Chapter 75: Rebirth (1)
It was a rigged match from the beginning. The moment he realized it, Ronan unleashed his attack.
The blade that had once torn through armor now created dozens of red lines on the defenseless flesh. As his vision blurred, Ronan’s voice echoed.
“Sorry about this. I’m a tough learner.”
Valzac lost consciousness.
…
“Uhh…”
Valzac opened his eyes. His ears felt stuffy, and his back was cold. From somewhere, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Is he dead?”
“Not really. With three essences, he won’t die… and his regeneration is almost complete too.”
“Well, that’s fortunate. Usually, just half of that would kill someone.”
His head had miraculously regenerated, however, there was no sensation in many parts of his body. Raising his head, Valzac scanned the surroundings. He was lying in the middle of a huge puddle of blood.
The regenerating body resembled a haphazardly assembled ceramic doll. Within the blood, fragments that had once composed his own flesh floated aimlessly. With a clinking sound, he slowly turned his head and muttered under his breath.
“…Did I lose?”
“Oh, you’re awake.”
Valzac concentrated his mind without saying a word. The puddle began to dry up rapidly. Eventually, he absorbed all the blood and flesh, then rose to his feet. There wasn’t a trace of a scar left on his regenerated body. Ronan’s expression crumpled in amazement.
“Damn it. At least put something on.”
“How long was I unconscious for?”
“About ten minutes.”
“So, you had about thirty chances to kill me.”
Valzac picked up a cloak that had been lying on the floor, wrapped it around his body, and then placed his hand silently on his chest.
A crimson light emanated from the spot where his heart should be. Valzac extended the essence of life and said, offering it to Ronan.
“Take it.”
“Gladly”, replied Ronan.
“We both used some dirty tricks but still, I lost and you won.”
There was no emotion in his voice. Ronan nodded, and Ophelia, who had been observing, approached them with Cita. Looking at her, Valzac said,
“Ophelia, it’s been a while since we met, but I only showed you an ugly spectacle. I’m sorry,”
“No, you fought well.”
“No need for pretense. By the way, have you forgiven me now?”
Only then did Ophelia realize that she had come within three steps of Valzac. After a moment of silence, she spoke up.
“That’s not it, but… at this distance…”
“Finally some progress after two hundred years. I’m touched.”
Valzac grinned, baring his fangs. Ophelia maintained her stoic expression, not reacting. She and Cita began processing the essence of life pulsating in Valzac’s hand.
“That’s right, continue like that. It should feel like it’s slowly freezing.”
Pssh-
A precise blood magic was performed. Clumps of pure mana were being transformed into tangible material.
Before long, the processed essence of life was transferred to Cita’s beak. The jewel-shaped crystal shimmered with all shades of red, like it held every hue of the world’s crimson. Ronan gently stroked Cita’s head as he spoke.
“You did well. You’ve truly done everything today.”
“Beah~”
Cita, who had been growling, handed the essence to Ronan. At that moment, the characters that had extended like chains above Ronan and Valzac’s spines disappeared. Valzac, confirming that the blood pact had run its course, turned away.
“I’ll be going then. If the opportunity arises, we’ll meet again, Ophelia.”
“Sure. Take care.”
Suddenly, Valzac’s cloak fell to the ground. Ronan muttered a curse. But beneath the cloak revealed not a naked pervert but a gigantic brown bat. The one-eyed bat turned to Ronan and spoke.
“Ronan, I’ll remember you.”
“Very well. I will make good use of the essence.”
“Get stronger. I expect a proper fight next time.”
Valzac spreaded his wings. They appeared to have a wingspan of at least 4 meters. With a single flap, he disappeared. Ronan watched the spot where Valzac had vanished and muttered to himself.
“I thought he’d make a fuss, but that was unexpected.”
“Yeah, that’s just the kind of guy he is.”
“Phew… I almost died, seriously…”
Ronan finally let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, the polymorph spell was released, and his true form returned. He had been anxious, fearing that Valzac, even in his warped state of mind, might attack.
‘He was disgustingly strong, really.’
To win, he had to employ all sorts of dirty and deadly tactics. In a real battle, the probability of defeat would have been very high. He keenly felt the need to get stronger once again.
‘I should try a rematch when my body has grown a bit. I’m too weak right now.’
Facing the opponent with a kid’s body was too strong. After calming his mind to some extent, Ronan chuckled. It was by no means an honorable victory, but a win was still a win. He turned to Ophelia and said,
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.”
“No, I haven’t… done anything.”
“If you wouldn’t have intervened, I would have most probably died here, so you deserves to be thanked”
He meant it sincerely. Without Ophelia, many things would have gone awry. Ronan stretched and turned his back.
“You go back first. I’ll explore this place a bit more before leaving.”
“I don’t recommend looting.”
“Hey, do I look like a pathetic guy who would steal money covered in bone dust? I have my reasons for being here.”
It seemed that the architectural style resembling the temple where Sarante lived had caught his attention. Ronan left those words behind and exited the banquet hall.
Though he hadn’t been thinking about it, if he spotted a suitable treasure, he might as well pick it up. Ophelia, who had been standing there, followed him quietly.
“I told you to go. It might take a while.”
“No, I also enjoy this kind of thing… there’s nothing else to do anyway.”
“I see.”
Ronan nodded. The two of them continued to explore the ruins together. There were already many signs of excavation and damage, as if it had been looted several times before.
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“By the way, I’ve been curious for a while. What’s the relationship between you two? Did you used to date in the past?”
“We were just childhood friends. Valzac spent his early years in our castle.”
“He didn’t exactly seem like an ordinary childhood friend. He came at us like a dog that’s buried something and is digging it up,” Ronan commented.
“Well… he killed my little sister.”
A chilling silence settled in. Ronan muttered a curse under his breath. He had been in the midst of seeking a way to turn back time. Ophelia spoke once more.
“I… I don’t find it hard to understand. My sister was trying to assassinate the Grand Duke, after all. Valzac, in a way, is a hero who protected both his family and the peace of the Night World simultaneously.”
“What?”
“Still, I couldn’t forgive him. I truly loved my little sister.”
Ophelia spoke calmly. Her once lively younger sister had suddenly changed one day. She became dismissive of everything, exhibiting a cynical attitude towards everything. Eventually, she had set her sights on assassinating the Shadow Grand Duke, believing that unnecessary order had to be destroyed.
“My sister during that time… she was strange. It was like she had become someone else.”
“Do you have any idea why that happened?”
“Um… I really don’t know. After she changed, she rarely left her room.”
“It’s unfortunate.”
“Yeah, the heart… it can be quite complicated.”
With these words, Ophelia closed her mouth, and the two of them walked in silence along the dark corridor. Before long, they reached a dead end. Ronan scratched his head and muttered.
“I was sure there was something here… or was there not?”
There was nothing left to uncover. It seemed like his hunch had gone astray. It happens on days like these. Just as Ronan was about to turn his body, Cita suddenly bit and tugged at Ronan’s sleeve.
“Beah! Beah!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
Ronan turned his head, but he didn’t see anything. That’s when Cita fired a blood bullet toward the blocked wall.
Kwaang!
A part of the wall was destroyed, and mana began to flow out through the crack.
“What is this…?”
It was mana with a familiar feeling. Ronan reached for the hilt of his sword. As he launched the seven-strike thrust, the fragmented wall collapsed. Revealed was a hidden chamber. Ophelia’s eyes widened.
“There was a space like this…”
It was a small room with intricate reliefs carved on three sides. Faint mana lingered in the air. Ronan, looking around, raised an eyebrow. In the middle of the room, an ugly rock jutted out from the floor.
“…Seniel?”
The form was different, but the feeling was the same. It was undoubtedly the same kind of object that had been placed in the temple where Sarante lived.
Seniel, the statue forged over a thousand years, weathered by the winds. Sarante had left behind words that this great will was imbued within Ronan. The rock turned into dust as Ronan touched it.
“What the…?”
He hastily withdrew his hand, but an inexplicable sensation still lingered within his body. Ophelia, with a somewhat surprised voice, mumbled.
“…It disappeared.”
“Huh?”
“The mana flowing from the rock… it disappeared.”
Listening her words and looking, it was indeed the case. The mana that had been floating in the room was no longer visible. It was a situation that could only be explained by Ronan having absorbed it.
“…What’s going on?”
Ronan furrowed his brow, pondering. No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find an answer. The strange sensation that had run through his veins had now vanished.
He greeted the statue as Sarante had done and then left the tomb. As they neared the exit, a foul odor became stronger. The moment they stepped out of the stone door…
Shiiiing!
Suddenly, a massive iron net flew straight at them. Ronan reacted swiftly, wielding his sword. With a single strike, the thick iron net fell to the ground.
“What’s this now?”
“Hiicckkk! Monster!”
Ronan turned his gaze toward the source of the sound. A rather scruffy-looking man was holding a crossbow and staring at them. Ophelia, standing beside Ronan, spoke up.
“It smells familiar. It seems to be one of the offspring from down below.”
“Ah, should we kill him then?”
“Yes.”
Ophelia nodded firmly. The man hastily turned and began to flee towards the swampy area.
Ophelia extended her hand and cast a spell. Ronan, who had been contemplating something, blocked Ophelia’s path.
“Hmm… What are you doing?”
“Wait. It might work right now.”
The man was about ten paces away. Ronan, concentrating his mind, aimed at him and swung Lamancha.
Swish!
The sword energy shot out and struck the man’s thigh.
“Aaargh!”
“As I thought.”
The man screamed in pain, writhing on the ground. Ronan quickly caught up with him. Deep scars were carved into the back of his thigh, revealing his bones.
“P-please spare me! I won’t associate with vampires anymore!”
The man begged, clutching his half-severed leg. Ronan, his brow furrowed, muttered to himself.
“Tsk, It couldn’t quite cut it.”
“What… what happened?”
Ophelia asked in surprise. Ronan’s sword energy had become noticeably stronger than when he fought Valzac. Ronan shook his head left and right.
“I don’t know either. It’s probably because of that stone, seeing as how it’s suddenly like this.”
Considering that his previous effective range had been about three paces, this was a remarkable improvement. He also noticed that the impact when he fired the sword energy had been reduced. Ronan was about to cut off the man’s head when without warning, Ophelia firmly grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait… can you leave him to me?”
“Huh? Why?”
“I… I just thought… um…”
Ophelia blushed, averting her gaze from Ronan. She placed her hand on her abdomen. Ah, she was a vampire too. Ronan nodded, patting Ophelia’s shoulder.
“I understand. Then, take your time eating.”
“Uh… thank you.”
“Hey, wait… What do you mean by that?”
Ronan did not answer, but turned and began to walk away.The man, panicking, moved backward. Through the slightly parted lips of Ophelia, her sharp white fangs gleamed. The mist rising from the swamp engulfed the two of them. Soon, a desperate scream echoed.
“Aaaaargh!”
When the mist cleared, all that remained was the crumpled leather.
****
Ronan arrived at Philleon on a Sunday morning. As soon as he stepped into the academy grounds, exhaustion overwhelmed him. The fact that all of this had happened in just one day was hard to believe.
“I… I need to do what needs to be done and then rest.”
He wished he could just lie down on his bed without even taking off his socks, but that wasn’t an option. Ronan headed straight for Philleon Tower 41, where Jhordin’s office was located. He knocked on the office door.
“Ronan?”
“Yes.”
“Wait.”
The sound of a latch being undone echoed. The door opened, revealing a thinner and even more haggard Jhordin. Ronan furrowed his brow.
“Damn, isn’t eating part of living? Why do you look even skinnier?”
“Don’t worry about it. What’s going on?”
“I have a gift. Ta-da!”
Ronan took out the Essence of Pure blood from his pocket and displayed it. Jhordin’s expressionless face suddenly widened with surprise.
He hurriedly grabbed Ronan’s wrist and pulled him into the office.
Slam!
Jhordin closed the door roughly and, in a trembling voice, said, “Wh-where the hell did you get this…?”
“A friend of my professor gave it to me.”
“A friend…?”
“Never mind that. Are you sure you’re okay? You still look hurt.”
“I’m fine. That’s not important right now.”
Suddenly, Jhordin raised his hand. As all seven locks clicked into place, the floor began to move. Before long, a spiral staircase leading to the laboratory was revealed. Jhordin held Ronan by the shoulders and spoke.
“We need to start Experiment 144. Right now.”
