Blood Knight(5)

As Vigeil prepared to lunge at Chreg, Morsan swiftly seized his collar and forcefully pulled him back.

*Woosh*

Startled, Vigeil gasped in astonishment as an arrow grazed his right cheek, narrowly missing him. If Morsan hadn't intervened, he would have met his demise right then and there.

Vigeil's eyes trembled visibly as he contemplated the audacity with which they launched their attack as if it meant nothing.

"They are attempting to assault us!... Prepare to attack... NOW..."

Chreg sneered at Vigeil, who returned his gaze with a seething hatred. Vigeil grew flustered and frustrated by their irrational behavior, realizing that they hadn't come to apprehend them, but rather to eliminate them.

They were determined to keep the truth concealed, and Vigeil had unwittingly provided them with the perfect excuse to attack. Not only had he endangered himself, but he had also entangled the Blood Knight in this difficult situation.

Despite everyone else's refusal to assist him, the Blood Knight had been the sole individual who had tried to aid Vigeil.

Vigeil did not know the Blood Knight's true strength compared to these knights, but he surmised that even the Blood Knight couldn't possibly face all of these knights simultaneously.

Lost in his thoughts during this brief moment, Vigeil felt a reassuring pat on his shoulder. He heard the calm voice of the Blood Knight.

"Vigeil... step back... I can handle this..."

There was no trace of fear or agitation in his demeanor or his words. As Vigeil observed his unwavering confidence, he recalled the unfounded rumors he had heard about how the Blood Knight had single-handedly vanquished a group of skilled assassins at the tender age of eight.

He didn't believe those unreasonable rumors, who could believe something absurd such as a rumor that a small child would kill the assassins all by himself, but now 'Or perhaps is it true?!' he couldn't help but doubt himself.

Without minding about a complicated look on Vigeil's face, Morsan stepped forward. The soldiers who were ready to launch their attack halted their movement for a moment as they watched his confident demeanor.

"*Sigh*, whatever it's perfect anyway. I don't need to spend another day to find you all." All of the surrounding people paused as he clapped his hands soundly with an amused smile.

"I hereby forbid everyone within 500 meters even an inch, including the 15 hooded figures who were hiding in the surroundings. If you move without my permission, I will make you guys regret it for all of your life."

Vigeil cautiously surveyed the surrounding forest, his senses heightened as he learned of the presence of fifteen hooded figures lurking nearby. A shiver ran down his spine, causing him to tremble slightly.

Although he couldn't detect anyone in his vicinity, he observed the twisted expression on Chreg's face as he glanced at Morsan's calm demeanor.

The soldiers gasped in shock when the Blood Knight mentioned the hidden figures. It was unfathomable to Vigeil that these knights had enlisted some unknown hooded individuals to eliminate them.

The more he observed them, the more repulsed he became by their actions. Furthermore, he realized that the Blood Knight possessed enough strength to coerce others into aiding them in this battle.

Chreg, visibly frustrated, looked at the frozen soldiers and shouted, "Do not panic! We have nearly seventy people on our side, whereas he stands alone. Moreover, he has just fought against mountain bandits... now is the opportune moment to attack him and capture the blood devil. ATTACK!" Despite Morsan's stern warning they decided to move from where they were standing to attack him.

"Blood devil? That is a term I am unfamiliar with... Whatever, you all were the ones who chose violence... '[Blood Burst],'"

Morsan playfully muttered as he observed them charging towards him, along with the hooded figures, leaving only a handful of soldiers and six hooded individuals behind.

When he uttered the words "[Blood Burst]," their blood vessels simultaneously burst. Their movements came to a halt.

"W-what is happening?!"

Even Vigeil, who was hiding behind the Blood Knight, couldn't help but feel fear at the bizarre sight before him.

"[Blood Magic - Blood Manipulation]," he muttered once again, causing the blood that had burst from their bodies to float in the air, forming a thick, red thread. In an instant, these threads merged, creating a blood spear that impaled their bodies and pinned them to the ground.

More than fifty people were instantly eliminated, yet miraculously, they all remained alive...

Vigeil saw their pleading cries as they were gruesomely pinned by the spears that were made of their blood. Despite being penetrated at several places on their body they were alive as if Blood Knight purposefully controlled those spears to attack the non-lethal parts of their body.

This was the first time he heard someone could control their spell to this extent, it made him admire and fear Blood Knight at the same time. Even though he wasn't one of these people, he followed Blood Knight's order and didn't move an inch all of this time.

Some hooded figures and soldiers who heeded Morsan's warning were spared without a single scratch on their bodies. They remained frozen in place, just like Vigeil, their eyes filled with deep fear.

A few of the wounded individuals attempted to mutter incantations to cast spells, but their lungs had been so severely damaged that they couldn't produce enough air to pronounce any words.

Even though Morsan hadn't explicitly forbidden the use of magic, the remaining people who were unscratched were too terrified to even attempt it.

"Y-you!! You're a devil!! There's no way... a human could do something like t-this..."

Chreg, one of the survivors, hadn't budged from his spot. He had only given the order for his people to attack Morsan, but he himself hadn't moved.

"YOU ARE THE TRUE DEVIL!!!"

Pointing his trembling hands at Morsan, he shouted.

"Oh~, Devil? me? How amusing.." Morsan approached Chreg with a playful smirk on his face.

"N-no, no... DON'T COME ANY CLOSER..."