The arena was completely silent, so silent that everyone seemed to be holding their breath as they turned to Drenvar on his throne. The man leaned forward, his hands gripping the chair handles so hard the metal began to twist and warp.
His eyes were solely on the projection in the middle and the head of Zephyr lifted in the air, a clear challenge.
Different emotions appeared on his face: curiosity and joy mixed with a little pity. "Is this the real child of the Dragon?"
It was only then that the lords and nobles breathed a sigh. They had never seen or heard of a case where a bastard won and killed a legitimate Vorrakyn before.
In just minutes, Vacuse had suppressed one and killed one. He had shown himself to be the stronger one.
Below, Isolde blinked slowly. She did not show much emotion at first, but when many people looked her way, she bowed her head and forced water from her eyes. "My son."
Her tone was flat and clipped.
Just like that, Zephyr was treated as if he never existed. All the nobles who had supported him quietly restrategized. It seemed there was a new heir.
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With Zephyr taken care of, Vacuse turned his attention to his main objective: the Blood Fruits. He faced the pile of monsters and used his sword to cut them up, using their blood to rub on his body.
Then, with the smell of other monsters on him, he sped into the forest. At that moment, no one could possibly face him in the forest, not even the monsters.
He was the biggest threat.
But he did not want any disturbance on his way, so he disguised himself. Normally, monsters might want to attack and eat other monsters, but with the children in the forest, they had something easier to eat.
So they avoided each other as best they could.
Thus, Vacuse made his way across without any issues, and soon he reached the center where the Blood Fruits lay.
It was a gigantic tree of hard redness with branches like bloody swords and leaves like gems. Vacuse stared at it as he slowly entered the clearing. "Wow."
He could not help it. It was a majestic thing, so big that thirty adults would not be able to wrap their hands around it if they stood in a circle.
The fruits were like shrunken heads.
There were eight of them.
Vacuse smiled.
Even with the way the fruits looked, all bloody, he still swallowed with hunger.
"This time, I am going to eat the feast."
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"Activate the construct, set it at level two," Drenvar said.
"Your Grace! Level two? That is strong. He might not be able to withstand something like that, and..."
Drenvar raised his hand. "Do as you are told."
Although there was an outpost and shield to protect the Blood Fruits, there was still a treasure left behind: a construct made when the Vorrakyn were at the height of their powers.
The construct was always set at the highest level and left to guard the Blood Tree, but for the rite, they had left it off. But now, the family Head wanted it activated?
Drenvar's hands tightened. Although he looked calm on the surface, inside he was shaking from the gamble he was about to make.
Vacuse had shown that he had the highest potential, more than the children he thought carried the family's hope. Yet he had detected something in the way Vacuse lifted Zephyr's head.
Arrogance.
Drenvar needed him to be humbled.
And he wanted to see just how powerful he was.
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Vacuse was focused on the tree, so he almost did not notice something blurring toward him at incredible speed. But his reaction time was not bad, and his sword moved up, his body twisting to the side.
Bang!
He slapped the arrow away, and at the same time, he was gone from the line of sight.
"Who is there? Show yourself!" he shouted, crouching and slowly retreating into the forest.
"Nobody should have reached here before me. Then what could it be?"
He got his answer seconds later as something lifted from the roots of the tree. The thing was red in color as well, which was why he had not seen it at first.
"A construct?" Vacuse's eyes widened. "An old one!"
He had seen constructs before. Old Houses like the Vorrakyn usually had some.
They were terrifying weapons.
The construct made a cracking sound as it moved forward, as if its joints had long been left unused. It was humanoid with oversized hands and a hunched back, and its head was in the shape of a dragon.
Vacuse hissed. "Drenvar!"
Only the family Head could pull something like this off. Just what was that bastard trying to do again?
Panic almost set in, but he had been in many dangerous situations in his past life, and Vacuse soon realized staying calm increased the chances of staying alive.
With his perception, he felt out the construct and breathed a sigh. "It seems the level is lower, or else I would already be dead."
Since there was nothing he could do, he needed the fruits, and something stood between him and what he wanted.
That meant there was only one thing he could do.
Vacuse straightened and came out into the clearing once more, his sword covered in a faint blue light. "I have never truly fought one of these constructs before. Let us see how that will go."
The construct slowly approached. It lifted its right hand and fired a red arrow.
Time seemed to slow. Vacuse raised his sword to block the arrow, and it was then that the construct made its move.
The arrow had been a distraction!
Vacuse saw a red blur in the left corner of his eye.