Chapter 68: Chapter: 68 Vehemoth subjugation.[4]
Vivian’s sword moved like a storm, striking the heart again and again.
Blood poured from the gaping wound, splattering across the ground, yet the Vehemoth refused to die.
Its massive body trembled, its eyes burning with hatred as it glared at Vivian.
But Vivian didn’t even glance back.
His face was cold, his movements calm and ruthless.
With one final strike, the heart was completely exposed, a heart that looked human, yet was three times larger, pulsing violently as if it was trying to keep the beast alive through sheer will.
Roar!!
Each heavy beat of the heart made the Vehemoth stumble, its strength fading fast.
It thrashed, trying to throw Vivian off, but its power was draining with every passing second.
The leader of the black shadows appeared like a phantom and leapt forward.
His blade gleamed darkly as it pierced the Vehemoth’s right eye.
Roar!!
The creature screamed in agony, shaking the ground with its pain.
But before it could react, another strike came, sharp and precise, the other eye was pierced through.
The mighty Vehemoth, once a monster that ruled over this dungeon, now stood blind and broken, its roars echoing with despair and fury.
After the heart was exposed, Vivian snapped his fingers.
A faint black light shimmered in the air as he pulled out a dark cube from his subspace.
Without hesitation, he pushed it deep into the gaping wound where the heart throbbed moments ago.
Sensing danger, the Vehemoth roared furiously and swung its four massive arms in all directions, shaking the ground.
The air trembled from the force of its rage. It knew this was its last chance.
But Vivian didn’t flinch. His expression was calm, almost cold, as he placed his hand over the cube.
In the next instant, he pulled it out.
The cube pulsed faintly in his grasp, absorbing a dark mist that rose from the Vehemoth’s chest.
Where the heart should have been, there was now only an empty, hollow space, nothing remained.
Roarrr!!
The sound was deafening, filled with pain and fury, but it quickly faded.
The Vehemoth’s body shuddered once, then twice, before its arms dropped lifelessly to its sides.
Its colossal form collapsed with a final, thunderous crash.
The monster that once ruled the battlefield was no more.
Though it seemed like a long battle, only a few seconds had passed since Vivian had taken the heart.
But those few seconds had drained every bit of strength he had left.
He exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as he returned the black cube to his subspace.
His knees gave out, and he sank to the ground, exhaustion washing over him like a wave.
Every muscle screamed in pain; his body was battered and broken.
There wasn’t a single part of him that hadn’t been pushed beyond its limit.
The air was thick with the smell of blood and dust when Charlotte descended before him.
Her boots touched the cracked earth softly, her eyes wide with worry as she hurried to his side.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Vivian lifted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the blood on them.
He gave a short, tired chuckle and muttered, "What do you think?"
Charlotte’s frown deepened as her eyes scanned Vivian’s injuries.
Both his hands hung limply, bones clearly broken, and his chest rose unevenly with each breath, his ribs were fractured too.
The sight made her chest tighten.
"We need to get outside and get you treated," she said firmly, though her voice carried a trace of worry she couldn’t hide.
Vivian gave a weak laugh, his eyelids drooping. "Alright," he murmured, his tone half playful, half delirious. "But I think I’m about to faint."
Charlotte sighed softly, shaking her head.
"You really don’t know when to stop, do you?" she whispered, but he was already too far gone to hear.
Without another word, she knelt and carefully lifted him onto her shoulders.
Despite his weight and injuries, she moved with steady determination.
The battlefield around them was silent now, only the faint wind and the fading echo of the Vehemoth’s last roar followed her as she carried Vivian away.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Black Shadows stood motionless, his blade still lodged in the Vehemoth’s massive body.
The dungeon was silent except for the faint echoes of dripping blood.
Around him, his companions lay unconscious, scattered across the floor, their weapons fallen from their hands.
But he didn’t move to help them. It wasn’t worry or exhaustion that kept him rooted in place.
He was simply stunned.
The battle had ended, yet his mind was still trying to process what had just happened.
The Vehemoth had reached the pseudo-swordmaster stage.
Its strength far surpassed anything they had faced before, yet somehow, they had brought it down.
Even with Charlotte’s powerful magic and the combined efforts of their team, what truly left him speechless wasn’t her spells or the Vehemoth’s sudden evolution.
It was the way Vivian fought, calm, relentless, and unyielding until the very end.
He couldn’t believe this was the same young lord he had known.
The same Vivian who used to stand quietly behind his father, polite and timid.
He never lacked the courage to fight, but his nature was far from what anyone would expect from the heir of the Zenithara house.
Back then, Vivian had been easygoing to a fault, agreeing to almost anything others said, rarely asserting himself.
His talent had always been extraordinary, no doubt about that, but he lacked the sharpness and presence of a true leader.
Yet today was different.
What he said, how he commanded, how he fought, it all felt unreal.
The same timid young lord had led them into a battle where the enemy was twice as strong, and still, they came out victorious.
For a moment, the leader simply stood there, staring at the fallen beast, trying to understand when that quiet boy had become someone who could make even a monster like the Vehemoth fall.
"Hahaha!"
Suddenly, he burst out laughing, deep, genuine laughter that echoed through the silent dungeon.
"I always thought he wouldn’t make a good lord. How naive I was."
His laughter slowly faded, replaced by a look of fierce determination.
He pushed himself to his feet, his body still trembling from exhaustion, then turned toward the path where Vivian had left.
With a solemn expression, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
His voice was steady and clear as he spoke, "From today onwards, I, Gilfrod, swear my loyalty to you.
"No matter the situation, I will always place your safety and command above all else."
He drew a dagger from his waist and, without hesitation, sliced his fingertip.
A drop of blood fell to the ground.
"Even if it means going against my lord, the patriarch of the house," he continued, his tone unwavering,
"I swear before heaven and earth that the moment I disobey your command, my blood will run dry, and I shall die a painful death."
The blood hit the stone floor with a faint hiss, sealing his vow.
Gilfrod remained kneeling, head bowed, as if awaiting the silent approval of the heavens themselves.
He stayed there for a while, the weight of his oath settling in his chest.
After a few moments, Gilfrod finally rose, sheathed his blade, and walked toward his fallen comrades.
One by one, he checked their breathing and injuries, doing what he could with the limited supplies they had, bandaging wounds, stabilizing those who were bleeding too much.
His movements were steady, his mind clearer now, driven by a new purpose.
Meanwhile, outside the dungeon, Charlotte had already carried Vivian to safety.
She laid him gently on the ground beneath the moonlight, her hands moving quickly as she applied healing potions and wrapped his wounds.
The glow from her magic dimmed as she finished her basic treatment, Vivian’s breathing had steadied, and though he was still unconscious, he was out of danger.
The forest around them was quiet, save for the distant hum of nocturnal insects.
The stars above were faint, half-hidden by drifting clouds.
It was already deep into the night, but Charlotte couldn’t wait until morning.
His broken bones needed proper attention soon, or they might heal incorrectly.
She looked around the dark trees, her eyes sharp.
"I know my father sent you," she called out, her voice calm but commanding. "And I can sense you. Come out."
For a moment, there was silence, only the whisper of the wind.
Then, one by one, seven figures emerged from the shadows, landing silently on the ground before her.
Each was dressed in black, their clothing blending perfectly with the night.
They knelt in unison, their heads bowed in respect before Charlotte, waiting for her command.
Charlotte didn’t waste a second. "Is there any healer or physician among you?" she demanded.
At once, one of the figures stepped forward, bowed deeply, and hurried to check on Vivian’s condition.
Her sharp gaze followed him, cold and accusing, as if to ask why none of them had stepped out sooner, even after seeing Vivian injured like that.
The leader understood her unspoken question.
He lowered himself further to the ground and said respectfully,
"We apologize, Princess. His Majesty ordered us not to interfere unless their lives were in immediate danger."
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed, her voice turning icy. "Then remember this, if anyone in the royal family or the palace guards ever sees a single scratch on Vivian, they are to rush forward and treat him immediately. Is that understood?"
The leader hesitated, unsure if he could disobey the king’s command.
Seeing that, Charlotte softened her tone just slightly and said, "Don’t worry. I’ll issue a royal decree once I return."
The leader bowed his head even lower. "Yes, Princess."