Chapter 17: The Power of the Blood Pact

The cool night wind, carrying the scent of withered grass from the wilderness, blew across Bai Jin’s sweaty cheeks, bringing a chill.

She barely kept up behind Lilith, stumbling along at a trot.
Every step pulled at the still-unsettled, intense pain throughout her body.

Ahead, Lilith’s small figure moved like a ghost, speeding through the night.

‘At this rate… it’s not going to work…’
Bai Jin’s lungs burned.
Watching Lilith’s figure grow more distant, she began to feel anxious.

She knew very well that it would take some time for her life force to recover on its own.
‘So, should I try the Blood Contract?’

Bai Jin’s consciousness sank into her mind, where the three crimson contract models were as clear as a brand.

‘「Holy Blood Contract · Recovery」?’

Bai Jin stared at this contract model in her mind.
‘At least it’s a healing contract. It can’t be more painful than Lilith’s torture, right?’

So, clinging to a final shred of hope, Bai Jin used the power of a contract for the first time.

Her mind focused on the contract model.
The complex framework of runes was instantly constructed before her.
All that was needed was for Bai Jin to pay the price to activate it.

Sensing the abundant life force within her body, Bai Jin chose to sacrifice life force.

With a thought, the contract activated!

The crimson contract flashed quickly before her, and then the life force in her body was rapidly drained.

A panic accompanying the loss of life rose from the bottom of her heart.
This feeling of her life source being forcibly stripped away was more terrifying than physical pain!

Bai Jin felt that if it continued to be drawn out like this, she might really be drained of her life force and die.

But fortunately, this contract only drew a tenth of Bai Jin’s life force, and the lost life force was continuously being transmitted from her contract with Lilith.

「Holy Blood Contract · Recovery」

A terrifying burning pain, like magma being injected into her blood vessels, instantly swept through her entire body!
Bai Jin felt as if her blood had really been ignited!

The power of the Blood Contract was brutally stuffed into the cells near her wounds, forcing them to divide!

This healing did not bring a numbing, itching sensation, but a tearing, intense pain!

She could clearly feel her torn muscle fibers being forcibly pulled together and stitched, and her torn wounds regenerating in the searing heat.

Wave after wave of intense pain flooded her mind, making her vision go black.
Fortunately, the authority in her mind could share her pain.

But after the intense pain, the effect was also significant.

Although her whole body was still sore and unbearable, the feeling of being on the verge of collapse and the fatigue after exhaustion had lessened.

Bai Jin even felt like she could run another marathon right now!

Bai Jin seemed to have somewhat understood the mechanism of the Blood Contract.
By believing in the Holy Blood, one could exchange for a continuous stream of life force, and life force was the “mana bar” that drove the Blood Contract!

She gritted her teeth, ignoring the faint phantom pain at her nerve endings, and accelerated again, chasing in the direction Lilith had disappeared.

Soon, a basin of rugged, oddly shaped rocks appeared in her vision.

Lilith’s figure was behind a huge boulder at the edge of the basin, carefully peeking out to observe.

Bai Jin, her breath slightly ragged, silently moved to her side.

In the center of the basin, a strange purple light illuminated two disheveled figures.
They were the two members of the God-Burying Society who had attacked at dusk.

One’s arm was still twisted, and the other’s chest was slightly sunken.
A purple power was wrapped around their wounds, mending their injuries.

And beside them, a small figure was bound by a rough hemp rope, curled up on the ground.

It was Vera.
Her eyes were tightly closed, and she seemed to have fallen into a coma.

“It really is them!”
Lilith’s voice was low, filled with killing intent.

“But there’s a stronger existence that interfered with my tracking, and I don’t know where it’s hiding now.”

Lilith glanced quickly at Bai Jin.
Seeing that her face was pale but her eyes were still clear, she nodded slightly.

“Listen, I’ll deal with those two. They’re seriously injured now, so their vigilance should be high.”

“When I make my move and attract their attention, you rush over at the fastest speed and bring Vera back, understand?”

Bai Jin took a deep breath and nodded heavily.
“Understood.”

Lilith said no more.
She closed her eyes, her fingertips brushing across the space between her eyebrows.

「Holy Blood Contract · Blood Eye Vision」

When she opened her eyes, her azure pupils were instantly tinged with a red glow.
Her vision instantly penetrated the deep night, sweeping over every inch of the basin.

Under a few inconspicuous patches of weeds, faint energy fluctuations were hidden.
They were clearly traps.

“Hmph, petty tricks.”
Lilith sneered.
After confirming the location of the traps, she no longer hid and walked out from behind the boulder openly.

“Good evening, you two rats who hide your heads and show your tails.”
Lilith’s voice rang out clearly in the silent wilderness, thick with mockery.

“Kidnapping a defenseless little girl? Is this your noble belief?”

The two gray-robed men were startled and looked at Lilith as if facing a great enemy.
Their eyes were filled with fear and venomous resentment.

They clearly didn’t expect Lilith to know their location, and the traps they had set hadn’t worked either.

“Damn Saintess!”
One of them roared in a low voice.
“Cut the cr*p and leave your life behind!”

With a wave of his arm, several throwing knives, glinting with a faint green light, shot silently towards Lilith.

The other man also endured his injuries.
His figure flickered, leaving an afterimage in place.
His real body pounced towards Lilith from the side like a ghost.

The dagger in his hand flashed with an ominous black light, and his speed was even faster than his previous attack.
He had clearly used some kind of contract power.

A disdainful curve appeared on Lilith’s lips.
She didn’t even move to dodge the throwing knives, just a flash of blood-red light around her!

「Holy Blood Contract · Thorn Protection」

Dark-red thorn phantoms instantly intertwined into a net around her.
The throwing knives hit it with a “ding ding” sound and were all deflected.

At the same time, without even looking back, she swung her hand behind her!

「Holy Blood Contract · Bloodflame Impact」

A crimson fireball the size of a human head, composed of purely burning life force, shot out, accurately hitting the approaching assassin.

“Boom!”

The Bloodflame exploded, a scorching heatwave mixed with a destructive energy impact.

The assassin let out a miserable scream, his entire body sent flying backwards.
The smell of something burnt filled the air.

“Chance!”
Bai Jin shouted in her heart.
The moment Lilith sent the assassin flying, she shot out from behind the boulder!

「Holy Blood Contract · Blood Evasion」!

Her will drove the contract model, and the life force that had just recovered in her body was instantly ignited!

A burning pain more violent than the previous recovery swept through her entire body!
Her muscle fibers were forcibly stretched and torn!

Her speed did indeed increase, so fast that it created a blood-red afterimage.
Bai Jin endured the pain all over her body and rushed towards Vera at the fastest speed.

In a few breaths, she reached Vera’s side.
She had no weapon in her hand, but she immediately activated the last contract!

「Holy Blood Contract · Blood Blade」!

“Ugh—!”
Bai Jin couldn’t help but let out a short cry of pain.

A cut opened on her palm, and blood, along with life force, flowed out crazily.
A short blade made of Bai Jin’s blood formed in her hand!

The pain of this condensation was almost no less than the torture Lilith had inflicted on her all night.

Without hesitation, she swung the Blood Blade and cut the hemp rope binding Vera.

Bai Jin picked up the unconscious Vera.
Her small body didn’t weigh much.

Taking advantage of the fact that the effect of Blood Evasion hadn’t disappeared, Bai Jin ran away with Vera in her arms.