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Chapter 358: Blood Relic II
🕑 Added 2021-10-22 16:19:14 +0000 UTCFeigning nervousness, I crept warily through the tunnels behind the man called Rat, my eyes jumping from shadow to shadow. The way was winding and twisting like a knotted rope. We moved cautiously and stopped often to listen and peek around corners, but the zone was quiet except for the light scraping of Rat’s foot as it dragged behind him.
‘I kind of feel bad leaving Caera with all those murderous thugs,’ Regis said, the warm ethereal ball that was his presence hovering around my core.
I know, I acknowledged. I can’t fathom what she’ll do to them without us there to keep her in check.
We passed a collapsed section of the tunnel, and I noticed a churned, loose patch of wall that made me wonder if some beast—or ascender—could tunnel through the dirt. Thinking back to Kage’s rapid appearance at the zone’s entry portal, it made sense. The ability to pass through solid earth was fairly common among more powerful earth-attribute mages back in Dicathen.
We took a right turn that reversed sharply back on itself a moment later to dive below the tunnel we had been traversing. There were many more loose patches of wall that suggested someone travelled this way often, and the veins of red rock that lit the passages grew thicker and brighter the longer we traveled.
The aether in the atmosphere grew denser as well, filling the air like a purple mist. I was confident that Rat was leading me the right way, and that I could find the shrine even without him using the ambient aether.
I expanded my focus in order to feel the aetheric paths connecting each point in space around me. However, with how large these networks of tunnels and caverns were, it was impossible to make sense of the feedback I received.
‘As boring as it was getting to watch you act like a pansy woggart, I’ll admit it was the right call.’
I know. That’s why I so rarely listen to you, I mocked.
“It’s unfair, isn’t it?”
“Excuse me?” I asked, slightly caught off guard when Rat suddenly started speaking.
“How we are expected to serve like pets, but in the act of doing so, we become reliant on our masters’ strength to keep us safe.” The pale, quiet man gave me a tight-lipped smile.
“Is that why you serve Kage?” I asked, altering my inflection to sound as if I was afraid to even say the maniac’s name.
Rat’s hunched shoulders shrugged. “His brutality has made him effective in this place. You may not believe me, but things were worse before he came.”
“You…don’t think he’ll hurt Lady Caera, do you?”
Although I wasn’t particularly worried about Caera, knowing her to be more than capable of taking care of herself, I hoped to strike an emotional chord with my guide. If I could get him to open up to me, I could more easily navigate to the truth of what was happening in this zone, including finding out how to escape it.
Rat’s back hunched further at my question. When he spoke, it was hardly more than a whisper. “Kage and his men are…not kind to womenfolk. I won’t defend it, but…” He paused as I faked a frightened noise from the back of my throat, stopping and turning to face me. His black eyes peered at me searchingly. “We should keep moving. We’re still some distance from the shrine.”
Rat’s ears twitched and he paused for a second before moving on. We travelled in silence for a time, until we reached a tunnel where thick stranglers had grown from floor to ceiling, blocking the way forward. Rat reversed course, finding another tunnel that he said would bypass the overgrown passage.
“How long have you been here?” I asked softly.
“A year…maybe more.” His shoulders bobbed up and down in a helpless shrug. “I fought for a while, like the others. Then hid. Then Kage came. At least with him we have some form of order while we figure out how to claim the relic.”
“Do you really think it takes a blood sacrifice to get it?” I asked, unsure.
Rat sniffed and spat on the ground as he led us through a crossing of several different tunnels. “I’ve seen a year of blood drained into the glyph, and it’s never been enough. A few months ago, Kage dragged all the ascenders he’d imprisoned to the shrine and had their throats cut at the same time, sure that no one had ever spilled enough blood at once…but even that wasn’t enough.” Rat halted, listening around before addressing me. “There are some in these tunnels who think it must be something else. That maybe we read the runes wrong…” A shiver ran down his spine, and I could practically see the weight of those deaths pressing down on him.
“Which is why”--he dragged the thought out, again giving me that searching look—“I have made arrangements for you to see more than just the shrine.”
I watched him uncertainly, but said nothing.
“I think we are very much the same,” he continued warily, with just a hint of hope tinging his words. “We may not be made for bloodshed and battle, but we are worth more than our masters give us credit for.” He hesitated, then shook his head with a nervous smile. “My time here has dulled my manners. I haven’t even asked your name.”
“Grey,” I said, returning his smile awkwardly. “Do you have a name other than…” I trailed off, rubbing the back of my neck.
He frowned sadly, but said, “Amand. But in here…call me Rat. Everyone else does.” He straightened. “Grey, I think that together, we can end this awful cycle. I’m ready to go home, to see my…” He paused again, his frown deepening. “I have a mother…and brother…who probably think I’m dead…”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again, not having to feign my emotions as I thought of Ellie and my mother, hidden away under the Darvish desert, with no idea that I was alive.
Clearing his throat, Rat continued. “I hope you can appreciate the risk I am taking by telling you this but…for some time now, I have been passing information about Kage to the other factions in this zone.”
Regis chortled. ‘So our Rat is actually a mole.’
“It has been months since anyone but Kage and his people have been allowed to see the relic, or the ward that protects it. Although Kage keeps some semblance of order here, he is not particularly…intelligent.”
“And fresh eyes might find new meaning in old words,” I said, quoting a line from a book on spellcasting I had read while still a student at Xyrus Academy.
“Exactly,” Rat agreed. “So…you will help me?”
I nervously opened my mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “I just want to get my Lady away from this zone safely.”
Nodding in acknowledgement, Rat continued leading me to the shrine, which wasn’t far from where we’d stopped to talk. Several turns later, we found three women standing in the tunnel, their weapons drawn.
I froze, but Rat kept moving toward them.
“Who is this?” a tall woman with tightly-braided hair asked, pointing her golden spear at my chest.
“He’s new,” Rat replied breathlessly. “Not one of Kage’s.”
“Why is he here?” Her liquid brown eyes tracked distrustfully across me, seeming to linger around my sternum. Her frown deepened.
Rat scratched behind his ear. “The same reason you are, T’laya.”
She clicked her tongue, but moved to the side of the tunnel. Rat slunk between the women, each one several inches taller than him, his eyes lingering on their weapons.
I mimicked his wariness as I too passed between them, standing like sentinels to either side, regarding me coldly.
We came to a point where the path split, curving away to the left and right. Rat circled around to the left, then stopped at a bare patch of wall. He closed his eyes and pressed a hand against the wall, and a humming vibration shook the passage.
Like a curtain being drawn to the sides, the wall opened, revealing a chamber completely cut off from the rest of the zone. Three men, all ragged and filthy—obviously part of Kage’s gang—brandished weapons, then backed down at the sight of Rat.
An ogre of a man whose beard hung nearly to his belly set the butt of his massive two-handed axe on the ground and rested his hands on the head. He leered at the three women, showing off a mouthful of crooked, stained teeth, but his expression fell when he noticed me.
“You didn’t say nothing about another man,” he said gruffly. “Does Kage—”
“Would I be here if our master didn’t will it?” Rat wheezed. “Kage grows impatient for the relic. This man is a potent Sentry in service to a powerful highblood. Kage has instructed that he be allowed to see the shrine along with T’laya and her womenfolk.”
The burly guard didn’t seem convinced, eyeing us skeptically.
“Do you ever wish to leave here, you bloodless oaf?” Rat snapped, shoeing the three guards off of a huge carving that took up most of the floor.
The man thought about this for a moment, then deferred to Rat and moved aside. Rat waved us in, gesturing to the floor.
My eyes were drawn past it, however, to what could only be the relic so many had killed and died for.
My immediate reaction was…disappointment.
The garment, which hung suspended within a golden beam of light, was best described as armored robes. They were thick and bulky, the fabric a muted grayish brown, with dark leather pauldrons, vambraces, and a gorget. Runes were embroidered into the seams and carved along the edges of the leather armor pieces.
Putting the dated style aside, the relic armor seemed to have been made for an ogre rather than man.
‘Oh, I don’t know. It seems rather fitting,’ Regis said thoughtfully. ‘A macho dress for a macho princess.’
Something about the way the aether was moving in the room caught my eye, and I looked closer. A subtle amethyst glow of aether infused the armor.
‘Is that…?’
I think so, I confirmed, enraptured by the way aether seemed to swirl around the armor, drawn to it from throughout the zone. That’s why the atmospheric aether is so much thicker here.
T’laya crossed in front of me, breaking the relic’s spell. She kneeled down over the glyph, her fingers tracing the deep grooves in the stone floor.
The glyph was a complex series of runes, carefully arranged into concentric circles. It was ingenious, like painting a picture with words, but it was an untraditional design. I couldn’t help but think that even a professor of djinn runes would struggle to divine the exact meaning. This was made more complicated because parts had been worn away or damaged over time, and the grooves were stained reddish brown from all the blood that had been spilled here.
At the head of the glyph, it merged into a second, smaller symbol, where the suit of armor hovered within its protective barrier.
I bent down for a closer look, my fingers tracing the carved lines.
“Light guide me…” one of the ascender women breathed in wonder as she took in the shrine.
Rat sniffed. “What do you make of it?”
‘No wonder no one has figured out how to get the thing. That glyph is a mess,’ Regis said helpfully.
I reread the same section for the third time, struggling with the construction of the runes.
“It begins here,” Rat said, pointing to a break in the concentric circles near the golden light and the relic. “Perhaps it would help if you read from beginning to end.”
I moved to where he had indicated and began to translate with Regis’s aid.
‘That’s a lot of blood for a race of pacifists,’ Regis thought.
He was right. When Kage and Rat had revealed the reason for the violence infesting this zone, I had expected to discover that they were fools and had misread the djinn’s instructions, but the glyph was thick with references to blood.
‘…the blood of one who…what’s that rune say?’
I don’t recognize it, I admitted. Maybe it’s been damaged.
‘…of one who something something blood of our blood, may…be burdened? That doesn’t make any sense…’
T’laya pointed out the same rune we had struggled with, asking if anyone could read it, but they couldn’t.
My attention turned briefly to the three guards pressed against the wall. Each one was bigger—‘and dumber,’ Regis added—than just about any other ascenders I had seen, and I understood why Kage had chosen them to stand guard. Men like that showed no curiosity, and would be unlikely to think too deeply about the puzzle they stood upon, despite it being the key to a fortune they couldn’t even comprehend.
“The ancient mages were a people of peace,” I said, half to myself. “Their dedication to this ideal was so great that they didn’t defend themselves even when another race destroyed them. Instead, they built the Relictombs to keep their knowledge alive. They didn’t forge weapons or armor. That’s why this relic was locked away.” I pointed out a piece of the glyph. “They even call it ‘a shrine to futility.’”
“But the relic is also the key to leave,” Rat pointed out, picking at the whiskers on his chin. “Are you suggesting this is a dead end?” A sense of nerves settled over him. “That just can’t be…”
T’laya spat on the ground. “There is a way. There is always a way in the Relictombs.”
I returned my attention to the glyph, muttering to myself as I worked around it in a circle, translating it again from scratch. “Blood of our blood…burdened by purpose…one who…”
My brows furrowed as I reread the glyphs a few more times, focusing more on the seemingly contradictory portion of runes and piecing together what they meant.
I held in the urge to sigh at my revelation. Things were never easy.
Letting out a laugh, I got up to my feet. “I-I think I got it.”
Rat approached me, his eyes narrowing at the glyphs before giving me a guarded look. “What did you find, Grey?”
My mouth opened on its own in excitement. “The blood isn’t—”
Catching myself, I let out a cough.
I took a deep breath to slow myself. “It’s just that…I…the runes call for a certain lineage’s blood…”
Seeing my reaction, Rat softened, bowing slightly. “I apologize, Grey. Many times over the last year has someone claimed to understand the runes, but it’s never been true. I didn’t mean to discount you, I am just…wary.”
I nodded and let a smile slowly creep over my face. “It needs someone of…” Then I froze, letting my mouth hang open.
“Of what, Grey?” Rat snapped, taking a step closer to me, his expression a mixture of anticipation and frustration.
“Vritra, I’m Alacrya’s worst servant,” I moaned, looking at him in dread. “I’ve nearly forgotten about Lady Caera. Do you think she’s okay? I…I’m willing to tell you how to get the relic, but we need to make sure she is safe first.”
Rat shook his head. T’laya and her companions had stopped what they were doing and were watching me distrustfully. The three guards exchanged confused looks.
“It will be easier to free her from Kage after we’ve claimed the relic. Then we’ll have the upper hand,” Rat insisted. “Once we know how to leave…”
The ogre of an ascender took a heavy step forward and pointed his axe at Rat. “Kage didn’t send you this time, did he, Rat? You lied!”
Rat flinched away from the spittle that flew from the huge ascender's lips. Before the man could come after us, however, a golden spear burst through his neck. The other two fell in the same breath, similarly impaled as T’laya and her companions ran them through.
The tall woman ripped her spear from the dead man’s neck and pointed it at me. “Explain.”
“The blood has to…to…” I swallowed heavily. “The blood needs to be from someone of asuran descent,” I finished in a rush.
T’laya’s spear pressed against my throat. “Foolishness. Lies. That is impossible.”
“It’s not,” I hissed. “‘Spill the blood of one who has harmed the blood of our blood.’ The asuras…the asuras were the enemy of the ancient mages…”
T’laya’s hard eyes seemed to bore into mine as she searched them for the truth. After a long few seconds, she cursed and stepped back, lowering her spear. “Then we truly are doomed to rot here forever.”
I rubbed at my throat, where a bead of blood was dripping down my skin. The wound was already healed, but no one seemed to notice.
Rat was staring at me intently. I grimaced. His eyes narrowed. “What is it, Grey?”
I hesitated until T’laya let out an angry huff, then said, “Lady Caera…she is of Highblood Denoir, but not by birth. She is Vritra-blooded.”
Rat’s eyes flashed, his gaze so intense that I could feel it like a physical presence, then realized there was some physical sensation, like kneading fingers working through my brain. Rat’s face split into a wide, satisfied grin, and he raised a hand.
My body simply stopped responding. Somewhere deep down in my consciousness I could feel a nearly-imperceptible hum that was more in my bones than my ears. A sound-attribute spell, directly attacking my nervous system to paralyze me. My back was to the others, but I was sure they were affected just the same.
‘It’s a regalia,’ Regis said in realization. ‘Some kind of sound-based paralysis spell. It’s pretty strong.’
That was true. The appropriate mana shielding would prevent it from working, but the way it directly attacked the nervous system made it very effective. Physical strength made no difference in my ability to counter it.
Rat’s beady black eyes twitched as he watched me, his hands clenched together in front of his chest. “You’re dangerously clever,” he said, licking his lips. “The ruse with the girl…Kage was a fool to make assumptions so quickly. I knew right away you weren’t just some Sentry hiding his mana signature.”
He tapped his head. “Another of my many very useful runes. I can hear the flow of your blood, the beating of your heart, the air whooshing through your lungs. I can tell when someone is lying. And since I know you were telling the truth just now, thankfully there is no more need for this charade on either of our parts. It has been an interesting duel—who can pretend to be more weak and pathetic—but I’m tired of it. Thank you, Grey, for your assistance.”
‘Art, what should I do? I—’
I told Regis what I needed from him, and he lapsed into silence.
With a lazy grin, Rat drew a long curved dagger from his belt and walked up to me. He kept eye contact as he drew the blade across my throat, and I could distantly feel the warmth of my blood spilling down my front.
My body collapsed to the ground, and Rat leaned over me. Although I couldn’t move, I could still feel it as the dagger plunged into my side, my back, and finally my heart. My eyes fluttered closed, and my breath stilled.
RAT
Blood pooled under the golden-eyed ascender’s body as he slumped lifelessly.
“Looks like you were of use after all.” I wiped the blade with the sleeve of Grey’s arm before standing up and turning to face T’laya.
The tall, proud ascender stood motionless, her companions flanking her. The rest of her people would fall quickly without these three, I was sure. I waved my dagger in front of T’laya’s bloodshot eyes. Although she couldn’t move, I could tell from the steady rhythm of her heartbeat that she already knew what was about to happen.
The sonic stasis spell was beginning to wear on me, so I didn’t take the time to savor their deaths the way I would have liked. Once she lay dead next to her companions, I released my spell and took a weary, joyful breath.
“One last sacrifice before the end,” I said, holding my dagger up to the relic like a toast.
Channeling mana into one of my lesser runes, I pressed my hand to the ground. “Kage. Bring her.”
If that degenerate had followed my instructions, he would already be nearby with the highblood. There was no way to be entirely sure that Grey could solve the problem of the relic, but I had sensed the unshakable confidence he held in himself.
It had been a genuine surprise to learn the woman’s secret. Although he’d left the most important part unsaid, I had heard the subtle variations of his tone that gave it away. Not only was Lady Caera Vritra-blooded, but her blood had also manifested. Without Grey’s assistance, I might have committed the error of piercing her core and giving her to Kage. Knowing that she carried Vritra blood, though…that changed things.
Kage arrived a minute or two later, dragging Lady Caera behind him. Her jaw clenched when she caught sight of her companion’s body on the floor. “Was killing him really necessary?”
“Lady Caera of Highblood Denoir,” I said, giving her a slight bow. Her mouth snapped shut. “Blood of the Vritra.” Her mouth formed into a tight line, and her face paled. I grinned with mirth at the sight. Moving to stand just in front of her, I tweaked the chains that held her wrists. “Do you have any idea how useful mana canceling restraints are on an ascent? And these are particularly high-level variations. You just never know when you’ll need to disable an enemy—or ally—when there are accolades to be claimed.”
Her chin lifted, emphasizing how she looked down on me. “If you know my blood, then you wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me…”
Chuckling, I reached out and fumbled around her neck for the artifact I knew must be there. When my hand wrapped around the thin chain, I gave it a sharp jerk, tearing it off her neck.
Horns appeared from the sides of her head, sweeping forward and up, with secondary prongs pointing back, framing her head like a black laurel. I rang a finger along the hard, smooth surface, momentarily struck by them. She quivered in suppressed rage but didn’t pull away. Instead, she spoke with forced calm, her scarlet eyes narrowed into two bloody daggers.
“When we leave here, I will have both a living relic and a Vritra-blood. Imagine it, Lady Caera. I arrive with a tale of discovering you in this convergence zone, half dead, betrayed by your most faithful servant…You wouldn’t be the same, of course, not after everything you’ve seen, but you are alive. And with the wealth acquired from the relic, perhaps the Denoirs would even find me to be a suitable husband for your shattered self?” I gave her a mocking smile. “In a single day, I will become the most famous ascender in Alacrya. I bet I’ll even get an audience with the High Sovereign. Perhaps, for the relic-finder, he would deign to marry us himself?” My smile faltered as I had a curious thought. “Why did you do it? Why hide this beautiful gift?”
Those deadly scarlet eyes only glared back at me.
“Well, enough time for such intimate conversation later. For now…” Tugging on the horn, I dragged the struggling woman across the zone—making sure she had to step over the body of her dead companion on the way—and kicked the back of her leg so she fell to her knees.
Wrenching her hands up by the manacles constraining them, I drew a bloody line across her palm with my dagger, then shoved her to the ground, where her bleeding hand slammed into the carved stone of the floor, smearing across the glyph.
To my disappointment, she hadn’t so much as gasped in pain, but that was a trifling thought compared to what was about to unfold.
Except…nothing happened.
Letting out a put upon sigh, I felt some of my good mood slip away. “I was really hoping I could have both my prizes, but alas. We do not always get everything we hope for, do we, m’lady?”
Once again taking her by the horn, I spun Lady Caera to face me, doing her the honor of not slitting her throat from behind. Her eyes focused on something behind me, widening, and a smile spread over her face instead of the terror I should have seen.
Turning slowly, I found Grey on his feet, his wounds healed, his skin unblemished by my blade. But I knew I had stabbed him…cut his throat, pierced his heart…the blood still soaking his clothes proved I had!
Kage cursed and drew his scimitar, but he did not get the chance to attack. A black shadow burst out of Grey’s body, slamming Kage to the ground. I hardly noticed, unable to look away from Grey’s golden eyes.
It all made sense now: that impossible confidence the man couldn’t hide. Even now I couldn’t sense his mana at all. Not because he was some odd little Sentry, capable of masking his presence…no. It was because he was just that much stronger than me…but I’d taken down bigger, stronger, harder bastards than me before.
My core ached as I pushed mana into my regalia again, casting sonic stasis. A low hum of sound vibrated out from me, the exact frequency required to interrupt the nervous system, preventing all movement.
The shadow wolf froze in place, its jaws hanging over Kage’s face, drool dripping off massive teeth. Kage was paralyzed as well, on his back under the creature, his mouth open in a howl more fear than battle-cry. Behind me, I heard Lady Caera’s breath stop in her lungs.
The golden-eyed ascender was motionless. I smirked and twirled my dagger for him to see.
“Do I need to sever your head from your neck to ensure you don’t get back up again? Perhaps, after I’ve done that, I’ll burn it just to be safe.”
Impossibly, he shook his head. “I’d rather you don’t.”
Although I could see the certainty of my own death blazing within his eyes, I refused to go down without a fight. Spinning, I lunged for Lady Caera. If I could use her as a hostage, then—
Then he was next to me, the handle of a jagged amethyst dagger glowing between his fingers, the blade in my belly. In my core. My magic released with a burst of angry static that made my ears ring. I could hear the woman’s steady breathing, and Kage’s growling as the beast pinned him to the floor.
The strength left my body as I sank to the ground at Grey’s feet. My blood flowed freely, filling the grooves of the glyph.
Above me, the golden light began to flicker. With the last piece of my strength, I stretched to see the relic.
The barrier, so long impenetrable, faded away.
A/N: FOR DISCORD USERS, PLEASE DO NOT DISCUSS THIS IN CHANNEL #NOVEL-TALK AND KEEP TO PATREON-ONLY CHANNELS UNTIL THE CHAPTER IS RELEASED ON TAPAS TO PREVENT SPOILERS. THANK YOU. <3
Comments
LadyAlleta
Was Arthur truly affected by the sound Mana tho? The first time it was used? I could understand the second time, him using aether against it but the first time?
Alin Simionoiu
OR the blood needed is the blood of a descendent of the djin..."blood of our blood". no clue if that's even remotely true
Demian Buckle
Thank you for the Chapter.
Arthur has more than enough Asura blood for this, I believe the blood needed is probably indrath because they were the real enemies of Djinn, so it is not Asura blood in general
Wait a minute huh???? Did the barrier disappear was rat an asura or :/ did art do his main character stuff
Ok but what if Rat stabbed Arthur’s core? Could he have?
CJ Virginelli
Wait did I miss something or did grey create a dagger out of aether
Wonderful
Do we finally get dark mode for Patreon
Jennie (Eirine)
Daaaark! <3 Love it!
Grey the King just always keeps getting more badass every chapter!! He seriously has no limit, KEEP IT UP TURTLE ME ❤️
Nico Carter
yeeeaaah i’m confused
FOXY_THE_FOX
just a few min more and next chapter comes out, hopefully, been already 7 days now i think
Fluxxx
Or he might have been the mentor which taught Reina about Aether... (Just a thought)
Bernardo De Cabrio
The comment before this one got me thinking and I decided to do some research. This brought me to the finding of what's probably the name origin for Mordain Asclepius, the Phoenix prince mentioned a few chapters ago. Turns out Asclepius is the name of the god of medicine, healing, etc. in Greek mythology commonly known for his snake-entwined staff, which is used as the symbol for medicine and health care. This brings me to the theory that the lost prince might be a doctor somewhere in Alacrya. Or an even more stupid theory: Mordain was the doctor who was there when Arthur was born at the beginning of the story. TL; DR: Mordain might be a doctor.
Bernardo De Cabrio
Obviously they both got it from Hinduism. Their names and part of their identity inspired the characters from TBATE. As for High School DxD: I'm pretty sure that pretty much any religion that exists is part of the DxD universe, as are their gods and mythical creatures or in fact anything from those religions. Honestly, you just have to read the first two paragraphs from wikipedia for the Indra article to get the template for "Indrath vs Vritra".
Chris Chelette
So who copied who? Just found out that the vitra and Indra and asuras are all in The light novel of high school DXD
I wonder how long it will be until the victoriad i wanna say maybe 3-5 chapters maybe considering pov changes but even then i doubt i dont think turtle will spend to much more time making art train the kids since he will be in the tombs. Idk wat art plans to do at the victoriad since he wants to stay lowkey but at the sametime he might have to fight since nico will try to engage him and maybe seris will too
I think both are same in different ways
Breamson 𒉭
Arthur doesn't know he is a descendant of the djinn though......
who is more evil the Vritra clan or the Indrath clan
yeah, he is just a little bit of everything will he get dragon wings or turn into a dragon or basilisk.
Dillon smith
Holy shit arthur is so smart
I just realized art has idrath blood vritra blood and djinn blood
Axel Karlsson
When they get out of the relictombs, they will find that greys classroom is completly empty, remember that during all of this, the students are going through bestowment, everyone will either have an emblem or a regalia and when grey returns they will propably have been sent away
Breamson 𒉭
Arthur doesn't knows that he's a descendant of the djinn, so he probably thought exactly what he said was the truth
Chickita Banana
Would be dope if it could teach arthur the technique the djinn used, the one where arthur couldnt touch him
Bernardo De Cabrio
Alright, alright, alright! Let's see what we've got. A set of armor which perhaps 1. will teach Arthur how to use a superior version of mana rotation but for aether (since we already know that he kind of absorbs aether wherever he goes and the density is kind of high around the relic). 2. disguises the user, setting Arthur up as an unknown contender for the victoriad (unlikely, but I like the idea) 3. is like the hot swap armor the Granbehls had, so he can quickly change into it 4. can change to fit the user, both in size and taste (which would be real fancy) 5. can boost aether usage efficiency (kind of lame, but probably helpful in creating an aether weapon) 6. is a combination of the ones above. What do you think the armor will do?
That’s what I’m talking about 😈
So much hypeee!!! Maybe Arthur Will reveal his Blood to caera? I cant wait!! Thanks for the chapter turtle, keep the good work!!!
You have a valid point, but I feel Arthur is at least partly aware of his connection with the mages of old. I'm sure all will be revealed in later chapters.
Jesse Gibson
Ugh my love for this, too much. The manipulation of this situation to fit the conditions, Arthur.. just brilliant. TurtleMe you are a genius -god I loved this.
Jesse Gibson
Brilliant yessssss couldn’t have explained it better, this was pure brilliance!
Yes but Arthur doesn't know that he is of Djinn descent. It's Ellie who learnt that from Rina. Art was not there. So Art may have truly thought that the Indrath blood in him would work but created all that drama to blur the fact that he was actually half Asura.
Rats blood worked because he stabbed Arthur.. The relic tombs are “alive” and watching everything… if Arthur had killed Rat earlier, it would have done nothing. It was only after Rat had “spilled the blood of a person of Djinn descent” i.e. Arthur.. that in turn spilling Rats blood would break the seal… so Arthur tricked Rat into becoming the key to the barrier…
The runes say "Spill the blood of one who has harmed the blood of our blood." In episode 838, Blood of the Ancients, we're told that Arthur is a descendent of the djinn... he's 'the blood of our blood'. Rat slit Arthur's throat, therefore becoming the one who has harmed 'the blood of our blood'. What can we conclude? Rat's blood will now unlock the relic, and Arthur is a manipulative little shit. :)
isn't arthur already kind of an aether magnet? maybe the armour is more about defense abilities and will disappear once arthur gains insight allowing him to nullfy damage like that simulation fight he had with the djinn. I'd imagine it would be redundant to have a relic that absorbs ambient aether when arthur can do the same. Lastly I'd expect all aether in the zone to be inside the armour since it has existed for centuries. It wouldn't make sense for an aether magnet to not have every little particular stuck to its poles, if you put 2 objects in an empty universe on opposite ends, after many many eons will they eventually make contact since gravity does not have limited range.
Eh ren
Ofc one chapter is really never enough
Friendly consumer
No it requires a descendant of the ancient mages, and grey above him is covered in his own blood so it activated.
I had this understanding in mind as I read through the chapter as well. Regardless, the statement that Arthur made about asuran blood being a key was not a lie because it was just another version of the truth. This makes me wonder if Arthur's blood would have worked, considering he is part asuran.
I saw something similar to my theory up above but here is my conplete theory on how it may have worked, so it stated that "Spill the blood of one who has harmed the blood of our blood." Now if we take into account the alycrean way of talking blood often refers to family, if we do a bit of interpreting to more modern English I feel like it would sound a lot like "spill the blood of someone who has harmed our family" (the family being the ancient mages), now since Arthur is a defendant of the ancient mages as stated by Rinia, since rat harmed him rat fulfills the criteria since he has harmed the family of the djins and thus his blood deactivates the portal
Ali
tbh i dont think he would of died from that, think he can sustain his body with aether alone, doesnt need a pumping heart
Since rat was stabbed in his core does that have something to do with the barrier breaking down
Art is so badass I can’t wait for him to rematch against cadell
Sounds pretty plausible
Bernardo De Cabrio
Honestly, he'll probably just leave and let the people find the exit, that the relic will probably leave behind once it's taken. Not many people saw him and those that did either thought of him as a servant or are dead.
Fletcher Green
this relic is going to be so beneficial to Arthur cause from that explanation it sounds like it's a literal aether magnet
Fluxxx
Its not the indrath‘s blood that activated the relic, its the fact that he is a decendant of the ancient mages (because his mother is a emiter). So there should be atleast some others which are able to pass.
Theoritically it cant be the indrath's blood. Think about it this way who other than grey, like ever, could get past this level. First of all they are the strongest asura and secondly who would bring their blood in the relictombs.
when Arthur was stabbed in the heart I wonder if he died for a small amount of time While his heart was in a way being resuscitated by regis. So would that mean that regis does indeed not die if Arthur dies? Or maybe regis would slowly disipate until all his Aether was gone or something like that.
I think since Arthur is a decedent of the mages is why rats blood worked bc the riddle asked for the enemy’s blood to be spilled and since Arthur’s enemy at the time was rat is worked idk tho
Varday Jacobs
I hope he tells her straight up in exchange for finding out who her mentor is
I feel like caera is gonna learn the truth about him soon. If she presses him for how he figured out the relic.
It's the same as in the comic expect what's written in the note is different.
Aya Ryuo
Holy, this was such a good chapter
Dennis
Amazing chapter as always! Thank you very much for the great story! On another note, can anyone explain to me how Arthur got another marble elixir in chapter 83? The first one he got in Windsoms Shop and Tess absorbed it when her beast will was trying to take over, getting black hair etc. When Arthur stepped through the portal and met Windsom for the first time in his human form, he had another marble elixir. Where did he get that from or from whom? In the comic it is explained: he went back to the shop and found it with a note. The note is not mentioned in the novel... Appreciate any help xD
Michael Malcolm
I love how you placed two POVs in the same chapter. And how Rat's pov added to the thought process that Grey had "died" even heightening the suspense of what would happen next.
I love when Authors do this though I still fell for it lol. Names often carry meanings in a story. The guy's name was Rat. It was Right there staring me in the face, and yet, for some reason I still fell for his bullshit weakling act. Also to the people in the comments who are so brilliant, thanks for explaining the puzzle. It makes sense. "Blood of someone who harms our blood". Grey is a descendant of the Djinn through his diviner mother, thus making him blood of the Djinn. In order to solve the puzzle, Grey knew he needed to be harmed by someone and Rat basically took up the offer to be the sacrifice for this lol. Then thanks to harming Grey, Rat's blood was now able to be used to solve the puzzle.
Breezy
Hehehehehehehe!!! Love it when Grey pulls a fast one. Never gets old
William Reid Thompson
Totally called it on Rat. Also super interesting seal.
Jon Chefitz
Awesome chapter I love the twist with Rat being the true mastermind, I am so excited for next week's chapter, and to see the final explanation on what actually caused the barrier to go down. Also from the brief description, we got it sounds like our boy is about to get some sweet new armor and its armor that attracts Aether from the sound of it. Thanks so much for the chapter Turtle and see everyone again next Friday!
xroninx
I’m impressed that turtle came up with that little side plot within the whole puzzle and the twists in this chapter. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy rereading previous chaps for little things like this that you can miss.
The key is not asuran blood. Arthur is a descendent of the djinn, Rat harmed and spilled Arthur's blood, that was the prerequisite which made Rat's blood the key.
Hi Its Fire!
As always another great chapter, my addiction to this novel cannot be filled!
Breamson 𒉭
That was such a great chapter. I just want to thank you, TurtleMe, because every chapter is always great and really enjoyable. This chapter especially had me on edge while I read it. Its always so depressing to wait another week, but its always worth it. Excited to see what the relic is capable of.
I wonder if it’s actual or armor or A relic that will teach him a defense god rune/ spell form maybe? Or maybe it has knowledge of all the defensive spell forms the djinn had????
Breamson 𒉭
I think he will do it. It would have been unwise to reveal that he's of asura blood and also ignore Caeras situation
Carth
Well this ascent ended a lot quicker than I could’ve imagined from the setup last week. Had butterflies in my stomach nonetheless. Can’t wait for the next one!
I like how you answered your own question lmao I’m pretty sure he shielded himself with Aether or formed a barrier around his ears with Aether and even if he didn’t just standing still with his hand out in a stabbing jester he could’ve just formed the Aether blade with his mind since it doesn’t take a movement it’s more mental work then anything same thing with god step also I doubt anyone in Alacrya besides the Vritra with their decay magic can stop Arthur’s Aether healing it’s a smart suggestion just not plausible because who tf can control Aether besides the Asura’s and Arthur which is currently an unknown entity to most. So why would alacryans carry around Aether inhibiting artifacts? Oh yeah they simply don’t 😂 plus not even the indrath clan can manipulate Aether the way Arthur can so I don’t think any artifact could hold Arthur down unless Arthur himself made it.
Breamson 𒉭
Doesn't it just mean Arthurs blood? "Spill the blood of one who harmed the blood of our blood" refers to the Djinn, doesn't it? The blood of the ones who harmed the djinn has to be spilled. That should just mean the dragon race, because the Vritra didn't attack and didn't kill the djinn. Thats the reason why Caeras blood didn't work, because she's Vritra blooded, but you actually need the blood of the dragon race. So it should be Arthurs blood that is needed
AntiMatterDynamite
ok time to kill everyone so that they wont snitch about arthur stealing the relic
Kate Yen
So the inscription is "Spill the blood of one who harmed the blood of our blood." To get the meaning we need to work in reverse. "Our blood" presumably means the ancient mages' blood; but do they mean blood literally or as in family (or something else, like maybe code for aether)? Going from there, the "blood of our blood" is even more ambiguous. "Harming blood" doesn't make sense with a literal interpretation of blood (how can you harm a liquid?) so it probably means something else, such as family. So then, roughly "Spill the blood of one who harmed the family of our blood." To go further, we can take the known fact that Rats blood fulfills this criteria. So "blood of our blood" is something or someone that Rat harmed, which in this case almost certainly refers to Caera or Grey. Probably Grey, so then he is "blood of [the ancient mages'] blood" - because he can use aether? Looking forward to an explanation in future chapters
Michael Liogky
Hyped to see what the relic is like next chapter.
Jan
Nice chapter but I kinda don’t get why grey didn’t use his blood to get it
Best expected plot twist…. I hope we get an in-depth explanation of how he massacres everyone In that zone next chapter or saves everyone? Who knows
Xandralas Chaos
Art's blood
Xandralas Chaos
Art's blood, the blood of an Djin descant
Gavin
Wait why did the relic deactivate
Justin Barnett
And now another painful week.
if there is a way to stop his aether intake, he can be killed. as long as there's ambient aether, arthur is pretty much immortal. Rat was a great surprise villain, he had a very convincing act and even had arthur convinced with the line about family. thankfully rat's regalia does not disrupt aether otherwise this might've been the end. I'm really curious what the armor has to offer though.
xroninx
Had a feeling rat was hiding something. Arthur healing from basically 3-4 fatal wounds at once is pretty nice, basically nothing can kill him at this point.
Hmm, I'm a little confused why rat's regalia didn't work the second time when grey revived, I'm assuming grey felt the sensation and went along with rat's scheme to bring caera within range of safety so he could take down the others without worrying about her. Though it does seem like it actually worked, however, rereading it, grey mentioned that with mana shielding, he would have been unaffected so rat caught him off guard the first time. then when rat activated it the second, grey was ready and protected himself with aether shielding. Crazy to think how close grey was to death over there, imagine if rat knew he relied on aether for healing, if he had something that could disrupt that, he would have been as good as dead, another reason that he has to constantly be ready that anyone will turn the tables on him because rat had us fooled. Really had me on the edge of my seat, amazing chapter as usual and the perspective change was great.
Kholas
Perfect
Amazing chapter turtle, worth every moment of set up. Keep up the great work
Awesome chapter
SouperRiskyyy
Lesss goooo
Let's Gooooo I thought we were gonna have a different perspective this week
Ow yes!
♥
