Return of the Mythic Bloodline

Now that Aurelion was down, the number of the Empire's soldiers trying to break through the fortress increased exponentially.

Numerous dents appeared on the iron gate from the relentless attacks of thousands of soldiers, while the Banes' soldiers stationed on the walls desperately tried to stop them with ballistas and arrows.

Yet the difference in numbers was too great. Cracks appeared around the hinges of the gate, but then bolts of golden lightning spread in all directions across the battlefield from where Taranis stood.

The soldiers swarming him from every side were hurled outward, and a trail of golden lightning surged through the battlefield toward the gate of the fortress.

Taranis, clad in his armor and bearing numerous dents across it, stood before the gate.

For the first time since he returned from Aruma's training, a feeling he had long forgotten surged within him.

He was afraid.

Afraid of what face he would show Nymeria if anything had happened to Aurelion.

Nymeria had suffered for eighteen years to protect Voltrex, Taranis's father, and what had Taranis done?

He had ignited a war that claimed the life of her father.

He wanted to enter the fortress that very instant to check on Aurelion's condition, but he could not. If he abandoned the battlefield now, their defeat in the war would be certain.

The sun was about to set. Both armies were exhausted. He needed to hold on for a few more hours.

Taranis swung his sword, engraving a deep, wide line on the ground before him.

"Whoever moves past this line will be slaughtered instantly!" Taranis declared, his golden eyes glowing through the helm.

Just from his deep voice and terrifying gaze, the Empire's knights flinched and momentarily halted.

"Do not be afraid! He is just a one-armed True Sage!" Hector roared from afar, mounted atop his horse.

Under normal circumstances, the soldiers would have been too terrified to fight Taranis, the warrior who had slain Rhaegar, but the fall of Aurelion had boosted their morale.

With loud roars, the soldiers rushed forward, crossing the line.

Taranis's sword turned from silver to gold, lightning bolts spreading outward from the blade, indicating his loss of control over the Sovereign-class lightning.

A battle of steel began between Taranis and the Empire's soldiers. One after another, the corpses of slaughtered knights fell to the ground, while strain and injuries continued to accumulate across Taranis's body.

He ignored the pain and continued to swing his sword. Time passed, and his exhausted arm cried for rest. More time passed, and he lost sensation in his arm, yet he continued to swing the blade with nothing but sheer willpower.

Vapor rose from his helm as he breathed heavily, pushing his body to its absolute limits. His physical senses had already become numb. It was his Divine Senses that allowed him to continue defending and counterattacking, and even they were slowly fading.

Then the attacks suddenly stopped.

"He is an absolute monster," a horrified voice echoed, bringing Taranis back to his senses.

Both the Empire's knights and the Banes' soldiers stationed at the fortress stared at him with widened eyes.

The expressions of the Banes' army were filled with awe and respect for their prince, while the Empire's soldiers were utterly petrified.

The deep line Taranis had carved into the ground was filled with blood. On the other side stood the Empire's soldiers, trembling to their core, while on this side thousands of corpses lay scattered across the battlefield.

It had been four hours since Taranis began fighting. The sun had already set, and the earth was bathed in the moonlight of the twin moons.

It had been a battle of one against thousands, with little to no support from the soldiers stationed on the fortress walls, as they feared accidentally striking Taranis with their arrows.

The most shocking part of the battle was that there was not a single corpse behind Taranis, meaning not one of the Empire's knights had managed to move past him.

Kharos had pushed the army until late evening in the hope of breaking through the fortress, while the Dukes kept the other Sect Masters occupied.

However, he had never expected Taranis to hold the army back for so long with sheer skill and battle prowess, without using any hidden tricks.

Taranis was not the strongest. Kharos knew that any Duke was far stronger than him. But Taranis was relentless to a terrifying degree.

The army contained Spirit Warriors and Awakened Sages who were in lower realms than Taranis, yet their numbers should have been enough to defeat him.

But Taranis had proven him completely wrong.

Gritting his teeth, Kharos gave the order to retreat.

Nonetheless, it was only a matter of time. Taranis was barely able to remain on his feet. He would not be able to continue like this.

Releasing a weary sigh, Kharos murmured, "Tomorrow will be the end of this wa—"

Suddenly, he felt a surge of Soulforce from the distance.

He turned his head back, finding Taranis still standing before the gate, his entire body glowing with a golden hue.

In the next moment, a gust of Soulforce spread outward from his body, and his Soulforce pressure increased.

"H-he just broke through to the next level?" Kharos muttered in shock.

Reaching a higher level should be done with a calm mind during meditation, yet Taranis had done it immediately after the battle, and clearly in an unstable state of mind.

"I cannot let him grow any further. He must be eliminated as soon as possible," Kharos declared inwardly before leaving the battlefield as well.

---

Ding...

"Congratulations! The Host has successfully broken through! The Host's level has increased.

Level Four Transcendent Realm → Level Five Transcendent Realm.

All stats +50."

Ignoring the extreme exhaustion that consumed his body, Taranis rushed inside the fortress. Even though the breakthrough could refill his Sea of Soulforce and heal his injuries, the mental exhaustion still remained.

It was only thanks to his high mental aptitude that Taranis was still able to move after facing one life-and-death battle after another.

When Taranis entered the fortress, the other Sect Leaders were already gathered in the large chamber where Aurelion was being treated by Sylvaris.

Doran stood slightly behind them, his expression completely darkened.

"How is he?" Taranis asked.

"Something is not right," Sylvaris murmured, her face filled with restlessness and horror as she relentlessly poured her Soulforce into Aurelion's wound.

Blood continued to pour from Aurelion's injuries, and his skin had turned completely pale.

Around the gaping wound, Aurelion's veins had turned green and spread outward.

"My healing ability is not working on him," Sylvaris revealed, her lips trembling. "Something is devouring my Soulforce when I try to heal him."

Her eyes turned moist as she said, "At this rate, he will die within a few minutes from blood loss."

Her words sent a ripple of shock through the room. If even Sylvaris could not heal him, then there was no chance that Aurelion could be saved.

What kind of weapon could injure a Demi-God with a single attack? How many of those weapons did Kharos possess?

All of the Sect Masters had these questions in their minds, yet none spoke them aloud. What they feared more was losing Aurelion, not because he was an irreplaceable asset in the war, but because he had been with them for more than a hundred years. He was their comrade, rival, and friend, the man they respected most after Voltrex and Taranis.

Taranis clenched his fists, blood dripping from his hands as he sensed the Death Energy slowly claiming Aurelion's life.

"Please work... work... work!" Sylvaris muttered, pouring out more and more Soulforce in desperation.

"He was struck by the Heavenly Arrow, an imperial weapon of the Azura Sun Empire," a voice came from the doorway.

Everyone turned toward the young man with blond hair.

A cat beastwoman, an elephant beastman, and a short brown-haired man followed behind him, their expressions tense.

"Tell me more, Tyrion," Taranis said, turning to him.

"The Heavenly Arrow was left behind by the founding emperor of the Azura Sun Empire. It is rumored to originate from a higher world. Once the arrow strikes its target, it leaves a permanent injury and devours both the Soulforce of the target and anyone who attempts to heal them until the target dies."

"N-no way..." Sylvaris murmured, stopping her healing.

"Are we going to lose Aurelion just like this?" Tartaglia muttered, clenching his fists in frustration.

"There is a way to cure him," Vyrion revealed, stepping forward. "If the blood of a member of the imperial family is poured into the wound, the effect of the Heavenly Arrow will cease."

Taking a deep breath, he stepped closer to Sylvaris and said, "Lady Sylvaris, take my blood and heal him."