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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Ethan lowered his stance, sword pointed at Ashron. He lunged, aiming for the vampire’s neck.
Swish—
As the blade neared, Ashron transformed into mist.
The sword passed harmlessly through the vapor. Ethan flicked his wrist, scattering the droplets.
There was no blood on his blade.
‘Would it be different with an Adamantium blade?’
But this silver blade wasn’t made of Adamantium, or even Orichalcum.
He couldn’t cut through mist with a physical attack.
At least Ashron couldn’t attack while he was intangible.
Or so Ethan thought.
The mist surged towards him, coalescing into the shape of a fist. Ethan instinctively sensed the danger and dove to the side.
Bam!
The mist-fist punched through the display case. It shifted direction, aiming for Ethan.
He raised his sword to block. The impact sent a jolt through his wrist. Ethan stumbled back, but as he hit the wall, he used it as a springboard, leaping towards the mist.
Swish—!
His blade sliced through the mist, cleaving it in two. But the severed halves slowly merged back together.
The mist solidified, and Ashron reappeared, his voice echoing through the auction house.
“You’re a skilled swordsman. But even the most skilled swordsman cannot cut through mist.”
“You fight with cowardly tactics.”
“Cowardly? If I were truly cowardly, I would have taken these people hostage.”
Ethan shrugged, his expression nonchalant. He didn’t care about the unconscious people. They were strangers.
But he couldn’t ignore them.
He glanced around. Tesha, Sepia, and the brown-mustached gentleman were all fighting.
They were being careful not to injure the unconscious people caught in the crossfire.
“I also use underhanded tactics from time to time. Though a certain friend of mine disapproves.”
Ashron raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He didn’t understand.
A friend who disapproved? Was he some kind of chivalrous knight?
Ethan tapped the hilt of his cane-sword against his shoulder. He was clearly at a disadvantage.
And yet, he was so relaxed.
Ashron chuckled. He had been worried for nothing.
“You’re bluffing.”
Ethan shrugged, as if to say, Think what you want.
‘I was hoping to conserve my mana…’
He had been using a lot of mana lately. He wanted to save it.
He currently had about 50% of his mana remaining. Still, that was far more than the average Hero Candidate.
“Rutea—!”
A feminine figure materialized behind Ethan. Her long, blue hair flowed down to her waist. Even Ashron felt a chill at the sheer power she radiated.
“A spirit…?”
The temperature plummeted. Ashron quickly retreated, assessing the situation.
‘A high-level spirit? No, that much mana… A Spirit King?’
He found himself standing in a white expanse. He felt like he had been trapped in a mental realm.
But the cold, biting wind felt real.
“Where are we?”
“What? Where’s the auction house?”
His companions sounded confused. So was he.
It was a snowy plain. A blizzard raged, and the white expanse stretched endlessly in all directions.
“A Spirit King’s barrier.”
Ethan stood a short distance away. The freezing temperatures were starting to affect the vampires.
Only Ashron and his companions had been transported into the barrier. The precision of the spell was astounding.
“You’re planning to freeze us to death.”
“Do vampires even freeze to death?”
Ethan shrugged. Vampires, like humans, could suffer from burns and frostbite.
They had enhanced physical abilities and regenerative powers, but their basic physiology was still human.
“You’ll freeze to death first.”
“I have a high resistance to cold.”
Ashron couldn’t help but laugh. It was absurd. The temperature was far below freezing. And Ethan was wearing light autumn clothes.
He wouldn’t last more than a few minutes in this weather.
“You’re planning to die with us?”
Even Ashron hadn’t anticipated that. He was willing to sacrifice himself to take them down?
‘Why does he think I’ll freeze to death?’
Ethan chuckled. Rutea, the Spirit King, hovered in the air behind him, observing the situation.
The vampires surrounded Ethan. They waited for Ashron’s command.
“Wait. He won’t last long in this weather. And the barrier will disappear when he dies. Conserve your strength.”
The blizzard intensified. It was difficult to see, the wind and snow stinging their skin. Their teeth chattered in the biting cold. Ashron glared at Ethan.
But Ethan was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his eyes closed, as if meditating.
“Boss, that guy is meditating.”
“It’s a bluff! No human can withstand this cold.”
Ten minutes passed. Twenty minutes.
The vampires’ fingers, numb with frostbite, snapped off as they tried to move. Ethan remained motionless, meditating.
It had only been a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity.
A vampire, unable to bear the cold any longer, charged towards Ethan. But he was easily defeated.
His frozen body was too stiff to move properly.
Ashron finally realized his mistake. Ethan had a high resistance to cold.
He hadn’t anticipated that.
“Attack! Now!”
But the vampires were already exhausted. Ethan, on the other hand, had been resting.
They were no match for him.
Ethan’s sword flashed, creating blizzards with every swing. Frozen vampires littered the ground.
“Damn it! Damn it all!”
Ashron couldn’t even transform into mist. The cold would freeze the mist.
He had to fight in close combat. He lunged at Ethan, his claws extended.
But Ethan retreated, effortlessly deflecting his attacks.
“Rutea!”
Rutea flicked her finger, and ice shards erupted from the ground.
Crash!
The ice shards tore through the ground, chasing after Ashron. He leaped and dodged, trying to avoid them.
But they were relentless, homing in on him like living creatures.
Sharp icicles, like a porcupine’s quills, protruded from the ground.
Ashron leaped into the air. Ethan extended his hand.
A fireball, far more powerful than any ordinary fireball, shot towards Ashron. It would incinerate him if it hit.
Ashron gritted his teeth and transformed into mist. He would remain intangible until the flames passed.
The heat washed over him.
He solidified. Ethan, who had been dozens of meters away, was suddenly standing right in front of him.
“I’ve got you…!”
‘Blink…’
Bam!
Ethan’s foot, which had been raised high in the air, slammed down.
Ashron crashed to the ground, landing on a bed of sharp icicles.
“Ugh!”
He was impaled, his body twitching. Ethan landed gracefully beside him.
The ice spread, slowly encasing Ashron’s body, starting from his feet. He couldn’t transform into mist in this situation. It was a complete defeat.
The vampires had lost much of their power after the queen’s death.
He thought about all the things he could have done differently.
He could have created more subordinates. He could have used poison gas instead of sleeping gas. He could have protected the queen. He could have never trusted the Thirteenth Apostle.
Ashron sighed and spoke, his voice barely a whisper.
“It was a good fight. I concede.”
He could no longer feel his legs below his knees. The ice had reached his waist. He was going to be frozen solid, a macabre ice sculpture.
“My Queen…”
The ice reached his neck. He looked up at Ethan. Ethan sighed and sheathed his sword.
The blade disappeared into the cane, its true nature hidden. He scratched the back of his head, looking troubled.
“Ashron.”
Ashron’s entire body, except for his face, was encased in ice. So were his companions.
If they had been truly ruthless, they would have used poison gas.
But they had used sleeping gas.
And they hadn’t used their full power, for fear of collapsing the building and injuring the unconscious people.
“The Queen is dead. You can’t bring her back, even with her heart.”
Ashron’s eyes widened. How did he know about the queen’s heart?
It was true. The queen was dead. Only her heart, which had turned into a gem, remained.
“I will inherit her will. We all will.”
“…I see.”
Ethan’s expression softened. He smiled faintly.
“I’ve been thinking… How about you make a deal with me?”
“A deal?”
“A blood oath.”
A blood oath.
It was a sacred vow for vampires, binding their mana circuits.
If they broke the oath, their mana circuits would be permanently damaged, their mana dissipating.
They had to keep their oaths to protect their mana. It could turn them into slaves.
“…Just kill me. I’d rather die than become a slave.”
“Don’t you want the queen’s heart?”
To retrieve the queen’s heart.
It was more than a personal desire. It was their sacred duty.
Ashron had been searching for it for 300 years, traveling across the continent. The heart had changed hands countless times.
From a fisherman, to a merchant, to a mage…
From the mage, to a thief, to the captain of the guard…
It had become known as the Blue Gem.
The heart, once a vibrant blue like a sapphire, had gradually lost its luster, becoming dull and cloudy.
“So, what do you say?”
“What happens if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll have to use the queen’s heart myself.”
They had another mission, besides retrieving the queen’s heart.
To avenge their queen.
Ashron hesitated, then spoke, his voice heavy.
“What do I have to do?”
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