Chapter 414: 7. Yoo Hyuna's Shadow (2/2).
Chapter 414: 7. Yoo Hyuna's Shadow (2/2).
The passage was dark in the dead of night. But I had no time to think of anything else, focusing only on running.
The security magic I’d set up on the third floor had been triggered. Its meaning was obvious: an intruder had entered the warehouse where we stored the fruits of our expeditions.
Of course, it could have been a clan member without entry permission, but considering the various items in that warehouse, I couldn't afford to be so complacent.
I shot through the pitch-black corridor, flying down the stairs.
I had just reached the third floor.
“How dare you lay a hand on this one’s body!!!!”
Splat! Smack!
“Kyaaaaak!”
A familiar scream echoed down the hall, along with the sound of liquid bursting. I looked toward the noise and caught sight of something flying through the air.
The thing soaring toward me in a gentle arc was none other than Vivian. I reflexively extended my arms.
Thump!
I caught her as gently as I could to minimize the impact and saw her face contorted in a grimace.
“Ugh! Th-that hurts!”
“Vivian! What’s going on?”
“Dammit! That fucking bitchj…! Shit! Let me go! ---! ---! ---!”
But Vivian didn’t even look at me. Seething with rage, she scrambled to her feet and immediately began chanting a spell.
To assess the situation, I immediately focused my vision. As I stared in the direction of the warehouse, the intruder’s form slowly came into focus.
Is that…
The intruder was about the height of an average adult man. Their skin was so pale it looked almost bloodless, and their dark-blond hair seemed to melt into the shadows. Their Western features, carrying a strange air of nobility, made it clear they weren’t a User from the Northern Continent.
“Hmph… I wished to leave quietly, but must another vermin appear?”
Then, a distinctly male voice, though slightly high-pitched, reached me. He calmly swept back his shoulder-length hair. A cold glint appeared between the strands, staring us down.
The moment our eyes met, I knew instinctively. The intruder before me looked human, but he wasn’t. He was…
A vampire.
For a second, I wondered why he was here, but I immediately leveled the Victoria’s Glory.
Curiosity wasn’t what mattered right now. As long as the intruder was a monster called a ‘vampire,’ and as long as he was holding a bottle of Elixir, its golden liquid sloshing inside, he was undeniably my enemy.
“O, human. This one shall personally grant you a warning. If you let me go peacefully, there will be no need for unnecessary bloodshed…”
Before he could finish his sentence, I kicked off the floor with all my might.
Whoosh!
The jet-black darkness brushed against my skin as the distance between me and the vampire closed in an instant. But he didn’t panic. His expression was calm, as if he had expected my charge.
He slowly raised his arm.
“Humans are always the same. How can you be so foolish?”
Suddenly, the coppery smell of blood washed over me. A thick, crimson liquid swirled around his raised arm, covering the space between his shoulder and wrist. I’d felt something was off about him, and it seemed his ‘blood’ was the cause.
A moment later, his fingertips were aimed at me.
“One warning should be enough. I have no intention of stopping you if you insist on drinking the cup of punishment.”
At that moment, the swirling liquid shot toward his fingertips.
“Brace yourself! My blood will devour you!”
Splat!
It spread wide like an umbrella, lunging as if to swallow me whole. Vivian had likely been caught by a similar technique.
Seeing the maw of blood close in, I urgently summoned my magic power.
I need to end this as quickly as possible.
How should I put it?
After all my experiences, I didn't feel like I was in any real danger. But for some reason, the sound he made was grating on my ears.
Fzzt!
I immediately activated Positional Exchange. My vision instantly changed, and I found myself behind the vampire.
The vampire’s blood was greedily devouring the spot where I had just been. From the side, I could see his face was filled with arrogance.
Hoping to see that arrogant face twist in pain, I brought my sword down with all my might.
Vwoom!
“Keok!”
Did he sense the danger at the last second? The blade, which had aimed for the crown of his head, grazed his swaying head and sliced down from his shoulder. I felt the sensation of cutting through something travel up my arm.
Slice! Splat!
At that moment, I frowned slightly. The feeling of cutting through flesh was suddenly mixed with a sticky, unpleasant sensation.
I could have just sliced him all the way through, but I immediately gathered my magic power. I stopped the sword mid-swing and forcefully projected my mana. It was my specialty, Mana Burst.
Boom! Kaboom!
“Kuaaaaargh!”
A series of bulging explosions tore through the vampire's body, and a pain-soaked scream echoed down the corridor. At the same time, my eyes flashed as I saw the Elixir fly into the air, and I quickly reached for it.
“N-No!”
Huh. He’s still alive?
I had definitely cut through more than half his body and hit him with a full-on Mana Burst. Considering my stats, it should have been enough to leave even a vampire with high vitality on the brink of death. And yet, I was surprised to hear his faint cry.
But the Elixir, which was as good as an extra life, was far more important. I snatched the bottle out of the air. Clink.
“Th-This can’t beeeee!”
Was he that furious about losing the Elixir? The vampire shrieked loud enough to shake the corridor. Then, as if to flee, the liquid that had burst from his body began to swirl like a vortex.
Where do you think you’re going?
While still in mid-air, I lashed out with my left foot. Squelch. I felt the top of my foot strike the viscous liquid.
Sploosh! Sploosh!
The blood that shot up like a fountain scattered into the air before completely vanishing. Then, at the far end of the now-empty corridor, it began to reform.
After a moment of silence, the vampire spoke in a panicked tone.
“Gasp! Hack! What’s happening… Why… why am I not regenerating?! I was only struck by a mere human’s sword!”
That’s because of my Authority, I answered in my head.
In any case, his ragged breathing suggested he’d taken a heavy blow. What was surprising, though, was that he wasn't running away; he was still holding his ground.
He’s not trying to escape?
It was then.
“Come! Aranea! Web of death that rules the 32nd Legion!”
Vivian’s clear voice rang out sharply. She must have been seething while preparing to summon her magical beast.
“Kim Soohyun! That’s enough! I’ll take care of him, so step aside!”
Shhhk! Shhhk!
At the same time, several strands of eerie, silvery light flooded the corridor. Like living, dancing snakes, the webs flowed smoothly past me and instantly enveloped the vampire at the end of the hall.
“Gotcha, you bastard!”
Even bound by dozens of webs, the vampire didn’t move. He just stood there silently, head bowed. He was a wretched sight. The parts of his body that had exploded were riddled with holes, as if he’d been punched through multiple times by a giant fist.
Vivian walked down the corridor. Staring coldly at the vampire, she stopped without looking at me and gestured with her chin. It seemed she wanted me to move.
“Kim Soohyun. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you have this fight.”
“Huh? What do you mean? It looks like it’s already…”
“No, Kim Soohyun. That bastard dealt a huge blow to my pride. I’m so furious. So, will you give me a chance to restore my dignity? Please.”
I wanted to ask what nonsense she was talking about when I’d already done all the work, but her expression was too serious to brush off. In fact, she looked so earnest her eyes were welling up.
“…Do as you please.”
“Hah. Good. I’ll send you flying just like you did to me. Right before my eyes.”
I let out a short breath and shook my head. As I stepped aside, Vivian rushed forward and stood before the vampire.
Watching them, I could tell he was barely clinging to life.
Come to think of it… there were some vampires who were exceptionally tough. The ones that could store life force, was it?
As I tilted my head in thought, Vivian raised a slender index finger and lifted the vampire’s chin.
“Hey, you. You had some nerve hitting my ass earlier.”
“Kugh…”
“Hohoho. Look at you now. How should I kill you? Hmm? Piece by piece? Or maybe limb from limb?”
“…I don’t know the difference, but just kill me! Do not insult me further, you human who reeks of spiders.”
Oh?
My eyes narrowed at the vampire’s words. Could it be that a monster recognizes another monster?
Vivian laughed brightly.
“Hohoho, hohohoho! You don’t seem to be human either, you know?”
“……”
“No answer? Then how about this?”
Snap!
Vivian flicked her fingers, and the webs slithered. They pulled taut on the vampire’s left arm. Craaack! The sound of something being violently torn apart rang out.
“Gyaaaaaaaaargh!”
The vampire’s torture session began in the dead of night. I spoke calmly.
“Vivian, don’t kill him right away. We need to find out who’s behind him.”
“Don’t worry. When it comes to torture, I’m your girl. Have you forgotten the Baek Seoyeon incident?” Vivian replied curtly. It was a valid point, so I nodded.
I leaned against the cold wall, the vampire’s desperate screams serving as a grim accompaniment, and fell into thought.
Why did he only try to take the Elixir?
Honestly, there were a few strange things about this intrusion. There were all sorts of items in the warehouse, so why did he only go for a single bottle of Elixir? And why was a monster, not a human, here?
Thud-thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Sensing a sudden vibration, I sharpened my senses and heard the sound of many footsteps. It seemed the other clan members were finally arriving.
Tsk. I don’t know.
I slowly caressed the recaptured Elixir and activated my Third Eye. Whatever the circumstances, it had nothing to do with me. I’d find out what I needed to know and then kill him, so it didn't really matter.
Resident Status
1. Name: Sasha Felix
2. Class: Vampire (Monster, Vampire, Master)
3. Nation: Felix (A vampire kingdom that has since fallen.)
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: Successor to the Blood Sovereign · Hall Plain
6. Sex: Male (127)
7. Height · Weight: 183.3cm · 65.4kg
8. Alignment: Chaos · Fool
[Strength 53] [Durability 67] [Agility 78] [Vitality 84] [Magic Power 93] [Luck 51]
Blood Sovereign…? Fool…?
It was then. As I read through the information, the part about being ‘contracted to a User’ caught my eye. In that moment, I felt some of my questions being answered.
Ah…? Ah!
At the same time, a memory suddenly surfaced, and I urgently called out to Vivian.
“Vivian! Wait a second!”
“Do you understand? You’re not someone who can touch… Huh? Why?”
I quickly looked at the vampire. Vivian had already gone to work; he was a wretched sight, with only his torso and one leg remaining.
But thankfully, he was still breathing.
I quickly strode forward, making a shallow cut on my own arm with the Victoria’s Glory.
If my memory was correct, this vampire was destined to be called the ‘Shadow’ of the ‘Sacred Queen.’
That’s right. I didn’t remember because he died relatively early.
And if the ‘Shadow’ was here…
That means she is here, too.