Chapter 1031
“Haaaa….”
Martha let out a rough breath and lowered her stance as if she might charge out at any moment.
“W-wait a moment!”
Krein ran over from the side and grabbed Martha’s wrist.
“You can’t just start fighting right away!”
He shook his head with a pale face, saying there was something they had to do first.
“Please, get a hold of yourself… huh?”
Krein, who had been shouting for Martha to calm down, blinked blankly.
“Why are you fine?”
He’d panicked and come running, thinking she’d go berserk the moment she saw the White Blood Cult, but her eyes were coldly settled instead.
“I’ve got a shitty personality, not a shitty brain.”
Martha raised her fist and flicked Krein on the forehead.
“Ugh, I’m sorry….”
Rubbing his forehead, Krein narrowed one eye.
“Then first, we should contact Palace Lord Raon….”
“Communications are blocked.”
Martha frowned as she looked at the white fog wrapping around the harbor and village.
“That fog’s probably blocking visibility from outside and controlling the flow of Mana.”
Considering contact with Raon had been cut the moment the White Blood Cult’s ghost ship entered the harbor, that white fog clearly had the ability to block communication with the outside.
“Raon probably noticed already, but just in case….”
Martha threw the crystal orb in her hand to the ground.
Crash!
The crystal orb didn’t shatter into pieces. It scattered into dust, as if it had never existed in the first place.
‘This will get the message through.’
This crystal orb was an artifact made by the Mage Tower. Normally, it was used for communication, but if you broke it in an emergency, your location would appear on the other linked crystal orb.
Still, if it was Raon, he’d already have the ship moving and be preparing to come this way before the orb even broke.
“Good. Well done. Then we should fight—”
“Wait.”
Martha raised a hand and stopped Krein, who was about to dash out.
“Huh? Why…?”
“We need to see what those White Blood Cult bastards are doing.”
They had to know how the White Blood Cult erased harbors without a trace to save the people who’d vanished so far.
Now wasn’t the time to fight. It was the time to watch.
“O-okay.”
Krein nodded with his eyes wide, as if he were shocked by Martha’s calm judgment.
“A ship—the White Blood Cult!”
“The White Blood Cult is attacking!”
“That robe… is that an archbishop…?”
“Those damned blood fiends!”
The White Blood Cult’s white robes were so famous that people recognized the blood fiends and backed away with trembling lips.
“You filthy blood fiends!”
A mercenary with a sword strapped to his back wrinkled his nose and stepped forward.
“Do you think you can just show up wherever you like?”
He shouted for them to get out and drew his sword.
“Foolish people.”
The archbishop stepped forward and pulled back the hood that had been hiding his face. Revealing refined features with blond hair and blue eyes, he spoke arrogantly, as if he were a king, calling the people in the harbor his subjects.
“To you ignorant, benighted fools, the Blood God’s mercy has descended.”
Ignoring the mercenary’s sword pointed at his throat, the archbishop wore a benevolent smile.
“This bastard….”
Unable to hold back his anger, the mercenary swung his sword at the archbishop.
“Good. I shall grant you the first blessing.”
As the archbishop let out a sinister laugh and clasped his hands together, the mercenary’s sword, mid-swing, forcibly stopped.
“W-what is this…?”
The mercenary flipped the sword around and stabbed his own abdomen.
Thunk!
As if he couldn’t believe he’d harmed himself, he stared blankly at the blood pouring from his stomach.
Huuuuum.
When the archbishop crooked a finger, the blood that was falling to the ground rose on its own and flowed toward him.
“What the hell did you do to me….”
The mercenary panted in pain, unable to understand the situation.
“First, I should have a taste.”
The archbishop smiled at the flustered mercenary and licked the blood floating in the air with his tongue.
“Not bad.”
He nodded, saying it was blood worthy of being offered to the Blood God.
“Then let’s begin.”
When the archbishop brought his palms together, a massive wave surged up before the ghost ship he’d arrived on and swept over the village and its people. It wasn’t an ordinary wave. It was an evil swell infused with blood energy.
“Aaaaargh!”
The moment the mercenary was swept up by the wave, he dropped the sword in his hand and collapsed in place. The blood that had been flowing from him was sucked into the ghost ship as if it had a will of its own.
“D-damn it!”
“How is this happening?”
“M-my body won’t move….”
“It’s the blood fiends’ curse!”
Other mercenaries and villagers couldn’t move their limbs either. Unable to stop themselves from being washed away by the wave, they could only tremble with their lips.
Huuuuuum!
As the archbishop spoke a blood curse aloud, the blood wave grew even more violent, mercilessly smashing buildings and homes.
As if their strength had been drained even further, the villagers stopped resisting and froze in place with vacant eyes.
“Move.”
As if they’d been waiting, the blood fiends sprang into action, fastening collars onto the people whose bodies and minds were suppressed and dragging them toward the ghost ship.
‘Now I get it.’
Watching the blood wave approach while tearing the harbor itself apart, Martha twisted her lips.
‘Why the harbors were destroyed without a trace.’
The reason people vanished without a trace was that archbishop. Because of his mind-control ability and the blood wave, people couldn’t even resist and were dragged onto the ship.
‘And the reason we couldn’t sense the blood energy….’
Martha lowered her brows as she looked at the White Blood Cult’s sailing ship that was raising the blood wave and the white fog.
‘It’s because of that ship.’
She didn’t know what kind of curse it was made with, but that ghost ship had the ability to suck in human blood and blood energy.
They’d used that ship to erase the trace of blood energy completely, forcing not only her but even Raon to think it was just ordinary seawater passing by.
“P-please….”
“Spare us!”
“Just kill me here instead!”
Some people hadn’t lost consciousness, but they couldn’t move their bodies because of the blood wave and were captured by the blood fiends, dragged along the ground.
“Consider it an honor to receive the Blood God’s blessing.”
When the archbishop nodded with a pious smile, the blood fiends drew scimitars from their waists.
When the White Blood Cult raided a village, they devoured half the people on the spot and abducted the other half to their main base. It seemed they meant to follow that doctrine today as well.
Slash!
The instant the White Blood Cultists were about to bring their scimitars down on the captives’ necks, a yellow light grazed past their heads.
Thud!
As the light settled, the heads of the White Blood Cultists who’d been about to kill people fell to the ground, and Martha—her red hair tied back—stood before the archbishop.
“Rakshasa Division! Protect the people!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
As she lowered her sword and stomped, the Rakshasa Division swordsmen who had been hiding among the people surged out on a fierce gust, cutting down the White Blood Cultists.
“R-Rakshasa Division…?”
The archbishop’s gaze trembled as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Zieghart’s Light Wind Palace!”
Meeting Martha’s ferocious eyes, he swallowed hard.
“I-it’s the Rakshasa woman of the Light Wind Palace!”
“You haven’t left yet!”
As if they thought they were saved now, people shouted Martha’s name and epithet, letting out sighs of relief.
“I’m not a Rakshasa woman.”
Martha frowned as she glanced back at the people who’d called her that.
“Even now….”
Krein muttered that she was incredible and shook his head.
“Thanks to you, the whole mystery’s been solved….”
Martha stepped forward, treading over the wave mixed with the blood fiends’ blood, and jerked her chin at the archbishop.
“Now it’s time for you to die.”
—
Crackle!
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the location of the harbor where Martha had been hiding appear on the crystal orb in his hand.
‘So they really came that way?’
He’d thought it was strange from the moment communication with Martha was cut and had immediately prepared to set sail. Thankfully, that judgment hadn’t been wrong.
“Palace Lord! Preparations are complete!”
Rabawin bowed his head, saying they could move at once.
“Sicot Port, where Lady Martha is, is right next to us, so it won’t take long.”
Despite his words, he bit his lip as if he were anxious.
“Then we leave immediately.”
When Raon nodded, Rabawin turned around and called to the crew.
“Set sail! Move at maximum speed!”
With the situation urgent, Rabawin personally took the helm and moved the ship.
“P-Palace Lord! I also sent word to everyone!”
Dorian panted, saying he’d told the Light Wind Palace swordsmen scattered across various places about the location of Sicot Port where Martha was.
“Good work.”
Raon patted Dorian’s shoulder and gestured to the swordsmen aboard the ship.
“The attack has likely already begun. Prepare yourselves so you can fight the moment we arrive at the harbor.”
“Yes!”
As if telling him not to worry, the Light Wind Palace swordsmen placed hands on their sword hilts and roared a battle cry.
“….”
As Raon watched the sea flowing past, Dorian wandered around the deck, fidgeting like he needed to pee.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m worried about Martha and the others….”
Dorian bit his lip, saying he was worried about Martha and Krein because he’d read Paros’s fear with the Mind’s Eye Technique.
“Krein’s hard to trust, but Martha’s there.”
Raon calmly shook his head.
“If it’s her, she’ll protect everyone without letting a single person die until we get there.”
Martha only acted aggressively as the vanguard because she trusted him. If she stood in the leader’s position and gave orders, she would undoubtedly move more wisely and calmly than anyone else.
“I-is that so?”
Dorian blinked as if he couldn’t believe it.
– “Hmmm….”
Wrath let out a low groan as he looked at Raon.
– “This King does like the beef girl, but I can’t say I know anything about her being wise.”
Even he said he couldn’t imagine Martha moving wisely and calmly, blinking his eyes.
“You’ll see when we get there. What I’m worried about is….”
Raon frowned as he looked at the sea, which was growing rougher even though it was bright daylight with not a cloud in sight.
‘This smell of blood.’
They hadn’t even reached Sicot Port yet, but the scent of blood and a sinister presence began to flow from the sea. It wasn’t just a sensation—something in this sea was actually changing.
‘What the hell is happening….’
Just as Raon bit his lip while watching the sea begin to churn—
Huuuuuum!
The Soul Requiem Sword, which had been quiet until now, began to vibrate violently as if it would shatter his waist.
‘No way….’
Raon swallowed hard as he grabbed the Soul Requiem Sword, which was shaking as if it had met its mortal enemy.
‘The one behind this is….’
—
Kaboom!
Martha brought down a heavy strike, tearing apart the blood wave that had been binding the villagers.
“I-I can move….”
“My legs are free of the wave!”
“Fall back, quickly!”
“Don’t just run for yourself—help the others too!”
Freed from the blood curse, the people moved as if escaping and fled toward the back of the village.
“Stay back like that.”
Martha gave the residents a nod as if telling them they did well, then approached the archbishop standing before the ghost ship.
“I heard you went back, but to think you’d been hiding for over a month.”
The archbishop frowned, as if it were absurd.
“We’re pretty persistent. Unlike you, who just let impulse take the wheel.”
Martha snorted, as if dismissing the White Blood Cult itself.
“Not even Raon Zieghart—someone like you is meaningless!”
The archbishop shook his head violently and raised blood energy.
“Before the Blood God’s blessing, nothing—”
“You’re loud.”
Martha twisted her lips and brought her sword down from over her head.
Rumble!
The archbishop hurriedly drew up blood energy and blocked Martha’s sword as it came down with terrifying force.
“Ghk….”
Though it was a lightly swung assault, he trembled all over, as if it were hard to withstand.
“I already know all your tricks now, you know?”
Martha curled her blood-red lips as if blood were dripping and tightened her grip.
“Just die.”
As she let out a chilling laugh, the weight imbued in her sword swelled at a terrifying speed, splitting the archbishop’s blood energy and tearing his body in half.
“Huh? Aaaaargh!”
As if he hadn’t even felt his body being ripped apart, the archbishop belatedly screamed and toppled to the ground.
“You’re loud.”
Martha stomped down and crushed the screaming archbishop’s head.
“Huh….”
The blood fiends froze in place, as if stunned by the sight of Martha killing the archbishop with a single strike.
“Deal with those.”
Martha waved a hand at the Rakshasa Squad swordsmen and stepped onto the white stairs that had descended from the sailing ship.
‘This comes first.’
There would be a device on this ship controlling the blood wave and the fog. She had to destroy that first to save the whole village, not just individuals.
“Understood!”
“Leave it to us!”
Krein and the swordsmen nodded as if telling her not to worry and began fighting the remaining blood fiends in the harbor.
After confirming the swordsmen were overwhelming the blood fiends, Martha climbed onto the sailing ship known as the ghost ship.
‘Clean.’
Despite the exterior looking like a ghost ship because of its age, the interior was neatly refined, as if it had all been newly built.
However, thick blood curses were carved into the deck and walls, and strangely, not a single trace of blood energy could be felt. It seemed this curse erased the traces of blood energy spreading outward.
Shing!
The blood fiends on the deck drew their scimitars, wary of her as an intruder.
“How do I stop the tidal wave and the fog?”
Martha jerked her chin at the blood fiends bristling with murderous intent toward her.
“….”
The blood fiends didn’t answer. They approached slowly. They had to be instinctively aware of the overwhelming difference in martial might, yet they didn’t retreat.
“Fine. You’re that kind of trash.”
Martha muttered that it worked out and slashed her sword toward the blood fiends on the right.
Kaboom!
As her blade passed, the blood fiends behind it exploded without leaving even a shred of flesh.
“If I kill them all and smash everything, it’ll stop, won’t it?”
Martha twisted her lips and was about to approach the blood fiends farther inside—
Creeeak.
The door to the cabin above the signboard opened, and a bald, middle-aged man with a belly round as an apple walked out with two women—glassy-eyed—tucked under each arm.
“You idiots….”
The bald, middle-aged man clicked his tongue as if pathetic and kicked the blood fiend standing before the cabin.
Thud!
He hadn’t even kicked that hard, yet the blood fiend spat out crimson blood and never rose again.
‘That was….’
Martha frowned as she looked at the dead blood fiend.
‘An internal burst?’
It had looked like a light kick, but he’d clearly burst his energy from within to kill the blood fiend. He wasn’t Transcendent, but he was a warrior above her level.
“You….”
Martha bit her lip as she looked at the potbellied blood fiend.
“An apostle.”
“Do you not know me?”
The potbellied middle-aged man lifted his chin arrogantly and frowned.
“I am the Ninth Apostle who serves Her.”
Calling himself the Ninth Apostle, he smiled sinisterly.
“Quite pretty. I should grant you the Blood God’s blessing as well.”
The Ninth Apostle licked his lips and swept his gaze over Martha’s body, then bit into the neck of the woman beside him.
“Hmmm….”
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Martha, who stood calmly even as she watched someone die.
“I heard from the Tenth Apostle you’re a beast of a woman, but you’re unexpected.”
Spitting the woman’s flesh onto the floor, the Ninth Apostle wore a cold smile. It seemed he’d heard everything the archbishop said and already knew who she was.
“I didn’t think provocation wouldn’t work.”
“If I fell for that cheap provocation, the one who taught me would weep.”
Martha raised her sword, her eyes unwavering.
“I won’t say I’ll save you. But….”
Without avoiding the eyes of the women dying in the Ninth Apostle’s grasp, she nodded.
“I’ll make sure you’re avenged.”
Raising an Aura of rage thicker than murderous intent, Martha charged at the Ninth Apostle.
Kaboom!