Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 178 True Body
The battle is going to be intense. If you feel nervous, scared, or stiff, that's perfectly normal—that's how it is for new recruits.

At that point, you only need to do one thing: repeatedly recall what I am saying now to concentrate.

Black Sword charged through countless obstacles and barriers, hurtling toward the Blood Mage with astonishing speed; the shadow of Northern Army swordsmanship could be faintly seen in his movements.

Thales was held in Black Sword's arms with one arm, struggling to lift his head amidst the whistling air around his ears.

He gripped the strange Cleansing Blade tightly in his hand.

Following the black sword, they charged forward at top speed.

Even though those two men were both exceptionally skilled experts, and even though they wielded powerful legendary anti-magic weapons—I still had a premonition: they would ultimately be defeated.

[The Blood Calamity—that seemingly harmless little girl is an extremely terrifying opponent. For twelve years, she has been the only one who can simultaneously evoke fear and tension in me.]

In the howling, biting wind that stung his eyes, the second prince opened his mouth, struggling to catch the air that drifted past his lips to keep breathing.

He couldn't help but recall Black Sword's last words before their charge:
Her terrifying quality lies not in her uncanny power or boundless strength, but in the fact that she truly possesses what I call the heart of a "strong person"—even as powerful as she is, she remains calm, cautious, decisive, and ruthless, seizing every opportunity, never underestimating any opponent, and reacting swiftly and promptly.

Even her occasional displays of madness do not affect her attitude and instincts towards combat.

That monster's understanding of combat was so profound, so insightful, and so rich in experience that I've only ever seen it in a handful of people.

When the black sword carried Thales for the first step, the prince's mind went blank.

It was as if he had returned to the cliff in the sky, plummeting rapidly towards the bottom of the cliff a hundred meters below.

Until the first tentacle of the multi-headed snake appeared before my eyes, and the terrifying sizzling sound of flesh rubbing against flesh brushed past my ears.

Black Sword steadily gripped his hand and unleashed the Blade of Purification.

"laugh!"

Ashes, turned into tentacles, flew past his eyes.

Thales finally regained his breath, and a variety of emotions surged through his mind.

Nervous, fearful, uneasy, and also a little excited and thrilled.

We need to understand one thing first.

That is: the monster, the Blood Calamity—who has never faced us in his true form.

Thales gritted his teeth slightly as he thought of this.

He kept replaying Black Sword's words in his mind, processing the shock and astonishment he had just felt.

The "she" standing before us is a false body created from flesh and blood.

[This is intelligence I obtained through two encounters with her, walking a tightrope between life and death, and paying with my blood.]

In other words, it's not as you say: the legendary anti-magic forces couldn't seal that monster.

[Instead, those who tried to seal her away were unable to pinpoint her true form amidst countless bodies of flesh and blood.]

Thales frowned slightly as he looked at the gentle young woman in front of him.

Not the real person?

In the distance, "Giza" raised its head and looked at them with a strange expression.

Is this... even the "Giza" that appeared after defeating two legendary anti-magic weapons - fake?

So, in the birch forest, when Sonia shattered "her" beneath the Supreme Shield...

How could she appear completely unharmed?

"Whoosh!" A sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

Two medium-sized tentacles swept across, one above and one below.

Facing her, we must exhaust every possibility, seize every advantage, and gamble everything for the final victory.

Let's start by finding her true identity.

Thales felt a surge of powerful energy rising within the Black Sword, which caused the latter to tremble and lightly step on a low stone block.

They rose a foot in height.

The black sword spun incredibly in mid-air, narrowly missing the space between the two tentacles.

First, there's the timing of the attack—the moment she strikes, when those two men are utterly defeated, is the moment we step onto the battlefield.

At that moment, her hesitation, surprise, or even simple distraction were all precious, albeit slight, advantages for us, even if they only saved us half a second of our charging time to get closer to her fake body.

Thales, suspended in mid-air with his face up, watched as one of the tentacles flashed past his eyes.

In the distance, he could vaguely see the exhausted Nikolai lying on the ground—the figure of the Meteorite struggling fiercely, eventually being swallowed up by the dense pile of tentacles.

One of the tentacles had a piece of tissue that looked like half a tongue. It brushed past Thales' nose, bringing with it a nauseating smell of blood and sourness.

Thales suppressed the discomfort in his stomach and throat, forcing himself not to close his eyes—he needed to see his enemy clearly.

All possibilities.

All advantages.

All chips.

He gritted his teeth, repeating Black Sword's words in his mind over and over again:
Secondly, our offensive—once the war begins, we will immediately unleash our legendary anti-magic weaponry, the nemesis of magic users. This will not only intimidate her but also keep her in a state of surprise and doubt for even a second longer, thus exposing more of her weaknesses.

[It also attracted more of her attention—to me.]

Black Sword gripped his sword-wielding hand tightly, the Blade of Purification flashing as it slid up and down over the two tentacles, slicing two wounds into them.

The tentacles rapidly withered and turned black, as if instantly charred, and finally turned to ashes.

They were only 30 meters away from "Giza".

In the distance, the Blood Mage who was watching this side let out a soft "Eh".

"Giza" inhaled slowly, and the blood-red markings on her face began to tremble slightly.

That's right.

Besides the Soul-Slaying Spear and the Soul-Severing Blade... this is the third legendary anti-magic weapon.

What a night full of surprises!

The drifting ashes stained Thales' face, mingling with the melting snow.

The next moment, Thales felt his whole body freeze—Black Sword landed on his feet, and with a gentle push from his left hand on the ground, he regained his balance.

Its momentum remains undiminished, forging ahead relentlessly.

The oncoming cold wind quickly turned the snow on Thales' face into ice crystals, and the little prince grimaced as they slid off his nearly frozen face.

A gigantic tentacle suddenly appeared out of nowhere!

In an instant, it split into countless tiny tentacles, which came from all directions and angles visible from the front to intercept the black sword.

It was as if they were determined to stop them at all costs.

They had no way to avoid it.

Thales was ready: the Black Sword would use its purifying edge to carve a path of life, a path strewn with blood and ashes.

As Black Sword ducked down to face hundreds of terrifying tentacles resembling snake tongues, his inner power surged, and he immediately came to a sudden stop and spun around.

In shock and disbelief, Telston suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Our breakthrough direction must also be carefully considered—find a path filled with ruins and obstacles to provide us with the best visibility and defensive cover, even if it can only cover an inch of our bodies and deflect one attack.

The Black Sword chose a dirt road full of obstacles, with houses collapsed due to the fierce battle between the two magic users.

They moved into a dilapidated hut, where an earthen wall blocked their path between them and countless tiny tentacles.

The fleshy limbs, which attacked in large, sheet-like formations, covered an area far beyond the earthen wall. Tentacles scattered around the wall flew swiftly across it.

"boom!"

Meanwhile, the tentacles concentrated in the center exerted their force without mercy, smashing the earthen wall to pieces!

The earth and stones flew towards Thales' face, but Black Sword raised his arm and blocked part of them.

However, just as the earthen wall crumbled and the tentacles that had shattered it lost momentum, the black sword moved again.

A strange power surged through his legs, and the black sword, which had been moving calmly, suddenly accelerated!
"Wow..."

The black sword lunged forward, piercing through the shattered earthen wall and squeezing into the weakest crevice, allowing the flying dirt and stones to graz the rest of his body, leaving countless bloodstains.

Thales kept his eyes tightly shut, feeling the dust and dirt brushing against his face.

Despite the flying dirt and rocks, Black Sword gripped Thales' hand tightly, and with a light slash of the Blade of Purification, he cut through five or six small tentacles in front of the earthen wall.

The stench of blood and burning flesh filled Thales's nose, and ashes of flesh and blood were scattered around them.

The black sword broke through the earthen wall, and they charged forward another five meters.

Only by cherishing every drop of water, like a desert traveler, can we accumulate little by little, building a wall of sand – victory and survival are built upon meticulous attention to every detail.

Especially when faced with bloodshed.

With their strange and rare power of termination, Black Sword dodged and weaved through the Hydra's frenzied attacks, occasionally using the Blade of Purification to clear a path. The path beneath their feet kicked up clouds of dust, which became even more hazy against the backdrop of the flying snow.

Thales could only grit his teeth and persevere, enduring the double torment of extreme speed and cold.

He felt the black sword tightening around his right arm, almost cutting him in two.

However, they are getting closer and closer to "Giza".

Less than twenty meters remain.

Once we've broken through to a certain distance, you'll come into her field of vision.

Giza saw clearly the boy in Black Sword's arms.

She immediately smiled.

“I see. I was wondering why Kirica couldn’t find you anywhere…” the mage said softly, her clear voice ringing in my ears.

Amidst rapid movement, dodging, breakthroughs, and combat, as Thales charged forward with the black sword, he vaguely glimpsed the terrifying expression on the Blood Mage's face.

[My condition is terrible, which doesn't allow me to maintain a charge state for too long, but fortunately, we have the Cleansing Blade, which can ensure that we are not affected by her abilities—at least we won't be suddenly captured by her bizarre flesh-and-blood manipulation.]

"So you've found yourself a new bodyguard. What an amazing kid..."

"Giza" glanced at the expressionless, highly skilled Black Sword, watching their charging figures draw ever closer.

“Don’t worry,” the blood-red markings on Giza’s face branched out into new lines, making her smile look even more sinister, “it will all be over soon.”

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

If her target is you—at such close range, facing a weak prey she's determined to possess, she has a high chance of not backing down, relying on the advantage of being "unsealable" that you mentioned, to eliminate me and take you down in the shortest amount of time.

Giza suddenly raised his hands!

"Pfft!"

The multi-headed serpent Kirika behind her roared, and six giant tentacles burst forth from its body.

Amidst the exaggerated earthquake and noise, these giant tentacles attacked them from the ground, underground, and in mid-air.

That was our chance.

Giant, fleshy tentacles blocked their path.

Black Sword calmly gripped Thales' right hand.

In that instant, Black Sword turned his gaze, staring coldly in one direction.

"Clang..."

The tentacles split open in unison, and from the flesh and blood tissue composed of severed limbs and remains, countless long, thin, and small spider-like creatures, each covered with hideous spikes, instantly sprang out.

The monsters landed one after another, then shuddered, and bone spikes on their bodies instantly extended like blades.

Her true form should be hidden within those disgusting creations of flesh and blood: underground, in tentacles, inside that great monster, or in any possible flesh and blood—like water merging into the ocean, or a tree hiding in the forest.

We must find her true form amidst the countless piles of flesh and blood.

"Hiss..."

The monsters, like starving larvae, opened an organ from their bodies, from which came eerie hissing sounds.

The next moment, just like countless beggars scrambling for alms from the rich on the street, the pitch-black monsters raised their "heads" and then swung their limbs, running, jumping, rolling, or crawling. Some of the monsters even spread their equally ugly black wings in the air, covering the sky and densely surrounding Black Sword and Thales!

In that instant, the smiling "Giza" standing in front of them was obscured by these terrifying little creatures.

"Hiss... hiss..."

Thales shuddered, staring at the horrific scene before him, his scalp tingling.

[Blood Mage is extremely adept at learning from battle and quickly transforming it into combat power. When encountering enemies and tactics they have faced before—such as me—they will immediately have corresponding new methods to counter them upon a second meeting.]

This means...

Using the same move a second time is ineffective against a survivor—pfft…

Thales dismissed all other thoughts and focused his mind intently.

He was in the most dangerous battle.

Can't be distracted.

Thales faced the biting wind, his eyes half-open in pain, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest during the high-speed movement.

He bit his lip hard, trying to concentrate by constantly recalling Black Sword's words.

[In our first encounter, I used 'Extreme Shock'—a technique I learned and modified from an Extreme Assassin—to deflect her tentacles.]

However, when we met again in the alley, the moment I used 'Extreme Shock', she immediately changed tactics, employing a new method—reshaping her flesh and blood to counter the attack with sharp, pointed bone spikes.

“Do you see them? Monsters with bone spikes,” Black Sword’s words reached his ears intermittently in the wind, “existing specifically to suppress my ‘Extreme Tremor’.”

Thales took a deep breath and focused his gaze on the dark monsters.

Their grotesque shapes were one thing, but when you add their astonishing numbers—Tails felt a chill run down his spine.

The feeling was like swarms of black locusts, each the size of a child, thousands upon thousands, overwhelming him and rushing towards him.

Without hesitation, Black Sword charged towards the horde of monsters before her, as if the danger before her was not a deadly threat, but a beautiful illusion. [Therefore, in our second encounter, I was overwhelmed by her in just a few seconds.]

[I was almost killed by these little monsters.]

This time, Black Sword will no longer hold back, no longer take shortcuts, and no longer cut corners.

Thales felt the black sword beside him tremble, and a tangible pulsation surged from the depths of his body.

He knew: this was the sin of the River of Prisons.

The River of Hell, a power ten thousand times stronger, more skilled, and more effective than Thales' own strength, is unique to the Black Sword.

The chill that had been lingering on his body seemed to seep into Thales's heart, making him shudder.

Thales sensed that the man beside him had changed.

Black Sword's expression turned solemn and gloomy.

His previously faint aura began to grow fierce and violent, and his muscles began to swell subtly.

Black Sword's already resolute and sharp eyes slowly widened, taking in more and more light.

In that instant, the black sword seemed like a ferocious beast, slowly opening its eyes and revealing its claws and fangs.

Finally, the first pitch-black monster came flying from the sky, only a foot away from the head of the black sword.

Its bony spikes trembled slightly, seemingly becoming even sharper. Behind it came countless fierce and terrifying brethren, who swept in with a swarm of howls.

Compared to them, the size of the Blade of Purification seems insignificant.

At that time, I had no choice but to use 'instant death' among those monsters—extinguishing all signs of life and avoiding her senses—to save my life.

I think that during our third encounter later, she'll soon have a way to counter 'instant death'.

"Hiss..."

Spider-like monsters surged toward the Black Sword like a giant, black wave, threatening to capsize the helpless little boat in an instant.

Thales took a deep breath and held it tightly, tucking his unconsciously trembling left arm under his armpit.

Regardless of who the man beside her is, things have come to this point...

He could only trust Black Sword.

believe him.

But in that instant, the instant she transformed her tentacles into countless bone-spiked monsters, I sensed it...

The next moment, facing the boundless waves of pitch-black monsters, the black sword let out a deep roar, its limbs pressing Thales tightly into its arms, while the Blade of Purification was held tightly to the latter's chest.

Just before the first monster plunged its bone spikes into the black sword's head—

Black Sword instantly retracted his entire body, then tilted to one side and fell forward—towards the monsters!

Like a small boat capsizing in a giant wave.

In an instant, Thales felt everything around him spinning.

The countless dark monsters belonging to the magic users began to rotate in their field of vision.

They are getting closer and closer.

Thales was getting increasingly dizzy.

Until a wave of his own surged into Thales's brain at just the right moment, calming the dizziness.

I sensed a powerful energy emanating from within her flesh and blood, hidden underground...

Black Sword had already shrunk into a ball and rolled towards those menacing, dark monsters with gleaming, ferocious bone spikes.

They continued to roll forward.

In my perception, that fluctuation was incredibly conspicuous, almost impossible to conceal.

Black Sword's right elbow slammed into the ground!
"Boom!"

It was smashed on a low stone block.

I believe... that is her true form.

【I'm sure!】

The next instant, Thales felt the black sword vibrating intensely as it wrapped around his right arm.

"boom!"

A dull cracking sound came from the ground.

It sounded like popping in a stew pot.

Immediately, the stone pier shattered in an instant, and a huge slab of stone was strangely shaken up from the ground!
The moment the stone slab flew into the air, the black sword's tumbling figure suddenly stopped!
Thales felt nauseous, saw stars, and almost vomited.

Black Sword then stomped his feet on the ground, using the momentum to form an acute angle with the ground that almost made him fall, and accelerated forward!
The massive stone slab was held firmly against Black Sword's muscular right arm, instantly pressed against his front, and propelled forward by him.

This reduced the speed of the black sword.

But it provided him with protection.

This is our biggest bargaining chip... the ability to pinpoint the monster's true form!

But that fleeting feeling only gave me a general direction. If we attacked recklessly, she would only sense it in advance and take evasive action.

So, what we need to do next is to withstand her various tactics and gain some distance...

[Then, forcing out that abnormal fluctuation in her emotions a second time!]

[Thus, the place where the two directions, the two straight lines, intersect—that is where her true form lies!]

In that instant, Black Sword charged into the monster horde, bracing against the thick stone slab.

Everything around them went dark, and the monsters that filled the sky and the ground blocked their entire vision.

"Hiss..." Countless hissing sounds filled Thales' ears, making him both irritable and panicked.

Will they succeed?

Yes...right?

Head-on, the first monster's spike pierced towards Black Sword's cheek.

Black Sword lowered his head slightly, hiding his face behind the stone slab.

"bass!"

The monster's bone spikes pierced the stone slab, sparking bright flames, but they couldn't take a single hair from the black sword. It could only "watch" the black sword rush past its side.

The second monster extended barbed bone spikes and slashed at the belly of the black sword—where Thales was.

Thales stared at the approaching bone spurs, listening to the hissing sound in his ears, his mind blank.

However, the black sword moved slightly, and the stone slab immediately turned at an angle, pressing against his abdomen and firmly blocking the monster's thrust.

"boom!"

Using the stones for protection, the black sword continued its charge forward.

Countless spider-like, pitch-black monsters swarmed around Black Sword and Thales like a swarm of locusts.

Amidst the sounds of countless stone slabs colliding, rubbing, and striking against bone spikes, Black Sword embraced Thales, whose face was pale and lips were blue, and charged wildly forward, head down against the stone slabs.

Occasionally, one or two monsters would slip through the net, grabbing the gaps between the stone slabs and drawing bloodstains on Black Sword's abdomen, legs, and shoulders. However, they were all reduced to ashes by him wielding Thales's Cleansing Blade, or he would throw them away with extreme speed.

Thales stared wide-eyed, and countless black bone spurs and arthropods flashed past him like flowing water.

Our second chance to force her to 'transform,' to make her emit a wave of energy and reveal her true form, is...

The protective stone slab shattered into pieces within seconds under countless impacts.

Gravel and blood fell from the black sword at the same time.

However, at the same time, Black Sword trembled.

[Just then...]

"laugh!"

A black monster's spike grazed his shoulder, drawing blood.

"bass!"

Then came the second one, which pierced his left thigh.

[The 'Instant Death' skill I used during my second encounter with her!]

But Black Sword seemed oblivious to everything else. His face was ashen, and aside from still holding Thales tightly in his arms, he showed no reaction to the wounds that were gradually multiplying on his body.

As if they had lost their senses, they charged forward without awareness or feeling.

[A technique that temporarily extinguishes the body's life force, causing the user to disappear from the enemy's senses.]

In an instant, Thales felt the man's muscles begin to stiffen.

He continued to move, but the power within him seemed to vanish instantly. His breathing stopped, his skin stiffened, his movements slowed, and even his eyes lost their luster.

For a moment, Thales even felt that the figure of the black sword in his field of vision—whether it was an illusion or not—was slowly blurring.

Thales knew: the Black Sword's "Instant Death" had been activated.

He looked anxiously at the dark monsters that were still hissing and charging forward.

Soon, Thales no longer had to worry.

Countless pitch-black monsters charged forward, ferocious and mad, yet they swarmed past them like headless flies.

Amidst terrifying screams, the monsters, which had been moving in the same direction like a surging wave, suddenly became chaotic, like disturbed lake water.

Almost every monster froze in place, trembling wildly, like helpless children, constantly "looking around".

The monsters began to jump and swarm around them, completely unaware of the black sword whose movements had slowed down.

The black sword moved slowly, like an old man crossing a river or a small boat going upstream, navigating through the densely packed, pitch-black monsters.

Thales felt uneasy looking at it.

Black Sword was occasionally tripped by a monster, bumped into on the shoulder, and even scratched and bled, but he still carried Thales unharmed as they walked through the monster horde.

The way forward.

Thales then slowly exhaled: the aura of the black sword, along with his own, had completely disappeared from the monsters' perception.

At the same time, he recalled the black sword's instructions.

Having witnessed 'instant death,' she'll surely have new methods to counter me—whether it's transformation, sudden bursts of power, amplification, proliferation, or instigating that giant monster to transform.

In the distance, "Giza" paused slightly, and a slight twitch appeared on the mage's lips.

The next moment, the multi-headed serpent Kirika behind her roared again!

In that instant, all the dark monsters beside the black sword transformed simultaneously.

Thales stared in astonishment at the one to three bone spikes behind these little monsters, which cracked simultaneously with a "crack" sound, then transformed into soft yet upright limbs...

The limbs became smaller, sharper, and softer.

Like... tentacles?
The monsters that had sprouted tentacles seemed to have suddenly seen light in the darkness. They stopped trembling and spinning around like headless flies, and instead raised their tentacles and slowly began to rotate them in all directions.

The monsters' tentacles trembled slowly as if they were alive, sweeping towards Black Sword and Thales.

Then it slowly came to a stop.

It seems they have already sensed the location of the black sword.

It's like... making a final confirmation.

Oops.

Thales was startled.

As expected... even though it had only been a quarter of an hour since their last encounter, Giza had already prepared countermeasures against "instant death".

And it seems to be quite effective?
He then looked nervously at Black Sword, who was still struggling through the monster horde while holding him.

However, the latter simply closed his eyes and moved slowly like a dead tree.

Thales was extremely anxious.

Giza, she's already made a move—transformation, or some other means...

So, Black Sword, shouldn't you wake up?

[At that time, I will be able to sense her true location a second time... and thus completely lock onto her!]

Thales clutched the Blade of Purification to his chest, watching the little monsters gradually aiming their tentacles at the black sword, his heart pounding.

Finally, despite feeling a chill run down his spine, he couldn't help but reach out and poke Black Sword in the chest with his finger.

But this was like stirring up a hornet's nest!

In an instant, all the pitch-black monsters seemed to have suddenly returned from their slumber, carrying trembling tentacles and still menacing bone spikes, and once again emitted a chilling hissing sound, kicking their hind legs in unison!
They lunged at Black Sword and Thales.

"Hiss..."

At that moment, Thales got goosebumps all over his body!
But just at this time.

The black sword, like that of an old man nearing the end of his life, suddenly moved!
As if taking his first breath of air since birth, Black Sword inhaled deeply, then shuddered as if waking from a nightmare.

Black Sword suddenly opened his eyes!

Today's update contains 14,000 words.

Hmm, maybe more.

These chapters have gone through many revisions, but I'm still not entirely satisfied with the final version...

Marking this down; I'll come back to edit it later.

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(End of this chapter)