Chapter 187: Blood Serpent
Early upload, unedited chapter, might contain a few mistakes, will be edited.
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Inside the realm, in the core zone, Cael stood alone.
The red sky stretched endlessly above him, the same oppressive crimson that seemed to press down on his shoulders like a physical weight. There was no sun, no moon, no stars. No day. No night. Just the endless, unchanging red that had become his entire world. The silence was absolute, broken only by the faint sound of his own breathing and the distant, rhythmic drip of something he could not identify.
He had been standing in the same spot for what felt like hours, his mind racing with questions he could not answer. The blood river lay nearby, its surface still and glassy, reflecting the crimson sky above. The black spires rose around him like silent sentinels, their dark surfaces absorbing the light. They seemed to watch him, their presence pressing against his consciousness like a warning he could not quite understand.
Cael's body ached. His mana reserves were low. He had been pushing himself for too long, and exhaustion was finally catching up to him. His muscles screamed for rest. His mind felt foggy, sluggish. He had not slept properly in days, and the constant tension of the realm was wearing him down.
He walked toward the nearest black spire and leaned against it. The surface was cold and smooth, offering a small comfort against the oppressive heat of the realm. He reached into his space pouch and pulled out a mana recovery potion. He uncorked it and gulped it down, the liquid burning as it traveled down his throat. The familiar warmth spread through his chest, slowly replenishing his depleted reserves.
He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, letting the potion do its work. The mana slowly returned to his core, the familiar warmth spreading through his body. He allowed himself a moment of rest, a brief respite from the constant alertness that had consumed him for the past month.
But the peace did not last.
A sound broke the silence. A soft gurgling, like water bubbling to the surface. Cael's eyes snapped open. He turned his head toward the blood river.
Bubbles were rising from the surface, popping one after another. The water rippled, spreading outward in slow, concentric circles. The sound grew louder, more insistent. Something was rising from the depths.
Then, with a loud splash, the river's surface erupted.
A massive head rose from the blood-red water. It was a serpent, its scales the same deep crimson as the river itself. A single red horn jutted from its forehead, curving slightly backward. Its eyes were dark red, like burning coals, fixed on Cael with an intensity that made his skin crawl. Its body was massive, coiled beneath the surface, its full length hidden beneath the blood-red water.
Cael's only thought was: Why is everything red?
He studied the serpent, his mind racing through possibilities. He could not see its rank, but his danger sense gave him a clear reading. The serpent was equal to a [Diamond 3] ranker. Its head alone was three meters tall and two meters wide, a massive creature that could easily crush him if it got the chance. Its scales gleamed like polished rubies, and its horn seemed to pulse with a faint, inner light.
Cael could easily take on this monster if it were a mana being. But sadly, it was not. In fact, it was not using demonic energy either.
Up until a month ago, Cael had only known of two types of energy sources: mana and miasma. And yet, within the realm, he had encountered two different energies. He did not consider the unknown energy as a source—according to Junior, unknown energy was transcendental. Something beyond normal understanding. Something that did not follow the rules of the world.
But this serpent was different. It was neither mana nor miasma nor demonic energy. It was something else entirely. Something ancient. Something that had existed in this blood realm long before Cael had ever set foot inside. Its energy felt old, primal, like the heartbeat of the earth itself.
While Cael was lost in thought, the serpent was likewise studying him. Its dark red eyes stared at him with a curious expression. It had never encountered a being like him before. In all its years in this blood realm, it had never seen a creature that walked on two legs, that wore cloth, that carried a sword. It tilted its massive head, as if trying to understand what it was seeing.
But in the end, it was just a beast. Instinct to kill and eat was something that mere curiosity could not contain.
The serpent lunged.
Cael moved instantly. Wind swirled around his feet as he propelled himself sideways, barely avoiding the serpent's massive jaws. The creature's head crashed into the black spire where Cael had been standing, and the impact sent cracks spider-webbing across its surface. Chunks of black stone rained down, splashing into the blood river below.
Cael drew his sword, moonlight gathering along the blade. The silver light cut through the crimson darkness, a beacon of hope in this world of blood. He did not have time to think. He only had time to react.
The serpent pulled back, its dark red eyes locking onto him once more. It lunged again, faster this time, its jaws snapping shut just inches from his body.
Cael leaped, wind carrying him upward. He twisted in the air and brought his sword down, the moonlight-enhanced blade cutting a deep gash across the serpent's snout. Dark red blood sprayed from the wound, sizzling as it hit the blood river below.
The creature roared, a sound that echoed across the blood realm. Dark red blood spilled from the wound, mixing with the river below. The serpent thrashed, its massive body sending waves crashing against the black spires.
But the serpent did not retreat. It struck again, its massive body coiling and uncoiling like a spring. Cael dodged, ducked, and weaved, his movements a blur of silver and crimson. He slashed, stabbed, and cut, each strike leaving a deep wound on the serpent's body.
The battle raged on, neither side giving ground. Cael's breathing grew heavier. His arms ached from the constant swinging of his sword. But he could not stop. He could not afford to slow down.
Then the serpent's eyes began to glow.
Cael felt it before he saw it. A wave of energy radiated from the creature, thick and suffocating. It wrapped around him like a vice, squeezing the air from his lungs. The temperature dropped, and the blood river around them began to churn.
The serpent opened its massive jaws, and a vortex of red energy formed in its throat.
Cael's eyes widened.
Innate ability?
The vortex expanded, pulling at the blood river around them. The red water rose, twisting and spiraling into the serpent's mouth. The creature was draining the blood from the river, absorbing it into its body. Its wounds began to heal, the gashes closing as the blood flowed into them.
Cael tried to move. He tried to step back, to dodge, to run. But his body would not respond. His feet were rooted to the ground, held in place by an invisible force. He tried to use Teleportation—nothing. He tried to summon Black Lightning to propel himself away—nothing. The serpent's innate ability had locked him in place, trapping him like a fly in amber.
His heart pounded against his ribs. The vortex grew larger, the pull stronger. The blood river churned violently, and Cael felt himself being dragged toward the serpent's gaping maw.
I can't move. I can't escape. I need to do something—
The vortex reached him. The red energy wrapped around his body, pulling him forward. He could feel the serpent's power pressing against him, crushing him, suffocating him.
Just as the attack was about to consume him, Cael activated his skill.
Swap.
The world lurched. Reality twisted. And suddenly, Cael was no longer standing in front of the serpent.
Instead, the Frostflame Clone appeared in his place, his expression shifting from confusion to alarm in an instant. He had been guarding Junior in the inner zone, completely unaware of what was happening in the core zone.
He looked up. He saw the serpent. He saw the vortex of red energy. And he realized, too late, what was about to happen.
The attack struck him with full force.
The Frostflame Clone let out a sharp cry as the red energy engulfed him. His body convulsed, cracks forming across his ice-covered skin. He was being destroyed, his form breaking apart under the serpent's power.
But he did not go quietly.
With a final, defiant roar, the Frostflame Clone self-destructed.
BOOM.
The explosion ripped through the air, sending shockwaves across the blood realm. The serpent's attack was interrupted, the vortex faltering as the blast tore through it. Dark red blood sprayed from the creature's wounds, and it recoiled, its massive body thrashing in pain.
But the Frostflame Clone was gone.
He would have to reform him again.