By The Blood

Feeling the effects of charm, the guardsmen could no longer think clearly and nodded. "Anything lady."

"I want you to let me go into the archon's chamber and give me a small dagger if you will." She lowered her gaze and connected her middle fingers, her lips a slight pout. They didn't allow vixens to enter with their own weapons.

The Archon's Chambers? Dagger? That's all she wants? If I do that, then she could love me! But the chamber entrance is currently blocked. The middle-aged man nodded. He felt good; the burning desire he had long lost during his younger days had returned to him. Thank the warrior god that his desires had found their way to him.

Without response and a wide, excited smile, the man took a dagger from his clothes and handed it to Jean. "Follow me, I will personally lead you. I know a secret pathway into the chamber. It is a hole made long ago by an assassin. Although it has been repaired some much, with enough strength, I can open it up again"

"Thank you very much." Jean took the dagger and replied. They both soon followed a corner, different from the ones the other guardsmen followed.

How does he even know about the secret passage? Does he have some ranking within the guardsmen? But it would seem like he does not have any defenses. So a high rank but with no sanguine powers? Or he does, but simply cannot guard against my charm. She smiled.

Everything seeks and succumbs to pleasure!

They soon found a corner, entering a hallway empty without guardsmen. The walls had a darkish color with cracks in certain parts.

"This is it?" The man pointed at a part of the wall.

At the point where the wall met the ground, there was a brown patch of wood, all bolted together as if to cover a hole.

Jean smiled and turned to the man, saying, "You can go now."

Just like that? Doesn't she love me? The guardsmen wondered.

Sensing his thoughts from his expression, Jean curled up an enticing smile, leaned towards the man, and kissed him on the cheek. "You're first present."

A jolt of excitement filled him. With a smile and satisfaction, he spoke no more and instead ran out the hallway, while convinced that he had gotten the most perfect lady to fall in love with him.

"Now then." Jean lowered down, using her dagger, and she sliced through the wood. Although it did take some strength. It soon broke open, and like some rat, she knee-walked into the hole.

"What!?" She blurted out in a low tone.

In the hall with tall pillars, a man dressed in a white coat and trousers stood before three legionnaires. Is he the attacker? Only him, fighting against witch-blooded knights? Not with a faction? Against three legionnaires? Isn't he already dead? Should I go back?

Just as she asked that question, an illusory voice pierced into her mind, causing it to slitter like snakes. She grimaced, enduring. It lasted for a couple of moments before finally fading away.

The Mother wants me to help. Her brows knitted. Just then, she saw the legionnaires move.

___

The Legionnaires struck, and Aurelian turned himself into mist as the sword slashed through him. He moved through the attack, reforming a few steps away from the first legionnaire. He stepped back a few steps, making sure one of his fingers was still in a misty state. It was a way to make sure the ability stayed on, to not fall into cool-down. And although it drained his mana, as a special class, he had enough to last, the issue was the pain of it all.

But as he moved, one of the legionnaires behind vanished. From the corner of his eyes, Aurelian spotted a glass-like sword closing in on him. Quickly, he turned into mist, weaving through the sword as it cut through the fog. He curled around, before forming beside a pillar. He stared at the three legionnaires; the one who had attacked him slowly rose, dragging the sword with a few ground debris. They looked imposing, and terrifying. This was how people saw legions!

Suddenly, the three armor bearers vanished in a blink. What? They can use the ability multiple times! Numerous shadows loomed over him, descending at a fast pace. He looked up, spotting the three legionnaires as they descended with their swords in hand.

Boom!

The three swords crashed into the same spot, smashing into where Aurelian once stood. However, they only cut through the mist. The mist quickly leaked out and reformed a few steps away.

Aurelian panted, the pain of mana was growing by the moment.

One of the three dashed forward. He moved far more nimbly than one would expect for a man in such bulky armor. But shard armor was special, wearing it was the same as wearing one's skin. No difference and thus had no weight to the wearers.

The legionnaire struck. Aurelian jumped to the side and closed his eyes. He knew his mind-worm powers wouldn't work on a blooded knight, but he hoped that these were special enough to give him an edge. However, the legionnaire did not allow for this. He closed in, swinging his teeth-edged sword. Aurelian, having no choice, opened his eyes, turning into mist.

The pain surged through his body as he materialized a few steps away.

What are the other two doing? Aurelian realized an issue, but he did not have time for that. If the others decided to abstain from the fight, he would take the opportunity to destroy at least one. Perhaps this was a lucky blessing from the pure white!

Aurelian dashed forward and attacked downward with a hand blow, trying to hit the shard-armor's helm. He, of course, coated his fingers in a whitish plate. The man ducked, going down on one knee, letting Aurelian's fist punch through the air.

Aurelian leaped backward as the legionnaire swung upward with his chain sword, scraping the top parts of the ceiling. Aurelian could have summoned his entire shard armor, but he didn't want to. Firstly because the size was an issue, and he preferred to this nimble and small. Secondly, he wanted to use it for putray; the man was an archon, which meant he was at least a sanguine and shard-amour-bearer. So there was a chance he was at the class of desolation!

As the legionnaire turned, Aurelian sprinted forward, his legs turning into mist, giving the illusion that he was flying, As expected, the legionnaire swung again, and Aurelian rolled to the side. Without his legs, his movement was a bit more fluid. He turned from his roll, regained his legs, and flipped. Then, descending to the opponent's back, he slammed his sword into a nonmetal area around the neck. That part was made of a black cloth-like material.

Unfortunately, the blade did not go deep enough. Despite the sharpness of the mist blade, it only made a few nail-sized cuts, but small spills of blood did rise from the material.

Aurelian jumped out of range as the legionnaire hacked in rage, trying to lose Aurelian of his legs. Panting with clothes deeply wet, Aurelian made a judgment. At this rate, I won't be able to kill the remaining two without falling to the pain. But pure knows, maybe me breaking down might harm putray in some way

Aurelian glanced past the legionnaire; the other two remained in the original spot as if waiting for something. What are they waiting for? He thought.

Nonetheless, he rounded the legionnaire, then chose a moment and dashed forward. The man swung again, but Aurelian briefly turned into mist, allowing the sword to pass through him. But then, his hands formed from the mist, holding the sword. He eyed a spot between the armpits and the chest. He pushed through the pain and pierced it with all his might.

AAAhhh!

The loud voice roared from the legionnaire, as he hacked down in fury, but Aurelian spewed out into mist before reforming. The man knelt on one knee, blood splattering out from his armpits. He closed it with one hand while desperately holding tightly his sword with the other.

I did it? Praise the pure! Aurelian felt a jolt of joy. One that dispelled even the pain of mana usage.

Just then, he spotted a change in the corner. Two of the legionnaires were quivering and shaking, their armor violently trembling. They began to break apart as the arms of the legionnaires grew longer, and their legs began to bend, causing the armor to reveal visible dents within it.

Are they also sanguine? But this is destroying their armor! They wouldn't do that, which means this is an ability from the armor! But that would mean that they can also shift their shape. Aurelian felt a sense of panic gnaw at him. It's still taking time, I need to stop it before then!

And again; this was taking too long. Yes, he wanted putray to be aware of his presence, but not too aware to be too ready. A battle-ready archon was something Aurelian had no hope of defeating.

He glanced at the injured legionnaire. First! Aurelian lunched into the air, turning his legs into mist, and falling feet-first toward his combatant. The legionnaire didn't stop but swing, but Aurelian turned his torso into mist, causing the sword to pass through him in a fruitless bid. The legionnaire swished through the air, recalled his sword, and hacked down at the exposed upper body.

He sidestepped, dodging the sword that smashed into the ground. Using the moment to throw himself forward, he swung at the shard-armor bearer's side, where the blood spewed from the armpit. He hit with a tremendous blow, causing that piece of the plate to shatter, cutting deep into the black material, into the flesh, and deep within the bone. The legionnaire grunted, but Aurelian was not done. With his sword stuck within the man's armpits, Aurelian tightened his feet, held his footing, and swung up from within the armpit!

Blood spewed out as the platted hand flew up and landed thud-first on the ground. Aurelian quickly closed his eyes and delved into the darkness. He felt the pulsating tendrils and grabbed hold of them. They wiggled with some resistance, but they soon came to obey. You are an ally. He said in his thoughts. He opened his eyes and watched the panting legionnaire who made no movement to fight back. The pain was enough of a distraction to control the mind. However what he did wasn't controlling the mind, but more like changing the memories.

Growl!

Aurelian turned quickly as a giant claw drew close to his face. He quickly tried to turn into mist, but a massive pain burned through his body. He gritted and turned his shoulder. The claw collided with his arm, sending him hurting through the air. Blood dripped down his left shoulder, but not enough to become an issue. But it would nonetheless take a while to heal. Despite being in special class with the shard armor, he was still just an advanced and thus did not have the perk of self-healing that came with the class.

He looked ahead. Two silver-furred wolfs stood on their legs growling at him. They each had long claws the size of a baby's hand and the metallic sheen to them made it appear metal.

I can't stop them anymore. Aurelian painfully realized. He glanced at the injured legionnaire. Did the memory reform not work?

The injured legionnaire picked up his sword with his other hand and staggered up. He stood among the two wolves, seeming ready to pounce.

So it didn't work? Aurelian sighed. At least I tried.

Splurt!

Aurelian froze in place. A sword suddenly pierced through one of the wolf's stomachs, spilling blood from the wound. The chain sword was pulled out, dragging with it pieces of flesh, some that fell on the ground, others that lingered on the blade's teeth. The werewolf stared in disbelief, before buckling down and crashing dead. It was soon soaked in its pool of blood.