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Thales leapt down from the black coffin and watched everything before him in a daze.

All the flying ashes disappeared, none of the blood and flesh remained. The severed limbs that littered the ground gradually withered, turning into ash and melting into the snow-covered ground under the moonlight.

’Has it ended? Giza, the Blood Mystic, that maniac... disappeared just like that?’

The hydra’s tentacles loosened their grip and withered. Both Katerina and Serena fell onto the ground and coughed violently.

Supporting the deathly pale Ralf, Aida walked out of the thicket beside Thales.

"There were at least a hundred of those tree branches," Aida said, still in shock. "Why did all of them suddenly wither away...?" However, Aida was immediately taken aback. She pointed at the female warrior with exaggerated movements and exclaimed, "Ah, strange woman, you came!"

The female warrior placed the shield back on her back and laughed, "I haven’t seen you for years, Forgetful Aida!"

Aida’s expression immediately darkened. The female warrior drew her two-handed sword and waved it a few times, as though it was not heavy at all.

She flung the blood off the sword. Although her expression was calm, her gaze was sharp. She then turned and looked at Thales.

Thales also curiously looked at this person who had suddenly appeared and saved his life. ’She is undoubtedly a soldier,’ he thought to himself.

Her armor was smeared in the blood left by the Mystic, but she exuded a steady and determined aura, causing her to not look pathetic despite the blood. Instead, she gave the feeling that she was exactly how a seasoned veteran would look like.

She had neat, short, brownish yellow hair. There was no need to overly describe her handsome looks since from the moment she appeared, her aura—one filled with staunch fighting spirit—would cause all who saw her to only pay attention to her status as a warrior and forget to pay any attention to her appearance.

Their eyes met for a few seconds. The female warrior then suddenly grinned. She audaciously stuck her two-handed sword into the ground and knelt on one knee.

"So, child, you are Thales... my prince?"

"Yes. I am Thales Jade Star." Thales flashed a smile. "Thank you..."

Thales felt strange. While these people had all knelt on one knee to him, Gilbert’s had been filled with courtesy and respect, Yodel’s gave him a feeling of that he trusted Thales, and the female warrior before him exuded a kind of informality and elegance from head to toe.

The warrior’s next move confirmed his guess, because she actually raised her hands—clad in iron gloves and were covered in blood—and ruffled the hair of Constellation’s second prince a few times!

"Good job, kid!" she laughed loudly. Her voice was valiant and sharp. "Many of the new recruits under me might have puked from fear since the beginning if faced with that kind of situation!"

Thales was seeing stars from all the ruffling on his hair. Feeling the oiliness that came from the blood on the female warrior’s hands, he awkwardly said, "Erm, Madam—"

Laughing loudly, the female warrior cut him off. "I am Sonia Sasere, a mere lady of a territory." Sonia’s words did not make her sound as if she was aware of what being a ’mere lady’ meant. She—being in an extremely good mood—even punched Thales’ shoulder, making the weakened boy cough hard.

"And I temporarily guard the Broken Dragon Fortress—the border between the two kingdoms!"

Thales snapped out of his daze, "Ah! You- YOU are the ’Fortress Flower’?"

Even though he was already prepared before he embarked on this diplomatic mission, when he saw Sonia in real life, he was still a little excited.

The Fortress Flower.

In Mindis Hall, Gilbert would sometimes weave in some explanations of Constellation’s current circumstances in between lessons such as the most renowned ’Constellation’s Three Commanders ’.

Although Constellation suffered great losses during the disaster of the Bloody Year, it gained many talented people of many specialties from this nightmare. For example, those prodigious in government administration, foreign affairs, military affairs, and war.

This was how many new nobles and people in the king’s partisan became Constellation’s pillars from the nobodies they used to be. The ’Cunning Fox’, Gilbert, was one such example.

And amid the blood and fire, in the battlefields where they faced off against Eckstedt, the orcs and the Barren Bone people in the Western Desert as well as the rebels from the southwest, many young commoners rose to power and were given titles of nobility.

After the Bloody Year, Kessel increased the number of regular soldiers in the army belonging to the royal family, even including plenty of commoners and young people, to guard the entire kingdom. These people were basically veterans who were baptized by war and had once shown outstanding performances on the battlefield.

Twelve years had gone by, and they have all faced different turns that led to different outcomes in life. However, three of them had their positions unshaken from the start, standing the test of time and growing into military commanders who could take charge on their own. They were ’Constellation’s Three Commanders’, famous throughout Constellation.

The subjects of the kingdom gave all of them flashy nicknames to the point that their original names were rarely mentioned by anyone.

The Kingdom’s Wrath.

The Legendary Wing.

The Fortress Flower.

Among them, the Fortress Flower, Lady Sonia Sasere, entered Constellation’s history books when she followed Duke John on an expedition against the rebels in the southwest.

Ever since the Bloody Year ended, she had led some of the regular soldiers of the royal family and guarded the bitterly cold Northern Territory, watching the Great Dragon of the North’s every move.

Many Constellatiates believed that as long as the Fortress Flower remained in bloom in Broken Dragon Fortress, Constellation’s Northern Territory would stand tall and never fall.

Of course, many of the ladies in the capital city often gossiped behind her back, "Her every move is like a man. Serves that knife-wielding, war-mongering lady right, not being able to marry even when she is over thirty years old."

And now, the legendary Fortress Flower stood right in front of Thales.

"Ha! Arracca would definitely regret not leading any forces to come to your aid," Pleased with herself, Sonia tapped her shield, "I am the first one to seal a Mystic among the three of us..."

However, in the next moment, Thales saw Sonia’s expression change!

"What’s wrong?" Thales asked in surprise and bewilderment.

"Something’s off!" Sonia clenched her fists tightly and raised her shield, looking around her vigilantly. "She was not sealed!"

*Boom!*

Before Thales could react, Sonia abruptly picked him up and leapt from the ground to avoid a blood-tentacle that pierced out from the ground!

Thales stared at the tentacle before his eyes in disbelief. ’Wasn’t Giza already...’

The tentacle abruptly divided into a dozen something smaller tentacles. Thales felt that the moment it split open, his entire body felt numb, as though it was injected with anesthetics!

’Is this... the feeling of having your body controlled?’

Trembling, Thales let go of Sonia’s arm, but the latter did not appear to be affected at all. She extended her arm and held him even tighter!

Sonia gritted her teeth. Roaring furiously, she drew the two-handed sword from her back. Light shone on the sword, and when she swung the sword in a circular movement with one arm, the light on the sword emitted a magnificent arc, and as the sword shone, it chopped down countless small tentacles!

A few of them curled towards their original position—from the Dark Night Black Coffin!

Many of the tentacles contracted and withered before becoming flying ashes the moment they touched the black coffin. Just like when they touched the Supreme Shield! However, more tentacles curled onto the black coffin as if they did not fear death. As they withered and joined with one another, they withstood the corrosion of the legendary anti-mystic equipment and hoisted the black coffin up!

"Black coffin!" Seeing this from a distance away, Katerina anxiously shouted loudly, "We cannot let her take it away!"

Sonia was calm as usual and moved swiftly. Carrying Thales in one hand, she threw her two-handed sword with her right hand like a boomerang!

*Chop!*

It chopped off the tentacles that entangled the black coffin.

*Plop!*

The black coffin fell on the ground again. Moving her feet, Sonia rapidly leapt onto the black coffin. She put Thales down and unequipped the shield. She watched vigilantly as two tentacles reached out again from the darkness ahead.

"Impossible!" Having seen the situation in front of him clearly, Thales cried out in surprise.

Under the protection of two tentacles, Giza Streelman appeared before them in the form of a naked maiden covered in blood again with a smile on her face.

Thales shuddered, but Sonia calmly held up her shield and took a step forward, shielding Thales behind her back. She furrowed her brows deeply.

On the other hand, Thales had his eyes wide open and mouth agape. ’How is it that... She is completely alright?’

Did Serena not tell him that the legendary anti-mystic equipment can be used to fight against Mystics?

He remembered that when Yodel sealed Asda before this, he had only stabbed Asda’s back once while catching him unawares before Asda to burst into white light and disappeared without a trace.

Both Yodel and Morat called that... sealing?

Thales had even thought that he had mastered some knowledge about the weaknesses of Mystics... However, in front of him, Giza...

Why?

"Why? Are you thinking that it’s strange?" Giza chuckled, "Why did the legendary anti-mystic equipment not work on me?"

Sonia abruptly raised her hand and stopped Aida and Katerina who were about to charge over.

"Step back!" she said loudly, as though she had the authority to execute orders and stop all people from taking any action with just one shout.

Aida and the queen abruptly halted in their steps. Sonia stared at Giza in front of her, her gaze was extremely solemn. "I heard two legends about you from the Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Department." Sonia watched Giza with a determined expression.

"Firstly, the more enemies the Blood Mystic faces, the stronger her destructive powers and vitality becomes. This is because your enemies will all become your nourishment. The greatest misconception when it comes to fighting against you is ’the more people, the better’. That will only make you stronger as you fight... The best method is to have a supreme class elite who is agile enough and nimble enough to bring along a legendary anti-mystic equipment to battle with you alone in a wasteland without any living beings."

Giza’s smile faded a little. ’The Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Department. They are still as annoying as a few hundred years ago.’

"A good choice." Curling up the corner of her lips, Giza nodded. "It’s no wonder why I can sense a lot of humans a few hundred meters away. You left all your manpower there and came here alone?"

Sonia snorted. "It seems that your recon skills are also very strong."

Then, the two tentacles abruptly extended towards Sonia! At the same time, more than ten tree roots burst out of the ground and reached for Sonia and Thales!

An attack that covered all sides, where they had nowhere to dodge.

That fluctuation surged to all four of Thales’ limbs again. He was about to dodge, but at that moment, he could only feel another surge of power blooming from Sonia’s body!

She turned and utilized her body’s inertia to the maximum in an inconceivable manner. She slammed the shield in her hand against the tentacles hard!

*Boom!*

It reduced Giza’s tentacles into flying ash.

As the female warrior spun around, she let go of the shield. With great skill, she then quickly caught the edge of the shield in mid-air. Using it like a razor blade, she spun around again with the inertia and swung the shield horizontally, boldly chopping more than ten segments of tree roots that attacked from below her feet into pieces.

*Swoosh! Shing!*

Sonia landed safely on the ground, completely shattering the Blood Mystic’s attack with a flawless counterattack.

Stunned, Thales stared at Sonia. The fluctuations in his body had already surged into his eyes. He could only see an intimidating, colorless energy fill Sonia’s entire body. It was something entirely different compared to the jarring light in the Mystic’s body and the Blood Clansmen’s exuberant flesh and blood.

This was the first time he used this fluctuation in his vision to observe a normal human being who was neither a Mystic nor a Blood Clansman.

"That’s a pretty good reaction. It is rare even among supreme class human beings." Giza nodded admiringly. "And you also have a familiar superpower. It’s one of the Four Main Original Superpowers, the ’Thawing of Glaciers’, known for taking advantage of the opponent’s moves and counter-attacking, right?

"It is now known as the Power of Eradication," Sonia said in derision, "to commemorate the fact that we defeated all of you to the point that you all peed your pants in terror."

Thales suddenly understood. ’So, that colorless energy inside Sonia’s body... was the Power of Eradication?’

"I didn’t know that you could also control plants." Sonia exhaled and vigilantly observed her surroundings. "You are giving me a lot of surprises."

"Why? Is it because based on your understanding, only the red liquid inside the body of animals can be called blood?" Giza chuckled.

Sonia carefully exercised her wrists. "The second legend about you was a little unbelievable until today."

As Giza smile, she recounted the legend, enunciating each world, "It is said that the legendary anti-mystic equipment cannot seal the Blood Mystic."

Thales stared at the Blood Mystic in shock. ’Cannot be sealed? Then... isn’t she uncontrollable by anyone? How was the Battle of Eradication won?’

"Impossible!" Katerina cried out, "The legendary anti-mystic equipment are the Mystic’s nemeses. All those who learned of it were taught this way!"

There was silence for a while. Giza flashed a smile first. Then, she sighed and said, "’The legendary anti-mystic’s equipment are the end of Mystics. The nemesis of the calamities. The slightest touch would cause us to be doomed eternally. Is that so?" Giza said with a calm expression, "Lebla, Erik, and even the ’Truth Brothers’ are extremely terrified of that kind of weapon. Ever since then, they never let anyone go near them. That was how Lebla was sealed."

Giza then chuckled and said with an incredibly chilling aura, "However, I’m the only exception. I’m a Mystic that relies on a ’physical body’ to battle."

Thales’ entire body trembled. He felt that these terms which he could not understand right now were knowledge that he would have to learn in the future. ’Even if it’s not to become a Mystic and even if it’s only for my own sake.’

Giza continued to talk with a smile, "I am also one of only two Mystics who are unafraid of battling in close-quarters with the legendary anti-mystic equipment. Even when danger comes near my body, I will not reject it... Oftentimes, those who approach me also approach their deaths."

Thales furrowed his brows slightly. ’The only two... unafraid to battle close-range? Then who is the other one? So there is... a large difference between Mystics?’ The fear and curiosity towards Mystics tormented Thales and at the same time, made him extremely hesitant.

Giza smiled and said, "Even if legendary anti-mystic equipment hit my physical body, it will only hurt my flesh and blood, which are of no significance. It would be impossible for them to seal me."

Thales furrowed his brows. ’No... Something is wrong... somewhere.’

He was puzzled and was not able to figure it out until Sonia raised her brow and confidently let out a light snort. "Is that so?"

She took a step forward and, as though she had found the enemy’s weakness, she raised the Supreme Shield at the Mystic. "Then why were you running just now? Or is it that... you were hiding something during the time you disappeared?"

Giza’s expression changed. Thales also managed to register what had happened.

’Yes, the shield did work on Giza’s flesh and blood just now. After the first time she turned into flying ash, it took some time for her to reappear. During that period of time, whether she was healing, recuperating, escaping, or hiding, it could only mean that... She is definitely not without any weaknesses!’

"The legendary anti-mystic equipment are so rare and valuable, and are fought over by many kingdoms," Sonia said steadily, "It is not only because they can seal Mystics. More than that, it is because every single legendary anti-mystic equipment has their own unique and powerful ability, allowing the wielders to be reborn and totally remold themselves during battle."

Thales gasped, ’Legendary anti-mystic equipment... Unique and powerful abilities?’

He looked at the Dark Night Black Coffin beneath his feet. Then he remembered Yodel’s gray short sword. ’What power does that sword have then?’ Thales suddenly registered what went on. ’That short sword and the gray shield in Sonia’s hand, their colors are so similar!’

Giza pursed her lips. The tentacles under her body started to tremble uneasily.

Sonia tapped the Supreme Shield. "You probably haven’t seen this before. In the later period of the Battle of Eradication, when you all began fleeing desperately, this was made, together with the Supreme Sword. So you wouldn’t understand its ability."

Giza’s expression changed again.

"When I received the shield, they told me this," Sonia snorted softly, "The name of the Supreme Shield’s power was the embodiment of Empress Hellen’s character."

The Blood Mystic’s expression became increasingly solemn. Thales felt that Sonia had already found her weakness.

The female warrior laughed jubilantly. "The name of its power is...’Hunting’."

Then, as if having thought of the scariest thing ever, the Mystic, with an ice-cold expression, swung her hand furiously!

*BOOM!*

A voice that sounded like a flood exploded in the air!

Under everyone’s vigilant gazes, the large tentacles instantly dissolved into blood and severed limbs... and then they disappeared in the air. Giza hid in the darkness. She cast Thales a deep look.

She left him a sentence, spoken in an airy voice, "We will meet again."

Thales shuddered violently. Giza’s words carried a coldness that sent a chill into Thales’ heart. "I definitely will not let you suffer."

Thales’ face was pale and he felt uneasy. ’Definitely will not let you suffer... Damn. Wait.’ It finally dawned on him. ’The Blood Mystic... Was scared off?’

"She left," Sonia said in a faint voice, "What a pity. I really want to chase her down." She tapped her shield

Thales exhaled deeply.

"Serena!" Thales turned his head. Katerina was gritting her teeth and glaring at an empty corner. "She has escaped!"

The clatter of horse hooves travelled to their ears. Putray, Wya and Genard appeared before them, escorted by a troop of cavaliers.

Seeing them, Thales felt slightly at ease. ’It’s just that, there doesn’t seem to be many of the Jade Star Family’s private soldiers left.’

The night... had ended again.

The cavaliers marched to the front. They all nodded at Sonia and saluted her. They were led by a female knight with a cold expression. When her eyes swept past Thales, the latter could only feel a chill.

’Did I offend her?’ Thales scratched his head, baffled.

At this moment, a shout that was filled with complicated emotions rose into the air.

"Captain!"

Sonia’s entire body trembled. She turned and looked at the person who called.

Thales was stunned. ’Could it be that... Sonia is really "Captain Constellation" since she uses a shield?’

Under everyone’s astonished gaze, the thirty-year-old veteran, Genard, dismounted from his horse. Quivering slightly, he slowly went in front of the female warrior. He looked at Sonia with an excited, but worried and ashamed expression.

"Captain..." His lips trembled, but he could not speak. "I..." Genard lowered his head deeply and gritted his teeth.

"I..."

Sonia looked at this veteran with a complicated expression. "Genard."

But the female warrior exhaled deeply. She raised her gaze, filled with an imposing look.

"Look at me, soldier!" Sonia yelled.

The veteran shuddered violently. He immediately straightened his back. He took a deep breath and looked right at Sonia. A few seconds later, Genard gulped and inhaled deeply.

"I am back," the veteran said firmly.

Sonia eyed him carefully. After quite some time, she gave Genard’s shoulder a punch and flashed a weak smile. "Come back to us."

Genard’s entire body trembled. He gritted his teeth hard and blinked back his tears. The veteran shouted with all his might, "Yes!"

"Pardon me for being frank, Your Highness." Sonia turned and looked at Thales, who was being meticulously checked for injuries by Wya. She furrowed her brows, but she immediately heaved a deep sigh. "Although you went through a lot today, you still have to go to Broken Dragon Fortress as soon as possible."

Thales did not really understand what she meant, but still nodded. Only the experienced vice diplomat, Putray, who was behind Thales, changed his expression. He was pressing on his wound.

"Lady Sasere," he asked solemnly, "What happened?"

Everyone went silent for a second. Sonia furrowed her brows tightly. She then looked straight at Thales.

"Eckstedt’s Archduke of Black Sand, Chapman Lampard... had already dispatched small units that passed through the border of the two kingdoms without hesitation a day ago."

Sonia was expressionless, but her gaze was solemn. She answered, "They are starting to purge the periphery of Broken Dragon Fortress, especially the lines of communication leading to Cold Castle and the Lonely Old Tower."

Thales’ pupils narrowed. Sonia nodded and said solemnly, "The Northern Territory is no longer safe."