Eventually, the decrepit boat reached the desolate shores of the Singing Lady Island. As Xander and Atheria prepared to disembark, Xander turned to the old man."Will you wait for us here? We might need a ride back," Xander inquired, although he had a sense of what the answer would be.The old man let out a gruff laugh, his eyes filled with a strange mixture of pity and fear. "Nah, lad, I won't be waiting here. You see, you won't be returning."Xander, though filled with trepidation, summoned a semblance of courage. "I've survived worse."The old man's response was cryptic and ominous. "Not like this," he muttered, and with a forceful push of the paddle, he steered the boat away from the cursed island, leaving Xander and Atheria to face the unknown on their own."Unleash me now, idiot. Don't come to me crying later on," Bloodhound's growl reverberated within Xander's mind."Shut up, you moron. There's no one left on this island for you to murder and drink blood," Xander responded, irr
As Xander and Atheria ascended the staircase, he continued to tell her about the eerie singing he thought he had heard."Atheria, I'm serious. I heard it. Maybe this castle's tales aren't all myths," Xander said with a nervous chuckle.Atheria, however, rolled her eyes and teased, "Xander, you're not seriously telling me you're so scared that you've started hearing songs in the air now."Xander retorted, "Even an army can be unnerved by a ghost, you know."Before Atheria could respond, she took a step forward and felt a slight depression on the floor. Her eyes widened as Xander heard a subtle click, and the hair on his neck stood on end. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a cannon fired towards Atheria. It hurtled through the air with deadly speed.But just as it seemed all was lost, a man in gleaming silver armor leaped out from the shadows. With a swift, precise strike, he cut the cannonball in half, and then landed on the floor with a heavy thud, sending echoes through the ancient castle.I
Xander and Atheria trailed behind the knight, their steps echoing through the eerie castle corridors as they heard more and more disturbances in the distance."You should ask for more backup," Atheria suggested."No can do. The nobles will cause a big scene about it, and the religious leaders will do anything to stop someone from stepping onto this island," the knight sighed.Meanwhile, Xander carefully peered into each room along their path, as though he were searching for something specific. As they emerged from the corridor, they entered a spacious hallway that seemed frozen in time. The walls were adorned with faded tapestries depicting long-forgotten battles, and the flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows across the cracked marble floor."Are those blood stains?" Atheria observed the dark, ominous marks on the ground."Must be the blood of the bandits I fought here," replied the Knight, his eyes scanning their eerie surroundings.Atheria knelt down to investigate the bloodstain
Atheria, not one to be easily scared, found herself jumping in shock and fear at the sight of the snakeskin. She dashed behind Xander and instinctively clutched his hand tightly."What... what is that thing?" Atheria asked, still struggling to believe her eyes.Xander slowly walked forward and crouched before the snakeskin. "Whatever shed this skin, it did so recently. It's not even a month old," he said in a grave tone."How could that be? Okay, let's think about this rationally," Atheria took a deep breath, attempting to calm her frayed nerves. "This must be another snake. There's no way a cobra given to Mayana by the Duke a thousand years ago could still be alive," she reasoned."I bet this is just another one of the bandits' tricks," Atheria concluded."Yeah, let's attribute everything that's happening to the bandits' doing," Xander snickered."That's it!" Atheria had had enough of Xander's strange behavior. She threw her hands up in frustration and fear, then paced forward. "What
"When did you come out?" Atheria inquired as she followed in the wake of Bloodhound."The moment Xander saw there was no blood spewing from the bandit Roland hit," Bloodhound growled.Atheria was taken aback that Xander had willingly relinquished control of his body to Bloodhound."Aren't you relieved I'm here, sweetheart?" Bloodhound asked in a mocking tone."I am," Atheria replied with heavy sarcasm."You don't sound relieved, though," Bloodhound observed as he led Atheria toward the library."Excuse my lack of enthusiasm for a bloodthirsty devil," Atheria snickered, but Bloodhound responded with a devilish laugh."Shhh," Atheria hushed him, attempting to make Bloodhound lower his voice, but it was in vain."Xander, if you can hear me, listen up. You're a fool. What were you thinking when you handed control of your body to Bloodhound?" Atheria scolded Xander, whose body was currently possessed by the menacing entity."He acted smart, sweetheart. He knew he can't do anything against
As Atheria teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, Bloodhound suddenly threw her aside with a powerful force. She landed a few meters away, clutching her neck, and immediately sensed a growing threat in the air.Weakly, she murmured, "What... is... that?"A shiver ran down her spine as she watched something coiling around Bloodhound's form. From the shadows emerged a sinister hissing sound that sent chills down her spine."Such an ugly creature," Bloodhound sneered, unperturbed by the looming danger. Atheria's eyes widened as she witnessed Bloodhound being ensnared by a colossal tail and lifted into the air. Illuminated by the torchlight, she could now clearly see the enormous serpent with glistening black scales, easily thirty-five feet long.Her shock quickly turned to determination as she remembered Xander's words."I wonder how your blood will taste," Bloodhound growled, meeting the serpent's gaze with unwavering resolve. Tension hung in the air as the two formidable beings enga
As they clashed, the Duke's movements were almost mesmerizing. He moved with an uncanny grace, his armor making barely a sound as he elegantly evaded Roland's powerful swings. The Duke's skill with his dual axes was undeniable.Atheria could hardly believe her eyes as the Duke sidestepped, ducked, and weaved effortlessly around the knight's attacks.In a fit of frustration, Roland screamed, "Stand and fight like a man!"But the Duke only chuckled darkly, his dual axes a deadly blur as he countered Roland's blows. With each clash of their weapons, it became increasingly clear that Duke Dregan was a formidable opponent, much to Roland's dismay.With astonishing speed and agility, Duke Dregan evaded Roland's attacks and countered with ruthless precision. He drove his dual axes forward, stabbing Roland repeatedly. Each strike was like a lightning bolt, and Roland was pushed back, struggling to defend himself.Finally, with a powerful kick, Duke Dregan sent Roland sprawling to the ground.
Atheria nodded in agreement with Xander's assessment. "The sooner we find the book, the sooner we can leave this godforsaken place," she said, her urgency clear in her voice.Xander sighed, knowing what he had to do. "I have to give control back to him," he muttered. Without further delay, he allowed Bloodhound to take over.Bloodhound, now in control of Xander's body, cracked his neck audibly. His crimson eyes scanned their surroundings, his senses alert."Hold me tight," Bloodhound growled, his tone brooking no argument. Atheria gripped Bloodhound's hands tightly as he prepared to leap.With a powerful jump, they soared upward, with Bloodhound's supernatural strength propelling them higher by grabbing the walls. After a few heart-pounding seconds, they landed back in the corridor above.Atheria looked around, her gaze falling upon countless bookshelves stretching as far as the eye could see. The library was massive, with ladders strategically placed to access books on the higher she