Chapter 41:When Kings Collide
POV: King
Above the border with the Krihar Mountain Range, the war had raged for a week.
In the skies, Fullhier and Krihar clashed with unwavering fury—no words, no hesitation, only brutal, relentless fighting. Both seemed at their peak. If no one intervened, this battle could drag on for months… maybe years.
And on the ground? It only worsened.
At the front line, all 28 Counts of Fullhier's territory faced 43 fourth‑level demons. Blood stained the skies. Carnage was constant, unending. The number of Barons stood in the hundreds. Below them? Impossible to count. Beasts, vampires, soldiers—dying every second.
Then a sigh echoed through the heavens.
Deep. Ancient.
"Looks like you won't stop, huh…?" came a calm, almost ironic voice.
And then… he appeared.
A colossal golden man, seated lotus‑style, floated above the battlefield like a deity. With a single motion, his hand descended from the sky, poised over Krihar and Fullhier like an irrevocable judgment.
They both ceased their fight instantly.
Tang.
A monk of the Golden Path. A Level‑Arkhat Buddhist.
He stood on a sub‑level above them.
If they didn't defend… they could die.
Fullhier didn't hesitate.
He poured Vitae in a surging flow, shaping an enormous blood‑hand to meet the attack.
Krihar responded with equal force.
He made a simple punch gesture—his bestial form, a monstrous four‑armed bear, appeared behind him, its thin body cloaked in crimson fur that flickered like living embers.
The manifestations advanced.
Both attacks collided with Tang's hand—but they were at a disadvantage.
The pressure was overwhelming.
This Level‑Arkhat Buddhist…
Tang, smiling, increased his strength. Fullhier and Krihar were relentlessly suppressed.
"Shall we stop here? Continue this bet later?" he asked, his grin chilling.
Under such pressure, Fullhier and Krihar could only nod.
Below, as their sovereigns halted, the battlefields went silent—for a moment at least.
Neither side withdrew; they simply returned to camp, awaiting war's continuation.
---
POV: Varnhael Family
Deep in the ruins, six figures gathered — all Varnhael elders, except one who'd stayed to guard their lands.
Present were:
Reni Varnhael — Supreme Elder of the Varnhaels (Baron‑Arcane level)
Kalari — The Great Elder (Baron‑Guardian level)
The four junior elders: Crum, Glados, Kaela, and Myrrise (all Baron‑Novice level)
Together, the six attacked a barrier — it glowed cyan‑blue, translucent like moonlit glass. Inside, a faint coin floated.
But it was no common coin.
Its sides bore black and white halves, with a slowly turning golden rim that pulsed with latent power.
This was a nearly‑level‑4* artifact—extremely rare, almost aberrant compared to third‑level items.
Only families with Conde‑level vampires or direct ties to similar power could hope to wield such a relic.
For the Varnhaels—a relatively young noble house at just 500 years old—this was an incalculable treasure.
Under the elders' coordinated assault, the barrier weakened day by day.
Reni, Supreme Elder, led with crushing blows.
He wielded a level‑3, intermediate‑grade halberd, channeling Baron‑Arcane power in every strike.
BAAM. BAAM. BAAM.
The barrier trembled, fracturing further with each hit.
Excitement lit up Reni's face—they were one step from claiming a legendary artifact.
Then…
CRACK. CRACK.
The barrier shattered, fragments dissipating into thin air.
Eager, Reni lunged forward and seized the coin.
Without waiting for praise, he dripped a drop of his blood onto it—and it glowed, accepting him as its master.
"Congratulations, Supreme Elder!"
"Congratulations, Supreme Elder!"
"Congratulations, Supreme Elder!"
The others cheered in unison, their faces bright.
Reni replied with forged humility:
"If not for my brothers, none of this would be possible. Thank you all."
Amid rare unity, they exited the ruins.
---
Thirty minutes later…
At the exit, a hellish sight awaited them.
At least twenty level‑3* beasts barred their path.
"Shit…"
"Now what?"
"How…?"
"Why?!"
Fear filled every elder's voice.
But Reni spoke first, firm and resolute:
"Don't worry. We fight… or flee."
He tossed his halberd to Kalari and continued:
"Prepare yourselves. I will handle the three level‑3* advanced beasts and the intermediate Gargoyle of Stone."
"Kalari, with the halberd—you take the four medium ones."
"To the novice elders—handle the other twelve. Use everything you've got."
Without waiting, Reni advanced to the strongest foes.
His body donned a red level‑3* armor. In his hand, the Two‑Sided Coin appeared, pulsing.
Bathing it in Vitae…
Two beasts materialized:
A White Tiger, fierce and swift;
A Black Flood Dragon, heavy and devastating;
And lastly…
A Golden Griffin.
All three were level‑3* advanced.
But the Griffin… radiated something more.
Its aura hinted at almost level 4*.
It promised to tip the battle's balance.
Reni smiled.
"Now… a fair fight."
---
The beasts charged with brutal force.
The forest trembled under their assault.
Twisted branches, humming air—within moments they gained ground.
The Golden Griffin, especially, pulsed with the raw power of near‑level‑4*, warping the surroundings.
But Reni didn't hesitate.
He focused on the Stone Gargoyle, the same foe he'd bested before.
The creature appeared battered—missing an arm, eyes burning with madness.
A rage‑filled roar rose from its throat.
It clawed at its own flesh, triggering its ultimate demon form, fractures spreading over its rocky hide.
But before Reni… it was futile.
He had already expelled it at its peak.
Now, wounded and enraged, it was merely prey.
Reni advanced without pause.
Backed by his red armor, he hammered the Gargoyle in with full force.
The clash shook the ground, stones spawed, flames erupted.
Yet the difference in power was clear.
Each hit it staggered more.
Each strike reminded it of a true Baron‑Arcane's might.
Reni fought with savage precision—his Vitae‑fueled strength made him an unstoppable warrior.
Even a demon‑beast revered as a king among predators stood no chance in direct combat.
The Gargoyle screamed, retreated, tried to escape—
But there was no escape.
Reni advanced like a red tidal wave.
He wouldn't stop until his enemy lay shattered.
Under intense pressure, a deafening roar split the battlefield.
BOOM.
The golden Griffin crushed the skull of a level‑3* advanced foe—amid its brutal assault.
Soon after, Reni delivered his fatal blow.
CRACK. The Gargoyle's head shattered.
Witnessing two of their mightiest fall like bugs—panic spread.
They tried to flee—
But it was too late.
Reni and his Griffin struck in synchronicity.
Meanwhile, the other elders eliminated weaker threats with clinical precision.
When battle ended, the Varnhaels returned home—bearing numerous high‑level demon cores and a nearly‑level‑4* relic.
It was an undeniable triumph.
Glory for the Varnhaels… and for the vampires.
---
Elsewhere…
POV: Level‑Kings
The bet had concluded.
Fullhier had won.
By spiritual contract, he held claim to Citron Mountain.
But winning a bet isn't the same as seizing land.
Would Krihar allow it?
Obviously not.
Tang, having witnessed and sealed the bargain, understood.
But that was no longer his problem.
With a gentle bow, the Arkhat parted—dissolving into the clouds, leaving the two sovereigns alone.
"Then, Fullhier… will you dare take Citron?" taunted Krihar with scorn.
"Dare?" Fullhier laughed, like at a joke.
"I'm already taking it."
And the war resumed.
Krihar roared, resuming his bestial form:
A Four‑armed Ravaging Bear, skin like charred earth, eyes blazing.
Fullhier shifted into his ancestral vampire form:
A colossal being draped in pitch-black flesh, myriad bat wings, a grotesque grin stretching unnaturally.
This was a High‑Level Vampire Count.
And so, the two kings once again clashed—
while hell on earth reignited below.
Demonic beasts versus vampires.
A hatred destined to echo for eternity.