The Misfortune Teller stood at the far back, hiding behind the crowd with a deep frown etched across her face. Disaster was coming—those beasts would be greater than what people could handle, as long as the Lord remained there.
The entire mountain wall erupted skyward, and a horde of beasts poured through the breach.
The Misfortune Teller frown deepened. Something had changed. The event itself had shifted. But what had happened?
The beasts were feline-like creatures with raw, hairless skin. Their mouths stretched grotesquely to their skulls, revealing sharp, spaced-out fangs like claws. Bony spines protruded along their backs, ending in tails tipped with razor-sharp points.
They galloped forward in a thunderous charge, their growls reverberating through the bones of the waiting warriors.
"Archers!" the instructor shouted. Arrows were released in a deadly rain, but the beasts' whip-like tails were swift enough to swat them away.
The creatures then leaped and rolled into tight balls, their bony spines cracking the ground as they gained speed, rolling toward the army like living boulders.
"March forward!" the instructor commanded. The warriors advanced with shields raised and spears at the ready.
The veterans took the front line—they were strong enough to absorb the first impact. But the beasts bounced high off the ground, soaring over the shield wall entirely.
"Archers!"
Another volley of arrows arced skyward while Vael and his soldiers hurled their spears at the airborne beasts. The targeted creatures unfurled themselves mid-flight, swatting away the attacks with their tails before crashing down among the warriors.
Chaos erupted, but the warriors' formation held perfectly. Veterans were mixed with newcomers, each group supporting the other with experience and raw power.
Then glass bombs dropped onto the battlefield—strange projectiles that had no effect on the people but devastated everything else.
The beasts' sight was severed, and they became sluggish. Their skin began to harden and turn brittle, making movement difficult.
Though they were stronger than even Rank 2 warriors and had caused several injuries, this development sealed their fate. The battle concluded within twenty minutes.
The instructor never drew his weapon, but his voice echoed across the field as he commanded his troops like a master conductor directing an orchestra.
Some warriors lost limbs, but they and their severed parts were quickly moved to medical tents where healing was possible. Those with shallow wounds received basic aid to stop the bleeding. The uninjured moved through the battlefield, finishing off any beasts that still showed signs of movement.
In total, 200 warriors engaged in close combat while another 200 provided ranged support with bows and thrown spears. Around 50 sustained serious injuries.
Eiran hadn't moved at all throughout the battle. 'Incredible coordination!' he thought, impressed by what he'd witnessed and the lessons learned.
The entire army had functioned like a single spear, with the instructor as the one wielding it. The effectiveness was remarkable.
The Misfortune Teller approached and stood beside Eiran. She noticed his skin was no longer pinkish as before, but pale white, as if covered by a thin film.
'He's concealed his presence!' she realized with sudden understanding.
Eiran examined his hand. It had taken him the entire week while sitting in that chair, thinking of various ways to hide his presence and prevent the effects that had befallen others.
This was his solution.
Blood Art: Bone—Bonefilm
This was his Bone Brand Skill, deployable anytime as long as the brand contained Talent Energy.
It used bone dust from his own body to create a covering over his skin, masking his blood and entire essence from detection. It provided no defensive protection against attacks—only concealment of his presence.
The woman signaled to the instructor, who immediately commanded the warriors to move away from the beast carcasses.
Eiran raised his finger and waited until everyone was at a safe distance. Then he peeled the film from his nail.
The blood soaked into the ground trembled and moved as if guided by invisible hands. Even dried blood liquefied and merged with the rest.
"A bloodmancer!" a warrior exclaimed, then frowned with concern.
The merged blood hardened and elongated until it formed a long rod with a sharp point—a blood lance.
Eiran tilted his head and exposed most of his nail along with part of his finger.
Voom.
Like metal striking metal, the blood lance vibrated and became steel-hard before shooting toward Eiran at tremendous speed.
Bonefilm covered his finger, and the lance lost its momentum, falling and sliding to rest at Eiran's feet.
The woman sighed in relief. Eiran studied the weapon before turning his attention to the instructor and beckoning him over.
The man approached with powerful strides and saluted. "Are your men ready to fight again?"
"We shouldn't let them rest too long—their bodies will grow heavy. In about two to four hours, they'll be properly rested," Instructor Jugo replied.
"Excellent. You're an amazing commander. Have them ready by then," Eiran praised before returning to the ancestral building.
The moment he sat down, another announcement echoed through the settlement of an impending fight.
This system was designed to prevent abuse of the Lord Chair. It ensured that if someone chose to sit in power, the rest of the settlement must have fighters ready to defend it.
The longer one sat, the greater the challenges became—but the rewards increased proportionally.
"I hate being stuck like this!" Eiran complained internally. He wanted to relax and be himself, but the entire settlement made him uneasy—not because of the people, but because of what the position demanded.
To rule and guide the people.
He was fulfilling that role, but sitting on the chair also required constant focus. Information flowed so rapidly that a moment's inattention could mean missing something crucial.
Eiran immediately opened the exchange options. Crafted items were brought forward to be sent out, and he simply leaned back, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes as others handled the transactions.
However, a week's worth of accumulated goods was substantial, making the chosen four-hour window insufficient to process everything.
---
The Second Battle
Eiran returned to the battlefield. The severely injured had been replaced with fresh warriors from the archer contingent.
The mountain wall shot skyward again, and beasts roared as they poured through. The same species as before flooded the empty battlefield that served as their meeting ground.
Instructor Jugo's voice echoed as he commanded the warriors. Archers fired from range while spear-throwers attacked from distance.
Some warriors moved with chains, attempting to cripple and bind targeted beasts. Within twenty minutes, silence fell over the clash—only the groans of wounded people and the growling of one captured beast remained.
The injured had been evacuated during the battle. The able-bodied tended to their own wounds with assistance from others.
Beast carcasses were moved aside, blood soaked the ground, and everyone waited for their lord to conduct whatever test he intended.
The captured beast lay bound in heavy chains but uninjured. Eiran raised his finger and peeled the bonefilm from his nail.
The beast snarled, its gaze fixed on Eiran. Something within it began to stir—its nature changing, becoming more ferocious and focused.
Meanwhile, blood on the battlefield moved, coalescing into a sharp lance. Eiran quickly re-covered his nail with bonefilm.
The lance fell with a thunderous thud, cracking the ground, demonstrating its weight and hardness. But the beast became increasingly unhinged, its body expanding and breaking the chains.
ROAR!
It released a snarl that made weak-willed warriors step back, some soiling themselves. A wave of panic and fear gripped them all—even the injured forgot their pain in their wailing terror.
The beast grew larger. Its hairless skin developed scales, claws extended and sharpened, jagged teeth turned red like crimson glass, and its gaze became blood-red and fractured like shattered crystal.
Its tail whipped around with wind-snapping force. When it struck the ground, earth shattered and wind gusted from each impact.
Both hind and forelegs thickened, its mouth opened in a perpetual growl, and then it lunged forward. Everyone stepped back momentarily before the strong-willed gripped their weapons.
But they didn't interfere with their lord's business. The beast was nearly upon him when Eiran flickered ten feet backward. The creature collapsed, still growing, as its upper half slid cleanly away from its lower half.
It had been cleaved through the midsection so quickly it never realized what happened.
Its internal organs were cut so precisely that some continued functioning briefly before collapsing as blood sprayed from both sections.
The onlookers released their held breath, understanding their lord had never intended to engage them in true combat from the beginning. But then everyone frowned, their bodies beginning to tremble—including Vael, Jugo, Rolrend, and all the hardened veterans.
Only the Misfortune Teller barely grimaced.
The spraying blood twisted and formed clawed limbs, pushing upward as other blood congealed into a body similar to the beast's but thinner, composed entirely of blood strands.
A thick, oppressive atmosphere settled over the area. The blood creature stood on two legs and fixed its attention on the boy before it.
Its body bubbled, and a screech escaped from the action. A blood strand flashed to the fallen lance and pulled it up, then lunged at Eiran again.
Eiran noticed a strand of blood still connected to the beast's original body. An arrow came from behind and struck precisely there. It is the Misfortune Teller.
The entire blood creature collapsed, losing integrity, but it didn't stop. It reformed into a solid construct capable of shooting projectiles at Eiran.
As it prepared to fire, Eiran removed the Bonefilm. His blood dominion crashed against the blood construct, causing it to malfunction and transform into something resembling true glass.
"What in my Celestial Blood is this?" Eiran couldn't grasp the sheer rage and madness that would drive something to continue fighting even in death through its blood.
This was almost beyond his comprehension.
Not even his own rage toward the Blood Monarch was this potent.
"I need to learn more about Annihilator Beasts," Eiran decided with a clenched fist. "Now I understand Nyara and Dr. Gerard's wariness toward these creatures."
The witnesses began to understand what the Misfortune Teller had said about his enemies turning the world his enemy.
"Vael!" Eiran called. The man approached and saluted. "Teach the soldiers your skills."
"Yes, my lord." No hesitation, no attempt to hoard the power that set him apart from others.
"There will be a congregation tonight. Everyone must attend," he added before returning to the ancestral building.
---
The Lord's Feast
The moment Eiran sat down, he exchanged food and began eating, temporarily forgetting the day's troubles.
This was the best aspect of sitting in the chair—the food. He had sampled nearly every variety of fruit listed, every type of cuisine available, and other edibles, including some unfamiliar items.
Among the unknowns was a thick, golden liquid that was remarkably sweet. He favored it most, though unfortunately, it was expensive—he could only obtain small amounts at a time.
There was also something golden and brown that looked like dried plant fruit. These were sweet with a hint of sourness.
Another was a sweet fruit containing a very hard, elongated nut inside that was bitter when grinded between teeth. The fruit's flesh was thick, chewy, and very sweet.
This came in abundance, and he ate until he could no longer purchase more from the settlement.
But the catalog seemed endless. Even now, he discovered new items, ordering samples to test them.
Though some were outright terrible.
---
The Congregation
People arranged themselves in rows that blanketed the entire ancestral ground, and filled the roads leading there and the rooftops. Raised platforms accommodated additional seating.
Vael and his people moved about, ensuring everyone was properly positioned before finding their own places.
Even where Eiran passed, people made room—mostly children, but all very quiet and obedient. As he moved through, they adjusted themselves, allowing those standing to sit.
"Listen to your heart!"
His voice wasn't celestial, but it carried power that made everyone visualize their heart and its beating.
"Blood is the life force within us.
"Blood connects our organs.
"Blood carries the air we breathe to the rest of the body.
"Blood carries the nutrients we eat to the rest of the body.
"Blood carries our emotions throughout the body.
"All our ailments can be found in our blood.
"Pure, healthy blood means a healthy, strong body!"
Those without relevant knowledge found it difficult to visualize, but they understood the concept.
"Understanding blood pathways and how to influence them is key to blood detoxification, blood healing, blood energy, blood immunity..."
By now, they understood his direction. Those who had witnessed the battlefield events grasped that their Lord was making them immune to blood control from whatever vile enemies pursued him.