The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Chapter 90 Crimson Awakening

Puk!

The sound of a sharp blade tearing through flesh echoed.

For a moment, Ashen thought the blade had pierced him.

But it hadn't.

"L-Lord… You… must retreat… Kuheok…"

The subordinate who had been desperately urging him to flee had thrown himself in the blade's path instead.

Even then, the man hadn't drawn his last breath. Gripping Vera by the collar with the Red Demon's Grip, he clung to life.

"...Ah."

Vera calmly swung her sword.

The Falling Blossom Sword, shimmering with Sword energy, sliced through the subordinate's torso, severing it cleanly.

Despite being reduced to only his upper half, the man's grip on her collar didn't waver.

"...The Crimson Demon Gate… will dominate… Eastern Mountain … Kuheok…"

Such unyielding loyalty.

With a flick of her fingers, Vera rotated the sword within her hand, severing the wrist that clung to her.

The dismembered body rolled to the ground, blood gushing from the stump.

Crimson blood pooled on the earth, filling the night air with its metallic scent.

"...Hah."

The scent of blood seeped deep into her lungs.

It was sweet.

Vera was keenly aware of how dangerous that sweetness was.

As she summoned every ounce of energy within her core, the Black dragon consumed and amplified it, burning brighter.

Her power surged like a snowball rolling down a winter slope, growing with each passing moment.

"...Is that all?"

The light in her eyes flickered between the spectral gleam of ghostly energy and the radiant shine of pure energy, indistinguishable from one another.

Her hair flowed like a dragon's mane, and the Sword energy enveloping her blade shone even more intensely than before.

Each movement of her sword left blooming crimson cherry blossoms in its wake.

Just as she was about to strike the finishing blow on Ashen, who had been drained of his energy, dozens of Blood Sword Corps warriors rushed to shield their leader.

"Protect the Lord! Get him out of here!"

At the same time, the Fiery Blade clan's warriors and her two senior brothers arrived to stand by her side.

Among them was someone Ashen, even at his peak, could not defeat.

Regis, the head of the Fiery Blade clan, had arrived.

A master of Mid-Supreme Peak Realm, his nickname,Black Sun Spear, was no mere decoration.

"...Retreat!!!"

Ashen gritted his teeth and issued the order.

It was a decision made far too late.

Two warriors helped him over the wall, but just as they were about to leap—

"Did you think I'd let you leave so easily?!"

The booming voice of Regis rang out.

Boom!

The ground shook as he unleashed his footwork.

The air trembled as the Demon-Cleaving Spear streaked through the sky like a bolt of lightning.

Swiish!

Crash!

The sound of bones shattering and flesh being torn apart echoed.

Ashen realized he couldn't breathe.

The Demon-Cleaving Spear had lodged itself deep in his chest, pulverizing his ribs.

The two subordinates who had been carrying him were reduced to mangled corpses.

He hung against the wall, completely impaled by the spear.

It was the same technique he had used years ago to kill Regis's eldest daughter.

"Kuheok…"

His breaths were shallow, his voice barely a whisper. Blood bubbled from his mouth, drowning his words.

Cold terror crept up his spine.

"D-Dead… I'm going to… Kuheok…"

His trembling hands reached out, but his Great Curved Blade had already been flung far away in the chaos.

The remaining members of the Blood Sword Corps had fled.

It was only natural. If their leader had fallen, there was no reason to stay.

They would return to their sect leader with the news of his defeat.

Vera slowly approached the limp body of Ashen, still twitching faintly.

His blurred, bloodshot eyes barely managed to look up at her.

His disheveled hair clung to his face, a pitiful sight.

"H-How… Kuheok…"

He couldn't comprehend his defeat.

Her sudden growth, her overwhelming power—it all defied reason.

In a low voice, Vera answered his unspoken question.

After all, he wouldn't live to tell anyone.

"I am the Celestial Blade Star."

"…D-Damn… it…"

The Celestial Blade Star thrives on slaughter.

Through death, it grows stronger.

It drinks blood, calls for more blood, and drinks again.

A Supreme Peak Realm martial artist, born to kill.

To fight someone of her caliber was to nurture her growth.

He should have run.

Instead, he had only helped her grow stronger.

With his final breath, Ashen cursed her.

"In the… end… you… will die… by your companions' hands…"

That was as far as he got.

Vera's blade descended silently, slicing through his throat.

The blade cleaved his vocal cords, ensuring he would speak no more.

Blood gushed from the wound as his head drooped forward.

And with that, he died.

"...Haa."

Vera exhaled a heated breath.

The thick scent of blood emanated from the severed neck of the one she had struck down.

Even though she didn't want to, her body absorbed it all—every ounce of the killing intent, resentment, and malice carried through the air.

It was all too sweet.

Something cruel and sinister within her kept rearing its head.

No…

She clenched her teeth, summoning the energy of the Soul Harmony Realm Technique.

The Black dragon, swelling with power, surged through her Eight Meridians, consuming the noxious energy coursing through her.

It devoured the stench of blood clinging to her entire body.

Slowly, deliberately, she calmed the raging Black dragon, guiding it back to her core.

The overwhelming aura that had engulfed her subsided.

Vera turned around.

The head of the Fiery Blade clan, the other masters, and her two senior brothers were all staring at her.

She slowly looked down at her hands.

They were drenched in blood.

Her once pristine white robes, the uniform of Mount Suncrest, were stained red.

Only the black cloak her master Aiden had given her remained unchanged, its dark color masking the blood that soaked it.

What do I look like right now…?

She wondered if she resembled a Killing Ghost, an evil spirit drenched in blood.

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At that moment, Marcus and Ethan rushed to her.

Unconcerned by the blood, they pulled her into a tight embrace, frantically checking her over.

"Vera! Are you hurt? You scared me half to death!"

"Ah, if you even have a scratch, we're dead when we face the master!"

Finally, the tension in her body began to release.

The words of the late Ashen echoed in her mind.

What she feared most wasn't her enemies—it was the changed gazes of her companions.

As long as that didn't happen, she could endure.

"…Senior Brother, Brother Ethan."

"Yes! What is it? This senior brother will do anything—"

"Stop fussing, Ethan. Vera, how's your body? Your core?"

"I… just…"

She tried to say that she needed to rest.

Though her energy remained and her body was unscathed, the mental strain of staying alert and combating the sinister nature within herself had taken its toll.

Before she could finish, her vision darkened, and she collapsed.

The next morning.

Inside the guestroom provided by the Fiery Blade clan, Ethan and Marcus stayed by Vera's side, changing the damp cloth on her forehead.

They had been there all night.

"The doctor said it's just exhaustion, senior brother."

"…Still, how can I not worry? The heart doesn't listen to reason."

Ethan nodded with a wry smile.

Vera was unscathed, without so much as a scratch on her skin.

The Fiery Blade clan's servants had even bathed her and changed her clothes, leaving her looking more pristine than ever.

The only issue was that she had yet to regain consciousness.

Throughout the night, Marcus checked her pulse repeatedly, despite no significant changes.

If her pulse grew even slightly stronger, his face brightened; if it weakened even slightly, his expression darkened.

"At this rate, senior brother, you'll wear yourself out before Vera wakes up."

"Are you dropping formalities now?"

"…I'll behave."

Ethan pouted.

Normally, Marcus would have smacked the top of his head for such behavior.

But today, he only offered a verbal rebuke, his gaze never leaving Vera.

"You even called a doctor at dawn. Didn't they say she'd wake up soon?"

"Aren't you worried about your junior sister?"

"If I wasn't worried, would I have stayed up all night with you?"

He had a point.

Ethan simply wasn't as adept at showing concern. His nature wasn't particularly delicate or sensitive.

Realizing this, Marcus reflected on his own harsh words.

"I shouldn't have scolded you."

"Don't worry about it. Besides, she should be waking up soon…"

Ethan poked Vera's cheek with a finger.

Then his eyes widened.

"W-What's wrong?"

Startled by his reaction, Marcus turned to him with a worried expression.

The answer he received was unexpected.

"Her cheek… it's so soft."

"…Have you lost your mind?"

Marcus sighed heavily.

At that moment, Vera's small hand twitched.