Building A Carnal Empire In The Fantasy World-Chapter 29: Collapse II

Behind them, the ceiling began to sag as support beams cracked and twisted.

But Commander Aldric didn’t retreat. He charged forward instead, his sword raised for a killing blow.

Count Varnell’s spell reached its peak. The count opened his mouth and screamed—not in pain or rage, but in the ancient words of a forbidden ritual.

Dark fire erupted around him, flames that burned black and cold despite their heat.

The building shuddered like a living thing in agony.

Commander Aldric’s sword met Count Varnell’s dark fire in an explosion that shattered every remaining window in the east wing.

The impact threw both men backward—Count Varnell into the far wall, Commander Aldric sliding across the burning floor in a shower of sparks.

Above them, the ceiling finally gave way.

Massive stone blocks crashed down like falling meteors. A support pillar as thick as a tree trunk toppled over, crushing the remains of the auction stage. The walls began to fold inward as the structure lost its integrity.

Count Varnell struggled to his feet among the falling debris. Blood ran from a cut on his forehead, but his eyes still blazed with power and fury. "If I cannot have victory, then I’ll have revenge! This entire estate will be your tomb, Church dog!"

He raised his hands again, gathering power for one final spell. Not to kill Commander Aldric—he no longer believed that was possible—but to bring down every building on the property. To bury them all under tons of stone and timber.

But Commander Aldric was quick to react, he was already moving.

The commander burst through a cloud of dust and smoke, his armor cracked but his sword still blazing with holy light. His charge was unstoppable, a force of nature given human form.

Count Varnell tried to complete his spell, but he was out of time.

Commander Aldric’s sword took him through the chest, the consecrated steel punching through Soul Vein level defenses like they were paper. The dark fire died on Count Varnell’s lips as the holy blade pierced his heart.

"The sacred flame... judges you," Commander Aldric said, his voice barely audible over the sound of the collapsing building.

Count Varnell’s eyes went wide, then vacant. His body went limp on Commander Aldric’s sword as his Soul Vein cultivation scattered to the winds.

But his final spell had already taken hold.

The east wing collapsed completely, taking half the main building with it. Stone blocks the size of carriages crashed down in clouds of choking dust.

Wooden beams snapped like twigs under the weight. The beautiful mansion that had hosted so many dark gatherings was reduced to rubble in seconds.

Commander Aldric yanked his sword free and looked up at the destruction raining down around him. A massive ceiling stone was falling directly toward his head—too big to dodge, too heavy to deflect.

He raised his shield and braced for impact.

The stone hit with the force of a falling mountain. The floor beneath Commander Aldric’s feet cracked and buckled. His armor groaned under the pressure. But the consecrated steel held, and so did the man wearing it.

When the dust cleared, he was still standing. Battered, bloodied, but alive. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Around him, the east wing of Blackwood Estate was nothing but ruins.

Outside in the courtyard, the surviving Church soldiers watched in stunned silence as half the building collapsed in on itself.

Dust clouds billowed out through broken windows. The sound of destruction echoed across the grounds like thunder.

"Sir!" an inquisition soldier called out. "Commander Aldric’s still inside!"

Several soldiers started toward the wreckage, but a voice stopped them.

"Stand down."

Commander Aldric emerged from the ruins like a ghost walking out of a grave. His armor was dented and his cloak was torn to an unrecognizable degree, but he walked with steady steps.

In his right hand, he carried something that made the soldiers step back in awe.

Count Varnell’s head, severed cleanly at the neck.

"The primary target is eliminated," Commander Aldric announced, his voice carrying clearly across the courtyard. "What’s the status on the secondary objectives?"

A sergeant stepped forward. "Sir, we’ve secured the main building and the servant quarters. But several targets escaped during the initial assault. At least a dozen nobles fled into the grounds when the fighting started."

Commander Aldric nodded, tossing Count Varnell’s head to one of the acquisitors. "Bag that. It goes on a spike tomorrow." He turned to address the rest of his forces. "Form hunting parties. Three men each. Spread out and sweep the estate and the Blackwood Forest beyond. No one leaves alive."

"What about the slaves, sir?" asked a flame knight. "We found the holding cells beneath the main building, some broken. There are at least thirty people down there and some had escaped during the chaos."

"Secure them for questioning and pursue the rest. Anyone who can provide information about Count Varnell’s network gets transported to the capital for further interrogation. The rest..." Commander Aldric shrugged. "The sacred flame will decide their fate."

The soldiers saluted and began to organize themselves into hunting parties. Some headed toward the stables, others toward the gardens. A few made for the woods that bordered the estate.

But they weren’t the only ones hunting.

In the confusion of the building’s collapse, several figures had managed to slip away from the main battle. Some were nobles who had fled at the first sign of trouble. Others were servants who knew the estate’s hidden passages.

And some were neither noble nor servant, but something else entirely.

Madam Vex crouched behind a garden wall, her midnight dress torn and dirty. Beside her, the auctioneer pressed close, both women breathing hard from their desperate flight.

"The hidden building," Madam Vex whispered. "We have to reach the hidden building."

"What about the others?" The auctioneer whoose name was Jenna, asked. "What about the merchandise?"

"Forget them," Madam Vex hissed. "We save ourselves now, or we all hang tomorrow."

They could hear the Church soldiers spreading out across the grounds, their armor clanking as they searched. Torches began to appear in the darkness as the hunt intensified.