“It sounds like there’s something huge going on out there. Are you sure it’s fine to be wasting time like that?” asked a large man in a black robe as he munched on a fruit that resembled a pomegranate.
“I find it disrespectful that you would call the sacred act of butchering a waste of time, Hellfire. You should also watch and learn if you are serious about joining Necrophilia. Demons get in line to learn the art of butchering from me,” replied a middle-aged man in scholarly attire and a silver-rimmed monocle. He stared at the middle of the room, his black eyes exuding Demon Force.
A slab of meat, hanging by a yarn dyed red with blood, groaned. A middle-aged woman whispered in the slab of meat’s ear, holding a bloody meat cleaver.
“How does it feel? Can you feel the pain that Do-Hyun went through? I told you I would tear you apart, didn’t I?”
She was Choi Hee-Gyeong, who had finally captured her mortal enemy, Choi Tae-Hyun, and was in the middle of exacting her sweet revenge. She had encountered the benefactor of a lifetime while she had been getting various torture tools. The benefactor was Glasya-Labolas, the President of Butchers.
“Yes, you are doing very well. You have become accustomed to the art of bloodletting, skin peeling, deboning, and butchering,” Glasya-Labolas said.
“It is all thanks to your teachings, Master,” Hee-Gyeong replied with a smile and bowed.
“Mm, I am glad you realize that.”
“Master, may I pound this meat?” Hee-Gyeong asked.
Glasya-Labolas raised his monocle and asked, “Why do you think of doing that?”
“From my insufficient knowledge, I believe pounding meat is a necessary procedure to tenderize it.”
Glasya-Labolas shook his head and replied, “Pounding meat while it is still alive only makes the meat go bad. It bruises the meat, causing the accumulated blood to spoil it.”
“Oh... What a shame.”
“However, if the blood is completely removed, pounding it will break down the connective tissue, making it softer. I shall cast the Art of Butchering. That way, not only will the meat still be alive after its blood is completely removed, but its sense of pain will remain fully intact. You may pound it then.”
“Ahhh! Thank you very much!”
Glasya-Labolas nodded in satisfaction once Hee-Gyeong expressed her sincere gratitude. The student’s will to learn elevated the teacher’s amusement.
“Now, I shall teach you how to butcher the thigh. There is not much to throw away in this region. The dressed carcass percentage of a human is roughly between sixty and seventy percent, and...”
“Kik! They sure are having fun,” mumbled the large, robed man as he ate the remainder of his fruit. “Since it’s been a while, I might as well indulge in my hobby for a bit, too. Kikik! I haven’t smelled the scent of burning flesh in so long.”
He had been feeling stifled from being forced to lie low, so the explosions sounding from outside piqued his interest.
Yeah, we’re in a dungeon. There’s no way he would be here, the man thought.
***
All the stars in Blood Castle’s sky vanished, and so did the echoing sounds of explosions, leaving behind only deathly silence. The members of the Seven Purebloods had gathered in the central palace’s inner hall except for Haema Sanguis and the deceased Demens Rabies.
“Hmmm? I heard you lost the black star, Berto. How pathetic can you be?” mocked Scite Amor as she caressed the ruby bat on her shoulder.
“Bwehe! That’s some way to talk to your older brother. You say that, but where have you been?” Berto asked as he fixed his sunglasses.
“Hmph, I was searching for that human named Cheon Seong-Hwi in the north, while you two dukedoms were lazing around!” Scite shouted as she turned toward Erzsebet Melos, who stood still, looking as bored as always without paying mind to Scite’s mocking words.
Seeing her behavior infuriated Scite, and she shouted, “And where were you, Erzsebet?!”
“I slept. I couldn’t go to sleep on time because you were disrupting me,” Erzsebet replied.
“Geheh! But of course. S-Sister Erzsebet is beautiful, so s-she would naturally sleep a l-lot,” stammered Semita Sigillum, an old man in a tuxedo, as he subordinated himself to Erzsebet.
“Y-you—”
As Scite’s expression was crumpling, Berto turned to the hideous bald man standing in a corner and asked, “Oi, Grawamen. Where is Brother Haema? He’s the one who summoned us, isn’t he?”
“He mentioned that he will be a little late because he had to confirm something first,” Grawamen Dirae replied.
“Confirm what?”
Just then, Haema entered the inner hall with a stiffened expression and asked Grawamen, “How goes the search for Cheon Seong-Hwi?”
“We have not found him yet. Considering how much of a hard time he is giving our kin, he appears to be well-versed in the art of escape—”
“I told you to capture him alive, no matter what! Find him, even if you must mobilize all of Consanguineus’s forces!” Haema screamed as he unleashed his caliber.
His eyes turned dangerously red as his Blood Force boiled. The eyes of the other five Purebloods widened from Haema’s sudden rage.
“B-but the Sun Wolf King’s sudden rampage—”
“Don’t give that fucking mutt any attention and just focus on finding Cheon Seong-Hwi! He won’t engage in a head-on battle anyway!”
They were in Blood Castle, which was vampire territory. The Sun Wolf King may continue to engage in guerrilla tactics, but his defeat would be decided the moment he engaged in a head-on battle.
“Why must we find him?” Erzsebet asked, her bored expression turning cold. “Demens’s death is unfortunate, but... I had no idea that your love toward us was so deep.”
“What?” Haema asked as he instantly reached Erzsebet and grabbed her chin. His red lips separated, revealing his blood-red tongue that licked his sharp fangs. “What is that supposed to mean? Answer me, my lovely Erzsebet.”
“You... changed one day. To be more exact, after you became the Ninth Fiend.” Haema’s other hand got closer to her neck, but she did not stop. “Do you even... see us as your siblings?”
“Of course I do, Erzsebet. We are all the offspring of the great Lord Mulleus, are we not?” Haema looked at Scite, Semita, Grawamen, Berto, and Erzsebet in order and continued, “Are you asking why I want to find Cheon Seong-Hwi? Isn’t it obvious? Because he killed Demens. What other reason must I have but revenge?”
The other members of the Purebloods did not seem to agree. They were not completely indifferent toward one another before they were Lost to the Mirror World. However, the longer they spent here, the more their bonds eroded. They kept each other in check, distrusted each other, and had long since treated each other like strangers.
“Bwehe! Cut the bullshit, Brother Haema. I should bring a mirror so you can see what your eyes look like right now. They’re the same eyes you had when you declared yourself to be king and established a hierarchy among us,” Berto said with a smirk. “They’re flashing with ambition and desire. Bwehe!”
Haema remained silent as he released Erzsebet and caressed his fangs. His eyes appeared distant, as if he were thinking deeply about something.
“The day I declared myself to be king, huh? Do you know what happened that day?” Haema’s deep voice got even deeper. “Back when my confidence had peaked after killing Squama, the former Ninth Fiend, a demon came to me.”
“A-a demon?” Semita asked.
“I fought the demon and was utterly defeated.”
The eyes of the other Purebloods widened from the shock. They had not objected to Haema’s declaration to become king and his acting as the leader of Consanguineus for one simple reason: because he was just that strong.
Haema had inherited the purest of Lord Mulleus’s blood among them, and his territory was the largest and most fertile, even back in Consanguineus, their home dimension. Hence, the other Purebloods had always yielded to him. They couldn’t imagine such a man being utterly defeated.
The exact voice and words of the demon who had defeated him echoed vividly in Haema’s mind to this day.
“Not bad, but that is all. I had my hopes up since you defeated Squama, but you were just born with more of the origin. It appears you have received their help. That aside, this Blood Domination seems highly versatile. It appears this trip has not been for nothing.”
The demon had stared at him with complete disinterest and turned away. He had heterochromatic eyes of black and green.
Just you wait! I will reach you, no matter what! Haema screamed inwardly as the blood in his red eyes swirled intensely.
“That day... might have been the end of Consanguineus.” Haema spoke eloquently as he stretched out his arms. “Consanguineus is weak. We must grow stronger through this hierarchy, and then combine that power into one! To do that, we needed a king. I did not declare myself as king to rule, but to protect all that we hold dear, my brothers and sisters!”
Haema examined the reactions of each of the Purebloods as he shouted and thought, The memories of the blood in the pipes were evaporated. The only ones capable of such a thing are you, the Purebloods!
He had immediately returned to the private chamber of the Palace of Sovereignty the moment he realized someone had infiltrated it. Nothing seemed to have changed at a glance, but he was able to narrow the suspects by using the skill Blood Memory on the blood he extracted from the pipes.
But who?! Who among them knows the truth?
Scite, Grawamen, Semita, Berto, and Elizabeth; one of the five was acting.
Now that things have turned out like this, I have no choice but to strike first.
Haema resolved to tell the other Purebloods about Lord Mulleus, whom he had been hiding all this time. However, he wouldn’t reveal everything. He would tell them ninety percent of the truth. Even if one of the Purebloods who knew the truth were to expose him, the truth would be buried under a heated argument.
Once I single out the culprit, they will be the first to go.
“And to do that, I have been preparing something for a long time. I will tell you all about my plan. I—”
As Haema was about to continue, the same Akasha Message appeared before everyone inside Blood Castle.
[The 108 residents have all become Vampyrs.]
[Dungeon Quest: Outbreak, cleared.]
[Drastically increasing the destruction rate of Dungeon: Progenitor’s Sanctuary.]
[Time remaining until closure.]
[22:35:12]
[22:35:11]
[22:35:10]
...
The Purebloods were left confused by the sudden clearing of the dungeon quest.
“W-what the—”
“The hell? The dungeon is closing?”
However, Haema was the most confused and enraged of them all.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
His handsome face wrinkled intensely, and blood vessels bulged like lightning. Haema still needed time to complete Lord Mulleus’s body, but the dungeon was suddenly closing without even a day remaining.
“WHO THE FUCK DID THIS?! AHHHHH!!!”
Erzsebet smiled faintly as she stared at the despairing Haema.
***
One hour ago, Seong-Hwi stood before a detached palace that resembled a giant Gothic church with Hermit’s Robe and Shadowless Plum Blossom Branch active.
“This is the place,” he mumbled.
The security around the detached palace was airtight despite the Sun Wolf King’s sudden rampage. Seeing that, it gave Seong-Hwi certainty that Erzsebet’s information had been correct. He recalled Erzsebet’s deathly blue face, her stiffened expression, and her words to him.
“There is a detached palace not far from the central palace. It was made to protect the 108 surviving residents. Haema Sanguis summoned all the remaining Purebloods to the central palace, so use that chance. I suggest you make it quick. Otherwise, all the Purebloods will head there once they hear the commotion.”
“How kind of her,” Seong-Hwi said with a smile.
He evaluated the forces protecting the detached palace. Roughly tens of thousands of people were protecting it in places that one couldn’t see with the naked eye.
[Cheon Seong-Hwi
Health: S(14+15) Strength: S(2+15)
Dexterity: A(79+20) Sense: A(5)
Magic: S(34) Destiny Force: S(47)
Karma: 5,881,500
Coins: 420,034,225
Destiny Weapon: Tarot Deck of Destiny S(10)]
...
Seong-Hwi stared at his status window, containing stats he had invested in with all the Karma he had earned from killing Demens.
I am more than capable of breaking through the defenses with the power of overclocking and my star, but not only will it take time, but I can’t rule out the possibility that some of the 108 residents will escape, he thought.
As Erzsebet mentioned, he needed to be quick. Seong-Hwi re-examined the description of the dungeon corruption quest, Outbreak.
[Outbreak (Dungeon Quest)
Rank: S
Description: Either kill the 108 resident survivors in Blood Castle, or spread the chaos scurvy to turn them into Vampyrs.]
He had two options: to kill them or infect them.
Chaos scurvy, huh?
Dungeons were a collection of possibilities that various dimensions of parallel universes had reached or may reach. Among them, the end that the dungeon, Progenitor’s Sanctuary, reached was caused by an infectious disease.
Chaos scurvy had reduced the countless population to only 108. Those who caught the disease had Chaos Mana corrupt their gums, muscles, periosteum, and mucous membranes, weakening them. Their gums, especially, were melted, causing their teeth to fall out as they were turned into Vampyrs.
According to Erzsebet, the disease was created from the fusion of Blood Force and Chaos Mana. In that case... Seong-Hwi trailed off in his thoughts as the shaky voice of an old man, filled with fear and delight, echoed inside his head.
“You’re able to use the Cosmos... exclusive to the Bachtashas... That means you are a Parent who can take command of Children. If you truly are a Parent, you should be able to bestow Grace! Please use the Chaos os skill, Ruina, on me!”
“The time has come... to test it out,” Seong-Hwi mumbled as he closed his eyes.
The whole world was dyed black, and stars began to shine.
[You arrived in the Aether Plane.]
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter