NOVEL NEXT Chapter 66: Heartbreaking Loss!
Sylar responded with extreme enthusiasm and devotion.
"As you command, my lord._"
The man was a member of the Knight Order, and he had already been infected by the Blood Clan!
This Sylar was also the one with the highest family background in the entire Knight Order.
It must be said, the previous panic of the knights and priests was not entirely unreasonable.
No wonder they dared not face the Blood Clan. Someone like Vikalina, who possessed pure holy light, was not afraid of being infected.
But ordinary Church personnel, once infected, would inevitably be transformed!
The Blood Clan figure's plan was simple. He didn't need to sacrifice a large number of Blood Servants in a violent uprising. All he needed was for Sylar to gather other members of the Knight Order to put pressure on Vikalina, informing her that the Blood Cataclysm elsewhere was extremely urgent and required immediate support.
No matter how much she valued Sivis, the figure didn't believe that she could abandon the safety of so many civilians and refuse to offer any support!
So... "I just need one chance to reclaim the holy relic!"
The figure's expression was fervent.
How could the Blood Clan's holy artifact fall into the hands of mere mortals?
Although the figure was not sure if the Blood Shackles contained the holy relic — when the God of Blood Sea fell, to preserve the Blood Clan's legacy, the holy relic was hidden in thousands of Blood Shackles.
Not every shackle contained the Blood Clan's supreme holy artifact, but they dared not take the risk of letting an unopened Blood Shackle fall into the outside world, or even into the hands of the Church.
To the Blood Clan figure's relief, this young noble named Sivis was quite greedy. He had kept the Blood Shackle with him all along, instead of offering it to the female knight of the Church.
"I must thank your greed. I will drain your blood, turn you into my servant, and personally attack the Church, dying at the hands of the female knight who values you so much."
The thought of the upcoming "betrayal and mutual slaughter" made the Blood Clan figure tremble with excitement and extreme joy.
At that moment, the figure looked at the light screen before him.
The knight named Sylar had already gathered a group of Knight Order members.
He was speaking with some urgency in the tavern: "We must bring Vikalina back!"
"Only the power of holy light within her can resist the infection of the Blood Clan, and only she, with her Silver-Rank strength, can quickly kill those Blood Servants and prevent more people from being attacked and harmed!"
"The number of Blood Servants sighted is increasing. Relying on our patrols alone, something will eventually go wrong!"
As Sylar spoke, the other Knight Order members present were initially taken aback, then each of them nodded rapidly with evident delight — they needed to find Vikalina!
Of course, they had to find her!
Every Knight Order member present raised both hands in agreement.
The previous conflicts paled in comparison to the current life-and-death crisis!
Patrolling the city was the duty of the Knight Order. A thousand years ago, the priests and the Silver-Rank cleric from the Church would have joined them, providing protection.
But now... the priests didn't dare to step out of the church, leaving all the pressure on the Knight Order!
They had long wanted to seek Vikalina's help.
No matter how big the conflicts, they couldn't compare to the importance of their lives!
Previously, Sylar had a very strong background and the most protective gear. He acted as if he didn't need to rely on Vikalina, and the others were afraid of offending him, so they didn't dare to suggest it easily.
Now that Sylar had spoken up, wasn't everyone happy?
"Let's set out now, or we'll have to go patrol the city again soon!"
Sylar said, taking the opportunity.
The Knight Order members couldn't help but smile. "Yes, yes, let's go quickly!"
However, as they hurried toward the Daister family's residence, they didn't realize that it was Sylar, with his strong protective abilities, who was the first to fall victim —
Sylar had thought he would never be infected, but the Blood Clan figure hiding in the shadows took advantage of his momentary lapse and struck directly, leaving a small wound...
This noble young man, with his terrifying family background, whose family members had even participated in the Battle of the Great Evils a thousand years ago and held significant power in the Church, was forever reduced to a lowly blood servant.
What was terrifying was that Sylar felt no regret or bitterness, only gratitude for his "carelessness." which allowed him to join the "glorious" Blood Clan!
His mind was filled with...
For the greater cause!
Distract Vikalina!
Help the Blood Clan's master reclaim the Blood Shackle!
...
Sivis and Vikalina were still unaware that the Knight Order members were heading their way.
As the two of them passed through the dormitory where they had initially stayed, the small square in the factory area was already bustling with people.
By now, the sky was somewhat late, and the evening sun's rays swept across the clotheslines in front of the buildings, casting swaying shadows on the ground, like countless little figures dancing and cheering.
The scent of meat wafted from the cafeteria, and dozens of families were making their way there enthusiastically, children drooling and smiling.
"John! Do you know? My dad said that when he gets paid in a few days, he'll get me a new pair of shoes! What about you?"
"You have to wait a few days? Look at me, all my clothes are new!"
The sound of two children playing reached Sivis and Vikalina.
Sivis and Vikalina couldn't help but stop. The female knight looked at the scene before her, her resolve to follow this person growing stronger — just one person could bring such positive change to the world!
Only he, Sivis!
If someone told Vikalina now that Sivis was the prophesied Son of the Gods, she would believe it!
A smile also appeared on Sivis's lips.
Though he considered himself an ordinary person, he couldn't help but be moved by the "heroic sentiments" from movies in his past life. Looking at the civilians whose lives had improved because of him, a complex sense of achievement welled up inside him.
This feeling was soon overshadowed — when the civilians jubilantly gathered around him, calling out "Lord Sivis" and "Thank you." his expression grew increasingly serious.
In Sivis's plans, these people were merely stepping stones to break through the Silver-Rank.
Once the hidden Blood Clan began a large-scale conversion of Blood Servants in Minnet City, and the plague ultimately broke out,
He would have no power to protect the entire city.
The laughter and joy before him, the hope for the future, would all be reduced to nothing in the Blood Cataclysm.
Thinking about this, his mood darkened.
Sivis opened the system panel, his gaze sweeping over the various data points, and his fingertips unconsciously caressed the Blood Shackle in his pocket.
"The blood plague outbreak..."
"How to handle it."
The laughter of the children in the distance mixed with the scent of meat from the cafeteria.
Vikalina found it all beautiful, but to Sivis, it felt as if there was a thin layer of ice separating him from it, distant and unreal.
The female knight noticed his change in demeanor. "What's wrong?"
Sivis shook his head, watching as the civilians gradually entered the cafeteria. A little girl turned and waved at him.
"Lord Sivis! You must be happy too!!"
The child showed a pure, innocent smile.
Sivis raised his hand in response, but his smile was forced.
He fell silent for a moment, then called over a few foremen.
As more and more civilians came to work, Sivis had long hired a team of foremen.
The lead foreman handed him a roster. "Lord Sivis, this is the list of the newest additions to our workforce. Please review it."
Sivis took the paper and scanned it, his brow gradually furrowing — the number of people joining each day seemed stable, but something was off!
The reputation of the construction site was growing, and even civilians who had doubted the existence of "kind-hearted nobles" were now putting aside their suspicions to join, yet the number of new additions remained "about the same."
This "about the same" was the biggest issue.
Normally, the number of people joining each day should be increasing consistently!
Sivis knew that the data in front of him indicated that the Blood Clan was accelerating the conversion of Blood Servants. The total population of Minnet City was plummeting, and the base population was shrinking. Despite more civilians being attracted to Sivis, the number of applicants remained constant!
Thinking about the laughter and joy in the square just a moment ago, his smile vanished completely — countless lives were being devoured in unseen corners.
Sivis sighed.
Even with his advancement to Silver-Rank, he was still just a drop in the ocean in a city of tens of thousands.
Once the Blood Clan's plague spread fully, this place would become a hell!
Sivis's only chance of survival was to retreat to his territory with the power gained from his advancement.
He felt a bit strange, as if the plan he had already decided on was being reconsidered over and over again...
In his mind, images of the little girl's smile, the workers' grateful gazes, and the "world-changing" methodology he had shared with Vikalina kept flashing.
His temples throbbed.
In the end...
Sivis made up his mind.
"The problem with the Blood Clan is not my concern."
"Surviving is hard enough for me, how can I worry about others?"
He cut off the random thoughts in his head decisively.
In his frustration, Sivis opened the system panel. He saw that the countdown for the monster search was just one day away from zero.
"I still need to break through as soon as possible. Every second I delay, I lose a second of cooldown time for this search function!"
He grumbled, but then noticed two prominent notifications:
[Monster Lord Upgrade Requirement: Lv.4]
[Objective One: 300 Population (Achieved)]
[Objective Two: Lord reaches Silver-Rank (Not Achieved)]
[Objective Three: 100 Residents with Loyalty Above 70 (711/100 Achieved)]
[Territory Upgrade Requirement (Upgrade from Monster Territory to Monster Settlement)]
[Requires 1000 Population, Current Population 844]
[Prosperity: 0/100]
[Warning: Prosperity cannot increase until residents settle and construct buildings within the territory.]
[Warning: Population does not contribute to territory upgrades until residents settle within the territory.]
"Ah..."
"Such a loss!"
Sivis watched as the good life of so many civilians was about to be destroyed, feeling a twinge of pain.
He looked at the nearly achieved conditions for upgrading to Monster Lord and the territory upgrade, knowing they would be shattered by the plague unleashed by the Blood Clan.
The frustration was almost unbearable!
This was the true, enormous loss!