Chapter 2632: Story 2633: The Ancient Beneath

The ground beneath the Forgotten City split open.

A wave of black dust erupted from the earth, swallowing the ancient streets and towers in darkness.

Kael stood beside Lena and Elias, their blood still glowing beneath their skin.

The First Throne trembled.

Veyr stared into the widening crack.

“What is down there?”

The First Heir slowly stepped backward.

For the first time, there was fear in his eyes.

“Something that should never awaken.”

Kael looked at him.

“You knew about it.”

The First Heir said nothing.

Another roar exploded from beneath the city.

The undead army collapsed to its knees.

Even the First Origin lowered its enormous head.

Lena stared into the darkness.

“It isn’t calling me.”

Kael tightened his grip on his sword.

“Then who is it calling?”

Lena looked at the First Heir.

“Him.”

The stranger froze.

A massive hand suddenly emerged from the crack.

It was covered in ancient stone-like armor, with red light burning between its fingers.

The hand gripped the edge of the broken earth.

Then something enormous began climbing upward.

The Forgotten City shook violently.

Tower after tower collapsed.

The Last March struggled to remain standing.

Isabella shouted,

“Fall back!”

Soldiers retreated toward the mountains while Mara and Ethan fired at the creatures pouring from the city streets.

Kael refused to move.

“What is that thing?”

Seraphine stared at the rising creature.

Her face had gone completely pale.

“The Ancient King.”

Elias looked at her.

“Our father?”

“No.”

Seraphine shook her head.

“The king came after him.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

“Then who?”

The creature finally emerged.

It was taller than the palace towers.

Its body was covered in ancient armor fused with bone. A crown of stone surrounded its skull, and two enormous red eyes burned beneath it.

Across its chest were carved three symbols.

K-26.

K-27.

K-28.

Adrian whispered,

“Those numbers are older than the experiments.”

Kael looked at the creature.

“What are you?”

The giant slowly turned its head.

Its voice shook the mountains.

“THE FIRST BLOOD.”

The First Heir fell to one knee.

“No...”

The creature looked down at him.

“YOU STOLE WHAT WAS MINE.”

The First Heir trembled.

“I only wanted to survive.”

“YOU BROKE THE COVENANT.”

Veyr suddenly raised his device.

“If you think I’m afraid of some ancient relic—”

The creature moved.

One enormous hand struck the ground.

Veyr disappeared beneath a cloud of dust.

Kael looked toward the impact.

“Veyr!”

No answer came.

The First Origin suddenly attacked the giant.

Its enormous claws struck the Ancient King.

The impact shook the city.

But the giant barely moved.

It grabbed the First Origin by the throat and lifted it from the ground.

The ancient monster roared.

Lena stared in disbelief.

“They’re fighting.”

Elias nodded.

“And neither one is winning.”

The First Heir suddenly stood.

He raised the black crown.

“If the First Blood awakens completely, everything ends.”

Kael turned toward him.

“Then help us stop it.”

The stranger looked at Kael.

“You would trust me?”

“No.”

Kael raised his sword.

“But I trust the fact that you’re afraid.”

The First Heir gave a bitter smile.

“Then perhaps we finally understand each other.”

Suddenly, the crown shattered in his hands.

A black pulse swept across the battlefield.

Lena screamed.

Kael grabbed her.

“What happened?”

She stared toward the giant.

“It absorbed the crown.”

The Ancient King released the First Origin.

Its eyes turned toward the three siblings.

Then it spoke.

“THE BLOODLINE HAS RETURNED.”

Its enormous hand reached toward them.

“NOW THE TRIAL BEGINS.”

The ground beneath Kael, Lena, and Elias suddenly vanished.

They fell into darkness.

And above them, the Ancient King opened its massive wings.

The Forgotten City disappeared beneath a storm of red fire.

The bloodline war had entered its final stage.