Crimson Core

It didn’t take long for Kai to discover where he was: The Forbidden Section. He was inside the tallest mountain where it seemed that the lightning originated from.

It was as though Kai didn’t want to come down but if he tried to walk out the entrance a huge build of lightning would strike him causing him excruciating pain and agony.

After some time of waiting inside the mountain, he decided to weather out the whole mid-yearly assessment inside the cave, everything he needed was found inside the cave, Vilholin was truly a man who knew how to live. His home was beyond simple words, it was out of this world.

Kai had everything he needed… In style.

Unmerited riches don’t last long.

This saying was particularly true for Kai, he was beginning to enjoy his new home but he felt this pain in his chest. The feeling of pain was accompanied by an ominous premonition. He felt that he was losing connection with something very important to him.

‘This is odd.’ Kai thought so because he had not attached importance to the things he owned, ‘…all things can be replaced, right?’

But there was one thing, Chelsea. The thought of something happening to Chelsea got him worried. He could no longer stay here, no matter how much he loved luxury and living the big life.

Luckily Kai had gone on a killing spree sometime ago leaving him rather ready to protect Chelsea… Even if he couldn’t at least he could still take her and run.

At that point Kai summoned Void’s Door this time the spell seemed to have a lower casting time. It seemed to understand that Kai was in a hurry.

—Du Du—

Kai activated the gauntlet of The gods before walking through Void’s door. Kai opened the door that would lead him to Chelsea’s room; what he saw next, nothing he had done or seen had prepared him for it.

Chelsea was lying on her bed, her blue hair was all over the place, and she looked alluring if not for one tiny detail. Her face was still as beautiful as ever, it seemed as though nothing had happened, as if she was asleep… Except the stream of blood that kept following from Chelsea’s chest onto the bed.

Kai rushed to her… She was out cold. He placed his hands over her body, in an attempt to heal her; To bring her back to life.

His palm glowed brilliantly, and the red hue it gave off was so soothing. The injured Marshall on the other side of the room, hanging on the wall felt his injuries heal.

Chelsea’s injury on the other hand had healed the hole in her chest had closed up, but she was still out cold.

—Slit—

Kai, in a fit of frustration, cut his finger open to let his blood fall into Chelsea’s mouth. It still did nothing to save her.

“…”

Kai didn’t know what to say. He just held Chelsea’s corpse in his hands; she had died. Her body was complete and warm; her heart was even beating, but she was still dead.

Her face was of a neutral expression; she didn’t seem to struggle. It was as if she died in her sleep. She looked as though she was asleep

“Her soul is in the god realm.”

A familiar voice resounded in Kai’s ears. He knew who had this voice.

He turned around to see Vilholin licking his bloodied fingers in a very slow manner; he seemed to enjoy it. Kai felt rage build up in his body; all he wanted was to tear Vilholin to shreds but slowly and agonisingly.

But alas, he could not bring himself to move. Chelsea was still in his hands, after all. All the rage in his body disappeared and was replaced with sadness and regret.

It wasn’t like Kai didn’t want to pulverise Vilholin but he knew he was weaker than Vilholin.

Tears fell from Kai’s eyes, trailing his cheeks and falling on Chelsea’s face; he had never felt such pain before. Kai simply couldn’t put how he felt in words; his brain was blank at that moment.

He regretted that he could not protect his Chelsea, the only person in his heart. He regretted the fact that he had been selfish; he regretted that he was narrow-minded. If only he had helped Chelsea become a mage, at least she would have stood her ground for a while until he came.

“I am sorry, I had to do this.” Vilholin looked really remorseful; Kai didn’t even spare him a glance.

Vilholin walked towards Lord Marshall and kneeled. “I am sorry, I had to do this.”

Lord Marshall felt the force holding him up to the wall loosen, and he fell slowly onto the ground.

Lord Marshall was a wise man; he knew that he could not win if he decided to fight with Vilholin. He had also learnt that the hard way.

Lord Marshall ran to his daughter; he stood behind Kai. The scene of his dying wife flashed in his mind; he was powerless then and he was powerless now.

“Please… Bring her soul back.” That was all Lord Marshal could muster the strength to say as his throat was closing up in agony. He didn’t know why he said those words to Kai; they simply felt natural.

Kai didn’t respond. He was lost in his thoughts; he had lost everything.

“How do I bring her back?!” Kai finally acknowledged Vilholin’s presence in the room. The gaze he gave Vilholin was nothing more than a death stare. He was looking at the person who took her away from him; of course he would be angry with him.

“It won’t be simple.”

“Answer my FUCKING QUESTION!!”

Kai cut him off, and cracks began to form around his eyes. Kai’s entire eyeball was black, and his pupil had become blood red. His fangs had formed, and he looked like a beast.

Kai was in a rage, he was simply menacing, killing intent was bursting out of his body, and it was so thick that a knife could cut through it.

Although Vilholin was visibly stronger than Kai, at this point, he wasn’t so confident in his ability. Vilholin felt his knees go weak. Kai had gotten stronger.

“King Sullivan, he has a map. It would lead you to the realm of the gods.” Vilholin seemed intimidated at this point.

—Crack—

The sound of something breaking was heard; it was coming from Lord Marshall’s body. Lord Marshall had his body wreaked in torture after his father died and the Salinger rule ended; a tracking relic had been embedded in his body.

The relic not only tracked him and reported his location to King Sullivan, it also prevented him from unleashing his true potential. The relic kept absorbing essence from his body, keeping him at the peak layer of the Lord rank since the time they let him go.

But now the pressuring killing intent exploding from Kai cracked it open. Now Lord Marshall didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry; he had lost his daughter, and now his full cultivation was back to him.

“What do I do when I get there?”

Kai asked as though he didn’t hear the sound of something breaking from behind him.

“You would have to see the gods of death and take her soul back; it won’t be easy. King Amal would be expecting you.”

Vilholin was sad that he had done such a terrible thing. He was so blinded by the urge to get his father to be proud of him that he did something so evil.

Although he was no saint, he had lived long enough to have principles. He was really sorry about what he had done.

“What else do I need to know?” Kai asked in a manner that could not be called a shout. It was clear and still, causing a calm sensation, but looking at the person who said it... The calm sensation turns to fear.

Vilholin totally understood why Kai looked at him with such hate and disgust. “I will have to give you my blood.”

Kai’s expression changed from anger to curiosity. “Why?” He suspected some foul play.

“I must admit that you are strong, but to beat my father, you would have to get stronger. I know what you are. You would need all the blood you can get to get strong enough.”

The words Vilholin said were true; Kai was a hybrid of two worlds, and so was Vilholin. Kai was of a god and a demon, while Vilholin was of a god and a dragon. They both got stronger the more blood essence they absorbed.

Kai, on the other hand, had noticed that the more he absorbed the blood essence of his victims, the longer it seemed to last, but it seemed to take double the amount of blood essence to increase the essence he had within him.

The first time he absorbed the blood essence of a peak layer count level mage, it gave him a six per cent increase in blood essence but recently he noticed that it had gone down to three per cent.

“One more thing, Chelsea won’t last long, but I can help with that”.

Vilholin said and Kai looked at him like he just said the craziest thing ever… Like he would let him come close to Chelsea ever again.

“You just have to trust me... I want to help.”

At this point, Vilholin looked very sincere and Kai knew that he could do nothing about time. If only Samantha had comprehended the dao of time and space to a high level, it would have been a peace of cake to stop time around Chelsea.

Kai gave way for Vilholin to work his spell. Vilholin walked towards her; he paused right above her. He looked at Kai; the sadness was visible in his eyes.

A cloud of white smoke oozed out of Vilholin’s neck; after some time, the smoke dispersed. His neck had changed. It had dragon scales.

He took a scale and placed it on Chelsea’s forehead, from the dragon scale, another cloud oozed out covering Chelsea, soon enough, the cloud dispersed.

As the cloud of white smoke dispersed, Chelsea was seen covered in black dragon scales.

“She is safe now; she can be in this state for a hundred years and she would still be well when you bring her soul back.”

All through all this, Lord Marshall kept silent. Kai and Vilholin had forgotten about him. Lord Marshall didn’t care; as far as he had hope of saving his daughter, he wouldn’t even mind being mute forever.

"Next, I would let you take some of my essences, but we can’t do it here…” Vilholin and Kai walked to the opposite room, leaving Lord Marshall behind.

Lord Marshall was ecstatic yet very sad, ecstatic that his powers were returning and sad that his daughter was between living and dying. She was so close yet so far away.

“I have hope that Kai will bring your soul back... Hang in there, my little angel.”

A drop of sad tears came out of Lord Marshall’s left eye. How long has it been since he cried? The last time he cried was the day Lady Irene died; he just could not contain himself.

In the other room...

Kai and Vilholin were in a weird position; it looked like Vilholin was about to give Kai a blow…

But in the actual sense, Vilholin was in that position so that he would not injure himself if he fell. He was ultimately strong but he was about to give Kai the blood essence that he had spent at least two billion years accumulating.

Vilholin was a being who really knew how to live; he wasn’t barbaric; he was a fine gentleman of that period’s standards. He cut his wrist, as though it were butter... Vilholin’s skin nonetheless could not be scratched by Kai’s gauntlets, no matter how Kai tried, even if Vilholin let him.

Vilholin could only be hurt by himself and none else. Not even Amal, the tyrant king of the god realm, could hurt him.

It didn’t take long for the wine glass in Vilholin’s hands to be filled with his blood. The content of that cup was something that even ten Sullivans could not produce.

The red liquid in the cup seemed to sparkle and shimmer; it was even bubbling. Blood essence did look like blood; to be clear, it was blood, but a different type of blood. It had been infused with essence of heaven; it was the connection.

Vilholin handed the cup over to Kai, who took it with a scrutinizing look. He didn’t trust him; how could he? But the blood essence called him; the temptation was simply too great.

“Just drink it.” Vilholin said in a gruff voice. He was on the floor; it looked as though he was struggling to keep conscious… He was.

Gulp, gulp, gulp—

The contents of the cup had disappeared into Kai’s mouth in three gulps; it gave him a sizzling sensation as it went down his throat.

—Sizzle—

“What nex— arrrghhh!”

Kai was about to ask Vilholin what was going to happen to him. Suddenly the pain hit him. It was unlike anything he had felt before, this pain was entirely new to him, it had been so long that he encountered pain.

“Don’t fight it.”

Those were the last words Kai heard before his eyes became heavy and his body light ultimately led to Kai falling unconscious.

Lord Marshall heard something hit the wood floor... He came running.

“Is he alright?”

Lord Marshall asked Vilholin; he was simply too logical to fight Vilholin.

“He is alright; he just needs some rest. He should wake up in a week or two.” Vilholin said as he walked past Lord Marshall, who stood by the door.

“Where are you going?”

Although Lord Marshall knew he was not a match for Vilholin, he was still lost in a fit of anger. For obvious reasons.

“I have to report to my father that I have carried out the task he assigned to me.”

Before Lord Marshall could stop him, he already disappeared with Gilbert. The whole mansion was dead silent, no sound was heard; even the notorious cricket was too afraid to make a sound.

Three days later...

The mid-yearly assessment had ended, and Darcy’s assessment score was in the top five.

Darcy walked out of the land; she was happy but confused, throughout the assessment, she hadn’t seen nor heard of Kai. It was as if he had disappeared.

She stood a few meters away from the rift in space that was the portal to the land to wait for Kai to walk out of the land. She had waited for a very long time; a few hours had gone by but he didn’t come out.

“He couldn’t have been dead... Right? No… Bad thoughts, please go away.” Darcy was worried. Subconsciously, she had accepted to be his subordinate.

“Who could not have been dead? Don’t tell me you are waiting for that Kai boy.”

Darcy was startled at the words that came from behind her; she was a bit embarrassed because she knew who it was.

“It’s not like that.” Darcy had a blush now; if any of the students at the academy saw this, they would die of jealousy. At the mention of a nobody’s name, the flame Princess almost died from embarrassment.

“Shh, don’t say more; he didn’t die. I know that for sure,” Martha said, trying to comfort her younger sister.

“Alright… But where is he? He should have walked out of the rift by now.” Darcy believed her sister. Martha was a very powerful woman, Darcy knew at least that.

Martha was a woman of integrity; it was the virtue her mother imparted to her before passing away.

“Where he is? I do not know; he just disappeared. But his tracking relic is still active.”

All students were imparted with a relic that looked like a bracelet, it was an innovation, it could track the students’ kills and if they were alive or not. And based on the tracking relic Kai had with him, he was still alive.

“He seemed like a strong man... He would come back.” Martha said.

“He is,” Darcy said as Martha dragged her away.

Three days later...

“I apologise for my incompetence, my lady... I have failed you.” Xavier kneeled in front of Martha with his head bowed.

“You couldn’t find him?” Martha asked, already knowing the answer to her questions.

“I searched all the land but I still could not get any whiff of his aura.”

“He might not be in the land. Go, I want you to find him; go to the Blue Dragons City and see if you would find him.”

“Yes, my lady.” Xavier bowed and disappeared. Like into thin air.