The sudden stab that Kyros made surprised everyone. 

The three H knights, the original three vampires, and Martha looked in shock at how cruel Kyros was.

"Why...?" Querk only had a few seconds left. He could feel the strange blood coursing through him, and the vampiric poison inflicted by Scarlet and Gregory was making him go mad. He knew he would become a ghoul from this ruthless attack.

"You can't fool me. You said that you are a hired hand and not a servant who willingly made an oath to the Undead, yet why do I detect that power? You may not be a vampire familiar, nor a Skeleton's Keeper, but don't think your claims would fool me. You are worshiper of a Necromancer! Probably a level fifty or sixty Necromancer." Kyros smiled.

"Sixty?" To the Coven, a level fifty is even an impossible dream. This Ragion as serving such a powerful being?

"How-how do you...?!"

"I killed the other two Viscounts, remember? I kept it hidden from you, but I had already got the secret weapons they brought with them. With such dark weapons, do you expect me to believe that you three are just hired servants?" Kyros laughed.

The dark energy of the sword began to react as it sensed something in the heart of Querk.

"Oh? What an interesting turn of events! If I hesitated in killing you and attempted to turn you into one of my own, I'd have quite a predicament in the future, right? A Necromancer Soul Bond. But it's quite weak... Did you perform the ritual by yourself? A true Necromancer Soul Bound is similar to the Prime Bond that vampires make. But this is quite weak."

Kyros's power in the Bloodied Sword of Ten Thousand Grudges had Heart of Fallen, which was ruler over the dark. Kyros knew that Necromancers bound the heart of those that worship them. Sure enough, invisible yet present darkness that takes hold of the believers and turns them into fanatics was there. 

As Kyros began to attack the Dark energy, another scene was playing out in the Dark Shine Kingdom.

The Necromancer Lorjdenheign was silently meditating in a dark chamber with a crystal ball before him. He tried to pierce through the shroud and find out how it was that two of his strongest worshipers had died.

"What's going on? Two viscounts died immediately?" Lorjdenheign frowned.

"I have to concentrate and strengthen the link with Querk Stonefist!" He then channeled dark magic and even sacrificed a few living beings to complete the ritual.

At that moment, Kyros smiled as he sensed a soul resonance in the heart of the dying Querk.

"You know, I was tempted. A Ragion! Wow! That's quite an offer. But I know that you are not the reward of Fate. Just as how Fate tempted me to sacrifice those vampires to add mana to my family and breach the Fate Limit, you are an enticing meal. I probably can turn you into an ally. The Soul Bond of Necromancer should be susceptible to my [Dark Consumer] skill. But if I forced it, I'd be in great trouble, won't I?" Kyros laughed.

"I will abandon... serving him! I will... relinquish my service to... Lord Lorjdenheign."

"No way. Just die." Kyros ignored him and began to focus on turning Querk's body into a ghoul.

"No! No!" Querk squirmed, but there was no escaping this.

The soul resonance was getting stronger and stronger.

"This should do it..." Kyros laughed and activated the power that the Sword of Ten Thousand Grudges had.

[Soul Trapper]

Back in the Dark Shine Kingdom, a great cry echoed inside the halls of one of the strongest necromancers...

Lorjdenheign immediately canceled his attempt to communicate with Querk as a malevolent force attacked him. The attack was too strong and terrifying that Lorjdenheign cowered in defeat as he knew he had no chance of fighting that power.

"What was that?! That power...! Not even the Vampire Ancient had that darkness!" Lorjdenheign found himself covered in his own sweat. The pressure and power of that pull were stronger than the weight of power Lorjdenheign feels when he stands before the Dark Shine Emperor.

"Could this be the reason why only the strongest of the Dark Shine are tasked to find Cracky Batcheeks? He could be an Eldrich!" Lorjdenheign concluded. 

"Looks like I'll have to apologize to the Blood Blade and tell them to go look for it themselves... I'll just say that my group was killed..." Lorjdenheign decided.

Back in the Lowlands, Kyros sensed everything that had happened and even noticed the surging soul of Querk.

The surging energy only convinced Kyros that he made the right choice. If Kyros wanted to keep Querk active, he would have to unchain the bindings slowly. But Kyros didn't want Querk and used the sword to obliterate it instead.

"What a waste." Calaminus felt his heart bleed. This was a level 30 warrior! And Ragion was a divergence from the Berserker warrior class and is a rare and powerful warrior class in the Midlands!

"This is a trap. Fate leads me not just by challenges but also by tempting me to make certain choices. If a person is fated to die somewhere, then Fate will either make conflicts to lure that person there or use very tempting offers. It could be money, a honey trap, opportunities, and all of those. This is what Fate is doing. If I want to defeat Fate, I need to be able to discern which things I can get for myself and which things are baits created by Fate."

Querk was slowly losing his consciousness. The madness of the darkness was now entering his mind.

Kyros managed to destroy the dark bindings that were placed on Querk's heart. The dark energy that bounded Querk's heart was absorbed, and the sword suddenly sprang to life as if it detected a very delicious meal ready for it.

Although the Sword of Ten Thousand Grudges has been weakened, it was still a powerful artifact used to fight Greater Gods in wars long forgotten. What could a Necromancer do against the magic that was bestowed upon this sword? 

The surging soul of the necromancer was quickly devoured, and it replenished the sword causing it to undergo a level increase.

---

Bloodied Sword of Ten Thousand Grudges (Lvl. 1->2)

Attack: 28->29

Durability: 30

Recovers durability when exposed to Dark Energy and Blood

Shadow Ghoul Familiar (8) / Blood Golem (2)

Can channel Dark magic.

Soul Trapper

Dark Trapper

Blood Blade

Heart of the Fallen (1)

---

Kyros was still musing over the improved sword when another notification appeared.

---

Success Purging Trial has been thoroughly completed!

Rewards:

Fate Challenger Level 3.

Bloodline Success Limiter has been halted for twenty days.

Bloodline Apathy of Fate has been halted for twenty days.

Kyros's Fate Curses halted for twenty days.

Okto-Kefali Whelpling Eugene seal prolonged to twenty days.

Fate Triumph Certificate. (Frame not included)

---

"Wha-what?!"

"I knew it," Kyros smirked.

"What happened? Those benefits... they're too good to be true!"

"It's simple. The things that Fate threw against me have all been conquered. The reward of twenty days means that Fate can't do anything, and it will take twenty days for Fate to make circumstances and coincidence that will move new enemies to become my next challenge. The challenge that she threw at me at this time would have kept me busy if I kept following the directions Fate designed. But since I threw it off its game, it doesn't have anything to throw at me anymore!"

"This is... amazing!"

"The rewards are indeed useful. I never thought Fate would also give me some break. With the Okto-Kefali's seal prolonged, it will give me more time to prepare and strengthen my men."

"Will Fate compensate for this? What happens after the twenty days?"

"No. According to my Fate Challenger, it will probably give me a harsher trial, but the feeling I get for this reward is that it's making me enjoy the fruits of my labor. While it may use whatever events or circumstances that I create during these twenty days, It is as if Ancient Fate is encouraging me to break the machinations that she has set on this world."

"Lord Kyros... I feel... strange." Scarlet was the first to say it.

The other vampires turned curiously towards Scarlet.

"Was it the blood you drank? You might have drunk a person with some rare blood disease!" Hunter answered worriedly.

"You drank Leukemia?!" Hems shouted in fear.

Kyros facepalmed.

"Relax, guys! You guys are vampires! You don't easily get poisoned because of your near undead state. The feeling Scarlet sensed isn't that! It's Fate! Scarlet sensed that Fate has somehow weakened its curse on her!"

"That's it! No wonder I feel a sense of lightness..." Scarlet was amazed.

"It's interesting that you are sensitive to it. Coven, we have twenty days where the effects of this curse are lifted. Anything bad that happens is just natural occurrences and not Fate working against us. In short, we won't have bad luck like what's been happening these past days." Kyros had a very relieved expression.

"What do we do now, Lord Kyros?

"We can train and hunt without worries. And since Fate won't be interfering, let's raid this entire mountain region! We have twenty days. In about thirteen days, another tribulation will happen which needs us to be present."

"A tribulation? What sort of Tribulation?"

"I faced a Tribulation before you guys arrived. And it will happen soon. We will prepare for that, and we have to bring as many warriors and knights as possible." Kyros smiled and brought up the Temple stats.

---

Nephilim Sealing Temple

Status: Kyros Unleashed

Nephilim Training Commencing!

Shade Level: 2 Interim (14:02:13:43 remaining to start Level 2)

Temple Level: 4 (1284/10000 points to Level 5)