Elemental Cats



Since Red Hook was draining the demonic energy from the room and the marble using the abilities of Bloodletter, the cage around the Blood Demon was also gradually weakening. But it didn't look as if it would be weak enough for him to escape anytime soon.

"You know you'll have to save me if that guy slips out of his cage, right?"

Red Hook looked at Toz in surprise.

"Huh? Really?"

"Yep. I was worried you wouldn't have understood that, and it seems I was right."

Toz grinned cheekily at how Red Hook's backfired.

"Tch."

Red Hook clicked her tongue and pressed the dagger closer to the red marble in an attempt to speed up the process. As she did so, the slightly curved blade shone with a red light, eerily similar to the sheen of glossy blood.

"Oh yeah, that's the good stuff!"

Toz looked with curiosity at the dagger's light and at Red Hook's exhilarated expression.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing much. The dagger just regained some of its former might."

"That's pretty neat. So are you going to turn into a Blood Berserker now?"

"Huh? Why would I?"

"Dunno. You looked crazy there, even more than usual."

"Shut your trap, you rude former Pirate King. I might as well tell you now. There's no way this dagger would do something like that to me unless the Blood Ancestor guy actually comes along and takes back control."

"I-impossible!"

Toz and Red Hook looked at the Blood Demon's pale face, overflowing with disbelief and shock.

"H-have you really obtained Bloodletter's recognition?"

"Of course!"

Red Hook flashed a smile at the Blood Demon while waving the glowing dagger around.

"Right!"

Toz thumped his fist against his hand and looked at the Blood Demon.

"You asked if she was a descendant of that Blood Ancestor fellow. But wasn't he a demon? Shouldn't it be impossible for her to be his spawn?"

"Oi. Who are you calling spawn?"

"You."

The Blood Demon did his best to compose himself while Toz and Red Hook bickered.

"Haah~ No one knows if he was a demon or a human, or maybe a mix of both. Maybe he was something else entirely."

Toz tilted his head.

"Aren't you way too rude to humans, then? What if your precious Blood Ancestor was a human, and he comes back or whatever only to find out his worshippers are like… this."

Toz gestured to the Blood Demon with a condescending expression on his face.

"I would gladly receive the honorable Blood Ancestor's great judgment should that happen. But the dagger in her hands is proof that the Blood Ancestor, unfortunately, seems to have perished long ago. Besides, it wasn't like the Blood Ancestor cared much for humans when he roamed the universe."

"When was that, by the way?"

Toz didn't know why the Blood Demon had become so chatty all of a sudden, but he continued sating his curiosity.

"The most recent records of the Blood Ancestor's activities are from five thousand years ago."

'"Five thousand-?"'

Toz and Red Hook had trouble accepting the Blood Demon's words. for them, five thousand years was an incredibly long time.

"And if it weren't for the betrayal of his rival, he would still be alive!"

The Blood Demon grew a little emotional as he continued.

"Wait a moment there."

Toz held up a hand to stop the Blood Demon from speaking further as he rubbed his forehead in disbelief.

"He would still be alive today if he hadn't died five thousand years ago?"

"Of course! A thousand years is a small matter for someone at the Blood Ancesotr's level."

The Blood Demon spoke with reverence in his voice.

"By the way, what level was the Blood Ancestor at?"

The Blood Demon avoided Red Hook's gaze with embarrassment creeping up his face.

"Ahem. That's classified. So, not even I know."

"Tch."

Toz and Red Hook didn't say anything for a while as they thought about what level the Blood Ancestor must have reached.

It was common knowledge that training and reaching higher levels would improve a person or being's health and extend their lifespan. But the mortal levels from first to ninth allowed a human to go from a hundred-year lifespan to a two-hundred-year lifespan. It wasn't even close to five thousand.

Breaking through to the transcendent level would probably lead to a greater jump in how much lifespan one gets. But the Blood Demon spoke as if five thousand wasn't even the limit, as if it was only a small part of what could have been the Blood Ancestor's legacy.

Toz and Red Hook looked at each other with wide eyes.

Red Hook had somehow obtained the famed weapon of such a great person. She had even received that weapon's recognition.

"What the fuck? Are you secretly the universe's lovechild or something?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm just better than a certain someone."

Red Hook smiled like a child, despite Toz's rude question since she could tell how envious he was.

"I think I've been scammed."

"What do you mean?"

"The greatest treasure in the Mortal Realm was in my hands, and you got it from Wulf for what? An Axe?"

Red Hook giggled.

"I told you, didn't I? I'm just better. Besides, you wouldn't have even been able to use this cutie. So, it's much better if it's in my hands."

"Tch."

"Alright, you know what? Since I'm such a great and generous person, I'll return the favor someday. How about that?"

Toz stopped pouting and looked at Red Hook out of the corner of his eye.

"Really?"

"Of course! Are you doubting the Blood Ancestor's Inheritor?"

"Since when did you become his Inheritor?"

"Just now!"

"Oh wow! Congratulations!"

Although Toz might have been sarcastic, Red Hook accepted his praise with a prideful expression as she placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head back so that her nose pointed up.

When Toz didn't say anything more, she looked at him with a gaze that said, 'Praise me more!'