Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 88 Awakening

Chapter 88 Awakening (Part 1)

Unlike the battles at the Super-Rank and Mortal Ranks, battles at the Extreme Rank are not slow-paced and scattered in terms of power. While the scenes may look intimidating, they often involve a waste of strength and energy.

On the contrary, almost every extreme user is a terrifying being with exquisite control over their strength, able to control it at will. Therefore, their battles are often perfectly timed, simple and direct, saving effort and time, yet highly efficient and deadly.

For them, it's commonplace for the other side to reverse the situation instantly if one side makes even the slightest mistake in control.

Such as now.

Hesta, expressionless, pinned Chris to the ground, his right claw clenched into a fist, the power slowly increasing with the terrifying muscle contractions of his true form, aimed at Chris's ferocious head.

Chris chuckled.

“Old friend, whether we fight side by side or face each other as enemies,” Hesta said calmly, “it is my honor.”

The next moment, he threw a punch!
It is incredibly powerful.

Its momentum is overwhelming and unstoppable.

The fist fell from the air and touched Chris's nose in just 0.5 seconds.

In that fraction of a second, Chris suddenly bared his fangs and roared!

His bony wings pierced through the snow, the spikes on their tips aimed directly at Hesta's eyes.

A futile struggle.

The battle-hardened Hesta scoffed inwardly, then unleashed his most familiar fighting instincts. His powerful true form body twisted swiftly, releasing Chris's left hand, while his right fist slammed down without pause!
Chris seized the moment when Hesta's left hand loosened, slammed both fists into the ground, and his heavily injured body sprang up, charging back towards Hesta.

Hesta's terrifying right fist grazed Chris's grotesque left cheek and left ear, the force of the blow mercilessly tearing away flesh and leaving behind a horrifying patch of black blood and gore.

"Boom!"

Hesta's fist landed on the ground.

Snowflakes scattered.

The severely injured Chris had half his face scraped off. He roared and, using the momentum of the recoil, slammed his elbows into Heista's hard-armored chest with all his might!

Hesta calmly watched his old friend's counterattack, his chest pressing against Chris's arms, his waist and leg muscles contracting and expanding, his bony wings opening to maintain balance.

He absorbed some of the impact and deflected some of it, sliding back two inches on the snow to neutralize Chris's attack.

Chris flapped his bone wings frantically, but he could no longer make Hesta retreat even an inch.

“The struggle of a trapped beast,” the massive Hesta said coldly.

Before Chris could react, Hesta roared, clenching his fists and thrusting his arms together forcefully.

Hesta unleashed a pair of incredibly powerful punches from both sides, aiming for Chris's head, which was pressed against his chest.

Chris reacted extremely quickly, swinging his elbows back instantly to strike Hesta's upper arms, unleashing his power before Hesta's fists could slam into his head.

Hesta's fists, due to Chris's interference, narrowly missed Chris's head.

A pair of fists with bone spurs slammed together two inches behind Chris's head!
"boom!"

The enormous explosion caused Chris, who narrowly escaped the attack, to lose his hearing for a second. Fortunately, thanks to the powerful regenerative abilities of the true form of the vampire, his body instantly mobilized blood to his brain, healing his damaged ears.

But the battle was not over. Hesta didn't care that he had missed a killing move. He suddenly pulled his arms together and held Chris tightly in his arms!
"Do you prefer this way of dying?" Hesta said coldly, his arm muscles instantly contracting with tremendous force!
His terrifying arms gripped Chris's upper body tightly, tightening their grip: "After I've crushed every bone in your body, I'll mercifully rip out your heart."

"Crack... Clapp..."

The sound of bones cracking and breaking could be heard!
Chris screamed in agony, but he couldn't break free from Hesta's deathly embrace!
Hesta laughed heartily and hugged Chris tightly as if embracing a comrade-in-arms.

Just like when they were young, after a hard-fought victory, they embraced each other without any reservations.

But the glorious past has vanished forever in the wind.

"Crack..." Chris's bones were still crumbling.

"Before you die, repent before His Majesty!"

Hesta's arms tightened more and more!

At that moment, Chris, who was in great pain, managed a strained smile.

“Time…” he said painfully, “It’s time…”

Hesta was taken aback.

What time?
He didn't want to waste time, and prepared to exert force with both arms to crush Chris in his arms.

But Hesta was surprised to find that the strength in his arms... was actually getting weaker and weaker?
what happened?

Why is my power... disappearing?
Hesta began to lose feeling in his arms.

He frowned and decisively released Chris.

The next moment, Hesta looked at his arms, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

impossible.

There was no other reason than that half of his arms had been corroded by Chris's black blood without his knowledge!
My true armor...

It's absolutely impossible for it to be corroded!

Hesta gritted his teeth, trying to make sense of this impossible scene.

Centuries of competition have proven this point, haven't they?

Chris lay panting on the ground, then laughed bitterly, "Haha, unstoppable power, unbreakable defense?"

Have you ever heard the story of the spear and shield from the Far East?

Hesta took a step back in shock.

what?
When was he...?

His arms are still being corroded!

“Your fists are both sharp weapons for striking and hard armor for withstanding impact,” Chris said, swaying as he stood up.

"Sharp and hard, coupled with your power amplification comparable to that of a dragon, your terrifying fighting instincts, and your unparalleled control over power, indeed... But what will happen when they face each other?"

Hesta, his face contorted in rage, headbutted Chris, sending him crashing to the ground!

No.

Do not!
But Chris swayed as he stood up again and laughed, “The fists you punched behind my head… when they collided, tiny cracks appeared that you couldn’t have imagined. Maybe they’ll heal themselves after this fight.”

"But for my blood, this tiny crack is enough for it to seep in, to penetrate your so-called impenetrable true armor, and corrode the exposed flesh and blood inside."

Chris struggled to reach Hesta's arms, and the black blood on Hesta's half-arm immediately began to flow faster, seeping rapidly into Hesta's body from the wound!
Hesta gritted his teeth, his body swaying—the black blood had already corroded deep into his body.

“This is our end, tribesmen,” Chris coughed up blood and laughed bitterly, “Fighting you… was indeed an honor.”

Hesta could no longer support himself and collapsed to the ground, roaring angrily at the sky.

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

"Can't you see?" Cortrina said coldly, "There's never been any highly nutritious human blood—she was probably perfectly healthy from the start!"

"This woman is a natural performer—you've been fooled by her from beginning to end!"

"Just like she deceived everyone in Corleone!"

Thales stared blankly at the adult version of Serena.

Could it be that... she wasn't seriously injured at all?

So her little girl shape...

And my so-called "allies".

When did she start...

First time at the Mindis Hall?

Morat's visit?

Mangcao Manor?

wrong……

So what about our allies...?

But a deadly battle between the vampire sisters, fought without regard for the means, has already begun.

“Don’t even think about transforming into your true form,” Serena, who was clearly stronger, ignored her sister’s hands that were gripping her wrists, and suddenly grabbed Cortrina by the neck, her claws piercing through her neck. She laughed, “Just like before, you have no chance!”

"Ugly woman," Cortlina said with disgust.

Serena's expression changed, and she whistled behind her.

The power struggle between Cortrina and Serena has finally come to a conclusion.

Because the super-ranked vampire Lorana, who was watching from the sidelines, suddenly appeared behind Cortrina and attacked with a claw!
Cortina screamed and turned her head to dodge, but a claw still pierced her shoulder.

Serena held tightly to the injured Cortrina, and the two disappeared from the spot at the same time, then reappeared in mid-air not far away, smashing two birch trees in half!
"boom!"

As the snow dust settled, Serena's naked figure was revealed, and she chuckled softly:

"How does it feel to be constantly attacked and unable to transform into your true form?"

With a cold expression, Lorana appeared beside the two sisters and held Cortrina tightly.

Serena laughed wildly and, with lightning speed, delivered a powerful punch to her sister Cortrina's face, who was clearly being suppressed!
"Boom!"

Cortina coughed up blood and slumped to one side, weak.

Thales yelled, "Oh no!"

Clearly, Serena's side's attitude towards him is no longer that of an "ally" as before.

For now, the Queen of Night is his only hope.

"Boom!"

Serena's second punch landed on the Queen of the Night's face.

"Do you miss this scene, Kat?" Serena smiled happily, aiming at Cortrina's delicate face:

"My sister's love!"

Cortina's eyes lit up. With a spin, she easily knocked down Lorana behind her with a speed and angle of her claws that were imperceptible to the naked eye, leaving a deep, bone-revealing scratch on Lorana's chest.

But she had no time to pay attention to Serena in front of her.

The patricide's punch landed again!
"boom!"

This was the third punch, delivered with even greater force.

Knock Cortina off the snow!
Thales watched the battle anxiously while searching through the wreckage of the wagon for something to scrape the ropes open.

But with his eyesight, he couldn't grasp the vampire's terrifying speed limit at all; he could only see the three of them moving like "frames skipping."

He had considered escaping in the chaos. But he also knew that on the snowy ground at dusk, his short legs alone wouldn't be enough to escape the pursuit of the vampires—either side.

Lorana got up from the ground, screaming.

Serena stepped forward with a sly smile.

But the next moment, a strange sound came from Cortrina!
"Woooo...ah..."

Serena's expression changed drastically!
"Oh...ah..."

When Thales heard that sound, he suddenly felt a shiver run through his body!
He couldn't help but feel the whole world spinning around him!

“Ah… wuwu…”

He couldn't even maintain his balance while sitting on the ground, and he wobbled and fell over!
I can never stand up again!

Thales was in a state of utter panic.

what happened?

"Woo... Wu..."

Thales struggled, but his senses were blurred, and he seemed to have lost all sense of direction. When he reached out to the left, he would reach to the right; when he looked up at the sky, he would burrow deeper into the snow!
After fidgeting around haphazardly, he finally turned his attention to the battlefield.

Transferred to Cortlina.

All that could be seen were the opponent's purple eyes, which had now turned completely black, constantly oozing ominous black liquid!
Laura, who was next to her, was also lying on the ground like Thales, cursing through gritted teeth, as if she were drunk.

Thales was startled.

Cortina is...

cry?

He instantly remembered Cortrina's nickname.

The weeper.

So—is this her ability?

Cortrina's eyes were filled with black liquid, and she made a strange and mysterious whimpering sound as she slowly stood up and looked at her sister.

"Blood Night's Cry!" Serena swayed, her voice filled with resentment. "It can actually be used without a true form?"

Amidst this eerie crying, Serena struggled to stay upright, wanting to punch her sister through the chest before collapsing!

"Pass!"

Thales was astonished to see that Serena's fist was being tightly gripped by a white claw covered in bone spurs.

Serena frowned.

Cortrina, who had been suppressed, raised her head, which had undergone a dramatic change. Her ears lengthened, her fangs became sharp, and her bone spurs protruded, turning her entire face into an eerie pale white.

Thales stared blankly as Cortrina swelled and deformed, growing white bone wings and slowly transforming into a huge white monster.

The "True Form" unique to the Extreme Blood Clan.

"boom!"

Amidst Serena's screams, she had been punched through the abdomen by her own sister!
"Ugh...yes...ugh...sister...ugh..." The white-clad True Form Cortrina, with her pure black eyes wide open, spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Little sister...ah...I love you too...sob..."

Serena screamed and thrashed about, but was powerless to stop Cortrina's eerie cries.

"Ah...it seems you haven't recovered well, sister...ah..." Cortrina's current appearance, as if she were crying while speaking, looked particularly terrifying.

"On the contrary... Waaah... I've improved so much!"

"Waaah... Right now... ah... I don't even need to transform into my 'true form'—I can still unleash 'Blood Night's Cry'!" "...Waaah..."

"This forbidden ability that makes it impossible to distinguish friend from foe!"

While using what she called "Blood Night's Cry," Cortrina raised the fist that had pierced Serena's abdomen, pulled Serena in front of her, and revealed an expression that was both crying and laughing.

Thales closed his eyes with a sense of relief.

Is this considered... a timely release of a powerful move?

This change in the situation... is truly frightening.

Cortrina's bone wings slowly extended and spread out, and her skin and flesh began to fall off. Soon, she would completely transform into a pure white true form vampire!
however.

"Now, Lorana," Serena said weakly.

Cortina frowned.

Laura, lying on the ground, seemed to have adapted to the feeling of losing her balance and direction, and tightly hugged Cortrina, who was still in human form.

“Your Highness Cortrina, I’m sorry,” Lorana gave a charming smile, which quickly turned into a bitter, wry laugh.
"But this is for freedom."

An ominous premonition gripped Thales' heart.

"boom!"

The next moment, Lorana's entire body exploded into a sky full of black blood!

Sprayed into this small space!
They soaked both the still-transformed Cortrina and the heavily injured Serena completely.

Both of them crossed their arms to shield their faces from the black blood that was falling from the sky.

A few seconds passed.

The eerie crying suddenly stopped.

Instead, Cortrina screamed!

“Ah… this is…”

She raised her trembling hands, stared at the black blood on them, and screamed in disbelief:

"Filthy Blood Poison!"

Kotalina appeared as if she had been splashed with sulfuric acid from Thales' past life. She trembled all over in black blood, and her true form began to shrink!
Without the effect of "Blood Night's Cry", Thales sat up and stared blankly at the scene.

what is this?
Just then, Serena clutched her abdominal wound tightly and let out a genuine, wild laugh!

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The next moment, her skin and flesh peeled off inch by inch, and a bright red keratin layer grew out!

The ears stretched out, bone wings pierced the back, and bone spurs and claws slowly took shape.

Serena instantly transformed into a gigantic, blood-red monster, almost identical to Cortrina except for its color.

There's only one difference.

Unlike Cortrina, whose features remain pure even when she transforms into her true form.

Serena's facial features...

Thales trembled as he recalled the scene he least wanted to remember.

A massive black maw split open behind the ear.

A nose that is completely black and devoid of any substance.

Like two irregular black holes.

This is……

Besides the fact that the skin is no longer charred and withered...

This is exactly the same mummified version of the terrifying Serena that Thales saw that night in the black coffin at the Wild Grass Manor!

Thales watched this scene with a cold sweat dripping down his face.

He suddenly understood the meaning of Cortlina's "ugly-faced woman".

Really.

It's ugly.

Serena, with her indecent true form, opened her enormous mouth, revealing equally irregular fangs, and roared at Cortrina as if she had caught her prey!
"Roar!"

"Swoosh—Bang!"

Amidst Serena's hoarse shrieks and Cortrina's screams, the Queen of the Night's pair of bone wings were snapped off!

"Tear!"

The next moment, Cortina's left arm was torn apart!

Blood splattered everywhere.

"Crack!"

This time, his right arm was torn off!

Cortrina, who had lost both arms and wings, roared madly, but Serena in her true form simply smiled victoriously and punched her into the snow!
"boom!"

The terrifying true form of Serena raised her red claws, which were at least twice as long as those of a normal vampire, and slashed down fiercely!
"laugh!"

She brutally severed Cortrina's legs!
Cortina's true appearance has finally disappeared completely, and she has returned to her lovable appearance as the black-clad queen.

But it was too late for her to change anything.

Thales stared blankly at the comeback.

Not good.

He thought to himself.

Not good.

With her limbs severed and her bat wings shattered, Cortrina coughed up blood in resentment, watching Serena in her true form slowly return to her normal appearance.

“The true form of the Extreme Vampire is terrifying,” Serena said cheerfully and alluringly to her sister, who was lying on the ground in a horribly gruesome state.
"But few people know that the process of transforming from the normal state into the 'true form' is a process of changing the tissues in our body and undergoing a blood transfusion and regeneration."

Serena pulled up the cloak that Lorana had left behind after her sacrifice and wrapped it around her body.

She sat down next to her sister and sighed dramatically, "At this time, vampires are least immune to special toxins."

"Especially those vampires of the same race and origin who willingly infuse their corrupted blood into their own bodies, allowing you to absorb it during your transformation..."

"Isn't it a brilliant idea? You know, I've always had a headache over your so-called forbidden ability..."

Thales found a sharp piece of wood and desperately tried to cut the rope binding him.

But it's not as easy as it was portrayed in TV shows and movies from my past life!
He couldn't see what was behind him, didn't know how to cut most effectively, and couldn't exert much force!

Hurry up.

Otherwise, after Cortrina, it will be my turn!
How to do!
Thales gritted his teeth, thinking frantically.

Unable to retaliate, Cortrina said angrily, "You heartless bitch!"

"To risk the lives of your subordinates... Do you know how painful it is to have the tainted blood poison implanted in your body?!"

"Hahaha, I love seeing you like this, getting your chance at the crucial moment reversed, and all you can do is resort to silly words to retaliate against me..." Serena clapped and laughed happily.

"Will the Nightwing King be pleased to see how powerful I am?"

"Shut up!" Having lost all her advantages, the Night Queen Cortrina hissed resentfully, "You are not worthy to mention him!"

"You murdered our father!"

"Patricide!"

“Father!” Serena suddenly turned her head, her face filled with icy coldness: “You call him father! Just because he bit you on the neck?”

Cortina, lying on the ground, seemed to have been struck at her weak point, momentarily stunned, then frantically retorted:

"He saved us and raised us!"

With her limbs severed and filled with hatred, Cortrina struggled to raise her head and meet her sister's gaze:

"He bestowed upon us his noblest bloodline!"

"Let us have his blood, share his glory, and even inherit his title!"

"He loved and cared for us like a biological father!"

"Otherwise, we two orphans would have perished long ago in the chaos of the final war!"

Thales shuddered.

The final battle?

Serena flashed by, grabbed the latter by the neck, and lifted her up!
The patricide, filled with disgust and mockery, coldly said to his sister, "Ignorant sister, you know nothing."

"I only remember the little doll he gave you, and the affection he showed you."

"Right, Kat?"

"You'll always just be a crybaby hiding behind me."

Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?

"What do you think of him?"

Cortina's eyes seemed frozen in place.

She looked at her sister with suspicion.

Serena spoke coldly:

"Every time that man returns to the castle, you're the first silly girl to rush over and fawn over him..."

"If any of the short-sighted maids or noblewomen show even the slightest sign of affection for him, you mock and ridicule them, secretly suppress them, and have the servants isolate them..."

"The weeper? Your tears are half from fear of me and half from liking him!"

Cortina was jolted!
“Yes, I know!” Serena said with a sneer.
“Kat, you do more than just admire him, you worship him.”

Cortina struggled, her face showing disbelief.

Under Thales's utterly astonished gaze, the patricide spoke, word by word:
You still like him, you still crave him!

You love him deeply!

Cortrina stared at Serena, trembling, speechless.

At this moment, Serena laughed maniacally, a deep and mysterious laugh:

"...You fell in love with the person who gave you a second life, the powerful and terrifying Nightwing King, didn't you?"

“No, no…” Cortrina’s voice trembled, as if she were immersed in unbelievable pain.

“Isn’t it!”

Serena said coldly, "You wish you were his wife, his lover, instead of his daughter!"

what?
Thales was stunned when he heard this.

Seriously injured, Cortrina stared blankly at her sister.

"Queen of the Night? Nightfall? Hahaha, don't be ridiculous!"

"‘The king's wings spread wide, night falls upon the land, a raging dragon offers its head, a demon king who blots out the sun,’" Serena rebuked, "that's the praise given to him by a few sycophantic old fogies from several families when he conquered the continent! Nightfall, Nightfall, how did it become your nickname when it was reversed! And you're not ashamed, but proud of it?"

"The heir to the Kingdom of Night, the queen of the mighty Throne of Blood, you admire, worship, adore, follow, and imitate him. Besides these pathetic tricks of licking his boots, what else can you do!"

Cortina trembled to the extreme.

"Hmph, I know, even if you shed your mortal body and gain immortality, you'll still be just like countless weak females in this world," Serena glared at her blood-related sister, rubbing her fingertips, her expression contemptuous, her words vicious: "Whether it's father, husband, or any other man with a penis..."

"You left the man..."

"I just can't fucking survive."

The air stood still for a moment.

The next second, Cortrina's face contorted in agony, and she struggled and screamed wildly:
"Ahhhh-"

“And your ugly, shameless feelings,” Serena’s gaze turned cold as she extended a crimson claw and lightly scraped across Cortrina’s struggling face:
"That's it for now."

Thales took a deep breath, lowered his head, and slowly exhaled, clearing away the shock and annoyance of the moment.

Unfortunately, his life and death were in the hands of this queen.

He struggled to his feet.

Really.

why.

Every time, towards the very end...

They all want me, a little kid...

To save the world?
Thales opened his eyes!

"Wait a moment!"

Serena frowned slightly and turned to look at Thales.

Thales leaned against the wreckage of the carriage, struggled to his feet, frowned, and looked at Serena's ferocious face.

Under Serena's gaze, he walked toward the black coffin.