Chapter 250. House of Decasus (2)
Hssss!
Dense steam billowed out.
The tomb’s protective barrier and shield could not withstand both the ancient breath and the spirit water’s terrifying flame simultaneously.
“It’s incredibly powerful indeed.”
Kang Jinhyuk dusted off his clothes.
Thankfully, Goguma wasn’t in its adult form, or it might have buried the entire palace underground.
The unsightly cracked walls and the completely excavated ground spoke volumes about the absurdity of the recent attack.
“Tweat!”
“Cough. Cough.”
“I can’t breathe.”
“Everyone, quiet down. My head hurts.”
Both Goguma and the spirit waters were safe.
Pesis and the others weren’t caught up in the attack either.
“[Multidimensional Map] thankfully found us a safe spot. We really could have died.”
“I thought Pesis would find a safe zone. Fortunately, I was right.”
“It’s nice to be trusted, but please let me know next time. My heart is weak…”
Pesis paled and clutched his chest.
Finally, Ophelia looked up at Jinhyuk, her expression incredulous.
“Why… did you save me?”
He could have abandoned her at any moment, especially since her utility had waned, and there was no need to waste energy.
However, at the last moment, Jinhyuk used the ‘Demon Sword Emperor’s Treasure’ to move Ophelia to the safe zone identified by Pesis.
“No particular reason.”
Jinhyuk shrugged and pulled out the Twin Dragon Sword and Fang from his subspace inventory.
“Whether by threats or triggering trauma, I was the one who made you bring the traitor’s bracelet here and strike Amulam from behind. Since you completed the mission well, I should at least save your life.”
Although the saying, “the owners of a company are its shareholders,” doesn’t apply to the veteran corporation.
Ensuring the safety of shareholders is a creed of the veteran corporation.
…
Ophelia stared at Jinhyuk, dumbfounded.
As always, offering a hand at the most desperate times is a universally effective method.
[Ophelia’s favorability has increased by +10.]
With the addition of the ‘Sympathy’ skill, he managed to significantly raise her favorability.
A favorability increase of 10 usually occurs when one is truly grateful, so it was safe to say Ophelia’s heart was firmly captured.
‘Neat.’
A loyal slave is always welcome.
Especially if they voluntarily wear the collar.
“Don’t be too relieved. The real fight hasn’t even started.”
The recent attack had indeed caused significant damage to the vampires, but it was not fatal.
It merely dampened their morale and injured the weaker ones.
The main forces, the vampires bearing the title ‘Black Wing’ and Amulam, were still flaunting their potent magical powers.
That expectation was personified when…
Thud.
Amulam emerged from the smoke.
He was slightly dusted with dirt, but otherwise, unscathed despite taking a direct hit from the breath attack, which was somewhat absurd.
“What do you eat to be so sturdy? Should I drink a bowl of dragon’s blood every morning?”
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue in disgust.
“I’d like to ask the same. What do you eat that enables you to recklessly fire breaths in such a place?”
“Waves, energy, thermodynamics, etc., despite appearances, I’m quite praised for my damage calculations. I was pretty confident I could survive just shooting randomly.”
“Hmm. You continue to spout nonsense.”
“Seeing you call it nonsense, does that mean vampires are all from the humanities? Or did I use too difficult words?”
Jinhyuk teased him again.
Amulam’s lips twisted slightly.
He realized that continuing the conversation would only entangle him further in the opponent’s tricks.
“Has anyone ever meaningfully provoked like this managed to be a decent opponent? Let’s see if you’re any different.”
Boom!
His hand moved faster than his words.
Despite narrowly avoiding his crimson claws, complete evasion was impossible.
Red droplets scattered through the air.
“You’re bleeding…”
A cold voice penetrated his ears at that moment.
[Amulam has activated his unique ability ‘Blood Explosion’!]
For a moment, it seemed as though the blood droplets rapidly expanded.
No, it was no illusion.
This was dangerous.
Jinhyuk instinctively increased the distance between them.
Pop! Pop! Boom!
The explosion occurred mid-air.
“What the…!”
Jinhyuk jerked his body left and right in disarray.
The chain of explosions was not only fast but immensely powerful, capable of blowing away a person instantly.
Spinning around like a squirrel, Jinhyuk widened the gap.
“It’s commendable how you run. Even the Black Wing’s kin were swept away when they first encountered this power.”
That was true.
If it weren’t for his numerous experiences and finely honed reflexes, he would have been reduced to mere pieces of flesh.
“The skill is fast and powerful, but it seems the user is a bit clumsy? It looks somewhat avoidable.”
“You filthy human. To dare speak to the Lord like that…”
“Enough. I will handle this one myself. You others take care of the rest. Pay special attention to the ancient species just in case.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
The blood kin bowed their heads.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sounds of explosions continued.
The interior, due to the collision of magical forces, resembled a battlefield.
T-Bone and the ancient soldiers took on the tanker role at the front. Behind them, the spirit waters and Goguma provided long-range support.
The blood kin of the Decasus House, having survived countless battles, fiercely exploited any weaknesses in the formation.
However.
The more intense battle was the duel between Jinhyuk and Amulam.
[Lv?? ‘Dew of Heavenly Blood’ is activated!]
Soccer ball-sized blood droplets began to fill the space around Jinhyuk.
Considering the abilities demonstrated earlier, this was…
“Die.”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The blood droplets exploded simultaneously.
The surroundings turned a vivid red.
The dispersed blood droplets served as new agents for further explosions.
The chain reactions were enough to completely transform the visible landscape.
However.
“Huh?”
Jinhyuk survived within the blast.
‘Shadow Extreme Kill’ through shadow transference.
It was a close call, but he successfully escaped the range of the ‘Blood Explosion.’
Now it was his turn to counterattack.
Jinhyuk swiftly moved behind Amulam and stabbed with the Twin Dragon Sword.
Thump!
But.
…!
…There was no sensation.
It felt like stabbing into liquid.
Even with the Twin Dragon Sword and using the ‘Sword’s Grave’ to manifest the sword force, he couldn’t inflict damage?
“I told you. You are formidable, but I am of a different caliber. It’s impossible for you to even draw a single drop of blood from me.”
Woosh!
Once again, the blood droplets flickered.
This time, they came from a small pool of blood on the ground.
‘A delayed… attack?’
Surely, there was no magical sensation, yet the blood droplets had already rapidly expanded.
Boom!
The explosion occurred right next to his head.
Staggering.
The shockwave threw Jinhyuk off balance, and he lost his footing.
The ringing in his ears penetrated deep.
But he had no time to regain his senses as Amulam’s second attack followed.
This time, it was a close-range attack.
Boom! Boom!
Amulam’s claws stopped right in front of Jinhyuk’s eyes.
To be precise, Jinhyuk had grabbed Amulam’s wrist.
“Interesting. Did you think you could match my strength?”
Amulam laughed disdainfully but added more power to his arm.
However, the stalemate did not break.
The trembling claws still couldn’t reach Jinhyuk.
It would have been impossible with an ordinary arm.
But, if that arm replicated the right arm of the giant tribe’s great hero, Tumgrave…
The story would be completely different.
“The giant tribe’s… arm too? My, you truly continue to surprise me.”
“It’s a bit early to be surprised…”
The arm was just for enhancement.
The real deal was the martial art executed through the enhanced arm.
‘Black Sky Demon Emperor Technique.’
A formless, transcendent ultimate move.
‘Heavenly Murder Penetrating Force.’
Thump!
The foreign energy spreading through his palm shook the insides.
“Ugh!?”
Amulam’s eyebrows furrowed in an inverted ‘V.’
This was effective.
He could feel the touch sensation distinctly changing.
Of course, the cost of successfully landing this one attack was painful.
Jinhyuk looked at the large wound that had formed along his shoulder.
Is this what they mean by giving as good as you get?
Even amidst this, the counterattacked Amulam seemed nothing short of a monster.
Gush! Gush!
Blood flowed like a fountain.
He was stemming the bleeding with ‘Star’s Blessing,’ but he had definitely damaged an artery.
Still.
He had finally achieved his goal.
“A drop of blood. You’ve bled.”
Jinhyuk looked at the blood droplet on his fingertip.
He never thought he’d find the crimson liquid so welcoming.
“All this effort for just a drop? Quite the achievement indeed.”
“Just one drop… you’re right. It’s embarrassing to call this an achievement given my state. But, do you know why?”
[‘Traitor’s Bracelet’ activation preparation is complete.]
“Why did I specifically want to obtain the traitor’s bracelet?”
He could have asked for any relic or sacred item held by the vampires.
He specifically chose this because…
The traitor’s bracelet has a hidden special ability.
If the blood of the one it binds touches the bracelet’s gem…
“The barrier you’ve set up in the corridor will lose its power.”
[The abilities of ‘Betrayal’ and ‘Corruption’ blossom.]
The Corridor of the Fallen.
Deep within the pit where the kin of Ataraxia were imprisoned.
Bright light burst from ‘Braham’s Ring.’
Woosh!
What appeared was an endless red gate.
Thud.
Fully matured Alice emerged through the shimmering surface.
Just as she appeared the first time in the corridor.
With snow-white silver hair and pitch-black clothes, an indescribable aura fluttered about her.
…
Fury was unmistakably present in her regal eyes.
Behind her, Velus and the rest of the blood kin began to reveal themselves one by one.
“You are…!”
Amulam’s pupils shook.
It was inevitable.
He could never have imagined a situation where the seal would be completely broken here.
“Amulam de Decasus. Do you remember me?”
Alice spoke.
This was a question.
The first and last to be posed to her opponent.
“How could I forget? I was one of the heads who sealed you in the pit.”
“Yes. Because of you, we were trapped in the abyss for far too long.”
Alice, as if recalling eons, closed her eyes.
The beauty of the moon and stars.
The freshness of grass and the softness of the wind.
All forgotten as they lived.
But more desperately desired than even the longed-for freedom was… honor.
To reclaim the tarnished name of Ataraxia and their own pride.
Even if it was with the help of a human.
Alice slowly opened her eyes.
Her pupils were stained red as if soaked in blood.
“My name is Alice von Ataraxia.”
One of the absolute rulers of the tower.
The most feared of all headmasters for possessing the purest and most beautiful blood.
If there was a word made to describe such pure and beautiful blood, it would undoubtedly refer to the name, Alice.
“In the name of the headmaster of Ataraxia, I will hold you accountable for the sins of the past.”
Magical energy was released.