Chapter 600: The Blood Palace

Chapter 600: The Blood Palace



Northern stepped into the cavern, walking forward over the wreckage of the colossal door, his boots crunching on the warped metal as he strode into the blood-soaked darkness beyond.

The air within was heavy-thicker, almost tangible, as if each breath drew not oxygen but the weight of a thousand souls.

The crimson haze that filled the cavern outside seemed to condense here, pooling in murky rivulets across the polished floor.

The Blood Palace.

The vast chamber unveiled itself in solemn, gruesome grandeur.

The walls appeared alive, veins of dark scarlet pulsating faintly beneath their surface, as though the room itself had been carved from a colossal living organism.

Overhead, an arched ceiling stretched high into shadowed obscurity, lined with crystalline droplets that glistened like blood-red tears, catching and refracting the dim light into a haunting mosaic.

Towering statues lined the length of the hall, each depicting a crusader mid-battle.

Their blood-forged forms were grotesquely lifelike, every detail painstakingly rendered- the jagged edges of their armor, the taut strain of their muscles, and the ferocious determination forever etched into their expressions.

Some gripped massive swords, their edges dripping with what looked like fresh blood, while others carried shields emblazoned with runes that radiated faint crimson auras.

Among them were the standing crusaders-unmoving yet not lifeless.

Their poses were rigid, their stances militant, but their eyes... their eyes burned with a dim, sinister glow.

From their fingertips danced faint trails of spell arts-glyphs and sigils of blood magic that floated in the air like dying embers, waiting to be unleashed at the slightest provocation.

At the heart of the hall, elevated on a staircase of bones entwined with crimson tendrils, stood the grand throne. No-the thrones.

The tallest, central seat loomed over the others, a menacing construct of blackened bone and bloodsteel similar to the door's material. Its surface was adorned with jagged spikes that seemed designed not for comfort but for supremacy.

"Simple-we make it tag. You go in, tag me when you're tired, and I tag you when you're tired."

Lieutenant Dante tilted his head, his forehead creasing.

'Is this really a joke to these guys? All the creatures here are behemoths; this essence radiating from them says no less. How can he be so calm and casual about this?' Lieutenant Dante ruminated inwardly, his eyes staying on Northern with a faint light of admiration.

One of the standing crusaders raised an arm, and a sigil blazed to life in the air before them. It twisted and writhed like a serpent, growing brighter with each passing second. Dante moved instinctively, drawing his sword and stepping in front of Northern.

Northern slowly counted his steps backward as Dante prepared to face the monster. He observed the kind of skill the monster was using and got ready for a major part of his plan.

The sigil exploded into a massive serpent with a lustrous black stone body and devilish red eyes. It thrashed forward without further ado, widening its ferocious maw and crashing onto the ground where the Lieutenant was standing.

The ground exploded into debris and smoke, and as the cloud cleared-the caster statue widened its crimson eyes and quickly looked up.

There he was, Lieutenant Dante suspended in the air, his gaze locked onto the statue, his voice ringing out.

"Since I have more of you all to deal with, it would be a waste of time to dwell on your spell, don't you agree?"

"Lightspeed... Echo."

WHOOOOOOOOSSSHHH

Northern watched as white light covered the Lieutenant's form and thrust him forward, his sword burning with a wicked incandescent light that melted the surface of the red stone before the blade could fully generate into it, making it easy for the sword to penetrate.

A massive explosion resounded in the hall as the powerful strike was repeated throughout the rest of the statue's body.

Northern stared with excitement dancing in his eyes.

'This is a cheat skill; it really is a cheat skill.'

[Talent, Phantasmal Sword (SSS) has been found]

[Do you want to copy Talent for 5,000 talent fragments?] Northern grinned. 'Yes, of course.'