Return of the Mythic Bloodline

"Absorption of Soulforce completed.

Soulforce absorbed: 300k/300k ."

"Raj, why are you crying? Does it hurt that badly?" Nymeria asked in a soft voice, wiping a tear from my eye.

"No—no, it's nothin', just some dirt got into mah eyes," I muttered, pulling myself together.

"Why are you talking like this? Did you also hurt your mouth?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"Did I unknowingly speak in Jambavan's accent? That's dangerous! The memories really influenced me. I need to be more careful from now on," I thought to myself, then murmured, "Yeah, I accidentally bit my tongue while fighting. Anyways, can you—cough...cough—do me a favour?" I asked, coughing up blood.

"Say the word, Raj," She whispered, touching my face gently.

"Put this... here..." I said, pointing her sword at my chest.

"Wha—what are you saying? I would never do something like this. You shouldn't give up that easily," she blurted, squeezing my cheek with her hands.

"I'm tollin' byu tu du dis tu seb mve (I'm telling you to do this to save me)," I murmured as my face was turning into a sandwich between her hands.

"How can killing you save you?" she asked, reducing the force in her arms.

"Only critical injuries will activate Ruru's Blessing. My injuries are severe but not—cough... life-threatening yet. If you don't do it, I'll have to wait—cough... until I lose all of my blood. Do you wanna see me suffer for that long?" I asked, groaning in pain.

"But still... how can I—" she muttered, lowering her eyes.

"You are the only one I can ask this favour. Moreover—cough... cough—it won't hurt if it's you," I pleaded.

I pushed my body closer to her and, resting my chin on her shoulder, I whispered in her ear,

"So please, stab my heart with your sword."

"Alright, I will do it," she replied, leaning my back against Jambavan's unconscious body.

She unzipped my jacket as her hair brushed against my lips.

"Hehe~! It feels so good—cough...—when a pretty lady removes your clothes," I chuckled, a cough accompanying the words.

"How could you joke in this kind of situation?" she snapped, drawing her sword.

"If it does feel good, then tell me—how does it feel getting stabbed in the heart by the same pretty lady?" she asked, her sword pointing at my chest.

She said that confidently, and her face was emotionless, but I could clearly see through that composed posture of hers. Hardly noticeable, sweat was glistening on her forehead.

The Frostbite that never hesitated to dominate any foe was trembling in front of a half-dead man.

She slowly moved her sword, touching my chest. A drop of blood poured out as its tip kissed my skin.

I didn't know at that time that the favour I asked her to do would be so difficult for her.

She had closed her eyes. Her sword wouldn't move any further.

I clenched my teeth, grabbed the blade of her sword, and jolted it inside, piercing my heart.

A stream of blood surged out from my mouth as I muttered,

"Haha! This felt... nostalgic..."

"Alert!! Host is in critical condition...

Blessing of Ruru activated."

The translucent deer spirit slowly emerged from my body, expelling the sword from my chest. My wounds began to heal, my dislocated shoulder returned to its original place, my crushed stomach began to fill up as my flattened liver regenerated, and my lifeless right arm, which had been torn like paper, flickered with life again.

"Aahaha! This feeling of pain fading away... so comfortable," I mumbled with a faint smile.

"You jerk!" Nymeria snapped, staring down at me.

"Hmm, pretty lady, why the long face now?" I asked in a sarcastic voice.

She sat in front of me and pulled me closer, grabbing me by the collar, and murmured, "Never—never ask me to do something like this again."

"Hehe~! Were you scared, pretty lady?" I jested, looking away.

She drew me even closer, yanking the hair at the back of my head with her other hand. "Look into my eyes and say that."

"Ow-ow, alright geez, I won't ask you again," I replied, grumbling from the hair pull.

"Jerk!" she muttered, letting go of my collar and wrapping her arms around my neck. She clutched me close to her and rested her face on my chest.

"I am sorry, pretty lady. I was being too selfish with that request and didn't consider your feelings," I spoke in a soft voice, gently patting her head.

"So you do have some consciousness," she replied, embracing me tightly.

As we were enjoying our little romantic moment, Ruru arrived at the scene.

She passed by us, completely ignoring me, and looked at Jambavan's half-dead body.

She rolled him with her antlers, making his front side face upward.

His body was deeply cut in a diagonal slash, still pulsating with light electric pulses. Ruru touched his wound with her antlers, and they began glowing radiantly. The cut closed with the same kind of seal that she used to close the exit of the cave.

The part at his chest where the cursed leech had been stuck had a small stone lying there.

"This—this is the same stone," I mumbled, taking that bear-shaped stone in my hand.

It was dyed crimson with dried blood.

The moment I grabbed the stone, all the events I witnessed in Jambavan's memories flashed into my mind. That caring and mature face of Varena, the love and innocence of Vani, the loyalty on the faces of the wolven knights—and the next moment, I was sitting in a pool of blood.

The wolven knights that should have been dead were standing in front of me. Their faces distorted and their limbs twisted, they muttered, "Why... didn't you... save us, Chief?"

I gasped, sweat pouring down my face, and took shaky steps backward.

My back touched something—I turned to look.

It was Varena, holding Vani's hand. Her other arm was severed, and blood was dripping from it. Her eyes were crimson red, and blood was flowing out from all of her facial orifices.

Vani, beside her, had half of her face eaten away.

They stared at me and spoke in a deep voice, "Why didn't ya save us?"

"Weren't ya the strongest, Papa?" Vani muttered, stepping forward.

"Ya failed us, m'lord," Varena said, following behind.

"No—no, it wasn't me," I muttered, trying to move away from them.

They surrounded me from all sides and stared down at me.

"Forgive me, please," I groaned, holding my chest.

I was struggling for even a single breath. It felt as if my heart would burst out of my throat.

"Raj!"

"Raj!"

I heard a distant, familiar voice.

"Who is it?" I shouted, clenching my chest.

"Come to your senses, Raj! It's me, Nymeria!" Nymeria shouted, shaking me by the shoulders.

"What—what just happened?" I asked, staring at her.

"That's what I should be asking. You were having a panic attack," she replied, her voice cracking.

I focused and looked at my environment. I was still in the Forest of Gumiho.