Thankfully, the pain, while extremely intense for the Vespid guard, was at a level that could be ignored by Kain and Queen, feeling similar in strength to a stomach cramp but throughout his entire body.
Although the persistent pain did still serve as a distraction to him…
He could sense through the contract, that the guard’s connection with Queen was fading. Clearly, whatever this pain was, it was killing the guard and no amount of healing skills or life-attribute energy was preventing the gradual approach to its doom, at most it was just fruitlessly extending its suffering. Therefore, Kain ordered for no more life attribute energy to be sent out.
Once the guard dies, at least Kain would no longer have to deal with the pain.
Meanwhile, Bea released many threads and sent them towards his opponents. However, already aware that contact with the threads would result in the triggering of a mental attribute skill, all of the opponents dodged successfully.
Even when surrounded by dozens of threads each, none managed to touch their opponent. Many of Kain’s supporters were disappointed by the seemingly clumsy use of the threads.
“Argh! Is he even trying?! How could he not manage to corner a single one?” One of Kain’s fans couldn’t help shouting out in irritation and worry.
Seeing this, Nikolai’s arrogant demeanor grew, but if he could also witness Kain’s face through the mist, he’d see that Kain didn’t appear upset at all.
In fact, Kain was purposely ensuring the threads were easier to dodge than usual, as they moved in a clumsy and lumbering way.
If any of the threads actually touched one of the opponents, probably everyone watching, as well as the opponent, would be shocked to realize that absolutely nothing would happen.
Afterall, the threads are merely a vehicle to carry Bea’s splits to the target, they aren’t able to exert any effects over the mind on their own.
Additionally, Bea’s microscopic body is still small and light enough to be suspended by the mist his opponent kept emanating. Only, after evolution the integration is not so seamless and, if on guard, the presence of something foreign within the mist would be detected, especially since it is controlled by the opponents.
Therefore, after the splits had long hitched a ride on the threads and been deposited in floating mist particles close to the opponents’ spiritual contracts, Kain used the more obvious threads as a distraction for them to focus on.
Therefore, none of the opponents noticed that while preoccupied with moving around to dodge the approaching threads, their bodies had still managed to come into contact with Bea’s splits within the mist.
Also, since Bea no longer needs to be inhaled or ingested, and can instead penetrate the body via brief physical contact, all of them had actually been successfully infected.
Unfortunately, the blood-attribute is one of the attributes that is probably the best at withstanding the attacks of microorganisms. After all, microbes, including Bea’s split, if they must travel through the body, it will primarily be through the blood.
However, their ability to restrict the advance of Bea’s splits through the body to the brain was more effective on some than on others.
After a long while, not much impairment was seen in the hellhound, while the snake appeared very sluggish. The wraith hadn’t yet revealed any impairments, but from the feedback provided from Bea, she’d be able to begin exerting some control soon.
Suddenly, a shiver crept down Kain’s spine as a he felt a malicious and predatory gaze focused on him.
At the same time, his ear gradually heated as he felt the piece of enchanted equipment begin to heat up. Clearly Nikolai had begun to notice something was off and wanted to end this by dealing with Kain directly.
However, the wraith and snake still had enough presence of mind to apply light injuries to many of the remaining Vespirae.
And it was shortly after all of these wounds appeared that the familiar intense screeches of pain were heard.
Seeing this, Kain made a realization while staring at the “hellhound” whose eyes were glowing red. Likely, the repelled energy at the start of the match was from the hellhound, seeing that Kain and the Vespirae were resistant to the energy’s penetration, Nikolai adopted the strategy of adding wounds to the guards so that their blood could be exposed and manipulated.
Feedback from the contract that the most painful areas were those that already had wounds, even if those wounds were no more serious than a paper cut, also supported this.
Unfortunately, he made this realization too late, and while the pain was greatly dampened by it being from a tertiary contract, when multiple guards were going through it at the same time, it caused Kain’s face to noticeably pale from the pain.
Thankfully (?), with time the pain gradually began to diminish as a sense of emptiness replaced it with each guard’s death.
Suddenly the mist surrounding the field retracted, giving Kain a clear view of his opponents. Thankfully, Bea’s splits had already hitched a ride into all of their bodies, therefore the mist wasn’t as important to him anymore.
With the mist retracted Kain could see a cruel grin stretching across Nikolai’s face as he raised the dagger that had appeared in his hand at some point.
‘I hadn’t heard that Nikolai likes to take part in the battle himself?’ Kain thought in confusion.
However, Nikolai’s next actions surprised him even more. Instead of, going forward to attack with the dagger, Nikolai raised his hand and sliced down hard on his own leg—all while staring straight at Kain with a small smile. Nikolai didn’t have any reservations and was extremely cruel to himself with the amount of force used, causing a small fountain of blood to shoot out from his thigh.
“Argh!” The audience was surprised to find that the scream of pain that should have been coming from Nikolai, was released from Kain.
Everyone, including Kain himself, looked at Kain’s thigh in surprise to find a bloody wound identical to the one that Nikolai had made on himself.
“Brother really dares to do it…” A girl in the stands with red eyes and hair said with a frown on her face. Indeed, this young girl was another member of the Sanguine Clan, and Nikolai’s younger sister. Although based on the expression of disgust and disappointment on her face as she looked at her brother, they were seemingly not on the best of terms.
She then looked at Kain who was still bleeding and in shock, although Eve was working to close the wound.
“It’s already too late,” she said before closing her eyes in resignation at the gruesome spectacle that would soon occur. Stay updated with
As is the case in most major families, there is always conflict and competition for resources and power amongst the branches. Therefore, Dmitri and Alexei, as mere cousins, naturally would not know too much information about Nikolai from another branch. However, as Nikolai’s own sister, how could she not have a better understanding of her brother’s abilities?
The cut on Kain’s thigh was for no other purpose than to expose his blood to be manipulated by her brother’s contract—the Blood Flame Hound.
When burned by this “blood flame”, they would naturally lose the ability to heal themselves and will continue to hurt deep into their soul. As long as the Blood Flame Hound is still conscious, it will not stop.
Since there is a deep connection between the blood and the soul for most creatures, this special flame can indeed cause irreparable damage to one’s soul.
For weaker opponents the hound could directly set their blood on fire from within their bodies, however, when the opponents were stronger, naturally resistant to the penetration of blood-attribute spiritual power or were armed with enchanted equipment, then her brother must resort to causing a wound that exposes the blood.
Unfortunately, her brother’s gift also happened to take care of that issue. His gift allowed him to transfer any physical injuries he obtained to a target within his eyesight. Truly an incredibly suitable gift for him…
Right when Nikolai’s sister began to sigh in resignation, the Blood Flame Hound’s eyes also began to glow while staring sinisterly at the blood leaking from Kain’s thigh.
Kain’s instincts also began to scream at him that something was terribly wrong.
Slowly a blooming blood-red colour flame began to appear within his wound, deep within so that it was unnoticeable to everyone except Kain himself. Which is probably why he didn’t witness the flames previously attacking his contracts.
Knowing that soon he may not have the presence of mind to give instructions during the battle, he decisively activated his spiritual skill 3 times, using up all of the energy stored within his equipment, to provide boosts to all 3 of his contracts.
Leaving them with brief instructions, it wasn’t long before he could no longer think about the current battle with his mind consumed by pain.
However, it was not the pain of flesh and blood, but rather the soul. He could feel the fatal threat!