Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 286 Identity and Fate

Old Lenser, with a gloomy, sagging dog face, looked at Nuondo, who was bound by chains and lying on the ground, then glanced at Luger before looking back at Nuondo.

“You should be able to guess what that is. Although the vile bloodline infected cannot inherit its bloodline, they are born from it,” Old Lenser’s big dog’s face was no longer smirking. “You, however, thought that after using it, you could easily remove it from your body. I always thought you were using that stupid girl Elena for experiments, but now it seems that my judgment was wrong. You really are a dreamy fool.”

Nuondo rolled his eyes, but he wasn't happy about it; he simply didn't have the energy to argue with his old friend.

He tilted his head to the side, rested for a while, and then opened his mouth again.

“Of course I’m not that stupid, nor am I that despicable as to deceive a little girl,” Nuondo said sternly. “That lord was present when I gave him my blood. He happened to be looking for Elena to take her away. When she came to see that silly boy here, I even had the honor of exchanging a few words with him. You know I’m very bold… I mustered my courage and kept explaining my theory. Although that lord didn’t say much, he seemed slightly interested. Before he left, he even pointed to the blood I had given him…”

"He made a guarantee to me, saying that he had processed the blood and that it would always remain at a weakened level, ensuring that it would not become stronger over time or from exposure to the Blood Sun, even in my body. Look at my teeth, they are different from those of a true Bloodline Infected person."

The old man, Niu Wengduo, grinned as he spoke.

"And you may have forgotten one thing, my old friend."

Nuondo suddenly changed the subject, his tone softening as if he were a different person.

Luger glanced to the side, where old Lunther appeared calm but with a hint of surprise, seemingly unaware that he had forgotten something.

"I'm about to die."

Mr. Nuondo said with a smile.

Old Lenser looked as if he had suddenly realized something, as if he had really overlooked this matter.

“And, as I said, mine, at least up to this point, is successful,” Nuondo said, his expression turning somewhat annoyed. “It’s just those damned voices that are stirring me up. At first, they only stirred my ears, but later they seemed to be stirring into my soul. If it weren’t for the fact that the bloodline I’ve recently fused with has become slightly more stable in this experiment, I might have already gone mad.”

Mr. Nuondo was trying his best to prove that he really didn't want old Rensser to blame his erratic behavior on his experiments.

But from another perspective, old Lenser was still right, Ruger thought.

Although the experiment did not directly cause all of this, if he hadn't put himself in that state, he might not have heard that so-called soul-stirring voice.

Old Lenser clearly thought the same thing, glaring angrily at the old man with his head tilted to the ground.

But seemingly remembering the other party's sincere words, old Lenser said nothing more.

Looking at the changes in the old dog's head, Luger realized that perhaps the old dog had never thought about certain issues; his struggle was for freedom.

The contract with Aunt Jenny, with its overly lengthy process of resolving the bloodline fusion issue, sounds more like being locked up in a prison. Old Lenser's resistance to this is clearly not a pleasant prospect. However, from another perspective, Old Lenser will not suffer the same fate as Nuondo, watching his bloodline collapse and his own death unfold.

At least as long as Aunt Jenny doesn't suffer any accidents and old Lenser doesn't kill himself, that kind of thing won't happen.

After another argument between the old friends, Nuondo's bald head lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily with a wide grin.

Old Lenser stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"Your behavior really hasn't been affected?" Old Lunser said in a deep voice.

Nuondo looked thoughtful, displaying the rational side of a wizard apprentice, as if pondering whether he had acted strangely over the past few days, before giving an affirmative answer.

Old Lunser, having received his answer, pondered once more. Bloodborne infected individuals had existed for many years, and naturally, there were numerous restless wizards and wizard apprentices in the City of Burning Blood. However, no one dared to cross that line. These were the unspoken rules of the City of Burning Blood, lessons learned through the blood and tears of their predecessors. Once one became a bloodborne infected individual, they would quickly lose themselves, but not completely. Take, for example, the ordinary bloodborne infected individuals in the villages on the edge of the wasteland. Once they changed, becoming stronger and taller was only the first step. Afterwards, as if guided by some kind of mission, regardless of their status or age, they would abandon their wives, children, and families, heading towards a bloodborne infected tribe somewhere in the wasteland.

They hadn't gone mad, but they were no longer who they used to be. No longer worried fathers, no longer elegant young ladies. They walked barefoot across the wasteland, baring their long teeth.

“I might have a way to save you, and not just your tinnitus…” Old Renser said thoughtfully.

When Nuondo heard him say he had tinnitus, he couldn't help but want to argue again, but he was too lazy to move.

“Like you said, you are very special, and maybe this is an opportunity,” Old Lenser looked up at him. “You stay here for now, and tomorrow I will try to trade you for some bonuses, which I deserve, of course.”

Newton paused for a moment, looking at old Lenser with a puzzled expression.

Ruger twitched his ears when he heard about the bonus, his tone exactly the same as when he talked about the reward at breakfast.

“Mr. Nuondo,” Ruger suddenly interjected, “did you hear those sounds mostly after dark?”

Nuondo looked at the uncle and nephew with a puzzled expression. A subtle change occurred in his tired eyes, as if he thought the two of them were somewhat reliable. So he nodded in response.

With Nuondo's confirmation, the uncle and nephew's eyes lit up.

"Are you happy?" Nuondo said.

“Of course, this proves my guess, so I’m very happy,” Ruger said. “I think my uncle is the same way, because it means his old friend was saved, so he’s also very happy.”

Old Lenser nodded, looking eager to get started.

Ruger observed old Lenser's actions. As for whether things would go smoothly tomorrow, he thought it wouldn't be a big problem, but how much they would gain depended on old Lenser's negotiation skills. This so-called gain was naturally not the small reward they were only thinking about, but something much bigger, even something that could resolve the issue of Mr. Nuondo's bloodline.

All of this depends on whether Mr. Nuondo has enough value, and also on whether the other party is indeed a large organization as he suspects.

Ruger believed that old Lenser knew these things; he was rubbing his hands expectantly, so the matter was probably pretty much settled.

After the uncle and nephew replenished the magic stones on the wall, they left a bewildered Nuondo in the room.

"Uncle, just who is that person?"

Ruger came to the corner of the stairs and walked towards the small kitchen on the third floor.

It was getting late, and both uncle and nephew's stomachs were starting to rumble; their bloodline abilities were both very strong when it came to digestion.

The two got to work together, their rough cooking skills paired with their wild speed.

As Ruger spoke, he glanced in that direction.

Old Lenser naturally understood what he meant.

“The Gods’ Overwatch Council isn’t very common,” Old Lunser said, cutting a piece of meat and throwing it into the pot. “It’s mostly over in the Endless Sea, dealing with some idiots who overstep their bounds and faith wizards who violate the rules. I bet you haven’t heard of it, but it’s a big organization that has a seat in the High Council of Wizards!”

(End of this chapter)