CHAPTER 29: The Blood and the Blade
The sound of blood dripping echoed softly across the broken ground.
Kelvin's vision blurred for a moment as his arms fell to the floor, cut cleanly off at the elbows. His body staggered backward, and his eyes rose slowly to meet the figure standing behind him.
Kora's sword was dripping with his blood. The weapon made a heartbeat sound, then pulsed with a strange light as the blood it had drawn was absorbed into its blade. The bloody glow along the metal spread like veins, alive and hungry.
Kora looked down at him with cold eyes.
"Why are you trying to defend that criminal?" she asked, her voice sharp, her sword already turning to point at him again.
Kelvin looked at his missing arms, then back at her. The blood had stopped flowing almost immediately. His body glowed faintly, and before Kora could even move again, his arms started to reform, muscle and bone twisting and repairing in seconds. When he clenched his fists, the floor cracked beneath him.
Her eyes widened. "How… how did you heal from my attacks?" she asked.
Kelvin didn't answer. He simply studied her, his expression calm but thoughtful. Inside, his thoughts were running fast.
"So this is the level Kora has reached.
I'm impressed by her. A genius. I didn't think she'd already reached this level.
Her growth rate is terrifying. She must have awakened that talent… the one called Auto-Cultivation."
Kelvin knew what it meant. "This ability allowed the user to cultivate energy even while asleep. Their power constantly grew, without effort or rest. And the sword she carried wasn't normal either."
"That sword… it's a unique artifact. One that synchronizes with its wielder's talent. It probably absorbs life energy, refines it, and adapts to attacks automatically. A weapon like that is not just dangerous… it's alive."
Kora's eyes narrowed. "You're not answering my question," she said. "Fine. Then I'll make you talk."
She vanished.
Kelvin felt his heart tighten. He shifted his focus instantly.
[(50%) All Stats –> Perception :-14,388]
[WARNING ‼️ ]
[Perception:- 14,388 (+8,345) ]
His eyes glowed faintly as he searched for her sword presence. But before he could even sense a movement, pain exploded across his body. Cuts appeared everywhere at once. His blood painted the air.
He jumped back, breathing hard, scanning every direction. Nothing. No sound. No trace. No aura.
"Amazing," he thought. "Even with twenty thousand points in Perception, I can't sense her sword. It's not speed. It's something else. A weapon that can erase its own presence, its own existence. That's what makes it so unpredictable."
He gritted his teeth, focusing again.
[(40%) All Stats –> Vitality]
His body glowed. The cuts began to close, flesh reknitting and sealing itself as energy rippled from his heart. But Kora didn't stop. She was already behind him again. Each swing of her sword came faster than before, slicing his back, his shoulders, his sides.
"I've seen you before," she said between strikes. "In the lower dungeons. I don't understand why you'd protect a criminal like her. Don't you know Lyra is a murderer? She kills players for fun!"
Kelvin blocked one of her slashes with his forearm, but the blade bit deep anyway. Sparks scattered around them as it struck his bones.
He narrowed his eyes. If I can't sense her sword… then I shouldn't try to block what I can't see.
He took a deep breath. Then I'll fight head on.
[(70%) All Stats –> Durability]
[WARNING..... WARNING... WARNING.‼️]
[Durability-: 152,105 (+11,632) !!!! ]
A heavy pulse surrounded him. His muscles hardened, his skin glowed with muscle light. Kora slashed again, and this time, the sword barely cut through his flesh. He raised his fists and began to move. His blows weren't elegant. They were raw, heavy, and powerful. Each punch shook the ground. The battlefield became a blur of light and steel.
Kora moved with grace, her steps fluid and precise. Every swing of her sword carried a pattern that changed faster than logic could follow. Each strike was a dance of death, every motion adapting to his defenses. When he blocked, she changed angles. When he dodged, the sword curved mid-swing and struck him anyway.
It looked like something from an anime battle, filled with flashes of color, energy trails, and waves of force that tore the dungeon floor apart. The ground cracked beneath Kelvin's feet. Energy beams burst into the air each time their attacks collided.
Kora lunged, her eyes blazing with focus. Kelvin caught her blade with his bare hand. Blood poured between his fingers, but he held it there, locking eyes with her.
"You really think she's a criminal?" Kelvin asked.
Kora pulled her sword back and pointed it at him again. "That's what the system and news has been saying. She's wanted for killing over a hundred players. The government confirmed it."
Kelvin looked down, then straightened. "The same government that sent soldiers to kill your father?"
Kora froze. The sword trembled slightly in her hand.
"What did you say?" she asked quietly.
Kelvin stepped closer. "I know your father."
Her eyes widened in shock. "What does my father have to do with a murderer like Lyra?"
"Oh, they're connected," Kelvin said. "The same people who told you that Lyra was a killer are the ones who killed your father. The same organization that claimed to protect humanity used both of them. Your father was one of their researchers. They used his work to cultivate awakeners. When he found out what they were really doing, they silenced him."
Kora's lips trembled. "You're lying."
For a moment, silence filled the battlefield. The flames in the distance dimmed. The wind carried the faint cries of other players fighting far away.
Kelvin took a slow breath. "What if I told you that your father is still alive?"
Her entire body froze. Her aura flickered like a dying light. "You're lying, why should I believe what you are saying" she said.
Kelvin shrugged slightly. "I don't have proof right now, and I won't try to convince you. Just be careful. The government isn't what you think it is.And you're not strong enough to face them yet."
She looked down at her sword, then slowly sheathed it. "Then I'll believe you for now," she said. "But if you're wrong…"
Kelvin smiled faintly. "Then you'll get your chance to kill me later."
He walked past her toward Mia and Lyra. Both of them were breathing heavily, covered in dust and blood. He reached into his inventory and brought out two small vials glowing with green light. "Drink this," he said.
Mia took hers without a word. Lyra hesitated for a moment but accepted it too. Their wounds began to close instantly as the healing potion flowed through their veins.
Kora watched in silence, her sword still at her side. "Do you know where my father is?" she asked quietly.
Kelvin didn't look at her. "If I tell you, you'll run straight into your death. You're strong, Kora, but not strong enough for the people who hide behind that system."
Her hands clenched into fists. She looked down, then nodded reluctantly. "Then I'll follow you," she said. "Until I find out the truth."
Lyra lifted her head at that and smirked. "Oh, look at that. Another one joining the great Kelvin's little harem."
Kora turned to her immediately. "What did you just say?"
Lyra grinned wider. "What? You didn't know? You're concubine number three now."
Mia sighed and shook her head. "Lyra, stop provoking people."
Lyra ignored her. "I mean, look at you. So sexy and plumpy. The perfect third concubine for our kelvin-sama."
Kora's aura flared instantly. Her sword half-drew from its sheath. "Say that again and I'll slice your head clean off."
Lyra laughed. "Go ahead. I'm sure Kelvin will heal me."
Kelvin rubbed his forehead, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Both of you, stop. We have bigger problems."
Kora exhaled slowly, forcing her sword back into its sheath. "You'd better keep her quiet," she said under her breath.
Lyra smirked again. "No promises."
Kelvin looked around the ruined dungeon. The fires had died down, but the energy in the air was still unstable. The battle had triggered something deep in the dungeon's core. The ground rumbled faintly under their feet.
He turned toward the exit gate. "We're leaving," he said.
Mia walked beside him quietly, still weak from the battle. Kora followed, glancing between him and Lyra with suspicion and curiosity. Lyra, as usual, walked last, smiling faintly like she knew something the others didn't.
As they approached the portal, Kelvin stopped for a moment and looked back at Kora.
"You should rest," he said. "Next time you draw that sword, make sure you know who your real enemies are."
She frowned slightly but nodded. "And you… don't die before I get my answers."
Kelvin smiled faintly. "I don't plan to."
The portal shimmered open, swallowing the light around them. The four figures stepped through together, disappearing into the glow.
Far above them, the system monitors flickered again. Lines of code rewrote themselves, red warnings flashing across the hidden screens of the alien Admins.
[Player Kelvin has formed a new party]
[Unexpected alliance detected]
[Monitoring Required]
The Admins watched in silence. Their experiment was changing faster than they could control.
When the light faded, Kelvin opened his eyes to see the next floor. A wasteland of crystal and dust stretched ahead of them. Strange structures floated in the air like fragments of broken reality. The wind howled with the cries of monsters that had no faces.
Kelvin tightened his newly purchased gloves and hoodie. "Welcome to Level 17," he said quietly.
Kora looked around, her eyes filled with determination. Lyra was already grinning again, stretching her neck like she was ready for another fight. Mia stayed behind them, watching the horizon carefully.
Kelvin's eyes turned serious. He could feel it again, that heavy presence watching them from far above. The Admins. Always watching. Always waiting.
"They're moving faster now," he thought. The system is changing and I can't underestimate this smart bastards.
He looked at his team, the odd mix of enemies and allies fate had thrown together. For now, they had one goal: survive.
He clenched his fist.
But what he didn't know is that they were not just watching.... No they were planning.