The Lord Of Blood Hill

Henwell, covered in blood, drags Blacksmith’s body back into Catherine’s room.

He throws the blood-stained pocket watch to Catherine. “That girl’s name is Ina. She’s a palace maid with a little dimple, about seventeen or eighteen. You owe her your life! She died for you. Make sure to take care of her family later.”

Catherine takes the watch without hesitation, carefully putting it away despite the bloodstains. “Don’t worry, I will.”

Henwell tears off his armor and grabs a blanket from the bed to wipe the blood off himself. “There’s not much time. Let’s get started!”

At this moment, the two strong female guards who had been protecting Catherine stand firm, swords drawn in front of her. “What are you doing? Who are you?”

Henwell glares at them. “I’m Henwell, the lord of Blood Hill. I came all this way, ignoring the many enemies outside, just to sleep with your princess!”

One guard gasps, “You… don’t be reckless! You’re already married!”

Catherine rolls her eyes at Henwell and pushes the guards aside. “The thing isn’t here. We need to move somewhere else!”

Henwell hesitates for a moment, then picks up some armor from the floor and hastily puts it on. “Then let’s go! Veil has six Iron Rank fighters, five left now. But that’s not the worst part. Veil sent a High Priest nicknamed Abyss Sin Shepherd. He’s a top Glory Rank professional. We have to run fast and not get caught, or someone will be burying us tomorrow.”

Henwell heads out of the room, and Catherine tosses him her sword. “Use my Rose Thorn for now!”

Henwell swings the elegant greatsword. The material is good, but it feels a bit light.

“Where is it? Far?”

Catherine follows. “Not far. It’s on the basement level. That’s my personal storage room. No one pays attention to it.”

Then Catherine asks, “What exactly is going on right now?”

Henwell looks frustrated. “I got played.”

Catherine frowns. “By who? Veil?”

Henwell’s face darkens. “Not just Veil. The church, the empire, your father, even the Marquess of Nothing, they’re all playing me.”

He curses loudly, “Damn it! I’ve never been screwed over like this before! It’s like I’m some clown being toyed with from all sides!”

Catherine asks, “So what do we do next?”

Henwell snaps, “What else? Kill first! My brain’s no match for theirs, so I have to rely on muscle! Once this is over, I’m laying low in Peace Haven for a few years. No more wild adventures!”

Watching the flustered Henwell, Catherine can barely hold back a smile.

Though she knows this isn’t the time for laughter, she’s never seen Henwell like this before.

In her experience, Henwell is usually cunning and ruthless. He is always the one scheming against others, never the one being outplayed to this extent.

Henwell doesn’t have time to reflect now. He needs to get to the place quickly and pray he doesn’t run into Veil’s Glory Rank spellcaster.

In his current state, there’s no way he could protect Catherine while retreating, let alone escape himself.

Not long after Henwell and his group leave, Jeremy arrives at the door of Catherine’s former room with his companions.

Seeing Blacksmith’s corpse in the hallway, Jeremy sighs, “I told you, if you keep playing like this, you’re going to kill yourself out sooner or later.”

Veil’s ranger inspects the body. “The opponent was strong, the fight was short, and there are almost no signs of battle nearby. Blacksmith has no sharp weapon wounds. The enemy either used heavy weapons or just fists.”

Jeremy frowns. “The three remaining opponents don’t fight like that. Could there be someone else?”

A wizard-dressed professional replies, “Definitely not those three. Blacksmith may pick on the weak, but he’s no rookie. He’s cautious and would run if he found the opponent too tough. But judging by the situation, Blacksmith had no chance to escape or call for help. He was killed quickly.”

Another warrior carrying a greatsword asks, “Old Crucible, do you think Blacksmith was ambushed?”

The Veil wizard known as Old Crucible shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Blacksmith was tracking Henwell by his aura. That kid isn’t an Iron Knight, but his skills and strength aren’t bad. He even wounded Blacksmith. Considering how cautious Blacksmith is, he wouldn’t let his guard down or recklessly advance if he sensed danger.”

Among the Veil professionals, the last woman wearing a mask and tight leather armor says, “Could there really be someone else? Imperial Steel Fist and Hammer of the Western Regions both have the ability to kill Blacksmith quickly.”

Jeremy shakes his head. “Lady of Calamity, rest assured. I’m certain no outsiders were involved. Sin God’s agents in the Western Regions didn’t show up. Billie’s Iron Rank fighters have already been withdrawn from the capital.”

Then Jeremy says, “No matter what’s going on, everyone be careful. The easiest way to find out is to track down Henwell as soon as possible. I’m sure he knows what’s happening.”

“Old Crucible, keep an eye out with extraordinary detection. Steel Shield, lead the way. Flying Feather, set traps to cover our retreat. Lady of Calamity, stay hidden nearby and be ready to strike the enemy with a lethal blow. Let’s see what kind of rats have snuck in.”

Just as they prepare to move, Jeremy suddenly stops and revises the plan.

“Flying Feather, Steel Shield, you two go kill Garcia. The High Priest has already sent his Abyss Familiar. Find Garcia and the others and get into a metal fight quickly. We can’t drag this out any longer. Reports say there’s something wrong at the palace teleport point. The Western Regions have realized the problem and are pumping in more mana to break the locks we set.”

Then Jeremy looks at the remaining two. “Old Crucible, Lady of Calamity, come with me to find Henwell. The High Priest has summoned two Abyss Familiars. With the three of us, we should be able to handle any surprises.”

No one objects to splitting up. They all know how powerful Abyss Sin Shepherd’s Abyss Familiars are. Each one alone is stronger than any of them.

Even against Glory Rank foes, they can hold out long enough to buy time for escape.

After assigning tasks, the groups immediately split up.

Not long after, the team of three led by Jeremy gains a new, towering figure.

In his right hand, he wields a massive serrated decapitation blade. His thick left arm is wrapped with iron chains, and a pitch-black hooked blade is clenched in his left hand.

Twin horns rise from his head, and eerie green flames burn across his body, making the monster even more terrifying.

If Henwell were to see this, he would find it very familiar. It is the Abyssal Berserker Demon summoned by Newwood during the battle of the last transformation ceremony.