"Hey, you're so stupid!"
Ebenholz glared at Kreide with displeasure and criticized him:
"You just went with them like that? You didn't even take any precautions to save yourself. Do you know what would have happened if we hadn't come?"
What will we encounter?
Ebenholz choked; he truly didn't know.
Is that the main point?
"Yeah, because they're all dangerous individuals. Dealing with them in the neighborhood would probably hurt everyone."
Seeing the Ebenholz, Kreide became somewhat anxious and explained the situation truthfully.
"Just because of that? You naive idiot!"
Bang--!
"And you, you have the nerve to criticize others."
Ebenholz covered his head, Gregor said helplessly:
"If they hadn't been mindful of your status, you would have been struck by magic the moment you stepped forward."
"Puff--"
Ebenholz glared at the source of the sound, Kreide coughed twice, and bowed deeply.
"Thank you all for your help. This is Kreide. Could you please tell me what happened?"
The boy glanced at the Witch King Remnants, who were fast asleep on the ground.
"And these... they seem to be after me, but I'm just an ordinary person."
"An ordinary person? Only you would think that way."
Ebenholz adjusted his breathing and straightened his chest.
"Franz von Utica, that's my name."
"And you, your full name should be Kreide von Utica, who is my cousin."
Kreide's eyes widened in disbelief.
"So it's true that my family came to pick me up?"
"What are you talking about? Of course it's fake!"
Interrupted by the other person's words, Ebenholz said angrily:
Aren't you curious?
"I'm curious," Kreide nodded.
Are you my brother?
"I'm the older brother! No, wait!" Ebenholz shook his head guiltily.
Why don't you have any doubts at all? You believe everything I say.
"Because I have a strange sense of kinship with Franz." Kreide scratched his head sheepishly.
"When I first saw you, I felt we would become good friends, but I never imagined we were brothers."
"... Aren't you afraid I'm lying to you?"
"Well, actually I can vaguely sense malice, so nothing will happen."
"That must have been tough," Gregor suddenly said.
Kreide paused briefly, then smiled and narrowed his eyes.
"Not at all, because everyone here is a very nice person."
"Don't be so naive!"
With a sense of responsibility as the older brother, Ebenholz tries to change his younger brother's naive personality.
"You have no idea what some despicable bastards do behind the scenes. You have to be wary of people at all times. You must have encountered such people before!"
"But if everyone does this, it will be very difficult to build trusting relationships."
Sinking under Kreide's serious attitude, Ebenholz felt a tightness in his chest.
Gregor, standing to the side, sighed with emotion.
One was a nobleman, the other a commoner.
One lives in a bustling high-rise, the other in the slums at the bottom.
The two brothers come from vastly different backgrounds, yet their attitudes toward the world are completely opposite.
"I think you have a lot to say, but could you please be quiet for a moment?"
"... certainly."
Having told Gregor everything he knew, he awaited Kreide's answer.
The boy was processing the information.
I am an experiment in a conspiracy, and everything I experience is under the surveillance of others.
The grandfather who raised her to adulthood is the Voice of the Queen, monitoring her as a dangerous object.
Although there had been some speculation beforehand, it's still somewhat frustrating.
"It's about time you faced reality," Ebenholz said softly.
"Everything we experienced was planned, it was all fake..."
"No."
Baie shook his head, his smile still as bright as ever.
He learned one thing during his long life of wandering: cursing fate will not make life better.
"The identity is fake, but the love is real."
"Our birth may have been orchestrated by some with ulterior motives, but everything we have experienced is undoubtedly real."
"That's why I was able to meet Grandpa, everyone else, and you."
"My pain and joy are both real; to define my life with falsehoods... I disagree."
"..."
Faced with the silence of the crowd, Kreide's previous determination turned into caution.
"Um... is what I'm saying a little too strange?"
Gregor shook his head.
"Ebenholz, your younger brother is more mature than you."
"So verbose!"
Ebenholz waved his hand angrily.
The scene I had envisioned was me, as the older brother, stepping forward to support my younger brother, but in reality, I was the one who was comforted.
Overwhelmed by Ifrit's strength, defeated by the Emperor's proud music, and lost to his younger brother's maturity...
Ebenholz noted down today's date; this unlucky day must be against him.
Gregor looked at Kreide.
"Now that you understand the whole story, what's your choice?"
"Will staying here put Grandpa and everyone else in danger?"
"..."
"... I see."
"Don't worry, after we resolve your issues, you can still come back, and there's even good news..."
Gregor patted the back of the Ebenholz.
"Your elder brother is the Earl of Utica. I don't think the Earl would be unable to take in a pair of homeless grandfather and grandson."
"Yes! That's right!"
Having found its area of strength, Ebenholz stood tall with pride.
"As your older brother, I can at least say I'm capable in this area..."
"Thank you, brother."
"..." Ebenholz's eyebrows twitched.
What did you call me?
"Um, I'm not very familiar with aristocratic etiquette. Should I call him 'elder brother'?"
"No! Cough—I mean, there's no need to be so formal, just call me brother."
[Vane: What a disgrace.]
[Gorth: It's quite a strange feeling to hear you say that.]
[Gregor: Stop fooling around. Why are you suddenly making me send Ifrit and Ceobe back?]
[Vane: The Voice of the Mundane can influence each other, increasing the activity of Originium. Before resolving the Voice of the Mundane issue, do not allow Baie to approach the Infected.]
[Gregor: I remember you said that we need to merge the two Voice of the Mundane to open the Origin Horn and meet the Witch King?]
[Vane: That's true, but merging will cost one of our lives. We're not professionals, so we'll have to ask the old folks at the Lich King Court for the specific procedures.]
[Vera: I'll do it.]
[Vane: So ruthless, just merge and then resurrect?]
[Vera: I said I would resolve the Voice of the Mundane.]
[Vane: Don't kid me, second brother, you don't know any magic...]
"You really know how?"
In the Vitality Hall, Vane, who had come as an insurer, witnessed Vera drawing incantations.
Beams of light entered the bodies of the two lambs, and the noise echoing in their minds disappeared.
"Resolved?"
"No, we're just temporarily sealing off their impact."
Vera cut away the Originium embedded in her flesh along with her blood and flesh, and then took the potion handed to her by Gregor to recover from her injuries.
"Do I have to do this every time I use a spell?"
"There's no way around it; without Originium adaptability, being able to use spells is just a matter of trickery."
"That's not right, is it? The problem isn't how you learned it, second brother?" Vane was getting a little frantic.
"We're not the same version as Originium; even magic is more reliable than this!"
"It's not as difficult as you think. It all boils down to the use of energy, except that the energy flow I'm drawing from is too low."
Contemplating the possibility of using magic instead, Vera countered:
"Besides, if you can download voice packs in the We Many, why can't I learn witchcraft?"
"... Okay, so is the melody in their heads still in danger?"
"A musical movement... I don't consider that to be music." Vera frowned.
"I can't completely eliminate the danger; I'll have to find the person who branded me."
"As for other methods, unless they can surpass the master of the inscription in their magical skill, or summarize it with a more harmonious melody, the inscription will continue to exist."
"That means we need to find the ruler of the Lich Royal Court."
Gregor seemed thoughtful; given Vane's situation, the other party was currently also within Leithanien's territory.
"Boss, you're looking for Fremont?"
"After all, we need to meet the Witch King, and the timer in the Dungeon has already been reset. We can't just keep waiting like this."
Vera nodded.
"If you find it, please pass on a message, boss."
"What?"
"Get back here. Don't make me come looking for you myself."
A silence fell over the room, Gregor hesitated before saying:
"Shouldn't you be a little more tactful?"
"Do you want it to be even more tactful?" Vera asked, looking troubled.
What exactly did you go through in the furnace...?
Some of the others felt a little embarrassed. After picking up the two little ones, Gregor decided to embellish his statement slightly.
"I'll be going now. I'll let you know if anything comes up."
Gregor left first, Vera looked at Vane.
"How long until that Mobile City you mentioned arrives?"
"I don't know, maybe the logistics in Great Yan are a bit slow?"
"... I have to go back and get busy now. Let me know if anything comes up."
Another person left, Vane, who didn't want to go back to work, decided to catch up with Gorth.
"I'm going back to farming."
Refusing to waste time, the Lord of the Forest returned to his loyal land and resumed his daily toil.
Vera's question made Gorth slightly anxious.
The birthday present had already been revealed, so Vane was somewhat prepared, but he was still at a loss as to what to do with the armor he had been preparing.
High-end materials like dragon scales are still difficult to process, and it's too late to go to Columbia to find the Petram clan.
Fortunately, aside from the Demons fragments that served as a high-quality energy source, Gorth also obtained the Bloodline Heir Cluster sponsored by Vane.
As the shadows spread out beneath his feet, Gorth took out the Bloodline Heir Cluster that he had stored beforehand, but their appearance had changed slightly.
The color changed from red to black, and the aggregate resembling flesh and blood transformed into a viscous liquid.
"Was it successful?"
With doubt in mind, the order was given, and the experimental subject, which had been like a stagnant pool, immediately came to life, burrowing into Gorth's body through the palm that touched it.
Since learning about Seaborn's amazing properties in Vane, Gorth has been very interested.
Nearly omnipotent adaptability and evolutionary ability.
As the situation in the forest became increasingly dangerous, some residents were still injured despite warnings.
As they blamed themselves for their inadequacy, Gorth also pondered whether and in what way he could strengthen the Gardeners ' abilities.
At this point, the Bloodline Heir's entry perfectly aligned with this.
Vane used them to alter the Inquisitors ' forms, granting them powerful flesh-modifying abilities, but Gorth didn't want to use them.
As for the ability that could potentially be used on Alina, it should at least remain as it is. Rather than changing her, Gorth prefers symbiosis.
But since the physical body cannot be easily altered, Gorth can only consider the energy aspect.
Topic: Can Bloodline Heir adapt to the Shadow World and switch from physical form to energy form?
In conclusion--
"Feasible."
Gorth waved his hand, then paused, startled when he saw the experimental subject brought by the vines.
The Rift Beast, who was sleeping peacefully in its nest, saw the figure it feared again, and Gorth recognized it as the same unfortunate creature from before.
"Don't be afraid, it's just an experiment."
Black liquid flowed from his palm, surging into the Rift Beast's body amidst its terrified gaze.
The agonizing howls gradually subsided, and the Rift Beast felt no pain; instead, it felt its body grow stronger.
From Gorth's perspective, the experimental subject quickly covered the surface of the Rift Beast, and its menacing black tentacles resembled a symbiote called Venom.
A fragment of Demons, a Bloodline Heir Cluster, and the influence of shadow energy.
Symbiote Venom Pro Max.
The original symbiote's weakness to sound waves was removed, and due to concerns that it was too vulnerable, Gorth added more abilities.
Unafraid of frost and fire, unfazed by cuts and blows, it gains immunity to toxins while also possessing the toxic effects of Mandrake Flowers.
It enhances the host's basic attributes such as strength, and has the energy reserves to reverse the Bloodline Heir's electrical meter in terms of endurance.
More importantly...
Gorth waved his hand.
The Rift Beast, covered by the experimental subject, sank into the shadows, and Gorth himself did not use his abilities.
Worried that the level of protection was insufficient and that the Gardeners might be unable to escape if they encountered danger, Gorth added the ability of shadow transformation.
Gardener: Enhance.
"Roar--!"
The Rift Beast leaped out of the shadows, roaring excitedly.
Power! I felt immense power!
Watching the rampaging figure of the Rift Beast, Gorth shook his head again.
The experiment was a success. As a biological symbiote, it can devour dragon scales to enhance its protective level, and it can also simulate the form of armor.
But it's still too ugly. Let's give it to the Gardeners first, and make a new one for Alina and Vera.
Gorth raised his hand to retract the symbiote from the Rift Beast, but saw the latter shaking its head desperately.
"... You want to keep it on you?"
The Rift Beast nodded excitedly. With this power... it would no longer be afraid of that damned flower bud!
Gorth was surprised. Was it due to the proliferation of underground Magic Crystal Ore? These small animals had even developed a certain level of intelligence.
Seeing the hopeful look in the Rift Beast's eyes, Gorth hesitated.
Out of appreciation for the peculiar specimen, Gorth did intend to accept it, but the creation of the symbiote was extremely valuable.
The main problem is that the number of Demons fragments is decreasing, and if we keep drawing them, our Internal Guards will be completely depleted.
Should we give it to it...?
As Gorth was pondering, the vigilant Bloodline Heir Cluster issued a warning that someone had entered the Black Forest.
"You've come at the perfect time..."
Gorth pointed in the direction of the invasion.
"Bring these two intruders here, and I'll consider whether you should retain this power."
"Roar--!"
With an excited roar, the Rift Beast leaped high into the air, slithering through the shadows like a shark.
Sitting on the ground, Gorth took out a video Telephone Snail and began to watch the show.
"We've finally arrived..."
At the edge of the forest, Hellagur and his companion, after a long journey, finally arrived at their destination.
Looking at the magnificent scenery standing tall on the snowfield, Hellagur felt a greater sense of respect and caution towards the legendary forest.
What's the next step?
"Have no idea."
With that answer, Kashena walked directly into the forest.
"The current leader of the Reunion Movement once invited me to the Black Forest to participate in a debate. If this forest is truly the work of the Lord of the Forest, it should have discovered us by now."
"The Reunion Movement... I haven't been observing their movements around."
Hellagur was alert to his surroundings.
The moment he entered the forest, he felt surrounded by enemies, and his hand unconsciously gripped the Zhanjiang.
"The Infected's gathering places cannot be openly observed, or perhaps they are deeper in the forest."
Sensing that Kashena herself was unsure, Hellagur countered:
"... To the best of my knowledge, the Reunion Movement has never claimed to be affiliated with the Black Forest."
"Who knows? It's common practice to distance yourself before a war starts; after all, you always need to leave yourself a way out."
Kashena stroked the black tree.
"You can always ask questions and investigate after you meet; for now, we simply need to wait for the host."
Hellagur frowned, his expression gradually becoming serious.
Are you sure we're guests?
"Is there a problem?" Kashena sensed something was wrong.
"Your host has arrived, and doesn't seem to like you very much."
Following Hellagur's gaze, Kashena squinted and saw shadows leaping through the forest.
Rift Beast? No... this size!?
Three times larger than a normal Rift Beast, its skin was covered in smooth black mucus, with scattered, constantly thrashing tentacles on top.
"What is that?"
"Who knows... get out of the way!"
Hellagur's pupils contracted as the Rift Beast disappeared behind the tree. At the same time, he caught a glimpse of the raised shadow beneath his feet.
The kick aimed at Kashena —was it driven by personal grudge?
Just as they stepped back, a sharp gust of wind swept past them.
A snow-white glint appeared in the blade.
A hint of surprise flashed in Hellagur's eyes. The sensation from the Zhanjiang was not like a knife cut, nor did it show any sign of breaking through his defenses.
The beast's toes touched the ground, yet there was no sound.
The black monster landed and slid down right in front of them, its back to the two of them, forcefully using its spreading black tentacles to entangle the trees and bring itself to a stop.
The Rift Beast turned its head, then looked in alarm at the wound it had sustained.
Hellagur's astonishing killing intent gave the Rift Beast the illusion that it had been cleaved in two, but what it saw told it that it was not injured.
I've become stronger!
Realizing this, the Rift Beast lowered its body and charged once more.
"Get out of the way!"
He let Kashena leave first, while Hellagur engaged the beast in battle.
Amidst the howling wind and flashing blades, Hellagur danced like the most astute hunter with a ferocious beast, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
The other party seems to be restraining something... It's clearly a wild beast?
The Rift Beast naturally dared not exert its strength, after all, Gorth's order was not to kill.
For a time, neither of them, harboring their own doubts, could do anything about the other.
Rift Beast: Why can't I hit it!
Hellagur: Why can't I split it open no matter what I do?
Even using the tentacles on its back, the Rift Beast that couldn't touch Hellagur was growing increasingly aggressive.
Since this problem can't be solved, let's solve the weaker one first!
Another powerful charge caused Hellagur to dodge, Rift Beast didn't attack again, instead sinking directly into the shadows.
Hellagur immediately realized the other party's intentions.
"Get out of the way!"
In her eyes, Kashena remained standing in place as if she hadn't heard anything, while the beast had already poked its head out from the shadows of the tree.
Closer, closer...
Kashena looked up and said softly.
"I am a guest invited by Miss Talulah and Miss Alina..."
The words were not finished, but it no longer mattered.
The tree that served as the fulcrum for the Rift Beast suddenly twisted and instantly expanded, splitting into terrifying giant trees tens of meters long.
With a deafening roar, the Rift Beast was slammed into the ground.
[Call...]
The warm white mist blew against Kashena's neck, but she dared not look up.
Tearing aside the cover of the giant tree, the master of the forest bent down, and the white bone surface and burning branches came into Kashena's view.
"Who did you say...?"