Capítulo 16: Chapter 15 Blood for Blood
Over a year had passed in the blink of an eye.
Winter came again, as frost in the early morning whitened the earth, and snowflakes fell flurriedly from the high skies.
Nasir was a strange place, where although the weather was fairly mild, it snowed every year, yet there paradoxically existed a subtropical jungle, for which there was still no reasonable explanation.
Two years had passed since the Fischer family moved into the town, and they had since firmly established themselves in Nasir, with many wealthy individuals owing favors to Irene.
Although many acquaintances found Irene's transformation from a fisherman's daughter to an Extraordinary Exponent strange, the healing extraordinary power she possessed had real, astonishing efficacy.
Power fundamentally determined status, not the other way around, and the townspeople of Nasir City tacitly stopped mentioning Irene's original background, referring to her only as a skilled healing spellcaster.
At sixteen, Irene had grown quite a bit taller and her features had matured, delicately structured and complemented by flawless, pale skin, her long black hair that reached her waist fascinated many men.
Wealthy men in the town began to pursue her one after another, but without exception, they were all decisively rejected, as Irene had already decided to dedicate her body and soul to the great Lord of the Lost.
She considered herself a priest of the Lord of the Lost, and even though there was no systematic reference to the teachings or regulations for how to worship the Lord of the Lost, it was common for most clergy members of the Five Great True Gods Churches on the continent to remain unmarried.
Irene's cousin, Byrne, at seventeen, had reluctantly begun wearing the same style of gold-rimmed glasses as Robert, due to his bad habit of staying up late to read.
Byrne and Robert had an extremely good relationship, with Byrne often seeking out Robert to inquire about his experiences in the empire, always expressing amazement and excitement during their exchanges, showing none of the usual nervousness he had around strangers.
Beyond the affairs of the empire, what interested him most were the Five Great True Gods Churches and the gods themselves, as well as the northern Seven Stars Alliance, the only entity on the Ouden Continent that could confront the empire.
More than a year ago, Byrne, after studying the historical event "The Crimson Tide", suggested stockpiling medicines, firmly asserting that the crimson tides would cause mass poisoning among the residents of the East Coast.
Therefore, the Fischer family initially set aside five gold coins to try Byron's idea out, but ended up biting the bullet and accruing debt to stockpile a batch of medicine to alleviate the toxicity.
Indeed, fishermen began to suffer poisonings in succession, and the Fischer family was on the verge of making a fortune.
However, an astonishing scene unfolded when the Tempest Bishop arrived at the East Coast firsthand, lifting waves upon waves before the crowd, proclaiming the name of the storm, and unleashing a tremendous force to disperse the crimson fish tide!
That was an Extraordinary Exponent nearing "Monarch" of Level 3, who changed the natural phenomenon with his own power!
The slapped-faced Byrne suffered from insomnia for several nights in a row, finally realizing that "past knowledge" might not hold true as time progressed.
While the people of the East Coast were cheering and expressing gratitude to the Tempest Church, the Fischer family was on the brink of bankruptcy. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Robert's Taylor family made a fortune in the business of trading a new invention called the "steam engine"!
Not only did the Fischer family instantly clear all their external debts, but they were also left with a surplus of about thirty-five gold coins in wealth.
Lucius moved among the various clans, knight families, and wealthy individuals of Nasir Town, making a wide range of friends, though he had never had the opportunity to meet the Lord Baron who seldom came to town.
That Baron of the Hovern family was a relative of one of the most powerful people on the East Coast, the East Coast Governor and nephew of Earl Hovern, and there were even rumors that he was the illegitimate son of the East Coast Governor.
Thus, although Nasir Town was his territory, Baron Hovern usually stayed in the only city on the East Coast, Fein, only returning once or twice a year, and always with an expression of distaste.
Tonight, the Fischer family was holding another family meeting.
Warmth emanated from the fireplace as the core members of the family gathered in the hall, and on the table was food prepared for sacrifice,
Chris, now two years old, was extremely adorable with his silver hair and big, bright eyes shining like two twinkling stars, as he was brought into the hall by a servant.
"You may leave now."
Irene nodded calmly, and the servant immediately bowed and left.
Seeing the servant who took care of him leave, little Chris turned and looked back unwillingly for a while, then indifferently sat down to play with his fingers quietly, not saying a word.
Lucius furrowed his brows, muttering as he stroked his chin:
"Byrne, what do you think is wrong with Chris, not speaking at the age of two? Could there be a problem with his ears?"
Over two years, little Chris had grown more and more but had never been heard speaking, and he rarely even babbled.
It was relieving, yet it made all three family members somewhat uneasy.
Byrne adjusted his glasses and shook his head, "I'm not clear about Chris's condition either, this sort of thing needs a professional physician to examine."
Irene crouched beside Chris, silently praying in her heart to the great Lord of the Lost.
Great Lord of the Lost, I hope you can protect Chris and let him grow up well.
Just like I once said, I'm willing to pay any price to let Chris grow up well.
Unlike others, her heart was very calm.
With the Lord's protection, even if her brother really had some congenital disease, it could be cured; there was no need to worry at all.
——
As the darkness of night descended, a group of jungle natives, clad in beast skins and black facial markings, looked solemnly at Nasir Town amidst the snowy landscape outside.
This place should have been their homeland.
A hundred years ago, the Cyart people invaded the land of the East Coast people, killed the bravest warriors, took women and children as slaves, and drove those who had lived here for generations after generations into a jungle full of dangers, and afterward even called the East Coast people so-called savages.
Probably even all the evil and wickedness of the demons in the world combined does not amount to the slightest of the sins of the Cyart people!
All Cyart people deserve to die!
In front of the numerous jungle natives stood a burly middle-aged priest with scars all over his face, whose determination and belief in his eyes inspired genuine respect from others.
He was not just a spellcaster who mastered "Blood Magic," but also a mighty warrior who inherited the "Shadow Shark Tiger" bloodline.
Ordinary Level 1, which is to say "Beginning" level Extraordinary Exponents, were no match for him; only those of the higher "Transmutation" level could firmly suppress him.
"Revenge, is the will of the Lord of Bloody Cult! It is also the longstanding wish of our East Coast people!"
The derogatory term Mighty Bloody Demon had been sternly abolished by the middle-aged priest; now, the East Coast people call that mysterious entity the Lord of Bloody Cult, and only the power of the Lord of Bloody Cult could help them defeat the Cyart people and take back their land and dignity.
He continued to speak:
"Our civil war was instigated by the Cyart people, all the deaths were brought about by the Cyart people's schemes, and now we will make all the deceitful and incapable Cyart people repay everything!"
Whether the civil war was really sparked by the Cyart people was impossible to know for sure, but the middle-aged priest knew that such a statement was the only way to end the infighting.
The middle-aged priest's gaze was extremely solemn; in the more than a year of civil war, the East Coast people had suffered heavy casualties, and now the surviving East Coast people must do something to boost morale.
And once he did this thing, he would greatly enhance his prestige and have a chance to subdue a few priests who did not obey orders, and finally unify all the remaining East Coast people completely.
"Blood for blood!" he roared sincerely.
"Blood for blood!"
The jungle natives shouted angrily in unison, each person's eyes filled with fury and hatred, the oppression of a century practically suffocating every East Coast person.
"Tomorrow night, we shall avenge a priest who died at the hands of Cyart people!"
"Fischer, an obscure Cyart family that by chance produced a seed capable of continuing to breed sin. Among them, someone gained extraordinary power and fortuitously caused the death of a respected old priest."
At this point, the voice of the middle-aged priest instantly grew heavy, and the expressions of the jungle natives also became extremely sorrowful, respecting the old priest's compassionate heart from the depths of their beings.
"I believe many of us have received his beneficence, with children being healed of diseases by the hands of that priest, and the elderly being relieved of pain. Now, it is time for us to claim justice for him through revenge!"
"Blood for blood!"
He spoke solemnly once again, and the numerous East Coast people clad in beast skins immediately responded with hearts filled with anger.
"Blood for blood!"
Capítulo 17: Chapter 16 Night Raid
"Enar, you take this spear to the Fischer family."
In the blacksmith shop, Old Ramon instructed his apprentice to deliver a spear that had just been forged to the Fischers in South City.
The Fischer family and the blacksmith shop had cooperated well over the past two years, with all forging needs being taken care of by Old Ramon's establishment.
Ramon's son, Hugh, a middle-aged man standing nearly one meter ninety with a body of robust muscle, paused and, after a moment of silence, said,
"Father, have you forgotten? Enar actually left us a few days ago. He said he was going to work in the factories in Fein City."
Old Ramon's brows furrowed deeply; his oldest apprentice, Enar, had been with him for over a dozen years, and he hadn't yet grown accustomed to his absence.
"That place they call a factory is just preposterous, bringing together people from all different places to work—won't that just be chaos?"
Hugh remained non-committal, the so-called factory indeed being a novel concept, said to have originated from the Empire.
But everyone felt that the factory model wouldn't last, because for thousands of years no one had done such a thing; the traditional family-based system would surely continue eternally.
Suddenly, Old Ramon caught sight of the plump town chief hurrying down the street with a dozen servants in tow.
What was that greedy and corrupt fellow up to, strutting through the town with so many attendants?
Old Ramon viscerally loathed the thought; the town chief had exploited every powerless household in town, and they had been no exception.
Ever since the blacksmith shop's relationship with the Fischer family grew closer, the town chief no longer troubled them, acting as if he had never taken money from the blacksmith shop.
The town chief made his way to the jungle outside of Nasir Town, his servants looking nervously at the natives emerging from the dense underbrush, especially wary and fearful of the burly middle-aged priest.
The middle-aged priest waved him over, and without hesitation, the town chief followed, anger spreading across his face.
In a low voice, he said, "I've already provided the children for this year, and you promised you wouldn't do anything more. So why are you calling for me now?"
The annual sacrifice had been a pressing burden for years, and though the town chief knew it was to protect Nasir, he also understood that the ignorant townsfolk would never comprehend his actions.
The middle-aged priest's eyes were cold, his words cutting like a blade.
"Have you forgotten the promise you broke two years ago?"
The town chief shuddered; indeed, the two children of the Fischer family were still brazenly alive in Nasir, and the older girl, Irene, had even come of age.
Furthermore, the Blood Cult's old priest who had come to perform the ceremony back then had disappeared.
The lives and souls of the siblings had been the very subject of their agreement.
The town chief had been anxious about this matter until recently, when he finally felt at ease, assuming the jungle natives, embroiled in their internal strife, would no longer dwell on the past.
The middle-aged priest, his face marred by scars, said, "Blood can only be avenged with blood. We people of the East Coast have always been principled in our actions."
"I'll give you a chance to make amends. Remove the patrol from the town tomorrow night."
The town chief's pupils shrank instantly, and he asked with a tremor, "What exactly are you planning to do?"
The middle-aged priest assured him with an icy tone, as if speaking of slaughtering livestock, "Our revenge is aimed only at the Fischer family."
The town chief still questioned, "Are you truly certain that it was the Fischers who killed the old priest?"
The middle-aged priest nodded once, answering with detached coldness, "Without a doubt, for it is the answer given by the Blood Lord himself, and you should know that not long after that night, the girl of the Fischer family became an Extraordinary Exponent."
The town chief bowed his head, hesitating for a long time before responding.
Many towns and villages around the East Coast had been pillaged by the jungle natives, but Nasir had not been targeted for over a decade, and those above thought it was due to the town chief's excellent governance.
Only he knew of the filthy deal behind it all, aware that more and more of his vulnerabilities were held in the natives' hands, leaving him powerless to refuse.
"Alright, I agree to your terms," said the town chief, like air escaping from a deflated balloon, sighing repeatedly.
"The negotiation was successful."
The middle-aged priest spoke with a chilling voice, deeply disgusted by the town chief who betrayed his own people, wishing he could spit on the fat fool's face and pull out every despicable bone in his body.
Thankfully, he's not my kin.
Suddenly, the town chief spoke again, in a manner that was exceedingly serious, "When you plunder the town, could you share some of the spoils with me?"
---
In the courtyard of the Fischer family, Lucius nodded at ten well-armed guards; they had become quite adept at their basic cooperative maneuvers.
He had equipped each of the family guards with a spear and breastplate, long weapons offering inherent advantages over short-handled ones and more easily mastered.
Byrne adjusted his glasses and donned many layers of clothes before he dared to step from the house into the courtyard, even after seizing the Power of Consecution, his physique was barely on par with an ordinary person.
"Father, why are we recruiting new guards again this month?"
Ever since the jungle natives' unrest was confirmed a year ago, the Fischer family had reduced their number of guards down to five, improving their financial situation considerably.
But now Lucius had once again recruited five veterans, and the burden of paying their salaries had increased once more.
"It's because those jungle natives might appear again, so we must take precautions in advance."
Lucius replied calmly, but Byrne couldn't understand, because for two whole years, those jungle natives had only made one appearance in Nasir Town, and his father had easily dealt with them; moreover, that was all over a year ago.
"Father, do we really need to bear this extra expense?"
Lucius shook his head, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "Byrne, you just don't understand. There's no chance for regret if something goes wrong."
Byrne sighed, saying, "Then it will be a long wait again before we can purchase Class 2 Extraordinary Material."
Lucius looked silently at his own hands. Now, the 1st Rank Magic Potion had been fully assimilated.
As long as he got enough Extraordinary materials to reach the second stage of Spirituality, he could ask the Lord of the Lost for even stronger power.
By then, his foundational strength would be on par with that of the traditional Extraordinary Exponents at the high-level Beginning, unquestionably a very important goal.
The family's resources were never enough. The choice between short-term investment and long-term investment was always difficult.
He still asserted firmly, "Our Fischer family is far from strong enough. Caution and secrecy are the most important principles."
"Byrne, your problem is that you always look too far ahead, but often overlook the immediate crises."
"Alright, alright, stop. I understand."
Byrne didn't think of arguing with his father anymore, but instead returned to his room and took out a thick black-leather book from his bookcase.
Written on the black-leather book was information about the True Gods Church of the Ouden Continent.
The Five Great True Gods Churches, which are the Salvation Church, Sun Church, World Order Church, Tempest Church, and Silver Moon Church, have been inherited for thousands of years and are an undeniable powerful force on the Ouden Continent.
Byrne mumbled to himself, "Doctrine, scriptures, positions, if we really want to establish a religious group, there's so much we'll need to learn."
Both his father and Irene had lamented the lack of trustworthy and capable people in the Fischer family.
They had also thought about what to do if they had surplus blessings to deal with later on.
Byrne vaguely felt that maybe they could emulate the jungle natives' Blood Cult, establishing a secret religious group that worshipped the Lord of the Lost.
But how to ensure the loyalty of the faithful and how to avoid detection by the True Gods Church? What specific rules and regulations should be? He found the complexity headache-inducing just thinking about it.
Whether it was Irene or Lucius, reading would make them doze off, but the more Byrne read, the more energized he became, not wanting to sleep late into the night.
"I still have too few books. I've read many over several times. Sigh, and that ability that greatly improves my memory is, in some ways, an annoying curse."
Byrne had heard that the Emperor of the Empire had collected a vast number of books to establish a place called "library," exclusively for the empire's nobles and senior citizens to read, and he was determined to visit the empire in his lifetime to see it for himself.
Suddenly, he felt an idea arising from the depths of his heart.
As if his body had plunged into the depths of the ocean, an almost suffocating sense of oppression made Byrne instinctively stand up, unable to stop shivering all over!
It was a warning from the Lord of the Lost!
Some terrible danger was approaching!
---
Karl's consciousness, with a god-like perspective, overlooked the town, detecting dozens of people sneaking towards the Fischer family's direction.
Zooming in, he immediately noticed that these people disguised as merchants all had black facial markings, evidently jungle natives who worship the Mighty Bloody Demon!
So many jungle natives sneaking into the town at night was an incredible event, and Karl quickly realized that there were no signs of any patrol teams in the town.
Something was wrong. It seemed there was a traitor in Nasir Town who had meddled, and the person capable of relocating the town's patrol meant that the traitor's position must be quite high.
While thinking, Karl quickly sent a warning to the people of the Fischer family.
Lucius awoke from his sleep, his agile body shooting out of bed to quickly grab a white whistle from beside his pillow and blew it fiercely!
"Whoo!!!!"
The piercing whistle sliced the air, echoing through the streets!
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