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Chapter 218 The Great Lord Phobio

Phobio arrived in the parlor, a glamorously furnished place that made him nothing short of a nobleman.

No one would ever expect such a room like this to exist deep within the mountains.

And yet…

"Let's find out what happened, shall we?" As he muttered this, he went to a corner of the room where a mirror was hung on the wall.

He took a minute or two to observe his handsome face and his perfect body. He was extremely gorgeous, and even his 'tool' down there was too large to be true.

Many women had testified to this.

It was only after checking himself out a couple of times that Phobio reminded himself that he had come to the mirror for an important purpose.

… Besides checking out his body, of course.

"Show me what's going on outside." As Phobio said this, the mirror stopped reflecting him, instead displaying the havoc that was ensuing within the warehouse.

'They're all fleeing, eh? Interesting…'

There were a couple thousand workers that lived and worked in the KariBlanc Eastern Warehouse; and this was the count after he had executed a few hundred to serve as examples to the rest.

After taking control of this place, the rules were pretty simple.

The workers would work in exchange for their lives.

They weren't getting paid—at least, not in cash. Still, that didn't mean they could do shoddy work or desert their work posts.

"Looks like I'll have to teach them a lesson."

He placed a hand on the mirror and muttered a few words.

"Activate the emergency trap."

The moment he said this, the mirror glowed bright crimson, and what soon followed were screams of chaos and death.

When he took over, he—with the help of a colleague—installed arrows more than three times the total number of workers within the Warehouse.

He placed them on the ceiling of the path that led to the other end of the emergency exit—that is, the emergency tunnels.

Each arrow was poisoned, so normal people who served as workers didn't stand a chance even if they were grazed by one.

As a result… a massacre ensued.

"How dare they try to desert their workplace…" He whispered, smiling as he could see pretty much all of the workers dead,

All those thousands of lives extinguished.

"I'll have to get new workers. Well, it shouldn't be a problem… right?"

Frankly speaking, Phobio didn't care.

He would just do what he wanted to do; the same as he had always done.

The very reason he joined the Mercenary Gang was for that purpose, and he knew just how valuable he was to them, so it wasn't like they could reprimand him too much.

Who else among them had a Skill they could manipulate Blood?

… A Skill as rare as Spatial Magic or Gravity Manipulation.

The only reason he wasn't among the Deadly Three was because he simply didn't care for it.

Being recognized as the strongest within the Mercenary Gang meant more responsibility, and Phobio didn't care for any of that at the moment.

Phobio simply wanted to drink, sleep, have fun with women, and jerk himself off as he stared at his reflection.

Perhaps there were other things he would desire in the future, but for now… he didn't really want much else.

"Ahh… I never found out the source of the commotion."

From what he could see from the mirror, it seemed all the workers were dead, but Phobio suspected that a few could still be alive.

'Maybe some won't die immediately from the poison. I'll just extract information from them before I eliminate them.'

Phobio wasn't sure if they would be honest with him if he didn't offer an incentive, so he decided to lie that he would save them if they told him what he wanted to know.

'A good plan. Now then… let's go.'

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Phobio's soft white robe danced as his flip flop squeaked on the ground.

He only came to a halt once he reached the pool of blood that littered his sight.

The blood on the ground slowly began to gravitate towards him, and into the sphere that stood beside him.

All of it was drained from the ground and sucked into the crimson orb.

As a result, only lifeless husks with pale skin littered his sight.

"Ahh… they're all dead." Phobio murmured, slapping his hand on his face.

As he stared at the emaciated corpses, an expression of disgust appeared on his face.

"Why couldn't one of you just hang on until I came? Bunch of useless weaklings."

They weren't like him at all.

He—Lord Phobio—was special, even from the moment he was born.

"Looks like I'll have to investigate myse—"

"How unexpected…" A voice suddenly echoed within the massive clearing that Phobio stood in, forcing him to cease his words.

He could feel a prickling sensation behind him, so he quickly turned and looked in the direction of the only other living entity in the room.

'H-huh…?!' His gaze met someone who wore a black hooded cape, with red designs on the fur potions of it

He had a black coat on as well, with a black mask hiding his face.

"… To think there was still someone left." The masked individual said, taking a step forward.

"Who the hell are you?" Phobio asked, his loud voice filled with annoyance.

'I didn't even notice his presence until he spoke. He's not normal!' Phobio narrowed his gaze instantly.

The masked fellow certainly wasn't as special as he was, but he was formidable.

He had to admit that much.

"Drained corpses? Did you kill all those people?" The masked man asked, pointing at the dead bodies of the dead KariBlanc Group employees.

"Pretty much. But you've not answered my question yet."

Phobio was ready to strike down the man in front of him if he ignored his question again.

He was already being generous by forgiving his impudence once.

"Who am I? Well, that changes depending on who you ask. But, I guess for this event's purposes… I am a Dragon."

The moment the masked man said this, his eyes glowed purple, and an indescribable aura filled the air.

Phobio couldn't deny it even if he tried.

'This man… is a Dragon!'

Chapter 219 Phobio Vs Dragon [Pt 1]

Lord Phobio; The Crimson Angel.

That was what his name within the Mercenary Gang—though some would argue that his true nature resembled a devil more than an Angel.

He had a beautifully crafted face, and his body was toned to perfection.

As he stood there, watching the Dragon announce itself, he couldn't help but leak out a wry grin.

"Kekeke… you're a Dragon, huh?" His lips slowly curled up, revealing a twisted grin that handsome men shouldn't have.

Phobio looked like a snake at that point, his entire demeanor contorted to form an ugly mask of amusement.

"So what? So what if you're a Dragon?" He asked, his body suddenly relaxing as he kept up his cackles.

"Hm? Aren't you supposed to be frightened or something?"

"Nope! Why would I be?"

Phobio feared no one. That had been the case since he was little.

His special ability made it so that he was always very strong. In fact, he was the one who was always feared by those around him.

Also…

"I've killed a Dragon before, so it's no big deal. It seems you came here to attack us, so I'll just kill you too…"

The way Phobio spoke was with confidence and finesse.

Even though he wasn't wearing a lot of Enchanted Items, he still had the confidence to win.

His white robe and dark brown sandals were the only two Items he had on, and they were far from his usual set.

Still, he was confident.

'The blood I've amassed from thousands of people should be enough for this guy…'

Particles of Mana was trapped in the blood of people, so if he collected their blood, he was collating a lot of Mana in the process.

Not only would the energy add impact to his Spells, but it wouldn't consume too much energy on his part.

He could keep going on and on.

"I see. I'm curious, though, what kind of Dragon did you defeat?" The Dragon asked.

He seemed to be scoffing at Phobio, as if disbelieving his words.

"How would I remember the kind of Dragon? I don't care to remember such things."

Phobio wasn't lying. He didn't care enough to recollect the kinds of enemies he had faced, especially if they lost.

The defeated had no value in his eyes

"You probably fought a weak Dragon. I'm a strong one, you know?"

Veins appeared all over Phobio's heard the moment he heard this.

He had never felt so insulted in all his life.

"What the hell are you trying to say?" He growled, the sphere of blood beside him already bubbling with energy.

What would happen next depends on the next word given by the humanoid Dragon.

"Haha! Sorry! It seems your brain can't comprehend what I'm telling you, so why don't I break it down for you?" As the Dragon spoke, he stretched a hand towards Phobio, gesturing for a moment,

"I'm telling you, it'll be okay for me. After all… you're weak."

"…."

Phobio's wide eyes took in the Dragon's humanoid form as he heard those words.

His eyes that were littered in darkness suddenly began to have a red glow to them.

"Did you just… call me weak…?"

His long black hair began to rise, and an incredibly dense layer of Mana erupted from within him.

The amount of energy generated caused distortion in the air, but Phobio cared for nothing like that.

He simply wanted to show the ignorant Dragon in front of him who was boss.

'Those two fools must have known it was a Dragon, which is why they woke me up…'

They couldn't leave his side since he had instructed them not to, so they resorted to the least severe option—and for good reason.

'Those two knew I could beat the Dragon, which is why they fervently stayed by my side rather than run off.' Phobio's thoughts echoed deep within him, so he couldn't help but smile internally.

'I understand now. Those girls… they should have explained or said something quickly.'

Phobio thought it was a shame to see them die.

'Well… they brought it upon themselves. Just like this fool here!'

The Masked Dragon stood still, watching as Phobio's Mana undulated.

It almost seemed like the thing wasn't even fazed by the power being released.

'You can't fool me!' The man gritted his teeth as he activated his three other Skills.

[Great Protection Cloak]. [Superior Self]. [True Detection]. [Bloodlust].

Each of these Skills had their benefits, and by using them at once—alongside his [Greater Blood Magic]—he was pretty much invincible.

'I'm not with any of my standard Items. But, I can compensate for that weakness with this amount of blood. It's not most times I get to have something like this…'

Even though this was the coalition of blood from vermin, it still had its uses.

"Oi, Dragon!" Phobio's enraged eyes glowed a different shade of red compared to the Dragon,

"Get ready to die!"

"Oka—?"

~WHOOOSH!~

Like a ghost, Phobio instantly appeared behind the Dragon, a blade already in his grasp.

After using [Superior Self], a Buff that raised his physical abilities to the very limits, Phobio had no problem quickly making a sharp and long blade out of blood.

His crimson weapon was going to be dyed in blood as soon as he slashed the bare back of his enemy.

His [Great Protection Cloak] was going to be useless in this fight, now that Phobio thought of it.

'The enemy will perish! Right here and now!'

[True Detection] had told him that attacking his opponent's back was the best move at the moment, and he followed suit instantly.

As for [Bloodlust], it caused his opponent to feel a paralyzing sensation that prevented them from reacting properly to his attacks.

Some targets, who had weaker mental states, would even see illusions of them dying before they experienced actual death.

Phobio had combined all of these Skills in order to deal a decisive strike.

He could ask all the questions later,

~WHOOOOSH!~

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[A/N]

Chapter 220 Phobio Vs Dragon [Pt 2]

~WHOOSH!~

The vertical strike was smooth and straightforward.

It was bound to slice through his opponent from head to toe; shattering his skull and rending every organ he had inside.

It would be like a hot knife running through butter!

The attack descended.

Then—

~CLANG!~

As soon as the blood sword reached the Dragon's head, a loud noise filled the room.

… Almost as if the blade had hit an unbreakable wall.

Phobio took a few steps back in recoil as his brain tried to process the whole thing.

'H-huh…? What just happe—?!'

Before he could complete his line of thoughts, the blade that he now held in his trembling hand shattered before his very eyes and scattered about like glass.

'What?!'

The glass-like components of the blade turned into blood and soon returned to the orb that hovered beside Phobio.

As long as he was still alive, and there was still blood, it would gather around him.

That was a Special Privilege of his Class.

However, Phobio wasn't concerned about any benefits or Class at the moment.

Only one thing filled his mind.

'How did this guy… shatter my blade.

The blade was made of concentrated blood—the kind that had the combined fluid of hundreds of people.

'I don't see any armor or Skill being used. Is he just that durable?'

Dragons were famed to be the strongest in H'Trae, so it was a given that they would have tough skins.

That was precisely why Phobio went for a dense weapon.

'To think even that wasn't enough to do any damage!'

Phobio's eased facade slowly began to crumble.

"My turn." He suddenly heard a voice from the Dragon in front of him.

It scared him to his bones.

~WHOOM!~

The 'thing' closed the distance between them in a flash, sending his hand flying towards Phobio in a rush.

'Euk!' Phobio couldn't react on time, so he covered his face while stepping back.

He looked like a pitiful coward, and the approaching fist would have bashed his head at that very moment.

However…

~BOOOM!~

… His second Class privilege came in handy.

A dense shield made up of blood now manifested before him, defending him from the fiend that would have surely blown off his head.

"Guh!"

The shockwaves generated by the attack was enough to cause Phobio to stagger a few steps back as his widened eyes watched as his shield broke apart in horror.

"I'm not done." The Dragon's voice echoed past the crumbling blood as he rushed towards Phobio again.

'Tch! I gotta evade!' The young man ducked to his side, barely avoiding the impact that caused the very ground to shatter apart.

The Dragon fluidly rushed to his location, but he used his actively nimble body to avoid the slew of attacks he was receiving.

His long black hair danced as he avoided death-causing hits.

However; there was only so much luck a man could receive.

~WHOOSH!~

The Dragon appeared right as Phobio moved to a new position, almost as if he had already known he would retreat there.

What happened there was no one's surprise.

~BOOOM!~

The punch carried so much weight that Phobio felt his body shooting him signals of instant pain as he was sent flying to the closest wall behind him.

The very thing cracked as Phobio's body dug a hole in it.

"Puack!" Blood spurted out of his lips as he helplessly remained hanging in the wall.

The bloody mess on his chest also stood out.

"Do you understand now…? Why I said you're weak?"

As the Dragon's voice echoed in Phobio's ears, he could feel something heat up within him.

It was rising from his depths.

"You…" Phobio's bulging eyes were fixated on the Dragon as he had this thought.

"You dare hit me…?!"

As his voice echoed in the vast expanse, all the blood that had been gathered slowly began to rush towards him.

"YOU DARE?!"

As soon as the sphere touched Phobio, the crimson liquid exploded into a river of blood.

The river coalesced to form something massive, with Phobio in the center.

The ceiling trembled, and the ground cracked as the thing that was forming had too much mass and power to be contained within the area.

"Looks like this place is too cramped. Let's take this outside." The Dragon suggested.

Before Phobio could say a single word, the being flew high into the ceiling, creating a path for itself as debris flew everywhere,

"WAIT! COME BACK HERE!"

Phobio roared in rage as he saw his prey leave. His blood-shot eyes made it clear that he wouldn't rest until he ended the beast's life,

His massive crimson construct was pretty much done, so he rose to the surface in a blur as well.

In a rush of crimson, he ascended to meet his prey.

And in no time at all… he was outside the safe region of the Warehouse mountains.

That was when he saw the true reason his subordinates had been fleeing all this time.

'W-what is all this…?'

The darkness could not cover what he was witnessing.

Several layers of destruction were finely displayed all around the mountains; with some even on them.

Considerable damage had been done to the nearby areas, and from the chaos he was witnessing, Phobio was convinced the Dragon he was facing was the real deal.

'Would I have been able to replicate this…?' He asked himself, watching the sheer scale of destruction.

'No. I can't think that way!'

Just because the Dragon had superior firepower, it didn't mean he wouldn't win.

Every beast had a weakness, after all.

"Did you like my redecoration?" The Dragon appeared in front of Phobio, as if it had always been there.

The mask was still on, and his dark cloak danced with the cool breeze.

"YOU!"

Initially, Phobio wanted to kill the Dragon just because; and also because it was a threat to his group.

But now, this was personal.

In his current form, it was indeed very possible, so Phobio felt no need to hold himself back any longer.

He had to end this!

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