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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
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Chapter 184
Kane emerged through the cloud of dust.
"Why?"
He tilted his head, puzzled.
It didn’t make sense.
Kesh Meyer had become stronger than before his death.
However, he wasn’t foolish enough to launch a reckless attack.
"If it were you, I'd have taken my time plotting something from behind the scenes. There's no way you'd attack head-on like this. What are you thinking?"
He mulled it over during the fight.
Stronger, yes, but not an unbeatable opponent.
As their swords clashed, Kane memorized Kesh Meyer's sword techniques.
Though unpredictable, he noticed his habits and patterns.
Falling back while observing him had paid off.
Now, it was time to counterattack.
If he swung his sword now, Kesh Meyer would undoubtedly lose.
Yet, he still had lingering doubts.
There had to be another motive behind this.
"Speak up."
"Ugh."
Kesh Meyer, drenched in blood, used his greatsword as a cane to stand.
"Don’t delude yourself into thinking you’ve won. This isn’t over yet."
Kesh Meyer unleashed the full extent of his power.
It was a force intertwined with divine energy.
His attire transformed.
He was wielding the power of oblivion.
"I guess I’ll have to capture you and force the answers out of you."
Boom!
Kane kicked off the ground and leapt forward.
Kesh Meyer’s greatsword, bristling with spikes, collided with his Bloodsky blades.
The clash of their auras created an overwhelming shockwave.
"Ahhh!"
"Master, at this rate, you’ll be swept away by their power! Fall back!"
The vampires shouted toward Desdemona.
She was casting blood magic, killing skeleton knights in the process.
But her eyes never left the battle between Kane and Kesh Meyer.
"All of you, retreat. I will remain by my husband’s side."
"But, my lord! That energy is far too dangerous!"
"I trust him. Even if that energy engulfs me, it won’t harm me."
Her trust in Kane was absolute.
The vampires shared her faith but weren’t as strong as her.
If they got caught in that immense vortex, they’d lose their lives.
Reluctantly, the vampires withdrew, leaving her behind.
"No matter how I see it, that woman is the problem."
Her eyes were fixed on Wendy.
Wendy glared at Kane as if he were her mortal enemy.
She looked ready to attack at the first opportunity.
Desdemona couldn’t let that slide.
"Hey"
She killed her enemies as she moved toward Wendy.
When someone called her name, Wendy turned her head.
"Are you calling me?"
"You're the only one here, so obviously, I'm referring to you."
Wendy's eyes twitched.
She was a princess of noble blood, born to reign.
No one in this world had the right to call her out so casually.
Yet, this insolent woman had dared to do just that.
A monster who had stolen her place.
Wendy refused to acknowledge Desdemona.
How could Kane forsake her and choose this creature who wasn’t even human?
As a woman, her pride was deeply wounded.
"Even someone like you dares to look down on me?!"
"Stop your nonsense and stay put. Kane might spare you, but I won’t be so kind."
Desdemona threatened her, displaying her razor-sharp claws.
"How dare you speak of killing the First Princess of the Empire? Your words amount to treason!"
"And you, who resurrected the head of the Meyer Family, the greatest enemy of the Empire—no, the entire continent—have the audacity to lecture me? How childish can you be? The Emperor must be exhausted from your antics. Instead of marrying the man he arranged for you, you always stir up trouble."
Wendy screamed in fury at Desdemona's scolding.
Losing Kane was bad enough, but now this woman had the nerve to lecture her.
And to top it off, she looked down at Wendy with that smug, haughty expression.
"A wretched beast thinks she’s untouchable just because her status has risen?!"
"Hmph, you’re blind. My Bloodline, alongside the Dragonkin, is among the most noble in the world. If you don’t know that, perhaps you should revisit your history lessons."
Desdemona was entirely unfazed by Wendy’s provocations.
Instead, Wendy, who had initiated the quarrel, grew even angrier.
"You dare mock me?!"
Black magic surged from her body.
The energy pulled in the surrounding lich kings and skeleton knights.
"Bring that woman before me and make her kneel immediately!"
At Wendy’s command, the skeleton knights charged forward.
The lich king began casting spells from behind.
Black spheres and shards of ice were hurled at Desdemona.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Desdemona’s blood wings deflected all the dark magic.
"Ugh! Capture her at once!" Wendy screeched at the top of her lungs.
Her tantrum was wild, almost frenzied.
She no longer resembled a noble princess.
If anything, it was Desdemona who exuded grace and dignity.
Even in battle, she maintained her composure and elegance.
This only served to unhinge Wendy further.
"I’ll tear you to shreds and feed you to monsters! No, I’ll capture you and make you a monster’s slave!"
Despite Wendy's vile threats, Desdemona remained calm.
She wasn’t the type to fall for such petty provocations.
"You are truly beyond redemption. Kane must have endured so much because of you."
The moment she slashed her claws through the air—
Crack!
The sound of bones shattering echoed.
The skeleton knight's armor was sliced clean off, and the enemies blocking her path were torn into pieces, flesh and all.
Now, with no foes left obstructing her, Desdemona advanced toward Wendy.
"Useless trash!" Wendy growled as she prepared to unleash her dark magic.
But before she could act, Desdemona's hand darted out and gripped Wendy's throat.
"Ahhh!" Wendy cried out in pain.
"What should I do with you?" Desdemona asked coldly, tightening her grip on Wendy's neck.
"Ughhh," Wendy gasped, struggling desperately in pain.
After a moment of deliberation, Desdemona made her decision.
"Your fate will be decided by my husband. Behave yourself."
Her hand moved toward Wendy’s chest, aiming for her heart.
Wendy realized what Desdemona intended and thrashed wildly, but she couldn’t escape Desdemona’s iron grip.
"Ughhh!"
Desdemona was about to crush Wendy's mana heart when—
"Stand down," Kane's voice commanded.
Desdemona hesitated, but before she could retreat with Wendy, a sharp aura approached at incredible speed.
Forced to act, Desdemona released Wendy.
"Cough!"
"Are you alright?"
It was Kesh Meyer who had saved Wendy.
The sight was utterly bizarre.
Kane tilted his head in confusion as he observed Kesh Meyer.
‘He’s saving someone? Even if she brought him back to life, there’s no way he’d act like this.’
Kesh Meyer, who valued human lives less than insects, cared nothing for men or women alike.
But now, here he was, saving Wendy.
‘Could he like her? No, there must be another reason.’
As Kane mulled it over, Desdemona spoke up.
"Master, there’s something strange about that woman’s heart."
"What is it?" Kane asked.
"It’s something like divine power... almost like an egg."
"Divine power?"
The revelation was unexpected. Wendy who used black magic was harboring divine power—it was an unusual discovery.
"Is the reason Kesh Meyer protects the First Princess because of the divine power in her mana heart?"
It was the only explanation for why someone as ruthless as Kesh Meyer would shield Wendy.
"We need to destroy her mana heart to find out for sure. I’ll handle Kesh Meyer while you deal with her mana heart."
"Understood."
Kane surged toward Kesh Meyer.
Boom!
Kesh Meyer was forced backward, successfully separating him from Wendy.
In the meantime, Desdemona approached Wendy.
Wendy’s eyes widened in terror, realizing she had no time to block Desdemona’s attack.
Crunch!
The sound of Wendy's mana heart shattering echoed through the air.
"Aaaargh!"
Her screams pierced the battlefield, sharp and agonizing.
Kesh Meyer’s cry of despair followed closely behind.
"Noooo!"
A red mist rose above Wendy’s body, forming into the shape of a face.
A face twisted in agony.
Screeeeeech!
The monstrous sound reverberated across the sky as Wendy collapsed to the ground.
Kesh Meyer erupted in rage at the sight.
"How did you know?"
"When you saved the First Princess, it was obvious. You're not the type to save anyone, are you?" Kane replied coolly.
"You wretched fool!"
It was then revealed that when Kesh Meyer kissed Wendy, he had implanted divine power within her mana heart.
If he died during the battle, his soul was to transfer into her body.
A woman’s body.
And not just any woman—Wendy, the First Princess of the Fresia Empire. In her body, Kesh Meyer believed he could hide his identity safely.
Had the plan succeeded, he could have assassinated both Isaac and Kane Rehinar from the shadows.
But his carefully laid plan was now in ruins.
"Your fatal mistake was showing yourself to me. Now, return to the depths of hell."
"I cannot die, not after everything I’ve done to survive!"
A flash of divine light radiated from Kesh Meyer, blindingly bright, and then he disappeared.
"Looks like he was in quite a rush," Kane remarked.
Kesh Meyer had fled.
A sight that would have been unthinkable in the past.
It seemed the memory of his previous death still haunted him.
The very person who once drove the world into terror was now running for his life.
Kane turned his head toward Isaac and mouthed his words.
[Now is the time. Deploy the army and sweep away the enemy. I will pursue the fleeing Kesh Meyer.]
From atop the fortress, Isaac gave the signal to advance.
The soldiers descended from the fortress walls, clashing with Kesh Meyer’s forces in a deafening roar of battle.
[And the First Princess's mana heart had to be destroyed.]
[You did well. Leaving the mana heart intact led to this disaster in the first place.]
[Let’s continue this conversation later.]
With that, Kane vanished, pursuing Kesh Meyer.
Isaac's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
“Richard.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Isn’t he truly the most reliable brother and vassal?”
“It’s merely a testament to Your Majesty’s wisdom, surpassing even that of the nobles.”
“This is why I sent Charlotte to be his second wife. Who cares about the title of first wife? What truly matters is him.”
Isaac spoke with pride, as if recounting his greatest achievement.
Despite noble opposition, he had made his younger sister, Charlotte, Kane’s second wife.
An unprecedented move.
A princess marrying not as the first but as the second wife—an act unheard of.
A concubine, no less.
It was an act that risked tarnishing the royal family’s prestige, yet Isaac had pressed forward without hesitation.
“In hindsight, it was a masterstroke. If I had wavered and failed to push through, what would have happened? We would’ve missed out on the Blood Tiger’s lineage.”
“Did Your Majesty foresee even this outcome?”
“The Blood Tiger’s bloodline holds immense power. It surpasses even the royal bloodline. The nobles likely opposed it to prevent the crown from becoming even stronger. The union of Fresia and Rehinar blood—its potential is beyond imagination.”
The thought alone sent a thrill through Isaac.
“Then wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for Your Majesty to marry the Blood Duke’s sister yourself?”
“Do you want to see someone die?”
Isaac’s tone sharpened, and Richard immediately lowered his gaze.
“No, Your Majesty. I merely sought to confirm the extent of Your Majesty’s foresight.”
“Remember this, Richard. A ruler doesn’t act on personal desire but on what benefits the realm. Charlotte’s marriage to Kane wasn’t just a political move—it was destiny. The union of our bloodlines is the future of this empire.”
Isaac’s eyes glinted with ambition as he gazed toward the battlefield, envisioning the empire’s unprecedented rise.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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