Chapter 250: The Patriarch of the Decasus Family (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 250: The Patriarch of the Decasus Family (2)
Sssssss!
Thick steam billowed out.
Even the barriers and shields protecting the tomb could not withstand the simultaneous onslaught of an ancient species' breath and the spirit beasts' calamity fire.
"That really was something."
Jinhyuk brushed the dust off his clothes.
It was a relief Goguma wasn't in his adult form yet. Otherwise, he might have buried the entire imperial palace underground.
The hideously cracked walls and the completely gouged-out ground were the only testaments to just how absurd the previous attack had been.
"Moguuuu..."
"Cough, cough."
"I can barely breathe."
"Everyone, quiet. My head hurts."
Goguma and the spirit beasts were all safe.
Phesis and the others had also managed to avoid getting caught in the blast.
"Thank goodness I found a relatively safe spot using the [Multidimensional Map]. We really almost died."
"I figured you'd find a safe zone in time, Phesis. I'm glad my hunch was right."
"I appreciate the trust, but please give me a heads-up next time. My heart can't take this..."
Phesis clutched his chest, his face pale.
Finally, Ophelia looked up at Jinhyuk, her expression filled with confusion.
"Why... did you save me?"
If he had wanted to abandon her, he could have easily done so.
Since her usefulness had run out, there was no reason for him to waste his energy.
Yet, at the very last second, Jinhyuk had used the 'Sword Demon Emperor Stepss' to move Ophelia to the safe zone Phesis had located.
"No particular reason."
Jinhyuk shrugged, pulling out the Twin Dragon Sword and Fang from his dimensional inventory.
"Whether I threatened you or triggered your trauma, I was the one who made you bring the Apostate's Bracelet here and stab Amuram in the back. Since you completed your mission flawlessly, the least I can do is keep you alive."
While the saying "the shareholders own the company" didn't apply to the Veteran Corporation, ensuring the safety of its shareholders was a core philosophy that the corporation upheld more fiercely than any other faction.
"..."
Ophelia stared at Jinhyuk, completely speechless.
As expected.
Reaching out a hand in someone's most desperate moment was the most effective method of winning them over, across all times and places, both inside and outside the Tower.
[Ophelia's favorability has increased by +10!]
Combined with his 'Communion' skill, he was able to rake in a substantial amount of favorability.
An increase of 10 points only occurred when someone felt genuine, deep gratitude, so it was safe to say he had firmly captured Ophelia's heart.
Perfect.
A loyal slave was always welcome.
Especially when they willingly put on the collar themselves.
"But don't let your guard down just yet. The real fight hasn't even started."
Although the previous attack had dealt significant damage to the vampires, it was by no means a fatal blow.
At best, it had dampened their momentum and injured the weaker ones.
The core forces—the vampires holding the title of Black Wing—and Amuram were still radiating an undiminished, formidable amount of mana.
As if on cue.
Step.
Amuram walked out from the smoke.
Like the others, he was covered in a bit of dust, but he was completely unscathed.
It was honestly a bit absurd that he was so perfectly fine after taking a direct hit from a dragon's breath.
"What do you even eat to be that sturdy? Do you drink a bowl of dragon blood every morning?"
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue in disbelief.
"I should be the one asking you that. What must one consume to recklessly unleash a dragon's breath in a place like this?"
"Well, despite how I look, I've received plenty of praise for my impeccable damage calculations—factoring in shockwaves, energy, thermodynamics, and so on. I was confident we'd survive even if I just fired it blindly."
"Hmph. You do nothing but babble nonsense."
"Nonsense? I guess vampires are all humanities majors. Or did I use words that were too difficult for you?"
Jinhyuk sneered once more.
At that, the corner of Amuram's mouth twitched.
He realized that continuing this banter would only play into his opponent's hands.
"I have never met anyone who amounted to much after relying on such cheap provocations. Let us see if you are any different."
Boom!
His hand struck faster than his words.
Jinhyuk barely managed to parry the blood-red claws, but he couldn't dodge completely.
A spray of crimson droplets scattered through the air.
"You... shed blood."
A cold voice pierced his eardrums at that exact moment.
[Amuram activates his unique ability, 'Blood Explosion'!]
For a split second, it felt as though the blood droplets were rapidly expanding.
No, it wasn't an illusion.
This was dangerous.
Instinctively, Jinhyuk leaped back to put as much distance between them as possible.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Kaboom!
Explosions erupted in midair.
"What the...!"
Jinhyuk frantically threw himself left and right.
The chain of explosions was not only incredibly fast, but its destructive power was also beyond imagination.
A single blast could easily vaporize a person.
Spinning through the air like a flying squirrel, Jinhyuk widened the gap.
"I must commend your ability to run. Even the kin of the Black Wings had half their bodies blown away when they first faced this ability."
He wasn't lying.
If not for Jinhyuk's countless battles and his razor-sharp reflexes, he would have been reduced to mincemeat.
"It's a fast and powerful skill, but maybe the user is just clumsy? It seems pretty easy to dodge."
"You insolent human insect! How dare you speak to the Lord—!"
"Enough. I will deal with this one myself. You all handle the rest. Keep a close eye on the ancient species, just in case."
"U-Understood, Lord."
The vampires bowed their heads.
*
Boom!
Crash! Rumble!
Roars and explosions echoed continuously.
The clash of mana against mana had turned the interior of the tomb into a literal warzone.
T-Bone and the ancient soldiers took on the role of tanks, forming a defensive line at the front, while the spirit beasts and Goguma provided long-range support from behind.
The vampires of the Decasus family, seasoned veterans of countless battles, fought fiercely, trying to exploit any gaps in the defensive formation.
However, the clash between the two armies was nothing compared to the duel between Jinhyuk and Amuram.
[Lv. ?? 'Dew of Heavenly Blood' is activated!]
Droplets of blood the size of soccer balls began to fill the space around Jinhyuk.
Considering the ability Amuram had shown earlier, this meant...
"Die."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The blood droplets detonated simultaneously.
The entire surroundings were dyed a brilliant crimson.
The blood droplets scattered by the blasts became catalysts for new explosions.
The chain reaction of detonations was more than enough to completely reshape the landscape before them.
Yet...
"Oh?"
Jinhyuk did not die.
Using shadow teleportation via 'Shadow Extreme Kill', he had managed to escape the blast radius of the Blood Explosion by a hair's breadth.
Now, it was his turn to counterattack.
Instantly slipping behind Amuram, Jinhyuk thrust the Twin Dragon Sword forward.
Squelch!
But...
"...!"
There was no sensation of hitting solid flesh.
It felt like stabbing into liquid.
Even though he had channeled sword qi through the 'Grave of Swords' into the sacred relic, the Twin Dragon Sword, he hadn't been able to deal any damage?
"I told you. You may be impressive, but I am on an entirely different level. No matter how much you struggle, you will not draw a single drop of my blood."
Hummmmm!
Once again, blood droplets began to flicker.
This time, they rose from a small puddle of blood on the ground.
A delayed... attack?
He hadn't sensed any mana, yet the blood droplets had already expanded rapidly.
Kaboom!
An explosion went off right next to his head.
Staggering back, Jinhyuk was blown away by the shockwave, losing his balance and crashing down.
A sharp ringing pierced his ears.
But before he could even gather his senses, Amuram's second attack came—not a ranged strike, but a close-quarters assault.
Screech!
Amuram's claws stopped mere inches from Jinhyuk's eyes.
To be precise, Jinhyuk had grabbed Amuram's wrist.
"Amusing. Did you think you could match me in strength?"
Amuram sneered, putting more force into his arm.
Yet, the deadlock remained unbroken.
The trembling claws still could not reach Jinhyuk.
This would have been impossible with an ordinary arm.
But if that arm was replicating the right arm of Tombgrave, the great hero of the Colossus race...
The story was entirely different.
"The arm of a Colossus...? My, my. You truly never cease to surprise me."
"It's a bit too early to be surprised..."
The arm was merely for reinforcement.
The real threat was the martial art he was about to unleash through that reinforced arm.
'Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art'.
A formless, ultimate technique transcending all forms.
'Heavenly Slaughter Penetrating Force'.
Thud!
An alien energy surged from his palm, violently shaking Amuram's internal organs from within.
"Urgh?!"
Amuram's eyebrows furrowed in pain.
It worked.
The sensation transmitted to Jinhyuk's hand was distinctly different now.
Of course, the price paid to land this single blow was severe.
Jinhyuk looked down at the deep gash running along his shoulder.
Was this what they meant by giving a pint and getting a gallon?
Even in that split second, Amuram had managed to land a counterattack. He truly was a monster.
Gush!
Blood poured out like a fountain.
Although he was using the 'Blessing of the Stars' to stop the bleeding, he had clearly severed an artery.
Even so...
He had finally achieved his goal.
"Look at that. You shed a drop of blood."
Jinhyuk stared at the droplet of blood on his fingertips.
He never thought he would be so glad to see a bright red liquid.
"You poured everything you had just to draw a single drop? What a magnificent achievement."
"Just a single drop... You're right. Looking at the state I'm in, it's almost embarrassing to call it an achievement. But you know what?"
[The preparation time for the 'Apostate's Bracelet' is complete.]
"Why do you think I went out of my way to get the Apostate's Bracelet?"
He could have demanded any of the vampires' treasures or sacred relics instead of this specific item.
The reason he had singled this out was...
Because the Apostate's Bracelet possessed a hidden special ability.
If the blood of the one who cast the seal touched the bracelet's gem...
"The barrier you placed on the Corridor will lose its power."
[The abilities 'Betrayal' and 'Contamination' are awakened.]
The Corridor of the Fallen.
Deep within that abyssal pit where the retainers of Ataraxia were imprisoned.
A brilliant light burst forth from 'Braham's Ring'.
Hummmmm!
What appeared was a crimson gate that seemed to stretch into infinity.
*
Step.
A fully grown Alice stepped through the shimmering surface of the gate.
She looked exactly as she had when they first met in the Corridor.
An indescribable aura rippled around her snow-white silver hair and pitch-black garments.
"..."
The emotion dwelling in her noble eyes was unmistakable: pure, unadulterated wrath.
Behind her, Bellus and the rest of her kin began to emerge one by one.
"You...!"
Amuram's pupils shook violently.
He couldn't help it.
He had never imagined that the seal would be completely broken in a place like this.
"Amuram de Decasus. Do you remember me?"
Alice spoke.
It was a question.
The first and last she would ever ask him.
"How could I ever forget? I was one of the heads who sealed you in that pit."
"Yes. You were. Thanks to you all, we were trapped in the abyss for far too long."
Alice closed her eyes, as if reminiscing over those endless eons.
The beauty of the moon and stars.
The freshness of the grass and the gentleness of the wind.
She had lived having forgotten them all.
Yet, what she desired even more than the freedom she so desperately craved... was honor.
To reclaim the tarnished name of Ataraxia and restore their pride.
Even if it wasn't achieved solely through their own strength, but with the help of a human.
Alice slowly opened her eyes.
Her pupils were dyed a blood-red crimson.
"My name is Alice von Ataraxia."
One of the absolute rulers of the Tower.
The strongest True Ancestor, feared by all other family heads.
If the purest and most beautiful blood existed, it was a concept created solely to describe the name Alice.
"In the name of the Head of Ataraxia, I shall hold you accountable for your past sins."
Her mana was unleashed.