“I’m having a really bad day.”

King Anthor muttered as he strode through the panicked halls. Servants and soldiers alike were frantically running about, trying to escape the palace and avoid whatever unfortunate fate was to come. Even still, he remained calm, cool, and collected.

“Who gave it away? Each of the guards are silenced by contract… Karbone? No, there’s no way. He mentioned the alchemist… but that boy is weak. No, there’s just no way.”

He shook his head as he mentally checked off all possibilities.

“Even that elder from the alchemist association is under contract… Elder Binks was it? Couldn’t have been him. Perhaps someone found a body from the Blood Lake… No, that can’t be. The men should have disposed of each body properly by feeding it to the dreadkin… huh, I wonder how much it’s grown?”

Pushing open a door, he paused at the entry way and inspected the room. Elaborately designed curtains covered the windows, while ornamental wooden sculptures were displayed along the walls. Sparkling jewels and glowing orbs rested on cushioned pillows while encased in glass. In the far back of the room was a massive bed, easily able to accommodate a handful of bodies.

“After all these years, he was never able to make something of himself.”

The king clicked his tongue in disappointment as his eyes focused on the only other person in the room—Prince Marlow.

“How uncomfortable…”

He commented upon seeing his son, a tangled and upside-down mess, as he slept with his legs dangling over his head. It was difficult to imagine how the prince had gotten into such a position while sleeping, or was he placed like that the whole time?

“Whatever, it’s best that he’s asleep anyway.”

King Anthor wasted no time and with a single step, he appeared before the prince. He reached out and grasped his son by his shirt, before tucking him underarm like an oversized dog. Prince Marlow continued to snore without a care, despite the rough handling.

Exiting the room, the king’s vision turned fierce. He kicked off from his position with a mysterious level of footwork and navigated his way through the halls. To the others in the palace, he was but a blur. However, if one were to watch closely they would have seen subtle pools of blood appearing beneath his every step.

Down the stairs, past the columns, and into the basement he went. Away from the cacophony and chaos, he finally found peace amongst the dimly lit pathways that snaked through the lower reaches of the palace. Had he wanted to flee with the prince in tow, this would not have been the ideal path to take.

Soon enough, he reached his destination, Advisor Karbone’s supposed study room.

“Hmm…”

He gave the room a cursory inspection, not expecting anything to have changed. The walls still thrummed with energy but they were not nearly as vibrant as he remembered. It didn’t matter one way or another.

“That fool hasn’t figured out blood formations yet.”

He scoffed.

“Even after spending so many years on it. Oh well, everything is still in place. Let’s get started.”

King Anthor didn’t have time to glean every detail around him. Nor did he have to, his faith in Karbone’s ability to decipher the multitude of formations was dramatically low. After all, this complex arrangement was the product of his life’s work. He revealed a sly smirk as he stamped his foot at the center of the formation, causing a platform of solidified blood to raise from the ground.

“What was I even worried about? The altar still works, of course everything is still in place. Heh, I’d stake my life on the fact that nobody, not a single person in the entire tower, has a deeper understanding of blood formations than myself!”

He tossed Prince Marlow’s body onto the altar with a cold expression.

“It is a pity, really. This moment is decades too early to be happening. Not only that, but this blasted boy couldn’t even obtain benefits from the Tomb of Ambrosia. That means I won’t get to inherit anything… ugh… whatever.”

The scarlet pathways that lined the walls began to hum and beat like the heart of a living beast. Tendrils of blood soon wrapped themselves around King Anthor’s feet, before extending out toward the altar of blood.

The king’s lips carved a wicked grin as his heart was filled with the thrill and anticipation of evading the tower’s noble militia, those of the adventurer’s guild. This wasn’t the first time he had evaded them, nor would it be the last.

“Serve your final purpose, boy! Heh, act as my scapegoat. Absorb my sins and be crucified by those idiots!”

With a thrust of his hands, he activated the formation in full. Blood energies surged toward Prince Marlow’s unconscious body, wrapping him in a tight cocoon that periodically pulsed. King Anthor shut his eyes tight and focused on channeling the energy properly.

“More… more energy. The ultimate blood art! Body, Mind, and Soul Transfer!”

The king cried out with a hysterical laugh, but just then—the walls dimmed. The room went black, save for a few sparse beats of energy that lingered about.

“What… WHAT?!”

He shouted in disbelief as his eyes roamed throughout the room.

“The formations are fine! Wait, they’re not fine… they were modified! The blood reserves are empty! But… Karbone doesn’t know how… who…? Who did this!?”

His rage shook the walls, and unknowingly he had also woken up a certain individual.

“Ugh, I feel like I hit my head. Dad, is that you?”

Prince Marlow sat up from the blood altar. The cocoon had vanished without a trace, but the heavy stench of blood still hung in the air.

“Hurgh… what is all this?”

Marlow threw up and clutched his stomach. Looking down, he saw his hands and body drenched in blood, a harrowing sight to say the least.

“Oh, this is a nightmare. I see.”

He pinched himself on the leg twice, only to open his eyes and find himself staring at the same scenery as before.

“This… this is real? Oh! Father, it must be an illusion. Very scary! I had a nasty dream, that I was being sacrificed or some other. How about-“

“Shut… up…”

King Anthor’s voice dripped with malice and death. His mind worked in overtime to figure out the best way to salvage the situation. It was only then that a certain realization dawned on him.

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“I’ve been set up… I’ve been set up! This…”

“F-Father?”

“…I’ve always hated your incompetent face. That pretentious look in your eyes even though you have no ability of your own. Hanging on to the coattails of my glory… ah, I hate it so much.”

Using his hand like a sword, the king swiftly slashed at the prince’s body, cutting it open from one side of his stomach to the other.

“Uh…ugh…”

Blood filled the prince’s mouth and spilled out from his lips. He glanced down at his hands, that were now full of his entrails. With one last pitiful look at the man he once called father, Prince Marlow collapsed dead on the floor.

King Anthor shut his eyes tight; his breath calm, cool, and collected.

“The plan was to body swap, let him take the fall. I would inherit his powers along with my own, gaining a fresh and new lease on life. An extended lifetime to hone my craft further.”

He pursed his lips and opened his eyes, inspecting Marlow’s brutalized body.

Due to compatibility issues, if I use the transfer on a non-blood relative, I can’t transfer my own powers. I have to start over from scratch, but at least I have my knowledge. However… if I transfer with a blood relative, then not only do I gain their powers, but my own strength will transfer as well. Such was the case with Soren…

His eyes flashed with a dangerous light, and he immediately strode toward the exit.

I have to erase the evidence… that’s the only way. Otherwise—I have to rebuild my empire from scratch! I can still use Ling’s body in the future, but I’ll have to rebuild. She must not find out.

Just before he left the room, he gave it one last glance. Then with a controlled and savage stomp, he sent a terrifying wave of energy outward! The walls crumbled and cracked, and the ceiling thoroughly collapsed.

“I’ll blame this failed ritual on the prince. Ugh, why can’t at least one thing go right today?”

He began walking down the hall. The lanterns flickered and their light waned, almost like they were in protesting of existing.

“Eosa!”

He called out a certain name with a snarl. Less than a second later, the shadows shifted and a mature woman with two fluffy ears appeared. She didn’t care to acknowledge him, as her presence alone was enough. Instead, she followed along, awaiting his command.

“Come. If Karbone has activated the grand formation then it’ll buy us plenty of time. Enough time to eradicate the prisoners at the Blood Lake.”

With heavy steps and dark eyes, King Anthor made his way through the halls. His destination—the sacrificial caverns below.

----

King Anthor stormed through the tunnels with Eosa right on his heels. He knew every passageway like the back of his hand, and it didn’t take long for him to approach a particular illusionary wall.

“Eosa, when we enter the caverns, I want every single body there to be erased without question. There can be absolutely no evidence remaining.”

Without waiting for her reply, the king started down the dark tunnel. He could see the red hue that marked the exit, and his eyes glinted with a dangerous light. However, the closer he got, something didn’t seem right.

“What’s this?...”

His ears perked up at the sound of something familiar. Metal clashing upon metal, screams, shouts of battle, and roars of anger. There was a fight up ahead, and it was no small scuffle. Rather, it seemed like a full-blown civil war!

King Anthor raced forward, his eyes full of concern.

“No, no, no! They couldn’t have already infiltrated the palace?!”

His primary concern was whether or not an expert from Millennium Dragon had snuck their way in. Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out.

The moment he cleared the tunnel, the ongoing war came until full view. Two armies were embroiled in heavy combat, but most importantly of all was a certain figure that stood near the exit… just a short distance away.

“My daughter, what are you doing here?!”

King Anthor confronted Princess Ling with an expression of great worry and concern.

“This is no place for you, come away from-“

“I could ask the same. Father.”

Her voice came out like a frozen tundra, distant and cold. The look in her eyes only further proved the rising assumption that the king had in his mind.

“So… you already knew.”

“Princess Ling, we could use your help with-“

Commander Ramon rushed forward, coming to a skidding halt upon sight of the king.

“Argah!! Blood! Arms n’ toes’! Give! Slice and Squish!”

A chaotic voice shook the air. It was one of nonsense and an incoherent mess, but no one on the front lines took its owner lightly.

“Follow Master Olgren to victory! For the king!”

The guards that were stationed within the cavern depths all rallied behind the grotesque aberration that was Olgren. At least three men flew through the air with every swing of his mighty arm. His belt of severed hands swung wildly, causing a demoralizing wave of nausea to assault the senses of his attackers.

Despite the unmanageable situation that was Olgren, Commander Ramon grit his teeth and prepared for something much, much worst. Standing side by side with Princess Ling, he understood immediately that they were the only line of defense that prevented King Anthor from annihilating the ranks below.

“Princess…”

Commander Ramon readied himself, but before anyone else could muster a word, a savage roar shook the ground.

“FATHER?!”

It was a deafening shout, catching everyone by surprise. The reason was the person who did it—Olgren!

“Father! I’m here! I-I’m still here! Argh, get off o’ me!”

Olgren hacked and slashed his way through the terrified troupe of guards. Eventually, everyone gave up on containing the absolute monstrosity and let him pass.

“Father! Father! It me!”

King Anthor grit his teeth and stared at the approaching man with disgust.

“That fool… the moment he leaves the mist…”

A series of hacking coughs soon sounded out as Olgren stumbled forward.

“F-Father…”

He wheezed out words as he took one staggering step after another. The exit to the cavern was positioned well above the dark red mist. The moment Olgren stepped outside the mist, he body began to contort and convulse, but still he pressed on.

“Ack! Don’t leave… me… again!”

Olgren stumbled forward, his face rapidly turned purple while his body began to wither away. In less than a minute, the demon that had slaughtered countless soldiers, was dead at everyone’s feet.

King Anthor clenched his fist and a low growl sounded out. Nothing was going the way he planned. Even Princess Ling, who he was keeping as a last resort for body transfer, had discovered the truth. Now she stood opposing him, like a cat posturing against a lion.

“Eosa… kill them.”

Eosa took a step forward and her eyes shifted from Princess Ling to King Anthor.

“No.”

She muttered before crossing her arms. King Anthor gave her a threatening glare.

“Do you forget? I have your daughter. You would do well to listen to me.”

Eosa closed her eyes and glanced away.

“Eosa!”

He roared in anger, but it was enough to capture her attention.

“Don’t you dare make me activate the Sanguine Puppet Curse. Don’t think for a second that I won’t have you kill your own daughter. Her blood will be on your hands!”

Eosa finally frowned upon hearing his words and her ears twitched. She faced Princess Ling and Commander Ramon, a small light shining in her eyes. Commander Ramon hesitantly spoke up.

“E-Eosa, don’t listen to him. Surely-“

“Silence! Eosa! Now!”

King Anthor shouted once again, this time with a hint of red covering his eyes. Eosa curled her lip and let out a sigh.

“Princess, have you been practicing?”

Eosa asked as she adopted a posture. It was as if she were ready to pounce at any given moment.

“…Yes… Master Eosa…”

Princess Ling grimaced as she took a stance as well. Between her and Commander Ramon, only she understood what a terrifying opponent Eosa was. It was like tossing a pebble against an ancient boulder—the pebble had no chance.

Unable to see the princess’ expression, Commander Ramon readied himself without fear.

“I’m here, Princess.”

Eosa readied her hand by her side, her nails sharpening outward like the most terrifying set of knives in existence. Seeing as the events were finally going his way, King Anthor flashed a confident sneer.

“Good, don’t make me regret keeping you and that blasted child alive! It’s your great fortune that-“

Like a viper going for the kill, Eosa plunged her readied hand directly into her own chest, tearing out her heart!

“What…”

Everyone stared in shock and horror. The heart pulsed once, and then again, before she mercilessly crushed it. Blood sprayed everywhere from her chest and hand. The next moment, King Anthor recovered and immediately howled into the air.

“Activate!”

Eosa’s dim eyes immediately went blank and she stood up like a statue. Despite the mess she had created, she was now fully alert, listening for any and all instructions.

“Kill them all! Kill every single last one of them!”

King Anthor screeched as he pointed toward the depths of the cavern. Without wasting a second, Eosa immediately locked onto Princess Ling and Commander Ramon. The air shook and palpitated with unbridled energy as Eosa took a step forward.

“Everything is ruined. Fuck! If Eosa fights unrestrained then the whole palace will collapse… I have to get out of here… I’ll have to start everything over from scratch. What a waste!”

King Anthor cursed under his breath and without a second glance, he fled the scene, leaving his own daughter to a perilous fate.

“Princess! Listen to me! I’m here with you!”

Commander Ramon shouted from the side.

Princess Ling glanced over, hints of worry and fear etched across her face.

“She’s already injured! She’s weakened! We… can do this! Together-“

Before he could finish his sentence, a black blur flashed across Princess Ling’s vision. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Commander Ramon’s floating head spin in place before unceremoniously falling to the floor.

Commander Ramon had been instantly killed.