Return of the Mythic Bloodline

Chapter 443 443: To save her

"Y-your Highness, you need immediate treatment," Barbatos said, stepping closer to Taranis.

He moved his hand toward Taranis to take him away.

"S-stay... b...back, Bar...bat...os," Taranis muttered through clenched teeth, the blade he held with his jaw turning molten gold. "I... I must fight."

Barbatos's hand halted mid-motion, his eyes widening in shock. The sheer determination in Taranis's eyes, the aura surrounding him that refused to yield, and the will to fight within his broken body was something Barbatos had never witnessed before.

Whether it was hatred toward the empire or his stubborn desire to save Nymeria, Taranis had earned absolute respect from Barbatos, who had never shown respect to anyone except Voltrex.

"Then let me at least hold those two back until you deal with these soldiers," Barbatos said, pointing at Kharos and Hector, who also had their weapons drawn.

Now that Hector had ambushed Taranis, Kharos knew the slim chance he had to stop the massacre of his army was completely gone.

Taranis did not refuse Barbatos's offer. He turned toward the army that was about to unleash their attack upon him, while Barbatos flew into the air, moving toward Kharos and Hector.

Both of Taranis's arms were gone, multiple fractures ran across his entire body, his skin had turned pale from the amount of blood he had lost, and his Soulforce reserves were nearing depletion. Yet he hurled himself into the enemy soldiers without an ounce of fear in his eyes.

Bolts of golden lightning flickered through the soldiers as he began clashing his sword against them at blinding speed.

Without arms to defend himself, he suffered more and more deep wounds.

He was stabbed from the back.

He stood up and fought.

He was struck on the head by a hammer.

He stood up and fought.

His teeth broke and his jaw bled from the collisions of his sword against the powerful strikes of multiple enemies.

Yet again, he stood up and fought.

Each time he rose to his feet, he fought more desperately, killing more soldiers than before and spreading fear through the remaining ones.

After every death, the ominous voices in his head intensified. The feeling of pain grew numb.

"Alert! The Corruption of Death has reached 94%"

"Alert! The Corruption of Death has reached 95%"

"Alert! The Corruption of Death has reached 96%"

Taranis's eyes blackened, multiple cracks appeared across his skin, and the golden aura emanating from his body darkened, turning abyssal black.

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Taranis saw numerous black hands emerging from the ground, crawling up his legs.

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A hand emerged from behind and grabbed his throat, while numerous others began stretching the skin of his face.

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His eyes slowly closed, his awareness began fading along with all of his memories and reasoning.

What remained in its place was an endless desire to slaughter. His body kept moving like a killing machine, and as it pushed to its limit—

Ding...

"Congratulations! The Host has successfully broken through! The Host's level has increased."

Level Seven Transcendent Realm → Level Eight Transcendent Realm.

All of his wounds healed, his Soulforce returned to its peak, however the cracks did not vanish. His eyes remained deep black and his streak to massacre the enemy soldiers as well.

"Alert! The Corruption of Death has reached 99%.

If the corruption reaches 100%, the Host will lose their sanity permanently."

Taranis lost track of how long he had been fighting. Had it been a few seconds, hours, days, or months? He could not tell. He kept swinging his sword at any living being he sensed.

"Die!! All of you, die!!!" he screamed in a broken voice.

Then, amidst the numerous ominous voices, he heard a distinct one. It was familiar and undeniably calm.

"You can stop, son. The war is over."

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yOunEEDTOpaYForyoUrSIns

"I cannot stop. I need to kill!" Taranis shouted, his blade slicing through flesh.

"Why do you need to kill, Taranis?" The familiar voice asked.

The question completely froze him. Why was he fighting? Why did he need to kill?

He could not remember anything. He had been blindly following the commands of the voices. They said he was a sinner. He had killed them, and now, as punishment, he must kill others.

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The voices roared in fury, sending a throbbing pain through his head.

As they began overwhelming his mind again, a single fragment of memory appeared within him. It was a small echo, buried deep in his heart.

The voice in that memory belonged to Taranis himself.

It said,

You asked why I want to become stronger. It is to protect my family.

"Pr-protect my family," Taranis murmured, his body trembling.

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The throbbing headache was no longer as intense, or perhaps it was, but Taranis ignored it as his focus shifted.

"Pr-protect... family. I... I must s-save her."

"Whom do you want to save, Taranis?" The familiar voice asked.

Another piece of his memory returned.

He saw the face of an ethereal woman with pale skin and silken white hair. Her creamy eyes looked at him with warmth and her face carried an enchanting smile.

"N-Nymeria..." Taranis murmured, his voice breaking as a sharp pain pierced his heart. "I must save Nymeria."

The moment he spoke those words, the ominous voices were forcefully suppressed, and his awareness began to return.

Slowly, his vision cleared, and he found a figure standing before him, the very one to whom that familiar voice belonged.

He had long gray hair, ocean-blue eyes that gleamed like gems, and pale skin marked with countless wrinkles.

"F-father," Taranis murmured, his eyes widening in shock. "H-how could I..."

"It's alright, son," Voltrex said, gently patting Taranis's head.

Around Taranis, the elite knights he had been fighting lay dead, slaughtered mercilessly. And before him stood his father, a sword pierced deep into his shoulder.

That sword belonged to none other than Taranis.

"B-but I attacked yo—"

"Hah! Do not get cocky. Do you think you have the skills to attack me? I let you hit me," Voltrex retorted before Taranis could finish.

Then, in a warm voice, he continued, "Besides, do you not have a more pressing matter to attend to?"