Right after Wolvin finished his sentence with such a calm and merciful tone, the area in the backyard of the luxurious mansion immediately moved so slowly that it almost came to a halt. Calian had used the 'Sluggish' authority of his absolute blessing, [Time Loop].
In the silence of that distorted time, the purple-haired youth's eyes flashed sharply.
Reversion!
Instantly, Calian's body shrank drastically. His bone and muscle structure reversed time, turning him into the figure of a three-year-old child.
Because his wrists suddenly became so small and tiny, the anti-magic and mana cuffs that had tightly bound both his hands came off and simply slid down onto the grassy ground.
As soon as the iron shackles came off, Calian did not waste a single second.
Progression! Age Stasis!
Calian restored his body to his age of almost eighteen years old. He also permanently locked his metabolism and age at that point.
With a very smooth and swift movement, Calian turned around. He snatched the sword of the kidnapper who had threatened him earlier.
Zrash!
Without mercy, Calian thrust the long blade and stabbed it with such immense force that it pierced through the man's left chest and straight through his heart.
The man died instantly.
However, Calian did not stop there. His boiling anger guided his every movement.
Under the influence of the sluggish area of his [Time Loop], Calian moved like the angel of death. He continued to dash, cutting through the crowd with the sword in his hand, killing all the kidnappers and corrupt soldiers standing around the mansion's backyard, including Thomas's family members who had taken pleasure in the suffering of others.
All the captives within the sluggish effect area could only widen their eyes. They could clearly see a phenomenon that was both horrifying and mesmerizing. One by one, the armed kidnappers, soldiers, and nobles fell to the ground with precise stab wounds to their chests and necks.
However, none of them could see the movements of the purple-haired youth who had committed the mass slaughter.
On the other hand, Wolvin, who was standing in his original spot, only smiled faintly as he watched the flow of blood beginning to pool on the grass.
It seems he is this furious just because I was slapped by that foolish kidnapper I killed earlier. Wolvin thought, feeling very understanding as his heart warmed. I'm so grateful to have a husband who is so strong, who sincerely loves and protects me the way he does.
However, the look in Wolvin's eyes suddenly grew sharper. He shifted his gaze and looked straight at Thomas's face.
No. I don't want to be constantly protected by my husband! I must also be able to protect him with my own hands! Because I am his spouse!
Although affected by the time distortion effect, the movements of everyone in that area were completely normal to themselves. It was only Calian who moved dozens of times faster than their vision could process.
Wolvin dashed as swiftly as a black shadow toward Thomas, aiming the blade of his dagger straight at the noble's heart.
Clang!
Thomas managed to stop Wolvin's black dagger with his sword.
"Do you think I am that weak?!" Thomas said, looking down disdainfully at Wolvin from behind their clashing blades. "I'm the ruler of this city! I'm the possessor of the [Swordmaster IV] blessing, a blessing that is only one level away from [Sword Spirit I]!"
In this world, the hierarchy of physical strength is often determined by the gifts of the gods. Everyone will receive a blessing that suits their respective talents and characters after undergoing the receiving ceremony at the temple.
For sword users, the blessing tiers have been absolutely structured, from the most basic level up to those that reach the power of God itself.
In the basic tier are:
•[Soldier]
•[Cavalry]
•[Advance Soldier I]
•[Advance Soldier II]
•[Advance Soldier III]
In the mid tier are:
•[True Soldier]
•[Sword Dancing]
•[Swordmaster I]
•[Swordmaster II]
•[Swordmaster III]
In the high tier are:
•[Swordmaster IV]
•[Sword Spirit I]
•[Sword Spirit II]
•[Sword Spirit III]
In the epic tier are:
•[Sword Saint]
•[War Commander I]
•[War Commander II]
•[Berserker]
•[War Cry]
In the disaster tier are those that are extremely rare. There are only a few people who are possessors of them. Those blessings are:
•[True Commander of War]
•[War Lord]
•[War King I]
•[War King II]
In the Myth tier, which are super rare, only a handful of people can become the possessors of these blessings. Those blessings are:
•[War Emperor]
•[True King of War]
•[True Sword Saint]
•[True Emperor of War]
•[God of War]
The highest level is the Divine tier, blessings that are considered as the power of God itself and have only one possessor in the world. They are:
•[True God of War]
•[Grim Reaper]
•[Sword of Justice]
•[Heaven Justice]
An example of one such existence holding the highest level of blessing is Maxwell Larvin, Calian's biological father. He is a Duke of the Yornvast Empire and the possessor of the [True God of War] blessing.
For Thomas, reaching the [Swordmaster IV] level was a massive source of pride that made him feel as if he was at the peak of the pyramid of life.
"So what if you possess that blessing?" Wolvin replied coldly, not intimidated in the slightest upon seeing Thomas's aura of pride. "In my eyes, you are still dirty trash who has violated the empire's laws!"
Hearing the sharp words from the Night Wolf youth, Thomas became furious. His pride as a noble was torn apart.
"Shut your mouth, you lowly beastfolk!" he barked roughly, exerting his strength to push back Wolvin's dagger. He absolutely refused to be lectured. "You are just dirty animals who happen to take human form! We humans are the supreme and honorable race that rules this world! Your race is nothing more than a disgrace to human civilization!"
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
Without Thomas realizing it in the slightest, both his arms and legs had been cleanly severed from their joints in the blink of an eye.
Thud!
"AAAHHH.....!!!!"
The man who had just boasted about his position fell to the ground with blood flowing heavily from his severed wounds. He groaned and screamed at the top of his lungs, feeling the excruciating pain from his four amputated limbs.
As Thomas writhed, right above his head, a purple-haired youth was already standing tall, glaring down at him sharply.
Without the slightest bit of mercy, the youth immediately stomped on Thomas's face using the sole of his shoe.
"What did you say earlier?" Calian said in a voice filled with anger. The tip of his bloodstained sword was aimed right at Thomas's eye. "You said that beastfolk are a lowly race, and human like you are the highest race?"
"Ugh... h-how dare you step on my face!" Thomas groaned while enduring the pain. Then, he tried to look for help. "W-Why are you all just standing there?! Kill him! Kill this bastard slave right now!"
However, not a single footstep came closer, nor was there even a voice answering his command.
"No one is coming to save you." Calian replied coldly, increasing the pressure of his foot on Thomas's face. "I have killed all of them, including all of your family members."
Gasp!
Hearing the emotionless words from the youth, Thomas's breath hitched. He forced his eyes to glance to the side, and instantly he felt devastated upon seeing his wife and two children lying lifeless with gaping holes in their chests.
His arrogance vanished, replaced by despair and useless anger over the death of his entire family.
Above the man, Calian slowly lifted his face and looked toward his spouse standing not far from him.
"Wolvin." Calian called out, his tone of voice turning much gentler. "Come here and hold my hand."
Without a second thought, the Night Wolf youth immediately stored his dagger back into his storage necklace and stepped closer. However, instead of taking his husband's outstretched hand, Wolvin walked around and directly hugged his husband's body from behind.
"You really annoy me!" Wolvin murmured in a sulky tone, resting his face on Calian's shoulder as he tightened his embrace. "Even though I really wanted to look cool in front of you, you incapacitated him in an instant before I could do it. Am I truly that useless in your eyes that you had to step in yourself to take him down?"
Calian was quite surprised to hear the string of sentences Wolvin had just said. He never expected that his spouse would actually feel annoyed, frustrated, and even consider himself useless.
Realizing that this was a highly intimate personal conversation, and not wanting the dozens of captives to hear it, Calian immediately took action.
Area Stasis!
Instantly, the flow of time throughout the entire mansion's backyard area stopped completely. The moonlight froze, and the floating dust was suspended in the air.
Due to the 'Area Stasis' authority of his [Time Loop], all the kidnapped people froze motionless like statues. In this frozen space and time, only Calian, Wolvin, and Thomas were allowed to move freely.
Calian slowly raised his own hand, gently touching and holding the back of Wolvin's hand that was tightly wrapped around his stomach, conveying his sincere affection and warmth through that skin contact.
"I've never once considered you like that, Wolvin." Calian said in a very gentle and soothing tone. "You're my precious spouse in my life. And as your husband, I also have the same obligation to protect you from evil people who dare to hurt you."