Chapter 84: Vampire Hunter Blade

“Hurry, put down Young Master Karen at once! Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” Lestat shouted in panic. If Young Master Karen died before his eyes, then upon his return, the wrath of Duke Karen would utterly devour him, leaving not even a grave for his corpse.

“Fine, I’ll return him to you. First his hand, then the other, and then—his head.” Lin Xiao kicked Demont’s severed hand at Lestat, then swiftly lopped off the other, before hefting his battle-axe and severing Demont’s head with a single stroke, sending it rolling toward Lestat’s feet.

His actions were smooth and unhesitating, like a blade cutting through tangled silk—iron-willed, merciless. To his loved ones and friends, he was as warm as the spring breeze; to his enemies and the wicked, as cold as an icy blade.

Lestat, caught completely off guard, could only stare as Demont’s head rolled to his feet, eyes wide open in death, refusing to close.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for slaying LV9 Vampire Count. Source Power +80. You have once again altered the course of the story; Plot Disruptor mission +1. Reward: One ordinary nine-star mini jar.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for accumulating 80 points of Source Power. Upgrade conditions met. Would you like to upgrade now?]

“Upgrade immediately!”

Even without fully mastering his magic, Lin Xiao had to upgrade. He knew he would soon face the overwhelming fury of a Vampire Marquis. Even so, he felt no regret; had he not slain Demont, anyone could threaten his friends and loved ones to coerce him. By killing him, he sent a message to all: you may try if you dare, but prepare to lose your head.

Anyone who fears not death—come!

“You dare kill Young Master Karen? You’re dead! Do you hear me? You’re as good as dead!” Lestat howled in rage, picking up Demont’s head and roaring into the night sky. His wings unfurled behind him, blotting out the moon—like a demon spreading its wings to howl at the heavens.

As Lestat vented his fury, Lin Xiao tossed aside Demont’s corpse and motioned for Sheriff Hope to retreat with Dustin. At the same time, he pulled up his system panel, investing the three SP points he’d just gained into new skills.

One SP point activated a new skill: Angel’s Blessing.

[Angel’s Blessing: LV1 Basic Skill. Increases the weapon magic attack, intelligence, stamina, and spirit of one party member (including self) within a certain range by 5%. Consumes 30 mana per use.]

The other two SP points were used to upgrade his Weapon Parry skill to LV2: Mastery.

[Weapon Parry: LV2 Mastery. Raise your weapon and, through a special flow of power, neutralize frontal attacks. Fully blocks attacks of the same level; if the attack is one level higher, blocking effectiveness is reduced by 50%.

LV2 Mastery Special: Dancing in the Firmament—swing your weapon to form a circular defense, blocking attacks from all directions. Fully blocks attacks of the same level; effectiveness reduced by 50% against higher-level attacks.]

With six LV2 skills—Holy Light, Devil’s Hand, Dash Slash, Purify, Tiger Strike, and Weapon Parry—plus six mastery specials, Lin Xiao was confident he could challenge those above his rank.

A transmigrator who can’t defy the odds is no true transmigrator.

Once Lestat had exhausted his rage, he solemnly set down Demont’s head, his eyes blazing with bloodlust and killing intent. He beat his wings, ascending into the air, gathering blood-red energy between his hands which stretched and twisted into a three-meter-long crimson spear.

Blood Magic—Spear of Blood!

With a powerful beat of his wings, Lestat dove like a Stuka fighter, spear poised to strike Lin Xiao.

This was a vampire’s special combat technique, utilizing extreme mobility in tandem with the Spear of Blood to create a highly maneuverable fighting style. The vampires called it: The Sky Sovereign.

The blood-red spear thrust toward him. Lin Xiao didn’t hesitate—he activated his newly mastered LV2 skill, Dancing in the Firmament, and swung his Star Annihilator battle-axe in all directions.

The spear clashed against the axe, sending a powerful shockwave up Lin Xiao’s arms—he realized he was no match in strength. This vampire marquis’s power was at least ten times that of a normal human, reaching one hundred points—forty-one more than Lin Xiao even after his upgrade.

A single increment in strength can crush a man—let alone such a disparity.

In this crisis, he immediately activated Angel’s Blessing to boost all attributes and unleashed the Devil’s Left Hand.

A surging torrent of magic flooded into his left arm, transforming flesh and blood into a shell of demonic power.

The added strength from the Devil’s Left Hand brought his power up enough to barely match Lestat, allowing his arms to withstand the assault and parry the blow.

Driven by fury, Lestat’s attacks surged like a tide. The blood spear stabbed so swiftly it was a blur, his form darting left and right, assailing Lin Xiao from every angle.

Yet the human’s defense was flawless. The battle-axe spun with a tiger’s ferocity—he’d been at a disadvantage moments ago, but now blocked every strike, shocking and infuriating Lestat.

Who exactly had Demont provoked?

The two clashed fiercely—spear and axe sparking with every impact, their bodies moving so fast they covered seven or eight meters in a single bound, their speed defying belief.

Sheriff Hope, watching in horror, realized that even with silver bullets, he couldn’t hope to hit either of them.

Their constitution, reaction speed, and maneuverability had long surpassed ordinary humans.

Meanwhile, Dustin, in his arms, began to breathe steadily after drinking Demont’s blood, having survived his brush with death—though he remained unconscious.

“Human, you have enraged me. Even if I suffer grievous wounds, I will capture you and present you to Duke Karen, to atone for your crimes!” Lestat soared overhead, roaring at Lin Xiao below. He had realized that in close combat, they were evenly matched—no victor would emerge from a protracted fight.

He was also horrified to find this human’s strength growing throughout the battle; at first, his defense had been shaky, but now he parried with ease and even launched occasional counterattacks.

He feared that before long, he might actually be defeated—just as he had lost in their earlier contest of wills.

Just as Lestat was about to unleash his ultimate move, deafening gunfire rang out. Silver bullets tore through the night, whistling through the air and striking his body, sending blood spraying.

Lin Xiao glanced at Sheriff Hope, who was clutching Dustin—clearly, those silver bullets hadn’t come from him.

“It’s you—Blade!” Lestat, still aloft, turned his gaze to the woods behind the dock. Following his eyes, Lin Xiao saw a tall African-American man step from the trees.

He looked to be in his thirties, clad in a black cloak and wielding a semi-automatic firearm—the very one that had fired the silver bullets.

“Blade?” Lin Xiao echoed. The man looked over, smiled, and raised his head toward Lestat above, snorting coldly.

“Lestat, you are charged with attacking humans, in violation of the pact between vampires and the supernaturals. The evidence is conclusive. I, Blade the Vampire Hunter—Eric Smith—am placing you under arrest. Surrender at once, or face deadly force.”

“Blade?!” Lin Xiao gaped, then felt a surge of resignation. Mind flayers, vampires, werewolves, witches, Grimm Hunters—they’d all already appeared. Another Blade was hardly surprising.

But had this guy just been lurking on the sidelines, watching the whole time?