books44 Chapter 234
Chapter 234
My baby?
Did I just mishear that?
I didn’t even have time to put on a baffled expression.
The Blood Witch approached me immediately and helped me stand.
Strangely enough, my body started responding again.
However, I still couldn’t channel mana or invoke any powers.
It felt as though all the important mana circuits in my body were completely blocked.
Even my thoughts felt sluggish.
“I’m sorry. It was my mistake, and I almost lost you.”
Squeeze.
The Blood Witch pulled me into an embrace.
Before I could even react, she pushed me away and scrutinized me with her crimson eyes.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“... What on earth is this all of a sudden?”
“That cursed old man. I left you with him to be transferred safely, and this is how he treats my baby?”
Fwoosh.
An intense aura, almost like flames, burst forth from the Blood Witch.
It was so overwhelming that I instinctively took a step back.
But the aura quickly subsided when she saw my reaction.
“Oh dear. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
I wasn’t scared. Ever since acquiring my title, I’d become quite distant from such feelings. I was just... surprised.
The aura emanating from her—the fiery manifestation of her rage—was more intense than any mana flow I’d encountered before.
The issue was that this wasn’t even her full strength.
‘... I knew there was a difference in level, but this...’
It had to be at least two tiers higher.
Her abilities—such as the sudden chime that accompanied her time-stopping skill—had only recently stopped paralyzing me. Yet, here was another insurmountable wall. RàNÔ₿Ёᶊ
Just how much stronger was this woman compared to me?
“Don’t look at me like that. To my eyes, your potential shines even brighter.”
It was as if she had read my thoughts from the start.
And perhaps that was only natural.
If our roles had been reversed, I might’ve thought the same.
This wasn’t extraordinary.
For any mage, or anyone who manipulates magic, inevitable pursuit.
‘Growth’.
In that respect, the Blood Witch and I shared a common value.
“Why did you...?”
I was about to ask why she saved me.
But I quickly realized it was an inappropriate question.
If she had intended to kill me, she would have done so already.
She wouldn’t have kidnapped me and dragged me all the way to the Bloodstone Cult’s stronghold.
The Blood Witch smiled.
“You’re precious to me.”
“...”
I had no response.
Her sincerity was palpable, and that made it even harder to reply.
From the beginning, she had given me three chances.
The first was when I returned from the north.
The second was when I was nearly assassinated at Lichten Academy.
The third was during my return from the Vatican.
Each time, I failed to find a way to overcome her.
Despite knowing that the intricate web around me was tightening, I couldn’t escape.
And so, I was caught by the spider.
It was my fault.
The more pertinent question here wasn’t why she spared me.
“... Why did you capture me?”
The Blood Witch stared at me.
“... Your Grace, you know we cannot overlook matters concerning the ritual.”
“Do you dare defy me?”
“... Please. The Cult Leader will be furious.”
The blood woman’s eyebrows, which had been raised, sank.
“Well, I had to tell you anyway.”
The Blood Witch’s arched brows lowered.
“Well, I was going to explain anyway.”
“Yes. Who is this individual?”
“Ian.”
“Ian?”
“Yes. Ian Blackangers.”
That was all. The Blood Witch merely spoke my name and fell silent.
‘... I doubt that explanation is enough to satisfy them.’
I swallowed my thoughts.
It felt absurd to elaborate further, as if I needed to advertise myself to these people.
But perhaps I was wrong to worry.
“Ian Blackangers? Are you referring to the vessel the Cult Leader has been searching for?”
“No. He’s mine.”
The Blood Witch snapped, then added with a softer tone.
“And... yes.”
She looked at me longingly, murmuring,
“The vessel the Cult Leader sought—that is this child.”
Her voice carried an unshakable resolve, as though she had vowed to protect me.
The reason became clear soon enough.
“... So this is the one the Cult Leader has been seeking. We shall escort him.”
It seemed someone had been searching for me.
Fantasy X Academy.
The final boss of this game.
◆
The Bloodstone Cult.
The most vile villainous group in Fantasy X Academy.
They wreak havoc across the continent through countless means, yet one fact about them has never been revealed.
Their stronghold.
Not once—not even a hint of its location—was revealed in the game.
This led to endless speculation among players.
— Actually, the Bloodstone Cult is a cell-based organization. The Cult Leader is just some overachiever.
— Nonsense. Do you even know the predicted specs of the Cult Leader? LOL. Catch even one of the Six Executives, and you’d never say that.
— Maybe the Bloodstone Cult doesn’t exist. We’re all just brains in jars.
— I think they’ve hidden it really well. A group this organized definitely has a base somewhere. It’s just buried deep.
— LMAO. Did they hide it in a pocket dimension? How could they hide a stronghold with that many cultists?
Rumors ran rampant among players.
“Open the inner gate!”
Clang!
With a harsh grinding sound, an iron door opened.
Beyond it lay buildings painted in shades of crimson and ash.
Looking at the sight before me, I finally grasped it.
‘... This is the Bloodstone Cult’s stronghold.’
I was the first—before anyone else.
I had set foot inside the heart of the Bloodstone Cult.
A long, straight avenue stretched out before me.
At the end of the road stood a towering structure radiating an oppressive aura.
It looked like something out of a nightmare—a fortress fit for a Demon King.
“That’s where the Cult Leader resides.”
The Blood Witch said beside me.
Her gaze was deadly serious, devoid of her usual playful smile.
It was my destination.