Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 89 Awakening (Part 2)

The Tower of Endings, the House of Legacy, the Library of Truth.

This is an enormous warehouse. The red light of dusk shines through the prototype roof of the crystal glass, illuminating rows of giant bookshelves and making the books and records made of various materials shine.

Can you be serious for once?

A slender, handsome middle-aged man with short gray hair stood behind a row of huge bookshelves, carrying an ever-burning lamp, looking disapprovingly at the other side of the bookshelves.

There sat a sickly, blond young man leaning against a bookshelf.

Cohen Karabyan, a Level 2 Guardian of Everstar City, looked up wearily at his mentor, Jedi Tafner.

The guard, barely alive, raised his hand and said:
"Hey! I had to ask someone to take a month off and it took me seven days to rush to the Tower of the End!"

"I didn't even get any sleep before you dragged me here!"

"I only ate two pieces of bread in between!"

Cohen weakly patted his stomach, protesting listlessly:
"Don't you even care about the students' lives?"

His teacher, the middle-aged man—Jedi Tafner—snorted, put down the ever-burning lamp, and nonchalantly picked up another book: “You were the one who suggested consulting the Inheritors’ Records… You know Shao wouldn’t agree—that rule-bound old man from the Far East. I could only hurry and come with you while he was away.”

Thinking of Master Shao, one of the inheritors of the tradition, and his temperament, Cohen leaned against the bookshelf behind him, feeling that he really couldn't muster any interest in finding a book.

He said helplessly, "Shao...didn't he give up his right to inherit the title of the number one sword sect in the Far East and come to the Tower of the End? I thought that after doing something like that, he wouldn't be so conservative and rigid..."

“How would I know? Shao’s lineage has all sorts of strange rules. I still don’t understand the operating rules of those ‘sects’—if we were from the Far East Sword Sect, you, as a student, should respectfully kowtow to me as soon as you enter.”

"If you disrespect me...like this..."

Jedi glared at Cohen: "I can cripple your swordsmanship!"

Cohen rolled his eyes.

"Have you found any connection between the 'Sword of Calamity' and the Blood Vial Gang?" the vigilant asked listlessly.

“No, it’s the same old stuff we both know,” Jed said irritably, shoving the old parchment book back into his hand. “Because I’m so inefficient! And one student is just refusing to get up and help!”

Cohen pretended not to hear the last sentence and pondered, "Well, why don't you tell me what the Tower's attitude is towards those 'Swords of Calamity' right now? How much do you know? Perhaps combining this with the information I saw in the Guard Hall will be helpful?"

Jedi stopped what he was doing, looked at his student, and remained silent for a long time.

He finally sighed, "Alright, but if you want to know, you'll have to join our secret group."

"A secret group?" Cohen turned his head curiously.

"Simply put, it is a small group of people in the Tower of the End who have been given a special mission to fight against the legacy of the Sword of the End outside the tower, namely the 'Sword of Calamity'."

"I'll join!" Cohen's eyes lit up!
He must join.

We must learn more about the "Sword of Calamity," about that violent, annihilating power.

Even if... it's for Raphael and Miranda.

He clenched his fist secretly.

"So agreeable?" Jedi asked in surprise, then smiled happily. "Okay, this group already has Chaltier and me, and now there's one more."

Cohen's mouth dropped open.

"You—there are only three of us?"

"A group of three..."

"To fight against the sword of calamity?"

Cohen looked at the teacher with a bewildered expression: "Are you kidding me?"

"So what if there are three of us! We're a secret team, after all—we have an official name!" Jed slapped his thigh, looking mysterious.
“Shao called us 'the Purgers'.”

Cohen's expression hardened.

eliminate?

Purge the traitors?
Raphael...

“But Shatil felt that, given the blood debts Crassus had committed, ‘The Avengers’ would be a better term…”

Jed leaned forward, his expression serious: "And I believe that, given the importance of our mission, we should call..."

Cohen instinctively tried to cover his ears, but Jeddy had already uttered the words:

"The Jedi squad that will defeat Crassus, restore the Tower of Destruction, revive the Protoss, and save Errol!"

Cohen looked at his teacher with disdain.

"Haha, I was just kidding! The atmosphere is too serious!"

Seeing Cohen's disgusted expression, Jeddy laughed and patted him on the shoulder, but then sighed.

“But unfortunately, even now, we know very little about that violent power of termination,” Jedi said disappointedly. “After all, what we feel when we fight them is not the full picture of their power of termination.”

Cohen's expression also turned serious: "Isn't there any progress at all?"

Jedi looked at his students, and after a few seconds, he pursed his lips and said seriously, "No, there are still some results. At least we know that the kind of violent and insane power of termination that originated from Crassus, the 'Sword of Calamity'..."

"Actually, it was to imitate the ancient times, a mysterious and terrifying power."

--------

“Look, Serena, why don’t we sit down and have a proper talk?” Thales said with a smile, looking at the desperate Cortrina and the smug Serena. “There’s no need for such violence.”

"Oh..."

Serena raised an eyebrow and threw Cortrina away.

"boom!"

The latter crashed into a tree not far away and struggled to lift its head.

Serena walked gracefully toward Thales.

"Let it out?" Serena glanced at the black coffin, a seductive smile spreading across her face. "How? By kicking it with your legs?"

Thales' heart began to pound uncontrollably.

calm.

At least she let Cortrina go.

This is the only chance.

I must seize this opportunity.

“The Dark Night Coffin can only be opened with the key carried by the monarch and the blood of a direct descendant of Corleone,” Serena said with a grin. “That is, the blood of both me and Corleone.”

Kotalina, in the distance, struggled to lift her head and looked in this direction with resentment.

Her limbs are healing, but incredibly slowly.

Let alone rebirth.

This battle between sisters... she thought in despair: there is no hope of turning the tide.

Is it?

Thales took a deep breath: "Lorana and the others must have told you how Rolf and I escaped from the dungeon at the Vine Manor, right?"

Serena squinted.

“I have a special ability,” Thales said, trembling, trying to weave his story to make it sound more believable, “that I can break all shackles… Or, shall I try it on this coffin?”

Thales touched the sharp wooden fragment in his hand behind his back, feeling uneasy.

He couldn't cut the rope, but...

Cutting myself shouldn't be a problem.

Although the side effects of that power... might be quite significant.

However, without the aid of his hands, would his "loss of control" still be effective?
Thales thought bitterly to himself: I can only try "killing you with my eyes".

Serena drew closer: "So it's your special ability."

"But why do you think I tied your hands?" Serena lowered her head and chuckled coldly, "I asked Lorana exactly what you asked her, and she said your ability requires blood to be drawn before it can be activated!"

“This is the cordon for you, Your Highness Thales,” she said softly. Thales’ heart skipped a beat.

Did she... notice this a long time ago?
Serena continued to walk closer.

"That's far enough!" Thales shouted. "Don't come any closer!"

He calculated that even if Serena used Flash to get there, it would take her at least a second to reach that distance.

Enough for him to face the coffin... and activate that.

“I have a piece of wood in my hand,” Thales said, turning to the side to reveal a piece of wood before carefully and quickly turning back, slightly out of breath, “enough to cut my own hand!”

"Do you really want to meet that mage?" He kicked the black coffin behind him. "Should I knock on the door for you first?"

A chill ran through Serena's eyes.

This little devil.

Are they betting on whether I dare to take the risk?

"Dear Thales!"

In Thales's sight, Serena stopped in her tracks, then suddenly broke into a bright smile and spread her hands: "You must have misunderstood!"

"I never intended to hurt you."

"To me, a living heir to the stars is more useful than a dead one, isn't it?"

“We have an agreement: with each other’s help, you will one day be crowned king, and I will be restored to the throne.”

“Have you forgotten?” Corleone’s female vampire smiled radiantly. “Weren’t we engaged?”

Thales frowned.

That old hag.

Ugly-faced woman.

"If we join forces! The navies of your East Sea Territory and South Coast Territory, combined with our natural geographical advantage at Wanghai Cliff, each occupying the east and west banks, can transform the Southern End Sea, rich in eternal oil," Serena extended her right hand and slowly clenched her fist, "into the inland sea of ​​the Starry Night Alliance."

“Stars and night, sharing benefits, supporting each other, deterring rivals on their respective continents, your Exter and Commas, our Nightfall and Hambul,” Serena looked directly at Thales: “This was my original idea.”

"Don't trust her!" Cortrina spat out a mouthful of blood from a distance, and said hatefully, "Only the most insane demons would dare to ally with this heartless bitch!"

"Boom!"

Serena gave a cold laugh and casually threw a snowball that was moving at extremely high speed, knocking Cortrina unconscious.

Thales took a deep breath.

Serena continued expressionlessly, "I know you're not an ordinary seven-year-old. You have a maturity and wisdom beyond your years and know that my ideas are feasible."

She extended her hand to Thales: "We are allies."

Thales lowered his head.

ally.

Ugh.

“You tried to kill me before,” Thales said, frowning.

“It’s to distract my sister and eventually defeat her,” Serena smiled. “It’s a pleasure working with her.”

But Thales gently raised his head and shook his head slightly.

"Cerine, this is the last time I'll call you that."

Serena's expression changed.

“Let the deception end here,” Thales sighed. “You never considered me an ally… Uglyface.”

Serena's gaze sharpened.

“From the very first time we met, your words were full of lies—you claimed to be the true heir of the Corleone family, the legitimate and rightful ruler of the Hill of Pain.”

“I’m not lying about that,” Serena blinked her alluring eyes, but Thales, who was deeply impressed by her 'other side,' remained unmoved.

“I am indeed the Nightwing King, the first in line to the throne of His Majesty Lanley Corleone.” Serena grinned and wiped a trace of blood from her cheek with her index finger.

This gesture made her appear even more alluring and seductive.

Thales was secretly anxious: How long could this drag on?

What about Ada and the others?
Given Celine's speed, she only has one chance to use "Out of Control," and the effect is uncertain.

This trump card must never be used until the very last moment.

“But you didn’t mention that you murdered the former king,” Thales shook his head. “In other words, you are not a throne-hungry covetous man who failed in his struggle for the throne, but a murderer of his father, an unforgivable crime deserving of death by everyone.”

Serena's alluring smile began to freeze.

"Even if you become powerful, I doubt anyone in the Night Kingdom will support your coronation."

Thales looked up at Serena and said, word by word:
"You have no chance of getting it back in place."

The sun is about to set.

Silence fell over the snow-covered ground.

Serena stared at him, her gaze lingering for a very long time.

“I’ve had enough of you,” Serena’s smile vanished, her voice turning icy cold: “You self-important short-lived creature.”

"you're right."

"Even if I kill Cortrina here."

"The Holy Blood Legion, who are loyal to her, including the warriors behind them, the Castigan, Sullivan, Loriroya, and those clans that covet the Blood Sea Throne, will never allow me to be crowned."

“Therefore, your true enemies are the opponents who are almost everywhere in the Night Kingdom.” Thales closed his eyes tightly and exhaled.

"Therefore, you need the power of a nation to destroy those adversaries you cannot defeat."

“Originally, I only intended to use your strength to intercept Cortrina, but the assassination of the Exeter delegation gave me a great inspiration,” Serena nodded with a frosty expression: “The death of the heir has triggered a war between nations.”

"After all, the King of the Stars made a sacred vow in public that if you die, the person who avenges you will be the next king."

Thales sighed.

“The next heir of the Stars died in a shameless ambush by the Queen of Night, who then disappeared without a trace,” Serena shook her head and sighed. “Do you think there are many ambitious people who would risk everything to attack the Kingdom of Night, or at least make a vow, just for the throne of the Stars?”

"After all, it only takes a week to cross the End Sea from the southern shore of the Stars with the help of the ocean currents and reach the Kingdom of Night."

“War will cleanse the Holy Blood Legion of its opponents and give me a more submissive Night Kingdom,” Serena said, taking a step forward with fervor. “And the true successor to Corleone will turn the tide at the last moment.”

“So this is the true purpose of the alliance: to use the Stars to purge your opponents,” Thales said quietly, looking at Serena’s face. “The Star Alliance is a complete deception.”

“You don’t understand, you naive brat,” Serena sneered. “Alliance is for fighting enemies.”

Thales glanced at the unconscious Cortrina.

“No,” Serena said coldly, “I mean, to ally with your enemy and betray him at the crucial moment.”

"Betrayal is the true essence of alliance."

Thales frowned deeply.

So that's how she survives.

The Starry Night Alliance, Thales' first diplomatic endeavor, has now completely failed.

In the days that followed, whenever Thales sat at the negotiating table, he couldn't help but recall this scene, while also warily reflecting on the "true meaning of alliances," and on the Starry Night Alliance he had with a certain female vampire, which lasted only a little over a month before ending in failure.

"Sure enough, suddenly a cute, capable, yet arrogant and childish loli vampire appeared, hundreds of years old. With red eyes and silver hair, she called me 'brother' in a high-pitched, affected voice and even insisted on marrying me." Thales sighed.

"This kind of tactic... I'm overthinking it!"

He lowered his head dejectedly: "This isn't the world of a light novel after all."

To avoid falling into the trap of clichés and becoming a complete novice!
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, I'll be posting a lunchbox in the next chapter!

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(End of this chapter)