The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 175

#175.

He was an impudent Suin [a race of beast-people] with absolutely no manners. But the Divine Beast valued his courage and tenacity.

Besides, he was a strong Suin who had existed even before the Divine Beast shared his power.

Just enduring with two pheromones from the start meant he was a rare anomaly.

It was generally thought that one of the two pheromones would be eliminated, or both would be.

Vasily was fully maintaining not only the Divine Beast’s power but also his own.

‘Perhaps that’s why Larien loved him so much.’

The Divine Beast gazed at Vasily’s reddened eyes. His unique pheromone, thought to have completely disappeared after receiving the Divine Beast’s power, surged at that moment.

That ominous power might cause an unforeseen event.

The Divine Beast decided to indulge a whim, not because he pitied the Suin before him, but for his first child who had departed so futilely and suddenly.

“Good. If you desire to get that child back, even if it means receiving punishment, I will help you.”

With those words, the Divine Beast reached out. The Divine Beast’s power within Vasily’s body began to surge.

“But both you and Ebenesev deserve to be punished. The stronger your power, the more you and your descendants will suffer from madness for generations.”

“Ugh.”

“Also, Ebenesev will be forever trapped, craving the power within you. And that curse will hinder your meeting with Larien.”

With those words, the Divine Beast plucked a white flower beside him and placed it on Vasily’s chest. It was a wildflower that Larien had always loved.

A humble flower without even a name. Larien was a child who loved such simple, unassuming things.

The Divine Beast gave the flower a name for the first time.

“This flower, as an eternal symbol of the deal between you and me, will shackle your life.”

At that moment, the white flower crumbled, and a brand was imprinted on Vasily’s heart.

“And this curse will disappear on the day your wish is fulfilled, together with this ‘Rampage Flower.’”

The white flower turned black, becoming a curse. That was the birth of the Rampage Flower.

Zerachiel finally realized why the Divine Beast was showing him this memory.

What he had to do, and how he had to do it, from now on.

* * *

Meanwhile, immediately after Chelesia fainted, the Mishr altar became a scene of chaos, with golden pillars and silver chains intertwined.

A pheromone storm, to say the least.

A strong barrier was erected around Chelesia and Zerachiel, preventing anyone from approaching.

Ella and Heathcliff, who arrived late at the scene, stayed far away to avoid being caught in the pheromone storm.

Kirin’s power disappeared the moment he arrived in Mishr.

This was a natural consequence, as the Divine Beast’s power was abundant here, and it was already the Divine Beast’s Descent Festival after sunset. Thanks to this, Heathcliff’s energy was doubled than usual.

Hearthcliff fended off the biting pheromone storm with his sword, protecting Ella.

“Kuh— what the hell happened?”

He had clearly heard that Chelesia was heading here. But the massive storm made it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

Then Ella muttered.

“This is… Chelesia’s pheromone.”

“What?”

“Ah, it’s clear that Chelesia-nim [term of respect] is in danger.”

Ella trembled all over, feeling uneasy.

Indeed, Chelesia’s power was felt throughout Mishr, the same power as when Chelesia used Tebi to make it rain.

Ella, knowing that this power was Chelesia’s original strength, pushed through the rough storm and moved forward.

And when the altar became visible to the naked eye.

She discovered Chelesia collapsed on the altar, and Zerachiel holding her in his arms, wailing.

“Chelesia-nim!”

The moment Ella ran forward, a strong surge of sword energy containing pheromones was fired at her.

“Ella!”

Clang— chaechaechaeng—쿵!

Heathcliff quickly embraced Ella and deflected the sword energy, causing a loud roar.

A familiar figure was seen beyond the sand and smoke. And when all the smoke cleared, Devon was before them.

Devon pointed his sword at Heathcliff and said.

“Stop, Heathcliff.”

“…Father.”

“If you try to interfere any further with the moment the Preacher has been longing for, I will cut you down, even if you are my son.”

“…So it was you, Father? The executive backing the Butterfly Preacher?”

Heathcliff felt as if he had been hit in the head with a hammer as his inner fears became reality. Devon was confident.

“Yes, it was me. If you had stayed still, this father would have made Paige the most powerful family on his own. Why did you meddle unnecessarily and make things this way?”

Devon clicked his tongue and gave him a displeased look. He kept mentioning the family, but Heathcliff knew it was actually his greed. He had always envied the power of Jabez.

Hearthcliff said in a low voice.

“Were you so greedy for Jabez’s power?”

“What?”

“Not being satisfied even with that much power is excessive greed.”

“Heathcliff!”

“I will stop Father here, even for Paige’s sake.”

Hearthcliff pointed his sword at Devon. Inside Mishr, pheromone manipulation was twice as effective as usual.

Although it was swordsmanship he learned from his father, he had already surpassed his father long ago.

“Are you finally going to block this father’s path?”

“Knowing that Father is going down the wrong path and leaving him alone is an even greater act of filial impiety [disrespect to one’s parents].”

Immediately after, Heathcliff rushed at Devon. Ella, who was in the rear, headed to the altar while Devon and Heathcliff confronted each other.

Then Ella widened her eyes as she belatedly discovered Janus. Janus was walking towards Chelesia and Zerachiel, filled with joy.

In a situation that looked dangerous at a glance, Ella chased after him.

“Ah!”

She couldn’t go any further due to the powerful barrier.

“Stop there!”

No matter how much she punched the barrier and shouted, it seemed like they couldn’t hear anything on the other side. Or rather, they weren’t interested in this side.

She didn’t know why Ebenesev could pass through this barrier. In that moment when Ella was feeling uneasy.

The Rampage Flower began to bloom on Zerachiel’s body, whose upper garment was tattered from the pheromone storm.

One petal, then another.

The color of the Rampage Flower being engraved was clearly black, but it began to turn white as Chelesia’s pheromone touched it.

Ella was stunned by the flower pattern being tattooed on his entire body.

“Rampage Flower……”

It was definitely the Rampage Flower. She had already heard about the Rampage Flower through Chelesia.

That it was the culprit that caused Jabez’s descendants to suffer from madness for generations.

The flower, which was said to be characterized by being entirely black, turned white when it met Chelesia’s pheromone.

It looked just like a shimmering opal. And the moment the flower bloomed fully, the flower fell from Zerachiel’s body.

The shape, glittering like a jewel, was definitely the Rampage Flower, but it wasn’t the Rampage Flower.

Ella could finally clearly recognize its existence. Because that was what Chelesia and she had been searching for so desperately.

“The Rampage Flower was the Opal of Nothingness……”

She didn’t know why the Rampage Flower inside Zerachiel’s body had transformed into the Opal of Nothingness.

It was a natural reaction since she didn’t know about the deal between the Divine Beast and Vasily.

Meanwhile, Ebenesev discovered the Rampage Flower she had been searching for so desperately and let out an exclamation filled with joy.

“Finally―!”

How much she had longed for that power.

Filled with emotion, Ebenesev recalled the conversation she had with the Divine Beast when he had imprisoned her in the cave.

‘I know you killed Larien.’

‘It wasn’t me, it was Vasily who killed her.’

‘Did you really think I didn’t know that you seduced that guy with your three-inch tongue?’

A face that knew everything. Ebenesev stopped making excuses and shouted shrilly.

‘……Yes! I did! Because the Divine Beast only loved Larien! If I didn’t do this, you wouldn’t come out of Hebel and come to see me!’

The Divine Beast’s voice somehow sounded tired. After a while, he looked down at Ebenesev coldly and warned her as he tied her arms and legs with chains.

‘Then prove that you are better than Larien, staking your life on it.’