Rowena had lost count of how many cultists she had defeated.
The pain from her wounds had long since become numb as her injuries increased, and her magic power was nearly exhausted from the constant fighting.
She knew she had reached her limit. Since becoming a bloodborne warrior, she had never felt death so close.
But she knew she couldn’t fall.
Glancing at the trembling children behind her, she tightened her grip on her cracked sword.
She was the last bloodborne warrior defending Blackwater Village.
She had to keep fighting.
This was her duty.
A surge of violent magic came at her as a cultist swung a greatsword, roaring as it slashed toward her.
With a sharp crack, her sword finally reached its limit and broke.
Rowena felt a dull pain on her left side, saw blood splatter everywhere, and couldn’t help but cough up a mouthful of blood.
“Lady Rowena!”
Amid the children’s cries and screams, Rowena felt her strength rapidly leaving her, and she collapsed backward.
“Cough… cough cough…”
She coughed violently, trying to get up again, but she could no longer control her severely injured body.
Yes, after such a long battle, with half her body almost severed, even as a powerful bloodborne warrior, she could feel death’s approach.
Blood…
I need blood…
Even polluted blood will do, as long as…
As long as I can enter a blood frenzy, as long as I can unleash my final strength for a short time…
Rowena shakily reached out her right hand, trying to pick up her bloodstained broken sword.
But the next moment, her broken sword was kicked aside.
“Heh, Miss Rowena, did you think we fought you for so long without learning your secrets? Trying to enter a blood frenzy? Too bad, you won’t have that chance.”
Hearing the mocking voice, Rowena struggled to lift her head.
Looking at the Old God’s priest’s smirking face, she gritted her teeth and said,
“You asked my name but refused to duel me, instead continuing to send these pathetic sacrificial lambs to fight. Are you… mocking me?”
The Old God’s priest smiled slightly.
“Mocking? No, I am merely following my Lord’s divine will.”
With that, the Old God’s priest took out a parchment and began to read.
“Rowena, third-generation warrior of the Free City-State Alliance.”
“Chosen at seventeen, sworn to the blood contract, and in thirteen years, rose from the Starry Sky tier to the Silver Moon tier…”
At this, the Old God’s priest closed the parchment and looked down at the girl on the ground.
“To be honest, when I received my Lord’s divine will, I was puzzled as to why my Lord would have us seek out a warrior who took thirteen years to ascend from the Starry Sky tier to the Silver Moon tier during this assault.”
“But after watching your battle, I somewhat understand. Even if you have no potential in extraordinary power, you are indeed a strong warrior.”
“You are lucky. My Lord favors you and wants to give you a chance.”
“If you are willing to submit to my Lord and become his follower, he will grant you new life and unprecedented power.”
Hearing the Old God’s priest’s words, Rowena let out a laugh.
“New life? Ha… you mean becoming a slave to the Old God?”
“Dream on! I will always be an enemy to you Old God lackeys!”
Seeing the mockery in the girl’s expression, the Old God’s priest’s face darkened.
But soon, he chuckled.
“A slave to the Old Gods? Heh, Old Gods…”
“To me, you so-called warriors are nothing more than slaves to Lilith.”
With that, he shook his head.
“What a pity. Since you refuse to submit, I must carry out my Lord’s second divine will.”
“After all… what my Lord needs is ‘Rowena.’”
With that, the Old God’s priest took out a dark gray, semi-transparent bead.
The bead emitted a deep, obscure aura, with faint white mist swirling inside.
Seeing the eerie bead, Rowena felt a wave of dizziness, a strange sense of familiarity, and fear rising in her heart. Since becoming a bloodborne warrior, she hadn’t felt “fear” for a long time.
No…
Since she decided to become a “guardian” like the one who saved her during the Battle of Silver City, she had long forgotten what “fear” was.
But at this moment, “fear” came rushing back.
It wasn’t the fear of life or death, but a higher, more terrifying fear.
And this fear brought with it a strong sense of familiarity. That feeling…
It was as if she had experienced it before and forgotten about it.
And not just once.
No…
No, this can’t happen.
Absolutely not!
… After coming this far, she couldn’t fail now!
Somewhere deep within, Rowena seemed to hear a familiar voice urgently calling out.
She watched as the Old God’s priest drew closer, saw him lift the bead, and saw his eyes turn pure white.
At that moment, the Old God’s priest seemed to transform into something incomprehensible.
She heard the “priest” speak softly, his voice cold, transcendent, and lofty.
“Found you, disordered node.”
As soon as he finished speaking, grayish-white mist surged forward, swallowing Rowena’s vision.
Is it… over?
Your Excellency, it seems this time…
We’ve failed again…
As her consciousness faded, a wave of sadness and guilt inexplicably surged in Rowena’s mind.
However, just as she was sinking into darkness, she seemed to see a crimson light piercing through everything.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, she heard a familiar and pleasant exclamation.
“Huh? Is there such a thing here too?”
Warm, familiar energy filled her limbs, but Rowena soon lost all sensation.
…
Rowena had a dream.
In the dream, she was chosen by a great God to become Her emissary.
Together with five other friends, she was granted powerful bloodline abilities and became one of the strongest beings in the world.
They followed the God’s commands, revered the great God as their ancestor, and spread the power of the extraordinary and bloodline abilities to every corner of the world.
However, when they completed the God’s great mission, they were met with betrayal.
“Your task is complete.”
“Thank you for your service, my… children.”
In the darkness, grayish-white arms reached out to her, consuming everything.
No…
No!
She struggled, running, trying to escape the boundless darkness.
However, no matter how she fled, the grayish-white arms clung to her like an inescapable curse.
Rowena saw herself being captured, torn apart, and devoured…
“No—!”
Rowena suddenly woke up, sitting upright in bed.
She gasped for air, her chest heaving violently.
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The fear of the dream gradually faded, and the memories before she fell asleep slowly resurfaced.
Her expression changed, and she quickly threw off the blanket.
What met her eyes was a newly replaced, pristine linen robe.
The wounds that should have been there had all disappeared, as if the battle before she fell asleep was just an illusion.
Rowena was momentarily stunned, then her expression changed again.
She quickly got out of bed, but heard a strange voice from the side.
“If I were you, I’d stay put, at least until the bloodline power within you stabilizes.”
Bloodline power?
Rowena paused.
She carefully sensed it and realized that at some point, an incredibly pure bloodline power had emerged within her. It hadn’t been fully absorbed and was circulating within her body.
She looked towards the source of the voice, a slender boy of sixteen or seventeen, with black hair and black eyes, who was tinkering with some runes, seemingly concocting something.
“Who are you?”
Rowena asked warily.
The boy glanced at her and said,
“My name is Casey, a member of the Ancestor Guard and an elven rune master.”
“Ancestor Guard? Lady Lilith?”
Rowena was momentarily taken aback.
After speaking, she seemed to remember something and quickly stood up.
“Damn! Kant, Michiel!”
“You mean the children of Blackwater Village? Don’t worry, they’ve all been rescued, and the Old God’s sacrificial army was also wiped out by Lady Lilith.”
The boy said.
As he spoke, he put away his runes, his voice tinged with a bit of sourness.
“You’re lucky. If we’d been any later, you might have died. No… actually, you’re really lucky. Not only were you personally rescued by Lady Lilith, but you even received her direct treatment!”
Lady Lilith… saved me?
Rowena was stunned.
She felt the unfamiliar yet kind bloodline power within her, realizing who its owner was.
“Where… is this? Was it the Savior… who saved me?”
She couldn’t help but ask.
Casey nodded.
“This is the Northern Fortress. Lady Lilith saved you and had me continue treating you with elven relics. Your mental power is unstable, and with the bloodline power needing stabilization, you’ll likely need to rest for several more days.”
Rowena fell silent.
She looked at the Alliance soldiers training outside the window and couldn’t help but ask.
“Lady Lilith… where is she?”
“She fought with two Old God incarnations and then personally went to hunt down the fleeing Old Gods.”
Casey said with admiration and longing.