Chapter 42

Blood Ritual (4)

A chilling, frozen atmosphere.

The only sound was the rustling of the grass in the wind, enveloping the silence.

The chief's eyelids trembled slightly. She and I locked eyes, her gaze piercing mine.

We were at a disadvantage in terms of power. Would I really want to reignite the situation after it had just calmed down?

But I couldn't simply give up on the blood ritual and turn back.

I had to try everything I could.

If persuasion didn't work, I'd have to resort to threats or bluffing.

'...It will work.'

Since gaining extrasensory perception, I had become especially sensitive to reading others' emotions.

Every subtle change in expression was vividly clear to me.

Though she tried to maintain a blank expression, as if determined not to show any more hesitation, she couldn't completely hide her feelings.

"Are you saying that you're willing to wage war against our entire tribe? By yourself?"

Am I crazy?

But the words that came out of my mouth were shamelessly the opposite of what I truly felt. I shook my head.

"War is only suitable when the forces are somewhat evenly matched. You're not enough to stop me."

A single person facing a tribe of at least several thousand.

But none of the vampires present could mock my words.

In a world where numbers are meaningless before a superhuman.

I had already revealed myself as a sovereign, and I had demonstrated overwhelming power by perfectly blocking their combined attack.

They couldn't dismiss my words as mere bravado.

I glared at the vampires, who were staring at me with intense tension, and continued.

"Even if the impossible were to happen, it wouldn't change anything. If anything happens to me here, other sovereigns will get involved. You can imagine what would happen to your tribe then."

"..."

"Make a wise choice, Chief."

She bit her lip.

In truth, I was putting them in a difficult position.

The blood ritual was too significant to hand over to an outsider who suddenly claimed to be an ancestor's friend, yet if they didn't guide me, I would force my way in.

Axelle, who had never seen me act so aggressively, looked bewildered.

I felt a bit guilty, but at least they had attacked first.

'If I didn't have the Immovable Barrier, I would have died dozens of times already.'

In contrast, I was only making verbal threats, which was quite peaceful.

"As I said, my goal is only to destroy the blood ritual. It's a promise I must keep."

"By making such threats... do you expect us to trust you?"

"Trust is irrelevant. I just wanted to make it clear that you have no choice."

"..."

"Do you plan to keep this cursed object forever? I know about the ritual involving the blood ritual. Do you want to continue fearing the ancestor's reincarnation and forcing such sacrifices on your descendants?"

Balancing was crucial. If I pushed too hard, it could lead to another fight, and that would be the end.

Instead of just threatening, I emphasized the benefits they could gain.

After all, they lacked trust in me, but if they believed I could handle the blood ritual, why would they hesitate?

The chief's expression showed deep contemplation.

I waited for her response without saying more.

"Explain at least how you plan to destroy the blood ritual."

Of course, she would ask that.

I had anticipated this question and answered calmly.

"I will completely extinguish the soul of your ancestor that lies dormant in the blood ritual. It won't be difficult for me."

In truth, I wasn't entirely sure how to handle the blood ritual.

I hadn't planned to do so, as in the game.

In the game's story, a powerful artifact's power helps the player's mage companion successfully extinguish Gascalide's soul.

Once the soul was dealt with, the ownerless blood ritual in the stone was naturally absorbed by the nearest person, regardless of race, almost mystically.

I didn't have such an artifact, nor the means to obtain one, so the standard approach from the game was out of the question.

But I had something else to rely on.

The Sovereign's Soul, which protects the mind.

And Instant Death, which can kill any target.

With these two abilities, I could block Gascalide's mental attacks and, by touching the blood ritual, completely extinguish his soul.

'Whether Instant Death works on ethereal beings is still unknown...'

But it's a unique 10-star skill, so it should work on ethereal beings.

It was just a feeling, but a confident one, like when I faced the Guardian in the dungeon.

"..."

After a long silence, the chief sighed deeply and spoke.

"I don't understand what the ancestor's promise was for. Right now, the greatest threat to our tribe's long-standing peace is you."

Well, it's a promise that was never made.

I had to admit it felt a bit forced.

She turned and said,

"I'll guide you, follow me."

It was a cold, reluctant voice, but I inwardly rejoiced.

The vampires slowly descended from the trees, guarding her as if to keep an eye on me.

The Warrior Chief glanced at me with a complex expression and stayed by her side.

I followed them with Axelle.

***

As we entered deeper into the forest, buildings gradually appeared.

There were tents and wooden huts, and even some large stone structures. Such buildings were usually found in cities.

Despite living in the wild, the tribe's size and long-standing presence made their settlement almost like a small city.

"What will you do with the vampires I brought?"

Curious about the whereabouts of the Rudyka sisters, I asked the chief.

"Our tribe does not reject kin from outside. We will help them adapt to life here without difficulty."

At the entrance to the village, the Rudyka sisters were seen with a vampire. It was the one who had taken them away earlier.

The sisters, spotting me, ran over with a look of relief.

"Ron!"

Their reaction was intense, considering we hadn't been apart for long.

Rubyka glanced at the chief's group and then spoke to me.

"We thought you were leaving without a proper goodbye... Are you okay? I heard fighting earlier..."

The Warrior Chief subtly turned his head, avoiding our gaze.

I wanted to say that they had launched a cowardly ambush as soon as you disappeared, but I held back. It would look too undignified.

"I'm fine."

"Are you leaving now?"

She looked at me and Axelle with slightly sad eyes.

It seemed she had grown attached to us during our journey.

"I have a problem to solve. I'll leave after that. Don't worry about me, and live well with them."

"..."

"I'm glad you found a new home safely."

Rudyka sniffled, and Rubyka soon shed tears, nodding.

I was a bit taken aback by Rubyka's reaction.

"Thank you, Ron. I'll never forget your kindness and will live gratefully."

I nodded silently.

"Keep moving."

I urged the chief, who had been watching the scene with a strange look, to continue.

We moved deeper into the village, and the chief stopped.

"Please wait here. I need to inform the elders."

A few vampires dispersed in different directions, likely to fetch the elders.

After a short wait, elderly vampires began to gather.

"Chief."

The chief glanced at the gathered elders and spoke briefly.

Soon, the oldest-looking elder, with white hair, approached me.

"I understand that the ancestor's friend can resolve the issue with the blood ritual. We have no choice but to believe you."

"Right."

He stared at me for a moment and then said,

"Can we observe the process of destroying the blood ritual? Since we have no other choice, please accept this condition."

He meant to watch to ensure I didn't try anything.

It didn't matter to me, so I nodded.

We then moved directly to where the blood ritual was located, a cave some distance from the village. Other vampires were guarding the entrance.

Inside, we descended a sloping tunnel to a large underground space.

In the center was a massive rock, with a red stone embedded in it, emitting a sinister glow that bathed the area in a blood-red light.

'That's the blood ritual.'

I stared at the stone, which exuded a terrifying aura even from a distance.

It resembled the scene from the game I remembered.

The chief said,

"That is the blood ritual. We just performed a ritual, so its power is currently weakened."

"I see."

"Will you start now?"

I nodded and moved toward the steps on the rock.

The closer I got to the stone, the more intense the ominous feeling became, even before touching it.

【Lv. 95】

The level displayed above the blood ritual clearly indicated its immense power.

But I wasn't worried.

As in the game, a mere wraith couldn't inflict physical damage.

If it was only a mental attack, the Sovereign's Soul would block it perfectly. Thus, I walked without hesitation.

Standing in front of the blood ritual, I slowly extended my hand.

As my hand touched the stone, an overwhelming presence invaded my mind.

'...Hahahaha!'

A deafening laugh echoed in my head.

It was Gascalide's soul.

I remained silent, listening to his rant.

'What is this? A human, not even a vampire? How dare you touch my reincarnation?'

Whoosh!

The blood-red light from the blood ritual intensified.

His presence grew stronger, trying to shake my mind.

The mental shock was so powerful that the cave trembled slightly, and the vampires below clutched their heads and staggered.

But I felt as if I were in the eye of a storm.

I watched calmly as he raged. I had been a bit tense, but it was nothing.

After a while, a bewildered voice came from him.

'What... what is this...? Why are you unaffected when you should have already been driven mad?'

I spoke to him.

'Hey, wraith.'

'...What?'

'Can you hear me? Anyway, thanks. I'll take your power.'

It was a sincere expression of gratitude.

I immediately activated Instant Death to let him rest in peace.

'Die.'

Rumble.

His presence vanished instantly, and the shaking stopped.

The oppressive aura in the cave dissipated, and the vampires looked up at me in astonishment.

I ignored their gazes and watched the blood ritual's light fade.

Soon, the faint blood-red glow dispersed, flowing into my arm and being absorbed into my body.