Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 68: Chapter 68 — The Guardian Spirit

Chapter 68 — The Guardian Spirit

Victor couldn’t understand what had just happened.

One moment, the Shaman’s weapon had been descending toward his stomach.

The next—

Everything had stopped.

Victor remained lying on the altar, unable to move beneath the overwhelming spiritual pressure that had descended upon the entire village. The two guards holding him down had frozen in place. The Shaman stood motionless above him, his weapon unable to move even another inch.

Then Victor heard a voice.

It came from somewhere above them.

”Who dares harm my offspring?”

Victor’s eyes widened.

He immediately looked toward the sky.

But there was nothing there.

For several moments, the entire village remained completely silent.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody screamed.

Nobody moved.

The tribe that had been roaring with fanatic excitement only moments ago had become completely still.

Victor slowly noticed something.

The Shaman was afraid.

So were the elders.

Their eyes remained fixed upward, fear clearly visible on their faces. They had no idea what was coming.

But they understood one thing.

Whatever had spoken was tremendously more powerful than any of them.

Then—

The little bird suddenly began chirping.

Victor turned his head.

The Firebird was staring toward the sky.

Its previous cries of distress had disappeared.

Instead, it began chirping excitedly.

Happily.

The tiny creature fluttered around inside its cage as though it had suddenly forgotten everything that had happened.

Victor stared at it.

Then he noticed the expression in the little creature’s eyes.

Relief.

Victor’s thoughts raced.

He still didn’t understand what was happening.

But something was coming.

Then a massive shadow passed over the village.

Victor looked upward.

His eyes widened.

A gigantic bird was descending from above.

It was enormous.

Its body was almost the size of an elephant.

Dark feathers covered most of its body, but there was something strangely familiar about its appearance. Its features carried faint similarities to a cardinal, though the creature was clearly something far more powerful.

Flames burned from its tail.

Fire covered parts of its face.

The creature almost resembled something between a bird and a phoenix.

Victor’s mind immediately returned to the Beast Encyclopedia.

His eyes widened even further.

A full-grown Firebird.

The image from the book flashed through his mind.

Victor slowly looked toward the little bird.

Then everything finally clicked.

Its mother.

The enormous Firebird descended toward the altar.

Victor remained completely still.

The pressure continued holding everyone in place.

Nobody could move.

Nobody could run.

Nobody could even attempt to resist.

As the massive creature approached the altar, something unbelievable happened.

Its body began changing.

The enormous bird slowly began to shrink.

Feathers disappeared.

Its massive form twisted and shifted.

Bones changed.

Its body gradually transformed.

Then, where the giant Firebird had once been—

A woman descended toward the altar.

Large wings remained behind her back.

Victor stared.

For a moment, he completely forgot what was happening around him.

He had never seen anyone like her.

Her beauty was almost difficult to describe.

Her features seemed impossibly perfect. Her skin was flawless, and her eyes were so clear and brilliant that Victor could only compare them to diamonds.

Victor had seen beautiful women before.

But nothing like this.

She landed gracefully on the altar.

Directly in front of the guard holding the cage.

The woman looked toward the little Firebird.

Then she snapped her fingers.

The cage immediately broke apart.

The little bird was free.

It instantly flew toward her.

The creature landed beside her and immediately began nuzzling against her face, chirping excitedly.

For the first time, the woman’s expression softened.

A brief look of affection appeared in her eyes.

She gently allowed the little creature to press against her.

For a moment, she simply stood there with her offspring.

Then her expression changed.

She looked toward the guard.

Victor watched as she casually raised one hand.

Then—

She flicked her finger against the guard’s forehead.

The guard disappeared.

Victor’s eyes widened.

The man’s body flew backward at an incomprehensible speed, launching from the altar and crashing somewhere deep within the trees surrounding the village.

Nobody said anything.

Nobody dared.

The woman slowly turned.

Her eyes settled on the Shaman.

For several moments, she simply stared at him.

Then she spoke.

”What is the meaning of this?”

Her voice was calm.

But everyone could hear the anger behind it.

”Why have you captured my offspring?”

The Shaman tried to answer.

But he couldn’t.

The spiritual pressure still held him completely in place.

The woman watched him for a moment.

Then she slowly lifted a small portion of the pressure surrounding him.

The Shaman immediately dropped the weapon in his hand.

Clang.

It struck the stone altar.

The moment he could move, the Shaman fell to his knees.

He lowered his head toward the ground.

”Oh, Guardian Spirit!”

His voice trembled.

”I have sinned!”

He bowed lower.

”I have sinned. Please forgive me. I have sinned!”

The woman simply looked at him.

She didn’t answer.

She didn’t move.

Then—

The elders dropped to their knees.

One after another, they lowered themselves before the Guardian Spirit.

Then the rest of the tribe followed.

Every tribesman surrounding the altar fell to their knees.

The village that had been screaming for blood moments ago was now completely silent.

Victor remained lying on the altar.

He wasn’t entirely sure what was happening.

A few seconds ago, he had accepted that he was about to die.

Now, a giant Firebird had descended from the sky, transformed into a woman, and caused the entire tribe to kneel before her.

Victor stayed completely still.

He wasn’t stupid enough to make a move.

Anything powerful enough to terrify an entire tribe wasn’t something he wanted to accidentally offend.

So he waited.

The woman slowly looked across the kneeling tribe.

Her expression remained cold.

Then she spoke.

”Samal never asked for these sacrifices.”

Her voice echoed across the silent village.

Several of the elders visibly trembled.

”This idiocy has ruined the name of Samal.”

Her eyes moved toward the Shaman.

”The great man that he was.”

The Shaman lowered his head even further.

”How dare you assume this is what Samal asked for?”

Nobody answered.

Nobody dared to.

The Guardian Spirit looked across the tribe.

Then her gaze slowly moved toward the little Firebird beside her.

Victor watched as her expression hardened.

”I will leave you alone.”

The entire tribe remained on their knees.

”And I will not kill you.”

For a brief moment, Victor thought the danger had passed.

Then she continued.

”Because it was Samal’s wish.”

Her wings slowly spread behind her.

The flames surrounding them flickered.

”But I promise you this.”

The Guardian Spirit’s voice became colder.

”If my offspring is ever placed in a situation like this again...”

Her eyes swept across the kneeling tribe.

”Or if any of you even look at my offspring the wrong way...”

The air itself seemed to grow heavier.

”Even Samal’s final wish to protect this forest...”

She paused.

”To protect this tribe...”

Her eyes settled on the Shaman.

”Will not hold me back.”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

No one dared raise their head.

Victor remained on the altar.

The little Firebird stood beside the Guardian Spirit.

And for the first time since entering the tribe—

Victor understood that the creature beside him had never been an ordinary little bird.