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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
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Chapter 188
It wasn’t a massive tiger.
It was a man with a commanding presence.
The overwhelming aura Kane had only felt from the Duke Carl now emanated from Blata.
This was his true form.
"Blata."
Kane tried to call his name, but no sound came out from his mouth.
Instead, Blata's voice reached him.
"Despite being reincarnated as a human and enduring an arduous life, you choose to tread a foolish path again. My master, the Great One."
He referred to Kane as the "Great One."
Why was he addressing Kane in this way?
"The reason you cannot remember is because you haven’t ascended yet. I will restore your memories as the Great One. Once you recall them, I urge you to contemplate carefully."
A crimson gem appeared in Blata’s hand.
It was a Blood Core—the essence of blood.
The concentrated power that one who wielded blood mana could gather over their lifetime.
That Blood Core flew through the air and pierced Kane’s chest.
"Urgh!"
The pain was excruciating.
It felt like his flesh was being ripped apart.
This was nothing like the transformation that came from consuming an elixir.
It was as if his body was being shattered into fragments.
As though his very soul was being torn to pieces.
Blata silently watched Kane endure the agony.
Then, it happened.
Unfamiliar memories flooded into his mind.
Flash!
Red light burst from his eyes.
The more intense the light, the more these unknown memories tore through his consciousness.
Gradually, the memories began to settle.
And with them, the pain faded away.
Blata, who had been watching, knelt and bowed his head.
"I am Bu-er. I bow before the Great One."
"You’ve been protecting me all this time?"
Finally, Kane’s voice returned.
This was the Spirit Realm—the space one passes through before the soul ascends.
Bu-er had brought him here before his ascension.
"My life exists solely for the Great One."
"The others have all gone their separate ways, yet you remain."
Bu-er's loyalty was renowned, even in the Demon Realm.
Though Kane had lost all his memories and been reincarnated as a human, Bu-er had found him in the end.
"It couldn't have been easy to find me."
"Avoiding the watchful eyes of the Celestial Realm was exceedingly difficult. Additionally, the threads of the world had splintered into many paths, making it even harder to locate the Great One."
"When you speak of the threads of the world being different, you must mean the one I currently inhabit."
"Yes. You were born in an unknown world I couldn’t enter (earth), but I found a way to summon the Great One to this place. (Teverland)"
"Since the Demon Realm cannot interfere with the threads of the world, you must have used someone from the Celestial Realm."
"I provoked the curiosity and rivalry of the Seven Gods."
"Well done. If you hadn’t stirred them, you would have had to cross into the world where I was reincarnated."
"The Celestial King seems determined to make the Great One suffer. It's evident from how he deprived you of any abilities in the world you were reincarnated into. The Celestial King clearly doesn’t want you to return to the Celestial Realm."
"I have no attachments to that place."
The gods governed the threads of the world.
Yet, they were no different from humans.
Greed and selfishness consumed them.
Their desires revolved around strengthening their own houses and consolidating power.
"Are you really willing to endure that pain again? To live as a pitiful human, continually manipulated by the Celestial King’s games?"
"What did you think of the human named Kane, the one you met? Did his appearance differ from those of the Celestial Realm?"
"Well, that’s..."
"The beings of the Celestial Realm, despite their claim to divinity, regard human lives as less than vermin. They are no different from humans themselves."
"So, you’ve chosen to return to the world where you were reincarnated."
Bu-er still looked troubled.
He had expected this choice, but he hadn’t imagined there would be no hesitation.
How could someone abandon the power of a god so easily?
‘I’m not capable of comprehending him,’ Bu-er thought.
The Great One was the ruler of both the Spirit Realm and the Demon Realm.
Though a fallen angel, his bloodline rivaled that of the Celestial King.
After all, they were brothers.
The Celestial King had spent his life tormenting his younger sibling.
"Before my death, when I instructed you to open the Spirit Realm for me, it was part of my plan. I will no longer live as someone subjected to the Celestial King’s whims. If I return to the world where I was reincarnated, I will awaken with my memories."
The reason gates (TL/N: monster gates) had opened in the modern world was simple.
It was due to the absence of both the rulers of the Celestial realm and Demon realm there.
The mutated monsters hadn’t fled to Teverland, but instead escaped to another thread of the world—Earth.
The gates were a phenomenon caused by this escape.
Because of them, his grandmother had died.
If he returned, he wouldn’t let them go unpunished.
"If the will of the Great One is truly resolute… then once I finish my business here, I shall follow."
"Do as you wish."
Kane closed his eyes.
* * *
The head of the Rehinar household.
The Blood Duke, one of the Twelve Star Lords, had closed his eyes for the final time.
All his close aides had reddened eyes, suppressing tears.
Rehinar thrived under Kane’s influence.
They could walk across the continent without fear, thanks to his reputation.
Such a mighty figure had now entered eternal rest.
He had risen from his deathbed to cause a storm, only to suddenly pass away.
Kane’s death sparked a gleam in the eyes of Irel’s supporters.
Now that he was gone, the Guardian family’s council was filled with Irel’s allies.
This meant they had the chance to overturn the successor.
"Young Master Irel, this is the only opportunity to change the succession."
"If we delay, Young Duke Vlad might truly inherit the Guardian household."
"Young Master Irel, you are of noble blood, with royal lineage. It is only fitting for you to inherit the Rehinar family."
"Please, give the order."
Irel’s aides urged him persistently, sending him mental messages one after another.
And soon, Irel nodded in agreement.
He had no intention of letting the Guardian household fall into Vlad’s hands.
"Overturn it."
The faces of Irel’s aides lit up with delight.
At their master’s command, they drew their weapons and proclaimed,
"Clang!"
"Everyone would be wise to remain still."
"We cannot follow the orders of the late Duke, now at eternal rest."
"How could a mere spirit animal dictate the fate of this great and noble family?"
"The late Duke must have been senile. That would explain why he passed away so unceremoniously."
Irel's aides spouted such disgraceful words without hesitation.
Hearing this, Vlad’s supporters erupted in anger.
"You insolent brats!"
"How dare you insult the late Duke!"
"This is exactly why we’ve always warned against letting lowborn nobles into the family, but to no avail, tsk."
"If you value your lives, you’d best keep your mouths shut and put down your weapons."
The two factions were on the brink of clashing.
At that moment, Desdemona, who was prepared to join her master in eternal rest, was about to unleash her mana on those who insulted him.
But someone else acted first.
It was Blata.
Boom!
The atmosphere in the family council chamber grew heavier once again.
"Anyone who insults Kane cannot be allowed to live on this continent."
Thump!
Irel’s aides felt their hearts pound violently.
Their heartbeats grew uncontrollable, faster and faster.
Their faces flushed red.
"Gahhh!"
"Urgh...!"
"Ack!"
It was as if their mana hearts had been cursed.
Mana began hemorrhaging uncontrollably, and they found themselves mana-locked.
Their numerical advantage disappeared in an instant.
And it wasn’t just them.
"How dare you defy Kane’s final wishes? Especially as his kin—you should know better than anyone the weight of such a sin."
Blata descended the steps, his eyes gleaming with fury.
The sheer pressure of his presence caused even the Rehinar bloodline members to break out in a cold sweat.
Many of them hadn’t even been born when Kane and Blata walked together.
They couldn’t have understood just how powerful Blata was.
In a trembling voice, Irel Rehinar muttered,
"So this is the guardian spirit of Rehinar? H-he’s this formidable?"
The blood mana radiating from Blata was far beyond what a mere fifteen-year-old could endure.
Divine mana, demonic mana, blood mana—all the powers combined were embodied in the force Blata exuded.
If he willed it, he could kill everyone present in this chamber.
"All you need to do is follow Kane’s final wishes. Isn’t that right?"
Blata, staring straight ahead, spoke to someone.
Desdemona, who had been standing guard beside the eternally resting Kane, responded.
"That is correct."
Her reply was brief, but everyone in the room was shocked—except for the vampires, who appeared unfazed.
After all, who was Desdemona?
She was Kane Rehinar’s first wife.
Even Charlotte von Fresia, the second wife with royal blood in her veins, addressed Desdemona with respect.
She was second only to Kane in the Rehinar family hierarchy.
And yet, the woman who looked down on everyone except Kane was now speaking in a reserved manner to Blata.
Even more astonishing, her tone carried a hint of pleading.
"The younger generation has neglected their studies of the Rehinar family history. For Kane’s sake, please forgive their rudeness."
"Neglected their studies of the history?"
"Yes. It includes stories about how My master Kane and Vladimir Bu Pavil Legilere once ventured across the continent together."
"And you’re telling me they didn’t bother to study such an important text?"
"It seems the passage of time has made them complacent."
Blata’s fury deepened at her words.
"Complacent? The Rehinar family has grown too fat and comfortable! To neglect something so critical, to push it aside like it doesn’t matter—what ignorance! What arrogance!"
The heavy atmosphere in the chamber shifted dramatically.
It now felt like standing on the edge of a sheer cliff—one misstep would lead straight to hell.
A chilling sensation crept along everyone’s necks.
For the first time, they truly understood what it felt like to be on the brink of death.
"Sir, killing those children won’t solve the root of the problem. Don’t you think we should start with the fundamentals?"
Desdemona’s gaze shifted toward Vlad Rehinar.
"You carry Kane’s blood, but you also carry my own power. How is it possible for you to be so untalented?"
Blata didn’t hold back, openly chastising him.
At that moment, Zero Pervatz mustered his courage to speak up.
"Young Duke Vlad isn’t foolish! He’s just a slow learner!"
Blata’s demeanor softened slightly.
"As expected of Mikhail’s grandson, you know how to defend your master. I’ll let it slide this time."
Even so, Blata’s small, clawed foot expanded momentarily to smack Zero on the head.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
Blata strode to the center of the hall, his tone firm but decisive.
"Vlad Rehinar, follow me. I’ll help you unlock your potential."
"R-Really?"
"Do you think I’m incapable of such a thing?"
"N-no, that’s not what I meant…"
"Fix your tone as well. How long are you going to act so timid? If you’re to inherit the Rehinar name, act accordingly."
"Yes…"
"Hah, it seems fixing your personality will be the hardest part. Desdemona, I’m leaving. Rest well in your eternal slumber."
"Thank you."
After exchanging farewells with Desdemona, Blata vanished with Vlad in tow.
He had one final mission left—to ensure that the seed Kane left behind could, at the very least, protect its own life.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
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