The Bloodline System

Chapter 1599: One Step Behind

Authorʼs Note: Previous Chapter Has Been Edited.

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In the vast reaches of space, the greenish glacial star shimmered like a distant beacon. Its icy surface cast an eerie glow across the darkness.

Gustav and Endric hovered just outside its boundary as their eyes scanned its massive form, both keenly aware that they werenʼt alone here.

Gustavʼs senses were already prickling with a faint presence, a barely-there tug in the threads of reality that he recognized as the lingering signature of Calden Reist.

For reasons unknown, they couldnʼt find anyone on the surface despite how much they checked.

”Heʼs inside the star,” Endric murmured with his forehead emitting a green glow.

Gustavʼs eyes narrowed. With a thought, he activated his God Eyes causing his eyes to emit a red glow.

[ God Eyes Has Been Activated ]

The world around him seemed to shift as his vision pierced through the blinding mass of energy. He scanned the entirety of the star, and deep within, curled up in a fetal position, was the figure of a man.

”There,” Gustav muttered as his gaze locked onto the presence.

”I see him,”

With no hesitation, Gustav bolted forward, cutting through the empty space between him and the star with a speed that left streaks of energy in his wake.

He burst into the icy layers of the star with a force that sent shards of frozen energy splintering outward. The entire star trembled as he tunneled through it with his eyes locked on Calden.

In one fluid motion, he reached out and grabbed the man by the throat, wrenching him from his slumber and dragging him through the star until they emerged into the open void once more.

Caldenʼs eyes snapped open in alarm, and he gasped as he found himself suspended in space with Gustavʼs hand wrapped around his neck.

”Where is my sword?” Gustavʼs voice was cold, a quiet, deadly calm that left no room for pretense.

Calden blinked in confusion. His gaze darted around wildly as he tried to orient himself. ”What—what sword? I donʼt know what youʼre talking about!”

Gustavʼs grip tightened slightly, and he pulled Calden closer. ”Donʼt play games with me. I know you took it. Now tell me where it is.”

Caldenʼs face twisted in genuine fear. ”I swear, I donʼt know anything about a sword! Please—I donʼt understand. I donʼt even know why Iʼm here!”

The air around Gustav grew heavy with his barely restrained power. His cosmic aura flared out and rippled across the starʼs surface, causing it to tremble and shift under the weight of his presence.

”Enough, Calden,” he growled, his voice rumbling like distant thunder. ”Nocturnis used you and that much is understandable but you will tell me the truth... one way or another.”

Caldenʼs voice shook as he pleaded, ”I swear on my life, I didnʼt do anything! Please, let me go—I just want to go back to my family. My wife, my daughter… I miss them. I donʼt know how I got here.”

As Gustav tightened his grip, Endric watched with a thoughtful expression. He activated his Time Candidate abilities, and his eyes glowed with a soft green light.

He focused on Calden, allowing time to peel back like the layers of a book, revealing two distinct versions of the man standing before them.

”Gustav, wait,” Endric called out with an urgent tone. ”I see two separate time traces on him. One from an hour ago, and one from now.”

Gustavʼs eyes narrowed, and he slowly released Calden while his gaze shifted back to Endric.

”What do you mean?”

Endric looked back at him in surprise. ”Whatever happened to him… itʼs gone. Nocturnisʼs influence isnʼt there anymore. Heʼs no longer corrupted.”

Gustavʼs brow furrowed, and he activated his God Eyes once more, inspecting Calden with a meticulous gaze.

As he scanned every inch of Caldenʼs essence, he realized Endric was right. There were no remnants of Nocturnisʼs dark energy—no trace of the corruption that had once twisted Caldenʼs mind.

”Calden,” Gustav spoke with a softer but still guarded tone. ”tell me everything you remember. How did you end up here? Whatʼs the last thing you recall?”

Caldenʼs face contorted as he struggled to remember. ”The last thing I remember… I went into the portal with the other MBO soldiers, with the volunteers. We entered that dark place, and then... everything went blank. I just woke up here. Thatʼs it.”

Gustavʼs gaze remained cold, but a spark of doubt flickered within him. He took a deep breath, then placed a hand on Caldenʼs head. ”Iʼm going to look for myself. If youʼre hiding something, Iʼll know.”

Calden, exhausted and desperate, nodded. ”Do whatever you have to do. Iʼm telling the truth.”

Gustav closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to slip into Caldenʼs mind.

The memories unfolded before him like fragments of broken glass—sharp, scattered, but painfully clear.

He sifted through the fragments, searching for any trace of darkness, any shred of Nocturnisʼs influence. But he found nothing. Caldenʼs mind was clean, his memories as empty as he had claimed.

But just as Gustav was about to withdraw, he felt a sudden pull—a force that wrenched him deeper, dragging his consciousness into a dark, unfamiliar domain. The cold grip of reality faded, replaced by an endless expanse of shadows.

A massive, looming figure materialized before him, wreathed in a fabric of darkness. This figure was gargantuan... with dark threads joining together around them. It was like standing before a galaxy.

The dark entityʼs eyes gleamed with malice, and a mocking laugh echoed across the void. ”Oh, Outworldly… How does it feel to be one step behind me?”

Gustavʼs expression remained impassive as he faced Nocturnis. ”Youʼre only delaying the inevitable. I will get my sword back. I will regain my power, and when I do, Iʼll end this. Iʼll end you.”

Nocturnisʼs laughter intensified emitting a chilling sound that seemed to seep into the very fabric of the domain. ”Bold words, but empty. You think you have the upper hand? Youʼre chasing shadows, Outworldly. By the time you realize the depth of your own ignorance, it will be too late.”

Gustavʼs voice was as cold as the void itself. ”Then enlighten me. What are you plotting this time? Another puppet to do your bidding?”

Nocturnisʼs gaze sharpened, and a sinister smile crept across his face. ”Oh, Iʼve set things in motion that even you canʼt unravel. And soon, I will release the Overseer.”

Gustavʼs expression flickered.

”I wonʼt let that happen,” Gustav stated firmly.

Nocturnisʼs laughter faded as his gaze narrowed with a predatory gleam. ”Weʼll see, Outworldly. Weʼll see if you can even find your sword before itʼs too late.”

The domain dissolved abruptly, and Gustavʼs consciousness snapped back to reality. He blinked, adjusting to the familiar surroundings of space, where Endric and Calden were watching him with anxious eyes.

Caldenʼs face twisted with desperation as he reached out, pleading, ”Please, let me go back to my family. I donʼt know whatʼs happening—I just want to see my wife and daughter.”

Gustav took a steadying breath as he processed what Nocturnis had said. They were back to square one, the sword still missing, and Nocturnisʼs remaining a great threat.

”Endric,” Gustav voiced with a grim tone, ”I need you to look deeper. Use your Time Candidate abilities. Show me exactly what happened to Calden before he lost Nocturnisʼs influence.”

Endric nodded, placing a hand on Caldenʼs shoulder. His eyes glowed as he split Calden into two temporal variants: one reflecting his current self, and the other showing the corrupted version from before.

The corrupted versionʼs actions played out in vivid detail—a sequence of events revealing Calden performing a dark ritual, phasing into the depths of the star.

As the scene unfolded, they saw the corruption expelling itself from his body, merging with the star before shifting, coalescing, and finally flying off as a streak of dark energy.

Gustavʼs eyes narrowed as he pieced it together. ”Nocturnis knew we would catch Calden eventually. He knew it was only a matter of time. He discarded him like an empty shell so we wonʼt be able to discover what happened.”

He looked at Endric with a grave expression. ”Nothing of Nocturnisʼs realm can last in this plane without a host. The corruption must be looking for another host.”

Endricʼs expression darkened as he came to a realization. He turned his gaze toward the distant blue speck of Earth, understanding instantly.

”Shit,” Endric muttered as the gravity of the situation sunk in.

”Calden, stay calm,” Gustav instructed while sparing a brief, steadying glance at the man.

He placed a protective barrier around Calden before shooting off.

His form ignited with cosmic energy as he accelerated toward Earth at an incomprehensible speed.

Endric blinked, reappearing hundreds of light-years ahead, but Gustav was faster.

His form blazed like a comet of energy while Endric did his best to keep up.

The race was on. They had to reach Earth before Nocturnisʼs corruption found a new host, before the planet fell prey to yet another dark force.

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