Kingdom's Bloodline, page 93
One voice sounded old.
"This soul… oh, this is unprecedentedly first-class… hmm, Mother felt it."
The other voice was flat and sharp.
"Wait a minute, the smell of danger… it is the same as six or seven hundred years ago…"
"Thou art always cautious and prudent… Be rest assured, Mother will surely handle this."
"No, it is not thoroughly dead… Such powerful vitality. No one is providing help from above, but it is still rising. According to this trend, it does not need long before it will rise back to the surface…"
"Yes, I can feel it. Mother is still hesitating. She is not averse to it, but also does not like it."
"Oh, oh my god…"
"Why are you panicking so much?"
"Have you seen this type of mixed-blood and mixed-soul… How is it possible?! Unless Alchemy Tower and Soul Tower worked together…"
"Do not lose your composure! Adhere strictly to your duty. Care less about the matters on the ground… Besides, the Three Great Magic Towers have been destroyed for one thousand years…"
"One thousand years, right? My long-term memory has deteriorated again…"
"Mother has made a decision… Let it drift freely. Allow it to rise again… Prepare to open the counter-current gate."
"Counter-current gate? Seriously? There was one who rose just over thirty years ago… The time is too short. Will Mother allow this type of frequency? We should at least wait until the last one returns here once again…"
"Do not ask, do not speak. This is Mother's will! Only comply to it!"
Immediately afterwards, he felt everything around him started shaking all of a sudden!
*Boom!*
*Pang!*
A sound, as if something had shattered travelled into his ears. He seemed to have heard a clear sound of something being smashed.
The next moment, he inhaled smoothly amid the invisible pressure and darkness, like he had just floated to the surface of water!
It was not only just one breath of air.
It was a surge of power.
A power that surpassed any mortal.
He, Thales Jadestar, finally remembered who he was.
His senses returned to him at the same time!
The pores on his entire body seemed to have opened in an instant, as they greedily received information from the outside world. His sluggish joints were no longer rubbing against each other, just like they were lubricated by a surge of power.
The blood that gathered on his skin seemed to have received the order to return back to his blood vessels and provide him with the nutrients necessary for him to continue living. The heart that had been beating too fast due to lack of oxygen returned to its slower, rhythmical throbbing. Only, it was stronger and more powerful than before.
Thales felt it.
A surge of power began its journey from an unknown corner of his body and rapidly ascended to fill his entire being in an instant.
The pain in his throat slowly disappeared. He even felt the various internal injuries in him slowly recovering.
Soon, Thales felt the coldness beneath his body, the fierce wind around him, and Serena's familiar laughter.
Like a drowned person who was brought back to life once again, Thales opened his eyes swiftly!
Immediately afterwards, he stared into the sky, still trembling. He opened his mouth wide and sucked in a breath of air that he had not taken for a long time, as though it had been years before he last breathed!
"Phew…"
Everything was the same as before.
He had come back to life.
Chapter 92: Sin of Hell's River |
Atop the snow-covered ground beneath the moonlight, Serena was laughing hysterically as she lifted her transformed, sharp claws. She was staring at Ralf who was struggling with all his might under the 'Halting Gaze'. She shook her head lightly and said, "Perhaps, if you had never seen this, you would not have to die.
"After all, I need sufficient eye-witnesses from both sides to spread the word about everything that happened here today."
However, since those of the Blood Clan had an extraordinary sense of hearing, a shudder suddenly went through the complacent Serena's body!
"Cough… you want to spread word? Word from the person involved may be even more convincing than an eye-witness… Cough…"
Serena Corleone turned around in disbelief.
'No way.'
Under the lunar light, a voice that was extremely familiar to both people rose up from the vacant snowy ground.
"Is it not? Se— ugly-faced woman?"
With shock filling both Ralf and Serena, the supposedly dead Thales coughed violently. He was panting as he flipped over and climbed up from the ground. His hands were still tied behind his back.
"There is a bardic poem that you do not understand, which has a line that is sung like this," Thales stood up with much difficulty while he immediately thought about the situation and solution before him, slowly saying, "What does not kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller…"
During the few seconds that Serena averted her gaze, Ralf struggled free from his rigid state. It felt like finally being freed from a bound state.
But, both of them did not do anything else. With their eyes wide opened, they were only staring in shock at Thales, who was speaking.
"How is it possible?"
Serena shook her head with a surprised look on her face.
She dipped her head down and looked at the hand that she had strangled Thales with.
'Did I spend too much time in the prison, to the extent that my estimation of my own power deteriorated?
'But, he was truly not breathing anymore.
'What is going on?
'There must be a problem.'
Ralf looked at Thales and gave a relieved smile as he made a hand sign.
'Do not, look, her, eyes'
Thales returned Ralf's gaze and lightly nodded.
The Blood Clanswoman with silver hair and red eyes clenched her teeth. She turned around and stared furiously at Thales. "Damn it…"
Thales gave her a smile which had been absent on his face for a long time. He purposely avoided Serena's gaze, not giving her a chance to activate her power.
The second prince clenched the top and bottom row of his teeth together and put the tip of his tongue in between the rows of his teeth.
He was probably too nervous and terrified earlier, which was why he did not think about biting the tip of his tongue.
Thales smiled bitterly from the bottom of his heart. 'Even though I was forced to watch 'The Journey' so many times…
'The first target, Dark Night Black Coffin.
'Do I really want to let that Mystic out?'
Asda's strange expression flashed before his eyes.
But Thales only hesitated for a second before he was ready to start.
However, just as Thales was ready to bite the tip of his tongue to activate the forbidden ability, some strange changes occurred in his body.
Weird fluctuations surged up his heart and bubbled up to his chest, neck, face and finally his eyes.
His blurred vision became clear and bright. He could fully capture everything in an instant, whether they were big or small objects.
Serena became clearer before his eyes.
Thales was momentarily stunned.
'What is this?'
He could feel Serena as if she was a blood-red beacon, emitting glaring red light in the boundless darkness.
He turned his head around and saw Katerina lying unconscious on the ground beneath a big tree to his left. She was breathing heavily despite being unconscious, and her entire frame was glimmering with a dim, waning white light.
'Is there a problem with my eyesight?'
Thales blinked his eyes in confusion as he stared at the scene before him. But to his surprise, he discovered that everything in the world seemed to slow down. It had actually taken Serena a full five seconds to complete the act of clenching her teeth.
"Damn… It…" Her voice became incomparably slow and deep, as if it was caused by a tape recorder having its speed adjusted.
That's not right.
'This is… a series of plays based on time-stop… I mean… time has become slower?
'No.'
Thales felt that his own movements had also become slower.
'It is only my train of thought that has become faster.'
He narrowed his eyes as he wanted to see a little clearer.
The fluctuations rushed up to his brain, and the scene before his eyes changed once again.
That moment, Thales could even see something that resembled radiation clearly with his eyes: The blood in Serena's body was moving around vigorously. It filled her heart, chest, both of her arms, and also the wings that were furled behind her.
He could see Serena's muscles contracting and relaxing with great force, but the fluctuations of her aura within her body moved in sections, as if her body was full of empty spaces in between. It gave off a disconnected feeling… like some part of it was damaged.
It seemed as though he had gotten control of Serena's claws, arms, legs, torso, and every mobile as well as immobile part of her body, her center of gravity, strength, speed, and movements, all in an instant. He could understand everything clearly in his heart.
'What is going on?' Thales thought in panic.
Thales turned around and stared at the black coffin. This unique anti-mystic equipment was visibly radiating a deep black energy and black light.
Strange fluctuations of different colors were also surging out continuously.
It made it appear like a very ill-omen.
'If I use mystic energy to open it, then what is inside…' His heart skipped a beat.
'Are there any better methods to settle this predicament before my eyes?'
Thales was just done thinking when the fluctuations disappeared from his field of vision. It was as if they possessed consciousness....
Everything before his eyes went back to normal.
'This is…' Thales furrowed his brows together. 'What kind of power is this?'
"Damned little sh*t." Serena resumed her normal talking 'speed' as she spoke with her teeth tightly clenched together. "Alright, this time I will chop off your head."
But after a few seconds, the fluctuations appeared again.
This time, it rushed straight up to his brain.
'Wait a minute.'
A shudder went through Thales' body.
Some sort of amplification method seemed to have been activated during that instant in his brain, which had been obvious since the start.
'A better method…'
The distance of the black coffin, Serena's speed, a True Form transformation, the possible direction of attack, Ralf's best route to provide him aid and protection, the limits that would be placed on his speed due to the snow-covered ground… everything before his eyes became usable information that was systematically and rapidly stored into his brain.
Possible plans, expected risks, influential factors, estimations of success rate…
This time, the fluctuations seemed to consume more energy than the previous few times. It remained in his mind for a while before it disappeared from his brain.
Thales felt like he had just run a thousand meters in an instant. He was shaking and drenched in cold sweat.
'Am I… something out of a sci-fi novel or am I an Eradicator?'
However, he just suddenly knew how to settle the situation before him.
He also knew what method would bring him the least side-effects and the least amount of failure.
Maybe, he did not have to use that power after all.
He had a better method.
Thales cautiously avoided meeting Serena's gaze as he calmed his breathing. Meanwhile, he walked to the spot between Ralf and Serena, and put on a smile.
"You know, I really want to call you a whore," Thales said insipidly with his hands behind his back.
'Foolish mortal,' Serena frowned and thought to herself, 'Are you really that confident to be this near to me?
'I shall kill this little brat first. It would be even better if I can behead him. This is nothing to be afraid of…
'What I need to take note of is that disabled supra class member.' The Blood Clanswoman glanced at Ralf, who was wearing a silver mask. 'I have to make sure he stays here so that the truth will not be leaked.
'I have to be quicker…' Serena gritted her teeth. 'Chris and Istrone cannot stall any longer.'
"Oh, then why don't you?" Serena's face blossomed into a smile as though she was conjuring tricks. Her swift change made Thales gasp in amazement.
"Dear Thales?"
She calculated the distance between herself and Ralf, as well as the time she would take to transform into her True Form before pouncing on him.
Ralf furrowed his eyebrows.
He saw Thales' hands, which were tied together behind him. They were rapidly moving.
Even though Thales was not using his head and his chest as well to form his messages, Ralf still recognized what Thales was trying to convey.
'Push, me, left, tree'
He repeated it twice.
Ralf narrowed his eyes.
It was such a familiar feeling.
It was the same feeling he felt the last time they were in the dungeon.
"Because, if I call you a whore… I am afraid I would have insulted this divine profession," Thales replied flatly.
Serena chuckled softly and exercised her claws. "So a whore is a divine profession in your mind?"
Thales exhaled and enunciated each word clearly under Serena's astonished gaze, "But I still have to thank you. At least before you killed me, you told me the truth.
"My blood is indeed very nutritious."
The next second, Thales gestured with his hands behind his back.
'Begin.'
Ralf's pupils trembled before Serena could even react.
His psionic ability was activated in an instant.
A gust of fierce wind rose from nowhere and attacked swiftly!
*Woo—*
But it did not attack Serena, who was completely on guard.
Instead, it swept Thales up and blew him towards the sky!
Thales clenched his teeth tightly and barely managed to support his whole body. He squinted his eyes to resist the impact of the wind. After all, he was not Human Kite Ralf, who had immersed himself in this path for many years.
Time once again seemed to slow down when he was up in the air—but, he knew this was not the case.
Those fluctuations gradually filled all four of his limbs.
Thales immediately felt his limbs turning gently, allowing him to maintain his balance in the wind.
Serena hissed sharply as she transformed into her scary True Form within his peripheral vision!
"Where are you going to run to?" Serena widened her eyes, which resembled the black hole, and unfolded her red skeletal wings. They tore her cape apart. She flapped her wings and flew up in the air as she roared in her hoarse voice, "Mortal brat!"
However, Ralf's gaze was full of determination as he stepped upon the fierce winds to pounce on the Blood Clanswoman.
He had to hold this monster back.
This was the boy's plan.
Thales flew down towards the big tree on his left.
It was the birch tree that was broken during the sisters' fight earlier.
A figure was lying unconsciously on the ground beside the tree.
Serena's expression immediately changed when she realized what Thales was going to do.
But at the next moment, the sound of the wind howled behind the patricide.
Serena instinctively turned around and attacked with her claws.
*Clang!*
It was a fierce sound of metal clashing against each other!
Ralf was technically not the one who attacked.
It was the piece of steel rope in Ralf's hand.
Taken by surprise, Serena furrowed her brows. Her arms were tightly bound by the steel rope in the surprise attack.
"Aargh!" Serena yelled frantically as she was dragged backwards by the steel rope, which was controlled by the fierce wind.
She tried to tear the steel rope apart, but her efforts were to no avail as sparks flew in all directions.
On the other end of the rope was Ralf, and he was flying in the air with clenched teeth.
The steel prosthetics made of two coarse metal plates below his knees had already disappeared without a trace.
That piece of steel rope was a tool used by Ralf to fasten his prosthetics in place, so it was incomparably tough and durable.
'I will never let you go over there.' the Phantom Wind Follower's gaze was resolute.
Thales landed on the snowy ground on his bound hands. He then rolled forward twice in a disheveled state.
The fluctuations had dissipated.
A sense of exhaustion came over him.
His entire body was sore, some joints were even aching due to laceration.
Thales vaguely understood that this was because his current physical condition was completely unable to keep up with the act of balancing himself on the wind just now.
However, he was still struggling with his hands behind of his back as he squirmed and crawled towards that person.
She was the critical point of his plan.
Katerina Corleone.
The dying Night Queen.
*Dong!*
Thales knocked his head against Katerina's beautiful face!
The collision slightly roused the latter up from her coma.
He stared at Katerina's unfocused gaze and spat out two words.
"Bite me."
The seriously injured Katerina, whose four limbs were broken, and who only had her torso left, brought her head up in much difficulty. She glanced at him, her gaze revealing her confusion.
The prince could be heard saying coldly, "Suck my blood."
But the Night Queen, who had lost her confidence only glanced at the situation on the field before she shook her head weakly and in anguish. "It is no use.
"My injuries are too severe.
"You should quickly leave.
"Maybe you can escape from this."
Katerina lowered her head in resignation and closed her purple eyes.
