Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 90 Awakening (Part 2)

"They—the inheritors of the Sword of Calamity—are trying to imitate a power of annihilation?" Cohen raised an eyebrow. "Imitate? That means this power has a prototype to imitate?"

“Prototype,” Jed thought seriously for a moment and nodded, “Yes, you could say that—imitating a kind of extraordinary power that serves as a prototype.”

Cohen frowned and pondered for a moment:
"Extraordinary power?"

“This is what we called the power of termination a long time ago, so,” the vigilant officer asked doubtfully, “the prototype’s extraordinary power appeared before the final war—that is, at least seven hundred years ago?”

“Longer, much longer than you imagine.” Jedi took a breath, recalling his discussions with the other inheritors, and said calmly:

"The 'prototype' you mentioned has appeared from the time of the kings to the time of the ancient empire, but the most famous record is at the height of the first civil war in the ancient empire—a person who possessed the extraordinary power of that 'prototype' led troops into the Triumph Capital and beheaded the Supreme Emperor."

Cut it down...

emperor……

Head?

Cohen's mouth dropped open in astonishment:
"Emperor? I could believe you if you said it was a weak, final empire, but it was a great, ancient empire! Why was this never mentioned in history class?"

"During the two empires, the emperor was assassinated more than once, with two successful attempts alone. As for why you, as a nobleman, don't know..." Jedi revealed a smug smile:

"Firstly, due to well-known reasons, Starry Sky doesn't have many historical records of the two empires left. If you want to find the most complete historical records, you have to go to the Rise and Fall Pavilion of the Su Ye Dynasty, or here, the Truth Library of the End Tower."

Secondly, the Starry Sky royal family is, after all, a descendant of the Carother imperial family. Even if they knew this, do you think the High King would be happy to put 'the emperor was beheaded by the army' in a book?"

“Back to the main topic,” Jedi sat down cross-legged—this was Shao’s cross-legged sitting posture, which Jedi felt gave off a particularly masterful feeling compared to his other kneeling posture—and patted his sword:

"I heard that the guy who killed the emperor defeated almost all his opponents in his era with this mysterious prototype supernatural power. Even mages had to be careful when they encountered him."

"All the rivals?" Cohen asked in surprise. "What makes this prototype so powerful?"

“I don’t know,” Jedi frowned. “Crassus himself recorded in his notes that the most distinctive feature of that supernatural power is that it has no distinctive features.”

"No distinguishing features?"

Jedi shrugged and said irresponsibly, "That's what Crassus wrote a hundred years ago, anyway."

“That’s not right,” Cohen frowned and said doubtfully, “If this kind of supernatural power is really that strong, wouldn’t it have been eagerly learned and practiced by everyone over the past thousand years, and now become the most popular power of termination?”

“Yes, why didn’t it become more widespread? That’s the weird part,” Jeddy said with a mysterious look, as if to say, “You should ask me this.” “We’ve figured it out.”

Cohen raised an eyebrow, crossed his arms, and refused to ask.

Jedi curled his lips and frowned, staring intently at Cohen.

But the latter remained indifferent, as if he had only come to the library for a stroll and to listen to stories.

Finally, Jed rolled his eyes at Cohen, but couldn't resist the urge to "confess," and said helplessly:
"Crassus's notes are vague, but they clearly record the awakening and enhancement of this power—this was a joint study he conducted with another inheritor at the time."

Cohen stared at him curiously.

Jedi spoke softly, uttering words that carried a distinct Far Eastern flavor, like lines of poetry:
"Transcending life and death to reach the pinnacle, and ascending to the peak through survival and destruction."

Cohen stared wide-eyed, opened his mouth, and shook his head twice.

Do not understand.

Jedi sighed: "Our usual finishing power, including the four original extraordinary powers, must be awakened through relentless swordsmanship and combat practice."

“However, this ‘prototype’ cannot be awakened through practice, nor can it be improved through proficiency,” Jeddy said, narrowing his eyes mysteriously.
"As a power of termination, it can only be used when its owner is in mortal danger, on the verge of death..."

"There is a sliver of a chance to awaken."

Cohen's eyes widened.

"It transcends life and death, and ascends to the peak through survival and destruction—it can only awaken in the face of certain death."

The vast library of truth was utterly silent.

Three seconds later, Cohen gaped in disbelief: "No way! So, people who possess this kind of prototype-level power of termination are all..."

“Hmm,” Jedi frowned, his expression full of doubt and confusion, and uttered a few words:

"People who have experienced death."

Cohen touched his abdomen with a grim expression; the wound from the Blood Bottle Gang's Calamity Swordsman still seemed to throb faintly.

Jedi said with a complicated expression, "Those who awaken this prototype power of termination are a very small number of lucky ones on the battlefield—they can only awaken after suffering fatal injuries, and I guess most of them die from their injuries shortly after awakening."

"For example, you get your throat slit, don't die immediately, then awaken this power, and with regenerative abilities comparable to a dragon, heal your wounds and stand up alive?" Cohen frowned. "That doesn't sound like something a human could do."

The guard shook his head in disbelief... He couldn't comprehend the meaning of such power.

“But it did happen after all,” his teacher said, bowing his head.

“I have another guess, and Shao agrees with me on this point,” Jeddy slowly stated his reasoning under Cohen’s breathless gaze:

"The stronger the individual, such as the extreme realm compared to the super-rank, the more stringent the conditions may be for improving this kind of finishing power. The requirements for the 'inevitable death state' will be more severe, and the mortality rate will be higher. That's why Crassus wanted to imitate rather than copy it exactly."

Cohen sighed. "I guess that madness and violence is a side effect of this 'suicidal' power?"

Jedi nodded: "So even the lucky ones who survive, after obtaining this power, must go through even more horrific death experiences again and again if they want to improve and become stronger... Similarly, very few people survive, and the rest..."

“Therefore,” Jeddy sighed:

"It is simply impossible for it to spread widely."

"Don't you think this is contradictory?!" Cohen protested, raising his hand on the ground. "To awaken, you have to seek death! To become stronger, you also have to seek death! — What am I even doing training this finishing power for?"

“Heh, becoming stronger isn’t necessarily for survival,” Jedd Tafner, the ultimate inheritor of the End Tower, chuckled. “Don’t underestimate people’s determination to pursue power and become strong.”

"Isn't Crassus, the 'Sword of Calamity,' a prime example? Why do you think he would imitate such a dangerous power of destruction?"

Cohen frowned.

power?

Become stronger?

Raphael...

And what is your purpose...?

Cohen touched his head, remembering a question:
"Besides the emperor killer, are there any other recorded Awakened Ones? Who was the first Awakened One in history?"

“Didn’t I tell you?” Jeddy scratched his head inelegantly. If Director Lobic were here, he would recognize this head-scratching gesture, which was almost identical to Cohen’s. “We searched through all the books, and Shao even went to the Rise and Fall Pavilion of Su Ye…”

"Its first questionable record appears in the primitive era, on the Ironblood King's world-renowned 'last line of defense for mankind,' where a severely wounded sixteen-year-old soldier awakens a supernatural power that cannot be improved, which becomes a laughing stock. The second record appears in the era of the kings, on the eve of the war against the saints, where an eighteen-year-old mortal infantryman survives a siege by orcs and then masters supernatural power, becoming a super-class."

“I guess, aside from ‘experiencing death’ and the fact that they’re all very young,” Cohen scratched his head, “you still haven’t found anything, have you?”

Jedi stared at him for a long time.

“No, we did find something,” Jedi mused.

“These people also have one thing in common.”

"What do they have in common?" Cohen immediately perked up, his eyes widening.

“The two people in front,” Jeddy said with a mysterious smile, “both of them experienced the battles against the orcs, and awakened that prototype supernatural power during the war between humans and orcs.”

"That's the key."

"Wait a minute!" Cohen looked at the teacher's mischievous grin, and remembering his teacher's wicked sense of humor, he swallowed hard. "I recognize that expression..."

“One is inside the encirclement, the other is on the defensive line,” the guard raised his hands, crossed them in front of his chest in an exaggerated defensive gesture, and frowned. “You’re not going to say…”

Jedi raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"You must have done some unspeakable things with orcs... to awaken that prototype, right?"

As Cohen finished speaking, the familiar sound of wind swept in as expected!

"Boom!"

Cohen skillfully raised his hands, blocking Jedi's downward chop.

Sure enough—Cohen chuckled: "The same trick won't work on me the second time..."

"bump!"

Cohen, pale-faced, clutched his stomach and stared incredulously at the scabbard in Jedi's left hand.

This guy……

They actually cheated...

"What are you thinking about all day long!" Jedi said angrily, sheathing his sword.

“The Western Front is full of rough, uncouth soldiers,” Cohen said, rubbing his stomach in pain. “You have to know some trash talk to fit in.”

"Get back to the point!" Jedi said irritably.

Cohen gave a listless smile and sat up straight again.

“Remember the guy who beheaded the emperor? We have the biography of that emperor slayer,” Jeddy sighed. “He was also a knight, and a Northman.”

Cohen looked puzzled.

Jed narrowed his eyes: "His knight master died when he was still a page, and no one has ever taught that emperor-slayer..."

Cohen shook his head: "So?"

“So, that emperor-slayer…” Jedi exhaled:

"I only learned one set of basic sword techniques."

At Cohen's curious gaze, Jeddy's eyes gleamed:
"An ancient sword technique to resist the orcs."

"The sword that originates from extraordinary power..."

Cohen realized what was happening and stared in shock, his eyes widening as wide as they could go.

Jedi gently gripped the hilt of his sword and uttered a single word:

"Northern military swordsmanship."

---------

Thales looked up.

“If I die here, a war between Exter and the Stars will surely break out,” he said calmly. “The Stars will be too busy to even think about crossing the ocean to invade.”

"Two hundred years of imprisonment taught me one thing," the vampire said, gently tightening his cloak, making his curvaceous figure even more alluring, but his tone was filled with horror: "Power in one's hands is the greatest wealth."

“Don’t underestimate the allure of power,” Serena said calmly. “It can drive people mad.”

"Do you know how many casualties this will cause?" Thales asked calmly.

“Yes, precious lives, bloodshed and sacrifice,” Serena sighed, seemingly saddened. “But as the Far East says: a great general achieves his victory on ten thousand corpses.”

Thales raised his head, his eyes resolute: "Life is not a toy for you to knead, you ugly woman."

"Don't call me that, it'll make me angry," Serena said softly.

Thales ignored her: "You don't deserve it, nobody deserves it."

“What a coincidence,” Serena said, a strange light flashing in her eyes, “Many people throughout history have had this qualification.”

The next moment, Thales was about to continue trying to stall for time, but Serena didn't say anything more to him, and simply said slowly:
"It finally worked."

Thales was puzzled.

But the next moment, he understood!
He suddenly realized that he couldn't move at all. Terrified, he broke out in a cold sweat.

what happened?

Thales tried to cut his hands behind his back with a piece of wood, but even his fingers were stiff!

“Generally speaking, ‘Pause Gaze’ only takes a few seconds to deal with the weak,” Serena said nonchalantly as she walked up to him and, to Thales’ astonishment, took the piece of wood from his hand.

"But you truly live up to your reputation as a descendant of the emperor; it took me so long to pause."

“Compared to my sister, this is an ability that’s not very useful in battle,” Serena sneered.

"Why am I wasting so much time? Do you think you're the only one stalling for time?" Serena said coldly. "Every second I spend talking to you disgusts me, brat."

Thales looked at Serena, his face pale, but his neck was incredibly stiff.

Serena smiled slightly:
"Are you ready for your death, Your Highness, Second Prince?"

how so?
Thales slowly regained his mobility, but he had lost his biggest trump card.

He was filled with immense regret.

If I had just...

Do not!
He suddenly realized.

It's not too late!
Thales gritted his teeth and spat out a few words: "Ugly...face...woman..."

Serena no longer concealed her expression, revealing hatred and disgust.

"Damn brat, I really want to drain you dry..."

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

Correct.

Come and suck my blood.

if that is the case……

Serena brought her face close to him, taking a deep sniff as if smelling delicious food, her long eyelashes brushing against his eyebrows.

But Serena did not do as he wished.

"Don't worry, I won't let you bleed so you can use that power... What a pity," Serena stroked his face and breathed softly into his ear, "I did tell the truth..."

"Your blood is really nourishing."

The next moment, Thales was grabbed by the neck by Serena and lifted into the air!
Why is it that same pose again!

Thales cursed inwardly!
He can't breathe again.

Serena sighed.

"Do you think I'd enjoy pretending to be a whiny little girl and forcing myself to act cute and nauseous towards you?"

The next moment, Serena's eyes turned cold: "Or do you think I would really patiently wait for you to ascend the throne, and then wait until you are old and gray, to give me a harmless mercenary force to restore my throne?"

Her grip tightened even more!
"Cerine? Little sister?"

“How dare you call me that? I’ve lived longer than all your ancestors combined!” she said viciously, almost crushing Thales’ throat.

“For your rudeness…” she said coldly, “I will make you suffer the pain of being on the verge of death.”

Thales kicked and punched in pain.

But his hands were still tightly bound behind his back, and he couldn't even make a useful struggle!

"I've gone too far," he thought painfully.

“A long time ago, Hesta told me that the Kiseri tribe had a great and skilled Khan who once said something like this to his best ally.” Serena watched Thales’ struggle with indifference and said coldly:

"For the sake of our past friendship..."

"I grant you death without shedding blood."

---------

"Oh! That stupid 'take-it-and-get-beaten-up sword technique' that's been out of fashion for thousands of years?" Cohen suddenly realized and slammed his fist in his hand.

"I thought that ever since the 'Battle for the Saints' in Quel'gul during the reign of the Kings three thousand years ago, when we completely defeated the orcs, no one had been training it anymore!"

"Show some respect!" Jedi said in a deep voice.

"Although many sword techniques were originally designed to defend against orcs and dragons, they seem naive and laughable in later wars," Cohen observed as the inheritor of the Tower of the End straightened up, speaking earnestly and solemnly.
"But that is, after all, the 'originating sword' of extraordinary power. Since the four original extraordinary powers all originated from it, what's impossible about it giving birth to a fifth kind of anomaly?"

"Wait a minute!" Cohen realized and frowned. "So, does that mean we can deduce the necessary conditions for the awakening of that prototype End Force?"

“Yes,” Jedi nodded solemnly.
"First, you have to be very young, maybe over twelve or under twenty, and you can't have any finishing power."

"Secondly, you need to have a complete foundation in the Northern military swordsmanship."

“Again, and most importantly, you must experience death, but you cannot die immediately.”

"Finally, you must have—as you say, comparable to a dragon—the powerful regenerative ability to survive near-fatal injuries, to ensure that your awakening will not be the final act of your life."

"Then, you repeat this process."

The inheritor looked up at the sky outside the glass.

The sun is about to set.

Jedi recalled the silent figure carrying a sword, and the vow he made when he left.

I will find that power.

No matter how hard it is, no matter what price to pay.

If this is the path I'm meant to take.

Jedi Tafner lowered his head and sighed:

"But that's simply impossible."

There was a long silence.

"Teacher, does this 'prototype's' ultimate power have a name?" Cohen's expression turned serious. This time, he no longer spoke casually but used honorifics.

Jedi paused for a moment, then slowly nodded:

"some."

"That emperor-slayer named it."

Cohen's expression turned serious: "What's your name?"

“It’s related to a legend you’re all familiar with,” Jed said casually. “It’s about death.”

According to ancient Mingshin Church legend, if people's souls cannot ascend to the Kingdom of God after death, they will descend to hell.

"At the gates of hell, before the abodes of the seven great rulers, flows a dangerous and terrifying river, upon which a treacherous ferryman rows his boat year after year, responsible for guiding these dead souls."

"That river is called... the Prison River."

Cohen felt a chill run down his spine.

This is a story I've heard from my mother, teachers, and even servants since I was a child.

Perhaps... it's more than just a legend?
"Therefore, when you see the River of Hell, you see death."

"But the Emperor Killer believes that there are always some people with souls that even the River of Hell is unwilling to accept, and the ferrymen of the River of Hell will send them back to the human world."

"They saw the River of Hell, but returned from death."

Cohen's eyes widened.

All that could be heard was Jedi saying, word by word:
"therefore……"

"That power of ending gained from returning from death..."

"He was called by that emperor-slayer..."

"The Sin of the River of Prisons".

--------

Thales struggled to free his hands, which were tied behind his back.
His lips trembled and turned blue as he struggled valiantly yet helplessly against this overwhelming power.

Every pore on his body blistered under immense pressure, his bones rubbed together violently due to the tightness of his joints, blood pooled on the surface of his skin, and his heart beat faster and faster under the heavy pressure.

Golden stars and darkness appeared before my eyes, gradually blurring out.

It felt as if there was a huge glass barrier between my mouth and nose and the air, making it impossible to breathe.

His trembling gray eyes watched as Serena's grip tightened.

Thales was still struggling, kicking his legs incessantly, trying to break free from the desperate and dark shadow of death.

But his vision grew increasingly dark.

Until all vision is lost.

His brain activity became increasingly difficult, arduous, and slow due to lack of oxygen.

His thinking began to become unclear.

His memory began to become disordered, with countless fragments emerging and gradually overlapping.

His heart pounded more and more frantically, trying to deliver more oxygen to his brain.

But all is in vain.

Until the sole heir of the Star Kingdom, Thales Star stopped struggling.

His eyes rolled to the top, his legs drooped limply, his shoulders slumped, and he fell into a deathly stillness.

Serena smiled with satisfaction.

As the sun sets, night falls.

Thales Seranjelana Kessel Shinsei.

died.

—————(The End)————

An unprecedented bonus chapter! Hahahaha!!!
Well, since many readers say that Thales never grows up, I'll send him a bento box to eat!

Grow tall and strong quickly!

(Wu Jian sipped his tea, watching Thales struggle before he was strangled to death, and sighed.)

"Some readers actually said I might have a child abuse tendency..."

Wu Jian blew on a mouthful of hot tea, drank it with satisfaction, and watched Thales twitch with his dead fish eyes bulging out.

"How could that be?"

Wu Jian shook his head.
For this scene, Wu Jian decided to cast a recommendation vote for himself.



(End of this chapter)