Messenger Crow

The Imp King wasn't an enemy that even low or mid-ranked slayers could easily defeat, not without preparation or another slayer's aid. It was already clear from confronting the king that they were no match. But none of them had the choice to leave. Professor Bennett ensured that they couldn't leave without expulsion.

They hesitated. Two choices went through their minds. They could leave and be expelled, but everything that went into joining the Slayers would amount to nothing! They would be at the beginning without progress. They could retake the combat trial, but wouldn't they inevitably land in the same situation they are in now?

Leaving and returning to the same place again felt pointless. Wasted time only to be brought back into what they had originally left for. If anything, they might even be ridiculed by those who didn't leave. Is that what they desired—ridicule—and only to be brought into the same place they had fled from?

No! They desired strength! The strength to win and reclaim what was lost to the vampires Fleeing from danger wouldn't let them grow. It would only strengthen their fear and will to run in the face of danger. However, fighting and improving their skills could! Risking their lives to grow in a battle between life and death made changes impossible for those who didn't dare.

If one were to walk the thin line between life and death, one could lose their life and fall, but the possibility of toppling over and dying brought the possibility of immense growth. The recruit's hesitation disappeared, replaced with the will to win! The will to grow!

'Fuck it! If we're dying here... I'll at least tear an arm before I die.' A thought ran through the minds of the recruits. They felt fear, but they didn't feel depressed. Instead, their fear strengthened their resolve to win.

The recruits all rushed towards the imp king, with only a few exceptions. Healers and support-attributed recruits stood on standby at the back, prepared to support and heal the combatants.

Ryan, at the front of the charge, reached the Imp King within several seconds and swung his sword.

Even after putting his entire strength behind his swing, his sword only inflicted a shallow scratch that blood trickled down from. The attack felt like a mosquito bite to the Imp King.

However, that wasn't enough to enrage the Imp King, but dozens of recruits leaving shallow wounds did. Not only that, but the recruits used hit-and-run tactics relentlessly. He could easily smack them to death, but his every opportunity was missed.

Unfortunately, the shallow wounds across his body would heal almost immediately after their swords left the wound. Their hit-and-run tactic caused him to bleed, but the recruits had less stamina and strength than the Imp King.

It wouldn't take long before their stamina reached its limit. Once their speed and strength decreased, the battle, which has never been on equal footing since the beginning, would tilt completely in favor of the Imp King.

The king's tenacity and immense stamina could easily outweigh all the recruits combined. It was only a matter of time before he could retaliate in full. A slaughter that could devastate the Slayer Association and recruits was drawing closer as the recruits fought with all their might!

A slaughter that would include all recruits and wouldn't end without one of the two sides coming out of this alive! Since the recruits not only invaded his territory but slaughtered his kin without hesitation, the battle wouldn't end in a draw.

The side that lost would suffer severe losses, either in casualties or trust. They would lose more than just their lives!

****

Outside of North America, in Africa across the Red Sea, which covered most of the Earth, there was a beautiful city situated in the middle of a lush forest. The city was the country's capital, where the Light Progenitor ruled.

Unlike North America, where darkness covered the continent entirely, there was no darkness or anything blocking the sunlight, protecting the vampires from the sun. Instead, the vampires lived off the light. This completely contradicted the myth that vampires were weak to the light and despised it.

Outside of a massive mansion that rested in the city center, a young woman appearing to be in her early twenties observed the beautiful scenery from her balcony.

The woman's long silver hair dropped past her waist, and her pointy ears revealed her identity. She was a vampire, and a very high-ranking one at that. A vampire that was sent to the Light Continent from the Dark Continent at Camilla's request.

She was the vampire queen, Celeste!

"This place... is unfitting of vampires! Darkness is where vampires should reside!" As a vampire queen, Celeste wasn't weakened by the light, but it did bother her skin.

Through the balcony, she observed the sun, which brought warmth to this world. If it were up to her, she would have shrouded the entire continent in darkness. Unfortunately, Camilla had issued some strict instructions to her, saying that she wasn't allowed to do anything on this continent that could offend the Light Progenitor.

She came here to form an alliance with them, and she needed to be like a guest. For the next few days, she couldn't get herself into any conflicts here.

Even though she believed that Camilla should rule the world with darkness, she couldn't do anything about it. She understood Camilla's reason for wanting peace among the progenitors. They couldn't ignore humans who rebelled and never died like cockroaches.

Vampires had longer lifespans, and their progenitors were immortal. They could wage war on another and delay it for as long as they wanted without worrying about death. On the other hand, humans had a short lifespan of only two hundred years, but their strong tenacity to live and reproduction rate brought the possibility of rebellion to the vampires.

Vampires couldn't let that happen!

"Cursed humans… If you didn't retaliate against the true rulers of this world and bowed to your gods, Goddess Camilla would've already taken over this world with her darkness. We wouldn't have to worry about anything."

Celeste let out a tired sigh. She really missed the invasion, where humans were no less helpless than ants before them, unable to fight back. The technology that bestowed on them the power to fight back wasn't created at the time. Vampires didn't have to worry about humans and could focus on the growth and prosperity of their continents.

She knew the threat of humans. Ants that could only growl at their feats grew into cockroaches that could bite and scratch with high durability and endurance. A human alone couldn't cause damage or bother them, but thousands could! Thousands that could turn into millions, never ceasing to increase. The more the humans grew, the stronger the army biting and scratching at their feet became.

Before humans could grow into a true threat for the vampires, they had to take their lives and end any trouble that could possibly sprout from them in the future.

"Hmm? A crow…?"

Celeste was lost in her own thoughts as she stood on the balcony when she noticed a crow land on the balcony's railing before her. The crow wasn't an ordinary crow, as it had a majestic, dark aura. However, on the crow's leg, a small scroll was tied. The crow appeared to be a messenger crow.

She looked at the scroll wrapped around the crow's ankle, noticing a moon mark engraved in black on the scroll.

A hopeful smile spread across her face. "Is this an order to return? What perfect timing! I was beginning to get bored of this city and wanted to return to the dark continent."

Celeste took the scroll, and the crow faded into the shadows as fast as it emerged. She unraveled the scroll and opened it, getting slightly surprised. This was a message for her to finish her business here and return immediately!

She was disappointed, but it wasn't like she didn't expect it. She was sent to create an alliance with the light continent. She understood it was beneficial for the dark continent.

Going through the scroll, it seemed as if it were written by Emily, the goddess's personal maid.

There were more than the initial contents of the scroll, and there were several extra lines. The content inside the extra lines was what surprised her, especially since the content was directly related to the princess!

"Princess Layla… What have you done for the goddess to warrant my assistance?"