Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Kin's Rampage 2
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The Emperor's Herald does not regret what has already happened. But that does not mean there is no emotional pain.
Azadin was in pain. How many of those who had become his kin had he killed up to now? To think there was a way to restore them to their right minds. He could barely endure without unleashing this rage on someone.
Sensing the fury pouring from Azadin like heated coal, the Verdant Robe Sect Daoist paled and hurriedly scooped up the vial from the floor.
"It's the medicine that woman—you were told to monitor her—forced me to take. I can sense the presence of another Nether entity inside it."
It was a swift and clever excuse. More than enough to prevent Azadin from venting his rage on him.
"I see. That vial..."
It looked familiar. It was the vial Arael had shown Azadin to mix into their food.
"Is what's inside the same as the elixir you people use?"
When Azadin mentioned the Verdant Robe Sect's elixir, the Daoist was momentarily speechless. His words hinted that he knew the true nature of their elixir.
He had to choose his words carefully. This young man had fought through the storm of rampaging kin to reach here, and he was furious.
Imagining that his abilities, his power, his rage might turn into a blade at his throat at any moment, the Daoist responded with utmost courtesy.
"We have only worked to help those suffering from malaria. Until now, we've saved countless people from agony time and again—nothing like this has ever happened! This must be someone's scheme!"
"That's not what I asked. Is what's in that vial the same as your elixir?"
"Yes. It's the same as the elixir we use, but different. To be honest, we dilute it heavily to prevent kin transformation... but this is highly concentrated."
"And yet you're fine after taking it?"
"Fortunately, I've always used blood magic to separate and control any elixirs that enter my body."
Blood magic. A type of dark sorcery mediated through blood, ranging from folk remedies like drawing leech blood to reduce swelling, to grand rituals summoning demons via blood.
The Verdant Robe Sect Daoist used that blood magic to divide the elixir in his body and form it into twigs from his hand.
"I can contain the controlled elixir in these twigs. Fortunately, the guardian deity of our Verdant Robe Sect is Grimsrowan, the ancient tree of the swamp..."
As a being with wood attributes, it allowed him to isolate the elixir in wooden form before it could be fully absorbed into his body. That was what the Daoist was saying.
'Since one cannot become the kin of two gods at once, the medicine Arael gave them acts as an antidote for these people instead. The concentration was strong, but this guy's a blood mage, and the Nether they serve is like a tree spirit, so he could fully isolate the elixir within himself. Does that mean Arael told them to mix it into the food with good intentions?'
Azadin briefly thought about his only blood relative, then shook his head.
There was no way Arael had done it out of consideration.
'Not all Verdant Robe Sect members are tainted by Nether power, so mixing it into their food would infect innocents too. Arael simply didn't care if more victims appeared.'
Arael had always been that way. Strong, confident, unconcerned with the weeds or ants crushed beneath her feet. Like an elephant charging forward, ripping apart anything in her path, Arael's stride knew no hesitation. This Daoist was probably just another ant trampled under her footfall.
At that moment, Zibek drew Azadin's attention.
"Azadin. Look over there."
"Ah."
Azadin spotted Arael's group entering Baron Adiroph's castle, where Zibek was pointing.
"This isn't the time to dawdle. We need to pursue them. Hey, Daoist! You're on crowd control for those rampaging ancient trees! Think you can manage?"
"I'll do my best. Ah, take this!"
The Verdant Robe Sect Daoist handed Azadin the twig containing Arael's elixir.
Azadin took the sharp, sturdy twigs and stowed them in his quiver before chasing after Arael.
*********
After the baron's family was wiped out by a local plague, Baron Adiroph's castle had become a sort of administrative office, run by officials dispatched by Count Lantarik.
The building, originally constructed for a noble family to live in, had gradually lost its ornamentation over time, leaving only practicality in its exterior. But that was merely the castle's shell.
Inside Baron Adiroph's castle was, astonishingly, a structure in the ancient dwarf style, with the castle built atop it like an outer shell.
And Azadin could guess that this was the Emperor's treasury.
After Arael's group entered first, a thick, low rumble rose from underground, as if the entire building were stretching awake. It was a roar like the ruin itself stirring to life.
"You okay, boss? This is creepy."
Scott had somehow prepared a wheelbarrow, cast spells on the surrounding corpses, and climbed atop it.
"What are you doing? With that?"
"......"
Zibek glared at Scott for desecrating the corpses right in front of him.
But soon, everyone was left speechless.
Scott had organically fused the torn corpses, preserving only their functional beauty.
The cart began to move on its own.
A closer look revealed muscles running from the handle to the base, propelling it forward... but supports hid those muscles, making it seem like a self-driving cart.
"Introducing: Smart Mobility!"
"...Smart?"
"Even I think it's a clever design, boss."
"Hah."
Zibek was at a loss for words.
Just then, bloodthirsty tree spirits—former residents of Adiroph Castle, now rampaging Nether kin slaughtering those around them—appeared before Azadin's group.
"Hmph."
Azadin hurled the twigs from the Verdant Robe Sect Daoist at the kin blocking his path, like daggers.
-Pop! Pop! Pop!
With crisp sounds, each one struck true, one per target.
Like distributing festival gifts to children, the precise strikes restored their minds to reality.
The wooden beasts turned back into humans.
"Ugh?"
"No, this can't be!"
"What have I done until now? Did I... do this?"
"Aaah! Why is my body like this!?"
They recoiled in horror at the calamity covering their bodies.
"Go to the Verdant Robe Sect Daoist for help! Clear the way!"
Azadin stepped past the recovered kin and headed inside.
He pitied their fate, but chasing Arael took priority now.
*********
The underground section featured massive granite stairs.
A constant rumbling echoed from those stairs, which seemed to lead into the heart of the mountain encircling Baron Adiroph's castle.
On the walls of the enormous stone structure in the dwarf style—clearly man-made—Emperor Yaeslat's likeness was carved.
And the source of the roar that had guided Azadin here revealed itself.
It was a massive stone door opened by hydraulic power. On either side were the treasury keys Azadin had seen, inserted to activate waterwheels that opened the door.
"If we retrieve the keys now, won't the door close and trap those inside?"
Zibek suggested. But Azadin shook his head.
"I hear water inside. Once you're in, there should be a way out. Locking them in won't help. Let's go in too."
"Wait. What if someone pulls the keys from behind? We'll be trapped. And Arael and her minions are insanely strong. Got a plan? You won't kill your own kin, but they might kill us to break your will."
Shati opposed Azadin's idea of entering.
Arael wouldn't kill Azadin, but she could torture him by targeting his companions. And to the Herald clan, Shati, Zibek, and Scott were expendable outsiders, weren't they?
But Azadin ignored Shati's protest and strode inside.
And...
-Creak... creak...
Scott's smart mobility rolled in with a squeak.
"Can't you keep it quiet? You're announcing our arrival..."
"They're Heralds too, right? Let's just go in bold. Mess with their gains while we're at it."
Zibek and Scott grumbled as they followed Azadin.
"Ah, damn it."
In the end, Shati had no choice but to follow too.
*********
Passing through the dwarves' door led to a breathtaking sight: cascading waterfalls formed by streams pouring from the mountain into an underground cavern.
In the vast cavern, where outside light filtered through the ceiling, dwarf machinery was visible. Arael stood there in a daze.
"This is the Emperor's mint?"
Normally, minting gold coins didn't require anything elaborate.
Pure gold's malleability meant even simple compression without heating produced passable coins.
Given gold's value and rarity, a single artisan hammering molds with a wooden mallet sufficed for coin presses. No need for mass production since they weren't used often.
Accounting for the powerful magic on the Emperor's gold coins, the press itself was likely just a simple compression frame—magic prevented counterfeits. Even the sharp-minded Arael had assumed as much.
But the mint here was a massive industrial machine linked to waterwheels. The size of a goat pen for six animals.
Wooden planks could be lifted by one strong man, but this seamless metal behemoth wouldn't budge even for an elephant. Taking it was impossible.
"This is bigger than expected, Lady Arael."
"What do we do?"
Even Arael's subordinates were agitated.
"First, let's figure out how it works. Where to look?"
Arael approached the treasury wall. Near where gold bars had once been stacked, dwarf skeletons lay scattered.
They clutched weapons, skulls smashed—likely killed fighting over the Emperor's gold. With no gold left, other looters must have taken it.
"Arael!"
A sharp young man's voice called to her then.
Azadin's group had arrived.
They entered via the same path as Arael's: Azadin, Shati, Scott, and Zibek. Azadin's mask hid his expression, but the other three looked stunned by the treasury's scale and sight.
"Th-this is..."
"Emperor Yaeslat's treasury?"
"But not much treasure. Already looted?"
"More importantly, boss, stay sharp on that woman and the Heralds ahead. Every one of them is a monster."
Scott formed hand seals atop his cart, wary not just of Arael but her four subordinates, the Four of Flower, Bird, Wind, and Moon.