CH195 - CH196

CH195

Asna gazed at the terrifying scene, feeling a deep fear rising within her. What kind of bloodline power could create such a spectacle?

Helag stood on the tree, observing the four adventurers with curiosity. He hadn't done anything yet, so why was this adventurer so afraid of him?

David and Reese had gone to another area with more adventurers. Helag was alone here to deal with these adventurers.

Cain was already guarding the mountain entrance, ensuring no adventurers could escape. Wizards from Base 27 covered all other directions.

Helag wasn't in a hurry; these adventurers were trapped, doomed.

"Run!" Asna shouted to Sadi and the others. "Run! This man is a monster!"

Seeing her friends frozen, Asna continued yelling.

Helag touched his nose, "Calling someone a monster to their face isn't very polite, miss."

Asna bravely stepped forward, urging her friends, "Go now!"

Sadi realized the black-haired man must be powerful for Asna to react this way. She couldn't leave Asna behind.

Sadi joined Asna, "We can't leave you here alone."

The warrior and cleric also moved closer, protecting Asna.

Their unity had brought them this far.

Asna was touched but felt helpless, her eyes filled with despair, "You must go. This man's bloodline power rivals the gods. We can't defeat him. I'll try to delay him, even for a second."

Her words drew their gaze to Helag.

Rivaling the gods? What kind of evaluation was that?

Sadi felt calm, holding Asna's hand, "If that's the case, why run? We knew this day might come when we became adventurers. Dying with you isn't a bad thing."

"Bloodline power? You can see my bloodline power?" Helag was surprised. This woman could see his bloodline power rivaled the gods.

The Thunder Ancestor's bloodline was indeed of the highest tier.

Helag knew the Ancestor was the ultimate power level, the source of all.

Information on the Ancestor was scarce; Helag found only sparse details.

Comparing gods to the Ancestor was inadequate; gods were beneath the Ancestor.

But Asna didn't know that. To her, gods were the highest power level.

Asna took a deep breath, calming herself.

She couldn't panic!

She had to save Sadi and the others!

Regaining her composure, Asna knew she couldn't give up.

If she despaired, Sadi and the others were doomed.

Asna quickly thought of a solution. Fighting was futile; she needed another way.

"Bloodline power…"

Asna noticed Helag seemed surprised she could see his bloodline power, possibly a point to exploit.

Calmly, Asna said, "Sir, can you let my friends go? I'll stay and answer your questions."

"Do you have room to negotiate?" Helag smiled.

The situation wasn't Asna's to decide. Helag could decide their fate with a thought; Asna had no bargaining power.

Asna's breath nearly stopped, knowing she had no leverage, but she spoke bravely.

"But I don't mind. You stay, they can go," Helag said.

The area was surrounded; these people were doomed.

Except for the spellcaster, the others held no value.

The three were destined to die, whether by his hand or another's.

Helag was more interested in how this spellcaster saw his bloodline.

After making Great Dark Heaven his innate spell, he could sense bloodline strength, but only vaguely.

This spellcaster seemed to see it clearly.

He decided to keep the spellcaster for a chat.

The others didn't matter.

Hearing Helag would spare her friends, Asna said, "Sadi, go now!"

"But…" Sadi hesitated.

Helag disliked time-wasters, "Disappear in three seconds, or die."

"Go!" Asna pushed them.

Tears in her eyes, Sadi hesitated but then ran with the others.

Helag watched them head for the mountain entrance, where Cain awaited.

"Now, tell me how you saw my bloodline power," Helag asked.

Asna took a deep breath, not answering immediately.

Helag knew she was stalling, hoping Sadi and the others would get far.

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in chasing them," Helag said.

Asna realized her ploy was seen through and said, "I have a talent from birth to sense the strength and amount of magic, energy, and bloodline power in others."

"What did you see in my bloodline?" Helag asked.

Asna described the scene she saw in detail, leaving nothing out.

"So that's it. She saw the Thunder Ancestor's bloodline power. An amazing talent, seeing even the Ancestor's bloodline."

Helag thought this spellcaster's ability might also be a bloodline power.

Seeing through the Thunder Ancestor's bloodline was no small feat, possibly hiding more power.

Helag decided not to kill this spellcaster, thinking she might be useful.

He produced a master-servant contract, presenting it to Asna, "This is a master-servant contract. Drop your blood on it."

Asna looked at the contract, her mind racing.

Helag said nothing, but Asna knew refusal meant death.

She had no choice, biting her finger and letting her blood fall onto the contract.

CH196

Helag then added his blood to the master's section of the contract, officially sealing the master-servant agreement.

"What's your name?" Helag asked.

Asna, feeling lost, replied, "Asna."

She was unsure of her future, now bound by the contract, her life in the hands of the black-haired man before her.

"I'm Helag. Wait here for a bit; I'll study your talent issue once we're back."

Helag leaped onto a tree, observing the surroundings and keeping an eye on his bracelet for Parker's next instructions.

The wizards at Base 27 were at least first-level formal wizards, while the strongest adventurers were only third-level wizard apprentices. The power gap was immense.

Base 27 wouldn't have mobilized so much just to eliminate these adventurers if it wasn't necessary. Any single wizard could have easily killed them all.

The issue was ensuring none escaped, as even one escapee posed a threat to Base 27.

Under Parker's plan, the adventurers had no chance of survival. Once they entered the Lim Mountains, if they didn't leave by sunset, they were doomed.

After sunset, no new adventurers would arrive, making it the perfect time to act. They only needed to eliminate all adventurers in the Lim Mountains.

Ordinary adventurers were killed outright; only spellcasters might be spared. The wizard plane's invasion of the elven plane involved learning from the elven plane, not just resource plundering.

Though similar, the spellcasters' power system differed from the wizard plane's, notably in not requiring potions for formal wizard advancement. These differences were valuable for study.

Thus, spellcasters often survived for research purposes.

Asna watched Sadi and the others leave, her face full of worry. She had calmed down, realizing Sadi and the others might be in danger.

Having signed the master-servant contract with Helag, Asna believed she was safe for now.

Asna noticed Helag waiting for something and sensed powerful magical fluctuations around them.

"So many strong spellcasters…" Asna's face turned ashen.

From the magical fluctuations, it was clear many powerful formal spellcasters were in the Lim Mountains.

She didn't know where Helag and his group came from or their affiliation, but it was evident they had important work in the Lim Mountains.

The missing patrol had likely been killed by them, and Helag's group intended to eliminate all adventurers entering the mountains.

Asna guessed her unique talent intrigued Helag, prompting him to spare her temporarily by signing the contract.

But Sadi and the others weren't so lucky.

Why didn't Helag care if they left?

Asna concluded that Sadi and the others couldn't escape; even if they left, they would die.

Helag knew they were doomed, so it didn't matter if they stayed or left.

Realizing this, Asna felt anxious.

She glanced at Helag in the tree and slowly asked, "Master, can you save Sadi and the others?"

"Sadi? Oh, your companions," Helag understood after a moment.

Asna knelt, crying, "Master, please save them!"

Helag smiled, jumping down and crouching beside Asna, lifting her chin to make her look up.

"You must understand, you survived because you have value. Your three companions hold no value for us. They were doomed the moment they entered the mountains."

"My mercy was not killing your friends before you."

"Besides, I can't save them."

When Helag decided to keep Asna, he had no intention of killing Sadi and the others. He planned to study Asna's abilities, and killing her friends would create an insurmountable barrier in her mind, causing him trouble.

He wanted Asna to cooperate willingly, not to harbor revenge.

Sadi and the others were destined to die, whether by his hand or another's.

Helag preferred a compliant servant over one seeking revenge.

Letting Sadi and the others go cost him nothing.

Asna, hearing Helag's words, collapsed, crying helplessly.

Knowing her friends would die and being powerless to help filled her with unprecedented despair.

At that moment, she wished she had died with Sadi and the others rather than live like this.

Helag noticed her emotional turmoil and coldly ordered, "No suicide, self-harm, or any actions that harm yourself."

Asna's hand, holding a dagger, paused as she looked at Helag, tears streaming down her face.

The contract's compulsion made her return the dagger to its sheath.

Asna couldn't die yet; Helag still had use for her.

If she died, his efforts would be wasted.

Regret flooded Asna's heart. She regretted taking the mission, which led to Sadi and the others' deaths.

She also regretted sending Sadi and the others away, thinking they'd be safe, unaware of the powerful spellcasters in the Lim Mountains.

Asna blamed herself as the team leader, feeling responsible for her team.

After ordering Asna not to harm herself, Helag ignored her, focusing on the surroundings.

The magical fluctuations had subsided, indicating the situation was resolved.

Formal wizards easily dealt with knights and wizard apprentices, requiring little effort.

Helag's bracelet glowed blue, and Parker's voice came through, "If everything's settled, clean up the scene and return to the base."