Chapter 199

Chapter 71: Bluefire Burns the Moon, Blood Stains the Royal City Part 5

The dark wall at the end of the passage was open, and through the firelight, I could vaguely see the cellar outside.

It’s so close… fifty meters… thirty meters… just a little more… almost there…

My calves were already numb with pain.

My feet… I can’t feel my feet anymore.

I’m not even sure if I’m still running. I don’t have that solid feeling of my feet on the ground; I feel like I’m floating—afraid that I might suddenly trip and never get back up.

Fortunately, the distance to the exit keeps getting shorter.

Fifteen meters… ten meters… five meters…

Warm wind blows against my face.

In the next second, the narrow walls in front of me suddenly opened up, and the surrounding scorching heat abruptly dropped. I finally emerged from the hidden passage back into the original cellar.

The flames haven’t spread here yet.

Sizzling…

The leg armor, burned red, was smoking against my skin, and the sounds coming from my foot and lower leg terrified me… It must be really damaged now. The pain isn’t as intense as before.

But I can still move.

Now isn’t the time to relax… Only after leaving the bell tower will Ali and the little boy be safe.

Rumbling—

Suddenly, the entire cellar started to shake, and a continuous loud rumble came from behind me. I stumbled forward.

This place is collapsing…

Realizing this, I hurriedly looked around, using my memory to find the cellar exit ladder. I put the two children down and held them tightly, stumbling over to the ladder, bending my knees slightly, and leaping upward.

Boom!

The wooden board covering the cellar exit flew away with a headbutt. Dust and wood chips flew everywhere. I carried the two children out, rolling into a pile of clutter at the bottom floor of the bell tower.

As soon as I landed, I let go, placing Ali and the little boy among the wooden boards. Using inertia, I rolled several more times, then stopped and immediately sat up, palms open to spray frost mist onto my legs.

Whoosh—

Steam rose instantly, and excruciating pain tore through my nerves.

“Ugh—”

I lifted my head, biting my lip hard to stop myself from screaming. My trembling body twisted, trying to find some relief, but it didn’t help. Intense pain made everything go black, and I nearly lost consciousness.

Rumbling…

The ground was still shaking slightly.

The leg armor gradually cooled down, frosting over and sticking firmly to my legs.

It should be completely ruined inside… My legs kept trembling uncontrollably. Cold sweat dripped down my cheeks, soaking my back.

The pain subsided a bit.

I slumped to the ground, breathing heavily and turned my head to check on Ali… She seemed fine.

Thank goodness…

The muffled sound from below became clearer, and the entire bell tower began to sway, dust falling from above.

We can’t stay here any longer; I need to take them to a safe place.

Using my elbow, I pushed against the uneven ground, struggling to stand up, trying once, then again…

I can’t stand up. My legs are too weak, completely useless.

…I’ll crawl.

I threw Captain Gray’s blade toward my back, gritting my teeth and crawling through the clutter of wooden boards to reach the two children… Suddenly, my calf started to itch.

Is it because the nerves in my leg are damaged? Never mind, it will recover when I sleep.

I didn’t pay much attention, reaching out to pick up Ali, tilting my head to think… I couldn’t figure out how to bring the little boy along.

Let’s move Ali first… it’s so itchy… I really want to scratch it…

Why are my legs so itchy…

Seconds later, the itching sensation deepened, turning into countless bugs burrowing under my skin, making it impossible to resist scratching. I couldn’t hold back and placed Ali down, twisting my body to scratch my leg vigorously.

So itchy… so itchy!!!

It started to itch all over.

My hands scratched wildly across my body, and I almost lost control.

Driven mad by this infuriating sensation.

What’s happening to me…

I lowered my head and looked down at my body.

Through the torn black skirt, I could see several terrible wounds seared by the inferno, where the charred skin was twitching slightly, healing at a visible rate.

This…

After a moment of stunned disbelief, I realized that my legs seemed to be moving again.

I flexed my ankles and tried to stand up again—easily standing up.

I couldn’t believe it and jumped up and down in place. Quickly, I pulled down the stocking garters to check the skin underneath—it was as smooth as ever, as if it had never been injured. The many wounds on my body were also shedding their charred skin, revealing fresh, supple flesh beneath.

The unbearable itching gradually subsided, and for a moment, I felt rejuvenated and full of energy.

The power of the Abyss… has grown again…

Rumble…

The tower swayed more violently.

…Forget it, now is not the time to think too much about it.

I shook my head, pushing aside the jumbled thoughts, and bent down to pick up Elly and the little boy, quickly running out of the tower.

As soon as I stepped through the archway, I immediately sensed something amiss.

It seemed like something had changed… something was missing… what was it…

Boom—

A loud explosion echoed from afar. I turned my head quickly and looked in the direction of the sound.

About fifty meters away on the lawn, under the faint moonlight, the silver-haired nun, holding a massive axe, swung the hooked-nosed man into the air with one hand before slamming him onto the ground.

Peng!

Dirt flew everywhere.

In the next instant, Reckt’s ghost-like figure emerged from the darkness, leaping toward Teresa’s head with a whoosh. A short sword flashed in his hand, slicing toward her neck.

Teresa reacted swiftly, sidestepping narrowly to avoid the attack. She lifted her right foot, leaving a trail of afterimages, and kicked Reckt flying ten meters away. At the same time, she grabbed the struggling hooked-nosed man from the ground and smashed him down repeatedly—

Peng!

Lift, smash.

Peng! Peng! Peng!

After a few hits, the hooked-nosed man’s body had turned into a puddle of mush. Teresa grabbed his head and threw him far away, where he twitched and stopped moving.

He’s dead… I saw another Kainri sword trying to sneak up from the corner… No, they can’t win against Teresa…

Gently placing the two children on the ground.

I stood up, unstrapping Captain Gray from around my waist and pulling the trigger.

Click click click—

A grim reaper’s scythe materialized in my hand. My steps abruptly changed, and I dashed off using Moonwalk.

A hurricane roared past my ears.

The tattered skirt made a loud noise as I arrived beside Teresa in an instant and raised the scythe to strike.

“Ah—!”

Clang!

I struck the axe blade.

She blocked it, reacting so quickly…

Despite that, the surprise attack still staggered her. Without looking back, Teresa immediately lunged forward, quickly putting distance between us.

“…Just as expected.”

As if she had anticipated my arrival, Teresa smiled as she turned around.

I heightened my vigilance, keeping my eyes fixed on her, and shouted to Reckt, who was not far behind me, “Reckt! Those two kids over there! Take them to a safe place!”

Teresa looked surprised.

“You actually brought someone else? With such flames… Impressive, truly impressive!”

She adjusted her somewhat disheveled silver hair.

“This is good… good. Now we have no reservations left, and we can fight each other without restraint…”

Boom—

The huge axe blade crashed into the ground, raising dust that quickly dissipated in the night wind.

“Come on, Miss Silvija…”

A gentle yet resolute smile spread across her face.

“Third Senator of the Gate of Truth, Teresa Anthony, the Betrayer… I request your guidance.”