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A soft groan escaped Astra\'s mouth when the sharp blade drilled into her skin, and her eyes trembled fiercely with both fear and shock.

"You... Human... Have no idea at all what you are doing."

Raven smiled coldly and pushed his dagger a little deeper.

"Truly? For me, it is pretty much obvious."

"Urgh... Do you even know what consequences you will have to bear for claiming my life? If I were you, I would think twice before acting."

"Oh?" Raven raised a brow with amusement and his lips curved even more upward.

It seemed his guess was correct and Astra was indeed someone who got trapped in that Realm Domain. However, if that was true, it raised the question of how and why she needed Celestial Blood.

\'Unfortunately, however, none of that matters to me.\'

He gave Astra not one but two chances, one being at the Forsaken Island while the other one being now. He could have killed her twice already but decided not.

Yet, even after that, she still kept being arrogant and watching him as a clown, hence why he decided not to fool around any longer.

If words couldn\'t help then he will use force. And if that didn\'t help either, he will just kill her even if it meant losing the chance to gain a powerful favorite and a useful ability.

"I will give you three seconds. If you don\'t hand the Ancient Scroll over to me I will slit your throat wide open right here and now. Three... two..."

Astra clenched her teeth with anger feeling the cold blade of the dagger drilling deeper into her skin, and just as Raven was ready to say \'one\' she gave up.

"Okay... You won, I will give you the scroll. But only on one condition."

"Do you really think you are in any position to haggle?" Raven\'s eyes turned colder than before and cut Astra\'s face on the left side.

"Urgh... No, I don\'t... But knowing you will definitely use the Ancient Technique to enslave me, the condition I ask for will definitely benefit both of us."

"How so?"

Feeling as the dagger pierced her chest again, right where her heart was beating, Astra let out a pained cry and said quickly, "Your blood... I need your blood to break the seal on my body."

"Huh?"

Raven was surprised for a split second before he turned serious and asked "Sure, but I will be the one deciding when and how much blood you can get."

"...Okay." Astra groaned with pain to which Raven nodded and reduced the Lost Talisman\'s effect a little, just enough for Astra to use her weaker abilities.

And sure enough, soon her shadow trembled weakly, allowing Raven to watch as a small scroll emerged from below and came to view.

"Th...There you go." Astra groaned quietly, seemingly because activating her ability in her current state put a great toll on her body.

Of course, Raven didn\'t care about this at all and instead went to grab the scroll.

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[Ancient Scroll: Blood Oath]

• Type: Technique

• Tier: 1

• Description: An ancient record about how one can tame or enslave beasts and creatures alike depending on whether they wish or not wish to gain a new master.

----------

\'The description is rather simple.\' Raven hummed quietly as he unwrapped the scroll and began to read silently.

However, to his surprise, except for a few sentences, there was nothing more.

\'That\'s it? I have to draw a symbol on the ground around the beast I want to enslave and drop my blood on it. Just as simple as its description.\'

After memorizing the symbol from the scroll, Raven asked Luna to bring something he could use to draw the symbol.

And 15 minutes later...

"Done."

Placing the tool down from his hands which he used to draw... paint the symbol on the ground around Astra, Raven stood up and cut his finger.

Drop... Drop... Drop...

Raven\'s blood dipped on the symbol one by one and once the fifth drop of blood fell, the symbol lit up.

Whoosh!

"Urgh..." clenching her teeth as a miniature version of the symbol burnt on her chest, Astra endured the pain for a few seconds before she let out a soft sigh.

"Is it done?" Luna stepped beside Raven and asked.

[Congratulations! You have formed a Blood Oath with Shadow Princess Astra!]

Looking at the floating panel a slight surprise flashed through Raven\'s eyes before a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah, it seems so."

And with those words, he deactivated the Lost Talisman, and together with the Ancient Scroll, he handed it to Luna.

"Can you please take these back to dad?"

"That is not necessary, Young Master. I will do it." suddenly, Thomas\' voice appeared from the side, attracting the attention of both Raven and Luna.

"Thomas? How long have you been standing there?" Luna asked with surprise, as she failed to notice Thomas\' arrival.

"Since the beginning," Thomas replied with a hint of apology.

\'Interesting.\'

Raven narrowed his eyes scarcely as the first thing that appeared in his mind was Avatar Imprint. It seemed Thomas\' Avatar Imprint was quite the special one.

After handing the two items to Thomas, Raven shifted his gaze back at the still wounded fox and pondering for a few moments he took out a small pill from his Void Ring.

"Here, eat this. The last thing I want is you dying now."

With eyes filled with still burning anger, Astra looked at the pill in Raven\'s hands before she groaned and swallowed the pill.

And sure enough, not even five seconds later, her wounds including the hole on her side began to close up and heal with speed so fast that it was visible to the naked eye!

"Better?" sitting down before Astra, who now lay on the ground with a somewhat exhausted look, Raven asked calmly.

"I was never better."

Raven, of course, noticed the sarcasm in Astra\'s voice but decided to ignore it. Instead, he placed both hands on either of his thighs and asked, "So, Shadow Princess, huh? Quite the interesting name."

"That is not my name, but my Avatar Title. A useless title."

\'So that\'s how it is.\' Raven nodded and continued, "Still, one\'s Avatar Title, just like one\'s Avatar Imprint, is formed through past deeds and achievements which means your name of yours is not useless and still holds some meaning."

Then, with a hint of curiosity, Raven inquired, "Are you actually a princess?"

Astra narrowed her eyes and seemed to be a little reluctant to speak, however, once the symbol on her chest began to burn with a soft crimson glow she clenched her teeth and nodded.

"I am... Or at least I was."

"What does that mean?" Raven raised a brow.

Astra seemed hesitant to reply to that question, but unfortunately for her, the Blood Oath forced her to speak.

"My world... Had been destroyed."

"Huh?"

Raven was a little surprised hearing such an answer while both Luna and Thomas, the two who listened carefully in silence from the side, exclaimed out with gasps.

Just as Raven thought, Astra truly was not anyone ordinary. It seemed she held a past way darker and more brutal than any of the three of them together inside the room.

-

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-

Inside an ancient hall with golden walls filled with aged carvings, a large clear pond was visible in its center with a sole figure sitting lonely at its edge, seemingly meditating with closed eyes.

It was a young individual wearing a light ancient armor, which weirdly enough, was made out of different-sized cogwheels, one that instead of metal or steel were crafted out of white jade!

"Breath in... Breath out... Breath in... Breath out..."

The young individual mumbled quietly which was akin to a fly\'s buzz while his breathing was just as calm and even as the pond of crystal clear water before him.

Suddenly, however, the whole place was shaken by a tremor followed by an angry voice, snapping the young individual out of his rhythm...

"Vance, you bastard! Let me in this instant or don\'t blame me for turning your place upside down!"

The young individual sitting at the edge of the pond finally opened his eyes, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes that radiated great wisdom, and after a deep sigh, waved his hand.

Tremble!

The sound of a large machine getting started resounded the following second and right above the young individual, whose name was Vance, the ceiling began to open slowly but surely.

However, not even before the ceiling opened completely, something seemed to flash from the outside and appeared right beside Vance.

"I hope you have a proper explanation, Architect." Etia, with an angered expression on her charming face, stared coldly at Vance, her eyes flashing with coldness.

Right now, she looked like someone who wished nothing more but to spill blood and kill, like that of a bloodthirsty beast.

On the other hand, Vance still looked as nonchalant as ever, and with his gaze still fixed on the pond before him, which now reflected the beautiful starry sky from outside above, he spoke calmly;

"Lady Etia, although I have comprehended many things throughout my lengthy existence, I still don\'t possess the ability to read people\'s minds much less their desire. So please, if you will, be a little more specific than what you have just said, or else I fear I will be unable to help explain to you what you wish to know."