Chapter 32: The Ornar Family Massacre

As Helibea clenched her fist, her heart heavy with complex emotions, Jakarin, the esteemed commander of the Star Cross Knights, galloped swiftly along the grand avenue outside the Capital of Truth. He was accompanied by dozens of Imperial Guard soldiers, their horses thundering across the ground.

Jakarin was a man of decisive action. The moment he realized there was an internal mole, he immediately launched an investigation to ensure the safety of the Holy Royal Palace and to uncover the truth.

The attack had originated in the northwestern sector of the Holy Royal Palace, where the barrier’s damage was surprisingly minimal.

Jakarin surmised that someone had deliberately allowed the Blazefrost Nation forces entry, only to then feign an attack that superficially breached the barrier.

Such an act of facilitating an invasion suggested the insider possessed intimate knowledge of the northwestern barrier’s access codes. This specific section of the barrier had been under the charge of the Ornar family for the past year.

Moreover, Miss Rose, Count Ornar’s second daughter, who served as a maid in the Snow Lotus Palace, had mysteriously vanished after the incident the previous night. This disappearance only intensified Jakarin’s suspicions.

Hence, his current destination was none other than the Ornar family’s estate.

As he sped onward, the commander of the Imperial Guard couldn’t help but offer a silent prayer, hoping that his grim premonitions would not come to pass.

‘If that were truly the case, His Majesty would be heartbroken.’

****

Under the full might of their steed’s speed and the bolstering power of sacred energy, Jakarin finally reached his destination after several hours of arduous travel: the magnificent castle where the Ornar family resided.

However, even before they neared the castle gates, a potent, chilling stench of blood assaulted their senses, causing a shiver to run down their spines.

“What is this?”

As the thick, metallic scent filled the air, Jakarin’s brow furrowed, an ominous premonition stirring within him.

He signaled for his accompanying soldiers to remain vigilant. Then, gripping his sword hilt, the commander swiftly channeled the formidable, dark green sacred energy within his body.

Taking a deep breath, he launched himself forward with a powerful leap, cleaving his sword down towards the heavy castle gates.

“Boom!”

Amidst the thunderous roar and swirling dust, a flash of green light illuminated the scene. The protective array affixed to the castle gate was instantly shattered by Jakarin’s strike.

The massive gates then swung inward with a resounding crash, their dull impact echoing through the desolate castle corridors like a dying groan.

****

With no further obstruction, Jakarin hastened into the depths of the castle.

The sight that greeted him and the Star Cross Knights soldiers rendered them utterly speechless.

“Lord, what in the world…”

Reflected in Jakarin’s wide eyes, the corridors and halls were strewn with the corpses of Ornar family members and their servants, none spared.

Their faces were contorted in macabre expressions, hinting at immense terror and agony in their final moments. The blood on the floor had already dried, yet it still exuded a suffocating, rusty odor.

These were not mere deaths; they were the gruesome remnants of a brutal massacre. Some bodies had been dismembered, while others lay with throats savagely slit, blood splattered everywhere.

The air hung heavy with the stench of death and a pervasive metallic tang, painting a truly horrifying tableau.

Witnessing the horrific scene, several of Jakarin’s subordinates couldn’t bear it, bending over to retch. Even Jakarin, a seasoned veteran of countless battles, felt his heart sink with profound gravity.

After confirming there were no survivors, Jakarin ordered his troops to conduct a thorough search of the castle, hoping to unearth clues about the incident.

He himself approached the corpse of a portly man, slowly kneeling beside it.

“Count Kro…”

Jakarin’s expression grew increasingly somber as he gazed at the gruesome body before him, its abdomen torn open and all its internal organs missing.

Dead, or brutally tortured?

Who could have done this? Were they afraid the Ornar family would reveal secrets?

Moreover, something felt distinctly odd.

Slowly, Jakarin raised a hand and gently touched Count Kro’s forehead, his eyes clouded with deep confusion. The estimated time of death was only a little over an hour ago, yet in such a short span, the soul aura had completely dissipated.

It wasn’t just Count Kro; the nearby servants seemed to exhibit the same peculiar condition. Had someone collected their souls? To kill and collect souls—who could be capable of such an act?

Jakarin’s mind raced, processing the grim implications.

However, as the leader of the Star Cross Knights was lost in thought, an unnervingly chilling aura abruptly invaded Jakarin’s sensory field, sending shivers of dread through his entire being.

“Be alert!”

Sensing immediate danger, Jakarin roared a desperate warning.

Alas, it was too late.

The instant his command left his lips, before his soldiers could even react, a horde of black-clad monsters emerged from the surrounding shadows, enveloped by an eerie, dark glow.

Their faces were obscured by a strange black mist, revealing only the faint, unsettling glint of their blue eyes.

These creatures moved with terrifying speed and ferocity, charging towards Jakarin and his subordinates like streaks of black lightning.

The soldiers had no time to respond. Several of them met a tragic end, their hearts mercilessly pierced by the monsters’ sharp blades.

Blood splattered, screams mingled with roars, and the air instantly reeked of gore and death.

****

“Damn it!” After sending a humanoid monster flying with a powerful punch, Jakarin grimly surveyed his surroundings.

At that moment, Jakarin made a horrifying discovery.

The aura emanating from these monsters was identical to the one he had perceived during the tragic Sabuyel incident years ago!

This was the aura of Calamity Demons.

‘Are you kidding me?! Why are Calamity Demons here?!’

Jakarin roared inwardly, questioning the very fabric of his reality. Furthermore, these monsters could effortlessly overwhelm Star Cross Knights soldiers, meaning they were at least Fifth-tier beings.

Instantly, a profound sense of gravity enveloped Jakarin’s heart. He realized the severe implications of this incident; it was no longer merely a matter of dealing with a traitor.

Regardless of where these Calamity Demons originated, if they were not eradicated here and now, their plague-like influence would spread, and the entire Theocracy would suffer incalculable consequences.

“Lord, grant me strength.”

Without another thought, Jakarin clutched the necklace at his chest, a symbol of the Goddess of Creation.

As the words of his prayer left his lips, Jakarin’s body gradually became enveloped in a pale golden radiance. The formidable aura of a Seventh-tier Saint erupted from within him, instantly shattering the ground beneath his feet.

It spread outwards with an unstoppable momentum, rapidly engulfing the entire castle.

Having unleashed his potent battle intent, Jakarin crouched low, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sheathed sword, adopting an offensive stance.

“Come and get me, you monsters!”

A roar, infused with sacred energy, instantly reverberated through the heavens and earth.

As expected, the commander’s prediction proved true.

Upon hearing his voice and sensing the ‘disgusting’ sacred aura, the Shadow Soldiers immediately abandoned their current targets. They swarmed towards Jakarin from all directions, intent on tearing him limb from limb.

****

Meanwhile, after being bathed in the potent sacred energy, the surviving soldiers’ faces lit up with excitement. Their eager gazes fixed upon the green-haired man in the courtyard.

“Commander Jakarin! Commander Jakarin has made his move!”

Cheers of exhilaration erupted from the soldiers’ mouths.

One must understand that within the current world’s power system, an individual’s strength is categorized into nine tiers, based on the concentration of energy within their body.

Most people, throughout their entire lives, would at most reach the Fourth-tier. Even the Imperial Guard soldiers, an elite unit tasked with protecting the Holy Royal Palace, had an average strength that rarely exceeded the Fifth-tier.

However, Jakarin, the commander of the Star Cross Knights, had attained a realm far beyond the reach of ordinary individuals: the Seventh-tier, a Saint.

In terms of sheer internal energy concentration, even the weakest Saint was dozens of times stronger than a Sixth-tier being. Coupled with their ability to manipulate natural elements, a single Saint could contend with a thousand soldiers and possess the power to destroy an entire city alone.

Though the soldiers had been pushed back by the Shadow Soldiers, they harbored no fear of these terrifying monsters. This was because Jakarin was behind them, their commander was present; with him, failure was simply not an option.

Unless a peak Saint or a rare, Eighth-tier Heavenly Realm existence descended, Jakarin would not be defeated.

Indeed, Jakarin did not disappoint his subordinates.

Facing the fiercely attacking Shadow Soldiers, Jakarin’s eyes narrowed sharply, and he abruptly drew the sword from his waist! In that instant, a dark green sacred light flashed between heaven and earth.

The vast sacred energy effortlessly shattered the Shadow Soldiers’ Dark Abyss power aura. Amidst the clash of blades, dozens of Shadow Soldiers were swiftly cleaved in two by Jakarin’s ferocious strikes, offering no resistance whatsoever.

In the blink of an eye, every single Shadow Soldier was utterly pulverized, dissipating into black mist that vanished into the ether. As for these black mists, they were instantly obliterated by Jakarin’s formidable aura, leaving no trace behind.

The next moment, under the worshipful gazes of his soldiers, Jakarin stood unmoving, like a war god, slowly sheathing his sword.

Perceiving his surroundings, Jakarin quickly made his assessment. “All killed. No escapees.”

Witnessing this magnificent display, the nearby soldiers spontaneously erupted into deafening cheers.

Amidst the jubilant shouts, Jakarin gradually began to lower his guard. However, just as he exhaled a sigh of relief, an unprecedented and overwhelming pressure instantly invaded his sensory field, causing the commander’s face to contort in alarm.

His entire soul instinctively trembled.

?!?!?!

“What is that?!”

Evidently, something far more terrifying than the Shadow Soldiers had entered his perception.

‘Oh? Not bad, not bad~ Let me see just what you’re made of~’

A playful voice distinctly entered Jakarin’s ears.

Unfortunately, before Jakarin could even pinpoint the source of this aura and voice, a white silhouette, surrounded by an eerie blue light, flickered before him like a ghost.

The suddenly appearing, unknown white-haired maiden had icy eyes and movements that were both precise and lethal. Her speed was incredibly astonishing, almost impossible for Jakarin to track.

Before Jakarin could fully react, the maiden’s form had already closed in, carrying a terrifying, mountain-toppling aura as she delivered a fierce kick to his chest. Facing this earth-shattering pressure, Jakarin instinctively channeled all the sacred energy throughout his body and raised his arm to block.

However, the white-haired maiden’s strength was astonishing, far surpassing anything Jakarin had anticipated. With no external energy amplification, relying purely on her physical might, her kick tore through the air, violently impacting the armor on Jakarin’s arm.

“Crack~”

With a sharp, brittle sound, Jakarin’s sacred energy field collapsed under the horrifying impact. His sturdy crimson-gold armor shattered instantly like fragile porcelain, sending fragments scattering in every direction.

Not only that, but the sheer force of the kick directly resulted in a comminuted fracture of Jakarin’s arm. Intense pain instantly coursed through his entire body, and he let out an almost uncontrollable cry of agony.

Then, in just a fleeting moment, his body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, propelled by that immense power. He hurtled through the air, smashed through the stone of the castle wall, and finally crashed heavily onto a cliff thousands of meters away.

“Boom!!!”

At the moment of impact with the cliff, the tremendous force inflicted an unprecedented level of pain upon Jakarin. His consciousness began to blur, and blood welled from his mouth, staining the rocks at the cliff’s edge. Every nerve in his body seemed to scream, the agony almost making it impossible to breathe.

“Damn it, no, impossible… That person, that person is…”

As the pain reached its zenith, Jakarin could no longer support his body, and he plunged directly down from the cliff. His consciousness, too, spiraled into darkness.

****

“Hmph, utterly pathetic~ Is this all you amount to? How disappointing.”

Watching Jakarin fall from the distant cliff, Xianming, still standing in place, pulled her hat lower. She rested one hand on her hip, striking a cool pose, a smug smile playing on her lips.