"What a terrifying aura... So this is the infamous Bloodhand Gollon!"
Gu Ning was visibly surprised. No wonder the task assigned by the Spirit Realm Will had been ranked S-class difficulty from the start!
If Duke William hadn't joined the battle, there was no way they could have steamrolled through like this. Gu Ning would have had to painstakingly unite all the local village militias, draw away most of the soldiers from Bloodhand Gollon's side, and then lead Qin, Ivette, and the others in a risky siege against him.
The difficulty of that plan was obvious—and the time it would take even more daunting. Just rallying the militias from every village in Brandenburg could take days. Completing this mission in ten days would have been nearly impossible.
[Countdown until the Sting Squad enters this plane: 25 hours, 52 minutes, and 07 seconds.]
Gu Ning glanced again at the countdown. He hadn't forgotten the biggest X-factor in all this—if Duke William hadn't joined the main quest, he'd still have to deal with interference from the incoming Sting Squad. That would've made success even less likely.
Duke William stepped forward at a steady pace, his calm and noble demeanor in sharp contrast to the ferocious roars of Bloodhand Gollon.
"Your Grace! I recommend capturing him alive!" Gu Ning shouted.
"Is that necessary?" Duke William paused and turned his head slightly.
Had Gu Ning not gained his favor, the Duke wouldn't have bothered to ask and would've simply ignored the suggestion.
Qin hesitated, then added, "I agree. Right now, we lack sufficient high-level samples for studying the Blood Ring's mutated monsters."
"Very well," the Duke nodded slightly.
Bloodhand Gollon, hearing them casually discuss his fate as though he were a lamb to the slaughter, flew into a rage. With a sudden leap, his massive axe swung down, wrapped in a blood-red aura.
Duke William tilted his body slightly, dodging the strike. Crack! The blood-infused energy carved a deep fissure into the wooden deck, sending splinters and rivets flying.
Even Gu Ning winced at the sheer destructive power of that blow.
Duke William's expression remained unchanged. He unsheathed his falcon-engraved rapier and struck three times in a flash!
The first strike severed Bloodhand Gollon's axe-wielding arm.
The next two pierced through both of his kneecaps!
Thick, black blood sprayed across the deck as Bloodhand Gollon screamed and collapsed like a felled beast.
Though strong, Bloodhand Gollon was only a commander of the Blood Ring's vanguard—comparable to a first-act boss in a game. Against the Duke, the faction's endgame boss, he stood no chance.
Lieutenant Zweig stepped forward, binding Gollon with chains from a ship's anchor. The ends of the chains were sharpened hooks that pierced through his shoulder bones, rendering him completely immobile.
Qin then pulled out a sharp feathered syringe and jabbed Gollon with it. His howls gradually faded as he drifted into unconsciousness like a wounded beast.
"With the vanguard defeated, this should serve as a harsh warning to Gustav II. He likely won't send more troops across the Baltic anytime soon," Duke William said as he mounted his horse. "Mr. Zweig, remain on the frontlines and prepare for war with the Blood Ring. Mr. Garland and I must return to Brandenburg to convene with the Electors and Lords. Ms. Qin, would you care to accompany us?"
Qin shook her head and smiled. "I've just acquired an exceptional specimen. I'd like to stay and conduct some research."
Everyone burst into laughter, assuming she meant Bloodhand Gollon.
Only Qin slyly winked at Gu Ning.
No one else noticed, but Ivette did. She raised her hand. "I'd like to stay too…"
"Ms. Ivette, I understand your desire to fight and your concern for the Queen's rescue," said the Duke, shaking his head. "But I'm afraid I'll need you to attend the imperial lords' summit. You're the one who understands the Blood Ring Fortress best—and we must convince the nobles of its threat."
"..." Ivette fell silent, unable to argue.
Stettin Town – Qin's Temporary Laboratory
Bloodhand Gollon lay chained to an operating table, still unconscious. The hooks through his shoulders made sure he couldn't move at all.
"Thank you for speaking up for me," Gu Ning said.
"There's no need for formalities between us, Dio," Qin smiled. "Besides, I wasn't lying—I did obtain a high-value specimen."
"You mean me," Gu Ning replied.
"Exactly," Qin winked flirtatiously. "As a trade-off, Gollon is yours to handle. Whatever you intend to do with him, I won't interfere."
Gu Ning thought to himself—these natives were certainly no fools. Qin had clearly seen through his motives in capturing Gollon alive. Even though her affection for him had reached the Heartthrob level, she still kept a clear head.
"I'll cooperate with your experiments—as long as they don't threaten my life," Gu Ning said. "But as your subject, I deserve to be informed. May I ask a question?"
"Of course, Dio. You're not just a specimen to me... I've always liked men smarter than I am," Qin said with a bright smile.
"This is the payment from our last collaboration—an alchemical potion you made using my blood," Gu Ning said, flipping his palm to reveal a vial of Blood Intensifier.
"Is there a problem?" Qin batted her eyes innocently.
"If this potion were used on someone else, they'd likely become my servant. I want to understand the mechanism behind that," Gu Ning said.
"Oh, that's touching upon one of this world's biggest secrets," Qin said with a playful laugh. "To fully explain it will take a while."
"I have time," Gu Ning said calmly. After all, there were still over ten hours before the Sting Squad would arrive.
Qin began to pace slowly as she spoke:
"Decades ago, this world had no supernatural powers—no bloodforce, no blood magic. Science and technology were thriving. Gunpowder weapons were replacing the old knightly orders…
"But then a cursed meteorite fell on Scania. That's when the supernatural appeared.
"First, there were rumors—warriors with the strength of ten men, plaguewalkers who roamed the meteor's crash site.
"Unknown to the world, that meteor contained a mysterious substance—one that triggered evolution and bestowed great power.
"It should've been a divine blessing... but this substance had strict requirements. Those whose bodies didn't match its criteria were overwhelmed by its drive to evolve, their forms mutating grotesquely—they became mindless monsters called Plaguewalkers, obsessed with consuming flesh and growing stronger.
"But those with compatible constitutions weren't affected negatively. Instead, they adapted and developed extraordinary powers like bloodforce and blood magic—just like our Duke Friedrich William. These rare individuals are called Resonants.
"There are very few Resonants. Most infected people simply turn into Plaguewalkers. That's why the meteor came to be known as the Cursed Star, and its power is now called the Curse Force.
"Ten years ago, Princess Christina passed through Scania and touched that cursed meteor. She became its ultimate host. From that point on, her breath mingled with the skies, and her blood soaked into the rivers—spreading the Curse Force into every person's veins."
Gu Ning recalled how Blood Ring's heavy soldiers emitted blood-red light when activating skills. "Are those elite Blood Ring soldiers all Resonants? Do they all use bloodforce?"
Qin shook her head. "Those elites were artificially created by King Gustav II—the current Blood Ring Emperor—using Flesh Alchemy."
"Flesh Alchemy?" Gu Ning repeated.
"Yes," Qin said. "The Curse Force drives Plaguewalkers to consume flesh—it's their evolutionary instinct seeking energy. Early alchemists, trying to save loved ones, experimented with extracting blood from Resonants to create potions that could suppress this instinct…
"But they failed. The potions turned their loved ones into even more terrifying Mutants. These retained intelligence and rivaled Resonants in strength—but they lost their humanity and became flesh-obsessed predators.
"Names like the Duke of Bergen, the Bloodmist Butcher, and Crimson Wing—these infamous Mutants were all first-generation alchemy failures.
"That's how Flesh Alchemy began."
Gu Ning was fascinated. His understanding of the Flesh Plague: Origin Plane deepened.
Qin continued:
"Many scholars joined the Flesh Alchemy movement, myself included.
"Then, the Duke of Bergen massacred the entire city using blood magic, creating the infamous Blood Pool Massacre. Only then did kings and lords outlaw Flesh Alchemy research.
"Everyone but Gustav II. He invited scholars to Chukrona Fortress for 'consultations' on Princess Christina.
"I thought he wanted to save his daughter—but no, he wanted to control Mutants and conquer the world.
"And he succeeded. Chukrona became Blood Ring Fortress. His Mutant armies conquered Denmark, the Slavic lands, and soon, he crowned himself emperor.
"Now, the Blood Ring forces are invading Brandenburg across the Baltic—just as you've seen."
"I understand now," Gu Ning said. "The potion you made controls others just like the Blood Ring controls Mutants. It's all about that mysterious substance—same source as what's in Princess Christina."
"Exactly," Qin smiled. "The Blood Ring uses Christina as a Mother Host, rewriting the instinct to evolve into a magic command of obedience.
"If you master your own mysterious substance, you can control Mutants without any runes. The potion I made merely activates your future potential in advance."
Gu Ning felt a surge of excitement. Though not awakened yet, the potential of his Evolution Source Blood was becoming clear.
So far, it had granted two powers: adaptive resistance to external harm, and the ability to create servant Mutants—powers any awakened would envy.
His anticipation for his awakening grew stronger.
"As your friend, let me remind you," Qin added. "The potion only works on targets weaker than you."
Gu Ning nodded. The Spirit Realm's rules had mentioned a Power Check—if the target failed, they'd become a servant; if not, they'd resist the effect.
He glanced again at the warning panel.
[Countdown until the Sting Squad enters this plane: 12 hours, 33 minutes.]
"I still have one more question…"