Chapter 75 - What are you looking at!?
The vampire's name was Valentino Oxytus.
One of the twelve Lords baptized by Janedin, he had long struggled for the survival of his endangered clan after the king's death.
Of course, the problem was that his so-called struggle involved corrupting innocent souls.
But regardless, he had done his best—
For the revival of his clan, for the day of their glorious return.
[The True Blood must be passed on.]
The blood flowing through his veins had always whispered to him.
Though the king had perished, his will had to persist—this fanatical belief was what drove him forward.
If the inherited True Blood were to someday meet a worthy successor, they would once again become the rightful rulers of the night.
But their enemies were strong.
The great Seven Houses.
Among them, the real problem was the Solard family, who worshipped the sun.
They had been relentless in their efforts to exterminate the bloodline,
all because the king had taken the head of their family's woman as his own, marking her with his blood.
That wretched man had not only taken vengeance on the king but had even sacrificed his own life to burn the bloodline to ashes.
A manifestation of the sun itself.
Escape was the only option.
Victory was impossible.
That was the conclusion Valentino had reached.
There was no answer for now, so they would wait for the next millennium.
By then, the Seven Houses might no longer exist.
And even if they did, they might have forgotten about us—about me.
The thoughts of the other Lords were irrelevant.
After all, six of them had already been burned alive by that family head.
The rest could figure out their own fate.
Thus, Valentino sealed himself within a stone coffin.
And he thought—
You all will fade into the annals of history.
But I will transcend time itself!
And now.
Valentino's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
Not even when he had first seen the strange weapons known as firearms,
nor when he had encountered beings who wielded amplified brainwaves instead of magic, had he felt anything beyond mere curiosity.
But this moment was different.
He had bestowed the baptism, hadn't he?
The young Zahad, whom he had granted the supreme honor of becoming his first servant, stood before him—completely intact.
And not only that, the boy was digging into his nose with an utterly irreverent expression.
"Urrp—"
A sudden, loud burp.
"True Blood!"
His once-composed face twisted into a demonic grimace.
"How did you handle the True Blood?!"
It was the power that connected their lineage.
Valentino could never forget the moment when the king had carved the sacred mark deep into his throat.
The power that had been granted through an intimate kiss.
That unforgettable night under the full moon.
The vampire's eyes burned with rage.
"Say it again. What did you do to the True Blood?"
Jin responded—
"I swallowed it."
Then, another long burp—"Urrp—"
He turned to Natasha, who was staring at him blankly, and flashed an awkward smile.
"…Sorry."
"…Are you okay?"
"No. I'm stuffed."
Jin patted his stomach.
It was an odd kind of fullness.
How to describe it…?
Rather than eating through his mouth, it felt as if his entire body had consumed something.
The satisfaction was incomparable to simply filling his stomach.
His skin felt unusually smooth, his cells seemingly rejuvenated.
Raising his thumb, he gave an exaggerated nod of approval.
"Oh wow, this place serves some great blood pudding. That was a meal. Thanks for the treat."
Feeling unexpectedly cheerful, Jin grinned.
He didn't know what True Blood was, but one thing was clear—it had filled him up.
…Wait a minute.
I'm still human, right?
Curious, he pulled at the inside of his cheek and asked Natasha,
"Are my fangths pointthy?"
He meant to ask if his fangs looked sharp, but his slurred speech made it incomprehensible.
"..."
She didn't respond.
Only then did Jin realize Natasha's gaze had dropped lower.
Is there something on the floor?
Tilting his head, he naturally followed her line of sight.
And then—he flinched.
His eyes locked onto an unmistakable outline trailing down his thigh.
"Oh, crap."
Instinctively, he clasped his hands over his groin.
Though, to be fair, that wasn't exactly the part he needed to be covering.
…Why is this happening again?
Just like with that last elixir, his body was experiencing an extreme state of over-saturation.
Even with his usual shamelessness, this was downright embarrassing.
"Uh? Eh? What?"
Even Maximo, who lay collapsed in the distance, was rubbing his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
His round, acorn-like face displayed nothing but shock.
As for the vampire—
His expression was one of pure rage.
"…You… Zahad. What is this monstrous—?!"
Had the True Blood he had personally bestowed all gathered in that one place?!
Valentino's eyes gleamed murderously.
Not out of envy.
Definitely not out of envy.
No, this wretched creature had defiled the sacred True Blood!
Unforgivable.
Absolutely unforgivable.
"You—!!"
With a thunderous stomp, Valentino's body dissolved into a crimson mist.
This thick, blood-red fog was a supreme ability granted to their kind.
Within its range, he could move instantly between any location,
reconstruct his broken body, or even induce hallucinations upon those trapped within.
It was, in essence, a domain manifestation.
Though he had yet to regain his full strength and couldn't use illusions or other abilities, this much was still more than enough to deal with ignorant humans.
Even that stubborn old mage had finally succumbed to exhaustion.
And now, the vampire found his target's opening.
There he was, still sitting casually, legs crossed, scratching the back of his head.
"You swallowed the True Blood?"
Was there any clan that could tolerate such an insult?
The price would have to be paid in blood.
Just as the enraged Vampire Lord was about to materialize behind Jin—
"...Is this how it feels?"
A faint murmur.
The next moment—
A transparent flame began to flicker softly from Jin's body, sending out a mirage-like shimmer that pushed back the blood mist.
Sizzle—like meat hitting a hot grill.
"Kraaagh!"
Valentino, who had been in the midst of materializing, screamed and recoiled.
His reaction was intense.
In a desperate move, he scattered into a swarm of bats, then reformed into human shape at a considerable distance.
He glanced at his right forearm, now seared, and let out a strangled cry.
"What the hell are you?!"
To that violent response, an even fiercer one returned.
"I'm Jin! Jin! Jin!"
Jin roared, veins bulging.
He had lost count of how many times he'd been asked that question.
By now, he was sick of it.
"Jin Evernight! If you don't know, memorize it!"
As he bellowed, Natasha cautiously spoke up.
"Yesterday, you said you were Jin Zahard..."
"Ah."
Only then did the memory of borrowing Zahard's surname resurface.
"Well, uh. That was... complicated..."
Jin coughed awkwardly, trying to gloss over it, but the vampire cut in with a furious shout.
"How do you wield those flames?! What is your connection to Solard?! Answer me!"
His thunderous voice shook the underground cavern.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
The vampire's face was contorted beyond recognition, twisted with rage and disbelief.
And why wouldn't it be?
Why had he buried himself in a stone coffin in the first place?
All because of those flames.
The sacred heat—Solard.
And those transparent flames...
They were the very ones that had slain the king.
"..."
A pungent scent, the stench of his natural enemy, stung his nose.
The vampire's lips trembled.
"What in the world is happening on the surface...?"
It was more a mutter than a question.
But Jin didn't care what thoughts were swirling in the vampire's head.
He simply gazed at the upturned palm of his hand, where the flames gently flickered.
The first fire he had ever ignited with his own will.
The mirage-like shimmer was inspired by Killgit's technique.
He hadn't expected such an imperfect copy to be so effective.
"Pretty."
The ethereal glow wavered mysteriously.
He wished he could watch this warmth bloom in his palm forever, but maintaining the flames consumed an enormous amount of mana.
And so, Jin's eyes naturally shifted to the vampire.
Step.
He began walking forward.
Not rushing, not breaking the ground beneath him, yet covering vast distances with each stride.
Soon, he stood right before his opponent and spoke.
"I told you, no matter what, I'm going to kill you."
"...What?"
As if merely recalling an old conversation, Jin stated his resolve.
The vampire barely had time to register his words before Jin's fist smashed into his face.
Crack!
The sound echoed as his body snapped backward.
But he didn't fall.
He couldn't.
Because Jin's other hand had him by the collar.
With overwhelming force, Jin yanked him forward, slamming his forehead into the vampire's skull.
A fountain of blood.
Shattered teeth.
The vampire instantly dispersed into bats, then further dissolved into blood mist.
But Jin didn't stop.
Before, he wouldn't have been able to track the enemy's movements and would have been tense.
Now, things were different.
His vision had expanded.
The frog that had leaped out of the well.
He could sense the convergence of his opponent's presence.
Pivoting on his right foot, he spun and delivered a spinning kick into the air.
BANG—A devastating impact.
The vampire's neck twisted violently.
The moment he fully materialized, Jin's leg was already at the target.
No sooner had Jin regained his balance than he launched another attack.
A straight punch aimed to obliterate the vampire's heart.
The vampire exploded his lower body, propelling himself high into the air.
Jin's fist struck empty space, and a rain of blood cascaded down on him.
But the heat surrounding Jin instantly vaporized the blood.
The vampire's expression hardened.
As he plummeted back down, his body began dispersing into bats again.
But Jin was faster.
Before the transformation could complete, Jin's foot snapped upward, kicking his skull.
His body rocketed skyward, only to be caught midair by Jin's iron grip around his throat.
And then—the onslaught.
A flurry of punches battered his head, turning it into a pulpy mess.
His skull jerked like the lid of a boiling pot.
Coughing up blood, the vampire's eyes flared crimson.
The blood mist, which had kept its distance from Jin's heat, now surged toward his hand, forming a sword.
A rising slash.
Jin's chest split open.
The vampire grinned wickedly.
But that was all.
For a moment, Jin staggered, then straightened his posture almost immediately.
The flames covering his body gathered into his left hand.
Realizing something was wrong, the vampire frantically swung again.
But before the crimson blade could touch Jin's skull—
A flame-wreathed hand clamped over his face.
"KWAAAAAAAAAGH!!"
As he twisted sideways in agony, the blade, now deprived of its target, fell upon Jin's shoulder.
Blood gushed from the deeply embedded blade, but Jin paid no mind, tightening his grip.
Transparent flames, burning fiercely without a distinct outline, consumed the face of the being once called a Vampire Lord, as if proclaiming the annihilation of all things wicked.
Then, it happened.
Beneath the severed waist of the screaming monster, something drooped limply.
With a sickening plop, it fell to the ground along with the sticky afterbirth—a grotesquely twisted old man's face emerging from the mess.
It was none other than Valentino's true form, before his rebirth into the Bloodline.
Just as he staggered to rise—
"Where do you think you're going?!"
"Ugh, shit! That's disgusting!"
Before anyone could decide who moved first, Natasha and Maximo rushed in and pulled their triggers.
Dudududu!
Bang—!!
Bullets and shotgun shells tore through Valentino's body, sending blood spraying in all directions.
Yet, with an unnaturally resilient life force, he broke through the barrage and struck Natasha and Maximo away in turn.
Then, just as he staggered toward the darkness to escape—
BANG—!!
A deafening gunshot rang out, and the back of the vampire's head exploded.
He crumpled to the ground on the spot.
Huff, huff.
Turning toward the source of the heavy, metallic breathing, he saw the predator, pointing a massive gun still aimed at its target.
Beyond the crumbling remains of an old body,
Crackle—an immense lightning spear surged forth, its energy barely contained.
And the hand that clenched around it—
The vampire's eyes trembled violently.
What in the world was that?
A being freely crossing between Polar Radiance and White Flame?
Impossible.
No one could do that without the blessing of mana.
Wait… the blessing of mana?
His eyes widened in sudden realization.
"You… You're the King's Vessel!"
Like one who had finally found the answer to an age-old longing, the vampire propped himself up with trembling limbs, raising both palms upward—a gesture of submission.
"Take my true blood! Become our king! Please!"
But his desperate plea was met only with a scoff.
"Have I lost my mind?"
Jin sneered as he hurled the lightning spear.
BOOM!!
A thunderous explosion rocked the entire cavern, the projectile tearing through the air and engulfing the vampire whole.
There was no scream.
No, perhaps there had been, but it was drowned out—consumed by the overwhelming roar of destruction.
As the towering dust cloud gradually settled,
Jin turned away without a second glance.
There was no need to confirm the corpse's state.
The sheer flood of experience filling his body had already made his eyelids quiver from the strain.
After steadying his breath, he finally looked up—
And there, collapsed on the ground, were Natasha and Maximo.
Jin trudged toward them, ready to help them up—
Then, suddenly, his eyes narrowed.
Even as they lay panting in exhaustion, both of them were staring, unwaveringly, at his lower body.
"What the hell are you looking at?!"
At his sharp shout, Maximo let out a hoarse laugh.
"What the hell were you thinking about while fighting?"