Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 179 Silence and Darkness

Having just awakened from his "instant death," Black Sword calmly surveyed his surroundings, watching the countless monsters rushing towards them.

In a fraction of a second, Black Sword suddenly released Thales and crouched down!
His right arm stretched heavily toward his feet, into a pile of planks of rubble.

The next moment, Black Sword suddenly raised his right arm from the ruins!

The old wooden planks fell down, and the black sword pulled out a strange black sword that Thales recognized very well.

Those were weapons captured by the Blood Mage during the battle just now.

"How did you find this one...?"

Thales was startled. He suddenly realized that they were in the same alleyway they had started in—although the surrounding buildings had been razed to the ground by the magic users' battle.

There was no time for them to discuss it.

The next instant, Black Sword gripped his own weapon, facing the relentless attack from all sides, and suddenly turned to strike!

Just like on the cliff of the sky, the black sword was like a dancer, spinning twice in an instant.

Thales felt a blur before his eyes, and then a series of loud, clanging metallic sounds entered his ears.

The dozens of dark monsters that had initially lunged at them were suddenly sent flying backwards into the air!
They fell into the layers of their companions.

"Didn't I just say? You need to have a clear understanding of your surroundings, and..." Black Sword said coldly, "Make sure you have your most suitable weapon at hand—the first rule of the battlefield."

"besides……"

Thales looked at him anxiously.

Black Sword lowered his head and gave Thales a deep look.

"Found it." The ordinary-looking man said succinctly, raising his head to look in another direction.

Thales shuddered violently!
"You mean..."

The second wave of monsters swarmed towards them again, densely packed.

Before Thales could react, Black Sword's weakened left arm, weakened by injury, reached out without hesitation and tremblingly grabbed Thales by the back of his collar.

Then they headed in a direction far removed from the location of "Giza"...

Charge out without regard for anything else!

"Ahhh!"

At Thales's scream, "Giza" in the distance froze.

what?
That direction...

In that instant, the dark monsters beside Black Sword stopped maintaining their synchronized wave-like attack rhythm and instead, as if they had gone mad, swarmed towards Black Sword Bee.

Monsters would occasionally collide with their own kind, yet they would still rise from the ground and charge toward the black sword with all their might.

Just to stop them.

Black Sword's charge this time was particularly fast and unstoppable, and it also carried a hint of resolute determination that disregarded the cost.

He swiftly spun around, dodging most of the interceptions, and swung his strange sword repeatedly, breaking through other obstacles. Even when he was occasionally wounded by the monsters' attacks, leaving long trails of blood, the black sword did not stop, and he continued to charge forward without regard for anything else!
A second later, the blood-red markings on Giza's face increased dramatically at an unprecedented rate!
Kilica behind them also began to thrash wildly, desperately extending its giant tentacles toward the black sword. Soon, more and more tentacles, as if they had gone mad, swam rapidly from nearby or distant places, from the ground or underground, joining the ranks of those surrounding them.

Giza's expression quickly changed again.

This time, Thales closed his eyes and thrust the Blade of Purification at his feet!

Black Sword wielded his strange sword with one hand, knocking away and forcing back most of the interceptions, while with the other hand he carried Thales, letting his legendary anti-magic weapon deal with the unavoidable obstacles.

The sword's edge surged forward with the impact of the black sword.

Turn the dark monsters to ashes.

The intercepted tentacles were turned to ashes.

Turn all the toys and flesh of any Blood Mage into ashes!

Soon, the black sword broke free from the encirclement of the dark monsters, leaving behind countless ashes and frantically pursuing flesh and blood creatures.

Thales opened his eyes amidst his rapid breathing and lowered the blade of the Cleansing Edge slightly.

They charged toward a huge, dark red tentacle.

Strangely, this tentacle did not, like its kind, go to great lengths to intercept the black sword.

Instead, it was constantly retreating while moving in a serpentine pattern!

Thales frowned.

It's like...fear?
Seeing the tentacle fleeing for its life, Thales understood.

He gritted his teeth slightly: they had found Giza's greatest weakness.

Her true identity.

But in the next instant, the situation on the field changed again!

A limping figure appeared in the path in front of the black sword.

Black Sword's pupils paused!
Griveo, the wielder of the Soul-Slaying Spear, the leader of the Shield and Hammer sections, and a Northern Heavy Sword Infantryman, stood before them with a grim expression.

"Run!" Grevo gritted his teeth and spat out a hate-filled sentence: "That monster... is controlling me!"

Black Sword frowned.

Thales gaped in astonishment.

This is the same expert from the previous battle.

He was actually... controlled by that monster?

Is it simply physical manipulation, or...?

Thales felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled the scene in the birch forest where Serena and Cortrina had involuntarily walked toward Giza.

The next instant, Grevo trembled, ducked, and kicked out horizontally!

Black Sword's expression changed, and he swung his strange sword in a wide arc that was hard to dodge, showing no mercy.

But Griveaux pulled back his limp leg and kicked the black sword's spine perfectly, causing the blade to stop abruptly!
A powerful force surged through him, and Griveaux firmly stomped the strange sword under his foot.

Then comes a powerful punch!
Black Sword had no choice but to put down Thales, swinging his weakened left arm to desperately block the opponent's heavy punch.

Behind them, the monsters and tentacles that were chasing them were getting closer and closer.

“I am a heavy sword infantryman, and my instinct, etched into my bones, is to intercept and kill,” Griveo said resentfully as he stood locked in a stalemate with Black Sword. “And now that I’ve reached the pinnacle… you’d better run, don’t let her succeed!”

Black Sword trembled as it pressed against Griveo, feeling the immense strength of his opponent. A solemn expression appeared on his face. He glanced at the pursuing enemies in the distance, his breathing becoming heavier.

Humans controlled by the power of calamity?
If we use the legendary anti-magic weapon... we should be able to unlock it?

Black Sword took a deep breath, glanced at the "pursuers" approaching behind him, then looked at the giant tentacles fleeing further and further away, and sighed.

That's too late.

The next second, the two figures crossed paths, and they released their opponent.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine as the black sword's words echoed in his mind once more:
Ideally, after finding her true form, I would immediately break free from 'instant death' and, with you, strike her vitals, sealing her true form before she could react or escape.

[But as I said before, the Blood Calamity is a master of combat, possessing endless unpredictable methods. Furthermore, I am far from my best condition, so my plan is bound to encounter unexpected challenges.]

We must minimize these unexpected events.

[For example, consciously focusing these unexpected events on where we want them to happen.]

For example—me.

Thales' heart raced without him realizing it. In that instant, the black sword had already exchanged several blows with the unarmed Griveo.

Unarmed, Grivo, empowered by the magic mage's flesh and blood enhancement, relied on a life-or-death fighting style and his battle instincts to temporarily suppress the weakened Black Sword, leaving him struggling to defend himself!
[She doesn't know that you are the user of the legendary anti-magic weapon, and all her attention will be focused on me.]

Therefore, if an accident occurs... if I am bogged down by the blood calamity and unable to...

[You, little guy, you are our last trump card—when I'm entangled, bound, suppressed, or even fall and die, you will take my place.]

Holding the Blade of Purification, I will continue my unfinished mission.

Thales took a deep breath, and then the black sword suddenly spoke:
"It's up to you, little guy."

The next moment, Thales felt his collar tighten.

“Wait…” Thales was shocked and only managed to utter one word!

Then, his field of vision changed instantly.

Until the whistling wind rushed past his ears—Tales suddenly realized: once again, he had been thrown out by the black sword!

Thales had no choice but to clutch the Purifying Blade tightly in his arms.

It descended toward the tentacle that might contain the true form of the Blood Demon Master!
In an instant, the sins of the River of Hell surged into Thales's mind, giving him a jolt.

Everything around us slowed down again.

Thales watched himself float in mid-air, slowly descending towards the giant tentacle.

Black Sword's words echoed in my ears:

To ensure absolute certainty, I hope you will also do this: use the sins of the River of Hell and the blade of purification to identify and seal the calamity of blood.

[As I've said before, the Sin of the River of Hell is an omnipotent power of destruction. It can instantly enhance or strengthen your agility, reaction time, explosiveness, speed, strength, perception, vision, willpower, nerves, thinking, recovery, endurance... every quality you can imagine.]

Thales took a deep breath, feeling the Sin of the Hell River pulsating beneath his skin and veins, feeling its waves of turbulence.

That's right.

It is this feeling.

Just like last time in the birch forest when he landed on Cortrina, the Sin of the River of Hell gradually improved his balance in the air.

In the distance, Thales watched with trembling as the figures of Black Sword and Griveo were swallowed up by tentacles and a horde of pitch-black monsters.

[This is precisely why the crimes committed in the River of Prisons are often difficult to control.]

[When you need to improve your agility, the Sin of the River of Hell might grant you the nimbleness of an acrobat, but it could also turn you into a speedster, a strongman, and a lookout all at once—this unconscious dispersion of power will greatly reduce its efficiency and endurance, and decrease your control over it.]

Therefore, as the controller of the River of Sin, your first lesson is to learn how to 'summon'.

[The Call—Unlike other powers of termination, you need to consciously guide the sins of the River of Hell to focus on one point, concentrating on what you want to accomplish.]

Don't treat it as a tool... but as a companion with whom you can converse.

Tell it what you, as the master of your life, want!

In mid-air, Thales gently closed his eyes, letting the cold wind brush past his ears.

well.

The Sin of the River of Prisons...

An instinct born from the struggle between life and death.

I am now facing such a choice.

I need to……

What is needed is...

Seal the Blood Demon Master!

So, I need your help...

The sins of the River of Prisons!

In that instant, Thales clearly felt the River of Sin, which had been scattered and disorganized all over his body.

It is receding.

The strange fluctuations concentrated in his heart, and after a moment, they all surged toward another place.

[Everyone's finishing power is completely different: how far you can go with the Sin of the River of Hell depends entirely on your own exploration—'Extreme Tremor' and 'Instant Death' are techniques I perfected through exploration.]

Here, I want to share with you my own experience and insights into the Sin of the River of Hell: an extremely effective application.

[Perception.]

The perception I gained from the Sin of the River of Hell originates from vibration and fluctuation, which I call 'feedback'—even the slightest breath will cause the air to vibrate, transmitting to the ground, walls, and even the pulsation within the human body.

[Through 'feedback,' I can sense even the slightest movement from a hundred meters away.]

Thales took one last breath.

He opened his eyes—a pair of gray eyes that were filled with an unprecedented amount of the sins of the River of Hell.

The moment the sins of the River of Hell surged into his eyes, the effect of slowing down time seemed to suddenly disappear!

My once nimble hands and feet suddenly seemed much sluggish.

Thales slammed hard onto the tentacles, his hands landing on a slippery surface.

More small tentacles burst out from the tentacles, binding Thales' legs tightly!
Suppressing his nausea and vomiting, Thales gritted his teeth and kept thinking about his mission.

His eyes flashed with the little rascal's tears.

There were also countless corpses on the streets of the Shield District.

Thinking of this, Thales gritted his teeth and roared to gather his strength: "Ah!"

But at that moment, he noticed something was wrong.

Thales looked up and immediately realized that the scene before him was different.

Thales paused for a moment.

Unlike the "feedback" obtained by the Black Sword, which involves probing fluctuations and vibrations, Thales' perception takes a different form.

It's visual.

His vision cleared again.

Unlike the previous times when the waves surged, the vision was clear in color but blurry.

This time, the Sin of the Prison River presented him with another world, colorful yet vividly detailed and full of life.

It's as if the resolution has been increased countless times.

He could see every inch of flesh and blood in the giant tentacle before him clearly, and he knew every pulse. Thales could even guess the general direction of blood flow in the tentacle, the specific path of muscle contraction and expansion, and that he could be freed by severing that one inch of tendon.

He stared at the new sensory world before him, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

But that's not all.

Thales stared at the tentacle emitting an infinite red light—and suddenly realized that the light was layered, with varying shades!

As his goal became clear, the sins of the River of Hell in his eyes grew more numerous and denser.

Soon, deep within the tentacle, a reddish-purple dot of light was slowly contracting and pulsating. So… that was…

Thales felt a chill run down his spine, and the tentacles beneath his feet tightened their grip.

He didn't hesitate any longer.

Thales raised the Blade of Purification and once again felt the intense heat emanating from the sword.

Then he suddenly stabbed down!
The sword pierced into the tentacle.

In Thales's eyes, two similar red lights merged together on the sword's edge and on the tentacles.

Immediately, the latter's red light collapsed upon contact!
From the point where the sword pierced through, the flesh and blood composed of biological remains in the tentacles suddenly dissolved and evaporated—turning into ashes.

Thales felt his feet suddenly give way, and as the tentacle turned to ash, he was completely swallowed by the giant tentacle!

In his panic, Thales wildly swung the Blade of Purification in his hand, scattering ashes wherever it went.

Inside the tentacle—which resembled a bright red cave—it seemed to be whimpering in pain, shaking Thales until he was dizzy and disoriented with endless vibrations.

Finally, Thales landed on his feet.

The second prince gasped for breath, inhaling the foul and sour air.

Damn.

This place is just... disgusting!
He raised the Blade of Purification, stepping on the sticky, slippery flesh and blood, forcing himself not to look closely at the still slightly moving, seemingly breathing limbs and broken bodies around him—heads, arms, stomachs, lungs, eyes, noses, etc.—desperately suppressing the urge to vomit, and slowly moved forward toward the brightest red dot in his field of vision.

"Shh!"

Several fine tentacles and sharp spikes attacked him.

But Thales simply gripped the blade in his hand and, without hesitation, cleaved them into ashes.

He was getting closer and closer to that point of light.

Soon, Thales' target appeared before him.

A purplish-red, naked girl whose limbs and back are "embedded" in the walls of flesh.

The girl's face was covered with layers of dense, blood-red markings that trembled constantly, creating an eerie sight.

She had no gentle expression, nor a charming smile; she simply closed her eyes and slowly inhaled and exhaled, her skin a strange purplish-red.

Countless deep red blood vessels, some thick and some thin, extended from the walls of flesh and blood, connecting to the girl's body, with fluids that could be vaguely seen flowing inside.

Stunned, Thales stopped in his tracks.

The prince stared intently at Giza, who was almost fused with the flesh and blood behind him, and his breathing gradually quickened.

What the hell is this?

The girl suddenly opened her eyes!

This startled Thales, who was already feeling uneasy and uneasy.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Giza’s true form spoke slowly, the markings on her face twitching slightly, like slithering parasites: “How did you find me?”

Thales stared blankly at the Blood Mage in this form for a moment.

Especially her countless blood vessels—the thought that those she had dragged into her tentacles might now be flowing through them in fragments or liquid made Thales feel nauseous again.

A second later, Thales took a deep breath, and under Giza's icy yet crazed gaze, slowly approached her and said sullenly:
“Well, all I can say is,” Thales sighed, his gaze resolute, “you’ve met a ‘strong one’.”

“I’ll remember that, Black Sword—a formidable opponent.”

Giza slowly narrowed his eyes: "I should have been alerted when he disappeared from my senses again—how could an opponent like that so easily repeat the same trick?"

Thales cleaved aside the two small tentacles that tried to stop him, mustered his courage, ignored the disgusting remains around him, and stood in front of Giza.

"And you, child..."

“You’ll regret this,” Giza stared intently at the red blade, a deep dread in his eyes. “Become a mage, gain power, immortality, omniscience?”

"Do not."

"It's far from as good as you imagine..."

"This is not a gift, but a shackle..."

In that instant, a deep loneliness welled up in Giza's eyes:
"A curse..."

“And I,” Giza said, a subtle and profound expression on his face, his words carrying an unprecedented emotion, “I only want to help you get rid of this.”

Thales frowned.

He simply couldn't understand what the other person was saying.

“Otherwise…” Giza said slowly:

"From the day you found the threshold name, you will never be free."

Thales shook his head, trying to clear his head.

The intense heat of the Cleansing Blade in his hand reminded him of his current predicament.

“Very well,” Thales ignored the other’s words, looked at Giza, raised the Blade of Purification in his hand, and aimed it at Giza’s abdomen. He spat out a harsh "Pah!" and said, “Then I’ll help you get rid of this first.”

Giza simply looked at him gently with a sorrowful yet pitying gaze.

It's as if I'm looking at an ignorant child.

This left Thales in a state of confusion.

No.

Thales swallowed.

Think of Dragon Sky City, think of that little rascal...

I have to end all of this.

The next instant, Thales gritted his teeth, abandoned all thoughts, and thrust out the small red sword in his hand with all his might.

But his sword suddenly stopped halfway through.

Thales looked up in surprise and saw a person standing in front of Giza.

"You little rascal!" he exclaimed.

The trembling little rascal opened his eyes wide, spread his arms, and used his throat to block the Blade of Purification.

“Taylor,” the little rascal’s eyes were almost swollen from crying, her gaze unfocused as she stared ahead, “Is it you…”

“You…” Thales hesitated for only a moment.

The next moment, the little rascal pounced on Thales!

Thales looked at the little rascal's tearful face, and his arm trembled involuntarily.

He wanted to bypass her and stab Giza.

But he didn't get his chance.

Thales felt a violent tremor beneath his feet!
This is?

Immediately afterwards, layers upon layers of tremors came from beneath my feet.

In the instant panic gripped him, he lost his balance and was tackled to the ground by the little rascal!
The two slipped and fell on the "ground" made of flesh and blood.

No.

In the chaos, the little rascal pressed down on him, trembling, and slapped at the Cleansing Blade in Thales' hand.

Thales was horrified!
Do not!
"Snapped!"

Thales felt a chill run down his spine: the small red sword slipped from his hand.

It fell into another corner made of flesh and blood.

It stirred up countless particles of dust.

Immediately afterwards, the Blade of Purification, which had left his palm, gradually dimmed.

It can no longer be effective.

For a second, Thales' mind went blank.

Purification...

The Blade of Purification...

Amidst Giza's maniacal laughter, the flesh and blood in the tentacles writhed, swallowing the ineffective Purifying Blade and vanishing without a trace.

"This is a move I learned from the Black Sword—" The Blood Mage on the wall smiled again, becoming alluring and seductive: "To unleash an extremely high-frequency tremor over the largest possible area..."

"If you can't even stand up straight... how can you seal me away?"

"How does it feel?"

Thales was pale. He pushed the little rascal, who had regained his freedom of movement, away and stared intently in the direction where the Blade of Purification had disappeared.

However, all that could be seen was a red glow made of flesh and blood, and nothing else.

Legendary anti-magic weaponry...

His only support when facing a mage...

Lost?

No.

Do not!
He has no chance?

Thales felt utterly hopeless. He turned his head blankly and looked at Giza.

I...failed?

The little rascal beside him clung tightly to him, sobbing incessantly.

Giza took a slow breath, her eyes slightly narrowed.

Two tentacles emerged from the inner walls of the flesh and, amidst the little rascal's scream, wrapped around Thales' arms and legs, pulling him up.

Thales struggled desperately, but like an insect caught in a spider's web, his efforts were in vain.

More tentacles grew from the inner wall, their tips slowly sharpening and hardening amidst the suppressed sobs of the little rascal covering his mouth.

It transformed into a ferocious, sharp, deadly spike.

“Let me give you some advice,” Giza said with a charming smile, looking at Thales, who had been pulled before her, his face ashen and his spirits filled with despair, “In battle, cast aside unnecessary emotions. You’ve seen it yourself…”

"How badly it has harmed you."

Thales trembled violently, staring blankly at the Blood Mage.

This time, there is no Sonia, no Ashida, no Black Sword.

Only he himself can save himself.

“As I promised,” Giza’s face showed tenderness and regret in that instant, “you will not suffer any pain, child.”

Thales swallowed slowly.

He felt the tentacles binding his limbs tightening more and more.

The tentacles, attached with sharp spikes, slowly moved in front of Thales. One of them even extended a sharp spike and rested on his left eyeball, only inches away.

The fear of death instantly gripped his mind.

Thales could even hear his heart pounding, feel his blood vessels swelling and surging, and his muscles trembled uncontrollably. The heat generated by his excitement slowly spread from his chest throughout his body.

This……

Is this the end?
No.

I must save myself.

You must save yourself.

Giza smiled slightly.

Panicked, Thales looked at the smiling mage and spoke with difficulty and pain:

"I……"

But this time, he only uttered the first word.

The next moment, countless tentacles with sharp spikes were simultaneously sent out and deeply embedded in Thales' body!

Thales shuddered violently.

No.

His eyes were vacant as he stared incredulously at the Blood Mage.

No.

The first stab pierced his left eye and went through the back of his head.

No.

The second stab pierced his throat, the spike penetrating the back of his neck.

No.

The third stab pierced straight into the heart and exited from the back of the chest.

Do not!
And even more sharp spikes, mercilessly and without hesitation, pierced Thales's body...

But he can no longer feel it.

In that instant, all senses seemed to vanish from Thales Star in a flash.

He was as if he had fallen into eternal silence and darkness.

Never to return.

——End of the book——

Thales brought lunchboxes to wish everyone a Happy New Year!
Hmm, this should drive away quite a few readers, right? Especially those pirate readers who can't see the "author's note"—hehehe.

Also, for our legitimate readers, following the completion of "Kingdom Bloodline," "Bloodline of a Fallen Kingdom" has also been completed!

(Now I'm a seasoned author with two completed works!)

I'm serious, "Bloodline of a Fallen Kingdom" is really finished! Please don't come looking for the next chapter update!
Hmm, what should I name the new book?
What do you think of "The Schoolgirl Who Fell From Grace"?
Yes, the next chapter will be protected against theft.

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(End of this chapter)