Chapter 42: The Finale

A beautiful and delicate face with an expression that seemed to be a mix of sorrow and enjoyment, two fangs protruded from his thin lips, and his pale, smooth skin, along with his slender limbs, formed a strangely seductive and eerie beauty. His shiny black eyes stared unblinkingly at Elaine, as if he were admiring an exquisitely beautiful flower or gazing at a delectable treat.

Elaine felt goosebumps rising on her back, not from fear, but from sheer disgust and despair. What could she possibly do in the face of such a monster? She felt nauseous.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself and turned towards the incapacitated King Griffinhart XVII and the surrounding ministers, making gestures as she recited a spell. A soft blue light began to glow around the King and his ministers groaned and immediately regained their ability to move.

Elaine's forehead glistened with sweat; she had successfully cast a group dispel spell in the water element, which she was not skilled in. Yet, her heart remained filled with despair. This limited area group dispel had already made her feel overwhelmed, while the vampire's powerful slowness spell had immobilized everyone in the tent with just a wave of his hand.

"Quickly take the King away! I'll hold him off here," she shouted to Christine and the ministers, then turned to face the vampire.

Since she had turned her back, the vampire had stood there without moving, not taking advantage of her unguarded back. Instead, he quietly waited for her to finish her actions and turn back around.

"Your magic is quite impressive. You can use flames and this small-range water dispel spell. I wonder if there are any other surprises you have for me?" Degal said without moving, only smiling at her. His smile remained charming, but with a touch of the cruel delight a child might have when watching an insect struggle in a glass jar.

Several ministers helped the King, bewildered, looking for an escape route. At the tent's entrance, two skeletal warriors stood guard, while the hole burned in the tent lay behind the dangerous vampire.

"You fool!" Elaine shouted in desperation. "Just cut the tent open with a knife!"

As the leather tent was sliced, one minister eagerly stepped out, but suddenly three enormous dog heads appeared from the hole. The minister was dragged out with a shriek, his scream barely starting before he was torn to shreds, intestines and blood spilling everywhere.

The King and the other ministers were immediately scared into collapsing again. The three-headed dog dropped the pieces of its meal and lunged at the helpless King. Christine quickly grabbed him and rolled aside just in time.

"Little dogs, just keep them from escaping. Don't disturb the lovely atmosphere here," the vampire said gracefully, waving his hand, and the three-headed dog retreated. His gem-like black eyes remained fixed on Elaine, reluctant to leave her. He elegantly made a gesture akin to inviting her to dance. "Miss, shall we begin?"

Elaine glared at him, gritting her teeth. She bent down and grabbed a longsword from a fallen minister, brandishing it a few times to get into position.

"I hope you don't lose your wits and courage out of fear, that is the irreplaceable part of your unparalleled beauty," the vampire remarked, looking at the sharp weapon with a smile.

Elaine said nothing and lunged forward, aiming to stab him in the chest.

Degal smiled and opened his arms, welcoming the thrust. The blade easily pierced his white skin, passing through flesh and protruding from his back. He continued to smile, then wrapped his arms around Elaine as if she were the most affectionate lover, even though she had stabbed him clean through.

However, his relaxed smile quickly turned stiff and then transformed into a mix of shock and rage.

With a muffled thud, Elaine was sent flying several meters before hitting the ground, curling up and clutching her stomach in pain, her features twisted in agony.

Degal ignored the sword that had penetrated him, fully focused as he slowly drew a small knife from beneath it. It was the silver dinner knife he had placed on the table earlier, now entirely embedded in his chest, smoke billowing from the area where it had pierced.

With a clatter, the small knife was finally removed and discarded. Degal's expression remained pained. He covered the wound with his hand, and gradually the smoke ceased. He let go, sighed in relief, and tossed the longsword away. The skin where the knife had pierced looked intact again.

"That's the third time," Degal said, looking at Elaine, who was still writhing in pain on the ground. His expression was no longer so relaxed. "If it were a vampire a few levels lower than me, that would have killed them for the third time. Was that little knife your true weapon? The longsword was just a diversion to daze me." He sighed sincerely, again expressing admiration. "You're truly impressive."

Elaine remained curled up, her slender body trembling slightly, as if she had completely run out of strength to struggle.

Yet Degal did not approach; he gazed at her for a moment, then shook his head and said, "That kick just now was heavy, wasn't it? I'm terribly sorry… but you should be alright now. Since you can use the Wall of Fire and dispel magic, you should be capable of healing as well… Playing dumb to daze me, what are you planning? Are you waiting for me to approach for a close-range magical attack? Then picking up some little utensils to attack me? Perhaps you think that if a silver knife can hurt me, then more might be more effective…" He snapped his fingers, and two wraiths flew in through the hole in the tent. "I can no longer underestimate you; you are the first human woman I have ever dared not to underestimate."

Elaine slowly stood up from the ground, her hair disheveled, a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, gazing despairingly at the vampire who had seen through her intentions.

"Ah, that look…" Degal moaned, closing his eyes and tilting his face up, completely entranced by the expression that was part infatuation, part heartbreak. "Such a beautiful, strong, brave, and intelligent woman finally reveals a despairing expression like a Persian cat under the surgeon's knife… So beautiful… truly too beautiful. And because I cannot have you, I can only devour you. I am so heartbroken and helpless… This expression of yours, my feelings in this moment, will allow me to remember and savor it for a hundred years. In my boring and endless life of vampirism, there has long been nothing meaningful left; only these exquisite and poignant moments are what I truly seek." With a wave of his hand, the two wraiths lunged at Elaine.

Boom! Elaine fired a fireball, blowing one wraith's insubstantial body apart halfway, but in an instant, the white mist reformed into a complete shape. These undead creatures had no physical bodies, only a mass of thoughts and magical energy extracted from human bodies; unless one could completely obliterate them in one blow, they could reconstitute themselves.

One wraith had already grabbed Elaine's hand. Although these monsters couldn't even pick up a fallen leaf, the spectral energy comprising their bodies could halt the energy flow in living bodies, causing paralysis.

The two wraiths held Elaine tightly, her body immediately stiffened, unable to struggle even with the slightest movement. Degal stepped closer and embraced her, lamenting, "Such a perfect woman, such beautiful blood. When will I be able to savor it again…"

Elaine's face had turned pale, her teeth biting down hard on her lip, as if trying to resist crying out or showing any sign of surrender. Her neck, still capable of movement, trembled, and the emotions in her elongated eyes had been ground down into despair by fear and helplessness, reflecting the expression of a dying deer about to be swallowed by a python.

The vampire gazed at her face filled with despair, his beautiful, enchanting visage showing an intoxicated yet sorrowful expression, as if he were an artist lost in his own masterpiece. He pressed his blood-stained lips against her snow-white neck, gently caressing her delicate skin, as tenderly as a youth touching the body of his first love. The places he touched bore marks of blood, and tiny bumps began to form around them.

Finally, he revealed his sharp fangs and bit down. Crimson blood immediately surged from her snow-white skin, flowing into the vampire's mouth.

"Stop!" Christine screamed, crying out in alarm.

But another shrill howl immediately drowned out her scream. The massive sound pierced the eardrums of nearly everyone in the tent.

The scream came from the vampire, who had been so elegant and self-satisfied just moments before. His reaction was so extreme that even the two wraiths lost control. Elaine broke free from their grasp and clutched her bleeding neck. The blood vessels had only been nicked, not completely bitten through, and as soon as she used her healing magic, the bleeding stopped.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the now leaping and bounding vampire. He resembled a rat scalded with boiling water.

Degal's mouth was smoking—not just smoking; the entire lower half of his face seemed to be boiling. It was as if what he had just swallowed was not blood, but molten steel. He seemed to want to cover his mouth, but his hand dared not actually touch it. Not only was his expression contorted, but every inch of his skin and muscle was twitching from the immense pain.

Elaine looked in amazement at this monster who had been so composed just moments ago. After a brief hesitation, she quickly understood. She bit her wrist hard, and fresh blood immediately gushed out. Then she rushed to the howling vampire's side and splattered the blood on him.

The blood that splashed onto Degal's body sizzled like water on a hot pan, immediately boiling and making a hissing sound. The vampire, consumed by agony, suddenly threw a punch that struck Elaine in her side, the sound of her ribs cracking echoing through the air. Her body flew backward and crashed into the tent.

Degal continued to scream. Suddenly, he picked up the sword on the ground and, with one stroke, severed his own jaw.

Degal was going insane. He kept slashing at other parts of his body that had come into contact with Elaine's blood. Each swing was fierce and heavy, mercilessly carving away large chunks of flesh as if they were the most detestable things in the world. By the time he had cut away all the flesh that had touched the blood, his once slender body was left mutilated and barely recognizable. But the upper half of his face seemed to relax.

The severed flesh continued to be corroded and dissolved by the blood above, soon disappearing completely. With a thud, Degal transformed into a cloud of mist and slowly reassembled. Once reformed, his body returned to its original shape, though he looked weak, barely able to stand.

The vampire lunged at a nobleman, sinking his fangs into his neck and drinking greedily. The elegance he once had was completely gone; he was now sprawled on the ground, limbs outstretched like a bloodthirsty beast. As he fed, his eyes remained warily fixed on the fallen Elaine, his expression one of ravenous greed, resembling a wolf that had gone decades without a meal, yearning to drain every last drop of blood from the body beneath him.

The poor nobleman let out a half-hearted wail, his limbs twitching like a frog caught in a snake's mouth. As the blood drained rapidly from his face, he became pale and limp.

Degal rose and lunged at another nobleman, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth onto his exposed body, making the bright red stand out even more against his pale skin. His long limbs tightly embraced the prey in his arms, like a bizarre, massive white spider. The blood in his mouth writhed violently, emitting loud slurping sounds, and the display of horror and monstrosity was unparalleled. Finally, someone couldn't hold back and began to scream loudly again.

After drinking the blood of three people, Degal seemed to regain his strength, standing up once more. But he remained wary of the unconscious Elaine, unwilling to approach recklessly.

Danger. The vampire felt a long-forgotten fear arise within him. The blood contained some power that completely repelled his constitution, its effect being dozens of times more potent than the highest-grade holy water, almost causing the collapse of his entire being.

Degal frowned and looked closely; Elaine did indeed appear to be unconscious. The punch he threw in agony was far beyond what a human body could withstand. He gestured for a skeleton soldier to approach. Elaine still showed no reaction, and Degal signaled again; the skeleton soldier raised its blade.

"Stop! Someone, save my sister!" Christine stood up, screaming as if she were about to rush over.

Degal frowned, and without needing a signal, Christine fell to the ground like a wooden log under the effects of a paralysis spell.

Women are such ignorant creatures. Regardless of whether this pair was a clichéd trope, it was certain that there was no practical effect. In a situation like this, what could possibly make him stop? What could possibly save them? He waved his finger, and the skeleton soldier's blade fell.

But just then, there was a loud crash, and a dark figure burst through the tent, colliding with the skeleton soldier.

The vampire was both startled and furious; he looked over to find that, at this critical moment, the one who had rushed in to save them was actually the three-headed dog—or rather, the corpse of the three-headed dog.

The once huge, fierce three-headed creature now had only half of one head remaining attached to its body, while the other two heads had completely vanished, leaving behind only some ragged pieces of flesh at the neck.

"I'm late; is everyone okay? Don't worry, I've dealt with the monsters!" a man stepped in through the hole made by the three-headed dog.

Everyone turned to look at this person, who seemed to appear just in time, speaking grandiose words as if he were a savior. But he looked even more terrifying than the vampire. He was covered in congealed purple-black stains, as if he had been soaked in blood and then dried, and he was riddled with wounds, gasping for breath, barely able to stand.

Asa stared in shock at the strange scene in the tent.

Everyone was sprawled on the ground like dead frogs, some appearing to be lifeless, while most looked as if they were still alive but with expressions more ghastly than death. Standing were two skeletons, two wraiths, and a young man who was completely naked, his body and mouth smeared with blood. He simply could not comprehend how things had gotten this way; it was completely different from the plans laid out by the Bishop.

In the Bishop's plan, those undead monsters were only supposed to injure a few guards and scare the king and those noblemen. But when he arrived, he found that the monsters who were supposed to be causing chaos inside were all outside, seemingly on patrol, attacking him like mad when they saw him approach.

"Did you eliminate the skeletons and zombies outside?" the naked young man asked him with some surprise.

"Yes." Asa was quite baffled.

The young man nodded, seemingly appreciating him, and smiled. "Looks like you're quite skilled. I've been busy inside and didn't notice the commotion outside."

Perhaps the sight of the three-headed dog's demise, along with the vampire's remark of "skilled," filled everyone with hope for this newly arrived savior. A few nobles sprawled on the ground, seeing the young man's blood-stained and tattered priestly garb, suddenly began screaming like pigs being slaughtered: "Priest! Help! He's an evil vampire; quickly eliminate him and save us!"

Degal sighed, turned, and stamped his foot on one of the loudest noblemen's stomach.

With a splat, blood and entrails flew everywhere as the vampire's foot sank into the nobleman's body, almost crushing him completely. Yet the nobleman's limbs continued to twitch, and he managed to produce a cry that barely resembled human speech.

Degal stomped down again, this time silencing him. "I told you to be quiet. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I hate others to introduce me." The sound of him crushing the bones beneath his foot silenced the tent completely once more, terror cascading over everyone again, leaving them paralyzed, even those nobles and the king who had been freed from the paralysis spell.

Vampire? Asa gasped, taking a step back. He almost wanted to turn and flee.

He had only taken one three-headed dog, four high-level zombies, a dozen skeleton warriors, and two wraiths from the magic academy. These were things he and the Marquis had personally retrieved. They never picked any vampires, and there seemed to be none in the academy's dungeons. Even if there were, they would never dare to capture one. Although the church categorized vampires along with skeletons and zombies as undead monsters, they were anything but the same. Just as humans and insects were both living beings, they were fundamentally different. In fact, many of these creatures were exceptionally capable when they were alive, with several being masters of magic.

Asa had no time to ponder why this monster appeared here. He had already exhausted most of his stamina fighting the zombies and skeletons outside. The healing spells used along the way, plus the fireball that had obliterated the three-headed dog, had drained most of his magical energy. In his estimation, the best reaction was to turn around and flee.

Could he really escape? It was impossible. In such a dangerous situation, while it seemed the king could turn a blind eye, and the noble lords had no reason to care, there was one person who absolutely could not be ignored.

Asa cursed the meddlesome Marquis in his mind, glanced around nervously, and finally spotted Elaine on the ground in the distance. Her face still bore a rosy hue, unlike the transparent pallor of the corpses nearby. Seemed she was merely unconscious.

Asa let out a sigh of relief but immediately felt goosebumps because the naked young man, looking like a delicate, slender figure, was now scrutinizing him with a strange gaze from top to bottom.

"Strange, strange," the vampire's eyes scanned Asa, as if he was a beautiful naked woman. "You seem very weak right now, but I can tell you have good physical fitness and magical ability. Your figure is decent too... Ordinarily, you would be my number one subordinate... But why do I feel that I absolutely hate you?"

"Same to you. I hate you too." Asa desperately tried to regulate his body with meditation, hoping to recover some stamina and magical power while he had the chance amidst this meaningless chatter.

"It seems that you don't meet my keen aesthetic instincts," Degal concluded, lightly pointing a finger and announcing the death sentence of this annoying person. "So, you can go die."

"Same to you. I'd love to kill you too," Asa gritted his teeth in response. However, he wasn't angry or excited; he was using all his strength to recall various legends in his mind, trying to think of any way to harm this monster.

The sun? It was exactly noon. A cross? Even skeletons and wraiths wouldn't fear that. Garlic? It was hard to imagine that something he ate every day could defeat a monster… and where could he find it now?

Before he had time to think it through, Degal waved his hand, and the two skeletons that had been standing motionless at the entrance of the tent sprang to life. Their movements weren't those of ordinary clumsy skeletons; they moved with agility, leaping toward him like monkeys. The two floating wraiths also charged at him.

These zombies and skeletons were far superior to the inferior mass-produced ones conjured by Vadenina in the Whispering Woods. They were finely crafted warriors that early necromancers had spent considerable effort on. If that were not the case, the marquis would never have sent these to attack the noble lords and ministers during the hunt.

With one sword strike, Asa shattered one skeleton completely. However, at the same time, another skeleton's rusty blade left a long wound on his back. The strength of this creature wasn't very strong, and its weapon wasn't sharp, so the wound wasn't deep. Just as he managed to chop the other skeleton to pieces, Asa suddenly saw the vampire heading toward the still unconscious Elaine on the ground.

"What are you doing? I'm right here!" Asa shouted, hurriedly rolling away from the two wraiths that were coming for him as he charged toward the vampire.

"I know. No need to rush; your turn will come soon," the vampire said without even looking at him, casually waving a hand while muttering a few monosyllabic spells.

With a bang, Asa crashed into an ice wall that had appeared in front of him at some unknown point. The thick ice wall shattered, and he felt as if his bones had broken. He was flung back, falling to the ground just as the two wraiths swooped over his head.

The vampire continued toward Elaine, picking up the sword she had used to stab him earlier. He hadn't forgotten about that strange woman; she was the real dangerous one. Although she was now motionless and might already be dead, he couldn't take chances. He wanted to personally sever her beautiful head and watch the strange, dangerous blood flow out, soaking into the ground. Right, that beautiful girl seemed to be her sister; regardless of whether this strange physique was hereditary, they both had to die.

Beautiful women were lovely and wonderful, but they were merely playthings, props. When it was time to kill, he would show no mercy.

But just as he had thought this, the guy who had just crashed into the ice wall got back up and staggered toward him, not even caring about the two wraiths behind him, yelling as he raised his sword to stab.

This man was weak, and got slammed heavily just a moment ago, he was even slightly unsteady on his feet now, but his strike was extraordinary fierce. He poured all his strength and speed into this forward thrust. it was an attack that sought mutual destruction.

Degal sneered and completely ignored the incoming longsword. He just picked up a sword from the ground and stabbed back.

He wasn't afraid of risking his life. He even enjoyed when others did because he had no life to lose; all that would be lost was someone else's.

The two longswords pierced into each other's chests almost simultaneously. Degal distinctly felt the opponent's blade pass through his body; it was a sensation he had experienced many times, akin to swallowing an entire icy fruit. By comparison, he preferred the feeling of cutting into a living body. He could feel the tension of the opponent's muscles, alive and pulsing, yet that pulse would soon vanish. Degal somewhat enjoyed this feeling.

The two collided. Both sword blades pierced through the two bodies and protruded from their backs, one stained with bright red blood, the other remaining spotless.

"What a fool," Degal looked disdainfully at this inferior being who had willingly walked into death. However, what he saw was not a face that seemed to realize it was walking into a trap; there was no trace of fear or despair in those eyes, just a fierce and distorted determination fueled by the desire to fight.

The man who had been pierced by the longsword reached out and grabbed the vampire's neck and shoulder. His grip was strong and assertive, with fingers almost digging into Degal's body, and he yanked with all his strength, reversing their positions.

At that moment, the two wraiths had lunged at them, nearly colliding with Degal.

With a bang, the entire tent was torn apart by a tremendous explosion from within, sending fragments flying into the sky. Most of the people lying on the ground were jolted away, and a few who were closer were even lifted into the air by the force. More than ten people were injured or knocked out.

The two pale, insubstantial bodies of the wraiths were more fragile than paper in the storm of this violent magical force and airflow, instantly torn apart and losing their magical structure, disappearing in an instant.

Amidst the raining debris, a sword clattered to the ground. It was the longsword that had been lodged in the vampire's chest. The vampire had vanished without a trace, leaving not even a hint of his body behind.

The other sword was still embedded in Asa's chest, its tip protruding from his back. He too had been thrown far away by the explosion, lying on the ground, motionless, his expression—previously filled with determination and strength—now reduced to one of deathly silence. Finally, he displayed the only expression that someone pierced by a longsword could have.

But suddenly, he began to move slowly. He laboriously reached for the sword handle on his chest, then carefully pulled it out little by little.

It was more like the sword had 'passed through' his body than pierced it. It had squeezed into the gaps between his chest muscles, grazing his heart and lungs, passing alongside several major arteries, only injuring a few muscles on his front and back.

Asa had to admit that all that time spent with Sandru was not in vain. Watching that old man removing organs from bodies like playing with toys had made him intimately familiar with human anatomy, even he didn't have that strange interest with body parts. Moreover, his mastery of meditation made him highly attuned to every part of his body, knowing the position and state of each muscle and organ. He could even make slight adjustments, allowing him to successfully perform this incredibly dangerous action. When he moved toward the sword tip, he had already adjusted his position, letting the blade 'pass through' his chest.

He held his breath, not daring to inhale, tightly gripping the sword handle and carefully pulling it outward. The blade was right next to a major artery, and each heartbeat left a faint trace on the vessel wall; if that trace were to become slightly larger or deeper and break through that fragile defense, blood would spray out like a fountain.

Finally, he pulled the sword out of his body, releasing a long breath. His chest and back were still bleeding, but thankfully it was only muscle damage. Now, he could no longer cast even the weakest healing spells. Moreover, for several days, he wouldn't be able to use magic; that last fireball had nearly forced all the essence from his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys out of him.

Up until now, he still couldn't figure out what weakness the vampire had. But no matter where he was 'weak,' it couldn't be strong anymore after that explosion.

A sizzling sound came from nearby; Asa turned to see the vampire, who should have been blown to pieces, holding a noblewoman, draining her pale, withered body of life in just a few bites.

"Impressive, so dangerous, so very dangerous. The hasty dispersal and gathering cost me quite a bit of effort," Degal said, dropping the corpse and standing up, extending his tongue to lick the blood from his lips. His tongue was long and pointed, stained bright red with blood, creating a shocking contrast against his pale skin. Despite continuously praising his opponent, his demeanor remained relaxed, his charming smile fully restored. "Actually, I would have liked to see what else you could come up with... but too bad, your body is like a dried-up empty sack now." He flicked his crimson tongue at Asa with a smile. "Isn't that right?"

"It is..." Asa could only concede; it was indeed true. Although he still had a bit of stamina and fighting spirit left, what good was it against such a monster? He could feel his face turning pale, glaring fiercely at the monster. "Damn it. Are you really impossible to die?"

"Die? That's a meaningless word to me." The vampire slowly walked toward him, an odd sense of superiority radiating from this fully naked monster. "But you will soon feel something quite tangible..."

On the ground, Christine had finally regained her senses and shouted, "That monster fears my sister's blood..."

Degal's expression changed instantly.

Then Asa's face changed as well. He changed because he saw the vampire's expression change.

It sounds absurd that a creature like a vampire, unafraid of swords and magic, would fear a person's blood. However, the vampire's reaction at least indicates that there is some truth to this. Asa dropped a comment: "Foolish woman, why didn't you say it earlier?" He turned and rushed towards Elaine, who was lying on the ground.

But the vampire was faster. He didn't use magic and had no time to do so; he just flashed like a wisp of smoke and appeared right in front of Asa, throwing a punch.

There was no way to dodge or retreat; if he moved aside, the vampire would have the chance to use magic. Asa shouted, "Get away!" and threw a punch in return. All his hopes rested on this strike, and he concentrated all his fighting spirit and strength into his fist.

It was not a crisp and loud sound; the vampire's once elegant, pale fist shattered like a brittle apple. Asa's punch didn't lose momentum and struck directly at the vampire's seemingly frail chest.

The sound of a dozen ribs breaking echoed like a single note, and the two figures suddenly separated, one body flying backward and rolling several times upon landing.

Degal stared blankly at his wrist, which was now just a few strips of flesh, then looked down at his chest. His ribs hadn't broken; instead, they had shattered along with the surrounding flesh, leaving a nearly perforated hole in his chest.

He turned to look at the opponent who had sent him flying with a knee strike, shaking his head in admiration, "You can actually use fighting spirit... I've never heard of a warrior who could also use magic before. You seem to be a priest as well? If you could use advanced white magic, I might even be a little afraid of you." The vampire slowly walked over, grabbed Asa's clothes, and effortlessly lifted this much larger man. "But unfortunately, that means I have to kill you…"

However, the vampire noticed that this person, who was on the brink of death, was actually smiling. It was a bit mocking, a bit carefree, and even somewhat happy. It didn't look like the expression of someone who knew they were about to die.

Degal was puzzled, but he had no concern that this person could pull off any tricks. This person had truly exhausted all their magic, fighting spirit, and energy; that knee strike had enough force to kill a cow, and the fact that he was still alive was a testament to how sturdy his body was. As for the others, they were almost unable to move, and even those who could would never dare to.

With all possible variables ruled out, he calmly asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at how foolish I am." This person continued to laugh, and the laughter grew more intense. It didn't seem like foolishness; it was almost madness.

"You're foolish? Why do I feel like you're crazy?" the vampire asked.

"I've just realized that I could easily deal with you…" The man, with broken ribs and finding it difficult to speak, still continued to laugh.

The vampire smirked and asked, "Then may I ask, how are you going to deal with me?" He placed another hand on the head of this seemingly insane person, waiting to hear the final answer before crushing his head like a watermelon.

The man opened his mouth, but instead of answering, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The blood, under the powerful pressure of his mouth and lungs, turned into a mist, and he deliberately twisted his neck while spraying. The blood splattered all over Degal, covering his head, face, and body. Then an unparalleled scream erupted from Degal's mouth.

The vampire's originally delicate mouth widened, stretching to his ears, as if only this size could produce such a scream. Asa, standing in front of him, felt his ears, nose, and eyes instantly bleed from the force of that scream. The sound seemed to pierce straight through a person. Those bound by the sluggish spell on the ground summoned all their strength to raise their hands to cover their ears.

But Degal's scream only lasted halfway before it turned hoarse. He dropped Asa and staggered to grab the sword on the ground. However, as he reached out, his hand immediately fell limp; the blood that had sprayed on it had completely corroded that limb.

He could no longer produce any sound; his face and throat had turned into a boiling porridge. The blood was not only corrosive on the surface but was also burrowing into his body, tearing it apart from within. His neck was nearly corroded to the point of breaking, and his completely deformed head hung limply to his shoulder. The once slender and pale body was now contorted and limp like a zombie that had rotted beyond recognition, rapidly collapsing.

Finally, he fell down, seemingly wanting to wriggle one last time, but even the smallest movement was beyond his control. In an instant, this monster slumped like a rotten strawberry, transforming into a puddle of mush. Then this heap of decay, unable to rot any further, continued to wither, shrinking into a pile of dust before utterly collapsing and disappearing into the air.

It wasn't until a while later that people finally believed that this monster was truly dead.

Everyone who had been slumped on the ground stood up; the spellcaster was dead, and the sluggish spell on them was finally lifted. The tent instantly descended into chaos, with people crying, screaming, calling for the guard priests, and more gathering around to protect the king.

Asa lay on the ground, listening to the panicked clamor around him. He wanted to move to Elaine's side, but he didn't even have the strength to sit up. Healing magic was unavailable; his injuries were too severe, and his consciousness was beginning to fade… Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching; someone was finally coming to check on him.

However, when this person got closer, they poked him with a finger, hitting a wound, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Oh, you're still alive. I thought you were dead," a slightly disheveled but still beautiful and graceful face leaned in. It was Christine.

Asa said with difficulty, "You idiot, why didn't you say it earlier? If you had said he couldn't handle your sister's blood, I would have known how to deal with him long ago."

"You're calling me an idiot?" Christine poked him again, causing him to shout in pain once more. "In such a terrifying situation, I'm the only one who could remember to remind you! Isn't that impressive? That monster almost bit me too; look here, I almost died." She pointed to her neck as if showing off a badge, where her white skin had two faint bloodstains. "I could remain unafraid, look at the others; weren't they all scared stiff? Without my reminder, everyone would have been doomed. Isn't that quite impressive?"

"Alright, you're impressive," Asa nodded wearily. "How's your sister? Is she alright?"

"She's still unconscious, but better off than you; at least she's not in any life-threatening danger."

"That's good…" Asa finally passed out.