Chapter 39: Then His Bloodline Awakened.

Valeria raised one finger.

"I told you that doesn’t work."

Cassian looked at her.

"Are you defending this foreigner?"

"No. I’m saving you time."

Raven nodded.

"Useful."

Valeria smiled.

Cassian didn’t seem to appreciate the dynamic.

"Lord Orbrecht," Valeria said, turning serious again. "Pull your workers back and stop spreading blood around. Keep your hunters if you want. If we find the Mirehorn, we’ll discuss the materials afterward."

"House Orbrecht arrived first."

"House Nacht’s claim was registered yesterday."

"For the Core."

"Exactly."

Cassian understood.

His gaze shifted toward Raven.

"So he wants the rest."

"One part."

"Which one?"

Raven didn’t answer.

Cassian smiled.

"Of course."

He walked toward the human worker inside the cage.

"We continue."

Valeria narrowed her eyes.

"Cassian."

"With all due respect, Lady Valeria, your claim on the Core will be honored. But you will not direct my operation."

Raven looked at the vial one of the guards was about to hand to the horned woman.

Then down the slope.

He could let them continue.

That meant more chaos.

More predators.

Less control.

No.

Raven walked toward the guard.

The man placed one hand on his sword.

"Back off."

Raven took the vial.

The guard took half a second to react.

Enough.

Raven threw the container against the stone wall behind the camp.

CRASH.

Blood spilled across the rock.

Everyone stared at him.

Raven picked up the second vial from the table.

Cassian spoke very slowly.

"Don’t do that."

Raven shattered it beside the first.

CRASH.

Two.

"Ashford."

Third.

CRASH.

Valeria watched him with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

Cassian stopped pretending to be polite.

"Stop him."

Two guards moved forward.

Raven broke the fourth vial.

"That was a fairly bad order."

The first man tried to grab him.

Predator’s Instinct reacted.

Raven shifted his weight, caught the wrist, twisted, and drove an elbow into the man’s face.

The guard staggered back with blood running from his nose.

The second drew his sword.

Valeria spoke.

"I wouldn’t."

The man stopped.

Cassian looked at her.

"This doesn’t concern you."

"He doesn’t belong to me either."

Raven slipped away from the first guard’s second attempt.

"We still agree on that."

Valeria crossed her arms.

"A miracle."

Cassian lost patience.

"Kill him!"

Ah.

Much clearer.

Three men drew weapons.

Roland and Valeria’s two guards did the same.

The air changed.

Raven dropped the remaining vial.

He didn’t break it.

Yet.

"That concerns me," Valeria said.

Cassian looked toward the Nacht men.

"You’re going to start a conflict between Houses over a mercenary?"

Valeria watched him.

"No."

Raven drew his knife.

"How reassuring."

"You don’t need me to."

Raven smiled faintly.

"Better."

---

The first guard was Level Nine.

Raven didn’t know the number.

He knew from the way the man fought.

High Common.

Strong.

Trained.

Too confident.

The sword came down toward his shoulder.

Raven didn’t block.

Kinetic Acceleration.

Step inside.

The blade passed behind him.

Knife into the armor joint.

The point slid beneath the armpit.

Raven pulled back before it went deep.

He wasn’t trying to kill him.

Yet.

Stonehide around his fist.

He struck the jaw.

CRACK.

The man dropped.

Second.

Spear.

More reach.

More dangerous.

Raven retreated.

The spearman thrust toward his chest.

Predator’s Instinct revealed the intent before the muscles finished the motion.

Raven turned, caught the shaft, and used Kinetic Acceleration on the pull.

The guard lost his balance.

Raven kicked the knee.

The joint buckled sideways.

The man screamed.

The spear changed owners.

Raven struck him behind the ear with the blunt end.

He dropped.

The third didn’t close in.

Smart.

He drew a crossbow.

Raven saw the finger.

Burst Step.

The world jumped.

THUNK.

The bolt passed through empty space.

Raven appeared ten feet to the left.

The crossbow tried to track him.

Too slow.

Kinetic Acceleration on a stone.

Throw.

CRACK.

The rock struck the man’s hand.

The crossbow dropped.

Raven reached him.

One strike to the liver.

Another to the throat.

Knee.

Done.

Three guards in under ten seconds.

Alive.

Cassian looked at them.

Then at Raven.

"What the hell are you?"

Raven picked up his knife.

"Currently, fairly irritated."

Cassian raised one hand.

Mana appeared.

A lot of it.

More than Raven had expected.

Valeria felt it too.

"Cassian."

Her voice changed.

A real warning.

"No."

The noble removed one glove.

"That animal attacked men of my House."

Raven looked at the guards on the ground.

"They’re still breathing."

"Not for long."

Raven looked at Cassian.

"Sounds like an internal management issue."

Valeria stepped forward.

"Cassian, this ends here. Your men attacked first."

"Because he sabotaged a legal operation."

"A stupid operation."

Cassian’s expression hardened.

Raven looked at Valeria.

"That sounded personal."

"I’m expanding my vocabulary."

"Good use."

Cassian lowered his hand.

For a moment, it looked like he might stop.

Then the skin over his forearm changed.

Not like Stonehide.

Raven watched something spread from beneath the flesh.

Silver lines appeared along the bones and tendons.

Then plates emerged.

Metal.

Not over the skin.

From it.

Small sections of silver material grew around his forearm, elbow, shoulder, and chest, locking together like armor being produced by his own body.

Raven stopped joking.

That was interesting.

Valeria did too.

"Argent Bastion."

Raven looked at her.

"Bloodline."

"Yes."

Cassian smiled.

"Finally, something you recognize."

Raven looked back at him.

"Not really."

The smile disappeared.

"You’ve never heard of Orbrecht blood?"

"Ten minutes ago, I didn’t know you existed."

Roland made a very small sound.

Valeria didn’t bother hiding her smile.

Cassian attacked.

---

He was faster than the armor suggested.

Not Burst Step.

Enhanced strength.

Raven saw the fist coming.

Stonehide.

Cross-block.

Mistake.

BOOM.

The impact lifted Raven off the ground.

He crashed into a crate.

Wood broke beneath his back.

His injured ribs screamed.

"That was bad," he muttered.

Cassian advanced.

The silver plates continued growing.

Now they covered both hands.

Part of the neck.

Ribs.

Not completely.

There were gaps.

Joints.

Lower abdomen.

Inner arms.

Raven stood.

Cassian smiled.

"A Common mineralization Skill."

He looked at Stonehide.

"That’s what makes you think you can stand against noble blood?"

Raven rolled his shoulder.

It hurt.

"No."

"Then what?"

Raven raised the knife.

"Experience."

Cassian charged.

Raven retreated.

Punch.

Dodge.

Second.

Stonehide deflected it.

Knee.

Raven took part of the hit and felt the air leave his lungs.

Too strong.

Cassian was Awakened.

Almost certainly.

The Bloodline enhanced strength as well as defense.

Raven used Kinetic Acceleration.

Moved in from the side.

Knife toward the armpit.

CLANG.

Silver appeared just before impact.

The Bloodline could respond locally.

It wasn’t static armor.

Cassian could expand it.

That was much better.

The noble swung an elbow.

Raven ducked.

Retreated.

Predator’s Instinct was working.

But Cassian had training.

Not excellent.

Enough.

And power compensated for mistakes.

"You keep backing away," Cassian said.

Raven breathed.

"I’m thinking."

"Think faster."

"Trying."

Cassian attacked again.

Raven let him get close.

Very close.

The silver fist came forward.

Raven shifted barely enough.

The hand passed beside his face.

Raven caught the forearm.

Not to stop it.

To follow the motion.

He pulled.

Cassian lost half a step.

Raven struck behind the knee.

No armor there.

The noble dropped partially.

Knife toward the neck.

Silver appeared.

CLANG.

Raven withdrew.

There.

The plates responded to danger.

Automatic?

Not completely.

Cassian had looked at the knife first.

He needed to detect the threat.

Which meant saturation.

Raven smiled slightly.

Cassian saw it.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What did you figure out?"

"That you talk too much."

Raven threw the knife.

Cassian raised his arm.

Silver covered his face and neck.

The blade bounced.

Exactly.

Kinetic Acceleration.

Raven threw a stone from the left.

Cassian turned.

Another plate appeared over his temple.

CLANG.

Burst Step.

Raven appeared behind him.

Stonehide around his fist.

Strike to the kidney.

Flesh.

No silver.

Cassian grunted.

Turned.

Raven was already moving away.

"Bastard."

"Yes."

Cassian extended both arms.

The Bloodline changed.

More plates.

Thicker.

His torso became almost completely covered.

His legs partially armored.

The mana increased.