Chapter 153: Moonwater Unicorn (2)

Chapter 153: 153: Moonwater Unicorn (2)

Lucard raised one finger.

A red line shot through the air and pierced the creature’s open mouth.

The line came out through the back of its head.

The beast collapsed at the unicorn’s feet.

The unicorn stepped back, breathing hard. Its wounded side bled more now, staining the white flowers red. Elowen stared at the blood with horror, but Lucard stared with hunger hidden behind calm eyes.

He absorbed the fallen stalkers quickly.

One by one, their pale blood entered him. The power was not enough to bring another level, but it strengthened the traces he had already gained. His underground blood-sense sharpened. His Bloodfire Lv2 became more stable against cold creatures. His body adjusted further to the Blood Mage Vessel.

The system notification arrived.

[Eyeless Cave Stalker blood absorbed.

Blood Quality: Low-Medium.

Blind Blood-Sense Trace strengthened.

Progress toward Level 31: Increased.]

Then another.

[Eyeless Cave Stalker blood absorbed.

Blood Quality: Low-Medium.

Cold Marrow Trace strengthened.

Progress toward Level 31: Increased.]

Then the third one.

[Eyeless Cave Stalker blood absorbed.

Blood Quality: Low-Medium.

Bloodfire Lv2 stability increased.

Progress toward Level 31: Increased.]

The hollow became quiet after the last cave stalker died.

Only the spring made sound now.

Water moved softly under moonlight.

Elowen slowly came out from behind the stone. She looked at the unicorn and took one step forward, then stopped herself before Lucard needed to speak.

"It is hurt," she whispered.

Lucard looked at the unicorn.

The creature watched him with pain and suspicion. It wanted to run, but its leg shook. Its wounded side was bleeding enough to weaken it. If it tried to escape now, the blood trail would pull every cave stalker in the lower tunnels after it.

Elowen turned to Lucard. "Can you help it?"

"Yes."

Her eyes brightened. "Then please help it."

Lucard looked at her. "Payment."

She froze. "What?"

"I brought you to the unicorn. You owe me the map."

Elowen clutched the old parchment. "I know. I will give it to you. But please help it first."

Lucard held out his hand.

Her face twisted with hesitation.

The unicorn took a weak step back, and more blood dripped from its wound.

Elowen’s hesitation broke. She placed the old map into Lucard’s hand.

"There. Take it. Now help it."

Lucard accepted the map and placed it safely inside his coat. "Good."

He walked toward the unicorn.

The unicorn lowered its horn.

Silver light gathered weakly at the tip.

Lucard stopped just outside its reach. "If you attack me, you will bleed faster."

The unicorn did not understand the words like a human, but it understood tone, blood, and threat. Its breathing remained rough. It kept its horn lowered, but it did not strike.

Elowen spoke softly from behind him. "Please. He can help you. I think he can."

Lucard did not look back. "Do not promise things for me."

"I already paid you."

"That is better."

He cut his fingertip and let a small drop of blood rise into the air. The unicorn reacted at once. Its body trembled, and its eyes grew sharper. It sensed what Lucard was. Not fully, but enough to know his blood was not normal.

Lucard did not push his blood into it directly.

That would make the pure beast resist.

Instead, he used Blood Spell Formation to draw a small circle in the air between them. The circle was thin and slow, carrying no attack. It gathered the blood dripping from the unicorn’s side and held it before it could fall to the ground. The unicorn stared at the floating drops.

Lucard spoke calmly. "Your blood is being wasted."

The unicorn’s ears moved.

Lucard shaped the floating unicorn blood into a small ring. He removed the dirty blood around the wound first. Then he pulled out the cold poison left by the cave stalker’s claws. It came free as a gray thread mixed with black spots. Elowen made a small sound when she saw it.

The unicorn shook, but did not attack.

Lucard let the poison fall onto a stone, where bloodfire burned it away.

Then he closed the wound.

He did not heal it like a holy mage would. He used the unicorn’s own blood to tighten the torn flesh, stop the bleeding, and guide the clean power back into its body. It was rough but effective. The wound slowly closed enough that blood no longer flowed freely.

Lucard kept three drops.

The unicorn noticed.

Its horn glowed brighter.

Lucard looked into its eyes. "Payment."

The unicorn stared at him.

The three drops floated above Lucard’s palm. They shone faintly under the moonlight. Elowen looked between him and the unicorn, too afraid to speak.

Lucard absorbed one drop.

Pure life force entered him.

It was very different from beast blood and human blood. It did not carry heavy strength or violent instincts. It carried cleansing. It moved through his veins like cold moonwater washing old dirt from stone. Tiny pieces of leftover poison, weak impurities, and damaged traces inside his body were pushed aside. His Blood Mage Vessel accepted it eagerly, but Lucard controlled the absorption carefully.

Too much pure blood could reject dark blood arts if absorbed carelessly.

He was not foolish enough to let purity decide what belonged inside him.

[Moonwater Unicorn blood absorbed.

Blood Quality: High.

Quantity: Very Low.

Purification Trace Detected.

Healing Trace Detected.

Moonlight Life Trace Detected.

Assimilation: Partial.

Bloodfire Lv2 refined.

Blood Impurities reduced.

Curse Resistance increased slightly.

Progress toward Level 31: Increased.]

Lucard absorbed the second drop and then the third.

The effect was small because the amount was small, but the quality was excellent. His bloodfire changed again, becoming cleaner. Not weaker. Cleaner. The red flame could now burn with less waste, and the blood spell circles inside his body felt smoother.

The unicorn took one step back after the drops vanished.

It looked weaker, but no longer dying.

Elowen whispered, "You helped it."

"I was paid."

She looked at him with complicated eyes. "You also took its blood."

"Yes."

"Will that hurt it?"

"Less than bleeding on flowers."

She could not argue.

The unicorn looked at Lucard once more. Then it turned toward the spring and stepped into the shallow water. Moonlight gathered around its hooves. The flowers near it glowed brighter. Slowly, the remaining mark on its side began healing under the spring’s light.

Elowen watched with tears on her face.

She did not try to touch it.

That was wise.

The unicorn lowered its head and drank again. After a few breaths, it turned and walked toward the far side of the hollow. Its white body moved between the glowing flowers, becoming harder to see with every step. Before disappearing behind the pale trees, it looked back once.

Not at Elowen.

At Lucard.

Then it vanished.

Elowen stood in silence for a long time.

Lucard took out the old map and opened it under the red light from his blood circle. The lines were even more detailed than he had first seen. Moonwater Hollow was only one secret place. There were hidden springs, old tunnels, beast migration marks, abandoned hunting shelters, and several locations crossed out with warnings written in old noble script.

One place near the northern cliffs had been marked with three red dots.

Blood Pit.

Lucard’s eyes rested there.

Elowen finally wiped her face. "You have the map now."

"Yes."

"Does that mean our deal is done?"

"Yes."

She looked toward the passage they had used to enter. "Then what happens to me?"

"That is your problem."

Her face became pale. "You cannot mean that."

"I can."

"Red Hook will come back. My father will send more people. If they find me, they will take me back and force the marriage."

Lucard folded the map. "Then do not be found."

Elowen clenched her hands. "You are terrible."

"Yes."

She looked angry enough to forget fear for a moment. "I gave you the map."

"And I brought you to the unicorn."

"I gave it early because you said you would help it."

"And I helped it."

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

Lucard turned toward the passage.

Elowen quickly said, "Wait. I know more than the map."

Lucard stopped.

She had used the correct words again.

"What more?"

"My family has records, not only maps. I read them. Not all, but many. I know which paths old hunters avoided. I know the season marks. I know where the white flowers grow. I know the old names of places. Some of them are not written on the map because my family copied only safe parts."

Lucard looked back at her.

She spoke faster. "If you leave me, I will die or be taken back. If you take me with you, I can guide you. I can tell you what I know. I do not eat much. I can be quiet. I can learn."

"You are weak."

"I know."

"You will slow me down."

"I know."

"You are being hunted."

"I know."

"Then your value must be higher than your trouble."

Elowen swallowed. "I can make it higher."

Lucard studied her.

She was not lying about the records. Her fear was real, but so was her desperation. A city lord’s daughter knew things servants and hunters did not. She could read noble maps. She knew the area’s old stories. She was also leverage if the city lord became a problem.

A weak person with information was still useful. At least for now.

Lucard said, "You will follow orders."

"Yes."

"If I tell you to hide, you hide."

"Yes."

"If I tell you to run, you run."

"Yes."

"If I tell you to be silent, you do not whisper, cry, pray, or ask questions."

She nodded quickly. "Yes."

"If your father’s men come, you do not call to them."

Her face tightened. "I will not."

"If you betray me, I will hand you back to them."

That frightened her more than the monsters.

"I understand."

Lucard looked at her for a moment longer, then said, "You can follow until you become useless."

Elowen released a shaky breath. "Thank you."

"I did not rescue you."

"I know."

"Good."

From the passage behind them, a distant shout echoed faintly.

Men’s voices.

Red Hook had returned faster than expected.

Elowen’s face went white.

Lucard looked toward the sound with calm eyes.

"Now let’s see if you can be quiet or not."