The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 317 - 46: Father and Son Conflict (3)_2

Chapter 317: Chapter 46: Father and Son Conflict (3)_2

"It’s a trap!" The leading member of the Blood Clan shouted through gritted teeth, "Do not act recklessly!"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

Bowing their head, the Blood Clan member swiftly picked up a torch and tossed it forward. In the faint firelight, they saw a group of dwarves scattering, and in an instant, the area ahead became completely empty. Only the thrown torch remained on the ground, burning with a faint "sizzle."

However, it lasted only for a brief moment.

In the next second, a massive barrage of stones came hurtling from behind.

Before the four Blood Clan members could even react, the torch ahead was suddenly extinguished by a heap of sand that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Immediately after, more stones rained down, this time continuing from the front. Following that, more stones began flying in from the irregular smaller tunnels around them.

The four Blood Clan members had no choice but to press their backs against one another, shielding a side each as they resisted the stones flying at them from every direction.

"What do we do?"

"Hold the line! We’ll keep pushing forward!"

"Got it!"

The four Blood Clan members covered for one another, advancing inch by inch.

...

At the same time, Jones was playing hide-and-seek with six other Blood Clan members.

As everyone knew, tunnels like these were never dug in straight lines. But the perception of magical energy fluctuations senses direction linearly.

Jones flitted about, both hiding and letting out deliberate bursts of his magical energy. In no time, the six Blood Clan members, unfamiliar with these maze-like passageways, found themselves thoroughly disoriented. They could sense with clarity that Jones was only thirty to forty meters away—sometimes even as close as twenty meters. And yet, no one could tell how many layers of rock separated them. All they could do was watch helplessly as Jones moved beyond their perceptual reach, only to reappear at a different point moments later. If they tried to pursue him directly in a straight line, they would often end up at another dead end.

The crux of the issue was that the Blood Clan was far faster than dwarves or hydras.

"Damn it! What the hell are we supposed to do?" one of the Blood Clan members cursed uncontrollably.

"What else? Keep chasing!"

"Chase where?!"

"How should I know?!"

"Break through the rock wall! It’s not that thick!"

"Are you insane?! Do you want to risk a collapse and get buried alive?!"

All six adult, upper-echelon Blood Clan members were completely toyed with by a single adolescent Blood Clan member, left utterly powerless.

Jones continued weaving through the tunnels, fast and free like the wind.

That’s the advantage of handling everything firsthand. Other than the dwarves, no one was more familiar with this mine than him. After all, he had helped dig this place shovel by shovel.

On one side, there were the ever-present dwarves tossing things at the Blood Clan yet refusing to move forward. On the other side, there was Jones, slippery as an eel, impossible to capture. The entire mine felt like a gigantic swamp, slowly draining the magic power and stamina of the ten upper-echelon Blood Clan members.

A swamp’s terrors can only truly be understood by those who fall into one, after all.

After just half an hour, as one of the Blood Clan’s magical shields was breached, the leading member had already reached their limit. Using magic, they issued a new command to all Blood Clan within the tunnels: "Retreat! Leave this place immediately!"

The six Blood Clan members pursuing Jones immediately ceased their chase and began searching for a way back.

Meanwhile, the four Blood Clan engaged in a standoff with the dwarves, including the leader, began moving in reverse with their shields up.

Truth be told, in a place like this, trying to retreat wasn’t much easier than continuing the pursuit.

Perceiving the Blood Clan’s new movements, Jones issued a magical command to the dwarves: "They’re planning to retreat and call for reinforcements! Time to strike!"

"Understood."

"Got it."

"Charge——!" At the sound of the rallying cry, the dwarves surged out from all directions. The four embattled Blood Clan members were struck dumb.

"Die——!"

"I’ll slaughter you all!"

"Break! Break! Break! Break!"

"Kill——!"

The four Blood Clan members fortified their shields, defending their surroundings so thoroughly that not even a needle could pass through. But such defense came at a cost. The dwarves pounded the magical shield with heavy hammers, each impact accompanied by a guttural, enraged roar. Each blow made the shield look as though it would shatter, and even if it didn’t break, it would still consume a significant amount of the Blood Clan’s magic to maintain.

Thanks to their excellent vision, the Blood Clan could clearly make out the savage expressions of the dwarves even in the dim firelight. The dwarves had gone completely berserk, and they were almost within reaching distance. The clamor of cries and roars filled every crevice of the tunnel.

The leader of the Blood Clan began to break out in cold sweat. They resorted to using magic to attack the advancing dwarves from within their shields. But there were simply too many dwarves, each one as tough-skinned as they come. Even when struck by magic, they only stumbled briefly before getting up again.

Soon enough, the six Blood Clan members searching for an exit received a new command: "Don’t leave! Get back here and save us!"

At once, the six Blood Clan turned around and sped toward their beleaguered companions.

However, as previously mentioned, tunnels are never dug in straight lines, while perception is linear. Pinpointing your companions’ location was one thing; reaching them in a labyrinthine tunnel was another matter entirely.

The battle had only just begun.

"Lady! It’s your turn! Stop those six Blood Clan!" Jones shouted loudly.

Amid the roaring sounds, the Hydra burst through a rock wall formed of rubble. Guided by the dwarves, it surged forward at speed, its massive body tearing through the tunnels like a train racing through a tunnel.

The Hydra’s combat effectiveness was indeed limited in the tunnels. But if the goal wasn’t combat, that was another matter entirely. After all, with a body that size, it made for an excellent blockade!

...

In Jones’s room, Count Dracula gently caressed the coffin Jones used for rest and closely examined its craftsmanship.

"How long have they been in the tunnels?"

"About an hour, I suppose."

"Still no word?"

"None. But the Hydra is definitely in there. So is your son, presumably."

"It’s been so long... Could something have gone wrong?"

"Don’t worry. It’ll be resolved soon." A black-haired Blood Clan member, part of the same brotherhood as Count Dracula, smiled and said, "It’s just a child. You really think our people can’t handle a mere child? Of course, I don’t mean to underestimate your son. But he’s still just a child, you know. This isn’t exactly a glorious task; we’ve dealt with plenty of troublemaking scions from prominent families."

"And there’s also the Hydra, isn’t there?"

"We’ve faced wealthy heirs who had their own magical beasts before. Trust us; we’re quite experienced. Besides, the tunnels are far from an ideal battlefield for the Hydra. It can’t even execute a proper charge."

A brunette Blood Clan member, their leader, stood quietly by the balcony, gazing downward without speaking.

Count Dracula took a deep breath, furrowing his brow with mounting anxiety. In a soft voice, he asked, "Since we’re sure they’re in the tunnels, why not send more people down there? Wouldn’t that ensure success?"

"Why would you think that? Do you believe our biggest challenge would be defeating them?" The black-haired Blood Clan member spread his hands and, with a carefree smile, said, "No, our greatest challenge has always been capturing them. We leave enough people on the surface to ensure we can seize them the moment they attempt to flee the tunnels. Relax, brother. We’ve never failed."

"Alright," Count Dracula sighed and smiled wryly.

After all, it was his good-for-nothing son. What could he possibly accomplish? Could he really be more difficult to deal with than those heirs from powerful families?

...

Amid the chaos, Jones transformed into a bat and darted swiftly over the heads of the dwarves besieging the Blood Clan, before dropping back down in human form directly in the middle of the four Blood Clan members.

The moment he landed, there was a sharp "clang" as he drew the sword from one of the Blood Clan member’s waists.

The four Blood Clan members holding their formation froze in place.

Before they could react, Jones was already swinging the sword, sweeping it outward in a wide arc.

Was Jones’s swing fast?

Yes, it was fast—though not exactly swift enough to outpace these upper-echelon Blood Clan members. The real issue wasn’t the speed of the sword. The real issue was that the four Blood Clan members reflexively dodged! Yes, as a conditioned response, they instinctively scattered in different directions!

By the time they realized Jones’s true intent, it was too late. Their formation was broken, and the dwarves, wielding axes and hammers, swarmed them individually!

The dim red firelight illuminated the scene from below.

The once-chaotic tunnel fell silent, eerily devoid of any noise.

Still clutching the sword, Jones panted heavily. Slowly, he began to smile.

"Round one: victory!"