Chapter 497 - I Want It All! (1)

It was unclear whether Cassius had meant something deeper or merely had a twisted sense of humor, but in the end, it no longer mattered. What mattered was that Fog Man, through his own interpretation of the situation, had stumbled onto the correct path.

Indeed, a frenzied will was never a sustainable approach. Bloodthirsty rage or sadistic brutality were merely methods and styles on the road to achieving one’s goal. They were never the goal itself.

If those things were one’s ultimate pursuit, only complete self-destruction awaited. After all, the new generation of the Treatment Ward had been formed when Cassius rescued the prisoners from dark creature transformation.

Since they had been affected by beast transformation madness, they were already prone to outbursts of negative emotions. Lacking balance would send them spiraling downward toward self-inflicted doom.

In truth, Fog Man’s simple mind had not pondered too deeply; he merely felt that the Director of the Treatment Ward was teaching him a profound lesson. In any event, it was best to obey whatever the Director of the Treatment Ward said!

Fog Man lingered weakly in that spot for several minutes. Once he caught his breath, he darted off to rejoin the main force in the distance.

***

Twenty minutes later, at a location two kilometers northwest of Lusa Falls.

They arrived at a gorge thickly covered in lush shrubs and greenery. It was teeming with insects, and at a glance, dense branches and broad leaves blocked all view.

However, several paths had been forcibly cut through the dense thicket; branches were snapped off and the obstructing trees felled, making three or four straight roads.

At the moment, the entrance to the gorge stood brightly lit.

Elder Wind Blade cautiously led a squad of young blue-eyed hunters forward. They had just finished their main assignment of placing markers at every complex fork in the paths.

The blue-eyed hunters now made their way to the final battlefield between the Blood Race and the Treatment Ward—the Blood Race lair. During the journey, they could hardly contain their excitement, especially Elder Wind Blade himself. His eyes had reddened and his breathing was ragged.

In the past, the Mercury Hunters could barely resist the Blood Race in a few counties along the Alphama Mountains. Moreover, those were only certain branch line Blood Race factions, yet they still left the Mercury Hunters struggling to breathe.

They had scurried about like rats, refusing to show themselves publicly. Just opposing Count Bain, one of the factions derived from the Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race, had forced them to endure humiliation and secretly plan for more than fifty years. It had been an excruciating trial, like dancing on a razor’s edge.

Never in his wildest dreams had Elder Wind Blade imagined they would one day strike into the heart of the Alphama Mountains, destroying the second-largest gathering place of the Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race and preparing to annihilate their main lair!

For the Mercury Hunter clan, it was something that dozens of generations had never dared hope for. Yet here it was, unfolding for real right before them.

How could Elder Wind Blade not be overjoyed? How could his blood not boil to the point of losing control?

He was so delighted that even a moment earlier, he had worked with boundless energy when hammering in signposts, swinging the mallet with a force that one wouldn’t expect from a seventy-year-old man.

Granted, the main assault on the Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race had been done by the Treatment Ward. Still, the Mercury Hunters had contributed, right? They had supplied intelligence, acted as guides, and made route markers. They were undisputedly part of the support crew and genuinely involved in the effort!

One could even say the Dark Hunter Organization’s Treatment Ward and the Mercury Hunters were working together to crush the Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race!

Though our clan may not be able to defeat those damned Blood Race on our own, we can lead the way for our powerful allies, then watch them beat the lot of you into pork!

Elder Wind Blade felt thoroughly gratified and free at the sight of the once-arrogant Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race suffering heavy losses. The resentment he had nursed for seventy years was finally unleashed as he saw the heaps of bones left behind.

Thus, leading the idle Mercury Hunters, he marched directly toward the final lair of the direct Blood Race, hoping to contribute one last time.

Tap, tap, tap...

Elder Wind Blade and his people halted at the mouth of the gorge. They heard no sounds of battle, only a chilling stillness. The breeze rustled through the treetops like soft rainfall. Gripping his blade tightly, Elder Wind Blade led the way forward.

He picked one of the newly cleared paths and pressed deeper inside.

Before long, the Mercury Hunters spotted corpses of the Blood Race littering the brambles and undergrowth to either side of the path. The bodies lay in grotesque states—some beheaded, others torn in half, still others pounded into pulp.

Since dark creatures possessed a form of undead nature, thoroughly destroying them left their remains in a severely battered condition.

“They’ve all been wiped out?”

“There must be nearly a hundred corpses on this path...”

Many young hunters commented in awe, exchanging astonished looks.

At the front, Elder Wind Blade gripped the hilt of his blade, noticing a familiar Blood Race face out of the corner of his eye. It belonged to a direct Blood Race elder who often showed led hunts under the moonlight. It was a formidable creature with a savage temper.

But now, that same elder was dead! It was mangled beyond belief, as though some vicious beast had bitten and torn it apart piece by piece. Its twisted, hideous face wore an expression of abject refusal and despair. Elder Wind Blade kicked it squarely, flattening what was left of the Blood Race’s unprotected visage and grinding its eyes to a pulp beneath his heel.

He spat contemptuously at the bloody mass and let out a “

Tch

.”

“Damn! I still remember our grudge from twenty years ago! What a shame I didn’t get to finish you myself! But I couldn’t be happier seeing you meet such a miserable end!

Hahaha...

” Elder Wind Blade laughed uproariously, tears welling in his clouded eyes.

He had a personal vendetta against that Blood Race elder. Twenty years ago, it had killed his most gifted disciple and his own daughter.

From the moment this campaign had begun, Elder Wind Blade had secretly sworn to find that fiend from twenty years ago. Even if it would cost him his life, he would take it down. Yet he had never anticipated how swiftly the Treatment Ward advanced, slaughtering the Blood Race as casually as chickens.

His sworn enemy was simply killed along the way.

Though he felt a slight pang of regret, he remained largely unbothered. As long as his foe was dead, he was happy. Of course, best if he had done it himself but even dying by another’s hand in such a gruesome manner was still acceptable!

“

Hah...

” Elder Wind Blade sighed.

He led his party forward at once until they reached an open space. A towering rock face rose ahead of them, and they could see a large arched cave entrance.

Over a dozen doctors from the Treatment Ward stood watch at the cave entrance, their weapons tinged with fresh blood, while several decapitated Blood Race bodies lay scattered around them. Clearly, these men had positioned themselves to blockade the Blood Race lair, awaiting the chance to eliminate every last one of them.

How could Elder Wind Blade and his group not lend a hand in such a venture?

They promptly joined the blockade, aiding the many doctors of the Treatment Ward.

As for the final showdown inside the Blood Race lair, upon consideration, Elder Wind Blade and his group decided not to intervene. It was not out of fear but rather to avoid interfering, and they certainly did not wish the Director of the Treatment Ward to believe they were trying to steal credit.