Chapter 216
Everything was flawless…
It was supposed to be flawless, at least.
The man who was constantly reading the scroll and mumbling incoherent words glanced at the woman. He could see a tense expression on her face as she frowned deeply.
There was a stiffness in her posture, a trembling in her fingers that she couldn’t hide.
Her brows were furrowed, and beads of sweat had gathered at their base, slowly sliding down her face.
‘Is she having difficulty controlling the hybrid? It shouldn’t be that strong yet to pose any issues…’
A sense of foreboding emerged in the man’s heart as he observed his partner’s uneasy expression.
It was obvious to him that something was wrong, but he still suppressed the anxiety and doubt in his mind, attributing it to the chimera being too powerful and complex for them to control.
And yet, the seed of fear was planted.
Then, something happened.
A horrible retching sound cut through the still air.
“Cough!”
The woman, who had her eyes closed, opened them wide and vomited blood all over.
“I-Impossible…”
“What!? What happened!?”
The man stood up in alarm, no longer continuing the chant.
He could feel his own heartbeat quicken, dread sinking into his gut.
“D-Dead…”
The man’s expression changed wildly when he heard the woman’s weak whisper.
“What is it? What do you mean by dead?”
He couldn’t help but ask, though his gut was already in his throat, and his doubts and suspicions were at their peak.
The woman’s complexion was pale and unsightly, with blood staining her white face. Her hollow eyes and broad nose made her look extremely hideous in that moment.
Her breathing was ragged, and the trembling in her body worsened.
“Say something!” the man urged her, dying inside at the thought that their years of preparation might have just collapsed.
“The fetus is…”
“The fetus? What happened to it?” The man could no longer remain calm.
“It’s… dead.” The woman let out a small voice, a dazed look in her eyes.
“WHAT!? Explain clearly right now!” the man demanded.
“I… the fetus was born, and I managed to successfully establish a connection to it, but suddenly I felt it go still, as if some sort of obstruction was happening around it as the connection grew faint. I tried to see what was happening but couldn’t.”
“And then… all of a sudden, the hybrid died, and I, who was connected to its mind, suffered the shock. My espera has been drained, and I feel that even my core has suffered,” she said in a gloomy voice.
The core was the source of espera they had formed with the help of demons.
It was an imitation of a demon’s heart, which was often their source of espera as well.
Any damage to it could be fatal in many cases.
The weight of her words sank into the man like stones, pulling him deeper into despair.
“It looks like our plans have been exposed.” The man forcefully calmed himself and thought about his next course of action.
“Wrap up. We are leaving this city and will probably be laying low for some years now,” he told the woman, who looked at him with a sour expression.
Seeing this, the man sighed. “I know what you’re feeling, but the opponents aren’t something we can handle on our own, especially given your situation right now.”
She glared at him, but her expression softened. He was right, and she hated it.
“Damn those exorcists!” the woman cursed, but she still got up in the end. Her partner was right; it wasn’t the time to be angry. If they survived, they could rebuild everything.
The revival of their lord was what mattered most.
Just as the man was about to gather their things, his hair stood on end as he instinctively deployed all of his dark espera at once, blocking a terrifying sword swing aimed at his back.
Crash!
Despite his efforts, he was sent flying, crashing into the walls of the dimly lit basement.
“Who are you!?” the woman screamed, her voice filled with vigilance, as she looked behind.
The lights in the basement flickered as an ominous aura suddenly filled the small room.
It was a suffocating presence, like the very air had thickened around them.
The flickering lights, coupled with the sudden chill in the air, sent shivers down the woman’s spine. Squinting, she saw a figure in the corner of the basement.
Her heart nearly jumped to her throat. How long had that figure been there? Why couldn’t either of them sense it?
It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie—except it wasn’t a movie; it was real life.
As the light flickered more, the woman made out the sight of gleaming white hair, and a voice stirred her heart with tension.
“Interesting strategy…”
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In the Celestial Paradox Clan
“P-Please spare us…”
“W-We were wrong, cousin. From today onwards, we’ll never interfere with you.”
“I swear on my name that I’ll never cross your path again. Please let us live.”
Five children, around Oliver’s age, knelt on a stone platform, begging for their lives.
In front of them was a familiar girl with shiny golden hair and gem-like red eyes. She stared at the group with a nerve-wracking intensity, making them tremble in fear even more.
None of them dared to meet her eyes, prostrating before her.
The air around them was heavy, their desperation palpable.
All of them shared one thing in common: severe bruises and deep wounds on their bodies, as if they had just been beaten to the verge of death moments ago.
The girl was none other than Evelyn.
She wore an expressionless facade as she looked at her so-called cousins from the branch families.
Her gaze was cold, unfeeling, as though they were nothing more than insects beneath her boot.
They were related to her in name only. None of them had ever shown any intention of forming a sibling relationship with her. All of them were snakes, trying to root her out.
They had conspired together and tried to cripple her during the clan’s event, but she managed to face their disgusting schemes with strength and will.
Later, after the event, she brought up their actions, but they all denied it to her face and even accused her of unknown crimes, intending to push her into a deep pit.