CA – Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Night had fallen, but Anersai City was still shrouded in daylight. Outside the Blood Domain, the Holy See launched relentless attacks, while inside, an internal struggle among the vampires was unfolding.
Lucille and Lola had freed all the vampires locked in the dungeon. These vampires came from various clans, mostly sixth and seventh generation, with only two from the fifth. They had been imprisoned for a long time, their inner power of darkness constantly suppressed. Starved for too long, their strength was less than thirty percent of what it was at their peak.
After leaving the dungeon, they were discovered by the vampires of Rose Manor. The Blood Domain was already active, and the fifth-generation vampires temporarily ignored the Holy See to focus on dealing with Lucille and the others.
The Rose Manor vampires targeted all those who had been in the dungeon. Moreover, their goal wasn't capture, but to crush their hearts—to silence them permanently.
When Delia and Tang Qiu entered the Blood Domain, the two sides were locked in a fierce battle. The last remaining buildings of Rose Manor were destroyed in the intense fighting, turning the place into complete ruins.
Delia became composed after entering the Blood Domain. She made a grasping motion with her hand, and the thick, blood-colored mist suddenly trembled. The ground beneath their feet shook violently as wisps of black fog emerged from the earth, silently closing in on Lucille and the others.
Lucille sensed the danger and dodged, quickly putting distance between herself and the black fog. Catching sight of Tang Qiu nearby, she moved directly to her side.
The brawling factions were forcibly separated by Delia. The vampires of Rose Manor gathered behind her, facing Tang Qiu, Lucille, and the others from a distance, still maintaining an aggressive posture.
Lola, having dodged the black fog's attack, also came to Tang Qiu's side. She was flexing her fractured arm while sizing up Delia.
Lucille and Lola were the main force against the Rose Manor vampires. The other weakened vampires, after evading the black fog, also gathered on their side.
Lucille stood half a step in front of Tang Qiu, habitually shielding her. Compared to Lola, who was just standing nearby, the distance between the two was clearly more intimate.
Delia's gaze swept over Tang Qiu and Lucille before finally settling on Lucille. Her eyes flickered slightly, and a strange smile touched her lips. She clenched her fist in the air, and a dense, blood-colored mist enveloped her and the vampires behind her. Delia turned her head to her followers and whispered, "Retreat."
The blood-colored mist blocked Tang Qiu's group's line of sight. When it dissipated, Delia and the others were gone.
Lola's nose twitched. She sniffed the lingering scent in the air, licked her lips, and gave chase in the direction Delia's group had fled.
Some vampires followed Lola in pursuit. Lucille glanced at their disappearing figures but didn't join them. Instead, she turned to Tang Qiu, looked her over carefully, and asked, "Are you hurt?"
Tang Qiu slowly shook her head. "No." She looked in the direction Delia had left, her brow furrowed slightly as she murmured, "Have they decided to abandon Rose Manor...?"
This was Delia's Blood Domain, and her subordinates were with her. Comparatively, Delia's side had the advantage, so why did she choose to flee without even fighting...?
In fact, it wasn't just Tang Qiu who was perplexed; Delia's subordinates were also confused. Just before leaving Rose Manor, a fifth-generation vampire couldn't contain his doubts and stopped, venturing to ask Delia, "Lord Delia, why are we fleeing?"
"Don't we need to eliminate those vampires from the dungeon?" This fifth-generation vampire had once been in charge of the Rose Manor in the Bill Empire, so he knew many of its secrets. He was well aware that letting the vampires from the dungeon go would surely cause trouble. "If they leave alive and tell others what happened at the manor, the other clans will definitely be displeased with the Tzimisce. It will cause trouble for Elder Evan."
The various vampire clans were not closely connected. Moreover, because their lives were so long, they were no longer as united as they had been during the Holy War. The vampire race was now like a pile of loose sand.
But if what their Tzimisce clan had done was exposed, even loose sand would surely unite to express its discontent.
Although it wasn't just their Tzimisce clan that did such things...
After the fifth-generation vampire spoke, the others also stopped, looking at Delia and waiting for her response. A flash of displeasure crossed Delia's face. She glanced at the vampire who had spoken and said coldly, "If we don't leave, are we supposed to go back and die?"
"Outside is a Bishop of the Holy See, and just now there was a royal werewolf, with two fifth-generation vampires by her side." Delia's gaze swept over the faces of the vampires surrounding her, a hint of coldness in her eyes. "I'm thinking of your well-being."
The vampire who had just asked the question was not satisfied with Delia's answer. He lowered his head, his voice low but firm. "Lord Delia, we cannot let those vampires leave this place."
Other vampires stood behind the one who had spoken, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense. Delia narrowed her eyes and suddenly let out a low laugh. She walked up to the vampire, patted his shoulder, and her cold fingers slid down from his shoulder to his chest. "Shouldn't your loyalty be given to me?" she said lightly.
The vampire's body stiffened. The hand on his chest felt as if it could plunge in and crush his heart at any moment. His breathing hitched for a few beats. Just as he was about to say something, a terrifying pressure suddenly emanated from their right.
The vampire froze, a flash of pleasant surprise in his eyes. He murmured to himself, "Elder Evan..."
Delia turned her head toward the source of the pressure, her expression changing slightly. She silently withdrew her hand. Noticing the vampire beside her sigh in relief, Delia glanced at him and said calmly, "Your chance to show loyalty to Elder Evan has arrived, hmm?"
The vampire lowered his head, not daring to answer.
The short time they had remained in place was enough for Lola and the others to catch up. Since Lucille and Tang Qiu were right behind them, Lola had no reservations and, along with two other fifth-generation vampires, directly intercepted Delia.
Delia watched them with a blank expression, then suddenly raised her hand and retracted the Blood Domain. As soon as it was gone, all the light magic the Holy See had been using to attack the domain flew toward the manor.
Lola frowned. She and the other vampires had no choice but to temporarily dodge the area of the light magic, feeling very puzzled by Delia's inexplicable action.
Dazzling light magic rained down on Delia and her subordinates. Delia and her followers didn't move an inch, letting the spells fall. The instant before they were engulfed, a new Blood Domain suddenly shielded them.
The thick, blood-colored mist devoured the light magic, but as if unsatisfied, it began to spread rapidly outward. Lola's eyes widened slightly. The immense pressure made her feel a sense of danger, forcing her to retreat. A vampire who couldn't dodge in time was swallowed by the mist, managing only a single scream before vanishing.
Tang Qiu and Lucille, who were approaching, stopped simultaneously. They exchanged a look, both frowning deeply. Lucille turned to shield Tang Qiu and said in a low voice, "...It's the aura of a third-generation vampire."
Tang Qiu raised her hand and gripped Lucille's arm without speaking. Her werewolf domain had already deployed automatically.
While Lucille was speaking, the Blood Domain had already swallowed Lola and was spreading toward them. Lucille caught a glimpse of Lola's unconscious figure within the domain, pursed her lips, and darted in to pull her out.
The Blood Domain was closing in on them. Tang Qiu took her staff from the Space Gem. Gripping it tightly, she began to chant in a low voice. A three hundred meters high flame of light suddenly appeared, slightly impeding the Blood Domain's advance.
Lucille brought Lola to Tang Qiu's side. Tang Qiu lowered her staff and said in a deep voice, "Go."
A third-generation vampire was not someone they could fight.
Just as she said "Go," the flame of light was suddenly devoured by the thick mist. The Blood Domain expanded by nearly a hundred meters in an instant, completely enveloping them.
The terrifying pressure made Tang Qiu's body feel heavy. She stayed close to Lucille's side, warily observing her surroundings, still able to maintain her composure.
The sudden appearance of a third-generation vampire had disrupted all of Tang Qiu's plans. The opponent's immense power weighed heavily on her mind. She gripped her staff, her gaze lowered slightly, her thoughts racing as she tried to figure out how to escape this seemingly endless Blood Domain.
A scream suddenly rang out. Tang Qiu's grip on her staff tightened. She looked up in the direction of the scream and saw dazzling flashes of white light being devoured by the Blood Domain one after another. It was the Holy See's team outside Rose Manor.
Tang Qiu's eyes narrowed. She turned to Lucille and said, "Take them and find a weak point to break through." Not all the vampires had succumbed to the mist's corrosion; a few still stood around them.
Lucille frowned. "And you?"
"I'm going to save the people from the Holy See." Tang Qiu paused, then continued before Lucille could reply, "Come find me when you find a place to break through."
Lucille swallowed the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue. She lowered her gaze and pondered for a moment, then nodded without further hesitation. "Alright."
After Lucille and the other vampires disappeared into the mist, Tang Qiu pulled her hood down lower and headed toward the screams. She stopped about a dozen meters from the Holy See's team, raised her staff, and began to chant.
The Blood Domain suppressed her power of light, but a white light still gathered at the tip of her staff. A barrier of light appeared above the Holy See's team, slowly enveloping them and shielding them from the Blood Domain's corrosion.
The Holy See personnel Tang Qiu protected happened to be Jennifer's squad of priests. Jennifer was stunned for a moment when the light barrier appeared, but she reacted quickly. Grabbing her staff, she scrambled up from the ground and began to cast healing spells on the injured clerics around her.
The master of the Blood Domain soon noticed Tang Qiu's presence. The thick mist began to gather and attack her. The immense pressure made Tang Qiu's hand, which was holding the staff, tremble slightly. Her expression was grave, but she showed no sign of stopping her chant.
A shimmering, watery shield suddenly appeared in front of Tang Qiu, blocking the mist's attack. Delphine had appeared by Tang Qiu's side at some point and was looking at her with a curious expression. Her light green eyes blinked again and again as she said inquisitively, "Since when did Evan's Blood Domain have the ability to make people mutate?"
Tang Qiu glanced at her and deliberately heaved a heavy sigh. "Are you just going to stand there and watch?"
Delphine stroked her chin and said with a smile, "Then you first have to tell me why you're a werewolf."
"...Because I have werewolf blood."
Delphine wasn't very satisfied with this perfunctory answer. She looked Tang Qiu up and down, then leaned in to sniff her scent. "Is your mother Faye?" she asked thoughtfully.
Tang Qiu froze for a moment. She turned to meet Delphine's gaze and asked impassively, "You mean Faye Field?"
Delphine didn't miss Tang Qiu's subtle reaction to hearing Faye's name. She gave a dry cough and denied it. "...No."
Tang Qiu nodded and turned back to continue her chant, clearly not believing Delphine's subsequent denial.
Delphine looked at Tang Qiu's profile, reminded of the werewolf clan leader who never let herself be taken advantage of. She silently raised a hand and scratched her head, hoping her momentary slip-up hadn't caused any trouble for Faye.
...Probably not.
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