The sickbed also wasn't far from them. It was a narrow wooden bed. As he scanned around, none of them was aware that he had become awake.

He couldn't have a clear view of the newcomer but he could see his white robe and a cape worn in the passion of southerners.

"Yunusu, welcome back. How did it go? Have you discovered anything yet?"

Abdin's entire body stilled. Yunusu? It was Sulat who asked the question and the young man that just entered nodded - indicating he was Yunusu.

"Just as I thought," the man called Yunusu replied. "Only Dadiyan came in with their army apart from Biyakis. Ura and Shurein aren't that many, and I suspect they only sent their people who were already residing in Biyakis. Though at the moment anyone could enter without any hindrance since the dwellers aren't united enough to initiate any security in the castle. As of now, the activities of thieves and burglars are rampant in different parts of the castle, especially around the areas housing the ordinary people."

Yunusu sat himself down on the remaining chair and sighed wearily. "Have you come to a decision yet?"

Sulat was the first to answer. "Walik and I agreed to surrender Commander. It is better to give him away to salvage the situation rather than allow people to keep losing their lives for nothing. Renga, Tairen, and Cemu seem to disagree. Since you are now here, we shall vote again. Anyone in support should raise his hand."

Sulat and Walik both raised their hands and after some hesitation, Tairen joined them. Abdin was surprised to see that Yunusu didn't raise his hand.

"It is three versus three then," Sulat said. "What do we do now? Without making a decision, the war will find us here very soon, and no one will be spared."

By now, Abdin had understood what was happening. He had been unconscious for some time now. The councilmen were the ones taking care of him as he recuperated. They had probably believed he would come sooner, but now that it was taking too long, they were beginning to change their minds.

Renga and Cemu were the only ones who didn't deny him despite the threat they faced. Abdin didn't know who the newcomer was but his silhouette did look like his dead cousin, Yunusu. Though his cultivation seemed to be only at the foundation establishment stage.

Could it be a coincidence? His appearance with such a name at such a time... Abdin had a bad feeling about it.

He made a telepathic command and immediately after, a hundred golems surrounded the room.

Thirty of them entered the room from the floor. Their ability to model themselves with the earth eased their entry without notice.

They were at the moment awaiting his command beneath the floor. Abdin would listen from the trusted golems to all that had happened while he was unconscious. But right now...

"Renga, Cemu, Yunusu, you are aware that we can't let you ruin our plans. Either you concede or..."

Sulat's voice rang through the room, interrupting Abdin.

"Or what?" Asked Renga. He understood his rival's unspoken threat and he knew that he wasn't strong enough to face Walik and Tairen. But Sulat shouldn't be a problem. He wasn't about to let them surrender Commander whatever the case as long as he breathed.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Or we fix you," replied Sulat. "Do you honestly believe we would let you lead us to our doom?"

Renga slapped the narrow table. "You have been wanting to surrender him all along! Stop hiding behind some stupid reasons. You wanted to do this since he refused to make you the chief security officer."

Sulat stood up and released his cultivation. The atmosphere began to heat up as the two men poised to attack each other.

The room was tiny and the space was cramped. With many spies wandering the castle, it wouldn't be long before they were found out.

"Enough." Tairen released his cultivation and pushed the two men apart.

"How are we sure he wouldn't be hurt if we surrender him?" Tairen asked no one in particular. "We have agreed to serve him for ten years, and we aren't about to break that just because he is unconscious. We have to make sure he wouldn't come to any harm if we surrender him."

The room became noisy again as they deliberate. Everyone talking at once and striving to talk over the other.

Tired of trying to listen over the din, Abdin tried to sit up, but he felt a crackling pain that prevented him from doing so.

His core was on fire from the pain, and his soul disc began to glow.

[You have used a skill above your cultivation level. Penalty: 111 years.]

The black Ayrid in him would always absorb pol to heal him if he didn't die straightway. It was a skill that worked like a contract. But it had also taken 111 years to heal him from the attack of the six Deva powerhouses.

He was yet to figure out how his amputated limbs were able to regrow. The black Ayrid only worked in the healing of the soul, not the body.

Suddenly, the realization that his core carried a second soul disc startled him. Every cultivator only had a single disc, which only split when someone's soul was splitting or when their cultivation was being taken.

The first and last time Abdin's disc split was during his competition against Yunusu as he took over his cultivation.

Seeing two soul discs floating in his core, his heart pounded even faster.

Did something happen while he lay unconscious? He knew that Yunusu was around the castle, hence his earlier precautions. But Abdin wasn't dead yet. Even Yunusu couldn't take his bloodline unless he was dead.

The smaller of the disc bore the words:

[Nuhu's bloodline: 65:35]

[Time blood: 50:50]

Abdin felt his world upturned. During their competition with Yunusu long ago, the bloodline skill called Nuhu's bloodline, which was the name for the skill responsible for summoning castle, was at 50:50. That meant both of them had the same control over the skill. It changed to 80:20 after his victory, making his control over it stronger.

After his adventure at his cousin's tomb, it again changed to 90:10. That was when he gained complete control over it. According to his sister, the 10% that remained were off limits for him even in death.

Surprisingly, the skill now had changed to 65:35. Meaning that Yunusu had absorbed 25% during the time he was unconscious.

That more or less confirmed his cousin's presence around the castle. There was a Yunusu in the room with him right now.

That aside, the time blood had always been at 50:50. But since it had only appeared several years after Yunusu's death, Abdin didn't take it as an indication that his cousin was alive. It only became clear now.

Looking at the current ratio of 65:35 for the bloodline skill... Abdin was puzzled. He didn't feel his control over the castle changed in any way. If he suddenly lost 25%, his control should be affected. He felt there was more to it.

For now, Munniq and Origin could wait, but Yunusu couldn't and shouldn't wait. To Abdin, losing Nuhu's bloodline and the time blood was akin to losing everything he ever possessed.

He immediately came to a decision and gave his orders. A golem appeared behind the young man called Yunusu from beneath the floor and before anyone could react, it grabbed him by the neck.