Nighttime.
Time has passed since he found the paper in his humble home. Just a glance at it made him realise that it wasn't meant for his mother.
The text contained instructions on how to reach the palace mansion with minimal obstacles, along with some information about the residence of the blessed.
In bold letters, it stated: "DO WITH THIS INFORMATION WHAT YOU WILL."
He wasn't stupid enough to not realise he was just a pawn being used by someone else.
It would seem others hated the chosen just as much as he did, but killing a blessed is considered taboo, so they would rather use him instead.
If it were any other time, he would have just ignored it, but now he couldn't for the sake of his family.
Modred shifted slowly on his mat, careful not to make too much noise as he got up. He glanced at the sleeping faces of his sister and mother, smiling softly. His sister was feeling much better now. Earlier that day, their mother had brought back some medicine for her, which had worked wonderfully; her temperature was now stable.
He slowly walked toward the square stone where they had placed their folded clothes. Shoving his right hand into the bottom of the pile, he retrieved the paper he had hidden there earlier, along with the gem, then put on a black hooded robe.
Stepping to the side, he picked up a knife and concealed it within his robe. Feeling as prepared as he could be, given the limited time he had, he stepped outside the hut.
If he had had more time to prepare, he would have planned things much better. However, he needed to make his move tonight because, come sunrise, he wouldn't be seeing his family again.
As he opened the door to his hut, he immediately headed straight toward the palace without any hesitation.
According to the instructions on the paper, there was a secret entrance on the east side of the mansion. Thankfully, it was nearby; if it had been on the west side, he would have surely been discovered before he arrived.
He quickly discovered the concealed entrance. The instructions were very detailed. Holding the blue gemstone in front of him, he stepped through the doorway that led directly to a tunnel within the palace.
Formations and runic spells heavily guard the palace; any unauthorised individual attempting to enter would be torn to shreds before they could set foot inside. Modred would have faced the same fate, but the gemstone he possesses is crucial to the palace and grants him access to its protective formations.
The tunnel served as an underground pathway that connected various rooms in the palace. It was designed for emergencies, allowing for escape in case the mansion was attacked. Constructed from materials that rendered it undetectable to even experts in the Core Nurturing Realm, the tunnel provided a secure means of access and evasion.
Following the instructions, Modred swiftly found the pathway to the room where the blessed resided. He encountered no obstacles during his journey, which made him more cautious.
'What's going on? No obstacle at all?'
Truth be told, he had come to accept that he would fail to accomplish anything from this mission he had set out to achieve. This entire fiasco might have been a plan set up by the chosen himself to get rid of him.
He had heard several stories of that happening to servants who had beautiful daughters and wives who attracted him, so he had accepted his fate. But if there were even a sliver of a chance that he could make it, he would take it.
Someone with a personal vendetta might also plan this entire situation. Still, the problem was that even if that were the case, it would be impossible to come this long without being detected by core formation realm experts.
Modred was unknowingly correct in his instincts. As he made his way toward the eastern palace wall, dozens of experts took notice and observed as he entered the secret tunnel. Once he stepped inside, their senses were abruptly cut off. However, none of them chose to intervene.
Practitioners at the core nurturing realm possess senses powerful enough to detect activity from thousands or even millions of kilometres away, depending on their stage of cultivation.
Putting aside those thoughts, he slowly made his way to the entrance leading to his target, careful not to make himself known.
He could hear low moans and grunts as he slowly approached the entrance. He carefully pried the brick wall open, making as little noise as possible.
He emerged from behind a heavily stacked bookshelf within a dark room. The air around was murky and smelled of decay. He gagged just breathing it in.
He took a moment to adjust to the surrounding darkness. Looking around, he noticed the object of his hatred thrusting back and forth on a woman whose eyes had turned vacant on a massive bed.
Beside her were two women: one barely 18, with white hair and long ears, an elf, and the other, a human woman who looked exactly like the one he was busy with at the moment. They were definitely twins.
On the ground lay two shrivelled corpses, both demi-humans, one with cat ears and the other with dog ears, both having bite marks all over their bodies.
Kovac was seen as a curse rather than a blessing for the Ortenosse family bloodline. With an Incubi bloodline, one would expect his status as a blessed individual to provide a significant boost in the benefits gained during dual cultivation, helping both himself and his partners. However, his flaw drains the life force of every partner he engages with, ultimately leading to their death.
Modred shivered at the thought of the same happening to his sister and mother.
With renewed resolve, he slowly approached the humping male from behind, careful not to make a sound that would draw his attention. Getting close enough, he took out his dagger. However, this action caught the notice of the young elf, who watched with lifeless eyes. They locked eyes, and in that moment, Modred felt a wave of dread wash over him.
He froze, not knowing whether to strike instantly or bolt towards the tunnel he came from, when suddenly, the elf nodded weakly at him.
Seeing this, he calmed down. He could see it in her eyes; she was tired, even exhausted. She fully supported his endeavour and encouraged it as well.
Gritting his teeth, he moved to accomplish both their wish.
Thrusting his knife with full force, he stabbed at Kovac's back
Kovac, smiling, was too busy enjoying himself with this mature woman that he had just finished with her twin, when he suddenly felt a sting on his back.
It was a shallow cut from behind. He stopped what he was doing and instinctively swung his left hand behind him.
Modred couldn't react to the incoming blow; the only thing his body could register was the impact, then he found himself midair, staring at the beautiful white ceiling above.
'So strong...' that was his only thought before he felt his body kiss the floor.
That swing had shattered his jaw. Blood flowed from his mouth as weakness washed over him.
This was the difference between a talentless boy and a blessed one. They were of the same age, but he stood no chance against him whatsoever.
'It was shallow, but that should be enough.'
He had long since accepted that he had no strength to contend with anyone in the main family head-on, so he made preparations before coming here.
His days of scouring the forest near the mansion were not for nought. He was a master hunter and knowledgeable enough to discern poisonous herbs from edible ones.
He knows nothing about poison arts, but he found anything he found poisonous and mixed them, creating an abominable concoction to witness.
He coated the knife in this substance before coming here. The only downside was that this new poison was untested. It was just a random mix of various others, but he believed it should be enough.
"You bastard." Kovac yelled furiously as he approached Modred swiftly, "I am going to kill you."
Clenching his fist, he aimed for Modred's head, indifferent to who he was or how he had arrived here. He went down with a force that would certainly shatter his skull and further put a dent in the floor below.
Modred felt his relatively short-lived life flash before his eyes.
'If that fist lands, I am dead for sure.'
He closed his eyes, accepting his fate. 'At least this bastard his coming with me.'
But the impact never came. Opening his eyes, he looked on.
Just centimetres away from his head, Kovac's fist paused, his left hand clutched his chest tightly as he grimaced. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.
The poison acted fast, pain racked his entire body, and his skin heated up instantly, turning a bright shade of red. Then blood started to flow out from his orifices.
He froze like a statue, unable to move.
Then his body started to collapse, falling to the floor.
Modred took a deep breath in pain, trying but failing to get up on his feet. He had to leave quickly before they started to realise what was going on.
He tried again, and that was when something caught his eye. Kovac's dead body was glowing.
The bright light transformed into tiny motes before coalescing into a larger, more colorful orb. He was stunned and confused about what was happening before the light shot into his chest.
This light brought with it information that overwhelmed his mind, rendering him unconscious. Everything fell silent for a moment when suddenly space twisted, and Novac appeared with an angry expression.