[Silver Ash] - Become The Strongest In Another World
CHAPTER 325: Frustration

...****************...

"Please take turns, don't struggle."

In the middle of the village square, a young girl who was clearly a human being, was now surrounded by dozens of children from the branching of the human race. They were the children of the tribe of Artof.

Tania raised both hands and prevented the children from seizing some toys in her hands, while the other children looked happy as they played with their own toys.

All of them were toys Noelle had in her warehouse, and Tania took the initiative to share and play with the children.

He was just looking for an excuse to pass the time.

"I want that one! "

"No! That's mine! "

"H-hey, Brother Tania said we should take turns …."

From where she was sitting, Noelle could hear some of the boy Artof used to say that. Meanwhile, Tania looked troubled, although she did not show it directly with her expression.

Thank goodness he handled them well.

Noelle snorted and looked back and forth between Rudra and Dolum who were nearby.

While Tania was dealing with the children, she was here in charge of informing Rudra and Dolum about the results of her investigation.

He and Dolum sat on the stage of a small log cabin, while Rudra remained standing without daring to set foot on the floor of the cottage.

After all, he had a weight equivalent to that of some adult men. The foundation of the hut would not be strong enough to hold it.

"So, what are your search results? "

Rudra asked in a heavy voice, which sounded intimidating, but at the same time also calmed down, as if his voice alone was enough to make everyone feel safe.

"About that …."

Noelle muttered and thought for a moment. He already had an answer to that question, but he was still looking for a way to explain it.

"Create."

Moments after the silence took hold, Tania suddenly came and called him with a fake name that she had been using for several days.

His hands were empty, which meant he had finished handing out all the toys. Tania also walked towards the group, with a flat expression, and eyes that shot straight at Noelle.

Seeing her presence, Noelle nodded, then stared back and forth between Rudra and Dolum.

"There is good news and bad news. I'll tell you the good news first."

Rudra nodded to give his approval.

After letting Tania sit next to him, Noelle immediately spoke.

"The good news is, we've located the location of the third catalyst."

Third catalyst, queen's blood. Of the three catalysts, that's the hardest to find because of the lack of information and clues. Even so, they still found him.

"really?! "

Noelle had predicted that reaction. Just like Dolum a while ago.

Dolum wasn't too surprised because he knew it early, but Rudra's movements in expressing his surprise looked very attractive in Noelle's eyes.

Noelle nodded, confirming the answer to Rudra's spontaneous question.

"Well, thank Tania, because she was the first to discover it."

Without further ado, Rudra and Dolum immediately looked at Tania, and lowered their heads as they solemnly thanked her.

"Thank you."

"I don't know how, but thank you."

On the other hand, Tania simply shrugged her shoulders lightly while nodding once. "Surely," he said.

After Noelle cleared her throat, the focus of the two of them finally returned.

"Well, like I said, it's not just good brruta that I'm going to say."

Dolum gulped anxiously. "W-what's the bad news? "

Rudra tidsk said anything, and just focused on waiting for a response from Noelle.

"Well, that's .. The bad news is that this answer is still uncertain. As I said, we found the location. But, we don't know at all whether the catalyst is there or not."

" … Is that all? "

Dolum blinked a few times, as if he could not believe the answer he had just heard.

He thought that the bad news would definitely be much more serious. But apparently, this was different from what he had predicted. The problem turned out to be quite simple.

That's not a big deal. Dolum thought so, and everyone agreed with him as well. However, Dolum was suddenly curious, why did Noelle put the matter into the category of 'bad news'?

It was a matter that Noelle could not explain.

"So? Where's the third catalyst now? "

Rudra's question again brought Noelle's consciousness out of her own mind. Noelle looked at him.

"The queen's blood is on you, Rudra. It's most likely inside your body."

It was shocking information, either for Rudra, or even Dolum.

Dolum already knew that the queen's blood was on Rudra, but he did not expect that it was in his body. Dolum wondered, where exactly is the blood? Did it flow with Rudra's own blood on his body? Dolum was not sure.

On the other hand, Rudra was silent. He looked at his own palm, which was only a sparkling black metal filled with scratches.

Noelle was convinced that Rudra had a different understanding than Dolum.

After a moment of silence looking at his own hands, Rudra slightly lowered his head, as if he had just sighed.

His next words startled Dolum, and Noelle and Tania were there.

"So that's right, huh? That I've lost my physical body? "

The three widened their eyes.

Noelle and Tania looked at each other for a moment, then nodded.

They didn't know when Rudra realized it, but they were relieved that Rudra could be calm despite facing that reality.

Logically speaking, it was already absurd for ordinary humans to live for over 600 years. Now Rudra understood it. He also believes that what he thought all along seems to be true.

Rudra already knew that he was no longer a living being, but merely a lifeless armour that continued to live without any clear meaning within a city sealed off from the outside world.

Noelle, Tania and Rudra had already understood that. But Dolum is the opposite.

He still did not understand very well what he had just heard.

Seeing her confusion, Noelle went on to explain, "Unlike us, Rudra no longer has his physical body. Right now, there's nothing in that armor."

Noelle then proved it by tapping Rudra's armour several times, and the result was as expected; the sound of her knocking echoed, which proved there was a fairly wide empty space inside there.

Dolum felt hard to understand and believe it. But, he could do nothing but accept that explanation.

There was no way he could take it for granted. But, what could he do? Anger will not restore the physical body of the proud knight.

Dolum slightly closed his eyes. "I ... understand that. But, what do you mean the Queen of Bengal's blood is on her? "

Rudra also turned to Noelle, implying that he allowed Noelle to tell Dolum about it.

Noelle is now grateful that Dolum is attentive enough and is well aware of the situation. If Rudra lost to his good nature and refused to tell Dolum about it, then things would be even more difficult.

After nodding once, Noelle finally replied, "What I want to say is, the blood is literally inside Rudra. The Bengis queen kept her own blood sample in Rudra's armor."

Putting aside Rudra and Dolum who had surprised reactions, Tania on the other hand looked ordinary. It was natural, because from the very beginning, he was the first to realize that.

"Alright, then .. Tania, I leave you with a further explanation."

Noelle stretched for a moment, then closed her eyes. Tania nodded, and looked back and forth between Rudra and Dolum.

Tania herself did not think much of it, but she realized that the difference between ordinary humans and the Artof tribe was really very striking.

Rudra and Dolum actually shared the same nationality, so they shouldn't be too different. However, if you see them juxtaposed like this, it feels like the difference is becoming more and more striking.

Rudra's height was almost three times that of Dolum himself. It proved just how drastic the transformation caused their forced evolution.

Being stared at so made Dolum feel a little uncomfortable, so he was about to ask something about Noelle. However, before she could ask, Tania had already answered, as if she already knew what she was going to ask.

"Grei was examining Rudra's body. It was a little special, so Grei had to concentrate more to be able to see it clearly."

Although Noelle closed her eyes, she was actually looking through Rudra's armor with her《Clairvoyance》 ability.

Unlike when Noelle checked inside the city barrier, this time the barrier protecting Rudra's soul was her own making. Although it was made by mimicking its original barrier, it still had some flaws so its durability was quite fragile.

Noelle was worried, if she used《Clairvoyance》 to look inside, it would affect the barrier function, considering that the barrier was installed right in the inner layer of the armor.

"In addition, the third catalyst, or the queen's blood, is in a place that's really hard to reach" Tania explained.

The blood was in Rudra's armour. Although it sounds simple, but actually the process to get it is very difficult.

If they wanted to get it in the usual way, then they only needed to remove Rudra's armor to then take a sample of the queen's blood that was there. But unfortunately, it can not be done because the armour is already attached to each other into a unity.

After all, the armor had basically already become Rudra's own body. So if they took it off, it would be the same as killing Rudra.

(I think it's better they don't know.)

That was the reality, but Tania chose not to tell them about it.

He said nothing more, and focused on waiting until Noelle completed her search.

"Meet! "

After a while, Noelle finally opened her eyes and immediately said that.

Rudra and Dolum immediately approached him with feelings of joy that were difficult to explain.

"Where is that?! "

Noelle sighed and scratched the back of her head. He looked puzzled, but that expression only lasted until he pointed at Rudra.

"Around the back. It froze among the crystal flakes, and the amount wasn't much either."

Given that it was just a sample, so it should have been the amount Noelle saw that was enough. However, there was something else that made Noelle hesitate.

"freezing? Then …."

Dolum thought for a moment, but then Tania continued her words in her own stead.

"It's gonna be hard to take."

Noelle nodded, confirming directly that.

"It's not freezing naturally. I believe the Queen of Bengal froze that blood with her own power. But ... liquefying it shouldn't be a problem."

The problem was that Noelle had no way of doing that.

Noelle took out a strand of metal thread from her spatial shed, along with a soft, clean lump of white cotton. He also connected the thread and cotton, so that it became a unit.

Actually, there are many other ways. But, this was the only thing he thought was capable of delivering a possible result.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the metal thread and cotton in Noelle's hand, then slightly startled when he saw the two objects moving by themselves, standing like a cobra listening to the flute.

"I can use this to draw that blood. This cotton will absorb it, and for this thread .. yahh, I'm sure you've got it."

"That can be done. But, I'm sure, there's still another problem, right? "

Noelle nodded. The problem is, the blood is frozen. Noelle could use the authority of dominance to restore her to a liquid form, but to do that, she still had to come into direct physical contact.

Although Noelle was already confident enough in her ability to use the authority of dominance, in fact she was still not great enough.

Noelle still had to come into direct contact with the target to use that power.

The way Noelle chose to get the queen's blood, was to use yarn and cotton as an intermediary. But, the thing is, it can't be done. All it takes is direct touch.

It was an absolute condition that Noelle had to abide by.

Although Noelle did not say it clearly, Tania was somehow able to understand it. She confusedly looked at Noelle's face, and asked with an expression waiting for certainty on her face.

"Why not use your own blood as an intermediary? "

It was common knowledge that Grei Noctis had the ability to manipulate his own blood, and Tania who had enough with Noelle was also well aware of it.

Indeed, the idea that Tania proposed had a point.

Noelle could still use the authority of dominance by using her own blood as an intermediary, since blood was still a part of one's body.

However, the reason why Noelle rejected the idea was already a different matter.

"I was planning on doing that at first, but I canceled it because it was very unlikely."

"Why? " tania asked while tilting her head.

Seeing that, Noelle smiled. It would be better to point this out directly rather than having to explain it at length.

Noelle asked Tania to take out a little of her own blood, and Tania obeyed that by slashing a little part of her finger.

The open wound finally dripped blood, which then fell onto the small plate Noelle had prepared.

Tania's blood stained the originally clean plate.

A second later, the wound on Tania's finger instantly disappeared, as if it had never been there. Rudra and Dolum could only ignore the magical scene, thinking maybe he was wearing healing magic or something similar.

"Then …."

Noelle used her own nails to create a small cut on her index finger, which then dripped her blood onto the same plate as Tania's blood was.

Just one drop, but the impact was incredible.

"I can't control someone else's blood, but it would be different if it came into contact with my blood, even if it was just a drop."

Noelle's blood had fallen on the clean part of the plate, but then it moved by itself towards Tania's blood pooling on the other side of the plate.

The next second, what they all saw was something rather difficult to explain.

Their blood coalesced, but Noelle's blood, which looked darker, stained the whole blood, so that it all became similar; blood with a deep red color. It was the same color as the blood Noelle had.

"My blood has strong contamination and dominance properties. If it comes into contact with someone else's blood even if it is just a little, my blood will instantly dominate and take over it, so that someone else's blood will be my own blood."

Noelle moved her finger slightly to the left, and the blood on the plate moved in the direction she pointed.

In short, Tania's blood no longer belonged to Tania, but it was entirely Noelle's, as it had been contaminated by her.

It was a natural trait that all vampires possessed with the ability to control blood. Their blood had much stronger properties in terms of contamination and dominance, though it was not related to any authority.

With such a blood nature, if Noelle touched Queen Clament's blood with her own blood, then it would be foolishness. Because instead of getting what is needed, it will remove the presence of the catalyst they desperately need in the ritual process.

Tania, Dolum, and Rudra instantly understood the problem. Now, this turns into a time fight.

None of them could get the blood. They could only rely on Noelle so that she could increase her control over the authority of domination.

Looking at their disappointed expressions, the first Noelle did was snort in annoyance.

"Well, I'm sorry about that, but we really can't do anything about this."

Noelle sighed and stood up, then looked at everyone one by one

"I will deal with this matter as soon as possible, you have patience."

...****************...