167 Guest From the Blood Path

In the darkness, the ghostly fleet rushed through the burning streets, ran over the struggling crowd, left a straight mark on the road, and charged toward the Arkham Asylum.

Finally, the two galloping horses halted before the burning building. The door of the carriage at the front opened. A man with a long beard clad in a gray raincoat descended. He stared at the asylum before him. Hearing the screams and someone chanting madly underground, he frowned.

"Everybody get off! Get ready! We haven’t got an emergency order for so many years, especially an order from Avalon, next to the Royal Research Institute...This time, those psychos must be planning to report us to the Royal family." He shook his head and raised his voice, asking, "Where are the people at the scene? Where are they?"

"I’m here," a young man in a gray raincoat answered. The handsome man looked very elegant. He saluted Jerome and raised his grey eyes. "Long time no see, Mr. Jerome."

"Gavin?" Jerome was surprised. "I heard that you reached the Resonance level and joined the Royal Musician Division. It’s unbelievable! I remember that you’re only nineteen years old this year and haven't even graduated from the Royal Academy of Music yet."

"It’s all thanks to my family’s training." Gavin smiled. "I’m about to graduate and my teacher arranged me to join the Royal Musician Division to get some more experience. I don’t count as an official member yet."

"You’re close enough." Jerome nodded approvingly. "Three years ago, your teacher told me that you’d be a more promising musician than him, and now I see that he was right. Your father wrote to me two days ago that your brother Banner was also accepted by the School of Royalty. He’s also a genius who doesn’t lose to you at all. The Adrian family really has a distinguished heritage."

Gavin nodded. "Banner is much more talented than me. He’s already at the Musician level. I’m just his elder brother, but our family has to rely on Banner in the future."

Jerome saw the pair of steel gray eyes and understood quickly. He patted Gavin on the shoulder. "This is not the place to catch up. Let’s talk another day." With that, he motioned for Gavin to rejoin his unit, and turned to look behind.

Behind him, nineteen Royal musicians descended from the carriages and were waiting quietly. The leading musicians selected from the School of Royalty exuded powerful aetheric fluctuations. Some of them even had phantom beasts beside them. Their raincoats blew up and fluttered in the winds of the rainstorm.

"Gentlemen, you must’ve learned of the situation on your way here." With his back to the burning asylum, Jerome announced, "This time, we are going to destroy the grand blood sacrifice to Satan.

"Right now, there are at least ten musicians involved in this satanic sacrifice inside, including at least four dark musicians and a group of demons who have been transformed by them. Next, split into groups of three to carry out the mission. The remaining guard the entrances and exits as planned. Clear?"

"Yes sir!"

"Very well." Jerome nodded with satisfaction. "But before we act, there is one thing to keep in mind. No matter what the enemy is, don't show your mercy." His face was as cold as iron. "We weren’t given a ‘crusade order.’ The order was ‘extermination.’ Don’t leave anything alive!"

Behind him, the clouds above the Asylum burst and erupted with a suppressed roar. Underground, the suppressed hymns suddenly rose up, and a shrill voice echoed in the firelight, creating the shapes of countless demons.

Jerome lowered his head and looked at the aether ball in his hand. Through the reflection of the ball, his sight seemed to penetrate dozens of meters into the ground and landed above the quivering vortex of blood.

A hint of fury flickered in his eyes. "Go now, charge!"

-

Boom! Boom! Bang! The dome of the final laboratory shook violently. Cracks spread on the wall as rocks and dust fell in the air, dissolved in the blood, and disappeared.

It was the turbulence caused by the royal musicians breaking in from the outside. But now, nobody cared about those matters. The Blood Path was about to be activated!

In the solemn ceremony, Red Eye raised his voice. The shrill song guided the blood light, causing the huge vortex to shake and swirl wildly. Soon! It was soon!

He grinned in extreme ecstasy and a frantic song tore from his soul. The wave of blood rippled and collapsed toward the center of the vortex. Something metallic in the vortex clanged and solidified. Right in the center, it wavered like thick mist and gradually cleared.

Bang! With a quiet sound, all frantic singing was cut off.

In the silence, everyone stared madly at flickering vortex. The silhouette of a ferocious city was revealed partially in the white mist deep inside the vortex.

"It’s activated?" Red Eye murmured. He burst into shrill laughter like a night owl. "Yes, the ‘Blood Path’ has been activated! We did it! Avalon’s Shadow is ours now!"

All the musicians cheered wildly and, in unison, praised the glory of God, shouting madly. But amidst their praising, everyone’s expression changed in the blink of an eye. They looked toward the vortex in disbelief.

Everything was thrown into deathly silence.

Soft footsteps came from the vortex. A vague shadow loomed, coming closer and closer...On the other end of the Blood Path, something was coming to this world from Avalon’s Shadow.

The musician maintaining the whirlpool at the front could not help but gulp, his face bewildered.

Avalon’s Shadow was a no-man’s land forged by King Arthur’s Sword in the Stone. When the mad king was still alive, it feasted on blood and turned the whole city into a demon territory. No one knew how many bodies were buried there or how many monsters lived there. But that had been hundreds of years ago…Was there anything still alive in the world behind that door?

Everyone's breathing grew heavier, their bodies tensed as they stared at the vague figure in the white mist.

In the silence, all that could be heard were the faint footsteps in the vortex. It came closer, closer, and closer.

Finally, the frightening figure was about to step out of the swirl and reveal itself. Everyone held their breaths and braced themselves.

The next moment, everyone saw…An indescribably arrogant gaze.

The eyes seemed to be gazing at dust, scum, worms, pebbles blocking the way, or something even more lowly. The pair of eyes looked at them, but the gaze clearly passed through those shallow and ridiculous bodies, and fell into the void. There was nothing that deserved to be looked at.

Its hair reflected the blood light, but had a metallic golden tinge. Its teeth were sharp, exuding a terrifying coldness.

It was a…

"Dog?"

Red Eye practically heard the sound of his jaw dropping.

Immediately, he was horrified and shocked. Was it an illusion?! What kind of illusion was this? He had fallen into an illusion without realizing.

Cold sweat rolled down his back, and he quickly added on a variety of effects, but he still could not find any clues. He only saw a pair of contemptuous eyes.

"A dog?"

"Yes, it’s a dog ..."

"Why would a dog come out of Avalon’s Shadow?"

"Is it really a dog? Maybe it’s some kind of scary monster?"

The musicians beside him could not help but discuss amongst themselves quietly. Their gazes on the vortex grew doubtful. Could it be that this vortex led to a dog kennel instead of Avalon’s Shadow?

As everyone talked and pointed, that golden dog padded around the room like a king inspecting. After it found nothing interesting, its look became even more contemptuous. Finally, it stopped before Red Eye, squatted down, and looked up at him.

Red Eye was stunned, finding the situation a bit ridiculous. He pointed at the golden dog and stared at the people beside him. "Is it looking at me? I don’t even know if it really is a dog…Oh!"

The last sound was a painful cry because the golden dog had opened its mouth wide and bit his hand mercilessly. The sharp teeth sank deep into the flesh, almost piercing through his whole hand.

The cruel pain spread from the wound. Suddenly, Red Eye could not feel his hand anymore. Then came a terrible pain, like being hacked by an axe. His knees wobbled and almost he almost collapsed. But he was now certain that this really was a dog. And it had f*cking bit him!

That dog shook its head like a human, spat on the ground and finally sneezed. It sounded like a disdainful snort coming out of its nose. Getting up, it turned its butt and went back to the vortex...

Did it mean that this place was too boring and that it would rather go somewhere else?

"You b*tch!" Red Eye’s eyes had really turned blood-red now. He roared hoarsely, "You wanna die?!"

Suddenly, his arms twisted and squirmed. His flesh flowed like water, clinging to the deformed skeleton that was multiplying and lengthening. His arms turned into a black python in an instant.

Before the whirlpool, the dog turned back. Its eyes were still full of disdain and a scoff came from its nose.

Then the vortex trembled. A roar that shook whole room came from the darkness beyond the vortex, and the foul hurricane swept out of thin air. The vortex rippled and the darkness at the heart was torn apart. A black hand reached out, silently unfolding and covering the huge dome overhead!

The palm dozens of meters wide seemed to be made of ashes. The vague silhouette created by countless pieces of ash had only reached a hand out, but it was enough to fill the entire vortex!