and trap, but the outcome of the bloody battle surprised many people.

In this battle, the Black Street Brotherhood suffered 54 deaths and 167 injuries. Of the so-called Thirteen Generals, nine participated, five of whom perished. Maurice and Cincha, two of the Six Leaders, fought to the very end and survived unscathed.

Meanwhile, the Blood Bottle Gang, the "gangster aristocracy," suffered its greatest defeat in history, with 95 dead and 290 wounded. Of the so-called twelve strongest warriors, 10 participated in the battle, with 8 killed. However, of the eight superpowered warriors above them, none of the five who participated survived. There are even rumors that the air magic master who commanded the operation and made his first public appearance in over a decade has also disappeared.

That night, the explosion in the center of Hongfang Street nearly woke up every resident of Yongxing City. Of the 729 innocent civilians affected by the blast, 75 died, 138 were injured, and 516 were left homeless.

Red Town Street, especially its central area, was severely damaged. This was even mentioned by the Chief Garrison Commander of the Capital at the Imperial Conference the following day, and was placed second only to the discussion of the "Border Territory Expansion Tax Exemption Case" and the reception of the envoys from the Kingdom of Exter. Ultimately, the Imperial Conference ordered the West City Guard to take swift action to "quell the conflicts among the people and stop the private fights."

The change of ownership of Red Street marked the complete invasion of the Brotherhood of Steel into the Western District, and the balance of power in the Starry Night underworld began to tilt completely towards the Black Street Brotherhood.

-------------------

However, what many people don't know is that at the same time that night, a momentous event occurred that would change the future fate of the Star Kingdom.

Thales was awkwardly held in the arms of the Yordle—the masked monster, the masked monster, the masked monster, Thales kept repeating it three times in his mind—and sped through the completely unfamiliar city at breakneck speed.

Thales felt he could no longer remain silent.

"Say it again, what do you want from me?" Thales asked painfully, looking at the faintly bright sky in the distance.

"I will reunite you with your father," Yodl said respectfully, bending down and touching the surface of a river, creating a ripple that passed through an archway.

Thales rolled his eyes.

"So who are you?"

“Your father’s secret guard,” Yodl said respectfully, passing over a tall watchtower. Such a large man carrying a child swept past, and the guard in the tower didn’t even blink.

Thales sighed.

"Are you mistaken? I'm just a runaway beggar!"

“Absolutely not, this is God’s will,” Yodl said respectfully, stepping onto a gold shop sign that, suspended by iron chains, didn’t even sway.

Thales felt like he was going crazy.

"Who exactly is my father?!"

“A man I greatly respect,” Yodl said respectfully, as a white eagle that was hunting a swallow flashed past, startling both the swallow and the eagle with its speed.

Thales was utterly desperate.

What's with this kind of polite language that doesn't reveal any key information yet makes people think, "Wow, how polite! I'm sorry to bother him any further!"?
Thales gave up.

When they realized they had made a mistake, Thales thought to himself, "They probably won't kill me to silence me, will they?"
Thales turned his head to wait for the sunrise, and asked listlessly:

"Yordal".

"Yes."

"You're not from a diplomatic background, are you?"

"No."

"That's a real shame. The way you speak is quite suitable."

“Thank you for your recognition.”

Yodl seemed oblivious to Thales's sarcasm and continued respectfully.

He scaled a high wall and landed silently, like a spider, in front of a road lined with exquisite flowerbeds on both sides.

Then, to Thales' surprise, Yodl stopped. Before them stood a simple but sturdy carriage.

In front of the carriage, a middle-aged man with gray hair carried a lantern and slowly walked towards them.

Yodel gently put Thales down.

The boy landed on the ground, then suddenly turned to look at Yodl, sensing that he was somewhat—well, unhappy?
As the middle-aged man approached, Thales noticed, by the light of the lamp in his hand, that his clothes were simple and unadorned, yet ancient and heavy.

The middle-aged man had a broad chin that made him appear approachable, and a neatly groomed short mustache that showed respect. However, his high cheekbones gave him a somewhat stern look, while his slightly soft nose made him seem gentle.

"He must be a very complicated person," Thales murmured to himself.

He raised his right hand—which was gloved in black—and lifted his top hat slightly, bowing gently.

"Good morning." Unlike the Yodel's hoarse and solemn voice, this voice sounded reassuring and comforting.

"This is a nobleman, a great nobleman," Thales concluded.

Could he be him?
But a comment from Yodl behind him made him reconsider.

The masked man spoke calmly, but with a defiant tone:
Why are you here?

The middle-aged nobleman nodded slightly, smiled, and replied without the slightest offense, "To be absolutely certain."

"He doesn't trust me?" Even Thales could hear Yodl's dissatisfaction.

"He trusts you completely, and is even willing to entrust his life and fortune to you," the middle-aged nobleman slowly uttered the next sentence:

"But I don't believe you, and you know why!"

Thales felt as if a stream of lightning was flowing between Yodl and the middle-aged nobleman!

Yodl remained silent for a moment, and unexpectedly did not reply.

The middle-aged nobleman stopped looking at Yodl and slowly squatted down, a moderate smile appearing on his face.

“My son,” he said to Thales, “I know you’ve had a long and arduous journey.”

The middle-aged nobleman looked at Thales's wounds and blood, took off his right glove, and reached out to touch his wounds. With each touch, his brows furrowed slightly.

"I'm sorry, but please believe me, child, after one more procedure, your misfortune will end here."

Just as Thales, feeling a little uncomfortable, was about to say something, he saw the middle-aged nobleman put down the lamp in his hand and grab the boy's right hand.

Then, he pulled out a finely crafted sheathed dagger from his pocket!

Thales instinctively tried to pull back, but his right hand was firmly grasped by the middle-aged nobleman!
"What do you want to do—" Thales asked anxiously, but the middle-aged nobleman just stared at him firmly, not letting go of his hand, while slowly drawing his dagger.

"Snapped!"

It's Yodl.

He bent down and pressed his hand firmly on the middle-aged nobleman's shoulder!

Yodl's face was obscured by the mask, but Thales felt inexplicably grateful to this "father's secret protector."

There was no other reason than that he had already seen too much blood and blades tonight.

“Yordal!” The middle-aged nobleman seemed very dissatisfied. He raised his head, frowned, and said in a low but undeniable voice:
"You know this is necessary!"

Thales looked up at Yodl, a little flustered, though he vaguely knew that the middle-aged nobleman was not going to do anything to harm him.

“Then use his own dagger!” Yodl said coldly.

The middle-aged nobleman stared at Yodl, and at that moment, his eyes seemed to be filled with frost.

After a long silence, the middle-aged nobleman gave in, nodded, and put the dagger back in his pocket.

Yodl then released the middle-aged nobleman's shoulder.

“Don’t panic, child,” the middle-aged nobleman shifted his gaze back to Thales, his tone returning to its gentle tone, “It’s just a matter of taking a blood sample.”

Thales looked at him.

The middle-aged nobleman's eyes were gentle, yet resolute.

The boy nodded.

Waiting for one's destiny.

The middle-aged nobleman reached out and took the unsheathed JC dagger, wrapped in cloth, from Thales's leg, pulled it out, and heated it over a lamp.

Then, Thales felt little pain as the middle-aged nobleman used a JC to pluck a drop of blood from the middle finger of his right hand.

What's going on here? With the current level of technology in this world, is DNA testing still possible?

What if they find out I'm not a real person?
Under Thales's curious yet apprehensive gaze, the drop of blood was gently dripped onto the ground by the middle-aged nobleman.

The next moment, Thales felt that familiar burning sensation surge from his heart, from his blood vessels, from his muscles, and from his entire body!
"Ah!" he couldn't help but exclaim.

But the middle-aged nobleman's gaze was not on him.

Thales turned his head and followed the middle-aged nobleman's excited gaze to look at the lamp that he had put down beside him.

"Wow!"

The once calm lights were now burning rapidly and explosively! The flames grew larger and larger, and the core of the flames turned from orange-yellow to blood-red!
The flames tilted in his direction.

Thales suddenly understood something.

Fresh blood dripping onto the ground.

The flame of the lamp turned red and grew larger.

A sudden wave of fear washed over Thales, and he turned to Yodl for help.

The masked man reached into his pocket and pulled out a glass bottle containing a small flame.

That was a spark.

At this moment, the flame inside the glass bottle was blood red, and the flame was slightly tilted.

Thales turned to look at the lamp on the ground, then at the embers in Yodl's hand, and then at the blood on the ground, his face turning pale.

The flames took a long time to return to normal.

"Impossible," he murmured.

“It took me quite a while to finally confirm that it was you,” Yodel said hoarsely.

The middle-aged nobleman seemed quite excited. He carefully sheathed the JC dagger in his hand and respectfully said, "Now—"

But the boy interrupted him with his actions.

Thales gritted his teeth, gripped his right middle finger tightly with his left hand, and squeezed out a few more drops of blood from the small wound, which fell to the ground!
"puff!"

The flames on the ground grew larger and turned crimson red.

"This is a divine spell that High Priestess Li Xiya set up twelve years ago. As long as your blood drips onto the ground of the capital, the Bloodline Lamp will ignite from the darkness," the middle-aged nobleman said, trembling.

Thales suddenly understood.

On the day Quaid beat him, his blood dripped onto the ground.

On the day Quaid slaughtered the beggars, his blood dripped onto the ground.

When he bumped into the invisible wall, his blood dripped onto the ground.

When Ashida murdered him with magical powers, his blood dripped onto the ground.

Thales sighed helplessly.

He suddenly felt like laughing out loud.

(End of this chapter)