Chapter XVII: The dawn, the blood, and the lamp - Book 1: Heir of the Kingdom.

When the second louder explosion came from the center of Red Lane Street, the group of Maurice and Lucas had already murdered their way out of Blood Bottle members who couldn't unite their forces thanks to the chaotic upper commands, they saw Vicenza and Rex - the Clown were playing a game of cat and mouse in the distance.

The height of Vicenza is nearly two meters, but at the same time he doesn't appear to be thin or slender, but strong and steady. Slight brown skin, yellowish straight hair and a cold face make him look quite serious, but the all elders of the Brotherhood know that: with the exception of the Brotherhood's three Legendary a.s.sa.s.sin, the head of the Six Great leaders Vicenza Mirren - "The Fist without Crown" - is the most reliable person possible - no, most of the time, he is even more reliable than the three a.s.sa.s.sins.

"You call this a mystical power?"

Vicenza scornfully said while he coldly looked at "the Clown of Flying knives", who was running around on the rooftop and continuously throwing knives from his seemingly bottomless pocket.

Maurice, Adrienne, Lucas, a 'transcended level', two 'mortal-level' masters, and G.o.d knows how many more - one of Blood bottle Gang's eight Mystical power Warrior, Kex "The Clown of Flying knife", silently though. He was kneeling on the rooftop, having a serious expression as he watched more and more Brotherhood's masters gathered.

The Blood Bottle's elites under his command had all been slaughtered.

And there is also this fellow Vicenza who is close to "Absolute Boundary".

There is no sign of Blood Bottle's reinforcements, Song, Roubaix, those two "transcended level", and also Rolf, no news of them until now. Solow lost contact ten minutes ago. That coward Tinker must be hiding himself in the dark and watching from afar. As for Numenor, he is the guy responsible for Vicenza. And since the Vicenza is intact, he is probably already at the underworld river seeing the ferryman.

To make matters worse, with the explosion just now and the air wall disappeared, the Magus of Air's order still didn't come to my ear.

Kex's consideration didn't last long.

Only to see that walking behind Vicenza was one of the Brotherhood's thirteen Great Generals, a northerner, Aide Leonsa - "the steel awl". Biting his teeth, he brought along whom Vicenza just hunted and killed, Song, a mystical power warrior and puppet master at transcended level from the Diurnal kingdom of Eastern Continent, nicknamed "the Chaos G.o.d of Weaponry" - his head was thrown on the ground without further attention by Aide.

The Clown pondered for a while, then from the s.p.a.ce created by his own mystical power, he pulled out two flying knives, bite an oxygen tube (to protect against Maurice's ability) into his mouth, and made up his mind to leave immediately.

In this case, the Magus of air cannot blame his choice.

But in the next moment, he was surprised to see Vicenza's fist rus.h.i.+ng toward his face.

When did Vicenza's speed become so fast!

But then he saw a fat figure behind Vicenza. It was Maurice, who was clenching his teeth and activating his mystical power.

He didn't take the air around me. The Clown thought in horror and despair, but - took away the air around Vicenza.

When the air wall disappeared after the first explosion, Maurice knew that there was an unexpected change of event that night, and when the sound of the second awestricken explosion came from the distance, Maurice responded: the opportunity to counterattack has arrived.

He a.s.sertively and silently took away the air of the path between Vicenza and Kex.

Vicenza could feel the changes in his surroundings thanks to his boxing experience he had been acquainted with for many years. He immediately held his breath, and in a situation that ignores air resistance, he managed to deliver a punch at the speed several times faster than usual!

The battle did not last long.

When Vicenza effortlessly deflected Kex's two flying knives, the horrifying iron fist of him that won't break, won't slow down, and won't fall, smashed the mystical s.p.a.ce that Kex relied on for his life (the Clown relied on this s.p.a.ce created by mystical power to block long-range attacks and prepare a storage of oxygen and flying knives, it also stop Maurice from catching up with him), then Lucas had already quietly jumped down behind him.

After using his mystical power, Maurice bent down and held his knees to gasp as the fat meat on his face was shaking. Instead of looking at the clown who was sure to become a dead person, he turned to Vicenza and said: "The second - the second explosion came from the depths of Red Lane Street. There must be something we don't know, something unexpected that had happened."

"But no matter what, the air wall was neutralized, definitely - there is something definitely wrong with the Magus of Air! We have already withdrawn far enough, and our forces have gathered - gathered almost a sufficient number together." Maurice calmed down and judged caustically. "Song and Kex are both slain here. If this is a sweetroll used to bait us, then the sweetness of this bait is enough for us to risk this one chance!"

Lucas didn't care about Kex's pleading cries, after coldly cutting the neck covered with oil paint of the Clown, he nodded. "After the road was through, there was a report from the frontline, the body of Rolf 'the Ghost of Wind' was discovered. Later, Master Lanser sent the intelligent about Sebas and Drano's deaths. And adding Kex, the usable enemy's fighting force in Eternal Star has been reduced in half already."

In this regard, Vicenza put down his smoking fist, his reply was very short:

"Then we fight back!"

Therefore, the dawn of Red Lane Street was greeted with blood.

The sky was already bright when Nell Rick, who was designated by Lanser to be the logistics commander, saw at the junction between Undercity District and Red Lane Street the scene of Maurice and Vicenza returning while bathed in blood.

Maurice patted Rick shoulder and spit out a breath, laughing: "Although the process had some ups and downs, but --"

"—— The Red Lane Street is ours."

"As expected, that's something we must archive." Rick smiled and answered, pondering about how to report the escape of The Ruin's beggars and Clyde's death.

At least that ghost will not come again.

Rick thought, his eyes crossed the crowd and looked into the shadow of a mysterious cloak in the distance.

Moreover, with the promise of Master Lanser, I won't be too miserable.

Lucas "The Quiet a.s.sa.s.sin" didn't look at Rick, just walked pa.s.s him, and regardless of the blacken blood on his face, he gave Veronica "the Unfaithful" behind Rick a heart-filled hug.

"You still haven't died?" Veronica didn't look worried at all, snickering.

"Besides you, who can even kill me?" Lucas smirked and fierily kissed the woman's mouth.

"Anyone saw Edmond?" Vicenza's voice came from the crowd. "Without him, I can't handle 'the Chaos G.o.d of Weaponry' that easily!"

"That d.a.m.n cook," seeing no response, Vicenza could only curse "Ran away as soon as he saw it's drinking time!"

The world of Elor, early morning on November 16, year 672, in the second largest Kingdom of the Western continent, in the Red Lane Street, the b.l.o.o.d.y and cruel "One night War" broke out between the two overlords of Stella Kingdom's underworld.

This is a one-sided battle. From the very beginning, the Brotherhood of Black Street entered the ambush and trap of the Blood Bottle Gang, but the results of the b.l.o.o.d.y battles surprised many people.

In this war, the Brotherhood of Black Street lost 214 people and has 367 injured. Among the thirteen Great Generals, 7 out of 9 partic.i.p.ants were casualties. The two Great leaders Morris and Vicenza fought and bathed in blood till the end and survived.

The Blood Bottle Gang, "The Aristocrats of the Underworld", met the its biggest defeat in history: 445 people died, 290 people injured; among the members of the Twelve strongest that partic.i.p.ated in the battle, 8 out of 10 died; 5 partic.i.p.ants of the Eight Mystical power warriors all died. There were even rumors that the whereabouts of their highest commander - the Magus of Air, was unknown.

During this night, the explosion in the center of Red Lane Street almost awakened each one of Enteral Star's citizens. 1,229 innocent civilians on Red Lane Street were affected, of whom 275 died in the explosion, 438 were injured and 516 were homeless.

The Red Lane Street, especially the central square's area, was also seriously damaged. This incident was even pushed forward by the Kingdom Capital's General Public City Watch to meet the time of the Formal Imperial a.s.sembly on the next day, and was put on schedule only seconded to the discussion of "Tax Exemption for Border County Development", and the procedure on how to receive the envoy from Exeter Kingdom. In the end, the Formal Imperial a.s.sembly ordered the Western City Watch Department to act quickly, "calm civil conflicts and put a stop to personal fighting."

Since then, Red Lane Street has changed owner, marking the full intrusion of Brotherhood's forces into West Ring District. The balance of Stella's underworld began to fall completely to the side of Black Street Brotherhood.

———————————————————

However, what many people don't know is that at the same time of this night, there is another major event that reversed the fate of Stella Kingdom.

Thales was embarra.s.sedly carried by Joel in his arms - strange masked man, strange masked man, strange masked man, Thales always chanted three times in his mind - at what seemed like the masked man's maximum speed, pa.s.sing through the city districts that Thales didn't recognize at all.

Thales felt that he could no longer stay silent.

"Can you say again why did you come for me?" Looking at the brighter sky in the distance, the transmigrator painfully asked.

"I came to take you to reunite with your father." Joel respectfully replied. He stooped down, touched the surface of a river by the tip of his feet, then drew a circle in midair and pa.s.sed through an arch bridge.

Thales rolled his eyes.

"So who are you then?"

"Your father's secret bodyguard." Joel respectfully replied and crossed a tall tower. Such a large person carrying a child pa.s.sing by, yet the guard in the tower didn't even blink his eyes.

Thales sighed.

"Are you mistaken? I am just a runaway beggar!"

"Absolutely not, this is G.o.d's will." Joel respectfully replied, stepping on a gold-plated signboard, the chains that used to hang the sign wasn't even shaken.

Thales felt that he was going crazy.

"Who is my father?"

"A gentlemen whom I have my utmost respect." Joel respectfully replied, he flashed by a white eagle that was preying on a swallow as his speed shocked both of them.

Thales was completely desperate.

Hey, this kind rhetoric that makes people feel "wow so polite, I feel sorry to trouble him more" but still reveals absolutely no key information in the end, are you playing me or something, alas!

Thales gave up.

When they found out that they were mistaken, Thales thought silently - would they just silent me?

The transmigrator turned his head, while he waited to watch the sunrise, he was almost bored to death and asked:

"Joel."

"Yes."

"Don't tell me you have a diplomatic background."

"I don't."

"That's a pity. The way you talk, it's very fitting."

"Thank you for your approval."

Joel seemed to be unable to hear the irony in Thales' words, still respectfully replied.

He leaped over a high wall and landed silently like a spider on a boulevard with delicate flowerbeds on both sides.

Then, out of Thales' expectations, Joel stopped.

In front of them parked a plain but heavy carriage.

In front of the carriage, a middle-aged man with gray hair carried a lamp and walked slowly toward them.

Joel gently put Taylor down.

The transmigrator landed on the ground and suddenly turned to look at Joel. He felt that the latter had something - well, something uncomfortable?

The middle-aged man approached, and by the light of the lamp on his hand, Thales couldn't help but notice that the man was wearing a quaint, heavy and also thick outfit, with a naturally pure white color.

The middle-aged man had a wide chin which made him look friendly. Above his lips was a neatly trimmed short mustache, showing a respectful manner, but the two towering cheeks looked a bit rigorous, while his nose was slightly softer, which seemed very equable.

This looks to be a very complicated person, Thales silently thought.

The man lifted his right hand - there was a black glove on it - tipped his top hat a little, and bowed slightly.

"Good morning." Unlike Joel's hoa.r.s.e, solemn and quite voice, this voice sounds steady and rea.s.suring.

This is a n.o.bleman, a high ranking n.o.bleman - Thales made the conclusion.

Is he the one?

But behind him, Joel's words made him withdraw that idea.

Only to hear the masked man calmly but impolitely asked:

"Why are you here?"

The middle-aged n.o.bleman nodded lightly and smiled. He replied without paying attention to the rudeness in the other's words: "In order to prevent any unfortunate circ.u.mstances."

"He doesn't believe in me?" Even Thales recognized the dissatisfaction in Joel's tone.

"He believes in you, so much that he is willing to entrust the life of his own blood to you," the middle-aged n.o.bleman slowly said the following sentence:

"But I don't believe you, and you know why!"

Thales seemed to feel a bolt of lightning flickering between Joel and the middle-aged n.o.bleman!

Joel was silent for a while, unexpectedly not answering.

The middle-aged n.o.ble didn't look at Joel anymore, he slowly squatted down and had a friendly smile on his face.

"Child," he said to Thales. "I know that you have been through a lot of hards.h.i.+p."

Looking at the wounds and blood stains on Thales' body, the middle-aged n.o.bleman took off the glove on his right hand and reached out to touch those wounds. Every time he touched one, his brows slightly frowned.

"I am sorry, but please believe me, child, we just need one more final procedure and your misfortune will end here."

When Thales, feeling somewhat unfamiliar, wanted to say something, he saw the middle-aged n.o.bleman put down the lamp in his hands and seized the transmigrator's right hand.

Then, he took out a delicate sheathed dagger from his chest!

Thales instinctively wanted to step back, but his right hand was firmly grasped by middle-aged n.o.bleman!

"What do you want to do --" Thales anxiously asked, the middle-aged n.o.bleman only looked at him steadfastly, not letting go of his hand and slowly pulling out the dagger.

"Snapped!"

It was Joel.

He bent down and pressed on the shoulders of the middle-aged n.o.bleman!

Joel's face can't be seen through the mask, but Thales was very grateful to this "father's secret bodyguard" for no reason.

Without him, he had seen way too much blood and blade tonight.

"Joel!" The middle-aged n.o.bleman seemed to be very dissatisfied. He looked up, frowned, and unquestionably said with a soft voice:

"You know this is a must!"

Thales looked up at Joel and had a little panic in his heart, although he vaguely knew that the middle-aged n.o.bleman really wasn't doing anything harmful to him.

"Then use his own dagger!" Joel coldly said.

The middle-aged n.o.bleman stared at Joel, at that moment, his eyes seemed to be full of glacial frost.

After a long time, the middle-aged n.o.bleman compromised. He nodded and stuffed the dagger back in his chest.

Joel then let go of the middle-aged n.o.bleman's shoulders.

"Don't panic, child," the middle-aged n.o.bleman turned his gaze back to Thales, and his tone returned to be equable. "Just a little blood."

Thales looked at him.

The eyes of the middle-aged n.o.bleman were very equable, but they are also very determined.

Then the transmigrator nodded.

Waiting for his own fate.

The middle-aged n.o.bleman reached to the unsheathed YS dagger wrapped in cloth on Thales' thigh, pulled it out, and burned it on the lamp.

Then, when Thales didn't even feel the pain, the middle-aged n.o.bleman had used YS to pick a drop of blood on his right hand's middle finger.

What is this going to do? With the technology level of this world, can you even do DNA testing?

What should I do if it discovers my real ident.i.ty?

Under the curios and uneasy eyes of Thales, the drop of blood was dripped on the ground by the middle-aged n.o.bleman.

The next moment, Thales felt the familiar burning sensation coming from his heart, from his blood vessels, from his muscles, from his whole body!

"Ah!" He couldn't help but scream.

But the eyes of the middle-aged n.o.bleman weren't on him.

Thales turned his head and followed the excited gaze of the middle-aged n.o.bleman, and looked at the lamp that was put down by the man.

"Crick crick!"

Only to see the original calm lamp was burning consecutively and blazingly at this moment! The flame was getting bigger and bigger, and its center changed from orange to a deep blood-like red!

The flame was skewed toward his direction.

Thales suddenly understood it.

Blood dripping onto the ground.

A red, enlarged flame inside the lamp.

There was a sudden surge of fear in Thales' heart. He turned to look at Joel for help.

Only to see the masked man pulled out a gla.s.s bottle from his chest, which had a small flame inside.

That was the same kind of fire.

At this moment, the flame inside the gla.s.s bottle was red as blood, and also skewed.

Thales turned back to look at the lamp on the ground, looked at the flame in Joel's hand, then looked at the blood on the ground, his face turned pale.

The flames returned to normal for a long time.

"Impossible..." he murmured.

"Not until the Red Lane Street, I am finally sure that you are the one." Joel said with his hoa.r.s.e voice.

The middle-aged n.o.bleman seemed to be very excited. He carefully put away the YS dagger in his hand and respectfully said: "Now-"

But the transmigrator interrupted him with an action.

Thales gritted his teeth, his left hand pinched his right hand's middle finger and squeezed out another small drop of blood, dropping it on the ground!

"Puff!"

The flame inside the lamp on the ground grew bigger and became red again.

"This is a divine miracle that High priestess Elisa laid out twelve years ago. As long as your blood drips on the land of the Kingdom Capital, the Lamp of Blood will ignite within the darkness." The middle-aged n.o.blemen tremblingly said.

Thales suddenly understood everything.

On the day when he was beaten by Clyde, his blood dripped down onto the ground.

On the day of Clyde's ma.s.sacre, his blood dripped down onto the ground.

When he hit the air wall, his blood dripped down onto the ground.

When Echidna tried to murder him with magicen power, his blood also dripped down onto the ground.

Thales sighed helplessly.

He suddenly wanted to laugh really loud.

End of chapter XVII - Next chapter: Kingdom's bloodline

Translator's note: Yes yes, finally getting to the last chapter of the first book, more "fun time" await guys, trust me.