CA – Chapter 50
Chapter 50
In a sparsely populated town in the Shas Principality, the wide streets were patrolled only by ghastly white skeletons walking back and forth. The houses on both sides were shut tight, dark and devoid of any light.
A patrolling skeleton walked into a desolate manor. Under its feet was withered yellow grass, and the faint smell of blood permeated the air.
A lion-man lying on the grass gnawed on a bloody arm. It glanced up at the skeleton, then flicked its tail, shattering the skeleton and scattering its bones across the ground.
A grayish-white shadow suddenly leaped down from a bare tree. It was half-man, half-beast. It looked up at the moon in the sky and let out a wolf’s howl.
The feeding lion-man was disturbed. It glared angrily at the grayish-white monster, lowered its body, and launched an attack.
The lion-man and the monster became entangled in a fight. The roars of the lion and the howls of the wolf broke the silence of the night. The skeleton that had just been shattered by the lion-man’s tail was enveloped in a black mist and reassembled itself. Green light flickered in its eye sockets, and with two swings of its sharp, bony hands, it lopped off the heads of both the lion-man and the monster.
The skeleton, now stained red with blood, took a step back, straightened up, and stared blankly in the direction behind it.
Two figures, one red and one white, emerged from the darkness. The person in front was rather petite, dressed in a wide red robe the color of rich blood. In the bright moonlight, one could see she had a pair of gray eyes. The corners of her mouth were turned up, and her gaze held a trace of sinister evil.
A step behind her was a person with long, snow-white hair cascading down her back. Her sky-blue eyes were frozen over, her gaze piercingly cold. She was tall, and the long fingers of the hands hanging at her sides ended in sharp nails.
The two entered the house guarded by the lion-man, one after the other. They walked down a long, dark corridor to the entrance of the dungeon. A giant over three meters tall saw Glanna and walked over joyfully, happily shouting, “Great Master.”
Glanna’s lips curled. She reached out and patted the giant’s large head as he leaned in, signaling for him to open the door.
The “people” locked inside the dungeon were restless due to the full moon. Hearing the sound of the door, they all turned to look. There were grayish-white monsters and tall, handsome men. When their beast-like eyes fell upon the white-haired werewolf behind Glanna, they flinched in fear, lowered their heads, and their legs went weak, causing them to kneel directly on the ground.
Glanna let out a sound of amazement. Looking at the werewolf beside her, she smiled meaningfully. “The werewolf bloodline is truly interesting.”
Perhaps only the werewolf bloodline still possessed such a strict hierarchy.
Submission to the pressure of the royal bloodline was engraved deep within their very being.
The white-haired werewolf looked at her indifferently. Glanna shrugged and continued deeper into the dungeon, stopping only when she reached the innermost room.
She glanced inside through the window on the door and nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad. These two werewolves are quite young.”
Locked in the room were the captured Eva and Jillian. Because of the full moon, both had transformed into werewolves and were leaning against each other, resting.
The white-haired werewolf glanced inside, then raised her hand and seized Glanna by the neck. With a slight squeeze of her thumb and forefinger, Glanna’s neck snapped with a crack. She frowned and threw the body aside. A red figure appeared to her right, and Glanna looked at her with a smile, coaxing softly, “Ophelia, don’t be so angry.”
The corpse on the ground had turned into a scarecrow.
Ophelia looked at her coldly and said with displeasure, “I told you not to lay a hand on werewolves.”
“But these wastes are so inefficient.” Glanna kicked a man kneeling on the ground, her tone helpless. “When will you give me a great werewolf army?”
She rubbed her chin and added, “A werewolf army with normal intelligence that can transform.”
“You’re dreaming,” Ophelia said coldly. “The reproduction rate of werewolves is even lower than that of ordinary women. It’s useless even if you capture all the werewolves.”
Glanna took out an oval, greenish-blue fruit from her sleeve and dangled it in front of Ophelia, smiling. “What if we have this?”
The moment the greenish-blue fruit was brought out, its fresh fragrance filled the corridor, purifying the murky air. A light sniff of the scent was refreshing and delightful.
Ophelia frowned slightly, reached out, and snatched the fruit. After examining it for a few moments, she asked, “How do you have this?”
Glanna smiled. “That’s not important.”
“What’s important is that this can increase the reproduction rate.”
As Glanna spoke, she reached for the fruit in Ophelia’s hand, but she grabbed at empty air. The smile on her lips faltered for a moment, and her gray eyes darkened.
Ophelia put the fruit away and said expressionlessly, “I said, do not lay a hand on werewolves.”
Glanna was silent for a moment before her expression softened. She said gently, “I just wanted to try.” Seeing Ophelia unmoved, she pondered for a moment and said, “Don’t you want the resurrection array?”
She met Ophelia’s gaze and said with a smile, “My daughter is exceptionally talented in witchcraft. She can definitely figure out the resurrection array.”
She wanted to threaten Ophelia with what she cared about most.
“That was the condition we agreed upon from the beginning.” Ophelia remained unmoved, her voice icy. “If you cannot fulfill it, I will slaughter the entire Anderson family.”
She turned around coldly and strode away.
Glanna watched her retreating back, her expression shifting several times. Finally, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, but there was no trace of a smile, only a sinister air. “Werewolves…”
She made a gesture to the man on the ground. The man scrambled up, walked to a nearby room, and opened the door. Seven or eight tall, sturdy men turned to look at the doorway, their eyes crimson.
The man nodded at them, then, following Glanna’s orders, opened the door to Eva and Jillian’s room. The male werewolves, agitated by the full moon, burst into the room, their crimson eyes fixed on the two women sitting in the corner.
The small room was filled by these men. The door behind them clicked shut, and the sound of heavy panting ignited the temperature in the room.
Eva opened her eyes, a fierce glint flashing within them. She stood up, rubbing her wrists, her tail sweeping back and forth irritably. “Good, very good.”
“You’re all getting bolder and bolder.” Eva took a step forward, and the sheer force of her presence made the male werewolves retreat involuntarily. “If the Clan Leader finds out, she’ll tear your entire village to shreds.”
The locked door behind them reminded the male werewolves of their current situation. The restlessness in their hearts began to stir again. Within the Wolf Race, not everyone had the opportunity to mate and reproduce with werewolves like Eva.
Only the most outstanding males were chosen. The likes of them could only reproduce with ordinary werewolf women.
Although they had werewolf blood in their veins, their lifespans were as short as ordinary humans. Only by passing on their bloodline did they have a chance to share in the long life of a werewolf.
This was an opportunity. The male werewolves’ breathing grew heavier. Mating with werewolves like Eva and Jillian was their only chance to pass on their bloodline.
The man closest to Eva suddenly lunged at her, followed by a second, and a third… With a cold snort, the dull thud of fists hitting flesh echoed, and a series of miserable screams reached the outside, causing Glanna’s expression to darken.
After beating the men to the ground, Eva angrily snapped their necks one by one. Kicking the dead bodies aside, she sat back down next to Jillian and said dejectedly, “When are we going to get out of here?”
Jillian opened her eyes and glanced at her, then put an arm around her shoulder and patted it comfortingly. As she glanced at the corpses on the floor, a cold light flashed in her eyes.
Whether in the Shas Principality or the Bill Empire, the full moon night passed at an excruciatingly slow pace for Eva, Jillian, and Tang Qiu.
The passing of the full moon night meant she had survived another danger. There was a whole month until the next one, which was a perfect opportunity to consider how to rescue Erin.
They were still a long way from the Shas Principality. At their current pace, not only was it uncertain if they could make it before the next full moon, but Tang Qiu also seriously doubted if Erin could hold on that long.
Her life might not be in danger, but mental torment could also make a person break down.
Erin must despise the Black Witches who captured her; otherwise, she wouldn’t have sought help from so far away.
Just as Tang Qiu was pondering how to temporarily break away from the Holy See’s procession, Monica, who had been enduring for days and was now extremely irritable, unexpectedly created an opportunity for her.
In the small garden of the manor, Reese was enjoying afternoon tea in the sunlight. The faint fragrance of flowers wafted through the air, a scent so refreshing it could lift anyone’s spirits.
Tang Qiu had initially come to the garden just to ask Reese about their departure time. But seeing her so relaxed and content, she sighed a few times and decided to sit down and pour herself a cup of rose tea as well.
Reese looked at the blonde priest sitting opposite her, a smile playing on her lips as she teased, “Aren’t you afraid Monica will see you?”
The aroma of the rose tea made Tang Qiu’s lips curl up. She caressed the warm cup, her features soft and her eyes deep. Perhaps because her back was to the light, her gaze even seemed somewhat affectionate. She said with a smile, “I’m not afraid.”
In Monica’s eyes, Reese was the one with ill intentions anyway.
Reese raised an eyebrow, feeling that the smile on Tang Qiu’s lips was rather meaningful. She shook her head with a light laugh, picked up a beautiful rose from the table, and was about to hand it to Tang Qiu to add a few more petals to her cup when Monica stormed over and slapped the rose out of her hand.
“Stay away from her,” Monica said icily to Reese. She pulled Tang Qiu up and shielded her, looking directly at Reese. “I have something to say to you.”
Reese rubbed the back of her hand where she’d been hit. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she tilted her head to look at Tang Qiu, who was being protected by Monica. The blonde priest was sipping her tea as if nothing had happened.
Reese shifted her gaze back to Monica. “…What is it?”
Monica said expressionlessly, “We will split up to escort the Light Believers to the Central Church.”
Her patience with Reese’s delays had truly reached its limit.
Her words made Tang Qiu, who was leisurely drinking tea behind her, pause. Her eyes flickered, and she lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
Reese crossed her hands on the table and said with a smile, “Split up?”
“Grace and I will escort the believers from the Bill Church back to the Central Church. You will go to other countries to continue selecting believers.”
“Oh?” Reese’s lips curled. She said softly, “That sounds pretty good.”
Her lack of an immediate refusal caused Monica’s expression to soften slightly. Just as she was about to say more, Tang Qiu, from behind her, spoke first. “Why don’t we split into three groups?”
She mused, “There are too many countries on the continent with churches. It’s too time-consuming for Archbishop Reese to select believers alone. Priest Monica could be responsible for one route as well.”
“And I will continue along this path, escorting the believers to the Central Church.”
With three separate routes, and without Monica and Reese around, there would be much more she could do.
Monica was a little hesitant, but Reese glanced at Tang Qiu with a playful glint in her eyes. Tang Qiu frowned imperceptibly, thinking Reese was about to cause trouble again, but then Reese nodded nonchalantly. “Alright.”
Tang Qiu looked at her, not feeling relieved by her agreement, and waited quietly for what she would say next.
However, Reese simply lifted her cup, took a sip, and seemed to have no intention of speaking further.
Reese actually hadn’t caused any trouble. Tang Qiu was a little surprised, but she showed none of it on her face. She placed her cup on the table, and the crisp sound broke Monica’s reverie. Monica frowned and said in a deep voice, “I will have someone inform you which countries I will be responsible for.”
Without waiting for Reese’s response, she turned and left. Tang Qiu glanced at Monica’s back but didn’t follow immediately. Instead, she raised her cup in a gesture to Reese and said gently, “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Reese looked at her with a playful expression, teasing, “You’re welcome. I wish you a safe journey.”
Her expression was as if she had already seen through Tang Qiu’s ulterior motives. Tang Qiu smiled, nodded calmly, and replied, “I wish Archbishop Reese a safe journey as well.”
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