Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83 - Cry-Baby And Ugly-Faced Woman
Chapter 84 - The Situation Took A Turn For The Worst
Chapter 85 - The Blood Clan’S True Form (One)
Chapter 86 - Blood Clan'S True Form (Two)
Chapter 87 - Your Blood Is Quite Nutritious
Chapter 88 - Awakening (One)
Chapter 89 - Awakening (Two)
Chapter 90 - Awakening (Three)
Chapter 91 - Return
Chapter 92 - Sin Of Hell’S River
Chapter 93 - Don’T Do It, It’Ll Hurt
Chapter 94 - All The Blood In This World Belongs To Me
Chapter 95 - The Charm Of That Shield
Chapter 96 - I Definitely Will Not Let You Suffer
Chapter 97 - Our Inland Sea
Chapter 98 - Arracca Murkh
Chapter 99 - Uncertain Fate
Chapter 100 - Ramon (One)
Chapter 101 - Ramon (Two)
Chapter 102 - Eckstedt’S Welcoming Ceremony
Chapter 103 - Gamble (One)
Chapter 104 - Gamble (Two)
Chapter 105 - The Kingdom’S Wrath
Chapter 106 - The Failed Bet
Chapter 107 - Mystic Gun
Chapter 108 - Chapman Lampard
Chapter 109 - Remnants Of Magic
Chapter 110 - Paid Homage
Chapter 111 - Kaslan’S Tavern
Chapter 112
Chapter 113 - The Intersection Of Fate
Chapter 114 - The People In Hell (One)
Chapter 115 - The People In Hell (Two)
Chapter 116
Chapter 117 - Star Killer
Chapter 118 - The Unexpected Guests
Chapter 119 - A Marquis From Camus
Chapter 120 - Bait
Chapter 121 - Clue
Chapter 122 - Until Dawn Came (One)
Chapter 123 - Until Dawn Came (Two)
Chapter 124 - Queen Of The Sky
Chapter 125 - The Female Warrior
Chapter 126 - Heroic Spirit Palace
Chapter 127 - The Born King (One)
Chapter 128 - The Born King (Two)
Chapter 129 - A Duel
Chapter 130 - The King And His Archdukes
Chapter 131 - The Strange Swordsman
Chapter 132 - Who Are You?
Chapter 133 - Hunt And Chase
Chapter 134 - Little Rascal And Alex (One)
Chapter 135 - Little Rascal And Alex (Two)
Chapter 136 - Stabs
Chapter 137 - Kidnapping The Archduke?
Chapter 138 - Numb Hands
Chapter 139 - A Unique Welcome Banquet
Chapter 140 - The Red Witch
Chapter 141 - Reunion
Chapter 142 - Who’S There (One)
Chapter 143 - Who’S There (Two)
Chapter 144 - The Sword Of Baptism’S Death
Chapter 145 - The Wait
Chapter 146 - The Culprit
Chapter 147 - The Northland Road
Chapter 148
Chapter 149 - Not Even Worth Half A Penny!
Chapter 150 - The Beloved Former King, Nuven
Chapter 151 - Veteran
Chapter 152 - Shadow
Chapter 153 - Have A Drink
Chapter 154 - The Secret Of ‘Triumph’
Chapter 155 - A Bargaining Chip You Cannot Refuse
Chapter 156 - Horrifying
Chapter 157 - The Death Of Soria
Chapter 158 - Betrayal
Chapter 159 - The Fateful Night
Chapter 160 - The Invitation
Chapter 161 - The First Mystic Declaration
Chapter 162 - Letting Go Of A Suspicion
Chapter 163 - Monster And Monster
Chapter 164 - Chaos Begins
Chapter 165 - Just Speak
Chapter 166 - Surprise
Chapter 167 - Flee
Chapter 168 - The Tragic End Of Weaklings
Chapter 169 - Air And Blood
Chapter 170 - The Desperate Dash
Chapter 171 - The Outcome Of The Civil War
Chapter 172 - Elimination
Chapter 173 - The Blade Of Purification
Chapter 174 - The Truth About Elimination
Chapter 175 - Same Kind (One)
Chapter 176 - Same Kind (Two)
Chapter 177 - Sudden Entrance Into The Battlefield!
Chapter 178 - True Form
Chapter 179 - Silence And Darkness
Chapter 180 - Knocking On The Door
Chapter 181 - Phantom
Chapter 182 - A Gentle Kiss
Chapter 183 - The Cost Of Victory
Chapter 184 - The Paradoxical Assassin
Chapter 185 - Thunder Rumbles In Winter
Chapter 186 - End Of Arc: A Good Name
Chapter 187 - The Night Ends, The Day Breaks
Chapter 188 - It Is You
Chapter 189 - Symphony Of Blood (One)
Chapter 190 - Symphony Of Blood (Part Two)
Chapter 191 - Stop Meddling Into The Matters Of Elders
Chapter 192 - Six-Fifty
Chapter 193 - Choose Who You Want To Become
Chapter 194 - Ice-Cold
Chapter 195 - Spirit Of The Contract
Chapter 196 - The Manipulator (One)
Chapter 197 - The Manipulator (Two)
Chapter 198 - Price
Chapter 199
Chapter 200 - Encounter
Chapter 201 - The Prince’S End
Chapter 202 - Really Bad Luck (One)
Chapter 203 - Really Bad Luck (Two)
Chapter 204 - Understanding
Chapter 205 - Execute On The Spot
Chapter 206 - Guest From Barren Bone
Chapter 207 - The Prince’S Doubts
Chapter 208 - The Black Prophet From The Other Side
Chapter 209 - Code Name: Dragon’S Blood
Chapter 210 - The Importance Of Dragon’S Blood
Chapter 211 - A Gamble In The Dark (One)
Chapter 212 - A Gamble In The Dark (Two)
Chapter 213 - The Curse Of The Witch
Chapter 214 - The Scorching Blade
Chapter 215 - Stall
Chapter 216 - The Latecomer
Chapter 217 - A Very Big Problem
Chapter 218 - The Blade And The Wing
Chapter 219 - Trust And Loyalty
Chapter 220 - Nicholas’ Bargaining Chip
Chapter 221 - Shelter
Chapter 222 - A Critical Decision
Chapter 223 - Failure
Chapter 224 - Little Rascal’S ‘Consolation’
Chapter 225 - Save This Country
Chapter 226 - King Slayer
Chapter 227 - Creating Trouble For Ourselves
Chapter 228 - The Strongest Chess Piece (One)
Chapter 229 - The Strongest Chess Piece (Two)
Chapter 230 - The Strongest Chess Piece. (Three)
Chapter 231 - Lampard’S Plan
Chapter 232 - The Archduke’S Fight
Chapter 233 - It Has Been A Long Time
Chapter 234 - A Great Threat
Chapter 235 - Contention
Chapter 236 - The Inextinguishable Starlight
Chapter 237 - The Virtuous King
Chapter 238 - Centuries Of Strategic Planning (One)
Chapter 239 - Centuries Of Strategic Planning (Two)
Chapter 240 - Centuries Of Strategic Planning (Three)
Chapter 241 - Genuine Patrols
Chapter 242
Chapter 243 - Seize Control
Chapter 244 - Chad Vlad
Chapter 245 - Severing Souls With A Slash!
Chapter 246 - A Game Of Chess
Chapter 247 - A Chance Encounter
Chapter 248 - I Am Very Honored
Chapter 249 - When Swords Cross (One)
Chapter 250 - When Swords Cross (Two)
Chapter 251 - Arduous
Chapter 252 - I Am So Relieved
Chapter 253 - I Can Help You
Chapter 254 - The Black Knight’S Death
Chapter 255 - Changing Hands
Chapter 256 - Counter-Attack
Chapter 257 - Check
Chapter 258 - Checkmate
Chapter 259 - A Speculation
Chapter 260 - The Reason For Battle (One)
Chapter 261 - The Reason For Battle (Two)
Chapter 262 - Twist Of Fate
Chapter 263 - A Child Who’S Not Able To Drink Alcohol
Chapter 264 - You Northland Barbarians!
Chapter 265 - Two Minutes
Chapter 266 - What A Shame (One)
Chapter 267 - What A Shame (Two)
Chapter 268 - We Won
Chapter 269 - The Archduchess
Chapter 270 - The Blood-Stained Crown
Chapter 271 - The Day Before The Bitter Cold Winter
Chapter 272 - Yc
Chapter 273 - End Of Arc: The Destiny They Missed
Chapter 274 - The Quiet Prince
Chapter 275 - A Game Of Chess (One)
Chapter 276 - A Game Of Chess (Two)
Chapter 277 - First Lesson
Chapter 278 - The Truth Brothers
Chapter 279 - Traitors
Chapter 280 - Target
Chapter 281 - An Awkward Dinner
Chapter 282 - Upset
Chapter 283 - Riot
Chapter 284 - The Familiar Guest
Chapter 285 - The Honor And Humiliation Of The Great Dragon (One)
Chapter 286
Chapter 287 - The Mystery About Putray
Chapter 288 - The Dragon’S Blood Has Yet To Dry
Chapter 289 - Dragon Breaker (One)
Chapter 290 - Dragon Breaker (Two)
Chapter 291 - Meryl Hicks
Chapter 292 - The Boundaries Of Governance (One)
Chapter 293 - The Boundaries Of Governance (Two)
Chapter 294 - What Is Magic?
Chapter 295 - An Unforeseen Invitation
Chapter 296 - The Game In The Carriage
Chapter 297 - The Former King’S “Present”
Chapter 298 - The Prince’S Shackles
Chapter 299 - Friend And Foe
Chapter 300 - Victory And Defeat
Chapter 301 - A Duel
Chapter 302 - Not Too Bad?
Chapter 303 - Leave
Chapter 304 - A Storm Is Coming
Chapter 305 - The Creation Of The Two Empresses
Chapter 306 - Raven Of Death
Chapter 307 - Ian The Nuisance
Chapter 308 - Collusion
Chapter 309 - The Writers Of Legend (One)
Chapter 310 - The Writers Of Legend (Two)
Chapter 311 - The Day Of The State Affairs Hearing
Chapter 312 - The Hatred For Stealing His Sister
Chapter 313 - The Beginning
Chapter 314 - For Dragon Clouds City
Chapter 315 - The Archduchess And Her Vassals
Chapter 316 - Plan
Chapter 317 - A Romantic Story
Chapter 318 - Are All Of You Coming?
Chapter 319 - Not According To Plan
Chapter 320 - Releasing In “Installments”
Chapter 321 - The Price Of Saying “No”
Chapter 322 - The Moral Of The Story
Chapter 323 - Good Morning
Chapter 324 - Returning The Favor
Chapter 325 - Send Reinforcements
Chapter 326 - Five Archdukes
Chapter 327 - The Prince’S Whereabouts
Chapter 328 - Just Like Chapman Lampard
Chapter 329 - The Final Journey
Chapter 330 - Assassinating Lampard?
Chapter 331 - Bumping Into A Ghost
Chapter 332 - Headquarters
Chapter 333 - Smooth-Sailing
Chapter 334
Chapter 335 - The Confusion While Going Back Home
Chapter 336 - The Veteran On The Wheelchair
Chapter 337 - Double The Amount?
Chapter 338 - The Point Of Contact
Chapter 339 - His/Her Eyes
Chapter 340 - The Magical Therren
Chapter 341 - You Son Of A *Censored*
Chapter 342 - Which Will You Choose?
Chapter 343 - Exterminate Them All
Chapter 344 - Black Track
Chapter 345 - Join Us
Chapter 346 - Silver Shadow
Chapter 347 - You Will Fail In The End
Chapter 348 - You Fell Into The Trap, Eh?
Chapter 349 - The War Of The Deceased Souls
Chapter 350 - Never Lost
Chapter 351 - The Pulse Of The Ground
Chapter 352 - God Knows
Chapter 353 - The First Rule
Chapter 354 - Pursuers
Chapter 355 - The Hardest Fight
Chapter 356 - Unique Only To One
Chapter 357 - Just Die Here
Chapter 358 - The Three-Second Fight
Chapter 359 - Surpassed Kaslan
Chapter 360 - The Raven And The Snow Blade (One)
Chapter 361 - The Raven And The Snow Blade (Two)
Chapter 362 - The Black Raven’S Eyes
Chapter 363 - Who Does Your Loyalty Belong To?
Chapter 364 - Turning Against One Another
Chapter 365 - Saber Or Crossbow?
Chapter 366 - Prince In The Desert
Chapter 367 - Sellsword
Chapter 368 - Dante’S Greatsword
Chapter 369 - Desert Threat
Chapter 370 - There’S Someone
Chapter 371 - Barren Bone People
Chapter 372 - Bloody Thorn Lizard
Chapter 373 - Young Cub
Chapter 374 - Foreign Blood
Chapter 375 - Coming-Of-Age Ceremony
Chapter 376 - Flag
Chapter 377 - The Destructive Army
Chapter 378 - Freaks
Chapter 379 - Welcome To Constellation (One)
Chapter 380 - Welcome To Constellation (Two)
Chapter 381 - Ghost Prince
Chapter 382 - My Home (One)
Chapter 383 - My Home (Two)
Chapter 384 - Age Of Mercenaries
Chapter 385 - Confrontation And Stalemate
Chapter 386 - Prince Versus Prince
Chapter 387 - So Many Tricks
Chapter 388 - You Have To Laugh
Chapter 389 - Shackles Of Power
Chapter 390 - Perhaps I Have
Chapter 391 - Happily Ever After
Chapter 392 - Technical Skill
Chapter 393 - Intention
Chapter 394 - New Guest
Chapter 395 - Shadows And Swords
Chapter 396 - The Dark Side
Chapter 397 - Emergency Mission
Chapter 398 - Alliance Of Traitors
Chapter 399 - The Mole
Chapter 400 - As Bad As Can Be
Chapter 401 - Affectionate And United
Chapter 402 - F*Ck You
Chapter 403 - H.N. Jadestar
Chapter 404 - Stupid Idea
Chapter 405 - Sinner
Chapter 406 - The Intruders
Chapter 407 - Head Towards Omniscience
Chapter 408 - Black Prison
Chapter 409 - Behind The Iron Curtain
Chapter 410 - Hallucination
Chapter 411 - Seven
Chapter 412 - People Whom History Has Forgotten
Chapter 413 - The Mourning Of The Guards
Chapter 414 - Where Is He?
Chapter 415 - Fall Out
Chapter 416 - Disaster Sword’S Battle
Chapter 417 - The Knight Of Judgment
Chapter 418 - A Different World
Chapter 419 - The Queen’S Dowry
Chapter 420 - The Greatest King
Chapter 421 - Knew Clearly
Chapter 422 - Nameless
Chapter 423 - Awaken
Chapter 424 - Loyalty
Chapter 425 - Peer
Chapter 426 - He Was Probably Old
Chapter 427 - A Stalemate
Chapter 428 - Dusk
Chapter 429 - The Man At The Proximal World
Chapter 430 - The Second Declaration Among Mystics
Chapter 431 - The Anchor Point
Chapter 432 - Taurus Mill
Chapter 433 - Decision
Chapter 434 - Correcting The Mistake
Chapter 435 - Malicious Flower, Malicious Fruit
Chapter 436 - Moriah Returns
Chapter 437 - Old Self
Chapter 438 - The Prince Is Not Here
Chapter 439 - Scheme Between The Thief And Bandit
Chapter 440 - Seven To Three
Chapter 441 - Missing One
Chapter 442 - Quick Wit
Chapter 443 - Not Just You
Chapter 444 - Someone Needs An Answer
Chapter 445 - A Forbidden Name
Chapter 446 - Three Calamity Allies
Chapter 447 - Enemy Of The World
Chapter 448 - 1 Vs 8
Chapter 449 - Chaos Of Armies
Chapter 450 - Two Hands
Chapter 451 - Xx Films
Chapter 452 - Fratricide
Chapter 453 - It Was Not A Coincidence
Chapter 454 - More Than Half
Chapter 455 - I Hated Him
Chapter 456 - Nothing At All
Chapter 457 - The Person Who Supported Him
Chapter 458 - Where The Sun Does Not Shine (One)
Chapter 459 - Where The Sun Does Not Shine (Two)
Chapter 460 - Rebirth (One)
Chapter 461 - Rebirth (Two)
Chapter 462 - Rebirth (Three)
Chapter 463 - Rebirth (Four)
Chapter 464 - Rebirth (Five)
Chapter 465 - Truth Swords
Chapter 466 - Beheaded
Chapter 467 - Revealed In Flames
Chapter 468 - The Silent Demon
Chapter 469 - So Naïve That You Are Adorable
Chapter 470 - The Fate Twins
Chapter 471 - The True Essence Of The Power Of Eradication
Chapter 472 - Leaving The Prison
Chapter 473 - I Am Not A Devil, After All
Chapter 474 - Much… Higher
Chapter 475 - The Warden
Chapter 476 - Life, Safety And Freedom
Chapter 477 - Something Lighter
Chapter 478 - Get Me Something To Eat And Drink
Chapter 479 - Exclusive Possession
Chapter 480 - Kill Them
Chapter 481 - A Different Way Of Living
Chapter 482 - Get Yourself A Girlfriend
Chapter 483 - Make Me Even More… Excited
Chapter 484 - You Are Good-Looking
Chapter 485 - Too High
Chapter 486 - You Are Good-Looking
Chapter 487 - Too High
Chapter 488 - That Night
Chapter 489 - Usurp Power
Chapter 490 - Do Something
Chapter 491 - Power Comes From Violence (One)
Chapter 492 - Power Comes From Violence (Two)
Chapter 493 - The Third Party
Chapter 494 - Destiny Is Like A Poem
Chapter 495 - Raven Leader
Chapter 496 - Never
Chapter 497 - His Majesty’S Blessing
Chapter 498 - Black Lion
Chapter 499 - I Have Come In Peace
Chapter 500 - End Of Arc: Duke
Chapter 501 - Everything Will Be Better
Chapter 502 - Six Divisions And Seven Attendants
Chapter 503 - Divided Western Desert
Chapter 504 - Only One Day Left
Chapter 505 - Protection
Chapter 506 - This Is Just The Beginning
Chapter 507 - Hometown
Chapter 508 - A Small Spark
Chapter 509 - Anxious
Chapter 510 - Fifteen Minutes
Chapter 511 - King In The Mist
Chapter 512 - Crazy
Chapter 513 - A Small Favor
Chapter 514 - Like A Fleeting Cloud
Chapter 515 - Timetable
Chapter 516 - Coincidence?
Chapter 517 - Went To High School
Chapter 518 - Discovered?
Chapter 519 - Let’S Fight
Chapter 520 - Not Just The Power Of Eradication
Chapter 521 - World Class Battle Worthy Of Being Written In Historical Poems
Chapter 522 - Continuous Fights
Chapter 523 - Mutant
Chapter 524 - Self-Reliant
Chapter 525 - Lustful Woman
Chapter 526 - Knowledge Of People
Chapter 527 - Holiness Exorcism
Chapter 528 - Fight Between The Eldest And Youngest
Chapter 529 - Privacy
Chapter 530 - Alien Star
Chapter 531 - Guest
Chapter 532 - The Young Kingdom
Chapter 533 - Calm On Iron Spikes
Chapter 534 - Sorry To Keep You Waiting
Chapter 535 - Polaris
Chapter 536 - Times Have Changed
Chapter 537 - Pretty Boy
Chapter 538 - Magnificent Scene Of Hell
Chapter 539 - Side Story 7: Joint Council
Chapter 540 - Never Kneel
Chapter 541 - A Piece Of Cake
Chapter 542 - Merciless
Chapter 543 - That Gaze
Chapter 544 - Watchmen’S Code
Chapter 545 - The End Of It
Chapter 546 - To Not Perish As Foes (One)
Chapter 547 - To Not Perish As Foes (Two)
Chapter 548 - To Not Perish As Foes (Three)
Chapter 549 - To Duke Thales
Chapter 550 - What Rationality
Chapter 551 - Better
Chapter 552 - Sacrificing A Pawn (One)
Chapter 553 - Sacrificing A Pawn (Two)
Chapter 554 - Sacrificing A Pawn (Three)
Chapter 555 - Unfulfilled
Chapter 556 - Chess Player
Chapter 557 - Relieved
Chapter 558 - Punishment
Chapter 559 - Eight Arteries
Chapter 560 - Imperial Style
Chapter 561 - Cannot Escape The Sheath
Chapter 562 - Want Everything
Chapter 563 - Cause And Effect
Chapter 564 - Blazing Blood
Chapter 565 - Of Course—Not
Chapter 566 - Crown Jewel Of The Kingdom
Chapter 567 - Head Over Heels
Chapter 568 - As Truthful As Possible
Chapter 569 - Hand In Marriage
Chapter 570 - What Do I Need You For
Chapter 571 - Defects
Chapter 572 - Heart Of The Guards
Chapter 573 - You’Re A Real Dog
Chapter 574 - Antecessors
Chapter 575 - The Years Have Caught On To Me
Chapter 576 - Shooting Yourself In The Foot
Chapter 577 - Lie
Chapter 578 - The Wine Merchant
Chapter 579 - Damn The Prince
Chapter 580 - The Prince Likes Them
Categories Genre: Action, All, Drama, Fantasy, Mature, Ongoing, Psychological, Seinen, Tragedy Status: Ongoing Alternative names: Wang Guo Xue Mai, 王国血脉, ______
Total Chapters in book: 580
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
______
LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 580 Page No. 579 Page No. 578 Page No. 577 Page No. 576 Page No. 575 Page No. 574 Page No. 573 Page No. 572 Page No. 571 Page No. 570 Chapter 181 - Phantom
Chapter 181: Phantom
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“I… what happened to me?”
Thales felt as though he was levitating in the sky. His mind was incredibly relaxed. He asked flatly, “Where am I?”
“Listen to me.” Asda’s voice echoed from the glowing silhouette. “I am unsure how to explain your current condition. From what I know, you are merely a contactor who knows little to nothing about mystic power or your name of origin, let alone becoming a Mystic…
“I can sense that you are not a Mystic … You are not one of us, yet… you are indeed ‘knocking on the Door’…
“Like a clumsy newborn who was lifted ten thousand meters from the ground, you are in imminent danger…” the Air Mystic’s voice trembled slightly.
“Danger?”
Thales did not know how he managed to speak, but he did anyway. “What do you mean… knocking on the Door?”
A hint of anxiety appeared in Asda’s voice. “After passing through the first threshold, the Mystic in question shall exit his or her physical body and shift into his or her basic form. Taurus called this transformation ‘knocking on the Door’…
“A Mystic who has ‘knocked on the Door’ will connect to other Mystics psychically. It’s akin to pounding on THEIR Doors. In other words, a Door Knocker is like a lit torch in the dark. Since then, he or she will be watched by the other Mystics. Parties with malicious intent can identify your exact location—”
A dull sound echoed. Thales almost thought it came from within his mind. Its sharp, ear-splitting echo lingered, causing him to feel incredibly restless and uneasy.
‘This is…?’ He had an eerie premonition of imminent danger.
Thud!
Another dull thump, like a slow heartbeat, the sound carried tremendous weight and shook his heart.
At that very second, Thales sensed the presence of a strange entity in the void. A wave of panic washed over him. He was not the only person who felt that way.
“They’re here!”
Asda’s voice became agitated. “Go! I don’t have much time to explain. Return to your physical form now!”
Thales gathered some of his hazy thoughts, trying hard to think.
‘Right. No matter who “they” are, they definitely have no good intentions.’
Thales lifted his chin, staring at the diminishing ‘Asda’, or rather, his silhouette.
In that instant, from the depths of the black void, two hostile and relentless gazes shot at Thales. They inched towards him.
Horrified, Thales’ thoughts raced like a rapid stream.
‘I need to leave now. I must… go. But where should I go?’
“Think about who you are… think about your next move… think about the incident before you ‘knocked on the Door’…” said the glowing figure anxiously. “Do not wallow in the comfort of your current condition and lose yourself in the process!”
‘Who am… I? Is that important?’ Thales thought.
“Thales!” A clear voice came to him from nowhere, filled with fear, youthful, yet quivering.
He felt his mind jolt!
Suddenly, the darkness that enveloped the boy dispersed. Asda’s silhouette vanished before him.
The visions he had stored in his memory—the ocean and the desert, the people and the beasts—were slowly receding, like a backdrop in a theater that came down abruptly, revealing the blank wall behind it.
Visions of snowflakes, corpses, and streets that fell into ruin flashed by. Followed by the grand, majestic Heroic Spirit Palace, halfway on the mountain that overlooked Dragon Clouds City. Followed by the blood hydra, and at last, the interior of a giant tentacle made of human flesh.
‘Where am I… now?’ he thought in a haze of perplexity.
…..
In the scarlet interior of the gigantic tentacle made of mangled corpses and minced flesh, Little Rascal knelt, wailing, gazing at the boy who was hung and impaled.
The Blood Mystic, Giza Streelman, stared coldly at the girl, who wept on the ground made of flesh.
“You… you’ve killed him…” Little Rascal’s cheeks were streaked with tears. She gazed at Thales tearfully.
Giza frowned. The blood-red veins on her face faded.
Little Rascal seemed to think that Thales was very much dead. She sobbed, reached out a hand for his gruesome corpse. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry…” Little Rascal bit her lips, weeping.
Giza watched Little Rascal. The coldness in her eyes melted into tenderness.
“Child.” Giza, who was pasted on the flesh wall, comforted her like a girl whose candy was snatched from her hands. “Don’t be sad. It’s not his fault… And not yours, either…”
Giza closed her eyes in a wave of desolation. Two tentacles reached out from the flesh wall behind her.
“It’s ours.”
The tentacles slithered towards Little Rascal.
“Go, little lady,” Giza said sadly, “Stay alive… forget about what happened today. Cherish your identity as a human.”
Hiss…
Almost immediately, the terrified and distressed little girl was hauled by the tentacles into a deeper layer of the flesh wall, and she eventually vanished.
But a second later, the Blood Mystic opened her eyes abruptly, and let out a scream.
She turned to look at Thales ‘corpse’, which hung mid-air.
“Why…” Giza turned around slowly with a puzzled look. “This is impossible…”
She watched Thales open his eyes, his body impaled by numerous tentacles.
‘Ah. It looks like… I’m back.’
As though he had just woken up from a deep slumber, Thales slowly widened his eyes, staring at the person before him in a daze.
His thoughts were a mess. He could hardly remember what happened to him.
‘This place is… This is…
‘Eh? Are those… severed hands? Internal organs? Eyeballs? Human flesh?!’
Thales discerned his surroundings.
‘Wait.’
He put in every effort to divert his attention from his chaotic state of mind, and stared straight ahead.
It was a blood-red, naked, young woman merged into a sea of flesh, and who eyed him oddly. Thales felt a chill.
At that moment, tonight’s memory flooded back into his mind like tidal waves: Northland, King Nuven, the archdukes, the duel, Asda, the Mystics, Black Sword, Ramon, Little Rascal, Giza, the hydra, the destroyed Shield District, the Blade of Purification… and… towards the end… when he was impaled by Giza’s countless tentacles.
The last thing he saw was a spike that jabbed into his left eye mercilessly.
‘No.’ Thales’ whole body shuddered. ‘No!’
Fear, panic, anxiety, worry, puzzlement, confusion…
All the emotions he was deprived of returned to him in that very second.
Seeing the Mystic before him, his breathing quickened.
The misperception of emptiness and feeling of isolating himself from everything which he experienced earlier felt like a dream now.
“What on earth…?”
Thales came to realize that his limbs were still bound by the tentacles. What scared him more were the numerous spikes lodged in his body and through his torso, with one in his left eye, one through his throat, and another through his heart. There were more nailed into every inch of his skin, making him look like a hedgehog suspended in the air.
Thales gasped, his heart was filled with terror. He felt exceptionally nervous about the spike in his head, the one that jabbed into his left eye socket and out the back of his skull.
‘But… eh?’
Thales noticed something peculiar—the places where he was pierced did not bleed.
‘No pain? No irritation? What’s going on? I…’ In his panic, he could feel the tentacles and spikes pierced through his entire body. ‘What’s happened to me? Did I become a ghost when I died?’
It was Giza’s reaction that answered his suspicions.
“Why are you…?” Giza stared, wide-eyed, at the prince, her voice filled with confusion and astonishment. “Why are you not dead yet?”
Hearing this, Thales was startled. ‘Why… am I not dead?’
He stared at Giza nervously, then looked down at the spikes that pierced through his own body.
‘I-I’m not dead?’
Giza’s face darkened. The blood red patches on her cheeks trembled aggressively.
“Then we shall go through it again!”
“Wait—” Thales panicked. His heart was pounding violently.
The Mystic ignored him. A second later, the spike on the tip of the tentacle that stabbed into Thales’ left eye suddenly pulled back, made a sharp turn, and broke out through the top of his skull.
Sensing the movement of the tentacle, Thales shuddered abruptly.
‘I…’ He stayed still. ‘Wait a minute. I felt nothing… Nothing at all?’
Thales was alarmed, then sighed slowly with relief. ‘I’m… fine?’
He felt as though it was not him who got pierced by the spikes.
“Impossible!” The blood-red patches on Giza’s body grew and stretched. She narrowed her eyes and an uncharacteristically intense look appeared on her face. “Your whole body is skewered. Why do you look unharmed? You can’t even feel the pain?!”
Thales was about to answer that he had no idea what was going on when Giza’s expression turned grim. She seemed to have noticed something.
With a grimace, Giza raised a finger. Immediately, all the spiked tentacles that impaled Thales began to writhe.
Thales felt his scalp crawl, watching the squirming tentacles on his body.
‘This! Oh god!’
Hiss…
The familiar hisses of flesh sounded from these murder weapons.
Several tentacles began to wriggle to other parts of his chest, skewering and slicing his upper torso, slashing and impaling his skull and brain. It felt as if someone was carving him up with knives.
Nevertheless, Thales did not move a muscle. He just stared at Giza blankly. His gaze then traveled between the tentacles, as though he was not being butchered right at that moment.
The slashes and stabs went on for ten seconds until Giza stopped and all tentacles and spikes slowed down as well.
“How can this be …?” Shocked, the Mystic shook her head. “The attacks don’t work on you?!”
Thales was panting, unable to answer. His mind was a mush of panic and terror.
Slosh….
The tentacles and spikes retracted from Thales. There was no wound or blood on him, even his clothes remained intact. As it looked now, Thales was merely a wraith-like shadow with colors. The boy was astonished.
‘I’m, this is… a physics-defying situation? But… my arms and legs. They are still bound, aren’t they?’
Ignorant about his current condition, he gaped, unable to respond. He vaguely felt a sensation similar to the one he experienced back in the void dimension.
Thales suspected that no matter how fearsome Giza’s spikes were, when she ordered the tentacles to attack him…
… All her attacks seemed to miss.
All of a sudden, Giza’s expression changed drastically. As though thinking of something, she gnashed her teeth, which was very uncharacteristic of her, and raised her chin up.
“Zarkel!” she bellowed. “Zarkel Tudor! Show yourself! You despicable meddler!”
The Mystic whipped around, glancing at her surroundings. Her voice burned with fury. “Was it you? You wretched old man! It was you, wasn’t it?”
Her voice echoed in a sea of flesh and blood.
A few seconds passed. There was no response. She could hear only the buzzing of flesh as they rubbed against each other.
Giza felt a slight jolt and realization dawn on her.
The Mystic turned around to face Thales. Her eyes glimmered with a cryptic, peculiar emotion.
“No, it wasn’t Zarkel…” Giza mumbled. Her eyes wide with bewilderment. “It was… you?!”
Giza extended a tentacle. It pierced through Thales’ torso.
When she drew back, the spot where Thales was stabbed seemed unharmed, as though he was a phantom. Giza refused to believe that. Another tentacle of hers shot up. The spike on its tip lodged into Thales’ right arm.
Just like before, the spike went right through his bound right arm. He was left completely unscathed.
At this point, Thales had not the slightest idea what had just occurred.
Giza frowned, stuttering, “This is-This is your ability?”
‘Did he lose control due to the mystic energy interference?
‘Impossible. If he was losing control, how could it end up like this?’
Thales panted while still dazed. He peeked at his bound limbs, then at his body.
‘My ability? What sort of ability is that…’
Giza raised her eyebrows, shaking her head vigorously, as if she had just witnessed the strangest occurrence.
“You are just a contactor. Why is it that you can use mystic energy?” She scowled, as though she was reminded of something, and her expression darkened.
“It was you… you were ‘knocking on the Door’?”
Thales was still peering at his own body, pondering.
‘Have I already become a Mystic? But… why can’t I feel anything…
‘Unless-Unless Giza cannot hurt me at all?!’
“How could this happen?” Giza clenched her teeth, voice deep and brimming with hatred. “You’re just a newbie contactor. You’re not even a Mystic yet!
“This is just a loss of control. How could you have possibly knocked on the Door?”
Thales frowned. He thought of what Asda had told him about losing control.
‘Is it true that… I am special?’
Giza glared at Thales with a terrifying expression. “Have you really… knocked on the Door?”
At that very second, Thales swore that he saw despair, sorrow, pain, grief, and remorse in the eyes of this unreasonable, crazy woman.
“No.” Giza squeezed her eyes shut. Her voice filled with sadness and anguish. “You have become… a Mystic, regardless?”
Thales stared at her, puzzled. ‘What’s her deal? This crazy b*tch…’
“No…” Giza gnashed her teeth. Tears trickled down her cheeks. She shrieked hysterically, “No! You are not a Mystic yet. You are still at the contactor stage. It was just an accident…”
She snapped open and burned with ferocity and determination. “There must be a way. There must be a way to kill you. Let’s start with mystic energy interference…”
As she spoke, the flesh of the giant tentacle began to wriggle and contort. One after another, the smaller monsters that Thales had seen before burst out of the wall of flesh.
Thales shuddered. He took a deep breath but his head spun. ‘Stop thinking about those confusing things. There’s something more important… to deal with right now.
‘… like this crazy b*tch!’
But the moment the prince lifted his chin—
Hiss…
A tiny, newborn black monster jumped into Thales’ wraith-like body with a kick of its hind legs.
Poof!
It then burst into a pile of flesh and blood inside him.
If Asda was present, he would have recognized that it was the same tactic Giza used to prevent him from reverting back to human form after crushing him.
At that moment, Thales only felt his whole body flicker once, like a ripple on the water surface.
Suddenly, a spike flew past him, grazing his left arm.
Schick!
There came a stinging pain. This time, Thales’ ghost realized that his left arm was slashed… and was bleeding.
His ‘phantom’ body seemed to have lost its effect.
“See?! I knew it.” When she saw that, Giza grinned with excitement. “Mystic energy interference works after all.”
Hiss…
More and more coal-black monsters followed Giza’s actions and lunged into Thales’ body, then exploded.
The dismembered remains of the monsters flew out of his body.
“Ahhh!!” Thales cried in pain. The side of his calf was pierced by a broken spike and blood trickled out of his wound. His special ability had begun to dwindle and seemed to be losing its effectiveness.
Thales gawked in horror at the stampede of monsters that came his way. An endless stream of pain throbbed on the surface of his skin. It gained frequency… and became more painful.
The extreme physical discomfort was accompanied by Giza’s cackle and the monsters’ hisses.
Hiss…
Thales shut his eyes in pain. He felt the monsters slither through his wraith-like body and explode, leaving wounds inside him. He had a feeling that, in a short while, the power that ensured his survival would vanish completely.
When that time came…
Hiss…
‘No… No!!’
Another monster exploded in the side of his lower abdomen. Its severed crab claw pierced his left abdomen as it burst out of his body.
‘Ow!’
Hiss…
Amid the explosion and monster hisses, Thales desperately tried to recall Black Sword’s instructions.
‘Quick… Quick! Anything- Anything that can save me…’
Hiss… Splorch!
Black Sword’s words crossed his mind. ‘With the help from Tremblor, I evaded the attacks of her tentacles.’
Thales was shaken. He thought of the high frequency vibrations Giza used on hm. More smaller monsters came at him.
A coal-black monster sped past his cheek. Instead of piercing his flesh, it left only a gash.
The power of Phantom had faded. The Blood Mystic snorted.
Thales had no time to fear or panic. Instead, he clenched his teeth and followed Black Sword’s instructions on summoning another energy within him.
‘Help me, Sin of Hell’s River. This is a moment of life and death. Help me!’
As his will to survive became stronger, the Sin of Hell’s River channeled into his limbs.
‘I need… the strength to… rid myself of these tentacles! If only I could… slip out of them!’
Humm…
Thales heard a low buzzing that only he could detect. His limbs convulsed at an extremely high and indiscernible rate.
The prince drew a sharp breath, feeling as though his body was going to be crushed by the vibrant energy of the Sin of Hell’s River.
‘This sensation…’ Giza’s eyes widened.
In the next moment, the four tentacles that bound Thales trembled, and the boy was released in mid-air.
A monster flew over his head, snipping off a strand of his hair.
Thump!
Thales fell onto the fleshy ground, panting heavily. The Sin of Hell’s River receded from his limbs.
Thales gritted his teeth, trying to get on his feet. However, the numbness in his legs compelled him to fall back down.
Thump!
Thales touched a piece of flesh beneath his feet—inside which there was an ear covered in blood—and jumped.
But in the next moment, a pang of soreness throbbed in his limbs. He began to shudder violently and sweated profusely. His limbs went slack.
‘Exhaustion… Soreness… Pain…’
His muscles ached as though he had lost all his strength. After getting out of the restraints, he could not even manage a step.
In the meantime, the smaller monsters were already charging towards him. Thales’ eyes widened and his heart sank.
It seemed that the power of Tremblor was far more than his body could bear.
Therefore…
‘No.’ Thales felt the soreness in his weakened limbs, staring at the monsters before him.
He looked at the smiling Giza in despair and thought, ‘Is it really the end?’
Total Chapters in book: 580
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
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