The Bloodline System

Chapter 1600  Tracking The Corruption

Author's Note: Unedited Chapter

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Gustav and Endric arrived above Earth's atmosphere. The curvature of the planet stretched below them with its clouds swirling in gentle patterns.

 The streak of darkness descending toward the surface stood out starkly against the blue and green of Earth. It moved in a thin, unnatural line, slicing through the atmosphere like a spear.

"There it is," Endric stated with his gaze fixed on the shadowy entity. The malevolent aura radiating from it made his skin crawl.

Gustav turned to Endric with a resolute look. "Take Calden. Get him somewhere safe. I'll deal with this."

He handed Calden over to Endric, who nodded solemnly before disappearing in a blink with the former MBO officer. Calden, still disoriented and unaware of the full scale of the danger, looked up just as they vanished, his confusion mixing with fear as they left the immediate battleground.

Gustav didn't waste another second. He shot downward, turning into a streak of light as he cut through the atmosphere.

Heat and friction dispersed harmlessly around him as he broke past the clouds and descended toward the shadowy figure.

The dark entity was descending rapidly, like a poisoned arrow aimed directly at a city below. Gustav's eyes narrowed as he intercepted its path, thrusting his hand forward to grab it.

But the darkness phased through him, slipping like smoke between his fingers.

"So, it's not solid. Fine, we can play that game," Gustav muttered with a cold look as he tracked its trajectory.

The shadow twisted and surged forward while its tendrils lashed out like claws as it zoomed toward the crowded city below. It darted toward a young woman on a crowded street, ready to embed itself within her.

Gustav figure turned into a streak and he appeared next to her, grabbing her around the waist and yanking her out of the way before the darkness could reach her.

"What…?" she gasped, looking up in astonishment but Gustav was already gone.

She was confused as to how she found herself at the edge of the city.

 Without stopping, Gustav shot forward again. The streets below him transformed into a chaotic blur as he tracked the shadow.

The darkness was relentless, diving toward one person after another, each time seeking a new host. And each time, Gustav was there, intercepting it with lightning speed, yanking people out of its reach before it could embed itself in their bodies.

Aiming to trap it, Gustav sent a raging punch forward.

The force of his fist was so powerful that the shockwave tore through the air, creating a gust of wind that pushed the darkness back.

 The city streets were caught in the blast. Some windows rattled while others burst into pieces as a powerful gust swept across the block, forcing the darkness to halt in its path.

"You're not going anywhere," Gustav growled while stamping his foot into the ground.

The concrete beneath him cracked, and from the shattered ground emerged icicle-like diamond formations, gleaming and translucent. The iro silk formed an enclosure around the entire emptied city block.

The diamond-like icicles stretched up into the sky, interlocking with each other to create a spiky crystalline cage. Between each shard, Gustav projected a soft, yet intense light, filling the gaps to prevent the darkness from slipping out.

Now, only Gustav and the darkness were left within the enclosed cage. The dark entity swirled, momentarily confused, as it ricocheted off the edges of the cage.

"You can't escape now," Gustav declared with a strong tone within the enclosure.

The darkness twisted, almost as if it were responding to his challenge. Its smoky tendrils stretched toward him.

Gustav's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward slowly with his fists clenched. The corruption launched itself at him with its shape morphing into a menacing shadowy figure as it attacked.

---

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, E.E. and Elevora were in a life-or-death struggle of their own. Their spacecraft hurtled through space at maximum speed, dodging asteroids and debris in a desperate attempt to evade the relentless figure chasing them.

Their pursuer—a powerful member of the Gustavo Alliance—had latched onto their ship. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he punched through their shielding with brutal force.

The hull of their ship groaned under the strain, sparks flying as he tore through the layers of protection one by one. Elevora clung to her seat with a look of distress as she watched the outer shields crack.

"E.E., he's going to tear us apart," she called out.

E.E.'s eyes narrowed as he kept his grip steady on the controls. "Not on my watch."

He let go of the console momentarily and made a gesture with his fingers.

A violet vortex opened right behind their attacker. The vortex expanded, swirling with chaotic energy as it began to pull at the man, who struggled to keep his grip on the hull. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Let's see if you enjoy the void!" E.E. snarled, forcing the ship into a sharp roll as he tilted the vortex to engulf their attacker.

The man's grip loosened, and with a final lunge, he was sucked into the vortex. His figure vanished into the swirling depths. E.E. quickly sealed it off to prevent any mishaps.

Elevora's face didn't look completely relieved. For some reason, she still felt on edge, so she looked around to be sure he was gone.

After a while her shoulders sagged in relief. "Finally… he's gone."

But just as she began to relax, a flash of energy appeared up ahead. Her eyes widened in disbelief as another rip in space formed, and the same Gustavo Alliance member emerged from it. His dark eyes were fixed on their ship with a furious intensity.

"E.E.… he's back," Elevora whispered.

E.E.'s expression darkened as his hands gripped the controls even tighter. "How is this religious cock sucker doing this? The bastard can tear through dimensions?"

Elevora clenched her fists. " He's not going to stop until we're dead. What do we do?"

E.E. glanced at her. "Then we don't stop running. Not until we find a way to put him down for good."

Their spacecraft surged forward, weaving through the stars as they desperately sought to outpace the relentless enemy behind them. But even as they flew, the dark figure continued to close the gap, tearing through any dimensional barriers that E.E. threw up to slow him down.

--

Within the crystalline cage surrounding the city, Gustav faced off with the dark corruption.

 The darkness swirled before him, forming tendrils and lashing out with malicious intent. Each attack was a desperate attempt to strike at him, but Gustav swatted them away effortlessly. His movements were as casual as brushing away dust.

One tendril shot forward, aiming for his chest. Gustav merely raised a hand, catching the tendril mid-air and flinging it aside as if it were nothing more than a nuisance. Another attack came from his right—a sweeping arc of shadow—but he spun and slapped it back, dispersing it into a faint mist.

"Is that really all you've got?" Gustav's voice was taunting as his lips curled into a faint smirk while he watched the corruption reform itself.

The corruption let out a guttural hiss. Its dark form seethed with rage as it launched itself at him again. Gustav's response was instantaneous: he pulled back his fist and swung forward, generating a powerful wind that blasted through the darkness, scattering it across the confines of the crystalline cage.

The dark entity reformed slowly, trembling as if weakened, but Gustav showed no mercy.

He punched the air in quick succession.

Fwwhii~ Fwwhii~

Each punch sent waves of wind toward the shadowy figure. The force of each blast caused the darkness to reel, stagger and lose its form more and more with every strike.

As the battle wore on, the darkness seemed to grow weaker. Its tendrils moved slower, and its shape became less defined. Gustav watched with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes as the corruption began to wilt.

Its form flickered as it struggled to maintain coherence.

"Look at you," Gustav sneered with a mocking tone. "Is this all that's left? A pitiful wisp of shadow, fading like smoke."

The corruption shuddered as its tendrils flailed in a feeble attempt to strike at him, but the attack fizzled out before it even reached him. Gustav crossed his arms, tilting his head as he regarded it with disdain.

"What's the matter? Are you really going to wilt away, just like that?" His voice dripped with provocation as he stepped forward. "There's a host right here, isn't there? Or are you afraid? Afraid that even with me as a host, you'll be nothing."

The darkness hesitated. Its form wavered as if considering his words. Gustav watched it intently with an expression that challenged it to take the bait. He could sense its desperation, its instinct to survive despite the odds stacked against it.

"Come on," he taunted while leaning forward slightly. "You want a chance, don't you? A host with real power. Isn't that what you're looking for? Or are you just going to dissolve into nothing?"