【Heart Beast】(2)

Author: Linheyan
2017/1/17
Words: 25301
First Published: Hypnotic Fetish, sis, 001…
Chapter Two The
deeper underground opened up to Chris.
Soft and seductive voices echoed throughout the hall.
This underground level was unique. The previous levels, intended as a bar,
had some space opened up to form a large hall, while the rest were divided into numerous VIP
rooms of varying sizes for guests. Even these earlier levels, intended as a secluded place, seemed to have
a similar layout to the upper levels, with a degree of disguise.
But the final level, after opening the narrow door and stepping inside, revealed a breathtakingly open space.
It was like stepping into a temple reserved for gods or giants; the entire underground level was sculpted into a unified
whole.
If one had to use an adjective, it would only be "huge."
Huge, very large.
After traversing the narrow passage, a building several meters high, truly deserving of the name "hall," appeared
before Gawain.
If this were a building on the surface of the earth, it wouldn't be anything special.
Churches of similar height do exist in this country. However, the sheer scale and
extravagance of creating such a seemingly meaningless space underground, with its expensive excavation and enormous maintenance costs, is truly astonishing
. It's like stepping back into the vagina, back into the womb; a feeling of oppression yet reassurance arises, making one hold
their breath.
If one had to describe it, it resembles a large council chamber or a chapel.
Countless seats are arranged in an orderly fashion, and at the very back of the hall, a raised platform protrudes high
, looking down.
Like a real church, above this altar, on a wall over ten meters high, is painted
a suffering human figure. Though merely a relief, the distorted figure seems real, embedded in
the cold, hard wall, its pained face emitting desperate, agonizing groans. It stands high above, helplessly looking
down. Originally a mural imbued with religious sentiment and compassion, it lost 　　its awe-inspiring power
amidst the sounds of eroticism and debauchery . 　　The reason was simple: the surrounding lights were dim, and the sole illumination was focused entirely on 　　the top of the altar. 　　A mature woman with a wasp waist and large breasts moaned wantonly upon it, her slender arms 　　roaming freely over her body. 　　The woman wasn't unclothed, but her half-concealed attire was more akin to being naked. 　　She wore only a black lace backless bra, barely covering her chest. However, 　　the purely openwork design and near-transparent material made the embroidered lace bra appear as if it 　　had stained her exceptionally white skin under the light with a strange black peony pattern. The full, plump 　　breasts, partially covered by the black floral pattern, revealed even the faint reddish-brown nipples. The substantial breasts 　　bounced with each tremor of the woman, creating dazzling, alluring waves. 　　Moving the gaze slightly downwards, the woman's flat abdomen came into view, 　　dazzlingly white under the focused light. While a flat, firm abdomen wasn't particularly unusual, paired with 　　her enormous breasts—at least a 32C—the asymmetrical fullness was striking, emphasizing 　　the astonishing curves of her upper body. Her slender waist, connecting the upper and lower body, was exposed, 　　its lines exquisitely beautiful. 　　Continuing downwards, unlike the floral design above, the woman's lower body was shaped like several leaves 　　. The skirt, already quite short and barely covering half her thighs, was deliberately slit, 　　so that with the slightest movement, most of her pinkish-white buttocks would be completely exposed. With just a slightly larger movement 　　, looking up from the platform, her lush, private parts would be completely exposed. 　　Yet the woman seemed oblivious, utterly disregarding her shameful attire, and continued 　　her erotic dance on the platform. 　　Indeed, quite impressive, Gawain observed, leading Anna closer to the altar. Upon reaching the vicinity, 　　the stunning scenery became even more clearly visible. However, Gawain didn't stop, but instead went around to 　　a seat nearby. He bowed respectfully: "Father, I have brought back the prey I mentioned earlier. It has been 　　inspected and is absolutely safe." 　　There was more than one person in the seats; besides the boy Gawain was respectfully addressing, there 　　were three people in the adjacent seats. 　　"You actually used blood magic to deal with a young wench?!" The first to speak was another 　　man, who appeared extremely uninhibited, his entire upper body completely naked, his scalp bald 　　. Not only that, the man's entire body was covered in tiny, dense spots, 　　resembling a giant beehive, giving him a chilling appearance. 　　"Yes, Brother Friuli." Faced with the man's almost contemptuous question, Gawain's expression turned displeased, 　　but he quickly composed himself. 　　Although both were descendants of his father, the other was 　　centuries older. He was his father's first offspring. 　　Moreover, he was a genuine mage. 　　All vampires were no longer human, especially mages who pursued the secrets of the source; even if they remained human 　　, mages were out of place among their surroundings. After becoming a vampire, Friuli's behavior likely worsened. 　　His face resembled that of a snake or lizard rather than a human, having degenerated into 　　sharp, orange-yellow eyes like those of a snake, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Upon closer inspection, 　　one could easily see that the surface of his pupils, like the countless dense magical characters covering his skin 　　, was filled with hundreds of shimmering tiny spots, each seemingly burning with silent bloodlust.

The hissing sound was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, filled with a terrifying "hiss, hiss, hiss."
Even after a brief eye contact, Gawain, in his lower position, felt half of his body go numb.
Friuli stopped paying attention to Gawain and shifted his gaze, staring with interest at the girl behind him
. Undoubtedly, she was the victim of the blood magic.
"A very nice woman," he concluded, then
turned away, seemingly losing interest, and continued staring at the mature woman on the stage.
"You're willing to sacrifice your own life to force this; you've put in quite a bit of effort this time,"
the boy in the seat spoke up.
His slightly weak voice was like a gentle breeze, easily dispelling the inhuman hissing sound from before
.
Gawain immediately lowered his head even further to show respect.
That was his elder.
For vampires, time stood still at the moment the Embrace ritual was completed; after that ritual, time seemed to
stand still for them.
When determining seniority, appearance was utterly irrelevant.
Seated in the center of the seat was a boy of about 15 or 16, his skin as smooth as white
wax, his light golden hair flowing over his shoulders, his face delicate and gentle, adorned with a faint smile. His slightly open eyes,
though pitch black, shimmered with starlight, like a constantly flowing galaxy.
"Father, I bring my offering," Gawain said, kneeling on one knee, bowing like the oldest knight.
The boy smiled. "You seem eager to fulfill your duty."
Gawain lowered his head further, offering no reply.
It was as if an ancient lord held the power of life and death over his subjects, taking whatever he pleased. From ancient times to
the present, the vampire society, having absorbed the essence of human civilization,
had transformed the weapons commonly carried by vampires from knights' greatswords to more ferocious firearms and bombs, and heavy plate armor into sturdy dragon-scale bulletproof vests.
However, the noble rule passed down through generations of ancient clans remained unchanged.
This is understandable; human life is short and fragile, and lifespan and intelligence are not always positively correlated.
Elder vampires, especially those who reach high positions, have at least hundreds of years of experience, and, barring unforeseen
circumstances, can live even longer.
Moreover, the longer one's lifespan, the greater the chance of approaching and purifying the source blood.
A truly wise, noble, and powerful tyrant doesn't need to submit to the opinions of others; even if
there are shortcomings in some areas, their superior magic is enough to cover up most problems. Therefore,
delegating power to the lower classes, like short-lived humans, becomes unnecessary.
"In that case, I'll start with this side dish." The young man nodded slightly, rose from his seat,
picked up a silver goblet, and walked gracefully towards Anna.
As they drew closer, the young man didn't immediately bare his fangs and bite,
but rather, as if performing a toasting ceremony, raised the gleaming silver goblet high, bringing it to Anna's neck. Without warning
, blood appeared in the goblet.
As if the bottom of the cup connected to a red spring, crimson blood slowly gathered within,
emitting an alluring sweet fragrance.
The girl beside him remained staring blankly ahead, her eyes devoid of any light. Her fair
face paled considerably.
"Very sweet blood," the boy remarked, taking a small sip.
"I'm glad you're satisfied," Gawain replied respectfully.
"Even the blood of a virgin is incredibly beautiful, but I imagine
the blood of a seasoned hunter is even more captivating," Friuli added subtly,
seemingly echoing the boy's praise, yet also hinting at something else entirely.
Gawain's expression changed slightly; this was precisely why he disliked his elder brother. The man smiled slightly
, seemingly agreeing with Friuli's words, "Indeed, quite good. Brother Friuli, you've worked hard. It's a pity that
this β-level hunter was captured in Venice, only to be enjoyed by the local viceroy first."
The snake-faced mage immediately understood Gawain's meaning, his expression displeased, and he said quietly, "That's unavoidable
. After all, the hunt was conducted in Venice, and the local prince certainly has priority. Being allocated
this prey is already quite good."
"It's alright. A β-level hunter is equivalent to a vampire of hundreds of years. No wonder that viceroy was in such
a hurry to hunt, capturing several β-level hunters at once! I'm also very happy with your harvest, Friuli
." After drinking several cups of blood, a beautiful blush appeared on the boy's fair face, and his voice became
even more melodious.
"Let's taste Gawain's harvest together first." As if pouring wine, the boy tilted the cup,
filling it one by one for his offspring.
After downing his own blood in one gulp, Friuli stood up, glanced at the woman standing beside him, and, with
his back to the boy, gave Gawain a cold, malicious smile.
"Drinking blood cup after cup isn't enough, is it? A full gulp is much more satisfying," the man
said, moving closer to Anna. At the same time, he was pleased to see Gawain's expression suddenly change, his handsome face now
displaying barely suppressed rage.
Frankly, Friuli wasn't particularly concerned with a virgin's blood. As a formal
mage of the Secret Alliance, he had plenty of mortal virgin blood. Besides, with the help of charm spells, he
could easily manipulate victims to come before him and offer their bodies.
What truly bothered him was that his "father's" favoritism towards Gawain had begun to clearly
surpass that towards himself. He had even generously granted this "youngest son" partial control of the leyline node, instead
of himself, the more magically proficient "eldest son."
Although Gawain was still too young, and even with authority he wouldn't be a match for her, her father
's favoritism towards the youngest son made her feel her position was threatened.
After waiting a short while, and confirming that her father didn't show any obvious opposition, the snake-faced mage...
He swaggered up to the girl Gawain had brought, opened his mouth wide, and extended his wet tongue, gently
licking the girl's fair neck.
His mouth, like a real snake, seemed completely unrestrained by bone; his jaw stretched to an unbelievable degree
, and his sharp teeth gleamed with an eerie light like the fangs of a viper—a byproduct of Friuli's many years as a mage
.
With just one bite, his unique magical toxin would flow through the girl's delicate arteries, permeating her
entire body, just a tiny, minuscule amount. Then, within a few years, this lovely
girl, chosen by Gawain, would grow weaker and weaker, more and more haggard.
Then, she would die a tragic death.
Only he could cure this curse.
Of course, if someone's understanding of magic surpassed his, other mages might also be able to cure the poison and curse
, but how many vampire mages would risk angering another established mage to
serve a "novice vampire"?
Thinking of Gawain's ugly expression afterward, the man almost burst out laughing.
After taking a deep breath of the virgin's scent, Friuli closed his eyes and clenched his jaw tightly. He waited for the sweet,
metallic blood to gush into his mouth the moment his artery ruptured.
Then, his sharp teeth bit into something, but the object was as tough as rubber
and as hard as steel, impenetrable even by a vampire's fangs. At the same time, a sharp pain shot through
his chest.
His blood energy was rapidly draining away!
What was happening? Why?
How could he be attacked within his father's spiritual vein node, within the range of the Dark Night Barrier?!
Pulling back his neck, the last thing the secret alliance mage saw was—a pair of
eyes as warm and radiant as the morning sun.
"What?" The boy sprang to his feet, his pupils shrinking to tiny dots, and stumbled back several steps.
A figure as swift as lightning rushed towards him,
slashing with unstoppable momentum.
Just before the attack, before he could even form hand seals or cast a spell, a burst of crimson
flames erupted from the boy's body, enveloping him like an eggshell. The flames, thick and seemingly solid like blood
, didn't stop after enveloping him; instead, they churned and spiraled outwards
.
However, the rapidly spreading flames didn't hit any target; instead, they were constantly attacked.
Left, right, left, right—in just a few seconds, the eggshell of flames had
been slashed nearly a hundred times in different directions, becoming tattered and mangled, but that was enough.
A few seconds was enough for a calm vampire sorcerer to cast a simple spell. Moreover
, within this leyline barrier, the spells of sorcerers with full authority would be amplified many times over.
"Hold Back!" The air directly in front of the eggshell suddenly solidified, as if an invisible hand were
pouring down massive amounts of glue from above. The debris thrown during the fight seemed to be firmly
glued in place, unable to move in mid-air.
However, this spell had little effect on the rapidly moving black figure. It seemed to be able to
see through the solidified air, creating a strange path. The slender figure twisted and turned, like an eel,
sliding out of the frozen space with a strange movement.
But after leaving that space, the rapidly charging figure also stopped its rapid advance,
standing tall and unwavering, and the two sides began to confront each other.
Not far away, uncontrolled blood flames engulfed Friuli's entire body.
But there was no need for salvation. The shattered heart that had slipped from the young hunter's hand
had already signaled the end of Friuli's life.
Chris's eyes were still emerald green, but the thin layer of heterochromatic crystals could no longer conceal
the golden radiance emanating from the depths of the girl's eyes.
"A hunter?! No, a werewolf?!" The boy frowned, glancing at Gawain beside him.
The whole process happened in the blink of an eye. Only then did the young vampire react, his face turning ashen with fear.
He stammered, "How is this possible? I clearly hypnotized her. She should have become my slave
!"
The other two vampires also seemed to snap out of their daze. One immediately retreated, his hands moving
rapidly in hand seals, while the other roared, his body swelling, a visible, strange aura swirling
around him. He then drew a sharp knife from his waist and charged towards the girl.
Chris's face grew even more grim. She had initially thought it was just a normal vampire node and wouldn't have any powerful
opponents. However, it seemed an unusual opponent had appeared. If it were an ordinary vampire liaison station
, the blood mage they had just killed would be enough to serve as its leader.
Although they had killed a mage through a surprise attack, the situation remained perilous.
Judging from the address, the baby-faced boy was the father of the vampire mage from before. Therefore, he
was an opponent far more powerful than the vampire.
Chris hadn't brought the exorcising weapons she'd prepared in her backpack, but she didn't panic
.
Facing the approaching vampire melee fighter, she instead revealed a cruel smile. The girl's arm
flipped, her slender fingers swiftly brushing against a row of seemingly decorative buttons on her trench coat
.
"Not good!" The boy's expression changed; the dark blood flames he had been burning surged back, forming a wall
in front of him.
Seeing the boy's actions, Gawain and the other vampire hurriedly raised their hands to protect their vital parts
.
Almost simultaneously, all the triggered switches were activated, as if the sun had been released into this underground space
, and the buttons on Chris's chest emitted a dazzling, intense white light.
The first to be hit was the vampire melee fighter who charged towards the girl with lightning speed, suddenly...
The sudden burst of light immediately disrupted its offensive rhythm. Its instinctive aversion to sunlight caused it to involuntarily close
its eyes, and its rapidly moving legs slowed involuntarily after losing sight of the light. The extremely close distance allowed
the power of the light to be fully manifested on this vampire.
Naturally, it refused to surrender, its fel energy instinctively surging to its full potential,
causing the surrounding air to distort and refract like frosted glass.
However, even refraction was useless against the absolute restraint of close-range sunlight.
The ultraviolet crystal on Chris's body, using both spells and physical manipulation, collected and sealed approximately seven days' worth of sunlight
within its small crystal. In this instantaneous burst of power, it was as if the vampire
had been roasted alive under real sunlight.
The vampire's exposed skin immediately showed signs of burning, and smoke continuously rose from its body
.
However, it soon needed no more pain. The next moment, a horned human head, filled with resentment and
confusion, flew into the sky—Chris's timely and fatal blow severed its head on the spot.
The unsealed crystal could only release light for 10 seconds. The girl didn't stop after killing the melee fighter
. Using the high-tech cushioning material in her boots, she silently bypassed the wall of blood flames and approached her
opponent, considered her primary target.
Watching him retreat haphazardly, forced to close his eyes due to the intense light, the girl had only one
action—a slash.
The directional molecular short sword, concealed in the lining of her trench coat, was thin and sharp. With the girl's unique vibration technique,
it left a ripple-like trail in the air, striking the boy's neck.
The ripple easily pierced through the boy's figure, without a drop of blood.
Similarly, there was no real feeling of hitting a solid object.
Then, the illusion collapsed.
Oh no! A trap!
Just as the thought crossed Chris's mind, she pushed off the ground with both legs,
preparing to use the recoil to retreat quickly.
However, she suddenly lost control of her body, and the instantaneous imbalance caused her to fall heavily backward
to the ground.
The boy's figure reappeared less than half a meter from where the illusion had been.
This time, the boy's expression was no longer peaceful, but ferocious and pained: "You have killed my two
children."
"Don't be afraid, you will soon join them." Chris looked at the boy and said coldly, throwing him
a button.
In anime, a Saint Seiya's move won't work the second time.
For a powerful mage, a weapon that requires a surprise attack to achieve perfect results after preparation is
also unlikely to be effective.
The crystal containing sunlight flashed through the air only briefly before being engulfed by the silently appearing flames
. Even in his rage, the boy didn't rush forward; clearly, he 　　also harbored deep fear
of a hunter whose resistance hadn't been completely crushed . 　　Both sides ceased their attacks, coldly confronting each other. 　　However, it was clear that Chris was in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous position. 　　Paralyzed by an unknown spell, the young hunter's mobility had plummeted to almost nothing 　　. Her trump card, the Sun Bomb, had been used at the beginning, achieving an immediate kill 　　, but the few remaining rune bombs couldn't replicate the success of the first use. 　　"Human Immobilization Spell, a very classic spell, but very effective," the boy said, as if afraid Chris wouldn't understand the situation 　　. 　　Then, the boy extended a finger, pointing it in the air. 　　A sharp vortex rapidly formed between them, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, and a small tornado swiftly swept 　　towards the girl . 　　Chris was forced to raise her hand to block. The girl gave a soft snort and rapidly wielded her sword, a faint white light rising from her body 　　and spreading along the blade. 　　It was as if the already thin, cicada-wing-like short sword was tinged with the silvery moonlight. Then, the short sword, like a stream of light, 　　deftly created countless afterimages in the air, actually slicing through the invisible gale. 　　"Very good technique, a very beautiful girl. To have such skill at such a young age, you must be a β-rank 　　hunter." The boy nodded, clicking his tongue in praise. However, his indifferent eyes 　　showed little shock at the girl's amazing skill. "Unfortunately, my Human Immobilization Technique has already 　　taken effect on you, and with my continuous enhancement, you will have no chance of escaping." 　　"Human Immobilization Technique, hehe, what if you're not human?" Chris sneered. 　　"What?" 　　The short sword in Chris's hand trembled violently. Under the super-speed of operation, the short sword drew circles, and the 　　silvery battle aura, like moonlight, drew a pattern like a full moon. 　　A magnificent and noble radiance emanated from within the girl, seemingly 　　enveloping her entirely. The intense light, mixed with the ripples created by the short sword piercing the air, 　　made the girl's figure appear indistinct within. 　　The boy fell silent, and a suffocatingly terrifying aura seemed to emanate from him 　　, darker than the night, colder than an ice cave. 　　His expressionless face couldn't conceal his intense killing intent. For the first time, a low, 　　drawn-out chant escaped from the boy's lips. 　　As a powerful mage, casting spells quickly using gestures and movements was naturally no problem. However 　　, unless there was a special physical defect, chanting was an essential step in the basic training of almost all mages 　　. This was the foundation of everything, and the key to constructing more powerful spells. 　　"I will use a donkey's cheekbone to pile up their bones, I will use a donkey's cheekbone to kill a thousand people!" However, 　　it was too late. Before the boy's spell could be completed, the girl leaped up and, while reciting words from the Bible 　　, charged straight at the boy, swinging her arm to thrust the short sword she was holding fiercely at him.

The slender, almost translucent sword, meant for delicate techniques like stabbing, slicing, cutting, and slicing, was instead wielded
by the young hunter as if
it were a German épée after the quote was used.
Moreover, this weapon, so small and delicate it could almost be described as a charming work of art,
possessed an undeniable and immense presence under the influence of the incantation. It was as if a great figure, like the mighty Samson,
had been resurrected from ancient history, wielding the weapon and striking the enemy.
In an instant, the short sword struck its target, accompanied by a dull thud,
like being shattered by a massive sledgehammer.
The figure flew backward… no, the corpse was a gruesome, unrecognizable mass of death, its skin
and flesh torn apart as if a high-explosive bomb had exploded inside its body.
However, the vaguely discernible face of the deceased was not that of the boy.
Instead, she had somehow transformed into the vampire ranged attacker who had been hiding to the side. Her
body, which shattered into pieces like a watermelon falling from a great height upon landing, completely lacked the dark aura expected of a high-ranking vampire
.
Empowered by this strange force, the translucent short sword in Chris's hand twisted, as if
an invisible flame, hot enough to scorch the air, burned at its tip. The blade, barely an inch long, extended astonishingly,
reaching a terrifying length of at least two meters, judging solely from the phenomenon in the air.
It wasn't just her weapon that changed; the girl's appearance also underwent a dramatic transformation.
Atop her light flaxen hair, a pair of pointed, triangular ears were prominently displayed.
Looking down, the once-perfect emerald green contact lenses now served no purpose
; a strong golden light pierced through the pale crystals, radiating a chilling, predatory
aura.
Chris's facial features hadn't changed much; she still possessed the sweet and lovely face of a young girl
. However, the sharp canines protruding from her lips, like a vampire's,
added a wild edge to her otherwise serene demeanor.
"Using your own servant as a substitute, huh? How disgusting." With that, the
girl nimbly turned, without even accelerating, her entire figure instantly transforming from stillness
to incredible speed, charging forward at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
Then, the attack, comparable to Samson's, was blocked.
Her path was blocked by an invisible barrier. Even with Chris's countless strikes,
amplified by the surging power of her Words of Power, each attack produced a teeth-grinding tremor, yet the
massive barrier remained unscathed. Behind it, the boy's transparent figure solidified once more.
"The third child," the boy murmured, shaking his head slightly.
"A werewolf? You can still speak after your second berserk state. It seems
you've taken the lead in exploring forbidden territory this time. Now, not a single scent or sound of mine escapes your senses
."
Chris didn't answer. The young hunter swiftly ran around the area centered on the boy, occasionally
brandishing her blade to test the boundaries of the invisible wall.
"Fine, there's nothing more to say to a beast. In that case, I'll
express myself in a way you can understand." Watching Chris's futile attempts, the boy clasped his hands together and silently prayed.
A few minutes later, ripples imperceptible to the human ear began to spread across the real world. Though inaudible
, the soul trembled instinctively.
"Awaken, my servants!" The boy suddenly opened his eyes wide and roared ferociously.
It was as if a door to another world had opened in an instant; the air itself seemed to change, filled
with an indescribable meaning.
As if responding to the call of this phrase, the wall behind the altar suddenly blurred, like an oil painting splashed with
water, the changes intensifying and becoming as abstract and
bizarre as a late Picasso work.
The once lifelike, sorrowful faces of the victims gradually faded, the relief seemingly washed away by
centuries of time in an instant, becoming dull and colorless until it completely disappeared.
All of this happened in a mere few seconds. After the relief of the victims vanished from the wall, the
once solid stone wall began to undulate like boiling water, a gray
substance of the same color as the wall constantly surging. Yet, no matter how violently the wall twisted and rolled, everything remained silent
. The once
simple and unadorned barrier now resembled the terrifying gates of hell. Chris's face grew increasingly grim; as a hunter born to fight dark magic, 　　her instinctive aversion
to dark spells sent chills down her spine. 　　Of course, as a clearly powerful spell, the boy's silent prayer couldn't just end there. 　　As the boiling on the walls reached its peak, it was as if the water trapped in a kettle would naturally burst through the cap. 　　The anomaly in the walls was no longer limited to the side of the altar with the statues; as if hot water were transferring 　　heat, the entire hall's stone walls began to distort uneasily. 　　The gray substance was visually filled with a thick, viscous grotesque aura. Like bubbles, 　　it swelled up on the once smooth walls, then burst. New bubbles piled up on top of the old ones. 　　The gray matter on the ceiling above cascaded down, lower and lower, seemingly pressing down on the sky until it collapsed completely 　　. 　　But upon closer inspection, an even more chilling truth could be discovered: 　　the creeping gray matter was actually countless wailing, agonizing human figures. Countless 　　leaden-gray humanoid figures, resembling half-melted candles, their faces twisted and deformed, mingled with the bodies of other victims 　　, drifting aimlessly in the sea of souls, sometimes swallowed by the churning waves, sometimes rising from the depths 　　. Each face was stiff, its white head rolled back, staring blankly ahead, all expressions of agony.

Mouths trembled, mouths agape, yet no sound came out. The surface-level undead stretched
out their limbs with all their might in the flowing ash, but they couldn't shake off the sticky liquid clinging to them, and soon watched helplessly as they were
dragged back into the depths of the ash once more.
Thousands upon thousands of eyes suddenly appeared in the eerie air, coldly staring at
everything in the hall.
In this bizarre atmosphere, as if having made up her mind, Chris took a few steps back, took a deep breath, and
pulled a golden needle, barely half an inch long, from her bosom.
Though called a golden needle, a closer look revealed that the slender metal weapon
was ultimately a miniature replica of a spear.
The girl gazed intently at this weapon that could hardly be called a weapon, her expression shifting countless times in an instant—a sigh
, helplessness, and an indescribable beauty and longing.
Finally, all her expressions merged into a resolute determination.
"Sigh..." Chris finally opened her mouth, but what came out wasn't a powerful incantation, but a silent sigh
. At the same moment, the girl flipped her hand inward and, with incredible speed, plunged
the golden short spear into her own chest.
The instant the spear sank into her body, Chris's expression changed drastically. In an instant, the girl's expression shifted from decisive
and resolute to incredibly ferocious and violent.
Beads of sweat streamed down the young hunter's skin, quickly evaporating. Her once fair
skin turned a fiery red, a dark crimson color reminiscent of refined
steel just pulled from a furnace.
Not only that, strange and wondrous marks began to appear all over Chris's body, like writing or paintings.
However, this was not the kind of bizarre tattoos that ordinary wizards would deliberately cover their bodies with. The deep red
runes seemed to use Chris's smooth and delicate skin as the exquisite pages of a book. Countless runes
appeared rapidly on the girl's body, then quickly disappeared, making way for the new curse marks.
In just a few seconds, countless pages of runes had been turned.
"This... it's not Latin, nor is it ancient Egyptian. Could it be Luna script? No, it seems to be
oracle bone script from the Far East." The boy, as if attracted and stunned, actually stopped his silent prayer and murmured to
himself.
The summoned gray aura, which had been lying dormant, seemed
to lose its guidance the moment the boy stopped his silent prayer. The entire hall first groaned slightly, then, as if sensing life
, the meandering gray matter automatically gathered from the lower edge of the barrier, splitting into several long
snakes that swept towards Chris, who was standing quietly to one side.
The next moment, the girl who had been standing quietly to one side disappeared.
The gray snakes missed their target.
"Such speed." The boy's expression remained unchanged, seemingly unconcerned about Chris's sudden disappearance
, but he was secretly shocked.
This hall was originally meant to suppress the souls of those who had been unjustly killed by vampires throughout the city
, and over the years, it had been extracting their essence to refine it into even more refined magic, continuously
supplying it to the Eternal Night City, which was not located here.
As the guardian and supervisor of this place, the boy possessed complete authority over this spiritual vein node. One of the privileges granted
was the temporary release of suppressed undead from the barrier's constraints. These lifeless
souls would then devour any mortal carrying blood.
With this supreme authority, the boy could also easily
perceive the movements of every living person within the barrier through the senses of the undead.
However, it was precisely because he had completely captured the girl's movements that he was increasingly alarmed.
While the girl hunter's previous actions were swift and agile, that swiftness was only by mortal standards . For vampires with superhuman strength, such speed 　　was merely acceptable
when well-prepared . 　　However, in this situation, Chris's movements—her rapid motion—had surpassed the realm of running 　　; to the dynamic vision of ordinary people, it was practically teleportation. 　　Such speed was not something vampires could easily ignore. 　　More importantly, superhuman speed was not something easily attained. The limits are not 　　something humans can simply surpass. To withstand this speed, the actor's body must also 　　endure unbearable g-forces. 　　This means that the young hunter's body has been strengthened to the point where it can penetrate defenses and threaten his life 　　—even though he has activated the "Iron Sky" spell surrounding his entire body. 　　That replica of the golden spear that must pierce the heart… 　　and those ancient runes that don't belong to Western Europe… 　　considered a privilege exclusive to gods, originally a forbidden human modification technique within the church… 　　all of this is manifested in a young girl who ventured alone. 　　The boy rubbed his temples; this was not a good thing. 　　Perhaps he could uncover a huge and astonishing secret from this β-level female hunter. However, all of this depended 　　on his victory. Although many things were unclear, at least a few points were undeniable. After the 　　girl's transformation, the boy noticed that the spiritual imprint he had attached to her was rapidly corroded and 　　dissipated. 　　Judging from the girl's aura, which had surged dozens of times, she was likely using 　　a spell that consumed life force to gain an exponential increase in power. 　　No miracle is cheap. 　　Even the chosen ones must proceed gradually, not face the final demon king head-on with sword drawn. 　　Therefore, the boy immediately judged that he only needed to stall for time. In this great hall 　　, within his own territory with the barrier fully activated, his depleted magic power could be quickly replenished. His opponent, on the other hand, was 　　the one who needed a swift victory. 　　However, the boy soon had no time to think further.

After escaping the gray serpent's attack, the young hunter launched
an attack from the other side with a brief acceleration. Like a heavy cannonball, she completely ignored the previously impenetrable force field wall,
charging towards him with unstoppable momentum. Maintaining a straight line and maximizing her speed
, the girl's silvery battle aura enveloped her entire body, and the flame-shaped sword tip, scorching the air, exuded
an ominous aura.
Through the vampire's supernatural psychic vision, the girl's aura appeared as bright as a
giant, blazing torch!
"A direct assault?!" In this moment that could decide life or death, the boy suppressed all distracting thoughts
and unleashed his full blood energy. He raised his hand, four fingers extended and joined together, thumb pointing forward, forming
a gesture like closing a door—a posture of absolute resistance.
Under the command of his mind, the force field energy once again reorganized, condensed, and
solidified along the straight path the girl was about to sprint, forming an indestructible steel barrier in front of her.
All the power converged in this narrow space directly in front of her. The previously invisible shield transformed into a
semi-transparent hemispherical force field shield that completely enveloped him.
Although the protected area was less than one square meter, and seemed incredibly low compared to the previous wall-like force field,
it was no exaggeration to say that the level of protection was more than ten times greater than the previous invisible barrier. The boy was confident
; let alone mere words of power, even if the true chosen one, Samson, descended from the age of mythology
, wielding the monstrous strength bestowed by the true god, he could not break through this absolute defense in a short time.
And the huntress's relentless, extreme charge, after rounds of acceleration, could not
defy the normal laws of physics to make a reverse turn and attack from behind.
Moreover, after blocking this attack, it was time for a defensive counterattack. The boy focused intently , ready 　　to transform his force field shield into a massive psionic hand, firmly grasping his precious prey the moment
Chris was forced to retreat after failing to penetrate his defenses head-on. 　　Everything happened in an instant; almost the instant the boy's thoughts shifted, Chris's mutated greatsword 　　collided head-on with the condensed force field once more. 　　The magic power of both men, reaching its peak, exploded in the confined space, 　　flashing brilliantly like sparks from metal rubbing against stone, leaving trails of light in the hall. 　　At the moment of attack, if he hadn't witnessed his opponent's sword strike, 　　the astonishing fluctuations emanating from the protective force field would have made the boy think he was being attacked by the main gun of a cruiser. An unimaginably 　　powerful explosive force erupted from the shield, causing even the supposedly absolute defense of the "Iron Sky" spell 　　to ripple like a stone thrown into a lake. Even more terrifying 　　was the shimmering aura emanating from the girl's sword blade, which was gradually seeping into the hemispherical shield, eroding 　　and destroying the invisible force field. 　　The magic of both sides intertwined and entangled, eroding and devouring each other's opposing energy. 　　In the final moments of this decisive battle, the distance between the two combatants was less than a meter. Enhanced by supernatural sensory 　　amplification, both could easily see their own reflections in each other's eyes. 　　The shield, compressed to its limit, had no room to retreat, and the girl, accelerating to her maximum speed and concentrating all her spiritual 　　power into this attack, also had no room to retreat. 　　The clash of magic was silent, but the ripples it created in the spirit world were so powerful that even the omnipresent, thirsty 　　river of the dead dared not approach too closely. 　　Grayish viscous fluid had completely seeped from all sides of the walls, hovering in awe 　　dozens of meters away from the area where the two magics clashed, neither daring to advance nor retreating, firmly surrounding 　　the two combatants, awaiting the outcome of the battle. 　　Strengthen! Intensify! An outburst! 　　There was no room for hesitation or fear in Chris's heart. After transforming into a werewolf, and through even more profound 　　forbidden technology, the rationality that humanity should possess was completely sealed away the moment the golden spear pierced her chest, and 　　the savage violence no longer belonging to humanity was fully revealed. 　　The human body has its limits. However, limits are sometimes meant to be broken. In the most critical 　　moments, there have been cases in society where old women have even lifted 　　cars with one hand to save their grandsons from being run over. Although the old woman died soon afterward, a miracle had been created. 　　And on the even bloodier battlefields, miracles are not uncommon when the potential of life is compressed to its limits. 　　And in the Black Hall itself, a region isolated from the heavy gravity of reality, supernatural forces 　　can be released without restraint. 　　Like a Norse berserker traversing the seven seas, the young hunter's power and spiritual energy were amplified to the extreme, ignoring pain 　　and the constraints of her body. The spiritual energy wrapped around the tip of her sword continued to grow stronger. 　　"You think you can defeat me that easily?!" The boy's expression changed. The Iron Sky spell 　　began to become unstable under the fierce clash of the opponent's spiritual energy, and the originally translucent membrane rippled with even more distorted waves. 　　If the previous attack was like the heavy blow of a cruiser, then with the layers of amplified magic, this ever- 　　increasing force was comparable to the main gun of a battleship with the strongest caliber. 　　If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad, but what was truly alarming was that the force showed no signs of weakening and 　　continued to increase. 　　"Then, as you wish, let's decide the outcome with one strike." The boy revealed a smile filled with madness, and then 　　suddenly raised his arm. 　　"Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss" A hissing sound suddenly came from the boy's mouth. 　　Perhaps due to Chris's renewed surge of power, or perhaps due to the dissipation of energy in preparing the new spell 　　, the previously hemispherical membrane became even more turbulent and transparent. It even resembled a soap bubble in the sunlight, as if 　　it might suddenly burst and disappear at any moment. 　　However, soon, a new anomaly occurred in the hall. The long river of gray matter, which had been slowly flowing like putrid mud awaiting the 　　outcome, seemed to have received an irresistible command; all the corpses and faces violently...

It trembled, and then, like water flowing from a faucet forming a vortex at the outlet of a pool,
all the ash matter rushed towards a certain point.
All the ash matter in the room twisted and tangled there as if weightless, and it
truly seemed to disappear from another invisible exit, constantly shrinking in size.
One hundred meters… fifty meters… thirty meters… ten meters… five meters…
After shrinking to about three meters, all the ash matter had transformed into an
oval sphere suspended in mid-air above the temple. The sphere constantly expanded and contracted, becoming incredibly solid, no longer filled
with the ethereal and uncertain feeling of the initial ash matter. It was like a beating heart, or an
egg about to hatch…
Then, the egg began to move.
Vibrating and producing a wondrous rhythm, the heart-like oval egg-shaped matter drifted towards
Chris from behind. Wherever it went, the air emitted a faint, tearing hum. Beneath the surface of that oval sphere,
something seemed to be surging upwards, with endless roars and wails faintly emanating from it
.
"We're going to win!" The boy's eyes gleamed with an unusual light as he thought confidently. Although simultaneously manipulating
two advanced spells placed a heavy burden on his mind, everything was finally about to end.
It must be said, this super-berserk huntress was an exceptional opponent. Her
initial werewolf form was undeniably impressive, but only moderately so;
killing her eldest son in a hasty attack was already an advantage of the ambush.
However, her decisive use of the Hunter Organization's Sunshine Potion, a vampire-killing agent, allowed her to strike first
and kill the other child. She had even pushed him to the brink of despair, and later,
a sudden burst of advanced power from her Words of Power forced her to use a blood substitute, making yet another child her substitute.
Up until then, the girl's reactions were still those of a β-level hunter, even if they exceeded
the expected level, it was merely a clever enhancement of combat power created by human ingenuity. However, in terms of the total
amount of magic power and hard indicators such as stamina and strength, he still held an absolute advantage.
Yet, at the last moment, his opponent unleashed a supernatural berserk attack, forcibly unlocking the potential of her physical body
and elevating her strength to α-level, equivalent to a vampire of several centuries
.
Even if it wasn't sustained, it was still far too dangerous for him.
But now, with the magic power of the entire hall, he had constructed a
spell capable of draining almost all of the hunter's life force, coupled with the absolute defense of the Iron Sky. In less than 10 seconds, no matter how
much the hunter overexerted herself, she would collapse weakly to the ground.
With the support of this spiritual vein's almost inexhaustible magic power, he had no reason to fail.
From the boy's perspective, Chris's eyes were blank, as if her vision had completely lost
focus. At the same time, her golden eyes radiated unparalleled killing intent. All of this undoubtedly indicated that she had entered
a supernatural, advanced berserk state. The caster had no reason, no language, and no complex
logical functions for casting spells. Her entire body was driven into a dedicated killing machine, using
the terrifying power gained at the cost of losing her mind to crush any enemy in her way.
However, only the girl herself knew that although she seemed to have entered a deep berserk state, unable to
freely control her body with reason, her mind was incredibly calm—a kind of rationality that was difficult to describe in words. More precisely
, it was as if she was isolated by an extraordinary power, like a
spectator sitting on a high platform watching gladiators fight to the death, observing the magical clash between the two sides with utmost rationality and almost complete indifference
.
Chris knew that her body was moving on its own, driven by instinct, frantically burning its life force and potential
to directly clash with the vampire lord's magic.
"Such powerful, dark energy. What exactly is that thing? If it's purely a contest of strength,
that egg's energy is three to five times stronger than this vampire lord's. But that's understandable; after all, it's
the culmination of energy accumulated over countless years in the polluted spiritual veins. This is a crystallization of pure energy, something
my power cannot break. Although it should take at least five seconds to reach my location,
energy aggregates cannot be judged by common sense. The key now is whether I can break through this
vampire lord's shield within two seconds. So, it's time to use my trump card."
The girl also knew that she had indeed lost most of her autonomy over her body. Now
, even moving her little finger with free will was a problem. Because this was the price of breaking free from
the limitations of her physical body.
To regain rational control of the body is possible; simply activate the hidden portal of the spell
. However, what will be lost in the same way is the berserk state of the body,
and, consequently, one's life. The reason is simple: without that supernatural, ultimate berserk enhancement, she
is no match for that vampire lord who, like herself, has begun to burn magic power recklessly.
Even with the girl's seasoned and insightful perspective, no matter how much she secretly favors herself, she must
admit that the current situation is extremely precarious. Under her full-force attack, the opponent's Iron Sky spell doesn't
simply counteract the corresponding magic power with an equal amount, like ordinary defensive spells. To make matters worse
, the opponent's supposedly absolute defensive shield was far from being a solid block that could only passively withstand attacks. While
impenetrable and intricately detailed, it was also incredibly resilient, elastic, and even sticky. The shield
rippled and vibrated constantly when it absorbed damage, causing the spiritual energy concentrated in one point
to disperse and be absorbed by the entire hall.
Even attempting to retreat was thwarted by a magnetic, sticky force emanating from the shield, making it difficult
to control weapons. Forcibly withdrawing would only result in losing one's only sacred weapon in the process
.
Not only that, the vampire's unique blood energy, taking advantage of the clash of magic, was also relentlessly
seeping its corrosive power into the blade. A simple retreat wasn't as
easy as just letting go.
However, the hidden agents planted earlier had been lying in wait for a long time. Although the soul couldn't control the body, when
instinct was pushed to its limit, and with the connection of bloodlines and rational control, a little bit of
autonomy was still possible.
"Resonate, my blood!"
The girl's golden eyes blazed with a thirst for victory!
The boy's expression suddenly froze, his confident smile frozen on his face.
A sharp, piercing pain suddenly shot through his abdomen. Despite no longer being human,
he felt a chilling agony at this moment.
Along with the pain was a searing heat that burned his bone marrow, as if his blood had become flammable fuel being ignited
. The flowing heat churned incessantly, and the searing agony spread rapidly through his veins.
"Die!" At the same time, like a wolf howling at the moon, a surging, overwhelming killing intent
erupted from Chris's petite body in an instant, an invisible force piercing like an arrow towards her opponent.
From the moment her super berserk state began, Chris had maintained a high level of berserker rage,
constantly drawing upon every ounce of potential within her life force, transforming it into spiritual power from within, and unleashing it at
the boy's full potential.
Like any berserker who had lost their mind, the young hunter consistently
delivered strikes without any fancy techniques, a straightforward contest of magical power. So much so that the boy forgot that he was facing
a professional hunter with countless years of experience fighting vampires, not just a simple barbarian fighter.
The overwhelming, domineering killing intent, condensed, compressed, and solidified through repeated clashes of magic, finally
erupted completely at this moment. Like a chilling wind blowing across the Yi River, pure soul power, with unstoppable momentum,
pierced through the barrier hindering magic, striking directly at the vampire lord's heart.
It exploded directly in the boy's heart. This violent tremor caused his face to palpate;
the spell he had been carefully maintaining immediately went out of control. The steel sky that had firmly held the barrier outside his body ultimately
vanished like a beautiful bubble in the sunlight, disappearing in the blink of an eye after a flash of brilliant light.
This opening was large enough; the moment the shield shattered, Chris's sword
slashed down with unstoppable force.
The situation was extremely dire. The boy instantly pulled his arms back, blocking in front of his chest, and struggled to retreat.
Dark blood flames ignited within his body once more, and his bones trembled, emitting a muffled, metallic hum, attempting
to block the relentless, furious slash.
However, it was useless. The blade of the transparent longsword sliced into the boy's arm and shoulder,
pausing slightly at the obstruction of the crimson flames. But with a force comparable to a battleship's main cannon, the blade continued its relentless penetration
, piercing through his shoulder blade, chest, abdomen, and waist. Like a unique Japanese slash, it
flashed past, cleaving the boy in two.
As the blade emerged from the other side, a neat ring of blood immediately appeared on the severed part of the boy's body.
Dark blood seeped from the surface of his skin, and the massive wound running across his entire body made it appear
as if his body had been completely severed.
The boy's hasty retreat caused the severed wound to shift slightly, as if his body might be cleaved in
two at any moment, yet it didn't fall.
At this critical moment, Chris's even more ferocious attack arrived instantly. The blade, imbued with immense force, was shaped
into a fancy rapier, its transparent extension gleaming with abundant spiritual light, heading straight for the vampire lord
's chest.
Knowing that was where his heart was, and that his magic power had already decreased
by more than half after the previous chest-piercing slash, another piercing of his heart would mean certain death.
The boy's eyes turned bloodshot, his expression contorted with rage. One of his hands, normally human, suddenly twisted and swelled
, a giant palm the size of a fan, meeting the rapier aimed at his heart. He stubbornly allowed the rapier to pierce his
palm, the thick, grotesque hand ignoring the wound, pressing down hard and gripping the dagger tightly
. At the same time, the blood gushing from the pierced hand didn't drip to the ground according to the laws of physics; instead, it
surged upwards, transforming into an incredibly eerie blood mist that rolled and burned like flames along
the sword's blade towards Chris. Clutching her wound with her other hand, she used the gap in her grip on the rapier's claws to suddenly
roar rapidly, "The ancient God is your refuge, His eternal arm your pillar; He
drove away your enemies before you, He commanded you: Destroy!"
With this biblical quote, Chris felt a sudden heaviness, as if a thousand-pound burden were pressing down on her
. And it grew heavier and heavier.
The girl, emboldened, advanced instead of retreating. Gritting her teeth, she gave a low shout, and then,
faintly visible silver-white ripples appeared around Chris's body. Simultaneously, her arms suddenly bulged, her originally slender and beautiful arms expanding illogically like balloons, instantly becoming 　　thicker
than the thighs of the strongest world- class bodybuilder—completely disproportionate to her body. In 　　a flash, Chris thrust her sword forward. Faced with the hunter's sudden surge of brute force, the boy's 　　disproportionately large hands involuntarily retreated. As if influenced by their master's will, 　　the long, translucent sword in Chris's hand extended into a ball of silver light, growing several inches longer. Soul, skill, and 　　body were originally one. With unwavering will, the sword's momentum was like lightning, piercing straight into the boy 　　's chest. 　　Then, the cold light abruptly stopped just before it touched the boy's chest. 　　A dense, almost black blood flame emanating from the boy's body firmly locked down the attack. 　　However, the boy's face paled again; it seemed that forcibly summoning the protective blood flame to block the attack was 　　also putting a considerable strain on his body. 　　Chris was no ordinary opponent; seeing the vampire's instinctive blood flame block her sudden attack, the boy...

The crimson mist spreading from the sword was about to touch her palm.
Realizing she couldn't wrest the weapon from the beastly claws filled with strange, brute force, Chris suddenly exerted her strength.
With a clang, she shoved the slender short sword hard, then kicked off the ground. Heaven knows
how terrifying Chris's power was in her berserk state; a large chunk of the hard granite ground shattered with a crisp sound
, and she used the force to retreat rapidly.
The boy, blocked by this, also used the opening to quickly retreat to the other side.
Although he escaped with his life, his face was extremely grim after retreating.
After pulling the sword from his palm, he quickly examined his body; his stomach was mostly eroded, presumably because
the blood he had sucked from the woman had been tampered with. Even more deadly were the marks that pierced her entire body. If
it were purely physical, it wouldn't be a threat; however, the girl's ferocious werewolf aura, after her berserk transformation
, stubbornly clung to her fragile body even after the blade had slashed through it. This alien aura relentlessly damaged her body, hindering its
recovery and healing. At the same time, his mobility and magical control were greatly reduced due to his severe injuries.
He needed blood energy, more life force, and dark magic.
Having made up his mind, the boy turned and rushed towards the stage. There, another β-level hunter awaited— 　　the last legacy
of Friuli, who had been dead for some time . 　　Chris's crisis was not over. The writhing black egg 　　stopped approaching the moment the vampire lord's shield was shattered, as if it had lost the command to continue its attack. And as the girl's gains expanded, until 　　the boy was cleaved in two, the black egg seemed to lose its support. 　　It immediately expanded, and after reaching its limit, the black sphere, which had filled nearly half of the hall, silently 　　cracked open. 　　Countless streams of dark, turbid liquid gushed out like pus from a bursting tumor. 　　"Squeak, squeak!" Unlike the previous clear separation between the gray soul river and the material plane, this time 　　, the black liquid dripped onto the ground and immediately emitted a violent corrosive sound. Even the hard stone floor 　　softened and dissolved rapidly upon contact with this liquid. 　　Chris's retreating position was right at the edge of the black water, barely managing to dodge. 　　However, this meant that her escape route was completely blocked. 　　But Chris didn't pay much attention to her back, ignoring all distractions, her golden eyes 　　fixed intently on the boy's movements. 　　At this moment, the boy had already rushed to the mature woman, lifting her up like a sack, and 　　biting down hard on her fair neck, greedily sucking the life-giving blood to slightly replenish 　　his damaged body. 　　The mature woman still looked oblivious and confused, tilting her head and letting the boy do as he pleased. 　　However, unexpectedly, seeing her companion becoming the other's food, Chris didn't rush to attack. 　　The girl suddenly spoke up, "She's a hunter from East America, isn't she?" 　　The boy didn't answer, watching Chris warily as he gulped down the blood, fully 　　absorbing the life force of this body to accelerate the healing of his wounds. 　　The recovery was excellent; after the sweet blood full of life and spiritual energy flowed into his parched throat, his wounds 　　healed rapidly, and the spiritual energy filling the entire hall also allowed his magic power to recover quickly 　　. 　　Seeing the mature woman's face growing paler and paler in the boy's hands, almost to the point of being drained dry, Chris continued 　　, "Did you know, a new technology has been developed in North America." 　　Then, the girl made a gesture. 　　"Ah!" A flicker of doubt crossed the boy's eyes, followed by a agonizing scream 　　. He suddenly began to tremble violently, and after a few swaying moments, he finally collapsed to the ground, convulsing. 　　Not only that, the wound that had been healing from absorbing the mature woman's blood burst open, 　　continuously emitting puffs of white smoke—a truly bizarre sight. 　　Ignoring the boy's pitiful state, Chris gracefully approached him, her steps light and elegant. " 　　The dark forces of the old world are too conservative, still relying primarily on ancient sorcery," she said 　　, glancing casually around as if completely disregarding the unimaginably vast magical power. "I've read your history 　　, though many facts are too distant to trace. You're far too outdated. For millennia since your birth 　　, aside from the first mythological era when some vampires produced some unimaginably powerful figures, 　　what happened afterward? You pursued primal blood, worshipping and yearning to regain the power of your origins, yet each of you seems to 　　have achieved nothing, even now, like moths drawn to a candle flame destined to consume you 　　. And the humans you thought were your prey are about to truly wield the power of the sun. Your era has ended 　　!" 　　"Why? Why can't I sense anything abnormal in my blood? There's nothing wrong with my blood!" the boy 　　roared in despair. As a vampire sorcerer, while he couldn't control every cell in his body at will 　　, he possessed an almost instinctive 　　sensitivity to every drop of blood flowing from his throat to his stomach. 　　The blood itself was fine. 　　However, his injury was an undeniable fact. An abnormal power emanating from within had permeated his 　　entire body, and it didn't manifest immediately, only erupting violently after a period of time. Moreover, 　　his entire body seemed to be constantly emitting ultraviolet rays, like countless tiny suns. Although far less 　　intense than real sunlight, this natural nemesis, erupting from within, was impossible 　　to defend against with any black magic, and even temporarily severed his connection with his body. 　　Now, he couldn't even regain his mobility, let alone cast spells. 　　As a high-ranking being, he had fallen from near-immortal status to 　　a level even lower than a mortal.

"Tell me, why?" The boy struggled to lift his head, his voice filled with confusion, resentment, anger, and despair
as he loudly questioned her. This was understandable; anyone who had made countless sacrifices and finally
tipped the scales of victory in their favor, only to inexplicably fail at the last moment, would be so distraught at the brink of death.
Chris shook her head, her cold words ringing in the boy's ears: "The blood itself is indeed not the problem
. However, before coming to Eastern Europe, we all ingested large quantities of miniature nanobots—
things even smaller than human red blood cells. Individually, they are harmless, but one of their
functions is to aggregate and form larger functional units to generate ultraviolet radiation. More importantly, they can be
activated by chips implanted in the hunters' bodies. As for the common knowledge that we can use bioelectricity to operate the chips
, I don't need to explain further, do I?"
From the moment Chris began to speak, the boy had been trembling uncontrollably. When he heard the last sentence
, his face contorted with an indescribable expression.
"It's over." Chris picked up the short sword that had fallen to the side and plunged it precisely into the boy's chest
.
"No!" After the short sword pierced his chest, cleanly penetrating his heart, the boy showed a look of pain.
However, that pain quickly vanished, as if the short sword embedded in his heart had never existed.
His face regained its composure, becoming clear and fearless. The monster who had lived for countless years suddenly became like
a real human child. His dust-covered, white face wore a helpless smile, still
flawless.
"I never thought I'd have such a day." Without even looking at the blade firmly piercing his chest,
the boy shook his head and sighed bitterly. But with each word he uttered,
a mouthful of dark red blood would involuntarily emerge from the corner of his mouth.
Chris remained silent, her only reaction being to continuously strengthen the battle aura she channeled into her weapon.
Seemingly unconcerned by Chris's silence, the boy continued, "It's quite remarkable, both
for you and for the power you represent. A mere few decades of human training is enough to kill me
. This is your victory; rejoice in your heart. However, it's unfortunate that this information cannot be leaked
, at least not now. So, accept your fate, hunter, just like me!"
As a hunter, this wasn't Chris's first time slaying a vampire.
In a sense, killing a vampire was like eradicating a particular kind of morbid human.
Each one had a human face, human hair, a human voice, and human posture. If there was any
difference, it was only their distinctive fangs, their perpetually pale, sun-hated
skin, and the rigid, out-of-touch generational gap inherent in vampires who had lived for many years.
Killing a vampire was disgusting, like killing a human.
However, it was necessary. Because vampires fed on humans.
Moreover, with the awakening of their primal blood, vampires increasingly cease to see themselves as human. However, in
the final moments of their lives, if given the chance, as their blood gushes out and drips away, their human side may occasionally
resurface in their final moments. Many vampires display various behaviors—just like humans before death.
Some weep and beg for forgiveness, some timidly plead for pardon, and some boldly seek only a swift death
, and so on.
However, the sudden, unusual calm of the young man, his arrogant pronouncements as if making a prophetic statement despite being on the verge of death,
unsettled Chris, even though she knew the heart was
the source of all vampires' magic, and piercing it meant the end of the vampire's life. But the vague anxiety rising within her
kept the seemingly calm young hunter on her guard, channeling all her fighting spirit into her weapon, intending to utterly
destroy this formidable enemy before her.
"I will scatter blood on the ground as a sacrifice to please the gods. I will ascend the altar, take down the lamb awaiting slaughter, and
feed the obedient lamb with tender grass stained with blood, watching it eat its fill. I will drive the satiated lamb away until it is no longer
visible, and then lay it back on the altar, awaiting its eternal slumber..." The boy's eyes gradually darkened and became
lifeless, yet a mournful melody, like a nursery rhyme, slowly flowed from his lips.
After the first sentence was uttered, as if stirring something, the hall, filled with the aura of dark magic, seemed to
gain something more once again. And as the boy chanted, that unsettling feeling deepened, and
layers of echoes began to appear in the air, as if the entire hall was responding to the rhythm and chanting in unison.
As the nursery rhyme continued to flow from the boy's slowly opening and closing lips, a
flash of silver light appeared. Chris drew her dagger with one hand, and with the other, she plunged it deep
into the wound. Then, the girl swung her sword, and the indestructible dagger pierced the boy's throat without fail.
A gaping wound opened in the boy's neck, a horrifying gash that seemed to cleave his long, slender
neck in two. Only a small patch of flesh barely held his head and body together,
yet the sound did not cease.
Despite suffering a wound that even a vampire could not ignore, the boy seemed oblivious to the pain
, merely watching Chris with a half-smile. His head, now without skeletal support, did not fall to the side as if defying the laws of physics
, remaining perfectly in its original position as if nothing had happened.
Chris's face turned ashen. Her hand was already gripping the other's heart tightly, yet she couldn't
crush this source of magic as easily as she had with the first mage who had attacked her. Moreover, something worse
was happening. The feeling in her hand wasn't like grasping flesh at all; it
was more like squeezing a swirling, icy lake—utterly devoid of texture,
only a bone-chilling cold.
Yet, she couldn't pull her hand away no matter what. And that chilling sensation continued to spread from her palm throughout her body; in the blink of an eye, her entire
arm went numb.
The hall itself was emitting sounds, its omnipresent magic resonating directly in the air. It acted as the sorcerer's throat
, chanting its own inscrutable, alien ballads.
As the chanting continued, the grand hall seemed to transform into the boy himself, while his true
body rapidly lost its vitality. His once fair skin turned deathly pale, and his lifeless eyes held no
light. He spoke indifferently, "What a pity. I misjudged you. I thought your berserk state could last
a long time, and that your power could increase without restraint. That's why I maintained two high-precision spells simultaneously.
Now it seems I was wrong. In fact, as long as I used the Iron Sky to hold out until you could no longer maintain your berserk state
, that would be my victory. Maintaining only one spell
wouldn't have caused it to fail even with a sudden mental shock. Now that I think about it, the moment you pierced my heart, you actually
broke free from the ultimate berserk state. And now, you can't enter that state anymore. Isn't that right?"
Chris didn't answer, a mocking smile flashing across her icy face.
The girl realized that her body no longer hurt; instead, she felt an utter numbness.
"I was careless. Is this where it ends?"
Or perhaps, this is actually the normal situation.
The human body, after all, can hardly contend with the centuries-old vampire race.
Even though they previously claimed the other side was an outdated race with fatal flaws,
the power of its strong individuals was undeniable.
However, at least, the task at hand was completed.
Chris took a deep breath; the chill had numbed half her body, almost reaching
her heart, but the girl's mind remained clear.
Honestly, both sides had seriously misjudged the situation. This vampire lord undoubtedly saw her as a
valuable asset because of the various spells and new technologies she possessed, intending to capture her completely and thoroughly, then interrogate her
to extract all her secrets. However, too many concerns limited the spells she could use
, and her hesitation placed a heavy burden on her in this split second, a moment that would determine victory or defeat
.
This gave her an opportunity.
No matter how powerful the vampire was, or how magnificent the magic enveloping the entire palace was, this was merely its
death throes. The massive wound piercing its heart would be a fatal
blow to a human, a death sentence. Its ability to linger was due to its dark bloodline and the protection of the black barrier itself
. However, a fatal wound is still a fatal wound. Even if the vampire was inhuman, it
was certainly not a lower life form like an octopus or starfish. Even with vitality far exceeding that of mortals, vital organs like the heart
are not easily discarded.
After all, the more delicate and important an organ, the harder it is to repair; even immortality has its
limits.
However, the misjudgment was even more frustrating. Despite employing countless strategies and revealing all its trump cards,
it ultimately underestimated the vampire lord's resources. This magic array absorbing the earth's spiritual veins, judging by the exaggeratedly dense
aura of dark magic and the blood-curdling cries of the dead, was at least a hundred years old. Moreover,
judging from the feeling, this magic circle is closely connected to several other magic circles, and is very likely an
essential component of a large-scale magic spell.
However, there is nothing to fear anymore. After I perish in this bar, headquarters will definitely
send more and more elite hunters to search the bar based on the last records. Soon, this place will no longer be able to keep my
sordid secret. Once this magic circle is exposed to the world, the other magic circles will also be uprooted
.
No matter what the purpose of the vampires' painstaking efforts to set up the barrier here is, they are destined to fail
.
A faint, somewhat calm smile appeared on the girl's face as she softly said, "It seems it's all over.
"
"No, this is not the end. Neither for you nor for me." An ambiguous
smile appeared on the boy's face. His throat, exposed to the air, did not move, but the entire hall resounded with a huge rumble.
At this point, after both sides have used their last trump cards, the outcome is about to be decided.
Chris lowered her head, her arm, devoid of feeling, still firmly piercing the boy's body. However, his
once normal physique continued to shrink. Above the neck, the boy's face was horribly pale, but
he still retained a human appearance. Below the neck, the body continued to shrink proportionally, not
like dehydration, but rather shrinking continuously, as if all
the bones in his body were shrinking along with the mutation.
Below the head, which was normally the size of a normal person, the connected body was only the size of a newborn infant. And that doll-
sized body began to move strangely, its small hands and feet wrapping around the girl's soft arms.
Chris instinctively tried to shake off the girl, but suddenly she staggered, a wave of dizziness enveloping
her mind—her heart began to grow cold.
After resisting the erosion of her opponent's magic with her spiritual power for a long time, finally,
with the support of the inexhaustible magical power in the hall, and the vampire lord's superior control, he gradually gained the upper hand
.
It was a critical moment of life and death. Looking at the indifferent smile on the boy's face, Chris unconsciously
smiled bitterly.
As a hunter, the girl was not lacking in mystical knowledge. He was also nearing the end of his life.
Miracles never come without a price.
By unleashing a berserk rage beyond her capabilities, Chris had sacrificed her potential for advancement and her life force.
That brief three minutes of ultimate berserk rage, converted into lifespan, was roughly equivalent to 15 years—expensive but
worthwhile.
And the price her opponent had to pay for drawing upon the entire hall's magical power to attempt a massive spell
was equally considerable.
The spell was about to take shape.
Chris didn't know the spell the other was casting, but a sudden realization dawned on her
.
Her remaining spiritual energy, no longer protecting her heart, was instead channeled entirely to her sacred weapon,
allowing the opponent's evil aura to devour her organs—after all, her life or death would be decided in seconds
.
Her eyes, which had dimmed after the berserk state ended, rekindled with golden flames. The girl, for the last
time, used her fighting spirit as fuel, filling the flame with her life force.
"You, burdened with original sin, accept judgment." Like a final burst of energy, the boy lifted by the girl's hand
suddenly opened his eyes, a strange light flashing in his lifeless eyes, stars shining within them.
"Break!" Like a mundane duel in a Western movie, the two gun-wielding fighters
drew their weapons and fired at each other the instant the coin hit the ground. As soon as the boy finished speaking, Chris raised her short sword and slashed down with all her might. This time, it
was vastly different from her initial berserk state. The short blade no longer burned with exaggerated, scorching magic power capable of burning through the air; it
was merely enveloped in a faint white light. However, the silvery holy power wrapped around the short sword shimmered like
ripples on a lake, and if one listened carefully, it seemed as if a solemn hymn could be heard playing within it.
This was pure divine power, not a reckless impulse driven by irrationality. Chris had keenly sensed
that, under the boy's spontaneous use of biblical quotations, the dark barrier's shielding
and repulsion of holy power had silently lifted a veil.
The primal and fanatical berserk magic was no longer needed; the spiritual power within the girl's body continuously transformed
into holy power, empowering the sacred holy weapon.
The holy weapon passed through the boy's face without hindrance, tracing a beautiful arc in the air.
However, it caused no harm to the enemy. The boy's body turned completely black, a shadow covering his entire
body. The holy weapon, imbued with all its holy power, swung across this shadow without any sense of reality,
as if the world had become unreal, as if that person had never existed in the first place.
Chris's brow twitched, but her movements didn't stop. The silver weapon, swirling rapidly,
rushed towards the shadow like mercury spilling onto the ground. The holy power, which had previously repelled evil, was now released without reservation.
Under the sky full of sword light, the air distorted and rippled slightly, as if a vacuum had been cleaved out.
The black aura that had filled the air vanished without a trace under the holy light. However, the black humanoid figure remained
firmly attached to the girl's slender arm, unaffected by any attacks.
It almost gave the illusion that the black humanoid shadow was merely a harmless
phenomenon of light and shadow, neither attacking nor causing harm.
The girl stopped her rapid swordplay, closed her eyes, focused her mind, and
gripped her weapon firmly with her only intact arm, instinctively sensing the approaching attack.
No matter what the attack, no matter how bizarre or strange, it always had a premonition.
Moreover, the legendary werewolf's combat intuition possessed
an extraordinary sensitivity that disregarded logic and analysis, as if directly seeing the future.
Would fate favor her this time?
At this moment, logic was useless; the only thing she could rely on was her instincts.
The girl thought to herself, her tall, imposing figure standing like an ancient Valkyrie statue, proud and
unyielding. She was giving it her all for that final, desperate strike.
However, Chris didn't notice that the instant she closed her eyes,
a blood-red crystal suddenly sprang from the infant-sized shadow that had been clinging tightly to her arm.
The blood-red crystal didn't linger after leaving the shadow, but shot straight towards a certain spot.
At the end of the straight line lay Gawain, clutching his head and lying on the ground, watching the two powerful figures fight desperately.
Gawain's face was terrible, terribly terrible.
Regardless of who ultimately won this battle, he felt certain he was doomed.
If his father defeated the huntress who had infiltrated, given the heavy casualties
, his next move would undoubtedly be to blame him, the "traitor" who had brought her into the core area.
And if the huntress won, he, as a vampire, would be doomed no matter what.
Just as he was anxiously awaiting the outcome, Gawain suddenly saw a red light in front of him.
The young vampire, so young he could be called childish, watched helplessly as the blood-red crystal shot
towards him like a bullet. His body tensed violently, his still-conscious brain immediately issuing the command to dodge, but
after a brief tremor, his body stopped moving. As if in an instant, he had become someone else;
his out-of-control body even instinctively stretched out his hands in a welcoming gesture.
All of this happened in a mere second. The red crystal struck Gawain's forehead, flashed past
as if it were transparent and ethereal, passing through him without any resistance and then disappearing.
Gawain clutched his head, letting out a muffled groan.
The crystal entering his body didn't bring any real sensation; he couldn't feel any matter touching him
. However, in an instant, it felt as if the crystal had merged into him, or rather, as if he had been merged into the crystal.
Countless thoughts surged inexplicably within him, memories clearly not his own jumbled and bulged, swelling until
he felt dizzy and disoriented.

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