Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 172 Slaughter
Under the night sky, in the deserted ruins of the Shield Zone, the Blood Mage gently turned around and stroked the pitch-black Kirika.

The next instant, the dense carapace on the black spider-like Kilica began to tear, deform, and expand, and its black exterior began to turn red. More than a dozen blood-red tentacles composed of human limbs stretched out from its body, growing larger and larger!

Kilica's body grew larger and larger until it transformed back into the blood-red multi-headed serpent that Thales had seen, its tentacles trembling like a giant squid tens of meters tall, emitting eerie whistling sounds.

"Find that child."

Giza's earlier madness and fanaticism vanished as the purplish-red markings on her face faded.

At this moment, she was serene and peaceful, like an ordinary, innocent girl. The mage gently stroked Kirica, his voice soft and gentle: "You know his scent, you understand his aura, you are familiar with his bloodline..."

Giza breathed softly, his expression strange: "It belongs to that guy's bloodline."

"That guy you've been dreaming of devouring."

The hydra's dozen or so giant tentacles trembled simultaneously, producing a sizzling sound as flesh rubbed and squeezed together.

"boom!"

The tentacles crashed down, creating dozens of deep trenches in the ruins, raising clouds of dust.

Giza laughed, looking at the terrifying Kilica with affection, like she was looking at her own angry, wagging little dog.

"Go, find him."

Giza, who seemed like the girl next door, paused for a second before slightly parting her lips and exhaling softly: "Before he became a mage..."

"Kill him."

Even if it means destroying the entire Dragon Sky City.

Even if it exposes myself.

even if...

An unsettling, eerie hissing sound emanated once again from Kirika's massive body.

The next second, more than a dozen of its blood-red tentacles plunged into the ground from different directions!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Its flesh seemed to be multiplying infinitely, constantly extending the length of its tentacles and digging into the ground!

Suddenly, Giza narrowed his eyes and turned his head with a serious expression.

Amidst the dust kicked up by Kirica, a figure suddenly appeared, slowly walking towards the mage.

Giza let out a soft breath.

Sure enough, we wasted too much time.

The figures in the smoke and dust slowly approached, one pause at a time.

The Blood Mage closed his eyes and gently shook his head: "Hmm, they actually managed to evacuate people from several surrounding districts..."

“The descendants of Naikaru are not entirely without merit.”

Just now.

boom!
Suddenly, a medium-sized tentacle shot out from the ground next to that figure.

Amidst the smoke and dust, tentacles burst forth from the earth, attacking the uninvited guest!
However, the figure in the smoke and dust only moved slightly.

"laugh!"

The sound of a weapon piercing flesh could be heard.

next moment.

Giza's face paled instantly, and he knelt down on both knees!
"Ah—ah ah—ah—"

The Blood Mage screamed in agony!
----

"Boom!"

In several districts adjacent to the Shield Zone, more than a dozen enormous, blood-red tentacles burst forth from the ground once again!

For example, in the Sword District, which is closest to the noble districts above, there is a huge tentacle that destroyed a stone house on top of it, then broke through the earth and rocks and shot towards the sky.

The moment they were unearthed, the heads of these terrifying tentacles, composed of mangled human bodies, suddenly burst open and dispersed into countless smaller tentacles.

The tiny tentacles paused in mid-air, slowly rotating in all directions, occasionally twitching once or twice.

It's like...

Sniffing.

Before long, these small tentacles trembled in unison, and then grew, multiplied, and extended rapidly in all directions.

Just then, a slender figure in a white cloak suddenly appeared from around a corner and landed instantly in front of the roots of all the tentacles!

The tentacles sensed the approaching flesh and blood.

In that instant, countless tentacles and limbs, like wild beasts bristling, swept towards the cloaked figure that had appeared.

The figure turned around slightly and brandished a special white-handled knife.

The sword flashed.

"Shh!"

Amidst the onslaught of countless tentacles, that figure flickered incessantly in an instant, even leaving behind afterimages!

So much so that from a distance, it looked as if he was extending his blade in several different directions.

The blade grazed almost every tentacle, leaving wounds.

But that's far from all.

The next moment, the tentacles that had been grazed by the blade shuddered violently!
Then, the wounds on these seemingly living tentacles immediately began to turn black, then withered in large patches, and finally, like burning, the entire tentacle turned into ashes and scattered away!

Flesh and ashes instantly mingled together.

The man in the cloak swung his blade again.

This time, the strange knife pierced deep into the root of these small tentacles—into the large, blood-red tentacle.

The enormous tentacle jerked violently, and bubbles and large amounts of steam began to emerge from the spot where the blade had pierced it.

Then it also began to turn black and wither.

Until it completely turns to ashes.

After detaching from the root, the small tentacles that landed on the ground seemed to sense something and immediately began to tremble wildly, slithering away in all directions like snakes—escaping from that terrifying man.

At that moment, countless footsteps sounded urgently.

Dozens of figures dressed in gray and masked appeared at the street corner!

They were equipped with special gear: arm shields, light crossbows, and streamlined white-handled longswords. They moved in unison with swift and skillful steps, blocking almost every tentacle that tried to escape.

His movements were swift and agile, and his mind was calm.

Then, with a swift movement, the knife fell.

"Swoosh! Whoosh! Swish!"

This time, the small tentacles that were struck by these blades did not turn to ashes. Instead, they bled bright red blood, just like normal limb injuries. However, their vitality was clearly not as strong as that of their roots. After bleeding profusely, the severed tentacles collapsed to the ground and slowly contracted.

The first man to appear—"The Meteor" Nikolai—spun his cloak, his expression serious. He ignored his subordinates who were busy clearing out tentacles and walked toward the street corner.

There, more members of the White Blade Guard surrounded an old but dignified man.

"According to Ms. Cassan's intelligence, there are at least a dozen such creatures in and around the Shield District—fortunately, we evacuated the residents in time, otherwise they would have become food for those creatures, Your Majesty."

The meteorite reported solemnly.

King Nunn VII frowned as he watched a tentacle trembling in the distance being stepped on and severed by a guard with a white blade, from which bright red blood flowed.

“We’ve tested it. Ordinary anti-magic weapons can only ensure they maintain the most basic mobility under the siege of these things,” Nikolai noticed the king’s gaze, brandished the strange blade in his hand, and slowly said, “Only legendary anti-magic weapons like the Soulbreaker Blade can eradicate these disgusting things while protecting themselves.”

The king nodded, his expression terrifying: "Grivo has already set off with the Soul-Slaying Spear—that calamity won't last long."

“But these things keep extending, trying to find more people to feed on,” a bureaucrat who looked like an order officer said worriedly from behind the king. “Now they’ve even appeared here—sooner or later they will extend out of the Shield District and catch up with the residents we’ve arranged to evacuate to other districts, and even outside the city.”

"It's fine that it grows stronger by absorbing resources, but if this continues, the entire Dragon Sky City..."

King Nuen abruptly raised his hand, stopping his subordinates from reporting.

His eyes flashed with anger.

And steadfastness.

The tentacles in this area were quickly cleared away.

King Nuen clenched his fist, looked up and surveyed the warriors around him, and shouted loudly, "White Blade Guard!"

"Yes!"

All the guards with melee weapons, including Nikolai, turned around and roared angrily.

They stared sharply back at the king of the North.

King Nuen took a heavy step forward, his eyes wide with anger, staring at each of his personal guards—the elite melee guards.

Dragon Guard.

The most formidable being in Exter.

The sound of earth and rocks collapsing could be heard again in the distance.

King Nuen took a deep breath, and the flames in his eyes grew ever brighter.

Tell me, you lads!

"When Exter needs your protection..." The old king's aged yet powerful voice rang in everyone's ears:

"When the North needs your fighting spirit..."

"We need you to give your lives..."

"When all the blood has been drawn..."

King Nuen turned his head, staring intently at the blood-red multi-headed serpent in the distance, at the blurry yet enormous figure, and roared ferociously:

Will you hesitate?

"tell me!"

In that instant, all the guards with melee weapons straightened up without hesitation and slammed their right fists into their left chests!

Boom!
The dull thuds of hammering rang out at the same time, as if from a single person, heavy and awe-inspiring.

All the elite warriors roared in unison, their voices deafening:
"No, Your Majesty!"

"Shh!"

King Nuen turned around and suddenly drew his sword!
He looked stern and nodded at his guards: "Very good!"

"Nikolai! You're in charge of dispatching!"

The Meteorite knelt on one knee, punched himself in the chest, and his face was solemn.

"The White Blade Guards are all equipped with anti-magic weapons. They will circle around the edge of the shield zone," King Nunn calmly instructed his personal guard captain. "Whether it's delaying, intercepting, or strangling—block this thing within the shield zone!"

"It won't dare touch a single Northerner again!"

Nikolai nodded firmly and stood up to give the order.

"Everyone, divide into eight teams, each with at least thirty people. Check the anti-magic weapons, carry signal crossbows, and send messages according to wartime standards," the Meteorite said coldly to his subordinates. "Form groups of five in a circle. Focus on dealing with these small things. Slashing and cutting are the most effective methods. Watch your step and don't get entangled with multiple enemies."

“Having encountered such a behemoth,” Nikolai kicked a large tentacle that had withered into a black, dry limb, and brandished his Soulbreaker Blade, “send a message to notify me!”

King Nuen sighed.

“Kashan said that the more people the calamity faces, the stronger it becomes—so you will have no backup,” the king said, extending his right hand and firmly pressing it against Nikolai’s right shoulder, his eyes fixed straight ahead. “Whether it’s the patrols or the conscripts—they have no anti-magic weapons and will only be throwing their lives away.”

"Our hope lies in Griveo and you, in the Soul-Slaying Spear and the Soul-Severing Blade."

“Grivo has already gone to find that calamity—the Soul-Slaying Spear is the perfect weapon against it, and what you need to do now is…”

A glint flashed in King Nuen's eyes: "It's like trapping a rat in a cage—completely cutting off that thing's power and escape route!"

Nikolai and the king exchanged a deep look, then Nikolai nodded firmly and respectfully: "We have no problem, Your Majesty."

"Please wait in the palace for news of our triumphant return."

But King Nuen shook his head: "I'll go with you."

In that instant, Nikolai's eyes widened.

"Your Majesty, the road ahead is very dangerous..."

King Nuen solemnly raised his hand, stopping him from speaking.

"Most of the White Blade Guards are here. Valhalla is not necessarily as safe as this place."

“And I have never doubted that the place where the White Blade Guard is located,” King Nunn’s eyes were filled with unquestionable majesty, “is the safest place in the world.”

Do you have any objections to this statement?

Nikolai was suddenly jolted.

At that moment, Nikolai said nothing, but gritted his teeth and nodded solemnly.

King Nuen released his shoulder and laughed heartily:
"Come, my warriors."

"Today, we will set foot on our homeland and embark on a war between humans and non-humans."

The old king raised his head, looking towards the cliff in the sky, and towards the heroic statue holding a long spear.

"Today, we will follow in the footsteps of Nakaru."

"Go hunt down the legendary calamity."

The guards with their swords drawn suddenly turned solemn.

Nikolai's pupils gradually contracted, and he slowly tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand.

King Nunn VII turned to the multi-headed serpent in the distance, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled:
“Those insane criminals who have committed heinous crimes in our northern lands, whether six hundred years ago or now.”

"Those monstrous creatures that have caused harm for thousands of years, brought endless disasters, and are incomprehensible."

"To eradicate those evils that take pleasure in killing and bloodshed."

"Those scum who see us as ants."

King Nuen clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with a fierce light:

"Completely destroyed!"

----

Giza suddenly collapsed to the ground, her once rosy and healthy complexion turning ashen and dry. Moreover, this gloomy color seemed to be intensifying on her face!
The multi-headed serpent Kirica behind Giza sensed its master's condition and began to tremble wildly.

As Kirica moved, several more tentacles emerged from around the figure, attacking the uninvited guest.

"Whoosh!" "Swoosh!"

Two sharp sounds of flesh being pierced came from the smoke and dust.

"Ah—ah, no—Kilika, that is…" Giza roared in agony, his whole body trembling, his face growing increasingly ashen, as if he were enduring torture.

Kilica suddenly started writhing wildly.

"Crack!"

The ground between the magic user and that figure cracked open!

A huge, blood-red tentacle, extending from Kirica, twisted wildly and broke free from the ground.

It trembled continuously.

It felt like they were experiencing the most horrific torture.

All that could be seen was this bright red tentacle made up of severed limbs, which was starting from the figure in the smoke and dust in front of them, turning black and withering at an extreme speed!
Like a fine cloth stained with ink, the blackened, withered growth on the tentacles spread all the way to the roots.

Extending towards Kilika.

And Giza.

The Blood Mage raised his withered, dark face, gritted his teeth, and roared, "Don't even think about it!"

The next moment, the increasingly blackened and withered tentacle reached out before that terrifying momentum could extend to Kilika...

It expands from the root and then suddenly breaks off!
"boom!"

A large amount of blood gushed out.

At that moment, Giza Trillman looked disheveled and tense.

Like a gecko shedding its tail, it struggles for survival.

A moment's delay would lead to utter ruin.

The blackening force extended to the broken point, finally reaching its limit, completely transforming the enormous tentacle into a withered and drooping branch.

The only sound in the air was Giza's panting as she lay on the ground.

Her complexion finally began to regain its rosy hue.

The mage raised his head, gritting his teeth as he stared ahead.

Staring at the figure that walked through the smoke and dust.

A figure slowly approached through the smoke and dust.

Along with this comes an unpleasant friction noise.

"Wow--"

Giza stood up from the ground, frowning slightly.

The newcomer was tall, but his gait was strange—he dragged his right leg with every step.

It's like... a cripple.

"Wow--"

The unpleasant sound continued, sounding like fine tools rubbing against rough rock.

Finally, a rude voice came from the smoke and dust.

“Shield District is a pathetic place,” the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, revealing a strong and wiry man: “Beneath the generous, optimistic and positive appearance of the Northerners lies the darkest and most obscure color of Dragon Sky City.”

"Wow--"

The noise continued.

The lame man was probably in his thirties or forties. His facial features were flat, except for his high nose and the stubble covering his chin, which made him look quite rugged.

"Some people are born in this unfortunate place, and all their parents leave them is poverty and hardship. All they learn is perseverance and tenacity."

The man limped forward, his voice filled with sorrow.

"Wow--"

Giza's brow furrowed deeper and deeper—she had found the source of the noise: a two-meter-long metal spear was dragging behind the man.

The black gun barrel dragged on the ground, making an unpleasant scraping sound.

The Blood Mage's eyes were fixed on the spear, filled with a strange light.

"Some people travel great distances to get ahead in order to make a name for themselves, exchanging their most precious present for the most unpredictable future, and leaving something memorable for themselves, their families, and their descendants."

The cripple dragged the heavy spear with his right hand, and as he turned, his left cheek was revealed.

Giza noticed his most striking feature—this man had no left ear.

Where his ear should have been, there was only a round hole left—as if it had been cut off at the root.

"But whoever it is, they are forced to seek shelter and a meal in this dilapidated place called Shield District, which lacks even a complete thick wall to protect them from the wind and snow."

"Here, some people are ambitious and petty, some are illiterate and trembling with fear, some are lonely and desperate, and some are injured and disabled, while others are impulsive, hot-blooded, and short-tempered."

"Wow--"

The man limped forward, his expression sorrowful and his voice low.

"They are just ordinary people, but they are also pitiful people."

"But they still live under the feet of the most powerful people in all of Exster, with the most content attitude and the strongest smile that are unique to the North, doing the most menial livelihood, earning the meager income, holding the pitiful hopes, and living the most miserable lives."

"They had no unparalleled strength, no great achievements, no respectable honors, no noble titles, no glorious bloodlines—yet they still gritted their teeth, swallowed blood, held back tears, tensed every muscle, and struggled to survive."

The man stopped his limping steps and stood in front of Giza.

He turned his head and glanced at a pile of ruins.

There, lying quietly, was a child's severed hand.

The man turned around abruptly, and this time, his eyes met the magic master's gaze without wavering.

It was filled with indifference, loneliness, disappointment, pain, hatred—and deathly silence.

"This is the Shield Zone—a filthy place where even the snowmelt is pitch black," the cripple said calmly.

"In the great Exter, in the majestic Valhalla, under the splendid glory of the North," the man's eyes swept over the surrounding ruins, a hint of pain in them:
"We struggled desperately, barely clinging to life."

“We are more like the North people than the toughest North people.”

The lame man with only one ear raised his spear, his expression cold, and looked at Giza.

"And you..."

“Even this tragic and unfortunate opportunity, this chance to grit our teeth and struggle for hope, will be taken from our already empty hands.”

“Completely stripped away”.

“We are in your eyes,” the man said softly, closing his eyes slightly, his grip on the gun tightening, his words filled with pain.

"Like insects, trampled on at will, kneaded at will."

"Is it."

"Disaster?"

The Blood Mage exhaled deeply, his eyes filled with solemnity.

She did not answer the man's question.

It was as if they didn't want to waste any time.

She only focused her gaze on the gun.

A few seconds later, Giza finally spoke slowly.

"More than six hundred years later..."

"The wielder of the Soul-Slaying Spear".

While comforting Kilica behind him, Giza panted and said calmly, "It's you, a cripple?"

The man snorted coldly.

The Blood Mage raised his head and looked toward the Sky Cliff.

She glanced at the majestic statue of the human hero, Nekaru Ax, then looked down at the lame, one-eared man and frowned.

It's as if they're making a comparison.

After a moment, Giza let out a long sigh:

"Isn't that a huge difference?"

The man stared intently at her, without saying a word.

"What, in this day and age..."

"As long as you're at the pinnacle," Giza said dismissively, "does that mean you can master legendary anti-magic weapons?"

"call!"

The one-eared man twirled his hands, his spear whistling through the air, its black tip pointing directly at Giza.

The gun barrel vibrated slightly.

"Buzz..."

Just as a spear has its own life.

“Drew Griveor, an ordinary heavy sword infantryman from Dragonsky City, a conscript,” he said in a deep voice.

“By the way,” said the lame man named Griveo, wielding the Soul-Slaying Spear, coldly, “the entire Shield District…”

"I'll protect you."

"Oh?" Giza's face turned cold. She ground her teeth, but unusually, she didn't smile. "Then you should thank me."

She looked around at the ruins of the surrounding streets and shook her head.

"Take your home."

"It's been cleaned so thoroughly."

Griveaux was not angered by her words.

The man simply dragged his lame leg and took a small step forward.

"I was just saying hello."

“You should know the origin of this weapon,” Griveo said, tapping the menacing spear in his hand. “When I took it ten years ago, Mylke practically nagged me to death.”

The man's eyes began to clear.

"The Soul-Slaying Spear, the great weapon of His Majesty Nekaru."

"All life on earth, from dragons to ants, from demons to flowers and grasses."

“Once you are pierced by this spear,” Griveaux stared at the tip of the spear, his eyes gleaming, “all the life force in your body will be lost.”

In that instant, the one-eared, lame man's demeanor began to change.

It felt like stepping into the most brutal battlefield.

"All life."

"All over."

Giza did not speak.

“The touch of death,” Griveaux looked up and emphasized coldly, “only a light touch is needed.”

The girl, who always had a gentle smile, stared at the gun without any emotion.

His gaze lingered on it for a long time.

As if recalling something.

"This is the unparalleled power unique to the legendary anti-magic weapon, the Soul-Slaying Spear," the heavily wounded heavy swordsman gritted his teeth.
“‘Extinction’”.

Griveaux sheathed his spear and carefully observed his opponent.

“Every legendary anti-magic weapon was created to target one or a few magic users.”

"And this legendary spear was specifically designed to deal with you..."

Griveaux gently blew a breath onto the muzzle of the gun:

"The calamity of blood."

"The enemy of life."

"A legendary anti-magic weapon forged for you, a being that cannot be sealed away normally."

The next moment, Grevo's eyes flashed with a cold light.

"boom!"

His intact left leg slammed into the ground, and his strong but crippled body shot up with astonishing force!
They rushed toward Giza, whose face was pale.

The ferocious Soul-Slaying Spear, with an invincible momentum like a battlefield charge, thrust forward relentlessly.

"Buzz..."

In the air, the black gun barrel emitted a pleasant vibration.

The vibrations became increasingly rapid.

It seemed to be yearning.

A longing to release the touch of death.

I was wrong!

I could have updated it by noon.

I went to watch "When a Snail Falls in Love" and became completely engrossed in it.

Pack your bags and head home for the Chinese New Year.

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(End of this chapter)