booknovelhub
Chapter 95
Chapter 95
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 95
The sight that greeted Charlotte upon entering the battlefield was nothing short of gruesome and brutal. It was a scene of pure slaughter.
Tegelo’s forces were mingled with the Blood Orcs. Perhaps their movements were hindered by the thick blood fog clouding the battlefield. Tegelo’s soldiers moved sluggishly, making them easy targets. Those too slow to react had their skulls crushed by the Blood Orcs' axes. Some were torn apart and devoured, creating a scene too horrifying to witness with open eyes.
Only those quick enough managed to escape the orcs' attacks.
“This Blood Fog is enhancing the Blood Orcs' strength,” Charlotte realized.
At the same time, it blinded Tegelo's forces and drained their mana. It felt like a trap laid by the Blood Orcs themselves, but that wasn't the case.
“This Blood Fog… it’s the work of a human.”
Even though it was dealing with monsters that thrived on blood, the mist lacked the dark, corrupting aura typical of mutated monsters. In fact, the mana within the mist was unusually pure. It felt ominous yet sacred at the same time, filled only with a high concentration of raw bloodlust.
“It’s similar to that person’s mana.”
Charlotte, who had come to mediate the war, was now thrown into chaos, as events were unfolding contrary to her expectations.
She had assumed that Rehinar was outnumbered, given Tegelo’s large forces, and had thought Tegelo would be overpowering them. However, the reality was that Tegelo’s advance had been thrown into chaos by the Blood Orcs.
“Where is Young Master Kane?” she wondered aloud.
She searched the land for any sign of Kane’s mana, but it was nowhere to be found. After scanning the entire domain, she turned her attention outside the fortress.
“No way…”
She focused her gaze more carefully into the Blood Fog, pushing her vision to its limit. The technique was draining on her mana and mental strength, and soon sweat began to form on her brow.
And just as she continued to search the mist…
“What is he doing!” she gasped.
Her eyes caught sight of Kane. He was moving stealthily, like an assassin, silently cutting down Tegelo’s officers one by one before disappearing into the shadows. Silencing enemies in the middle of such chaos was no small feat, but Kane was doing it with patience, killing them methodically.
As rain began to fall from the sky, the mist thickened even further, but Kane moved freely within it.
‘The Blood Fog and that person’s mana are almost identical in nature,’ she realized, which made it incredibly difficult to track him down.
“That aside, what on earth is he thinking, charging into the middle of the enemy alone…”
Unable to see the battlefield clearly due to the thick Blood Fog, Joseph asked her, “Who is in there?”
“Young Master Kane is inside,” she replied.
“And?”
“…He’s alone.”
“What!?”
Joseph's eyes widened in shock.
“There are no other Rehinar soldiers with him,” she confirmed.
Joseph became frantic at her words. “Nesily! Go to the family and find Fabi. Tell him that the Young Master is fighting Tegelo alone!”
“Yes, sir!”
Nesily vanished into the light. She was an instructor in the special forces, and her profession as an assassin made her incredibly quick on her feet.
“I should go and help the Young Master myself. Your Highness, please stay here and don’t move,” Joseph said, preparing to leap down from the fortress walls.
“Wait!” Charlotte grabbed Joseph’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Not yet. Look over there.”
She pointed toward a particular area where the Blood Fog was thickest. An unusual surge of energy was emanating from that spot, and a distinct purple light began to grow stronger.
---
[Skill Blood Dance (SSR+)- 4th Move: Blood Void has been used.]
Blood energy gathered into Kane’s hands.
[Blood energy stacked to 700.]
[Attack power increased by 1,200%.]
[Magic attack power increased by 1,200%.]
[Defense increased by 1,200%.]
[Healing effect increased by 700%.]
He had already killed 500 enemies with 'Meteor of the Flaming Phoenix' and another 200 within the Blood Fog, amassing a total of 700 stacks.
Thanks to the unique option of his weapon, BloodSky blade, he could stack energy infinitely. But now, the power had become too overwhelming to continue killing enemies quietly.
It was time to step forward.
“Blood Wave,” he whispered, crossing the two bloodsky blades in front of him and swinging it.
---
[Skill 'Blood Dance(SSR+)' - 2nd Move: Blood Wave activated.]
Boom!
Air trembled as if the space had become a vacuum. Blood energy spread outward in a circular wave. The attack consumed an immense amount of mana. Though his mana reserves had grown absurdly large, more than half was drained by this single strike.
While stacking energy increased his attack power, it also exponentially drained his mana. He continued walking forward with Bloodsky Blade dragging at his side.
As he passed the Tegelo soldiers—
Thud!
Their bodies were sliced clean in half, falling to the ground.
---
[You have killed a soldier of Tegelo.]
[You have gained experience points.]
[Warning! Your relationship with Tegelo has turned hostile.]
[You have killed a soldier of Tegelo.]
…
…
…
[Level up.]
Messages flooded Kane’s view, each one notifying him of the enemies slain. Just with the ‘Blood Wave’, he had already taken down well over a thousand enemies.
This was the sheer power of his equipment.
His sword was beyond five stars, possibly even nearing six.
Combined with the SSR+ level skill, Blood Dance, there was no way the panicked enemies could defend themselves.
They knew what was coming, but stopping it was impossible. Blood dance wasn’t known as the "power of the devil" for nothing.
Most importantly, the current weather was in Kane’s favor. Rain poured from the sky, water filled the canals, the Blood Fog hung heavily in the air, and even the Blood Orcs, who followed Blood Rune, were present. It was as if everything on the battlefield was set for him.
---
['Breath of the Blood Tiger (SR-)' is absorbing the moisture in the air.]
['Breath of the Blood Phoenix (SR-)' is converting the ambient demonic energy and blood energy into mana.]
---
Kane replenished his mana once more. Tegelo’s forces still had no idea who was attacking them. He needed to take out as many of them as possible before the Blood Fog dissipated.
Bam!
He dashed forward again, severing the heads of his enemies as they fumbled around in confusion.
Slice, slice!
Wherever Kane passed, heads rolled.
‘The sun is setting. They should show up soon,’ Kane thought, referring to the vampires.
Darkness was their domain, greatly enhancing their abilities. And in the full moon, they would be twice as powerful.
It just so happened that tonight was a full moon.
‘Before that, I need to draw out the Red Dragon Legion,’ Kane mused.
The forces of Hatzfeld had yet to appear, likely hiding somewhere, observing the situation.
To lure the rats out, targeting Marquis Tegelo was the perfect bait.
“Blood Sword!” Kane called out, unleashing a wave of blood mana toward Marquis Tegelo, who was on horseback.
[Blood Dance (SSR+): First move: Blood sword has been used.]
Slash!
The crimson slash tore through the air, aimed directly at the marquis.
Clang!
The ground split in two where the attack landed, but Marquis Tegelo managed to deflect it, cutting through the blood energy just in time.
As Kane continued to replenish his mana, the Blood Fog gradually began to thin.
Marquis Tegelo's face was filled with shock for a moment, but then he dismounted his horse and stared at Kane.
“Your skill is unbelievable.”
Even as an enemy, the marquis couldn’t help but admire Kane’s strength.
Kane was only 21 years old—an age where he still had much to learn.
Yet, he was already so powerful.
It was strength that couldn’t be attained through mere training. There was a cold determination and decisiveness to Kane that spoke of years of experience on the battlefield, as if he had been fighting for decades.
“Duke Carl has created a monster,” Tegelo muttered.
“Are you getting scared now?” Kane responded with a shrug.
“That’s why… you have to die here.”
Kane smirked. “While you’ve been running your mouth, half of Tegelo’s forces are already dead. Keep wasting time like this, and the rest will be in hell before you know it.”
“I admit, I didn’t expect you to be this strong,” the marquis conceded. “But! In this war, Tegelo will be the victor.”
Marquis Tegelo summoned the wind mana—
[Breath of the Wind Fox has been activated]
—and released its full power.
KABOOM!
Thunder rumbled in the sky as fierce winds began to swirl around them. The ground beneath the marquis erupted as his body compressed space with his newfound power.
In the blink of an eye, Marquis Tegelo closed the distance between them. His sword was already aimed at Kane's neck. But Kane wasn't one to be caught off guard so easily.
‘Old man Tegelo's weakness is his knee. His Wind Fox Sword Art is known for its extreme speed. To perform such quick strikes, his legs take on significant strain. And his left knee isn't in the best shape,’ Kane thought to himself.
With his left hand gripping Bloodsky blade, Kane blocked the marquis's sword.
Clang!
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the surrounding air. Kane then used his right hand, also wielding Bloodsky blade, to target the marquis's left knee. However, Marquis Tegelo was experienced and aware of his own vulnerabilities. He quickly retreated, not giving Kane the opening he sought.
Believing Kane’s earlier attack was a fluke, the marquis launched another assault. This time, a faint light shimmered along the edge of his sword—
’Sword Aura’, a technique exclusive to those of the 7th class.
Kane muttered under his breath, "Using an unrefined skill is worse than not using it at all."
Instead of avoiding the attack, Kane met it head-on.
When the three swords clashed in mid-air, the heavens seemed to roar.
BOOM!
---
A massive burst of flames shot up into the sky, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind. Kane had matched Marquis Tegelo blow for blow.
The onlookers on the city wall, including the trainees, were left speechless. Long gone was the memory of Kane being labeled a dullard.
From the moment he had single-handedly killed Viscount Rosta and the Swordmanship instructor Faro, that old nickname had been erased.
But no one had anticipated he would be on par with Marquis Tegelo.
Sara, watching her brother’s fight with bated breath, clenched her sweat-soaked hands tightly.
"Was my brother always… this strong?" she muttered to herself in disbelief.
The second princess, Charlotte, who stood next to her, asked, "Sara, did you not know?"
"I… I only had a vague idea that he was powerful," Sara admitted.
Sara and Charlotte had known each other since childhood. Whenever Duke Carl visited the royal palace, he would bring Sara along, and the two girls had formed a bond. Although they hadn’t seen each other for many years, their reunion had come as a surprise to both.
"This doesn’t make sense," Charlotte said, clearly puzzled.
"For real," Sara agreed.
"No, I mean, your brother's strength. With my Moon's Eye ability, I can only sense him as a mid-tier 4th class knight. Meanwhile, Marquis Tegelo is a high-tier 6th class knight," Charlotte clarified.
The difference in class levels was more than two stages. Yet Kane was holding his own against Marquis Tegelo, which seemed impossible. It defied common sense.
Even now, Kane effortlessly blocked Tegelo's Wind Fox Sword Art.
The Wind Fox Sword Art, 5th Form: Catastrophe was a signature instant-kill move of the marquis, yet Kane countered it with ease.
Charlotte's pretty brow furrowed.
“Is he fighting while holding back his true power? Is he insane?”
To do that, Kane would need to be stronger than Marquis Tegelo. In other words, Kane had to be at least 7th class.
‘Even if he’s a genius, being on the same level as Big Brother Issac... it doesn’t make sense. He's even four years younger.’ Charlotte's Moon's Eye wavered.
Her father, the Emperor, had always said that strong people were plentiful in the world, but she hadn’t taken his words to heart. She had believed that the Fresia Empire was the strongest on the continent. But here was someone who defied even that notion.
‘Did Wendy see something I didn’t? Is that why she was so frantic about not getting Kane?’
The day Kane vanished from the ball, the palace had suffered from Wendy’s rage. Charlotte now understood why Wendy had been so desperate to keep him.
‘Big Brother Issac said that things would get interesting if I went to Rehinar, and this is what he meant.’
Charlotte’s heart raced with excitement at the discovery. It was a thrill born from curiosity and the excitement of uncovering something new.
As her curiosity reached its peak, the commotion on the city wall became more intense.
“Not only the Fire Rune but now he’s using a spear!”
“What’s going on? Wasn’t Rehinar known for their dual sword style.”
Had it been just a rudimentary spear technique, it wouldn’t have been surprising. But when Kane combined his dual swords with spear techniques, the balance that had been maintained shifted in an instant.
Kane had clearly gained the upper hand.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]