The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

Chapter 41

—

BOOM!

A gigantic roar echoed through the Atlum Mountains.

—

[Warning! You have used an unacquired skill.]

[ Pure-Blooded (UR) has been activated.]

[You have flawlessly executed the unacquired skill Flame Eagle.]

[This is a sub-skill of Flame Extreme Sword Technique.]

[Even without skill registration, you can use it again thanks to the trait Pure-Blooded .]

—

Kane’s sword was shattered into pieces.

The immense power was too much for the sword to handle.

“My clothes got dirty.”

Kane discarded the broken sword.

Then, he brushed off his clothes.

The air was thick with dust.

The enemy could have attacked through the dust.

But Kane didn’t care.

“Hmm. I got excited after seeing the fire eagle.”

Slowly, the dust settled.

The scene that emerged was gruesome.

The nearest sentient was unrecognizable.

Chunks of flesh lay scattered on the ground.

It was impossible to tell who that person was.

The only person still somewhat intact was Eugene.

Even he was far from whole.

His lower body had been torn off.

Even the shoulder that held his sword was gone.

It was a sight too ghastly to behold.

Kane picked up the egg that had fallen next to Eugene.

“This is intact. As expected of a rare pet, it’s extremely sturdy.”

Originally, this rare pet belonged to Dirk Hatzfeld.

In the past, Dirk had taken this pet from him.

But this time, Kane got the egg first.

“How… how did you use flame eagle…?”

Eugene’s eyes trembled violently as he looked at Kane.

Even as he was dying, he couldn’t believe it.

Kane gave him a wide grin.

“It was the swordsmanship that the King of Hatzfeld taught me and Dirk.”

“That’s… absurd… *cough*!”

Blood spurted from Eugene’s mouth.

His eyes were lifeless.

Kane shared an interesting fact with him.

“There’s something even your king doesn’t know.”

“…….”

“The true origin of Hatzfeld lies not in the Red Dragon, but in the majestic Flame Eagle.”

He himself had only recently learned the truth.

The ancestors of Hatzfeld had been deceived by the Meyer family.

They were lured by the claim that the Red Dragon of Pervartz was stronger.

Ultimately, the foolish ancestors coveted and claimed the Red Dragon for themselves.

However, they could not overcome its unique breath.

The Breath of the Red Dragon was a breathing technique suited for the bloodline of Pervartz.

It was not compatible with the Hatzfeld bloodline.

Despite this, Hatzfeld stubbornly clung to the Red Dragon.

They wholeheartedly believed the Meyer family (The family of the Sun/Heaven), who claimed to be agents of the Gods of the Celestial Realm..

“That’s… absurd….”

Eugene died in shock.

With his death, the leader of the first squad of Dark Sentinels was annihilated.

Kane looked down at the egg and muttered.

“The information you gave me, I’ll use it well in this life too.”

In a previous life, this egg had been a monster pet of Dirk’s.

That’s why Kane hadn’t killed it with his own hands.

This was the information he had learned in the process.

Dirk’s pet, the pure-blooded Blood Tiger, played a crucial role in this world.

No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it held a significant position.

It was a spirit beast.

In other words, a demon’s avatar that humans couldn’t tame.

A mutant monster belonging to a vicious species.

—

[???]

Type: Pet

Grade: ?

Description: An egg forcibly taken from the enemy. No one knows what kind of pet will hatch.

*Note – A pet’s personality changes depending on how its owner raises it.

[Status: Confused]

—

There were no unusual details in the status window.

Who would think that the seed of evil would hatch from this egg?

“Dirk may have created a hybrid, but I can raise it properly.”

The only catch was that it required an enormous amount of money.

Raising a pet was a highly costly endeavor.

—

[Time until hatching – 30 days]

[Do you want to hatch ??? immediately? (Y/N)]

[Hatching requires 10 million gold.]

—

Just like now.

The game was full of systems designed to induce spending.

“I’ll hatch it later. For now, I need to take care of the remaining enemies.”

Kane placed the egg in his spatial pocket and leapt off.

* * *

Thunk!

“Urgh.”

A masked man collapsed.

Kane withdrew his sword from the man’s back.

At that moment, blood spurted into the sky like a fountain.

“Ugh…”

The sentinels trembled in fear.

The thick scent of blood emanating from Kane made them realize just how dangerous he was.

—

[Just as I heard… he’s changed too much.]

[What should we do?]

—

Everyone was dead except for two sentinels.

The survivors exchanged glances.

Their mission was to survive and deliver information about Kane to Hatzfeld.

[Let’s split up.]

[Make sure to survive and reveal who he really is!]

They nodded.

All the information they had about Kane was wrong.

He wasn’t a fool.

He was a fucking genius.

Stronger than all the heirs of the Twelve Star Lords of the Continent.

[See you in hell.]

—

The two finished their secret communication and ran in opposite directions.

“Annoying.”

Kane kicked a sword lying on the ground.

The sword sliced through the air.

It embedded itself mercilessly into the back of the fleeing man.

“Ugh!”

The man crashed to the ground.

Kane ignored him.

He surged towards the one fleeing in the opposite direction.

In no time, he caught up and grabbed the sentinel’s head.

Crunch!

He slammed it into the ground.

Brains splattered, soaking the earth.

In an instant, he incapacitated two men.

Then, to ensure they were dead, he drove his sword into their throats and hearts.

“Ugh… devil…”

The remaining sentinel who was barely alive, took his last breath.

Kane was the only one left breathing in this place.

There wasn’t a single person left alive.

“I’ve almost cleared this area.”

Kane was in the northwest region.

He was slowly moving north from the south.

He had eradicated all the Dark Sentinels who had been secretly plotting in this area.

He had already taken down 40 enemies.

It would have been difficult without knowing their positions and numbers.

“I’ve dealt with everyone in the west side. I guess it’s time to return.”

The main disturbance of the first mutated monster wave was in the west territory.

The Blood Tiger had appeared.

Hatzfeld had stationed the sentinels outside of the western territory..

“This amount of blood scent should be enough.”

Mutant monsters go berserk when they smell blood.

If even a single drop of blood fell in the magic field, monsters from the surrounding areas would immediately swarm to it.

But what if there were blood from 40 people?

They’d go mad with frenzy.

—

Kane, having expedited the mutant monsters’ rampage, returned to his family.

He immediately took a bath.

“Moving all day and feeling this fatigued means I’m still not there yet.”

Enduring this much was possible because he had reached the Mid-Tier of 3rd class.

Otherwise, he would have collapsed long ago.

As he closed his eyes to relax, he suddenly thought of the egg.

“Oh, right. You’re here too.”

Kane took the egg out of his spatial pocket.

The bath was filled with steam.

A place where hot and cold auras coexisted.

The egg seemed to like it, twitching once.

—

[Status: Happy]

—

“Even though you’re not awake yet, you already sense your surroundings. You truly are a spirit beast.”

Pets develop their personalities based on how their owners raise them.

This pet system was no different.

If stressed or left in dirty places, their personalities would turn gloomy.

In a bright, clean, and joyful environment, they’d develop a cheerful disposition.

Dirk had kept it in places filled with greed and slaughter.

As a result,

the Blood Tiger had killed someone as soon as it hatched.

“You’ll be smelling quite a lot of blood this time too.”

—

[Status: Craving More]

—

Kane’s anger while killing the Dark Sentinels had been fully conveyed to the egg.

Even in the spatial pocket, the pet which was bonded to Kane, could fully sense his emotions.

“But I won’t turn you into a monster.”

—

[Status: Disappointed]

—

The egg seemed disappointed at not hearing the desired response.

“Instead, I’ll designate targets for you to kill to your heart’s content.”

At Kane’s words, the egg twitched.

—

[Status: Happy Again! Nya Ichi Ni san Nya Arigatoo~]

—

Kane smiled brightly and finished his bath.

* * *

“Brother!”

Sara burst into the room.

“Hmm? What’s with the egg?”

“I happened to acquire it. But what brings you to my room?”

Ever since Kane had taken over the family’s affairs, Sara had been spending her time on her personal training grounds.

“Spar with me.”

“Me, spar with you?”

“Yes. There’s no one else but you.”

“What about the Guardian Knights?”

“They won’t spar with me because if I get hurt, it’s their loss.”

“That makes sense, I suppose.”

Kane scrutinized Sara. A status window opened next to her.

—

[Sara Rehinaar (Lv.20)]

Grade: ★★★☆☆

Age: 18

Role: Eldest Daughter of Rehinaar

Mana Affinity: Water Bond (A) (3 Runes)

Affinity: 60 (Close)

– Basic Abilities –

[Stamina: D]

[Mana: D+]

[Physique: B+]

[Strength: D]

[Agility: D]

Traits: Twin Blade Spirit (B-), Reckless (A+), Swordsmanship Genius (S)

Skills: Breath of the Blue Lake (A), Hundred Twin Sword Techniques (B)

—

‘She advanced a level in such a short time just through training?’

Sara had become a Mid-Tier 3rd class knight.

This was solely the result of her training. Her growth rate was astonishing.

‘She’s truly a monster.’

Born a three-star character and a genius, coupled with her good lineage.

With active support and consistent training, her growth potential was immense.

‘I need to assess her skills.’

“Alright, let’s spar.”

“I won’t go easy on you. Be prepared.”

“I don’t plan on holding back, so give it your all.”

Sara was momentarily stunned by Kane’s words.

It was something she could never have imagined him saying before.

“What are you standing there for? Aren’t we going to spar?”

“Yes… let’s go.”

—

Kane and Sara moved to the training grounds. Sara, though surprised by Kane’s newfound seriousness, was determined to give her best.

“Ready?” Kane asked, positioning himself.

Sara nodded, her eyes filled with determination. She unsheathed her twin swords, their blades gleaming in the sunlight.

Kane readied his sword, feeling the familiar weight in his hand. “Let’s begin.”

Sara launched forward with a swift attack, her twin blades moving in perfect harmony. Kane parried and countered, his movements precise and powerful. The clash of their swords echoed through the training grounds.

Despite her determination, Sara struggled to keep up with Kane’s relentless assault. His skill and experience were evident, but Sara didn’t back down. She fought with all her might, her agility and speed impressive.

Kane noticed her improvement, admiring her dedication and growth. “You’ve gotten better,” he remarked, dodging a particularly fast strike.

Sara grinned, not letting up. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Their spar continued, both pushing their limits. Kane tested Sara’s abilities, challenging her to use all her skills and strategies. Sara responded with everything she had, showing remarkable resilience and adaptability.

Finally, after an intense bout, Kane disarmed Sara, his sword pointing at her chest. Breathing heavily, Sara looked up at him, a mixture of exhaustion and satisfaction in her eyes.

“Well done,” Kane said, lowering his sword. “You’ve improved greatly.”

Sara smiled, wiping sweat from her brow. “Thanks, brother. I’ll get even better.”

Kane nodded, proud of her progress. “I have no doubt you will. Keep training hard.”

With that, they left the training grounds, both feeling a renewed sense of purpose and determination.

Sara followed Kane to the training ground.

“Let’s finish before people gather.”

The Guardian knights were in charge of patrolling the family’s grounds.

Even though the estate was large, it was difficult to escape their notice.

Moreover, if they sparred here, the sharp mana would leak out, and they would quickly catch on.

“I don’t mind. Are you scared of losing?” Sara taunted Kane.

“I’m saying this for your sake, so you won’t be embarrassed.”

Kane calmly responded to Sara’s provocation.

Then he walked to the weapon rack and took out a wooden sword.

Seeing this, Sara exclaimed,

“They say you almost injured Uncle Cedric with a spear. Use a spear.”

“…No.”

“Why not?”

“It’ll be too easy with a spear.”

Kane’s lips curled into a smirk.

Sara’s expression twisted in an instant.

She had fallen right into his provocation.

“I’m going to wipe that smirk off your face.”

“Go ahead and try.”

Sara lost her temper at Kane’s nonchalant attitude.

With a thud, she sprang forward.

Her wooden sword, infused with water mana, sliced through the air.