Asteropes was speeding towards the depths of the forest. While traveling, all he could think about was, "How is it possible?"
The 'Ancient Lineage Method,' also known as the 'Determination of Authority,' was a method for determining the purity and power of a bloodline. At the pinnacle of this method were the Royal Bloodlines, which were blessed by Hell. There is no other bloodline that even comes close to matching them. And the previous Demon King, Gulzack's Bloodline, was the most powerful of them all. It was also known as the 'Bloodline of Destruction,' as it utterly annihilated everything in its path.
He'd only heard about it before, but now he could see it for himself. His blood had been destroyed on a cellular level, exactly as described in the books. And the perpetrator was a little demon girl, whom he could kill with just a flick of his finger. This only served to emphasize how powerful the Royal Bloodlines were.
Despite that, the girl's claim to be a descendant of Gulzack was difficult to believe. Gulzack, the Demon King, had died under mysterious circumstances during the previous Great War. And his only known living descendant, Karen Gulzack, was also thought to be dead.
He had just made a deal with the girl on the spur of the moment. She also seemed to recognize the human girl who was never supposed to be at this place. There were a lot of unanswered questions on his mind.
'For the time being, let's just focus on recuperating.' He had already taken a promise from her, so if she was really a descendant of Gulzack, then he was in luck. And even if it was an imposter, he had nothing to lose.
Karen breathed a sigh of relief after checking Eliza's condition. She had passed out due to exhaustion and blood loss, and there were no serious injuries. Karen pieced together what had happened by examining the mutilated body of the Mutated Hellhound. She'd known about the mutated Hellhounds, but she hadn't expected to see one here.
[Your bond has grown stronger. You have acquired a new skill]
Aura Disguise – Level 1
You can utilize this skill to use your aura to conceal the other person's aura. The effectiveness of this skill is determined by your strength and skill level.
Karen was taken aback by the rapid arrival of a new message. It was precisely the kind of ability they'll require in the near future. It seemed like the system was actively assisting them, which confused her. She decided to take Eliza with her and return for the time being. She laid Eliza under the tree after transporting her to their final resting spot and began harvesting the Mutated Hellhound's body she had brought along with her.
They needed to get out of the woods as soon as possible. The only monsters in this area were younger Hellhounds who lacked the necessary experience to raise their levels. They've been eating the white pulp for a few days as well. After a few more attempts, they'd almost certainly get poisoned.
Karen had just finished forging a couple of new weapons from the Hellhound's bones when Eliza woke. Due to the Intermediate Regeneration skill, her wounds were also mostly healed.
Eliza froze in place when she saw Karen in front of her eyes. She then jumped to her feet and quickly hugged Karen. "You're fine," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around her companion. They appeared to be two long-lost friends who had been reunited.
"Hey there, take a deep breath and relax. You were the one that was gushing blood all over the place," Karen spoke out awkwardly.
"So, what exactly happened to you?" Eliza inquired after she had calmed down. "You were just yelling that it hurts and then passed out."
Karen said solemnly, "I honestly don't remember anything."
"What do you mean you don't remember?" Eliza inquired, her gaze narrowing.
"I have no recollection of that incident. My head splits from pain as soon as I try to recall anything relating to that." Karen had a melancholy expression on her face.
Eliza didn't ask any more questions. Karen's expression said it all.
"Can you pack the supplies quickly? Karen said to Eliza, "We need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"Of course. I'll take care of everything." Eliza started to pack their belongings. She was well aware that they would soon have to depart. She also had the inventory skill, which allowed her to store the majority of their belongings. Because of this ability, she was able to carry multiple weapons with ease.
Karen was swinging the newly created weapons by the time the supplies were packed. With a slight tint of green, the spears and daggers were far more flexible than their previous weapons.
Eliza looked at Karen and asked, "Who was it?" It was a topic that had been on her mind for some time.
Karen was perplexed and asked, "Who?"
"It was a demon who rescued me," Eliza recalled, noting that the feeling she had gotten from her savior was identical to that of Karen.
Karen replied, "His name is Asteropes."
"Is there anything else?" Eliza believed that Karen had not told her everything.
Karen quickly informed her of the events that had occurred while she was unconscious. Eliza simply sat silently and listened without interruption. Once Karen had finished speaking, Eliza became concerned.
"Whom will he want you to help kill?" Eliza worriedly asked.
"It's most likely a royal. Or someone of equal standing," Karen reassuringly patted Eliza's head.
Eliza clenched her fists and commented, "We should never appear in front of him again." Karen gave a bitter smile in response. She knew that she couldn't avoid getting involved with Asteropes now that she'd given him her word.
"More than that, aren't you worried that he will spread the word about you?" Eliza enquired further.
"Not at all," Karen responded, with a matter-of-fact tone. "He's a fugitive on the run. He will be pursued wherever he goes. And even if he did say something, do you think anyone would listen to him?" Karen responded with a matter-of-fact tone and a slight smile.
Eliza just slightly hmphed. She thought that Karen was taking this situation very lightly.
After making all the necessary preparations, Eliza placed their weapons in her inventory, and Karen started surveying their surroundings. Their next destination was the edge of the forest.
After a full day of nonstop walking and fending off several groups of Hellhounds, they finally reached the periphery of the forest. However, Eliza soon realized that the moment of respite she had been waiting for would not be coming anytime soon.
The terrain in front of them was flat and barren. It continued for as far as the eye could see. Because of the red sky, the sand in this large area appeared a little crimson. There was not a single plant to be found in this region, only a few bone-dry skeletons. It was a landscape of vastness and death. This was definitely one of the most desolate and lonely places they'd ever been.
Eliza was pointing at the vast desert spread in front of her, "How many days can we survive here with our supplies?"
"Only three. And only under the right circumstances," Karen replied hesitantly. "Otherwise, even less."
"Then we should get moving as soon as possible." Eliza gave Karen a gentle nudge.
Karen took the lead, with Eliza following closely behind. However, by luck, or bad luck, they spotted a group of caravans a short distance away after only an hour of traveling.
Because of the sand in the air and the wide distance between them, they couldn't see the caravan clearly. Karen started shouting at the caravan and dashed their way. Eliza wanted to stop her, but she was a little late. In the end, she pursued Karen in silence.
Their visibility increased as they got closer to the caravan. The pair discovered that the caravan was comprised of several metal cages containing a number of young monsters and demi-humans. Under the command of an Orc priest, several Orc warriors were guarding the prisons. They immediately realized that this caravan was transporting slaves. But it was too late to backtrack at this point.
The Orc priest had stopped the caravan after hearing Karen's shout.
Eliza was worried about something. "Don't you realize I'm a human, Karen?"
"Don't worry. We'll just use them to get into the city," Karen reassuringly said.
"No, that isn't it. As soon as they find out about me, they'll try to kill me." Eliza was not at all reassured.
Keeping a confident demeanor, Karen continued, "Perhaps you haven't seen the newest bonding skill. These Orcs won't know that you're human."
The Orcs surrounded them as soon as they approached the caravan. To deceive their future captors, these two pretended to be terrified and began clinging to one another. The Orc priest arrived a short while later and began to examine them.
Although the Orc priest had been in the slave trade for a long time, he had never seen anything like these girls before. The two girls in front of him were both in their early teens. The younger one had white hair that was shoulder length, while the older one had long black hair. And, even though their dresses seemed of high quality, they were torn in several places. They'd most likely come across some terrifying monsters.
They both gave off a weak demonic aura, implying that their bloodlines were inferior as well. They also lacked demonic characteristics, indicating that they were mixed-bloods. Even though they were young and ragged, their beauty could not be hidden. Because this combination is so uncommon, the profits from an auction would be enormous.
The priest, engrossed in his fantasies, ordered the Orcs to catch the girls. The Orcs silently carried out his orders. Karen and Eliza 'tried to escape,' but were unsuccessful. They were easily apprehended and placed in a separate cage from the other captives. As the Orc priest gave the order, the journey resumed.
'Was it really necessary?' Karen heard Eliza's voice in her head. The Telepathy skill they had gained from their bonding enabled them to speak in each other's minds. It was particularly useful when they did not want the people around them to listen in.
'Yes, the acting was necessary to convince them.' Karen had made up a story about their caravan being attacked by desert hounds, and that only she and Eliza had managed to escape. However, she didn't have to do much because the Orc priest had already been blinded by money and had them captured with no questions asked.
'So, what's next?' Eliza was observing their new residence.
'We just rest and exercise till we get to the neighboring town or city,' Eliza began stretching her body.
'Didn't you say you know where that would be?' Eliza asked, a little angry.
'In Hell, there are five such forests. How am I supposed to recall each and every landscape that surrounds them?' Karen innocently replied.
'What happens if we have to escape from them?' Eliza was now lying down on their personal cage's heated floor.
Karen checked the Orcs' status and commented, 'We can easily escape them.'
Species: Orc (Warrior)
Stats:
Vitality – 18
Strength – 18
Endurance – 17
Agility – 16
Mana – 2
Intelligence - 5
Skills :
Rage – Able to boost physical abilities for a few minutes.
Eliza decided to take a break and soon dozed off.
Karen was just staring at her, her face filled with worry. She was used to the environment here, but Eliza, who was coming here for the first time, must have struggled to adjust. She reassured herself that their situation would improve within a few days.