Kael was immersed in the exhilaration of comprehending the Crimson Moon Divine Rune, so much so that he didn't even bother wiping the sweat from his brow, his face alight with joy. Though he was nearly obsessive in his pursuit of magic, the Heaven-Sent Divine Runes had long eluded him—until now, he had only mastered the Silver Star Divine Rune, never progressing further.
Breaking through to the Crimson Moon Divine Rune filled him with immense confidence and motivation, leaving him electrified.
"A few more rounds of practice!"
It was already deep into the night, but Kael paid no heed, his spirits soaring. He downed several mana potions to replenish his reserves and resumed his drills.
With each spellcast, a mysterious crimson crescent moon flickered in the air, its arcane brilliance mesmerizing. To Kael's surprise, the casting process felt unnaturally smooth—his mind was serene, his thoughts crystalline.
The incantation spilled from his lips like rapid-fire gunshots, the complex syllables completing at blinding speed. The Crimson Moon Divine Rune had indeed granted his spellcasting a qualitative leap!
"With this, not only is my casting speed drastically improved, but my mind remains perfectly clear—no risk of magical backlash! Even if the enemy uses disruption spells like Mana Disarray, they won't be able to interfere!" Kael discovered yet another benefit of the Crimson Moon Divine Rune, his satisfaction swelling.
The advantages of this breakthrough were monumental—no wonder even a prodigy like him had struggled to attain it until now.
Had he possessed this during his duel with Einar, victory would have been even more assured.
Of course, their earlier clash had been a straightforward contest of raw power, settled in just three spell exchanges. A true life-or-death battle would have been far more brutal.
After a night of relentless practice, Kael was drenched in sweat, his mana reserves significantly drained. Though his supply of mana potions was ample, the sheer intensity of his training left him somewhat fatigued.
He glanced outside—the sky was still dim, dawn yet to break.
"Might as well rest and recharge. The Grand Speaker's duel with the Pontiff is today!" The mere thought of witnessing a clash between two of the world's strongest sent a thrill through him.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, however—
A clear, resonant bell tolled through the camp.
Infused with magic, the sound pierced directly into everyone's minds, instantly banishing Kael's drowsiness.
This was the Clarion Bell—a signal that the Sacred Council's leadership was convening. Something major had happened.
As a newly minted high-ranking member, Kael had no choice but to rush to the Grand Speaker's tent at once!
By the time Kael arrived at the tent, the area was already brightly lit, with rows of black-armored warriors from the Divine Martial Order standing guard outside, their expressions grim as if bracing for catastrophe.
The Divine Martial Order was the Sacred Council's most elite combat force—fifty thousand soldiers, each capable of facing a hundred foes alone. Now, thousands of them had encircled the command tent, leaving Kael bewildered. What could have happened?
"Greetings, my lord!"
As Kael approached, the nearby Divine Martial Order knights crossed their fists in salute. His current status in the Sacred Council placed him just below the Twelve Senators, earning him such deference.
Kael nodded and stepped inside, where he found nearly all the council members already assembled—Zorath the Silent among them.
The Grand Speaker sat at the center, while before the gathered leaders knelt a man in his thirties—tall, lean, and covered in wounds. His tattered robes were stained with blood, and under the glow of the magical lamps, his injuries looked even more gruesome—deep gashes had torn through his flesh, exposing muscle in several places.
"What the hell happened, Bloodshadow? Weren't you leading the campaign against the Bloodkin in the Southern Continent? How did you end up like this? Where are the three thousand elite Divine Martial Order troops under your command?" Zorath the Silent blurted out, his voice sharp with urgency.
Bloodshadow!
Hearing the name, Kael immediately recognized the man's identity. Bloodshadow—Vice-Commander of the Divine Martial Order, second only to Blazing Hand. A pillar of the Sacred Council and one of the Grand Speaker's most trusted lieutenants.
Already weakened by his injuries, Bloodshadow coughed violently at Zorath's barrage of questions before rasping out a reply:
"It's… the Bloodkin…"
"What?! The Bloodkin? The intel said there were only a few hundred of them! How the hell could they possibly defeat three thousand elite Divine Martial Order troops under your command?!" Zorath the Silent's eyes bulged in disbelief.
Bloodshadow shook his head with a bitter smile. "Forget it—we were all deceived by the intel."
"So there are more? Just how many Bloodkin are there?" Zorath the Silent pressed, grabbing Bloodshadow's collar so tightly the man could barely breathe.
Kael, too, began to grasp the gravity of the situation.
Back when Zorath the Silent had first recruited Kael, he'd mentioned that the major factions had gathered at Thousand Moon Lake because of Bloodkin sightings near Dusk Moon City in the Southern Continent.
At the time, Zorath had dismissed the Bloodkin as a mere pretext—just an excuse for the Holy Temple and other powers to challenge the Sacred Council's authority.
But now, it was clear the threat was far more dire.
A cough from the Grand Speaker silenced Zorath, who reluctantly released Bloodshadow's collar.
The Grand Speaker turned to Bloodshadow. "Report. What exactly happened?"
"Your Excellency, I have failed in my duty and accept any punishment! You dispatched three thousand of us to investigate the Bloodkin near Dusk Moon City. According to our intel, their numbers shouldn't have exceeded a few hundred. But en route… we were ambushed by a massive Bloodkin force!" Bloodshadow panted, struggling to speak.
"An ambush? By how many?"
"At least a thousand—and nearly all of them were ninth-tier or higher. Their leader… was a Bloodkin Duke!"
"A Duke?!"
"Over a thousand Bloodkin?!"
A murmur of shock rippled through the tent. The two revelations in Bloodshadow's report were staggering.
Not only had they faced a thousand Bloodkin—but one of them was a Duke!
Among the Bloodkin, nobility directly correlated with power. A Duke was equivalent to a human legendary archmage—a twelfth-tier or higher powerhouse!
As for the rank above—a Bloodkin Prince—that would match a fourteenth-tierhuman expert. And the mythical, never-seen Bloodkin Emperor? That would rival a Divine Mage.
"A Bloodkin Duke appearing in the Southern Continent—this alone warrants the Sacred Council's full attention."
"Correct." Bloodshadow gasped for breath before continuing, "I am at the peak of the eleventh tier, yet that Bloodkin Duke was twelfth-tier! I struck with all my might, but he overpowered me in five moves. Only by using the secret technique Your Excellency bestowed did I manage to escape. All three thousand elite Divine Martial Order troops were annihilated. I await your punishment!"
The tent fell into dead silence.
Everyone was speechless. In truth, Bloodshadow was no weakling—yet he had encountered both a Bloodkin Duke and over a thousand elite Bloodkin. No one could have anticipated this.
"Damn it all... a Bloodkin Duke, over a thousand Bloodkin..." Zorath the Silent sucked in a sharp breath, his scalp tingling with dread.
The Grand Speaker's eyelids lifted slightly. "A Bloodkin Duke..." His tone was contemplative, revealing neither anger nor satisfaction.
"Your Excellency, I suspect the Bloodkin forces far exceed that number. They may have turned Dusk Moon City into a stronghold. Our intelligence was completely wrong!" Bloodshadow added.
"Rise." The Grand Speaker's voice was calm.
Bloodshadow hesitated before obeying, his face etched with shame. The crushing defeat clearly weighed heavily on him.
"Bloodshadow, this was not a failure of combat, but of intelligence. You bear no blame." The Grand Speaker turned to the guards. "Escort Bloodshadow to the healers."
Divine Martial Order soldiers immediately stepped forward to support Bloodshadow as he left.
The Grand Speaker raised his head, massaging his temples. The harsh glow from the crystal lamps above made him squint slightly. After a long pause, his gaze swept across the assembled leaders.
"What are your thoughts on this matter?"
...