Autumn had arrived. Emeraldwood City was no longer scorched by summer’s heat; instead, a bleak chill wind swept through every corner of the city.
Burgan Street No. 13, Somlai’s residence.
The Bloodmark Society wizard was cultivating inside his meditation chamber.
He sat cross-legged upon a bed made of human bones, completely naked, his body covered in crimson markings, brows tightly furrowed.
In an instant, Somlai’s eyes snapped open, his face twisting with savagery. He seized a trembling slave standing beside him.
His right hand, likewise covered in blood-red markings, plunged into the slave’s chest. With a twist, he pulled out the still-hot heart, lifting it above his head as scalding blood poured down, drenching his body.
The scarlet liquid streamed over Somlai’s skin and was absorbed by the bone bed beneath him.
Only after a long while did he calm down, cursing angrily:
“Damn it! Why is it still not enough? Just a little more, just a little more, and I could finally perfect the Bloodmark Enhancement Art!”
The Bloodmark Enhancement Art was the Bloodmark Society’s signature spell, a body-strengthening sorcery.
Its function was to draw out the life essence from powerful beasts or aberrations, refining and fusing it into one’s body.
Somewhat similar to bloodline modification, but different: the Bloodmark technique stripped away negative traits of a bloodline while keeping its benefits, though with slight diminishment.
A proper, orthodox enhancement art has its strength depending on the bloodline used, at best reaching First Rank.
But Somlai had strayed into forbidden paths. His chosen “materials” weren’t monsters or aberrations, but humans who had already undergone bloodline modification.
He discovered that using his kind as material allowed him to discard flaws even more cleanly, while retaining every benefit intact.
Because of this, Somlai had quickly mastered the art to a high degree.
Yet the final step of the Bloodmark Enhancement Art demanded that the caster purge what the markings could not filter out, the inhuman dregs within the bloodline, and restore their spirit to purity. Only then could the art be perfected…
“Fear, hatred, pain…” Somlai muttered to himself, resentment rekindling in his heart.
Suddenly, he rose to his feet, voice hissing through clenched teeth:
“It must be because there are still things vexing me, things unsolved. That’s why I cannot become ‘pure’, that’s why I cannot perfect this art!”
He strode to a corner of the meditation room, where the wall was covered in scribbles. At its center were written countless names and grievances.
“The bed in my room is uneven!”
“Billru Klen glared at me!”
“Mardo Teo dared to run away!”
“Lynn Kent killed Russo!”
All the things that displeased Somlai. Most were already crossed out, leaving only a few untouched.
“The Autumn Hunt…” Somlai ran his fingers over the names, muttering under his breath.
During the Autumn Hunt, all three major societies would mobilize large forces, and every wild wizard in Emeraldwood City would be conscripted.
The city’s defenses would be at their weakest all year, the perfect time for him to deal with the grievances that tainted his heart.
“Shame I still have to wait a while longer.”
Somlai sighed. No “playthings” had come to his door today seeking modification.
After a moment’s thought, he called to the butler outside:
“Prepare the carriage. We’re going to the slave market!”
Minutes later, a black carriage rolled out of the residence.
Inside, Somlai closed his eyes to rest. At a certain crossroads, his subordinate suddenly spoke:
“Master, I think I just saw Mardo Teo.”
Somlai’s eyes flew open, excitement flashing in their depths. Pulling down the window, he looked where the man was pointing.
Sure enough, there was Mardo, hurrying along the roadside.
Somlai’s lips curled into a grin. His voice came out low and cold:
The carriage rolled forward, keeping tight on Mardo’s trail.
As Somlai expected, it wasn’t long before Mardo noticed them.
His face instantly turned frantic. Without a second thought, he broke into a run.
“Run… run… I love it when they run!”
Somlai bared his teeth in a wide grin and leapt out of the carriage, chasing directly after Mardo.
For all that Mardo was only a third-tier apprentice, a mere common carriage could never match his speed.
Somlai fixed his gaze on the man’s frantic back, the cold wind whipping past his ears. His heart thudded violently, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips.
He loved this feeling of the hunt, loved watching prey struggle desperately before him, only to… die in despair!
And so the two of them raced on, one fleeing, the other giving chase.
Mardo kept his face twisted in panic, but inside he was secretly elated.
The very next instant, however, he felt a chill whistle past him from behind.
With a sharp sidestep, he barely avoided a short arrow that tore through the space where he had been a heartbeat before!
Somlai’s chilling voice rang out behind him:
“Slowing down already? Can’t keep running?
“When your wife and daughter died by my hand, you ran faster than this…”
A flicker of fury passed through Mardo’s eyes, but he said nothing, just clenched his teeth and pressed onward.
He knew Somlai’s temperament all too well.
In these twisted games of pursuit, the more he resisted, the more he ran, the more Somlai’s interest was piqued. And so long as Somlai remained entertained, he wouldn’t end things quickly.
With this in mind, Mardo threw everything he had into the flight. He stacked every movement spell he knew upon himself, his body nearly blurring into an afterimage.
Yet Somlai still followed with ease, unhurried, savoring the hunt.
Before long, the chase carried them out of the stone housing district.
Minutes later, they had passed through the wooden dwellings as well.
Every so often, Somlai would close the distance, leaving shallow, taunting wounds on Mardo’s body.
At last, after more than ten minutes, the final ambush site came into Mardo’s view.
But at that very moment, Somlai suddenly surged forward, seizing him in an iron grip. His cold smile widened as he said:
“I can feel your heart pounding wildly… your rhythm faltered for just an instant.
“Mardo…” Somlai turned his head, eyes narrowing at the shacks ahead, his tone like ice. “You deliberately led me here. Is there an ambush waiting?”
Mardo’s expression changed drastically. He hadn’t even managed to draw Somlai into the trap’s range yet.
With a furious shout, Mardo wrenched himself free with every ounce of strength he had!
The skin of his right shoulder tore under the crushing force, leaving behind a bloody flap of flesh in Somlai’s hand. Google seaʀᴄh novel-fire.net
Mardo bolted toward the ambush site.
But behind him, Somlai only stood still, mocking contempt twisting his features. At some point, his body had become shrouded in a defensive spell, Steel Armor, a mid-tier Zero Ring spell.
Suddenly, movement stirred beneath his feet.
Green vines burst from the ground, snaking toward his legs.
Somlai glanced down, stomping with both feet. The vines snapped one after another.
And then suddenly he heard a faint whisper of wind above his head!
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