Chapter 29: The Protagonist Team
The sound of rain pattered in from outside the window, while flames rose in the fireplace, dispelling the chill of the late night. Although it was currently midsummer, the area where 'Moonlight Fortress' was located belonged to the Western Frontier, which was originally the territory of the Chaos Legion.
During the day it was scorching hot, but at night it could reach several degrees below zero, with an enormous temperature difference between day and night.
Su Xiao sat cross-legged on the bed. The feeling of being watched from earlier had disappeared. The other party's ability leaned toward the perception type, seemingly merging their mental energy into water, using water as a medium to move, thereby achieving long-range reconnaissance effects.
This was a troublesome ability. Unless one was in a desert region, it was difficult to avoid the presence of water nearby.
Earlier, Su Xiao had used his blood energy to invade the other party's mental energy. As for what would happen next, it was still unclear. His blood energy was quite special, having been strengthened in the ancient battlefield.
The reason Su Xiao now possessed such blood energy was mainly due to an ability called 'Aura Release'. Originally, this was a conventional ability that allowed him to enhance his own aura. The problem lay in the enhancement process itself.
Back then, Su Xiao was inside a Skill Upgrade Pod, spending Paradise Coins to upgrade the 'Aura Release' ability. Due to the characteristics of his own aura, he was teleported to the ancient battlefield.
Originally, the method to enhance 'Aura Release' was to release one's own aura in the ancient battlefield, resisting the blood energy of that place.
Su Xiao took a different path. Instead of resisting the ancient battlefield's blood energy, he used Cyan Steel Shadow Energy to construct a 'Simplified Devouring Core' outside his body, filtering the blood energy and absorbing it for his own use.
The blood energy filtered through the 'Simplified Devouring Core' was very pure. After all, he had temporarily constructed one large Devouring Core, along with over a dozen smaller ones, filtering and purifying layer by layer before absorbing it into his body. Finally, he dispelled all these Devouring Cores to avoid being corroded by the impurities within the blood energy.
The blood energy Su Xiao absorbed back then was indeed pure enough, but blood energy was not something easy to control, especially since this blood energy came from the ancient battlefield.
For a long time afterward, Su Xiao often found himself in chaotic battles. Due to killing a large number of enemies, his blood energy further expanded, allowing him to fully master his own blood energy.
From then on, for Su Xiao, releasing blood energy was as simple and natural as raising an arm. One's own hand wouldn't suddenly slap oneself in the face, and the same principle applied to blood energy.
If an enemy was eroded by blood energy—no, that wasn't quite erosion. Blood energy didn't have the corrosive nature of energy. The other party lost their mind due to a mental energy rampage.
Based on Su Xiao's experience, the perception-type person who used water as a medium earlier was most likely not the World Child. Their willpower wasn't firm enough. Those acknowledged by this world would have very resolute willpower.
Su Xiao closed his eyes to sense. In the void, he felt a mass of water, soft yet tenacious. That was the person affected by his blood energy.
Su Xiao's hands formed an empty grip. Blood energy gathered between his palms, vaguely forming a human shape—a female figure. This wasn't an image constructed under Su Xiao's control.
Strands of blood-colored threads connected to Su Xiao's ten fingers. Suddenly, all these blood-colored threads stabbed into the blood energy humanoid between his hands.
Su Xiao's mental energy far surpassed most perception-type individuals. The reason was that every time he deciphered the Alchemy Codex, it trained the toughness of his mental energy. If his mental energy wasn't tough enough, deciphering the Alchemy Codex would kill him.
Su Xiao's ten fingers moved. He could sense that this blood energy projection could only last for a few dozen seconds. The distance was too great. That small consciousness, though weak, was very persistent. At such a distance, he could only influence it, not control it. He didn't have any abilities with such control characteristics.
Dozens of kilometers away from Moonlight Fortress, inside a cave, deep within was an underground cavern. The campfire had been kicked apart, with glowing red embers scattering everywhere. Still-burning firewood lay scattered around, fully illuminating the cavern.
A silver-haired girl stood at the center of the cavern. Her upper body was slightly hunched, her arms hanging naturally at her sides. Between the index and middle fingers of her right hand, as delicate as scallion shoots, she held a short blade.
Around the silver-haired girl, three people formed a triangular formation—two men and one woman. Among the two men, one appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, with a full head of silver short hair, clearly having a blood relation to the silver-haired girl whose mental energy was rampaging.
The other two consisted of a fat dwarf, whose clothes were sewn with many pockets, with many items hanging from his waist and a backpack behind him.
The last person was a woman with a full head of wine-red wavy hair, wearing tight leather armor, with an explosive figure.
"Zange, is your sister mentally unstable? She almost slit my throat just now!"
The fat dwarf spoke with lingering fear. He was a half-breed between a dwarf and a Duoyin human, having started wandering at a very young age.
Two years ago, after being saved by Zange, he joined the other's exploration team. Although it was a temporary arrangement, up to now, he had no intention of leaving. Zange's sister was very beautiful.
Across from the fat dwarf was the explosive-figured red-haired woman. Everything about her was somewhat mysterious. She had only joined the exploration team a few months ago.
The fat dwarf, the red-haired woman, and Zange formed a triangle, vaguely with Zange as the leader. After all, he had founded the exploration team. Although no nominal leader had been chosen, most decisions were made by Zange.
"Vinika, stay conscious!"
Zange shouted. Though anxiety showed in his eyes, he didn't do anything too impulsive.
Zange and Vinika were siblings. Their full names were Talta Zange and Talta Vinika.
The Talta family was very famous. For generations, they had dedicated themselves to exploring various parts of the continent, discovering numerous ancient ruins, tombs, and so on. The 'Canglong Era Rise and Fall Chronicle' was authored by the Talta family. It was worth noting that at that time, this continent hadn't even been named Canglong Continent, demonstrating the influence of this exploration family.
By now, the Talta family had declined, leaving only the family's ancient castle and these two siblings. However, as long as Zange and Vinika spoke their surname, the Northern Border, Duoyin, and the Aier Great Forest would all show some respect to this family, in remembrance of their contributions to historical records.
Zange, Vinika, the fat dwarf, and the red-haired woman were the four members of the exploration team. Or rather, calling them the protagonist team of Canglong Continent wouldn't be wrong. Zange was the World Child.
Vinika was surrounded by the three at the center. Her face was covered with blood-colored patterns, giving her a unique beauty, especially her now completely crimson eyes.
"Zange, your sister is in a bad state."
The fat dwarf held a short rod in his hand. He wasn't using his usual weapon. If he used that thing, Vinika would be blown to pieces.
"I know."
Zange spoke in a deep voice. He had roughly figured out what was going on.
"Red Woman, go outside the cave. If the Chaos Legion gets nearby... you escape."
"Oh?"
The red-haired woman looked at Zange with confusion.
"Vinika was responsible for monitoring the War Demon. Her sudden change into this state is very likely due to the War Demon's influence. It's not surprising that the War Demon discovered this place. We can't possibly fight against an entire legion."
"..."
The red-haired woman didn't move. Seeing this, Zange sighed but the corners of his mouth slightly lifted. He believed in himself, his sister, and his two good friends. No difficulty could stop them.
"Be careful. That person now is no longer Monika. Temporarily, that is. But..."
"We know. We won't attack her vitals," the fat dwarf lowered his center of gravity and continued, "Besides, your sister isn't that strong."
No sooner had the fat dwarf finished speaking than he charged forward with big strides. Zange and the red-haired woman also rushed in from the other two directions.
At the center of the three, the silver-haired girl Vinika flipped the short blade in her hand. After gripping the handle, she immediately lowered her body, silver hair flying, just dodging the fat dwarf's pouncing embrace.
Puchi!
Blood splattered everywhere. The fat dwarf, with arms spread wide mid-pounce, had blood spurting from his chest. His eyes were filled with disbelief. Vinika had suddenly become stronger.
With a slap, Vinika's knife-wielding hand was caught. Zange's other hand grabbed the blade barehanded, forcibly snatching the short blade from Vinika's hand.
Ding!
The short blade embedded into the rock wall. Without any visible movement from Zange, Vinika was pinned to the ground by him.
Crack, crack, crack~
All the bones in Vinika's body emitted sounds. Zange's heart turned cold. He immediately released Vinika. If he kept pressing her down, his sister would die here.
Zange leaped backward. The fat dwarf and red-haired woman were about to step forward but were stopped by his raised hand.
"Vinika can't move anymore. Many of her bones are broken..."
Before Zange could finish, Vinika stood up from the ground in a bizarre posture. No, she slowly floated up.
The blood on Vinika's hand evaporated, turning into blood energy. One-third of the blood in her entire body transformed into blood energy, drifting out through the wound on her palm.
The blood energy formed a blood beast that appeared behind Vinika. This massive blood beast's two claws formed an empty grip, its claw tips connected to blood energy threads. As for Vinika, she was like a toy in its hands.
"What... kind of monster is this!"
The fat dwarf's cheek twitched. An extremely ominous feeling arose in his heart.
Just as Zange and the red-haired woman had no idea how to respond, the phantom behind Vinika quickly faded and finally dissipated into the air.
With a thud, Vinika collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness. No one noticed that a blood-colored mark had already appeared on the skin of her back.