After Rin had honed his skills with the Contracting Spirit, he devised a unique fighting style that suited him perfectly. However, as fate would have it, the enemies they encountered this time proved to be too weak to provide an opportunity for Rin to test his new approach.
With his current power, Rin could only summon four out of the ten imperial guards, each possessing the strength of a warrior from the Third Kingdom. This amounted to less than two percent of his original spirit power, as described by the necklace he wore. In a previous attempt to summon with his full strength, Rin managed to bring forth all ten imperial guards and even the emperor himself, with the power of Third Kingdom warriors. However, the tremendous energy consumption meant he could only sustain the summoning for a few seconds.
Consequently, only four imperial guards materialized, appearing as golden avatars without any distinct facial features, due to Rin's weakened state. Nevertheless, Rin and his team continued their ruthless killing spree among the villagers.
Though the village comprised solely of children, the elderly, and women, they possessed exceptional strength, yet they were no match for Rin's team. Among them, Rin was the weakest member of the Assassination Team in the Third Kingdom.
" "The western side has been cleansed," whispered a masked child.
"The south side has been purged."
"The north side has been purged."
With veiled faces turned towards Rin, the masked children gathered, delivering their reports in hushed tones.
"Very well. Let us retreat into the shadows and patiently await the return of the male intruders," commanded Rin, his voice carrying an air of enigmatic authority.
"I have stumbled upon something that demands your attention," a team member materialized before Rin, their presence sudden and unexpected.
"Where?" inquired Rin, his voice laced with intrigue.
"Follow me," the member responded cryptically, guiding the team towards a dilapidated house nestled amidst the heart of the desolated village. Concealed within its walls lay a clandestine passage, an underground labyrinth veiled from prying eyes.
"The staircase remained concealed, concealed beneath an unassuming rock. However, the scent of blood betrayed its presence," whispered the child, their voice laden with secrets.
Silently, the children descended the steps, their senses heightened, and their gazes filled with anticipation. As they reached the subterranean depths, their eyes widened in disbelief, beholding an unearthly tableau before them.
"This place, it reeks of darkness," one child murmured, their voice barely audible.
"These... abominations," Isha hissed, her anger emanating like a smoldering flame.
"They are human," Rin whispered, his voice weighed with an unsettling revelation.
Hung from the ceiling, a macabre dance of lifeless bodies unfolded. Their eyes shut in eternal slumber, their pale, naked forms marred by countless wounds inflicted upon their fragile flesh.
"End this suffering... end me," a tormented voice pleaded, the broken plea slicing through the thick air as Rin and his team entered.
"They still draw breath. Release them, for there is much to be learned," Rin commanded, his words tinged with an unknown purpose.
"It is a human farm," Isha revealed, her hand trembling as it brushed against a scar upon her wrist.
"A human farm?" Rin echoed, his mind reeling with the implications of such a revelation.
"Yes, a nefarious breed of monsters, known as vampires, craves the crimson elixir of human blood. They raise captives as cattle, feasting upon their life essence. The wretched beings within this forsaken village, they are vampires," Isha whispered, her voice a haunting melody of sorrow and secrets.
"Are you certain?" Rin questioned, his voice barely a whisper amidst the suffocating darkness.
"Yes, there exists no other plausible explanation," Isha affirmed, her eyes haunted by a past she dare not divulge.
"Isha, the scars that adorn your being... do they.." Sina began, her words trailing into the realm of the unknown, until abruptly silenced.
"Sina, forgive me. I cannot bear to revisit those depths," Isha confessed, her voice trembling like the echo of forgotten whispers.
"Sir, the males are returning. They will soon enter the village," a child who possessed a third-class spirit specialized in exploration reported. This child's heightened spiritual sense allowed for extensive observations.
"You two stay here and set them free. The rest of us will accompany me to eliminate those bast***," Rin declared with a coldness in his voice.
Thus, the team quickly emerged, dividing their forces. Half of them remained at the village gate, awaiting the arrival of the males, while the other half fanned out, aiming to surround them and block any escape routes.
Before long, the males arrived, and their eyes fell upon the peculiar group standing at the village gate, brandishing weapons stained with blood.
"Who are you? What are you doing in our village?" one of the men bellowed.
"Rin, may I take care of them?" Isha requested, her gaze coldly fixed upon the males.
"Very well. Seek vengeance for them," Rin replied, casting a deep glance at Isha.
The revelation that stunned Fray when the children acquired contracting spirits had been Isha's experience. In truth, Isha had not acquired a contracting spirit but had instead been bestowed with a spirit's blessing.
A spirit's blessing was granted to a spirit warrior when a high-level spirit held great admiration for them. However, for some reason, the spirit could not form a contract with the individual. In such cases, the spirit bestowed one of its powerful skills upon the chosen warrior. These skills were always formidable since only spirits of at least rank seven could bestow their blessings. However, the chances of this occurring were exceptionally low. The spirit had to hold genuine affection for the recipient to grant them such a blessing.
While Isha's soul appeared ordinary, her tumultuous past had forged an incredibly strong character, enabling her to obtain a soul strength of 131 points. The blessing she received required 120 points.
With those 120 points, she managed to acquire a rank five Contracting Soul, possessing numerous potent abilities. Yet, this particular skill came without an accompanying soul cost, as it consumed an immense amount of soul power.
Fray had been astounded when he discovered this.
Though these men were formidable vampires who had once hunted monsters for a living, when they saw Isha approaching, an inexplicable sense of impending doom washed over them.
"The blessing of the god Thor... Mjölnir's lightning," Isha proclaimed.