PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

581 Chapter 581 Hidden In The Blood

Paralyzed on the floor, being held tightly by Desmond, Revna could do nothing but try to resist the pleasure that invaded her mind. Revna had felt how two sharp objects pierced a vein in her neck to begin to drain the blood inside her, which scared her, but fear was followed by disbelief.

For some reason beyond Revna’s understanding, as her life of her was being drained, her body did nothing but feel overwhelming pleasure. It was as if being eaten by the predator above her was a blessing she should receive with joy. Added to Revna’s masochistic tendencies, the pleasure of being devoured made her unable to resist.

Revna began to feel a deep fear as she realized that her body was not responding to her. At this rate, she was going to be eaten to death. A part of Revna found a certain beauty and satisfaction in being devoured by Desmond in this way. Yet, the greater part of her remained rational and noted the anomaly in her Master’s behavior.

To Revna’s luck, Desmond withdrew his fangs from her and stepped away, freeing the poor girl from his jaws. Revna didn’t even have a chance to feel relieved when she saw that Desmond’s eyes had turned blue again, and she heard him speak.

Desmond practically growled viciously as if he were speaking to someone else in the room. “Son of a bitch, keep your hands off, my wife.”

Before Revna had a chance to do anything, Desmond’s eyes turned red again, and a different voice, full of arrogance, came from his lips. “I don’t think you’re in a position to care about others right now, Desmond.”

Desmond smashed his fist into the ground hard, using the pain to awaken his will, bringing the blue back to his eyes. “You, that dark sensation that came from the blood was you.”

A sadistic smile filled with the joy of seeing his machinations come to fruition plastered on Desmond’s face. Blood red filled his eyes, and that arrogant voice reverberated again in the room. “You didn’t think power would fall into your lap so easily, did you? I waited so long, hundreds if not thousands of years, barely surviving in my blood, waiting for someone like you. I must admit that I am surprised you could notice my hidden presence within the blood no one had until now. Although I suppose I can chalk it up to the tremendous affinity, you have with my blood.”

Desmond understood to some degree what was happening. Spirituality, such a thing was present in precious treasures of a very high level or with very high potential, treasures that could come from nature or from the hand of mortals.

.....

Desmond had found that feeling of darkness faintly familiar, unable to find the similarity until now. Desmond felt a hidden spirituality in the blood, something he hadn’t identified before because this feeling was markedly different from his past experiences. Desmond came to an extremely crazy and dangerous conclusion: That spirituality was the soul of the original owner of the blood.

Desmond didn’t need to confirm his suspicions; the strange voice had said enough. But Desmond still wanted to ask a question, hoping the answer wasn’t what he expected. For a moment, only one of Desmond’s eyes turned blue. “What do you want?” Desmond asked with difficulty.

A maelstrom of blood red devoured the blue of Desmond’s right eye as a maniacal laugh tore from his lips. “Hahahahahaha, I already have what I want. Oh, poor Desmond, from the moment you pierced your heart with that syringe, your fate was sealed. Now my blood flows through your veins, through our veins... Through my veins. You’re lucky I’m merciful enough not to have devoured your conscience yet. At least I’m allowing you to say goodbye to your loved ones, Desmond Astryd. But don’t worry, after using all of them as my toys for a couple of weeks, I will grant them a merciful death to join you in hell.”

Revna felt her body was weaker than ever, and blood loss wasn’t the only reason. That bite brought with it some numbing substance that had left her in her current vulnerable state. Nonetheless, she still tries to find the strength to get closer to Desmond, completely ignorant of the possible danger.

Suddenly, Revna’s body froze, utterly frozen by a pressure that threatened to crush her. Then, Revna saw it, those blood-red eyes fixed on her, emanating a deranged hunger and lust.

“Don’t worry, dear Revna, soon your dream of being ravaged like a bitch for this body will come true.” Exclaimed the strange voice, filled with arrogance and a twisted sense of sadistic pleasure.

Out of nowhere, the arrogant expression on Desmond’s face froze into a face of complete astonishment. A sea of ??sapphire blue washed away the red in Desmond’s eyes instantly, and a voice filled with iron willpower spoke. “Don’t even think about it, Nicolai. My women aren’t something a piece of trash like you can touch.”

“How do you know my name?” Now tinged with uncertainty, the strange voice exclaimed as one of Desmond’s eyes turned red.

A smile of arrogance broke through, and Desmond spoke with a calm and confidence that struck fear into the depths of the invading entity. “Do you think you are the first to try to mess with my soul? Do you think you are the first foreign influence my will has ever clashed with? If you, the cowardly and ridiculous Nicolai Darkblood, can spy on my memories, why couldn’t I do the same?”

For a moment, Desmond’s face turned stupid. He had the expression that a person would have who traveled to the moon and realized that the legend was true; the moon was made of cheese. Then, the strange presence, better known as Nicolai Darkblood, saw a series of memories buried in a part of Desmond’s mind.

Every time Desmond had undergone an experience of hellish pain in his quest for a stronger body. Every time he’d been badly injured and pushed himself to the limit. Nicolai saw it all and realized, to his annoyance, that Desmond had a much stronger will than he had expected.

Later came other experiences of pain, but this time it was not physical pain, but emotional. Desmond had been subjected to the loss of his parents, injustice, sacrifice, and humiliation, including experiencing his own death during a vision shown to him by Katya. Nicolai saw it all and began to feel afraid, using his emotions to manipulate Desmond and weaken his will seemed less and less realistic scenario.

But the third packet of memories filled Nicolai’s spirit with terror. Tens, if not hundreds, of memories all incredibly similar came at the same time. In all those memories, a man and a fairy meet in a stone pavilion surrounded by a beautiful green garden.

Each time, for at least an hour, the man meditated, attuning his mind and mana to the elements. Meanwhile, the faery used every ounce of his spiritual power to disturb and influence the man’s mind and soul. She helps him temper not only his control over mana but also his willpower and spiritual defenses.

Desmond experienced more than one awkward situation when he encountered mind-related ability users. And himself having lived with Kyuru so much, it was only to be expected that Desmond felt the need to strengthen his spirit, his mind. As absurd as Desmond’s innate talents were, his current achievements are based not only on his talent. But on the blood and sweat on his brow and his almost paranoid need to prepare for the unexpected.

“Victory loves the prepared.” Nicolai’s voice came from Desmond’s lips, this time tinged with bitterness and resentment. That phrase was something that Nicolai had heard Desmond say when the fairy had asked him why he needed to train so hard.

Mocking brimming over like poison, Desmond commented. “It was a lesson my father made sure I learned. It’s not like someone like you, who was scorned by his own parents, could understand that.”

When had Nicolai been insulted like that? Nicolai had been the heir to one of his world’s most powerful and dark bloodlines. Even suffering a strange mutation made him much more powerful and unique than his peers. Aside from the progenitor of his race, Nicolai was the only one with said mutation. He would never be treated disrespectfully unless someone no longer valued his life.

Rather jarringly, only the right side of Desmond’s face smiled. “Oh, precious Lilith, I don’t blame you for wanting her, so beautiful, so perfect, with such precious and delicious blood. But who could blame her for slapping the toad when it tried to eat swan meat.”

Nicolai was immediately enraged; Lilith had been taboo to him even before his fall. In his fury, Nicolai did not realize a small yet by no means insignificant detail. As one of his taboo subjects, Lilith’s memories were found in the depths of his being; however, Desmond had already gained access to them.

“Silence, you filthy lesser species, you are lucky to be blessed with my divine blood. You should sacrifice yourself for my resurrection and feel overjoyed to receive such an honor.” A pride that bordered on madness suffused Nicolai’s voice as red invaded both of Desmond’s eyes, emitting a strong bloody glow.

Nicolai’s enraged strong attack shook Desmond’s will and soul hard. Still, something so unfocused and loosely controlled was far from enough to win the battle. In the end, Nicolai was only draining his strength, like a candle burning brighter, without realizing that it was consuming its wax.

Desmond’s counterattack came with twice the force and intensity. Even his hair color turned black again as he regained his human appearance. “How cheekily do you call me an inferior species? You are nothing more than the last dying cry of a madman. You are not even a ghost; you are nothing more than a memory.

A gallery of chaotic scenes passed through Desmond’s mind at the speed of light, conflict, war, blood, and betrayal. A final battle where Nicolai destroyed with his bare hands what he most craved before succumbing. “You will be nothing more than a memory buried by the sands of time.” These were Lilith’s last words before she was devoured by darkness and chains.