Chapter 225: Pray to the Gods!

"Heh, the Grand Elder and Yorok are truly regressing with age, trying to contact a dubious existence that may not even be a God. It seems the long years have made them forget that divination is not omnipotent. Not all existences have benevolent intentions towards the bloodbornes!""Yurst, a God in eternal slumber cannot protect THEIR followers. The Nez clan must find another path..."

"The Day of the Divine Descent is imminent. As one of the first awakened from slumber and a divine Bloodborne God, the Blood Demon Archduke represents the future of Nez!"

Elder Maxim's voice was loud and authoritative.

Hearing this, Yurst's expression changed.

"Lord Abaddon? You… you're not just collaborating with the Blood Demon Archduke! You’ve defected to him!"

Elder Maxim gave him a calm look.

"Defected? Even if I have, why not?"

"You may not have experienced the Age of the War of the Gods, but you witnessed the power of myths during the Royal Blood Era. You should understand that in this world, only those who possess mythical power can control their destiny!"

"Extraordinary power comes from the Gods, and all glory belongs to the Gods. Without divine protection, the so-called extraordinary is just water without a source, a tree without roots."

"Though you may survive for a time, under the erosion of years, as the bloodline weakens, you will ultimately face destruction and extinction..."

Yurst’s eyes widened.

"So… you chose the Blood Demon Archduke? Elder Maxim, have you forgotten what a lunatic God he is?!"

"Lunatic? So what if HE's a Lunatic? Yulster, if you had experienced the War of the Gods, you would understand that compared to madness... rational Gods are even more terrifying for mortals."

Elder Maxim shook his head slightly.

"You're insane! You must be insane! You want to defect to the Blood Demon Archduke! Do you want Nez to become another Blood Demon Cult, hated by everyone?"

"Even if Lord Casey has truly fallen into eternal slumber, even if the Nez clan has lost its divine protector, the future of the Nez clan cannot be entrusted to a hysterical madman!"

Yurst shouted angrily.

Elder Maxim's expression darkened.

"Yurst, in consideration of our shared blood, I will forgive your offense this time..."

He then coldly looked at Yurst.

"Now, I give you two choices."

"First, submit to me and sign a blood pact, pledging your loyalty. I will not hold your past mistakes against you. On the contrary, I will grant you further potential."

"Second, you can refuse. But if you do, don't blame me for using the Desecration Staff to turn you into a blood slave..."

"A blood slave! You intend to turn a blood descendant into a blood slave! You… you madman!"

Earl Yulster roared.

Elder Maxim gave him a calm look.

"Chaos is coming, and all old rules will be broken. Those who cling to outdated norms will ultimately be eliminated by the times..."

"Yurst, I admire your expertise in magical inscriptions. After all… you were once an alchemist as famous as the legendary mage Nicholas..."

"The era of human rule is ending. Following that fool Yorok will not bring you a better future. Instead of wasting time in your rural castle, pledge your allegiance to me, and I will grant you a better future."

"Yurst, I give you three days to consider. After three days… I will return to ask you."

"Will you become my follower, or will you become a blood slave, losing all freedom and will!"

With that, Elder Maxim turned and left.

"Wait! What about my fellow blood descendants!"

Yurst shouted.

Elder Maxim paused slightly and said calmly.

"Rest assured, those who accompanied you on this mission are still alive."

"Of course, whether they live or die next depends on your choice..."

With that, Elder Maxim said no more, leaving the room and locking the door behind him.

Only Yulster was left in the dim room, looking somber.

"Bang!"

He punched the wall, his already pale face turning ashen.

---

Count Yurst had no idea how long he had been imprisoned.

In the dark room, he couldn't perceive the passage of time. Even the candle on the table had been removed. Despite his long life making him insensitive to time, he felt an immense torment at this moment.

He didn't know if Duke Yorok had noticed his disappearance or where his fellow blood descendants were.

He hoped the duke would notice his absence.

But rationality told him this possibility was almost zero.

Three days was an unbearably long time for someone forced to make a decision, but for a Bloodborne Duke waiting for a subordinate's report, it was just a blink of an eye.

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Count Yurst knew he had to make a decision.

He knew Elder Maxim would never let him leave peacefully.

It seemed he had a choice, but in reality, he didn't.

Either betray the duke he followed and desecrate the honor of the bloodborne.

Or stay true to himself, but inevitably face the fate of becoming a blood slave under someone else's control...

"This isn't a choice! No matter what... I will end up as a tool for Elder Maxim to use against the duke and even the Grand Elder!"

"The Blood Demon Cult has no bottom line, and the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon is a paranoid madman. They are not the future of Nez!"

"Cooperating with the Blood Demon Cult will only turn the Nez clan into a tool for the Blood Demon Archduke, a stepping stone for HIS descent into the world!"

"No wonder the duke said my mission could decide Nez's future... Elder Maxim, being a senior elder for so many years, has probably recruited many blood descendants!"

"No! I must find a way to report everything to the duke! I must warn him! Elder Maxim started using the Desecration Staff of Shedite to create forbidden blood slaves. He's gone mad and wants to destroy the bloodline foundation that Nez has maintained for thousands of years. He's going to ruin the entire Nez clan!"

The more Count Yurst thought about it, the more anxious and fearful he became.

But when he looked around, he felt a wave of despair.

He was imprisoned.

All his belongings were confiscated.

Even his bloodline powers were temporarily sealed.

In his current state, how could he contact the duke?

Feign submission and look for an opportunity?

No, impossible. Elder Maxim would never give him a chance. Once he submitted, the elder would surely force him to sign an unbreakable blood pact. Even if he wasn't turned into a blood slave, he would lose the ability to resist.

Think quickly!

Think of a way!

Count Yurst couldn't help but pace around the room.

However, this only made him more anxious.

At this moment, Count Yurst suddenly felt regret.

He regretted returning from Northport so hastily.

If he had stayed longer in the North or, more directly, if he had contacted the duke through a communication crystal before leaving the North, he might not be in such a passive position now.

He might still have been attacked and captured, but at least he could have relayed the negotiation results with Castell before being imprisoned.

He could even foresee that Elder Maxim would blame his disappearance on Castell!

Wait...

Castell?

As if struck by inspiration, Yurst paused.

A thought flashed in his mind, and Count Yurst suddenly had a bold idea...

"Wait..."

"If I can't contact the duke, then... can I try praying to the Thorny Rose?"

This thought startled Yurst himself.

Praying to a God he didn't worship was extremely dangerous, especially when he knew nothing about that God.

In fact, praying to an unknown God often went unanswered, and at most, one might attract a fleeting, "polluted" gaze.

However, once Yurst had this crazy idea, he couldn't suppress it.

Even though praying to another God was fundamentally similar to Elder Maxim defecting to the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon...

"No... it's different. Believers are often influenced by their Gods. From my interactions with Countess Castell, that mysterious God doesn't seem to be a mad God..."

"Although I haven't built mutual trust with Castell, she hasn't rejected the possibility of cooperation, which must be with God's consent!"

"Moreover, I promised to provide a way to restore divine power!"

"From this perspective, that mysterious God is likely to respond to my call!"

"Not only that, although the Holy Court has covered it up to some extent, I know that the Blood Demon Cult recently attempted a failed divine descent ritual, and it was that mysterious God who thwarted them!"

"The mysterious God behind Castell... is very likely to have an irreconcilable feud with the Blood Demon Cult!"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the Nez clan has what that mysterious God needs!"

"Praying to THEM might actually bring THEIR gaze and help!"

Thinking this through, Yurst took a deep breath and firmed his resolve. Sᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Rather than bowing to the notorious Blood Demon Archduke, he preferred to seek favor from the God behind Castell!

Having made up his mind, Yurst no longer hesitated. He bit his fingertip, drawing blood, and began to sketch the mysterious symbol he had seen, illuminated by the dim light...