Monster Integration

“Take this!” he shouted and came at me with his whole body covered in the thick bloody energy.

I am not looking at the energy, but at its sword, which had red runes appearing on it, with each one filled with so much power that it scared the shit out of me.

Seeing, I harnessed every bit of my power; squeezed every speck from my cells, and poured it into my veins and them to my sword.

I had been hiding some of my power and I hope, it will be enough to defend against this mighty attack. 

Which would be the strongest I had ever faced in my life.

He appeared in front of me in an instant and launched the attack, while my sword, which was already defensive, move, according to it.

It might be a mercy duel, but I didn’t want him anywhere close to me. I need to defend his attack with my sword.

He is very skilled and moves his saber skillfully to avoid my sword, but I moved my sword according to it. Foiling every attempt, till our weapons were less than an inch away from each other.

CLANNNNNG!

His saber clashed against my sword, and I felt like the bloody tsunami had clashed against me.

It is not just a saber that attacked, but also the blood-red energy. Which seemed to be very good at infiltrating. Till now, the inheritance energy didn’t show such an ability.

The inheritance energy may have shown the surprised trait, but my armor dealt with it.

It is his saber that is more troublesome. Even after the attack, it wants to come at me.

I stopped his attack and reduced his saber’s momentum enough to end the attack, before started to take the steps back rapidly and only stopped after taking the twenty-two steps.

As I stopped, I wiped away the blood leaking from the corner of my lips and turned to him.

He is also looking at me.

“A host of celestial inheritance. Interesting,” he said, with a smile on his face.

I wanted to curse the bastard. I didn’t like when people revealed my secrets. He had deduced it in less than ten minutes to fight.

“So, tell what is your actual level?” he asked again and this time, I glared at the bastard, which only intensified the smile on his face.

“We have finished your stupid duel and I hope you will follow the runes,” I said, and he smiled.

“I am a scion of blood; I do not break the set by it. Though I have a gift for you and hope you accept it,” he said.

Hearing half a sentence, I felt relieved, but when I heard the other half, I didn’t get a good feeling.

I was right a moment later. A blood-red mark appeared; it is floating above his hand.

“Please, I don’t want to be hounded by you bastards,” I begged, but he just smiled. 

“It is an honor to have the mark of blood; it means we respect your strength,” he said. “You respect me, by hounding me?” I asked, back angrily while making the preparations.

“Hounding is such a bad word. It is more like testing. We are testing you and ourselves, to become better,” he replied and send the blood-red mark at me.

I planned to dodge, but seeing it had appeared in front of me in an instant; I didn’t and instead focused on other defenses.

Hun!

The mark struck me and, to my shock, passed through every defense I had created. Including one of the forbidden powers, it is the only one it broke on its way to my core.

I looked at my core and hope it will destroy it.

Till now, my core had repelled and destroyed everything that came at it, and I hope, the same thing would happen with it.

Hun!

I was thinking that when I saw my core, is not doing anything and the mark stuck it, before becoming a tiny blood-red dot on it, like a star.

It shocked me. It is the first time my core had let something enter inside it, without the intention of destroying it.

I was in my shock when the dog released the single and, to my surprise, I could read it. It is sending out my location and power level, which is a Sovereign.

Which surprised me and what is even more surprising. That is, it is only stating the Sovereign and not the exact level of power I am projecting.

I am thankful for it and double thankful for my core for hiding my actual level.

“Excellent protection. Even the mark is not able to tell your exact level,” said Aranor in clear surprise.

“Fuck you!” I cursed to which he just smiles.

I am really angry at this bastard. He had created more trouble for me than I like. I just hope these pests wouldn’t be as bad as Magnus had described them.

“I hope you will not be defeated by others before we fight again,” he said. 

“Go to hell!” I cursed, but there was no change in his face, instead, he waved at me and walked away.

I glared before making my own way and thankfully, nobody had stopped me. At least the duel had to help me scare away the rats.

Which is good, because I don’t want to deal with rats, with the injuries I have.

I may look like I have taken the last attack well. It is not the case; it injured me heavily and I am still healing.

I moved quickly through the way Nero had scouted yesterday.

I didn’t move to the exit immediately, instead, I looked around the garden and harvested some resources.

I didn’t forget there is an Earth Sovereign at the gate, and I didn’t want to do anything that will draw his suspicion.

After a few hours, I sat down and closed my eyes. 

I appeared at my core and looked at the new addition to my core. 

The second corrupted lake on which two Black Centurial Lotuses are floating; each of the lotus has one of my clones sitting, with books in their hands.

My clones are part of my soul, and since they are sitting on it. They are sending the power; the lotuses radiate into my soul.

The effects are faint, but they will be extremely strong in the long run. Especially in my core, where time runs three times faster.

Yes, I have two black centurion lotuses; one harvested by me, the other harvested by Nero, along with the whole corrupted lake.

Thanks for the bottle that Magnus had given me when he gave me the melyg water last time.

These lotuses are going to be very useful for me. It is a regret that these lotuses have only one plantable seed in every cycle.

The rest of the seeds are infertile. 

I have already harvested two plantable seeds from these lotuses and thrown them into the corrupted lake.

These Lotuses are Earth Sovereign level. I am in need of a Sovereign black centurion lotus, and I really hope I find some bloodline Grimms before I reach the exit.