Chapter 251: Blood Emperor

Normally, a Lord could not inspect another Lord’s attributes, or the panels of their Heroes and troops.

Cassian did not need a panel for this.

Aurelia was a Legendary Nine-Star Hero. She had used a Grade-A defensive skill at Lesser Perfection, yet the blow had driven her back.

Above Legendary Nine-Star lay Mythic.

And the Bloodkin hovering before him, looking like an elderly gentleman, was openly spreading a pair of dark-gold wings.

When Cassian first entered the Worlds Market and saw nearly a thousand Mythic items for sale, he had known that sooner or later he would meet a Lord with a Mythic Hero or troop.

He had not expected it so soon.

The pride his recent victories had stirred vanished.

The Blood Emperor was studying him too—or rather, studying the force around him.

The instant Aurelia was driven back, Rhea, Celia, Liora, and Sylvara took positions on Cassian’s four sides. His Nine-Star Praetorians, Faerie Dragons, Dawnwings, and Crystal Maidens formed the outer guard, facing the suspected Mythic enemy without fear.

Aurelia soon returned to her place. Folded Sky Ward remained raised, and her eyes burned with fighting spirit.

The Blood Emperor’s surprise slowly gave way to caution. He could not read their panels either, but his instincts told him these enemies would be difficult to handle.

He turned toward his Lord, several kilometers away.

"Little Vespera. This opponent may be troublesome."

A girl’s clear voice answered.

"Grandpa Mordane, we’ve been killing everyone instantly so people would think we were advancing through luck. Now this Human Lord has seen you..."

"I know." Mordane sounded helpless. "But I can’t kill him instantly, and he can leave the arena whenever he likes."

After a brief silence, Vespera answered in much the same tone.

"Then force him to concede as quickly as possible. I want our Mythic reward."

"That won’t be a problem." Mordane regained his confidence. "I hope he has some backbone. Then I might get the chance to kill him."

They discussed Cassian’s fate freely, as though his presence hardly mattered.

He had learned two things. The Blood Emperor was a Hero. And Vespera had been using exactly the same tactic as him, hiding her real strength behind a string of suspiciously quick victories.

Cassian tried a guess.

"If the River of Blood runs through different Realms, couldn’t powerful Bloodkin use it to slip between worlds?"

Mordane turned sharply toward him.

"Human boy, only the upper Bloodkin know that secret. Where did you learn it?"

Cassian was taken aback. That had actually been right?

So the River of Blood really could provide a way between worlds. Interesting.

His opponent was just as determined to keep her strength secret. Cassian no longer had any reason to hold back.

"Attack."

He made a small gesture. His powerful subordinates moved at once, each taking their part in the assault.

Mordane was furious.

"Human! You know what I am, and instead of running, you dare attack?"

Cassian chuckled and pointed toward Vespera.

"Even if I can’t kill you, can I not kill her?"

Red flashed in Mordane’s eyes.

"Then let’s see who dies first. I hope you’re still this arrogant in a moment."

He had no fear for his Lord. Cassian might have a Dawnwing corps, but Mordane possessed S-grade Command, and Vespera had a Grade-A War Talent.

He reached toward Cassian and gently closed his hand.

"Feast."

Cassian’s blood began to boil. It felt ready to tear free of his body.

Feast was one of the Bloodkin’s signature skills, able to control a target’s blood from a distance. Their race had few ranged attacks, but this was one of them.

Its power had limits. In Mordane’s hands, however, it could kill an ordinary Legendary Hero. A Human Lord should be far easier. Humans were weak by nature.

The boy’s only chance was to concede before he died.

Then Mordane’s expression changed.

Cassian’s blood was astonishingly heavy. Even he struggled to move it. There was only one explanation: this Human’s Physique far exceeded the norm.

"How can a Human be this strong? Grade-A Aptitude, at least!"

Three Crystal Maidens leaped at him. Their arms stretched into thin blades nearly ten meters long and came slashing down.

"Crystal Maidens?"

Mordane frowned. He could sense something unusual about them, but he did not take the threat seriously. Everyone knew Crystal Maidens began as Epic troops.

He raised a blood shield in front of himself.

The blades cut through it with a sound like tearing leather. It offered barely any resistance.

"What is wrong with these creatures?"

Mordane dodged the three descending attacks. Feast broke as he moved.

Cassian let out a breath, calming the turmoil in his blood.

"Nasty skill. Even with my Physique, I could only hold out for a little over ten seconds."

Of course, no one here would give Mordane ten uninterrupted seconds.

The Blood Emperor seemed enraged by the interruption.

"A dying struggle. Let’s see how many times that Hero can stop me!"

He became a streak of red, moving too quickly for the naked eye to follow.

Bloodkin were known for speed and strength. Even Aurelia could not keep pace with a Blood Emperor.

She was not fighting alone, however.

After several probing attacks, Mordane finally slipped past her defense and struck at Cassian from the other side.

BOOM!

Rhea met the blow at the center of Aegis Fold. Two Praetorians held the adjoining positions, silver lines carrying the impact through all three. They checked Mordane’s strike more easily than Aurelia had.

A moment earlier, Cassian had opened the Eclipse Hall’s training panel and spent more than six hundred thousand Muster Fortune. Rhea’s Aegis Fold and Space Will had both risen to Greater Mastery.

Even if he broke through both Aurelia and Rhea, Liora had already placed dozens of defensive spells in front of Cassian. They could withstand a blow from the Blood Emperor.

"Damn it. Another peak Legendary fighter, with skills this powerful?"

Mordane’s frustration was plain.

"Where does a newcomer Lord find so many people like this?"

He had barely finished speaking when space twisted across a kilometer around him. Countless transparent chains formed in the air, leaving him nowhere to avoid them.

"Void Entanglement? Faerie Dragons?"

Mordane had lived for many years. Feeling the strength of the chains closing around him, he was shocked.

"Peak Legendary Faerie Dragons!"

Yet a Mythic Hero was still a Mythic Hero. The three Faerie Dragons cast together, but they could only slow him. Each sweep of his hand broke several spatial chains.

Sylvara finished her chant.

"Thorn Overgrowth!"

Green magical brambles filled hundreds of meters of air, squeezing his room to maneuver still further.

"Another peak Legendary Hero? Who are you?"

Mordane was close to losing his mind.

The three caster Crystal Maidens seized their chance. Crystal Rays flashed toward him. With too little space left to dodge, Mordane took a hit. A layer of crystal grains spread across his body.

Suddenly, he turned his head.

His gaze locked on the plainly dressed girl beside Cassian. Celia’s hand rested on her sword hilt. She seemed to be waiting for the moment his movement was restricted before drawing her blade.

From that sword... he could feel the presence of death.