The nauseating stench of blood permeated the entire underground space, oppressive and suffocating. The faint glow of the magical array flickered, reflecting on the pale face of the Young Lord standing in its center. He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with agitation and dissatisfaction, resembling a wild beast trapped in a cage, yearning for greater power.
"But... but it's too slow! I need more powerful strength!" The Young Lord's voice trembled with a hint of madness, his nails deeply embedded in his palm, his knuckles turning white.
The magician behind him frowned slightly. His tone remained respectful, though tinged with a hint of unease. "Young Lord, this method is already the most effective for you. Your body has already shown severe side effects. If we intensify the effect, your body might not be able to withstand it."
"Side effects?" The Young Lord gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed with malice as he glared at the magician. "I don't care about side effects! What I want is power, real power!"
The magician sighed helplessly and shook his head. "Since you insist, I will enhance the magic array's effect when absorbing the energy. But if you cannot withstand it, we must stop immediately."
With those words, the magician raised both hands, his fingertips glowing with an eerie blue light. He chanted an incomprehensible incantation, and the underground magical array suddenly erupted with intense red light. The blood in the blood pool churned violently, as if being stirred by an invisible force, rippling outward in widening circles.
"AAAHH!!"
The mermaids suspended in the air suddenly thrashed about. The iron chains clanked as they twisted. Their mouths opened wide, emitting agonized wails as though they were undergoing the cruelest of tortures.
Their blood no longer just dripped; it seemed to be pulled by some invisible force, flowing in streams from their wounds, transforming into crimson beams that merged into the magical array on the altar!
"He... he's absorbing the mermaids' power!" Dan widened his eyes, his voice trembling, unable to believe what he was witnessing.
As the energy poured in, the Young Lord's body quivered slightly, his eyes glowing with a blood-red light. His aura grew stronger, his robes rustling as they were buffeted by the violent surge of magical energy. Meanwhile, the suspended mermaids' scales began to lose their luster, wilting and cracking, like lifeless tree bark.
"Scale Wilt Syndrome?!" Dan's eyes widened in horror, his face turning pale in an instant.
Scale Wilt Syndrome — a terrifying phenomenon that only occurs when a mermaid's vitality is completely drained. Once their scales completely wither, these mermaids cannot survive, and even their souls will vanish, leaving no chance for reincarnation!
"Stop!!" Dan could no longer contain his anger and grief. His eyes filled with despair as his voice cracked in a hoarse shout. Unfortunately, his cries could not halt the magic ritual.
In just a few breaths, all the mermaids hanging in the air had completely turned into withered husks. Their scales fell off, and they lost their life force, dangling in the air like dead puppets.
The magical array on the altar absorbed all the energy, and the light gradually dimmed. The blood pool returned to stillness, resembling a dead, silent lake.
The Young Lord closed his eyes, savoring the surging power within him. His lips curled into a faint smile, as if intoxicated by the infinite energy. Slowly, he opened his eyes, still glowing with blood-red light, his aura now even stronger than before.
"This is power... Ha... Hahaha!" He threw his head back and laughed, his voice filled with excitement.
"No... my people, no!!"
Dan could no longer suppress his fury. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes as he gripped his twin daggers tightly, his gaze filled with murderous intent. With a sudden leap from his hiding place, his daggers gleamed coldly, aiming directly at the Young Lord in the center of the altar!
"You demon, I will kill you!!"
The blades sliced through the air in a sharp arc, heading straight for the Young Lord's chest!
However, just as the blades were about to strike their target, the Young Lord slowly raised both hands and effortlessly caught Dan's daggers with his bare hands!
"What?!" Dan's pupils contracted, his face filled with shock.
The Young Lord's hands were completely unarmored, yet they seemed to possess an indestructible defense. His fingers gripped the blades firmly, allowing the edges to cut into his palms, but he didn't loosen his grip. Instead, a cruel grin curled on the Young Lord's lips, his eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.
"How did you get in here?"
His voice was low and cold, carrying a dangerous pressure. With a sudden yank, Dan's body was thrown off balance, stumbling forward!
At that moment, two figures suddenly leapt down from the corridor, landing next to Dan!
—It was Leo and Luna!
Luna's hands shimmered with magical light, and Leo tightly gripped the Void Ring, his gaze fixed firmly on the Young Lord and the magician.
"Let him go!" Leo said coldly.
The magician's eyes flickered slightly at the sight, and he snorted before raising his hand and casting a defensive spell. A blue magical barrier spread around them, enclosing the Young Lord within.
The Young Lord slowly released Dan's daggers, licking the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with mockery. "Oh? So there's not just one intruder, huh…"
Suddenly, the Young Lord spat out a mouthful of blood, his pale face turning even more ashen. His body swayed as if losing balance, and the blood-red glow in his eyes gradually faded. The magician quickly reacted, rushing forward to support him, speaking in a low voice, "Young Lord, you absorbed so much power just now. Your body is still too weak; you need to retreat and rest."
The Young Lord's face was pale, and he bit his lip in pain, clearly not expecting that absorbing so much energy would have such a backlash on his body. His eyes were filled with reluctance, but with the magician's support, he could only nod weakly.
"Quick, take the Young Lord back!" the magician commanded, then turned his attention to the three who were preparing to fight back.
At the same time, several armored guards poured out from a small underground room, quickly surrounding Leo, Luna, and Dan, forming a siege. The cold gleam in their eyes reflected the readiness of their weapons, prepared to strike at any moment.
The Young Lord stood beside the magician, pointing at Leo and Luna. His voice was cold as he commanded, "Kill them!"
At the sound of the order, the guards immediately raised their weapons and charged at the three.
"They're coming!" Leo muttered lowly, drawing his broken sword, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. Luna quickly moved to Leo's side, forming magical seals with both hands, while Dan skillfully darted between the guards, his twin daggers gleaming with cold light, ready to intercept the oncoming enemies.
The three of them stood back to back, forming a defensive line as they began to counterattack.
Leo struck first. He gripped the broken sword tightly, quickly channeling the elemental power from the Void Ring into the blade. The sword immediately gleamed with a ghostly blue light, the chill of the blade intensifying, and an oppressive aura filled the air. His movements were swift and fierce, each strike accompanied by a sharp wind, as the broken sword cut through a guard's armor, sending him flying.
"Quickly, stop them!" the magician shouted, trying to cast a spell to support the guards.
Luna, not to be outdone, stood beside Leo, raising both hands. Brilliant light poured from her palms, forming magical barriers that surged forward to attack the enemies. Waves of energy shot like arrows at the advancing guards, knocking down several of the frontmost enemies. Her face was serious, her eyes filled with resolve.
However, the number of guards was simply too great. Despite the three's efforts to fight back, they were still surrounded in the center of the altar, gradually falling into a more desperate situation.
"Damn it! How are there so many of them?!" Dan muttered in frustration as he swung his twin daggers, his movements growing more urgent. Faced with such a dense array of enemies, he felt somewhat overwhelmed. Every time he knocked one down, another few guards quickly filled the gap, encircling them more tightly.
Leo took a deep breath and quietly said to Dan and Luna, "I'll charge ahead. We'll break through the cellar's exit. Follow me!"
They nodded quickly, adjusting their positions, ready for the coming rush.
Leo took a deep breath, feeling the five-pointed star mark on his body pulsing violently. Black energy surged from his collarbone, spreading rapidly to the broken sword. The black sealing power spread across the blade, and the surface of the sword emitted an oppressive chill, becoming sharper.
"Go!" Leo shouted, suddenly charging forward, swinging the sword at the approaching guards.
Bang! Bang!
With every strike, the guards were blasted away, blood splattering in the air. The broken sword seemed to come alive, each swing cutting through the air with a sharp sound, breaking through the enemies' defenses.
Seizing the opportunity in the chaos, the three broke free from the guards' encirclement and made their way to the cellar's exit.
"Quick! Let's get out!" Leo shouted, his eyes fixed firmly on the exit ahead.
As they drew closer to the exit, the three finally broke through the defense, successfully escaping the cellar and rushing out of the house onto the street. The moonlight above them spilled through the clouds, casting their weary figures in its glow.
However, just as their breathing had barely settled, a bright light wall suddenly appeared before them, blocking their path.
"What is this?" Luna exclaimed in surprise, looking at the light wall that had suddenly formed. She tried to use magic to probe it but found that the wall's power was extraordinarily strong and could not be easily broken through.
Leo felt a wave of weakness, the sealing energy within him rapidly depleting. The black aura returned to the five-pointed star mark, his breath becoming more erratic, his body growing weaker.
"This is bad. This light wall..." Leo muttered softly, realizing that he no longer had the strength to continue fighting.
The light wall wasn't just in front of them. The entire street, even the sky above, was encased in the light wall, forming a three-dimensional cage, trapping the three of them inside.
The magician's figure appeared in the distance, standing outside the light wall, his gaze cold. "It seems you really are planning to fight us to the end."
"Whether you escape or not depends on your choices," the magician continued, a hint of smugness in his voice.
Luna and Dan immediately stood behind Leo, protecting him as they prepared for the battle that was sure to come.
However, Leo's strength was nearly exhausted. He felt his legs weakening, and the light wall before him seemed to blur. He took a deep breath and silently turned his gaze toward Luna and Dan, a silent resolution forming in his heart—no matter how difficult it became, they couldn't give up now.