The Cornflower Witch

Book 3: Chapter 44: The Blood Clan’s Invitation

It was still early, and a few scattered customers were browsing in the pastry shop. After walking in, Sylutia picked out two items from the dazzling array of pastries.

“One serving of Earl Grey mille-crepe cake and three crescent-shaped madeleines.”

“Very well. Please wait a moment.”

Afterward, Sylutia sat down at a small table in the shop to wait. That was when she noticed another figure selecting pastries—a person with strikingly beautiful pale gold hair.

Was that Carmilla from class? Sylutia recalled.

Just as she was thinking about whether to go over and say hello, the shop assistant informed the girl that her pastries were ready.

“Alright.” Sylutia walked over and picked up the two boxes of pastries. By the time she turned around, Carmilla was nowhere to be seen.

Had she already left? Sylutia shook her head slightly, dismissing this trivial coincidence, and walked out of the shop.

The Earl Grey mille-crepe cake had been prepared in advance, while the three madeleines were still emitting a faint warmth and aroma, making Sylutia feel like eating one on the way. She hadn’t had dinner yet, and her stomach was starting to growl.

She hadn’t walked far when the number of people on the street began to dwindle. Still, she wasn’t far from Narcissus Street now.Suddenly, a cold gust of wind swept through, making Sylutia stop in her tracks.

Something was wrong. Her eyes flickered, a faint glow shimmering within them as she activated her innate ability, Discernment Eyes, scanning her surroundings.

But before she could locate her target, the mille-crepe cake she was holding in her left hand was snatched away by a sharp, rushing gust. The swirling current scraped past her side, sending a chill through her body.

Not good—an enemy. Her heart tightened. Starlight flickered in her eyes as she nearly activated her teleportation shift, but she forced herself to hold back.

Stay calm. They only took my cake. It seems they’re not specifically here to attack me—they have other intentions.

Her fingers tightened around the small silver-blue orb at her waist. Strands of thread emerged around her, enveloping and shielding her.

Just as she began to feel a little more at ease, an invisible, overwhelming force yanked her into a nearby alley. Then, a pitch-black curtain of light sealed off the alley’s entrance and the sky above, plunging the space into deep darkness.

If this had been an ordinary girl, she would likely have been screaming in panic by now. But Sylutia had already realized that this dark curtain of light had soundproofing properties. No matter how loudly she shouted, no one outside would hear her.

Things were bad. But not as bad as they could be. Starlight pulsed in her eyes as she steadied herself instead.

Since they went to all this trouble, they obviously didn’t want to be discovered by the outside world. That meant they weren’t official personnel from the Mage Alliance. And while this seemingly well-crafted barrier prevented the outside world from detecting Sylutia trapped inside, the upside was that whatever she did in here would be just as hard to detect.

Now, she could freely switch her life force and rank without worrying too much.

Still, it was better to hear them out first. With all this preparation, they must have some other plan in mind.

After a few seconds of silence, a crisp round of applause echoed from the alley entrance. Then, two men in black appeared—one burly, the other lean.

“Not bad, not bad. Staying this calm at a time like this. You really are a genius of the new generation.” The burly man curled his lips as he appraised Sylutia, while the other man studied the cake in his hand, pinching off a piece and tasting it.

“Who are you?” Sylutia confirmed she had never seen these two before.

“Us? That’s a great question.” The man rubbed his chin.

“Let’s cut to the chase. We come from north of the Ice Sea. We are nobles who command the Bloodline Aspect.” The man introduced himself.

“The Blood Clan?” Sylutia recalled this offshoot of humanity, connected to blood.

“That’s right. Have you heard of us?”

“Of course. The Blood Clan north of the Ice Sea is called the Sea Cliff Blood Clan. They are a faction established on the Fourth Continent by the last princess of the Blood Dynasty. They inherited many secret arts and abilities from the Blood Dynasty, maintain a relatively stable internal order, and are nothing like the chaotic Dark Night Blood Clan.” Sylutia recited from her studies.

“Right, right. All correct, but rather simplistic. What I mean is—do you know the biggest difference between the Blood Clan and humans?”

“Of course I do. Ordinary humans can reach the limit of the Eighth Tier and become Named Ones, even glimpsing the mysteries of the Hours. But the Blood Clan cannot.” Sylutia shook her head.

“Ever since the Seventh Epoch, the Primordial Sea has been polluted, linking the Bloodline Aspect with Distortion. This puts high-tier Blood Clan members at constant risk of corruption. To resist the erosion of Distortion, they are at most capped at the Seventh Tier, unable to rely on other Aspects to neutralize and shield themselves the way normal humans can.” Sylutia explained the crisis facing the Blood Clan—the very reason they could never truly grow powerful.

“Tch. You little—” Hearing this girl hit the Blood Clan’s sore spot, the two immediately ground their teeth in fury.

The lean man waved his hand, and an invisible gust of frigid wind lashed out. Sylutia barely managed to dodge, leaving only a few strands of hair falling. If she hadn’t avoided it, her face would have gained several new scars.

Just as the lean man was about to strike again, the other man stopped him.

“You’re proud and clever, Miss Hedra.” The man suppressed his anger, keeping his tone as steady as possible.

“But tell me—how many people actually advance beyond the Seventh Tier? Even a Sixth Tier Archmage lives no more than two hundred years, and most of that time is spent in gray-haired decrepitude. How many years does a youthful, beautiful body truly enjoy its prime?”

“But becoming one of the Blood Clan is different. You can maintain your body in peak condition until the very moment of death. Have you ever considered how pitiful it would be to watch your proud beauty wither into ugliness, covered in wrinkles?” The man began his coaxing approach.

“Well…” Sylutia wanted to say that she actually didn’t age—she had received a blessing from the Fairies as a child. Sometimes she even had to deal with the trouble of explaining to others why she never seemed to grow up.

Still, she might as well ask more questions. Opportunities like this to gather information were rare.

“While the Blood Clan offers many benefits, everything I’ve learned comes from the Mage Alliance’s knowledge and secret arts. If I turned into a Blood Clan member, I’d probably waste my entire life’s work.” She came up with another excuse to refuse.

“That’s actually not a problem. Even if you have the Bloodline Aspect, you can still study the Mage Alliance’s teachings on the side. Once you reach the Fifth Tier, you can choose to fuse with another Aspect, achieving the best of both worlds.”

“Besides, no matter how good the Mage Alliance claims to be, they’ve only developed for a thousand years. But if you join us, you can learn the secret arts passed down through two epochs by the Blood Dynasty. The depth of their knowledge is far beyond anything you could experience in the Mage Alliance.” The man continued tempting the girl.

Seeing that she still wasn’t giving in, he added more weight to his offer.

“No matter how diligently ordinary people study, they only have a hundred years. But if you had a much longer lifespan, the knowledge, status, and power you desire would all come to you easily.”

“That’s true…” Sylutia replied slowly, thinking about what else she could ask.

“So, what do I have to do to become a Blood Clan member?” she asked, suddenly curious.

“Heh, that’s simple.” Hearing this, the man thought the girl had finally taken the bait.

“We can assist you in completing the Blood Clan transformation ritual. After it’s done, you’ll be one of us. Not only will your lifespan increase, but you’ll also gain many abilities far beyond ordinary people’s reach.”

“Oh? Like what, specifically?” Sylutia pressed.

“Ordinary people rely on Breathing Techniques to regulate their blood flow and pulse rhythm. We don’t need any of that—we can directly control our own blood. This gives us explosive power, strength, and speed far beyond what ordinary Bloodline Aspect warriors can achieve.”

“Additionally, you can absorb the blood of powerful creatures to strengthen your own Aspect and replenish your stamina and strength.”

“That kind of thing…” She could accomplish the same by gardening, and it was even more relaxing and straightforward.

“But I still think it’s not enough. If the Blood Clan were truly that strong, why are you now reduced to hiding along the northern shores of the Ice Sea?” Sylutia shook her head.

“I think I’ll stay with the Mage Alliance.” Her fingers squeezed the mana orb. A pale silver light spread, and a sphere woven from silver-blue threads enveloped her, blocking the incoming attack.

“You little—” Having been toyed with twice by a young student from the Mage Alliance, the two men were now furious beyond reason.

They threw caution to the wind. This arrogant girl needed a lesson she would regret for the rest of her life.

Sharp blood-red claws tore through the sphere, breaking through several layers of defense. Just then, hidden threads emerged throughout the alley, slashing the two charging men and drawing blood before snapping.

When the lead man broke through the sphere’s defenses, Sylutia was already gone. His sharp eyes looked up to find the girl using the threads to pull herself upward, launching out of the alley and toward the upper floors of a nearby building.

“Don’t think you can escape!”

He stomped the ground and shot upward like a lightning falcon, but along the way, more hidden threads tangled and tore at his clothes. While they didn’t seriously injure him, these irritating obstacles slowed his pursuit, keeping him from matching Sylutia’s ascending speed.

Seconds later, Sylutia reached the rooftop of the building, where a simple bell tower stood.

Then, the bell rang, its sound spreading through the night.

At this moment, the two pursuing Blood Clan members also started to panic. After all, this was the heart of the Mage Alliance’s territory. By rights, once Sylutia escaped the alley, they should have stopped chasing. Otherwise, the risk of being counterattacked or having reinforcements arrive was ever-present.

But letting Sylutia go like this was unbearable. The lead man’s eyes turned savage as he stared at the girl on the bell tower. He stretched out one hand, and a phantom-like dark red blood sphere materialized, pulsing.

A ripple of invisible force spread outward, making the hearts of every resident within a hundred meters clench. Those with weaker constitutions turned pale and fainted on the spot.

Seeing the blood sphere form in his hand, Sylutia’s instincts screamed a warning. A deadly premonition surged through her.

The first pulse was merely a warning. The real killing blow would come with the second.

Alien Star Shifting?

Her figure vanished from the spot instantly, dodging the lethal shockwave. But even the residual ripple caused the hearts of nearby Second Tier Mage Apprentices to stop, sending them collapsing in agony, unconscious.

After the ripple spread, a thunderclap erupted from the center of the Asra district. Several lightning-like figures streaked across the night sky like shooting stars, converging on the origin of the attack.

Seeing the sudden shift in the situation, the two Blood Clan members no longer had time to check if Sylutia was dead. They quickly plunged into the dark veil of night, fleeing the scene.