Under Bell was a vast patch of coagulated dark red bloodstains. Beneath his shattered noble attire, his skin was marked with cracks and scorch marks caused by energy backlash, as if it would shatter completely with a touch.

His only remaining left eye was weakly half-open, the pupil unfocused, reflecting Samuel's blood-stained yet gleeful and cruel young visage.

The blood hole left on his forehead from the torn-out vertical pupil continued to slowly seep thick fluid.

Bell's lips slightly moved as if trying to say something, but only a gush of filthy blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spewed forth.

The hatred in his eyes burned like a candle in the wind, weak yet stubbornly persistent.

"Farewell, Bell." Samuel's face twisted into a grim smile of relief at the imminent fulfillment of his long-held wish, as he used all his force to stab down fiercely.

The Shadow Blade tore through the air, carrying the resolute determination to end everything, aimed at Bell's defenseless heart.

However, just as the Shadow Blade was about to pierce the shattered chest at the critical moment.

Humm...

A low, yet vigorous hum filled with abundant life energy erupted without any warning from Bell's body.

An extremely complex mark, composed of countless green vine-like runes, suddenly lit up at the heart area on his chest.

This mark was not tangible but a pure energy projection, emitting a rich life aura that was inconsistent with Bell's own shadow power, yet perfectly integrated into his dying shell.

Samuel's Shadow Blade struck fiercely onto that green rune mark, and the expected sound of penetrating flesh did not appear. Instead, it was replaced by a sensation as if stabbing into ancient wood, coarse and heavy.

The green light burst forth, and the mark seemed to come alive, with countless mighty roots made of pure life energy erupting from the mark instantly.

Like serpents with life and will, they tightly coiled around and imprisoned the deadly Shadow Blade, preventing it from advancing even an inch, and further entwined along the energy connection of the blade, swiftly winding and spreading upward towards Samuel's sword-holding arm.

"What?" Samuel's fierce smile froze instantly; he could feel the powerful force contained within this magic, far beyond Bell's own strength.

He quickly realized that this must be a potent Guardian Magic that someone from Bell's lineage had engraved in him; the energy in the spell was already at the level of a Level 2 Magic.

Samuel hadn't expected the opponent to go to such lengths, hiding this final maneuver.

The moment the green energy roots entwined Samuel's arm, a mighty, irresistible energy filled with savage aura suddenly invaded Samuel's body.

"Ahhh!!!" Samuel let out a distorted and piercing scream; he felt as though his arm had been thrown into a boiling furnace and was tightly constricted and torn by numerous thorny vines.

The charred wound on his arm erupted with black energy like venomous snakes, fiercely clashing and eroding with the green roots.

Samuel's already severely injured body could no longer withstand this internal and external terrifying impact, spewing a large mouthful of filthy blood mixed with fragments of internal organs and black energy violently.

He was thrown back violently by this immense power, landing heavily on a pile of rubble a few meters away, the arm entwined by roots visibly turning charred and withered, as if drained of all vitality, causing him to shrink into a ball in excruciating pain, nearly passing out.

Meanwhile, on Bell's body, the exploding green rune mark, after completing the defense and counterattack, didn't completely dissipate.

They seemed almost alive, gradually contracting and flowing, finally forming a thin layer of energy membrane glowing with greenish light on the surface of Bell's shattered body.

This membrane emitted a warm and resilient life aura, like a miniature life barrier, cautiously wrapping and protecting the last trace of Bell's fragile vitality.

On the surface of the membrane, subtle root-shaped runes could be faintly seen circulating incessantly, emanating an undeniable will of protection.

Samuel writhed in agony among the rubble, staring at the layer of flowing green light on Bell's body, his eyes full of disbelief, venomous malice, and deep apprehension.

"Level… Level 2 Life Guardian… damn old geezer!" He instantly understood the source of this power, and his heart surged with overwhelming hatred and reluctance.

This Life Guardian magic originates from the Elf Race and is a one-time spell refined from the energy in the roots of the World Tree, providing formidable protection.

Within the Crawford Clan, the only one willing to use Life Guardian on Bell was their mutual father.

Yet their father hadn't anticipated that the Life Guardian set for Bell would be triggered by his other son.

Samuel did not possess the Life Guardian magic within him, and a colossal hatred, jealousy, and resentment surged in his heart.

He tried to summon magic power, but his body was almost depleted, and the injuries were more severe under the torment of the savage energy, particularly the withered arm, almost useless.

While the protective light membrane on Bell's body emitted an overwhelmingly powerful aura of despair, breaking it was impossible in the short term.

Samuel's gaze swept suddenly towards the direction of the altar ruins, where, amidst the earlier chaos, that ancient Bronze Box bearing the Blood of the Dark still lay quietly on the altar.

He extracted a potion from his Space Ring and drank it, regaining some mobility and magic power, then dashed forward intending to seize the Bronze Box.

As for Bell lying on the ground, unable to deliver the final blow, leaving him here would only lead to a slow death, with no chance of survival.

Samuel thought this, but upon taking a few steps towards the altar, he stopped abruptly, for a towering figure five meters high appeared beside the altar.

It was a Kobold, staring at him with blood-red eyes, emanating a formidable aura.

Samuel quickly sensed the aura and realized the opponent was a Level 1 Peak Kobold.

If it were usual, he would surely not be afraid, but in this condition, victory was impossible.

Samuel glanced at the Bronze Box and then at the menacing Kobold, decisively activated a Witchcraft Artifact in his hand, instantly vanishing.

"Gone so quickly?" Duke's figure emerged in the crystal pillar behind.

He was considering whether to eliminate Samuel when he was surprised by how decisively he made his judgment, directly abandoning the Blood of the Dark without any hesitation.

"Leaving as well, at least he didn't see me." Duke watched the entire confrontation between the Crawford family duo, admiring the sheer number of their tactics.

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