CA - Chapter 181
Chapter 181
In a deserted city in the northwestern part of the Shas Principality, demonic beasts gathered in twos and threes, feasting on rotting corpses. Black crows circled above the rooftops, a dark, oppressive mass that felt even more suffocating than the night itself.
Lucille, Erin, and the others stood atop the high city wall, their gazes fixed on the very center of the city. There stood a sprawling, luxurious manor, but that wasn't the reason it had caught their attention.
This manor was the only place not occupied by demonic beasts, and even the black crows dared not linger nearby.
Erin glanced at the address recorded on the parchment, then at the strange manor. After looking back and forth several times, she nodded and said, "I think this is the place."
A vampire standing beside Lucille wrinkled her nose and sniffed, saying in a low voice, "There's the scent of vampires."
"Smells like fifth-generation."
Erin put the parchment away and turned to Lucille. "I have a way to restrict their magic use after they teleport here." She thought for a moment, then added, "I can probably restrict them for about five seconds."
That was the most her witchcraft could achieve.
"But I'll need time to prepare the spell."
Five seconds was a short time, but for a fourth-generation vampire, that window of opportunity—preventing the Red-robed Archbishop from using light magic—was enough to accomplish a great deal.
If Cambecus teleported in with his light magic ready, they wouldn't be able to get close to him without Tang Qiu.
Having witnessed Erin's spellcasting process once before, Lucille nodded in understanding. "I'll go clear out the vampires in the manor," she said calmly.
She leaped down from the city wall. "You all can come down in a bit."
The other three vampires followed Lucille, leaping down after her. Their figures instantly vanished into the darkness.
After Lucille and the others left, Erin began rummaging through her Space Gem for spell components. Karen stood to one side, watching her for a moment before politely asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Without a word, Erin shoved a pile of materials she had found into Karen's arms. Karen silently held the jumble of items, shielding Erin from the night wind on the city wall. The blonde bishop had asked her to look after Erin, so she supposed she was diligently carrying out her mission.
Cambecus was still unaware that his manor had been targeted. Ever since the white wolf appeared and scattered his guards, he had been on the defensive. He had no time to chant the incantations for powerful light magic. While instant-cast spells could block attacks, they couldn't truly get him out of danger.
Cambecus twisted the ring on his finger, his expression grim. Several Holy Knights surrounded him, swords drawn, wary of any potential attack.
The white wolf had vanished into the thick, bloody mist that had risen again. The Holy Knights tried to locate it, but instead of finding the wolf, they were constantly fending off a vampire trying to break through their defensive line.
A sudden sense of pressure drew near. Cambecus's lips moved, and a golden flame abruptly appeared to his right. The flame burned away the bloody mist, illuminating the surrounding area. The white wolf swatted at the flame, extinguishing it with a single swipe of its paw before disappearing once more.
The Power of Light, which struck fear into dark creatures, was not nearly as effective against werewolves. Werewolves are truly difficult to deal with, Cambecus grumbled inwardly while continuing to focus on guarding against the white wolf's sneak attacks.
After the golden flame vanished, darkness enveloped them once more. Cambecus cast a barrier around himself and the Holy Knights. However, just as the barrier formed, a flash of white light shattered it in an instant.
Killing intent was right upon him. Cambecus's heart leaped in alarm, and he subconsciously retreated several steps, his staff already raised. But faster than his light magic was a rope formed from the Power of Darkness, which wrapped around the white wolf's paw in an attempt to restrain it.
The white wolf's figure paused in mid-air. It broke free of the rope and, catching a glimpse of a golden cage descending upon it, twisted away and vanished into the Blood Domain again.
Sela appeared beside Cambecus. Her red eyes stared intently in the direction the white wolf had disappeared. "That is a Royal werewolf," she said gravely.
Upon seeing Sela, Cambecus's expression relaxed slightly. "I heard Faye has a sister. Is it her?"
Why would a werewolf suddenly attack them?
Something occurred to him, and his eyes flashed. "Where is Grace?"
"Missing," Sela said flatly.
Missing, right under the nose of a fourth-generation vampire? Cambecus's face darkened. It seemed he might have underestimated the blonde bishop.
He just didn't know if this werewolf and vampire had been sent by Reese or the blonde bishop... In any case, no matter who it was, once he returned safely to the Holy See, he would make them pay the price.
With Sela and the others present, Cambecus no longer had to worry about his own safety. He raised his staff and said in a deep voice, "Cover me..."
Before he could finish, a thick snake's tail whipped out of the bloody mist. The tail was hard, its scales standing erect like knives. Sela had no time to use dark magic and could only raise her arm to block it.
The scales scraped a wound on her arm so deep that bone was visible. Sela stumbled back several meters before she could steady herself. Beth retracted her snake tail and stared directly at Sela. "Sela, what exactly is your Tzimisce clan doing, collaborating with the Holy See?" she demanded coldly.
Sela glared at her, her expression grim and her eyes filled with cold killing intent. "And here I was, wondering who it could be."
She raised a hand to wipe the blood from her arm. The blood slowly evaporated in her palm, turning into a red mist. Sela softly chanted an incantation, and the mist suddenly condensed into sharp blood arrows that flew toward Beth.
"What the Tzimisce clan does is none of the Gangrel's business."
Sela used the blood arrows to pin Beth down, then her figure flashed forward to engage her. The two were soon locked in combat.
Some vampires rushed forward to help Sela, but they were intercepted by Lola and other Gangrel vampires.
With fewer and fewer vampires around him, Cambecus abandoned the idea of chanting a spell. Vampire battles could easily cause collateral damage. Cambecus gave a look to the Holy Knights, and they began to slowly retreat with him, trying to distance themselves from the fight.
But they had only gone a few meters when a Holy Knight on the right was struck by a claw that suddenly emerged from the bloody mist. The knight coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed.
The sharp claws shot past the knight's body, heading straight for Cambecus's neck. A golden light flared, and the claws were repelled by the Power of Light. The white wolf's attack was blocked, forcing a temporary retreat. It landed on the ground and looked down at its scorched paw, its eyes darkening slightly.
As a Red-robed Archbishop who had held real power for decades, he certainly had many ways to save his own skin.
Cambecus broke out in a cold sweat from the fright. He took off the shattered, useless ring from his finger, threw it on the ground, and quickly put on a new one.
No matter how many protective items he had, as long as he couldn't escape the white wolf's domain, the danger of being caught in close quarters increased with every passing moment. The number of guards by his side dwindled, while the number of shattered rings and bracelets on the ground grew. Cambecus's expression became uglier and uglier. He had already retreated to the edge of the domain, but it seemed this was as far as he could go.
Because he was running out of protective items.
The white fur on the wolf's paws had been scorched black by the golden light. It stepped over the field of shattered rings, approaching Cambecus step by step.
His Red-robed Archbishop's vestments were stained with dirt, no longer looking holy. Cambecus raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. His slightly panicked expression made him look exceptionally pathetic. His lips moved, and he cast another barrier in front of himself.
Being hunted and attacked by the white wolf wasn't the most dangerous situation Cambecus had ever faced, but it was certainly the most oppressive pursuit he had ever experienced.
He knew werewolves were powerful fighters, but he hadn't expected that when facing one head-on, he would be left without even the ability to counterattack. Just maintaining distance to avoid close combat had forced him to use almost all of his trump cards.
This couldn't go on. Cambecus glanced at Sela, who was tied up with the other vampires, then took two scrolls out of his Space Gem.
Just as he was contemplating which one to use, wolf howls suddenly echoed from all directions. The howls rose and fell in succession. The massive figures of white and gray wolves appeared on the hillside. The giant wolves looked down at the situation below, their sharp claws scraping against the mountain rocks beneath their feet.
Cambecus's hand, about to unfurl a scroll, paused. The appearance of the werewolf pack made him abandon any thought of continuing to wear down the white wolf. He put away a scroll containing a high-level light magic spell and decisively unfurled the other one—a teleportation scroll.
A white light suddenly appeared, enveloping him and the few Holy Knights in front of him.
The appearance of the werewolf pack made Sela's heart sink. The two fourth-generation Gangrel vampires were already holding them back, and there was a Royal werewolf on the other side. Now, a dozen more werewolves had appeared... Sela began to consider retreating.
The teleportation array at Cambecus's feet made Sela's eyes flash. She cast a dark magic spell to hinder Beth for a moment, then turned and flew toward Cambecus.
Cambecus saw Sela coming toward him, but he also saw the white wolf pouncing at him. He didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately chanted the incantation to close the teleportation array. The white light wrapped around him and the Holy Knights, and they vanished in an instant.
The white wolf pounced on empty air, but it turned around just in time to "catch" Sela.
Sela was struck in the chest by the white wolf's claw. Her shoulder and arm were torn open, and dark red blood splattered on the ground. She clutched her arm and retreated quickly, but her movements were sluggish due to her injuries. A gray wolf that had appeared from nowhere pounced and pinned her to the ground.
As the gray wolf subdued Sela, a smaller white wolf ran down from the hillside. It stopped beside the gray wolf, looking left and right, before finally fixing its gaze on the large white wolf not far from them. Its eyes lit up, but it hesitated to approach, as if wary of something.
The appearance of Jemma and the others was a bit of a surprise to Tang Qiu. She shook the blood from her claws and walked toward Jemma. By the time she reached the small white wolf, she had already transformed back into her human form.
When the little white wolf saw Tang Qiu approach, it tentatively nudged her shoulder with its head. Tang Qiu smiled, reached out to stroke Jemma's neck, and asked softly, "Why are you all here?"
Jemma lay down to make it easier for Tang Qiu to pet her. "We heard your call," she answered happily.
Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow, surprised. She glanced around. The werewolves, likely thinking Tang Qiu was being besieged by vampires, had pounced on them the moment they arrived. Even Lola, Beth, and their companion had not been spared.
Tang Qiu averted her gaze and whispered a few words in Jemma's ear. Jemma nodded, got up from the ground, and ran over to rescue Lola's group from the friendly fire.
With the arrival of Jemma and the others, the situation was instantly brought under control. Now, it all depended on whether Lucille's side could capture Cambecus. Tang Qiu took out a few vials of Holy Water of Light and began to clean the wounds on her hands.
Rescued by Jemma, Lola was finally freed from the circle of werewolves. She walked over to Tang Qiu with a dark expression, rubbing her arm where she had been bitten, clearly annoyed.
Those werewolves really didn't hold back.
Tang Qiu glanced at Lola, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Where's the scroll?" she asked.
"Don't worry, it's been ready for a while." Lola licked her lips and took a teleportation scroll from her Space Gem. She opened the scroll, and a white light enveloped them both. With a flash, their figures also vanished from the spot.
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