Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 157: Interrogation

Chapter 157: Interrogation

Vlad analyzed the spheres containing the devil bloodlines with a broad smile as he sent them into his space ring. There were 16 at his disposal, three of them Champion Tier. He had obtained a total of 17, but one was already a bloodline matrix on Jormungandr’s body.

The young man and the small cat smiled at each other before throwing themselves on the ground and falling into a deep sleep. They had been working day and night, and the mental drain had been exhausting, so now that there were no more criminals to sacrifice or bloodlines to purify, they could finally have a proper rest.

Once the small cat and young man finally woke, a sense of relaxation washed over them as they nodded and left the underground level. Immediately, Vlad and Jormungandr were greeted by the sight of hundreds of people working around a massive tower, and broad smiles appeared as they saw the first floor was almost completed!

The duo’s gaze was immediately drawn to a young woman who was putting in place a massive metallic plaque that should weigh over two tons. She was holding it as some civilian Mages used lightning spells to weld the plaque with the rest of the structure.

It was clear that Freya’s monstrous strength was the key behind the exponential increase in the working force’s speed.

Freya was ready to search for another after the metal plaque was welded into the tower’s ceiling. Yet, her eyes narrowed as she turned to the young man and small yellow cat, and she walked over to them the next second.

"Are you finally done with your experiments?" Freya spoke with an inquiring voice. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she focused on Jormungandr, and her nose began to twitch.

The viking princess had noticed the red matrix over the small yellow cat’s body, but it was only now that she was right in front of him that she felt the scent of devil blood in it. Confusion immediately appeared in her eyes as she was aware that Abyss and Heaven had reached Terra, but according to her knowledge, Hell had not stretched its claws into this New Plane. She did not understand how the duo had obtained devil blood.

Vlad noticed the young woman’s confusion and smiled before dispelling her doubts. "It is a bloodline matrix. I have access to devil bloodlines."

Freya’s eyes widened as she heard those words. The fact that Vlad managed to obtain devil bloodlines while confined to Terra was surprising, but what truly shocked the young woman was the part about the bloodline matrix.

She was aware of just how precious the knowledge of how to implant bloodlines was, something that most powerful families held tightly and would never reveal to the masses. The mysterious aura around the young man only kept increasing, making her want to know more and more.

However, after overcoming the shock, a sharp and solemn expression appeared on Freya’s face as she frowned. "Mmm, I will not ask where or how you got them, but devils are scheming creatures who do nothing without a hidden agenda. You should be careful."

Vlad’s smile widened as he heard the words from the young woman, and after a moment, he shrugged his shoulders. "There was a spirit mark in them, but Jormungandr was able to cleanse it using his alchemy."

Jormungandr had remained silent since, while he liked to boast, he also knew how to keep a secret. However, since Vlad revealed things, he just puffed his chest and showed a prideful expression.

Another wave of shock assaulted Freya as she heard those words, and she looked at the duo as if they were monsters. Just detecting a devil spirit mark was shocking, but the fact that the small yellow cat could deploy alchemy abilities capable of erasing it was stunning.

Ultimately, the Viking princess shook her head, no longer trying to understand the duo.

"By the way, I can grant you a Champion Tier Bloodline if you want. Although due to the enhancement of your totemic path, it would not improve your physical attributes, it could grant you access to a Bloodline Ability," Vlad smiled toward Freya as he offered the devil bloodline.

While Vlad only had a limited amount, and it might be a while before he got more, Freya was bound to be an essential part of his military power in the coming months, so the stronger she was, the better it would be.

Freya smiled as she heard that but immediately shook her head. "I thank you, but it will not be necessary. As my totems grow stronger, they will eventually awaken a bloodline inside of me."

Now it was Vlad’s turn to be surprised as he learned a new thing about the Totem Strength System. To be able to spontaneously awaken a bloodline in someone meant its strengthening power went beyond the body and was able to reach all the way to the spirit.

As for implanting the devil bloodline while waiting for the totemic bloodline to rise, Vlad knew that would not be a good idea. There were cases of people with multiple bloodlines, but that was due to inheriting them from their parents and implanting them after birth was much different.

When two bloodlines were implanted in a person, the weaker entered a dormant state in the best-case scenario, while the stronger took the main role. In the worst case, both clashed and destroyed each other, leaving severe physical and spiritual wounds.

Vlad remained silent for a few moments as he calculated his next move. His eyes went to the first floor of the Xaos Tower. Since it was almost ready, he and Jormungandr could start to inscribe the runes and magic matrices, improving the energy absorption capabilities. However, a sharp, cold light appeared in his eyes as his gaze returned to the dungeon.

"Keep up the good work. I greatly appreciate your help in this endeavor." Vlad’s coldness faded as soon as it appeared, and he smiled at Freya, uttering those words before leaving with the small yellow cat.

The Viking princess’ interest peaked as she saw that flash of coldness and was sure that whatever the young man and small yellow cat would do would not be pretty. Yet, Freya did not worry too much about it as the path of every force was made over the bones of enemies, and she returned to her work, helping the people of the Silent Wind Military Base with the tower’s construction.

It did not take Vlad and Jormungandr long to reach the hidden dungeon. The two entered without a problem and were greeted by the seasoned soldiers once more.

"Xaos King! Lord Jormungandr!" The four soldiers shouted in unison as they gazed at the stronger individuals of the kingdom whose power equaled hundreds.

Vlad nodded to the soldiers before turning his eyes away from the normal cells and focusing on the isolation cages in the distance. "Bring me the man with the burned arm," he said before walking to the interrogation room.

The soldiers did not have to wonder too much about the person Vlad was after, as only one had those characteristics in the prison. Immediately, the four soldiers went to the solitary confinement cells and carefully opened one.

All four soldiers were ready to strike and had their guard up as they opened the isolation cell. The reason why they were so careful was that, unlike the rest of the criminals who were under the effect of drugs and barely conscious, those in the isolation cells were fully awake.

The goal of solitary confinement was to break the mind of the group, and that could not be done if they were unconscious all the time.

As soon as the light entered the isolation cell, what the four soldiers saw was a man with chains covering both hands and a tight muzzle around his mouth, ensuring he could not conjure any form of spell. He seemed awake, but his eyes were blank, looking at the sky as he lay on the ground.

The four soldiers were shocked to see the blank expression in the man’s eyes, as it seemed he did not detect their presence. It had been less than two weeks, and the mental state of this person had severely deteriorated. Still, none of them lowered their guards and carefully raised him from the ground.

Vlad was already sitting on a metallic chair when the soldiers appeared with the man. They placed the criminal on the chair across the table before leaving the interrogation room and closing the door.

A sharp light appeared in Vlad’s eyes as he focused on the man. The criminal’s eyes were blank, but he would not lower his guard as that could easily be a ruse. Only after careful inspection did Vlad nod, accepting the man’s deteriorated mental state.

He walked across the metallic table, removed the gag from the criminal’s mouth, and gave the man a small potion.