Chapter Twenty-Two
Necessity Knows No Law
In front of the entrance to a great cave, beneath a sky heavy with clouds that wept with relentless fury, three hunters from Jin Bei's team sat on an old mat that barely kept dry.
Their faces reflected their discontent, as if the torrential rain poured not just on their weary bodies but on their very spirits.
The small fire in front of them crackled softly, holding a pot filled with savory meat broth, with steam rising slowly to mingle with the damp air, thick with the scent of wet earth.
One of the hunters glanced at the pouring rain, grumbling as he wrung water from his new leather boots, now reduced to little more than worn-out pieces. "Man, hunting in this weather is a real pain!" he complained, his frustration evident. "The sound of the rain drowns out the footsteps of both the prey we seek and the predators that might seek us!" His grumbling voice blended with the sound of the rain, but his disgruntled tone was unmistakable.
The second hunter raised his head from the pot, where he had been trying to taste the broth, and shot his companion a scornful look. "Can't you stop whining?" he said with a sarcastic tone. "You were the one who dragged us into this mess because you couldn't get enough of the Red Alley girls praising your muscles! And now we're stuck here, ordered to guard the place while the leader, Jin Bei, and Sheng Yao enter the cave!"
The third hunter muttered something unintelligible, then backed away slightly from the fire, eyeing his comrades warily. "What's in the cave anyway?" he asked in a nervous tone, as if trying to hide his anxiety behind a veil of false curiosity.
He didn't have to wait long for an answer. Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps cut through his thoughts, almost inaudible under the rain, but present, moving through the wet trees.
"Shh, listen, there's a sound of footsteps nearby," the third hunter whispered, trying to focus on the surrounding noises. The air around him seemed to freeze, and he felt his heart beat faster.
The second hunter looked at his companion, then swallowed hard. "You're right, it's lighter than a boar's steps, could be human," he said in a tense voice, trying to analyze the situation. The dangers they faced weren't just from animals; the presence of a person in this remote place could mean something far worse, especially if that person was a mage.
Sero suddenly emerged from the wet brown bushes, stepping onto the damp ground where the raindrops hit the earth, creating a light mist. His face was neutral, but he raised his hands in a gesture of goodwill, as if trying to ease their fears. "No need to worry, brothers, I'm just a former companion," he said with a playful tone, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. But that was enough to make the hunters' hearts relax a little, and they took a deep breath.
"Kid, you shouldn't appear in front of hunters like that! I was about to shoot an arrow at you!" one of the hunters said, laughing sarcastically, as if trying to ease the tension.
But Sero didn't show any reaction to that. Instead, he began to scan the area with his eyes, searching for something or someone.
"Where is Brother Jin Bei?" he asked, his eyes scanning the cave entrances. "I'm sure I saw him when I was hunting earlier."
Without invitation, Sero took steady steps toward the cave entrance, as if he knew exactly what he wanted. This bold behavior was unexpected, causing one of the hunters to grab his arm tightly, trying to stop him from advancing.
"The leader went into the cave and ordered us to guard it and prevent anyone from entering, even a mage like you, so step back," the hunter said in a stern tone, his grip tightening on Sero's arm, trying to control him.
But Sero had no intention of retreating easily. He looked at the hunter who held him, then smiled lightly. "I understand your concern, but there are matters that transcend Leader Jin Bei's orders, matters between mages that may require bending your little rule," he said calmly.
His words didn't seem to affect the hunter, who remained firm in his stance. But inside, doubts began to take root; he knew that crossing a mage could bring trouble, and he was sure Jin Bei would scold him if Sero complained to him, but he managed to save face.
"You don't understand, it's not just orders, it's a commitment to the team, to all our lives," the hunter said, trying to justify his position, but his voice betrayed his hesitation.
Sero raised his head slightly, as if seeing something the others couldn't. "What if the brother in the cave is dead? Will you bear the responsibility?" he said confidently, as if his words carried a deeper meaning than just entering the cave.
At that moment, the hunter felt something strange, as if his eyes had opened to a truth he didn't want to face. Maybe Sero was right! Maybe their leader was already a corpse! After all, a large cave like the one they stood before was bound to harbor a wild beast.
The second hunter intervened, trying to calm the situation. "Let's not be hasty; we're here to guard the cave, that's true. But maybe we can check with Leader Jin Bei," he said in a calm tone, trying to find a middle ground.
The first hunter reluctantly agreed and released Sero's arm. "Okay, but we won't risk our lives for your curiosity."
Sero smiled, but his eyes didn't share in that smile. "Of course, do what you think is right."
Sero stood still, watching the hunters as they discussed among themselves to choose someone to check the situation inside the cave, while the rain continued to fall, as if nature itself refused to calm down.
He knew that time wasn't on his side, and if he wanted to enter the cave, he had to move quickly, without drawing attention to himself. But why did he want to enter the cave? The answer was simple, really—he just wanted to hide for a day and use Jin Bei as a shield.
At that moment, Sero decided to gamble everything. He had no other choice. The rain was getting heavier, and the hunters were busy in their discussions. He let out a short sigh, then stood with a cold expression.
Sero approached the hunters with slow, confident steps, his eyes gleaming with a calm, mocking light. He stopped a few steps away from them, sensing the tension in the air thick with the smell of rain and blood. "I'm sorry, but I have to enter the cave. Stop me if you dare," he spoke quietly, and before the hunters could grasp what was happening, Sero kicked the pot of meat broth with his foot, sending the scalding steam into their faces.
The searing heat of the broth made them scream in pain, and their instincts drove them to focus on the fire that blazed on their skin.
At that moment, Sero darted into the cave, a small smile on his lips. He knew that now time was on his side. As he ventured deeper into the cave, he barely heard the hunters' frustrated cries behind him.
"You little brat! How dare you!"
"That was going to be our dinner!"
Their voices rang out, filled with anger and despair, but Sero didn't look back. All that mattered to him now was moving forward toward his goal. Finding Jin Bei would solve his problem anyway.
If Sero had been just a nobody, Jin Bei wouldn't have cared, but being a mage and a part of the Anira family would put Jin Bei in a tough spot if the clan found out his team members had bullied Sero.
The darkness inside the cave was thick, as if it swallowed every bit of light that tried to enter. Using the Little Spark shard, Sero created small sparks of light every few minutes, letting his eyes slowly adjust to the cave's gloom.
But the cave was no ordinary place; it pulsed with a mysterious power. The rocks were a strange red limestone, with a metallic scent and a slippery texture that made Sero tread carefully.
As the hunters' shouts faded behind him, Sero didn't stop for a moment and continued moving slowly through the cave's chaotic twists and turns.
After half an hour deep within the cave, the temperature began to rise slowly. He could feel his breath growing heavier, the surrounding air growing hotter. There was something in this place, something unnatural.
Sero whispered to himself as he sensed the dense mana in the air, "The mana concentration here is extremely strong. At worst, I might face a magical beast. I must be prepared for any emergency." He placed his hand on a sharp piece of rock and struck it hard, causing a bloody wound, activating the Blood Dagger shard.
A red light began to seep through his veins, extending from the wound and flowing into his body like bread soaking up hot soup, as the shard absorbed the blood, leaving a small scar on his hand.
His cold murmurs echoed through the cavern, "The shard's requirements have been met. Now I can creat five blood daggers. If I encounter a magical beast, I'll try to kill it, and in the worst case, I'll target its eyes and escape." Sero continued on his way with cautious steps, scrutinizing every corner and detail around him.
After five minutes, Sero reached a wide, circular hall, dimly lit by a faint light emanating from cracks in the walls, with long stone pillars of varying sizes. The cracks seemed to live and breathe, watching every movement.
Five minutes later, Sero arrived at a vast circular hall, dimly lit by faint light emanating from cracks in the walls, with long stone pillars of varying sizes. The cracks seemed to live and breathe, watching every movement.
In the center of the hall stood an ancient stone altar, surrounded by mysterious carvings that intertwined around it like a snake coiling its prey. These carvings pulsed with life in a language even Sero, the seasoned mage, could not understand.
Despite all this, what truly caught Sero's attention were the two figures standing by the altar, Jin Bei and Sheng Yao. Their eyes were fixed on a large red crystal floating above the altar. The crystal emitted a faint red glow, and its immense energy made even Sero, with his high status, feel a surge of excitement rising within him.
Sero scrutinized the scene silently, hesitating to move forward. The situation was unsettling. The presence of both Sheng Yao and Jin Bei in this place, leaving their comrades to guard outside, was suspicious. The structure of the place was ancient, with traces suggesting it was more of an archaeological site than a modern magical dungeon.
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He decided to move silently towards one of the dark corners behind a pillar, where his small body helped him hide without leaving a trace, allowing him to observe the situation without being detected. The moment Sero disappeared from sight, a conversation began between Jin Bei and Sheng Yao.
Suddenly, Sheng Yao angrily stomped his foot on the ground, saying, "Damn it! How can the treasure remain sealed despite all the blood we've gathered? Do we need to kill more pigs?" His sharp voice echoed in the spacious hall.
Jin Bei, a man less emotional and more composed, sighed, saying, "According to that strange voice, the true treasure will be revealed when enough blood is spilled. But we've been at this for a whole year! Are we victims of a trick?"
Sheng Yao was clutching his head in frustration, his face expressing exhaustion and despair. "It must be! All the magic dungeons around the village have already been explored; it's impossible for this dungeon to be of any use!" He complained as he slapped his face with his hand.
The memory flashed quickly in Jin Bei's mind. A year ago, while hunting and indulging in his vices of drinking, he stumbled upon the cave by accident. The cave housed an ancient magical dungeon, hidden from sight for years. When he showed the cave to Sheng Yao, they both refused to inform their clan, greedy for the relics the dungeon might hold. But things did not go as planned, for the only thing inside was the altar that whispered to everyone who entered to fill it with blood.
"Where are you, you scoundrel!" A strong shout echoed outside the hall, coming from behind Sero, whose face showed clear signs of annoyance. He realized in an instant that the hunters he had tried to escape had already caught up with him.
Sero knew well that things could spiral out of control at any moment, but he had few options. His mind was working at lightning speed, trying to grasp the situation and come up with an alternative plan.
"Why are they here?! We paid them to guard the place!" Sheng Yao exploded in anger; he was not the calm, cheerful person Sero was used to seeing. His expression turned into a mask of fury and resentment, as if he was in an internal struggle between feeling betrayed and his sense of helplessness.
Through the gap where Sero had entered, the three hunters appeared. They were holding wooden spears topped with sharp heads, and their faces were grim, radiating anger and hostility. Their eyes met the gazes of Jin Bei and Sheng Yao, who felt frustrated and angry, but each expressed it in their own way.
"What in the heavens are you doing here?! We told you to guard the place!" Sheng Yao erupted in fury, shouting at the hunter who had previously grabbed Sero's arm. His tone was full of contempt and betrayal.
"Yeah, I know! But—" The hunter tried to defend himself, but his words were slow, and he was cut off midway when he received a strong punch to the face from Sheng Yao, which sent him crashing to the ground.
His head hit the hard floor, as if he were a lifeless body. Pain engulfed his body, but what hurt him more was the feeling of humiliation. He tried to lift his head, but the rising anger from Sheng Yao was harsher than the physical pain.
"But what?! Are you fools or something? How could you fail to follow such simple instructions! Even dogs can understand a command to guard! The blame is on me for choosing a bunch of pathless scum as cover!" Sheng Yao continued to beat the poor hunter. His eyes were red, his face twisted with rage, as if he was no longer in control of himself.
As for the hunter, he silently covered his head. He knew that if he dared to defend himself, he might face death. He had a good life and didn’t intend to lose it so easily. Meanwhile, Jin Bei watched the scene with clear disappointment.
After Sheng Yao's outburst ended, the hunter had bled some on the ground. He lay silently, trying to swallow his emotions and resentment, while his eyes glared at Sheng Yao with bitterness. His hands were stained with his own blood, but they no longer felt anything.
"Tch, leave now," Sheng Yao sighed, as if trying to rid himself of the psychological burden that had accumulated on him. But he didn't know that Jin Bei was planning something else.
Jin Bei stared at the injured hunter with a cold, murderous gaze. The ground absorbed the blood dripping from his body, and the red crystal in the center of the hall began to glow faintly, as if responding to a hidden call.
"Tree Stake Shard!" From his hand, Jin Bei unleashed a wooden stake that pierced the hunter's skull directly. The sound was muffled, but it filled the hall with the echo of death. The hunter's eyes widened in a moment of absolute terror before life faded from them. His head shattered like fragile glass, and blood flowed like a fountain, soaking the ground and quenching its thirst.
The remaining two hunters watched this scene with eyes full of horror. They knew their deaths might be near, but they couldn't do anything. As for Sero, a cold smile appeared on his face, reflecting his satisfaction at killing enemies without lifting a finger.
"It's not enough, Sheng Yao, cut his body and place it on the altar," Jin Bei ordered coldly, as if he were talking about a piece of meat, not a human corpse.
Silently, Sheng Yao carried the massive corpse of the hunter as if it were nothing more than a worthless weight. He tossed it into the blood altar and skillfully cut it into small cubes using one of his shards. Fresh blood flowed, greedily absorbed by the ground, as if it had been awaiting this feast for eons.
"Four," a sharp voice, like that of a young girl, emanated from the crystal, causing Jin Bei and Sheng Yao's expressions to shift from frustration to sudden joy. It was as if they had achieved an unexpected breakthrough.
"So, the treasure needed human blood! This makes things easier," Jin Bei sighed, as if a great burden had been lifted from him.
"We can easily purchase slaves in that case, especially with the caravan arriving soon," Sheng Yao added, his tone calmer, though his eyes still held remnants of suppressed anger. He turned toward the remaining hunters and glared at them sharply. "If you value your miserable lives, leave now! What did you come here for?" Sheng Yao's voice was loud, only to be silenced by a dagger that pierced through his throat.
"Wh-" His words were choked with blood. He tried to turn in a desperate attempt to see his attacker, but it was too late. Sero's dagger had already sliced through his throat with precision, unleashing a fatal stream of blood. He barely managed to remain conscious for another second before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Jin Bei fared no better. His throat was slit with the same skill, as if the killer had been practicing these moves for years. He couldn't even scream or make a sound before his body crumpled to the ground.
"If you're going to kill, don't hesitate, weaklings," Sero muttered while wiping his brow. He had three daggers left after killing Jin Bei and Sheng Yao, but he could feel his mana starting to fade.
Sero glanced at the hunters with a cold smile, then threw two daggers, aiming at their throats. The accuracy was astounding, and the result was inevitable. The hunters dropped to their knees as blood spurted from their throats.
Sero's method of killing was terrifying. He crushed his victims' windpipes, causing them to choke on their own blood, and by severing the vein in the neck, he increased the likelihood of a swift death.
He stood for a moment, staring at the scattered corpses as if inspecting his work with pride. Dark bloodstains began to cling to his clothes, giving them a deadly aura. His gleaming eyes shifted between the bodies as he contemplated his next move.
One by one, he began to carry the bodies, their weight barely burdening him. He placed them on the altar carefully, as if offering a sacrifice to a formidable beast. Blood flowed profusely, and the altar consumed it greedily, as if feeding an unseen life within. With each drop absorbed, the red crystal's glow intensified, as if it felt the power surging through it.
An entire hour passed, and blood flooded the altar completely, its color darkening as if reflecting ages of violence and destruction from its past, as if it had done this before.
At that moment, Sero felt something strange. The atmosphere grew heavier, as if the altar itself had begun to pulse with life. He awaited any reaction from the crystal, but silence engulfed the place, unbearable in its weight. The only sounds were the labored breathing and the slow absorption of the blood.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by a sharp, explosive voice, a booming feminine tone. "Ha! Finally! After cursed centuries, someone has freed me!" The voice filled the hall with an increasing echo, bouncing off every wall.
The red crystal sank into the altar, greedily devouring the blood. A crimson figure began to form around it, rapidly growing into a stunning feminine shape. Gradually, the red light faded to reveal the naked body of a woman who appeared to be in her thirties. She was covered in red scales, and adorned with long fangs, and her silky white hair cascaded behind her. Two black horns protruded from her head, and her eyes were entirely white, devoid of pupils, reflecting terrifying power and authority.
She bore a striking resemblance to Niuska in her serpentine form, but with a long snake tail, as red as the blood that had been spilled.
"Daring to starve me as thanks? Filthy humans!" the woman shouted, her sharp gaze locking onto Sero, who stood there motionless, accepting the challenge in her eyes. Her emerald green slit pupils suddenly appeared, revealing her true nature.
"Hey, you! Are you the one who has been feeding me all this time?" the woman asked in a curious voice, studying Sero as if examining his every detail.
Sero smirked slyly, knowing that Jin Bei had fed her, but he was dead now, so it would be a waste not to take the credit. "Yes, I fed you as you requested, and today I felt generous, so I brought you two fresh mages along with their companions as a favor."
The woman laughed in delight, as if she had found someone of value in Sero. "Ha! You sly little devil! You're exactly the type I prefer! Beasts who care nothing for laws. Oh, how I wish my master, the Blood-Hardened Immortal, were here! She would surely take you as her disciple."
Sero looked at her with feigned interest, pretending to be shocked. "Wait? Immortal? You mean the famous immortal of the clan was a woman? We were taught he was a man!"
The woman wrapped her arm around his head, ruffling his hair, and laughed heartily, as if mocking the ignorance of the world around her. "You little cute-looking fool, it seems young minds are poisoned by the cowardly scum who claim my master's name as theirs! This clan is a disgrace! No wonder my master abandoned it! But you have potential," the woman exclaimed loudly as her fangs retracted to their normal size. She sighed and gazed directly into Sero's eyes.
"Let's say your fate will be to play with the remnants of those stronger than you until your death. Will you accept that?" the woman spoke with a sinister smile, and naturally, Sero rejected it without hesitation.
"Of course, you'll refuse! That would be your fate if you submit to this clan of pretenders! Neither the Geists, nor the Aniras, nor the Hervolts are true disciples of the Hardened Blood Immortal! They're just impostors!" the woman sneered bitterly, causing Sero to chuckle softly, completely ignoring that she might pose a threat to him.
"And how do you plan to convince me of that?" Sero asked sarcastically, as if challenging her ability to offer something of value.
The woman smiled wickedly and replied calmly, "That's because the Hardened Blood Immortal who was my master is a demon like me."
A memory flashed in Sero's mind about the demon race, one of the eleven races. The demon race was known for its high level of freedom and unbreakable dignity. Although they were demons, they belonged to the neutral faction that tried to avoid hostility. They were characterized by eyes similar to those of snakes, sharp fangs, and long horns. They lived for thousands of years, making them one of the wisest and most powerful races.
But Sero wasn't unfamiliar with this race; he had dared to stir trouble among them in the past, leading them to chase him to the ends of the earth. Despite his regret for messing with them, he understood that they were bound to return good for good and kill for kill, one of the most important rules of the neutral faction.
Sero smiled with false humility and said, "Since I have been feeding you all this time and provided you with this body, surely a great demoness like yourself will reward me, won't you?"
The woman laughed joyfully and replied, "Ha! Of course, of course, little one. By the way, my name is Ultima, and from today, you will be my little disciple. I doubt anyone in your clan will be better than me."
Sero spoke with curiosity tinged with slight boredom, "What is your path anyway?"
Ultima replied nonchalantly, "The sixth," making Sero's heart skip a beat. Before him now stood a demoness of the sixth path, intending to take him as her disciple! It was an offer that couldn't be refused, even with his memories as an immortal.
"I'll accept being your disciple, but can you add more information?" Sero asked politely.
"Heh, you'll be my disciple until you reach a good level for our mission, and then we'll destroy the Geist clan together!" Ultima laughed as she gathered the clothes of Sero's victims.
"Destroying the Geist clan? That sounds exciting," Sero sighed silently, revealing a devilish, wicked smile.