The First Pope - Chapter 145
Chapter 145
To retrieve the Blood Coffins, Talia and Harris had summoned nearly all the Lasombra and Tzimisce vampires to the Sitatul Continent. They were recuperating and planning an attack on the Earth Mother's temple, but they never expected that before they could act, the God Race would dare to unite with the Elves and the Wolf Race to launch an assault on them.
In Talia's view, they were practically throwing themselves at their blades. Coincidentally, the rage she had been accumulating had yet to find an outlet.
The number of vampires gathered in Thacker Plain was arguably the largest since the Ventrue and Brujah had decided to withdraw from the Sitatul Continent, so the timing the God Race had chosen was simply terrible. Talia floated in mid-air, her gaze dark as she looked toward the flashing golden light. She raised a hand to rub her stiff shoulder, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or if she genuinely believed the God Race's timing was truly that bad.
Weren't they just trying to take advantage of her injury and catch them off guard while they were preoccupied with the Blood Coffins? Talia sneered. She would make that arrogant God Race descendant regret this decision.
Because of the Blood Coffins, all the Third Generation Vampires from the Lasombra and Tzimisce clans were also in Thacker Plain. Facing the exceptionally skilled Wolf Race warriors and the Elf warriors who were adept at both close and long-range combat, the Third and Fourth Generation Vampires were their main fighting force.
Since the vampires began to control the Sitatul Continent, they had fought countless bloody battles with the Elves and the Wolf Race. As old rivals, they knew exactly how to deal with these other races. But this time, as the battle wore on, they saw no signs of fatigue. Instead, the Elves and the Wolf Race only fought with more courage, their morale soaring ever higher.
The God Race stood out of the vampires' reach, casting one Healing Spell after another on the Elf and Wolf warriors. The golden light filling the sky was brilliant and dazzling, but to the vampires, it was nothing but a glaring annoyance.
While fighting the Elves and werewolves, they also had to dodge the surprise attacks of golden light. A moment of carelessness, and the Power of Light would leave searing marks on their bodies. Some of the vampires who hadn't lived through the age of the gods were experiencing the might of their nemesis, the Power of Light, for the very first time.
The Wolf Race warriors were all at the front, fighting the Third Generation Vampires, while the younger werewolves cleared out the lower-generation vampires on the periphery. Hanni crushed the hearts of several nearby vampires in succession, then wiped the splattered blood from her face. Seeing the fierce battle ahead and that Hanna was also among the Wolf Race warriors, she transformed into her original form and rushed over to help.
She and Hanna were the most talented of the younger generation. Their strength was already enough to join the ranks of the Wolf Race warriors; they just lacked combat experience.
The pressure from a Third Generation Vampire was incomparable to facing several Fourth Generation ones. The moment she charged into a Third Generation Vampire's Blood Domain, Hanni felt her body grow heavy, her movements faltering for a split second.
Fortunately, though brave, she wasn't reckless. She didn't challenge a Third Generation Vampire alone but assisted other Wolf Race warriors from the side.
Hanni was immersed in the battle, her mind highly focused, when a figure suddenly appeared behind her. Without a second thought, she spun around to lunge and bite, but she froze upon seeing the person's fiery red hair, subconsciously retracting her sharp claws.
A nearby vampire entangled with another werewolf noticed Hanni's moment of hesitation. The vampire broke free, appeared before Hanni in a flash, and aimed its palm at the white wolf's neck. But before it could make contact, a sudden wave of pressure froze it in place.
Against a ferocious werewolf, any lapse in concentration is fatal. The vampire was frozen for only a few seconds before being torn to shreds by a nearby white wolf.
Avira led Hanni away from the battlefield. She reached out to stroke her neck and said with a smile, "Getting bold, are we? Daring to challenge a Third Generation Vampire."
The white wolf shook her head, trying to shrug off Avira's hand. Her sky-blue eyes were filled with vigilance. "We are enemies now."
"Enemies?" Avira raised an eyebrow. "But I just saved you."
At the mention of this, Hanni grew angry. "Who told you to sneak up behind me?" If it weren't for Avira, she wouldn't have nearly been hurt by that vampire.
Since the incident with the Blood Coffins, Avira hadn't gone to see this little wolf for a long time. When she learned that the Wolf Race was joining the God Race to attack Thacker Plain, her first thought was whether Hanni would be there. Vampires have infinite life, making time meaningless to them, but the moment she saw Hanni, she realized that deep down, she had missed this little wolf.
She missed her because of their long separation.
Avira stared at the white wolf for a moment, then suddenly leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. Seeing Hanni's startled expression, her red lips curled into a smile, making her bewitching features even more radiant. "Did you retract your claws just now because you were afraid of hurting me?"
Hanni, who had been mesmerized by Avira's smile, flinched at her words. Her gaze flickered, and her eyes darted away. "You're a Second Generation Vampire. How could I possibly hurt you?"
It was just… an instinctive reaction.
They weren't far from the battlefield, and Hanni could hear the low growls of her kin. The complex feelings that had risen in her heart upon seeing Avira were replaced by worry for her clan's safety. She kept glancing back toward the fight and said distractedly, "I have to go help." With that, she turned and returned to the battlefield.
Avira watched the white wolf's hasty departure, the smile never leaving her lips. She raised a hand to twirl a lock of her long red hair and was about to follow when Kate's teasing voice suddenly reached her ears. "What do I see here? Has Elder Amelia actually fallen for a little wolf?"
"What a rare sight."
Avira stopped and glanced at Kate, who was sitting on a tree branch. She shrugged and said casually, "You can fall for Talia, so what's so strange about me being charmed by a little wolf?"
Kate pouted, displeased. "Don't always look down on Talia."
"If you don't go watch over her, you might be collecting her corpse soon." Avira turned, leaped onto another tree, and sat down. Gazing toward the direction where the aura of light was most intense, she added nonchalantly.
"It's just one more God Race member. How much of a difference can she make?" Kate swung her legs, her long cat tail wrapped around the branch. "Cynthia is indeed strong, but that strange spell of hers requires close proximity to use, doesn't it?"
"If she can't get close, who can she possibly threaten?"
Kate had already told Talia about Cynthia's strange Sacrificial Spell, so she was confident Talia was on guard.
If you don't get close, you can't be threatened. So what else could Cynthia do? Her Light Magic was powerful, but the Second Generation Vampires wouldn't just stand there and let her attack them. Avira leaned against the tree trunk, gazing blankly in the direction of the most intense energy fluctuations. What Kate said wasn't wrong, but… miracles always seemed to happen around Cynthia.
All of Thacker Plain had become a battlefield, save for where Avira and Kate were. The most intense fighting was between the Elf and Wolf warriors and the Third Generation Vampires, yet the focal point of it all remained strangely calm.
On opposite sides of a river of ice that emanated a bone-chilling air, one side was shrouded in dark clouds while the other shone with brilliant golden light. The sinister Power of Darkness and the domineering Power of Light faced off across the ice river. Perhaps wary of Cynthia's ability to command the divine Power of Light, Talia and Harris hadn't given them a chance to enter the central area of Thacker Plain, intercepting them directly at the river.
The number of Second Generation Elders from the Lasombra and Tzimisce clans combined was in the double digits. While they didn't have a numerical advantage over the Wolf Race elders and Elf guards behind Cynthia's group, the oppressive weight of their layered Blood Domains put Cynthia's side at a disadvantage.
Talia's excessively pale skin looked sickly under the light of the Blood Domain. She didn't rush to attack but instead gazed at Cynthia, who was bathed in golden light. "An Elf Queen who can only channel divine power through the Goddess of the Forest's temple, plus a Wolf Race leader who is as good as useless," she said in a low voice. "How long do you think you can last?"
"I know you are strong; you can command the divine Power of Light." Talia glanced at the Second Generation Elders behind her, then turned back to Cynthia with a proud expression. "But we are not afraid of it."
The Second Generation Elders standing here have all lived through the age of the gods. They have witnessed the power of the Goddess of Light herself. Why would they fear a mere God Race descendant?
The only thing threatening about Cynthia is that strange and overbearing spell of hers. "Kate told me you have a very strange spell," Talia continued, "but you can't use it unless you get close."
"You see, I've seen right through you. How do you think you can possibly win?"
From beginning to end, Talia stared only at Cynthia, as if no one else was worthy of her notice. Her dismissive attitude and disrespectful words toward Helen immediately enraged the Wolf Race elders. Sensing the commotion behind her, the ever-calm Helen turned her head slightly and raised a hand, signaling for them to remain calm.
"Elder Talia is correct. My Sacrificial Spell is indeed no threat if I can't get close." Cynthia gently stroked the Light Crystal atop her staff. She showed no anger at the scorn, her golden eyes holding a faint smile as she met Talia's gaze. Her soft voice and friendly demeanor made it seem as if she weren't facing vampires at all. "The forces of the God Race, Elves, and Wolf Race are all here. If Elder Talia makes this quick, it shouldn't delay your search for the Blood Coffins in the Mentos Desert."
"Losing something as important as the Blood Coffins… I wonder how the Ventrue and Brujah clans will react when they find out." Cynthia watched Talia's expression instantly turn cold and offered a kind suggestion, "The dragons in the Earth Mother's temple aren't easy to deal with. I think you should all return to the Blood Domain sooner rather than later."
The Blood Coffins were the fuse to Talia's rage, and Cynthia's repeated mentions lit it. She flashed forward, closing in on the golden light, her scarlet eyes cold and dark, her entire being consumed by fury. "Your arrogance is astounding. Do you really think you're going to win?"
The Power of Darkness pressed down like a giant boulder, forcing even the brilliant golden Power of Light to retreat slightly. Yet Cynthia seemed to feel none of the pressure. She smiled faintly and replied with composure, "Of course."
Talia sneered, and her figure suddenly vanished. Olivia, who had been on high alert, reacted instantly. The moment Talia disappeared, countless ice arrows rained down from the sky, forming a barrier like an inescapable net outside the golden light.
The Wolf Race elders and Elf guards were the first to charge out. Cynthia took a few steps back to Helen's side, her staff shimmering with a dazzling golden light. "Clan Leader Helen," she said gravely, "you must be careful from now on."
Helen patted Cynthia's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said softly. She gestured for the guards beside her to obey Cynthia's commands, then added, "And don't push yourself too hard."
With that, she turned and retreated to a safe area. The Wolf Race elder escorting her hesitated. "Clan Leader, perhaps I should stay and protect you."
After her injury, Helen's strength was a shadow of its former self. She could no longer participate in a battle of this intensity against Second Generation Vampires.
"Go to Cynthia's side." Helen raised a hand to touch the white gauze over her eyes. "Follow all of her commands," she said in a low voice.
This battle was far more important than her own safety.
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