The First Pope - Chapter 148

Chapter 148

While Helen and Avira were negotiating, the situation inside the array had also changed. Talia and Harris both knew that to break the array, they had to kill Cynthia, but under these circumstances, killing Cynthia was even more difficult than breaking the array itself.

The Power of Light had no effect on the Elves and the Wolf Race within the array. On the contrary, due to its healing properties, the Vampires found it difficult to leave any lasting wounds on them. As time went on, the Vampires became covered in injuries, while the Elves and werewolves fought with increasing vigor.

A Second Generation Vampire at their peak could quickly counterattack even if they were carelessly pinned down and bitten by a werewolf. But in their current, completely disadvantaged state, being pinned down was fatal. Even if they managed to break free by a stroke of luck, they couldn't escape the Elves' hidden arrows.

In the short time between the array's activation and Avira's negotiation with Helen, the Lasombra and Tzimisce had lost half of their elders. A third of them were torn to shreds by the werewolves, another third died under Olivia's longbow, and the rest were purified into nothing but ash by the raw Power of Light.

Maintaining the operation of multiple Sacrificial Arrays, Cynthia couldn't hold on for too long. The sacrificial spell was extremely overbearing, equally so for its enemies and its user. Olivia and the Wolf Race elders knew that for every second the array remained active, a portion of Cynthia's spiritual and life force would be consumed. Therefore, from the moment the array was activated, they used their nature power and werewolf strength without reservation, wanting only to hunt down the trapped Vampires as quickly as possible.

Cynthia had made many deals with Avira in the past, some proposed by Avira, some by her. This time, Cynthia was eighty percent certain that Avira would agree to her proposal again.

Although the Lasombra and Tzimisce had always been at odds with the Ventrue clan, they were, after all, branches of the Vampire race. Avira could not possibly let them be annihilated before her very eyes.

There were twelve Vampire clans, and for Cynthia and her allies, the two trapped in the array had never been the greatest threat.

As time passed, maintaining the array was no longer as easy for Cynthia as it had been at the start. The sleeve of the arm holding her staff was rolled up to her elbow, exposing her wrist and forearm. Dark red cracks appeared on her once-fair skin, but no blood seeped out, making for an exceptionally strange sight.

The cracks had originally only appeared on her arms, but at some point, the same patterns emerged on the side of Cynthia's neck. The Wolf Race elder protecting her was the first to see it and couldn't help but ask, "Excellency Cynthia, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Cynthia casually touched her neck with her free hand, her gaze fixed on the battlefield ahead as she calmly commanded, "To the right."

Following her order, several white wolves pounced to the right. A lone Vampire there had been bound at the legs by chains formed from the Power of Light. The Vampire was struggling fiercely, but the white wolves had already lunged, quickly tearing him to pieces.

Mobilizing the Power of Light while maintaining the array accelerated the spread of the cracks on Cynthia's body. Her face was a little pale, but her eyes remained bright. She even curled her red lips into a pleased smile. "By my calculations, Helen and Avira should be about done with their talk."

"Then let's not waste this last bit of time." Her hand on her neck gently caressed the skin as she said softly, "Leaving the leaders of the Lasombra and Tzimisce for them will be enough."

Her deal with Avira was to release the Vampires in the array, but how many of them would still be standing after the array was dispelled depended entirely on her mood.

---

Avira followed Helen to the vicinity of the array. Seeing that the golden light within had not diminished and that the Power of Light was even stronger than before, she slowly narrowed her scarlet eyes. She instantly understood Cynthia's scheme and let out a sneer. "Cynthia doesn't seem very sincere about this deal."

"Compared to the Vampires, she's very sincere," Helen replied. She couldn't see the situation inside the array, but from Avira's tone, it seemed Cynthia and the others were not at a disadvantage. She smiled slightly. "Does Elder Avira wish to watch a while longer? I hear from Cynthia that you're very fond of watching a good show."

Avira snorted coldly. "There's no need. Tell Cynthia to stop the array at once." If she watched any longer, the Lasombra and Tzimisce would be as good as wiped out, even if they weren't completely annihilated.

The golden light in the array was blinding. Even with Kate's power, she could only vaguely make out the situation inside. Talia was still alive, but she looked to be in very bad shape. This made Kate anxious, and she directly interrupted Avira and Helen's conversation, urging, "Hurry up."

Helen didn't deliberately delay. She raised her hand and patted the neck of the white wolf beside her. The wolf shook its head, then tilted its head back and let out a long, drawn-out howl.

The howl was the Wolf Race's unique method of communication. The Wolf Race elder beside Cynthia heard the howl and instinctively raised her head to respond. The werewolves engaged in fierce combat with the Vampires heard the howl, stopped one by one, and slowly retreated to gather around Cynthia. Olivia withdrew from the front line and walked to Cynthia's side. She looked her up and down, her gaze lingering on the cracks on her neck. A flash of worry crossed her light green eyes as she frowned and asked, "Are you alright?"

Although Cynthia's current state wasn't as shocking as the first time she used the sacrificial spell, these cracks looked exceedingly strange. Olivia knew Cynthia wouldn't do anything she wasn't sure of, but she still worried.

Olivia raised a hand to touch Cynthia's cheek. From excessively using her nature power to form arrows, her palm also had some cuts. The faint scent of blood as she touched Cynthia's face made Cynthia's brow furrow. She used her other hand to take Olivia's and held it gently, smiling. "I'm fine."

After speaking, she glanced ahead. The ceasefire from the Wolf Race and Elves gave the Vampires a moment to breathe. Talia and Harris were both half-dead, and the few other surviving Vampires were in a much worse state. Still, they were the lucky ones; the unlucky ones didn't even have corpses left to find.

This outcome was more or less what Cynthia had expected, and she was also reaching her limit. Pushing any further would be unwise. Cynthia's grip on her staff slowly loosened, and then she gently lifted it.

The sky-filling golden light vanished in an instant. The sudden darkness made everyone present instinctively close their eyes. Because the golden light had been so brilliant, even the normal sky now seemed overly dark.

The moment Cynthia moved the staff, her face turned deathly pale. Without the support of the Power of Light from the Light Crystal, her body grew heavy, and she swayed on her feet. Olivia's attention had been on Cynthia the entire time, so she didn't miss her moment of weakness. She wrapped an arm around Cynthia's waist, letting her lean against her.

Although Olivia's spiritual power was also overdrawn, she still chanted a spell in a low voice, gathering the gentlest wood elements, which possessed some healing properties, to ease Cynthia's discomfort.

The dizziness only lasted for the instant she moved the staff. Once she pushed through it, Cynthia's mind cleared again. Though the dizzy spell was gone, Cynthia remained leaning against Olivia. She turned her head and inhaled Olivia's scent for a moment, only then feeling her fatigue lessen.

The instant the array stopped, a Blood Domain descended silently. A cold, dark aura suddenly enveloped them, and a thick, blood-red mist obscured the not-so-clear sky. Leaning on Olivia's shoulder, Cynthia looked up slightly, her red lips curving into a smile as she chuckled, "It's not over yet."

Olivia turned to look at her face, her voice cool. "Good. I haven't killed enough either."

Cynthia looked up and met her gaze, her expression gentle. She straightened up from Olivia's embrace and stretched her body. Though her face was still pale, the weakness from just a moment ago was gone. Cynthia toyed with her staff, her golden eyes staring straight at the master of the Blood Domain as she said nonchalantly, "I'll let you kill to your heart's content next time. For now, let's spare them."

If this battle continued, it would become disadvantageous for them.

When the Blood Domain appeared, the Wolf Race elders also deployed their werewolf domains to resist. Layer upon layer of werewolf domains enveloped Cynthia, preventing the Power of Darkness from getting anywhere near her.

Kate was checking on Talia's injuries. Cynthia turned her head, searching for a moment before finding the master of the Blood Domain. Avira stood not far away, watching them. Only after meeting Cynthia's gaze did she step out from the shadows. Her bewitching face held a smile laced with killing intent, and the red hair cascading over her chest was richer than the color of blood. She stared at Cynthia and curled her lip. "This was a fine deal. You might as well have just given me a few corpses to carry back."

"Deals require integrity. Since I promised to spare the Lasombra and Tzimisce, I naturally won't go back on my word." Cynthia caressed the staff in her hand and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, these two clans have always been at odds with you Ventrue. I've disciplined these traitors for you. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

"From the day we met, haven't you wanted me to discipline these traitors for you?" Cynthia shrugged, feigning confusion. "Now that your goal is achieved, why do you seem so unhappy?"

Deliberately allowing the God Race to rise was meant to check the expansion of the Lasombra and Tzimisce on the Sitatul Continent. A battle between these two sides was inevitable. With Second Generation Vampires, who stood at the pinnacle of the Sitatul Continent, presiding over matters, the God Race, which had only developed for a few years, shouldn't have been able to make any significant waves. That was what Avira had always believed.

Use the Lasombra to suppress the arrogance of the other races, and use the other races to cull some of the Lasombra's power. As the two sides fought, all factions would suffer heavy losses, and the Sitatul Continent would return to a state of chaos. This way, even if the Ventrue were not on this continent, it would still be under their control.

But when the battle truly unfolded, the result was the exact opposite of what Avira had predicted. How could she possibly be happy?

Avira sized Cynthia up and down and quickly noticed that the staff in her hand was rather unfamiliar. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Your staff..."

Cynthia smiled and glanced at Olivia beside her, saying cheerfully, "This is a token of love from Olivia. Isn't it beautiful?" She raised the staff and waved it at Avira, as if showing off a treasure to a friend.

Avira was speechless.

An ordinary staff could not withstand the immense energy released by a Light Crystal. Only a staff forged from a material of equal caliber could. And this just happened to be a gift from Olivia... A thought struck Avira, and her gaze, fixed on the staff, turned dangerous.

Almost as soon as the aura around Avira changed, the Wolf Race elders guarding Cynthia instantly went on high alert.

A pitch-black chain appeared without warning at the feet of a Wolf Race elder. The cold Power of Darkness shot up from the ground like a venomous snake eyeing its prey. Avira's figure suddenly vanished from her spot. A cold wind brushed past, and Cynthia's long silver hair was blown back as a slender, pale hand reached out from the side, aiming for her staff.

The moment the Power of Darkness began to stir, Olivia had raised her longbow. She took a few steps back, her fingertips on the bowstring, her light green eyes coldly watching her surroundings. The instant Avira's figure reappeared, an arrow was already flying toward her.

At such close range, it was nearly impossible to dodge Olivia's arrow. Avira changed the direction of the hand reaching for the staff, grabbing the arrow aimed at her chest. She then leaped back several times to evade the white wolves that had broken free from the chains and were pouncing at her.

She stood more than ten meters away, expressionlessly tossing aside the now-powerless arrow. Her brow was tightly furrowed, her eyes dark, as if deep in thought.

"Elder Avira seems quite interested in my staff," Cynthia said, waving the staff. A beautiful curve formed on her red lips, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Avira was silent for a moment before chuckling. "Indeed, I am quite interested."

"Would you like to test its power?" Cynthia rested the staff on the ground, just half an inch from the eye of the Sacrificial Array. She smiled. "But this time, I can't guarantee the lives of the Vampires within the array."

Cynthia made no effort to hide the cracks on her skin. They had already spread to the side of her neck and looked very severe, yet there was no trace of pain on her face. This made Avira uncertain whether she could truly activate the Sacrificial Array again.

As they faced off, Kate, having finished checking Talia's injuries, came to Avira's side. She studied Cynthia for a moment before whispering to Avira, "Talia and Harris are not in good condition."

The Power of Light was too overbearing and was the nemesis of their Vampire race. The injuries it caused couldn't be healed without a long period of slumber.

"Good. It'll keep them quiet for a while." Avira withdrew her Blood Domain and her gaze from Cynthia. She turned and said flatly, "Let's go."

Kate was a little surprised. "We're just leaving?" To maintain such a powerful array, Cynthia must have expended a great deal of Light Power and spiritual energy. Now was the perfect time to finish her off.

Avira didn't speak. She turned and walked toward Talia and Harris. Halfway there, her peripheral vision caught sight of Helen and Hanni standing outside the array. Her steps paused, and she subconsciously turned toward them.

The atmosphere between Avira and Cynthia was extremely tense, which also affected Hanni. Seeing Avira approach, she instinctively lowered her body, staring at her warily. "What do you want?" she demanded.

When she saw Avira raise a hand, she immediately swiped her claws to block. Sharp nails tore three bloody gashes on the back of Avira's hand.

Avira neither dodged nor flinched from the attack, which made Hanni's feelings complicated. "You..."

Avira glanced at the wound on her hand and said nonchalantly, "I thought you wouldn't raise your claws at me."

The Wolf Race's hostility toward Vampires wouldn't change because of a few intimate encounters. And when she had fallen for this little wolf, she had never once stopped the Vampires from hunting Hanni's kin. As expected, the Wolf Race's hatred for Vampires and the Vampires' selfishness were both deeply ingrained. Avira shook her head with a light laugh, casually flicking her hand. The expression on her face returned to the familiar playful and frivolous one Hanni knew. "Dare to hurt me? Next time we meet, don't you fall into my hands."

After saying this, she gave Hanni a deep look, then turned and left.

Hanni watched Avira's retreating back, her tense body slowly relaxing. She slumped listlessly to the ground, her once clear and bright sky-blue eyes now looking dim and dull. She whispered, "...I hate Vampires."

She hated Avira, too.

Helen reached out and stroked Hanni's neck, wanting to say something, but in the end, she only sighed silently.

Most of the surviving Vampires from the Lasombra and Tzimisce clans had lost their ability to move. Kate bent down and hoisted the pained Talia onto her shoulder. Watching Avira tear open a spatial rift, she still felt unwilling to leave just like this. "Are we just letting them go?"

"What else?" Avira bent down and coldly tossed the Vampires lying on the ground into the rift. "Are you confident you can kill her?"

Kate pouted. "The two of us together definitely could."

Avira sneered, her voice cold. "You should focus on protecting your little darlings first."

The twelve Vampire clans had come very close to becoming ten.

Under Avira's command, the Vampires retreated swiftly and without a second thought. Within minutes, not a trace of dark aura could be sensed on the Thacker Plain. After watching the spatial rift disappear, the smile that had been on Cynthia's face slowly faded, and her brow furrowed slightly.

"I hope the Vampires will be as arrogant as usual this time and give us a little more time to regroup," Helen said with a sigh as she walked over from outside the array.

Just dealing with two clans had already pushed them to their limits. If all dozen Vampire clans were to attack them now, they were in no condition to fight another high-intensity battle.

"The Ventrue clan is wary of the new races sealed in the temples. Besides, the Lasombra and Tzimisce occupying the Sitatul Continent was a violation of orders. Given Samantha's temperament, she probably won't bring people to avenge them immediately." Olivia put away her longbow, cleaning the bloodstains from her long hair as she spoke in a low voice. "However, she should be starting to grow wary of Cynthia."

The Vampires would not give up on the Sitatul Continent. They would make a move on this place again sooner or later. As for when, that would depend on just how much Samantha feared the new races sealed in the temples.

They had just driven the Vampires out, but the atmosphere here was anything but relaxed. Cynthia twirled her staff, her gaze shifting between Helen and Olivia. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Compared to an insignificant God Race member like me, the Vampires should have more important matters to resolve."

Olivia looked up and met her gaze, understanding dawning. "The Blood Coffins."

Cynthia's lips curved. "Let's hope that Samantha you speak of doesn't have too explosive a temper."

Otherwise, it would be quite laughable if the Vampires didn't lose two clans at their hands, but instead lost them to their own infighting after returning to the Blood Domain.

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