Inside the castle, chaos reigned as prisoners clashed with the baron's guards. Amid the bedlam, Baron Alistair Mortimer stood resolute, his expression a mixture of fury and ruthlessness.
Alistair wasn't merely a noble—he was a seasoned Arcane Battlemage. His hands moved with practiced precision as he unleashed spells that avoided damaging his precious castle.
An Arcane Shield shimmered around him, effortlessly deflecting the prisoners' attacks. Controlled bursts of fire and ice from his Elemental Burst spell neutralized the most dangerous foes.
The general of his army and other strong members were absent, as Alistair had sent them to recruit soldiers, while some were stationed along the borders of Everhart Barony. The baron was preparing for all-out war.
His remaining soldiers struggled against the relentless onslaught of prisoners, who fought with the desperation of those with nothing left to lose. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novèlfire.net
Realizing the need for swift action, the baron cast Mana Drain on the strongest prisoners, sapping their strength and leaving them vulnerable.
As he continued to fight, Alistair's thoughts turned to the fake Darian—the one responsible for this chaos. His fury deepened as he vowed to uncover his identity and hunt him down.
For now, however, his focus remained on quelling the rebellion within his walls. Some prisoners fought with zealous determination, while others fled as they gained control of the castle's gate mechanisms.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Adrian and his group finally slowed their pace. The urgency of their escape had pushed them hard, but Adrian couldn't help but notice how pale and weak Rosalyn, Eve's mother, appeared.
"Let's rest here for a moment," Adrian said, his voice firm but gentle. "I need to check on Rosalyn's condition."
The group gathered around as Adrian knelt beside Rosalyn, who was resting against a tree, her face deathly pale and her breathing labored. Eve's eyes were filled with worry as she watched her mother struggle.
"She's been sick for a long time," Eve whispered, her voice trembling. "Sophia and I carried her most of the way, but she's so weak… I'm afraid she won't make it."
Adrian's expression grew serious as he activated his Appraisal skill, focusing on Rosalyn. A system window appeared before his eyes, revealing her stats:
Health Points (HP): 3/40
Mana Points (MP): 1/20
Status: Life Force Depletion due to Bloodline Awakening
Adrian's eyes widened as he processed the information.
"Eve, your mother isn’t just sick. She's undergoing a bloodline awakening, but her body is too weak to handle it. Her life force is being drained because she doesn't have enough mana to sustain the process."
Eve's face turned ashen. "A bloodline awakening? But… how? We had no idea…"
Adrian nodded. "It seems the only reason she's still alive is because her body has been absorbing small amounts of mana from the medicines she's been taking. But it's not enough to stop the process. We need to act quickly. Looks like the baron was at least giving her good stuff."
He quickly accessed the system's store, searching for a solution.
A prompt appeared: "Given her current state, you’ll need something gentle but effective. I recommend the Mana Replenishing Elixir (Tier 1). It’s designed for extreme cases like hers."
Adrian frowned. "How many do I need?"
"Six bottles should stabilize her condition. They cost 1,500 Seduction Points each."
Adrian hesitated for a moment, knowing that using 9,000 of his 98,000 Seduction Points would leave him with 89,000, but Rosalyn’s life was more important. "Buy them."
Once the transaction was complete, Adrian administered the first dose to Rosalyn. The potion’s effects were almost immediate; a faint color returned to her cheeks and her breathing steadied.
The system advised, "Continue administering the elixirs. Her body needs a slow and steady intake of mana to stabilize the awakening process."
Adrian followed the instructions, carefully giving Rosalyn one elixir after another. With each dose, her complexion improved. After the sixth bottle, Rosalyn no longer appeared deathly pale; instead, a healthy flush returned to her skin.
Eve knelt beside her mother, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank you, Adrian… Thank you for saving her. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost her."
Adrian smiled warmly and wiped her tears away.
"Eve, you don’t need to thank me. Didn’t I tell you before that you’re my woman? Of course, I’d help you. We’re in this together." He gently kissed her forehead, his touch reassuring.
Sophia nodded approvingly and stepped forward, embracing Eve. "Adrian’s right. We’re family now, Eve. There’s no need for thanks. We’re here for each other."
Rosalyn, still weak but feeling stronger than she had in years, looked up at the group with gratitude in her eyes.
"Thank you… all of you. I never imagined my daughter would find such good people to stand by her side."
As emotions swirled around them, Sophia gently reminded everyone of their situation. "We need to keep moving. The baron’s forces will regroup soon, and we can’t afford to be caught."
Eve, her resolve returning, carefully lifted her mother onto her back. "Let’s go. We still have a long way to the town."
With Rosalyn supported by Eve, the group continued their journey through the forest, staying off the main paths.
Adrian, now low on mana, refrained from using his Disguise skill. Instead, they all donned cloaks from his storage, blending into the shadows as they pressed on toward the town.
Adrian also bought potions to replenish his and his team’s mana and stamina, aiding in both physical and mana recovery.
When they finally reached the outskirts of the town, they found Sophia’s clone waiting with a carriage.
However, their arrival coincided with a commotion nearby—a heated argument that caught their attention.
As Adrian approached, he noticed a woman at the center of the commotion. She had long, black hair that was flowing down her back, though it was matted with dirt. Her clothes were worn and stained, but despite her disheveled appearance, she carried herself with a noble air.
"Is there a problem with my companion?" Adrian asked, his voice stern as he approached, silencing the argument. The crowd turned toward him, the tension momentarily broken.