Chapter 138: Ascension Rite (V)
"Aaaaaaah!"
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang roared, slamming his foot down to activate Frenzied.
"Die, you bastard!"
His eyes burned crimson red. With the power of Flight Spell, he leapt high into the air, swinging his massive axe with all his might toward the vampire hovering above.
Duke Brad smirked contemptuously.
"Pathetic resistance."
The air above writhed with swirling Blood Mist, which coalesced into a monstrous, gaping maw. It devoured Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang whole. Every drop of his blood was sucked dry in an instant—leaving only a shriveled, hollow husk that plummeted to the ground.
Just as the warrior’s lifeless body hit the stone, a flurry of wooden arrows streaked toward the vampire’s heart.
Whoosh—
It was then that the truth emerged: Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang had only been a distraction. The real attack came from Singo, whose precise aim had sent the arrows flying.
Crack.
But the arrows were caught mid-air—by a pair of pale, ghostly hands. With a casual twist, the attacker snapped each one in half.
"No way…" Singo whispered in disbelief. He hadn’t expected this boss to be so absurdly powerful—possessing not only terrifying spell-like abilities, but also supernatural physical strength.
" pitiful little rat," Duke Brad sneered, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. "I was once the most Valor-filled general in all of Anzeta. I rode a Giant Eagle across the realms, unchallenged, undefeated."
"Now? I am something far greater."
"Can you truly believe—"
"—that you are worthy to stand against me?"
Duke Brad descended slowly, his form wreathed in churning Blood Mist, while countless shadowy hands writhed around him like serpents.
【Vampire’s Touch】
Anyone touched by those hands suffered unimaginable Diminish Damage—their life force drained in seconds. Their vitality flowed through the shadowy limbs, pulsing like veins, before being absorbed into Duke Brad’s body, feeding his eternal hunger.
"Priest, heal me!"
"Give me Haste!"
The Overlord shouted to Fengyun, but before he could finish, a thick black tendril erupted from the ground, wrapping around him like a noose. In an instant, the warrior’s powerful frame collapsed into a lifeless, withered shell.
"I need a chance to cast—"
Charlotte’s words were cut short as Blood Mist surged from behind, swallowing him whole.
Singo stood at the edge of the Stone Platform, bow drawn, aiming once more at the vampire. But before he could release the arrow, a pair of black tendrils erupted from the stone floor, wrapping around him and dragging him into the endless abyss.
Players were frantic, dodging the writhing Blood Mist and the deadly tendrils. Meanwhile, Duke Brad strolled casually across the center of the Stone Platform, calm, almost leisurely.
"I am the Lordship of Darkness."
"I am the King of Night."
"Entering this place… was your greatest mistake."
His voice was gravelly, deep—like the final judgment of the dead. Cold. Unforgiving. The end of all hope.
From the shadows, countless Bats and Rats poured forth, obeying the Night King’s command. They attacked in waves, relentless. One player was overwhelmed by thousands of rats, torn apart piece by piece, until nothing remained but a pile of bones and shredded flesh.
"Divine Supremacy Slash!"
Meizhuolashi swung his Bloodstained Greatsword, cleaving through the shadowy tendrils that surged from behind. The Guardian Aura surrounding him repelled the creeping Blood Mist, blocking its corruption.
He raised the blade high.
【Oathbreaker Channel Divinity: Terror Manifestation】
A surge of divine magic erupted from the sword, a wave of terrifying energy that scattered the swarming rats and bats like leaves before a storm.
Meizhuolashi locked eyes with the Duke, his sword pointed straight at him.
"I’ll kill you, vampire."
His eyes—pure black—were wide, blazing with cold fire. The hatred in them was so intense it bordered on madness, as if a dark flame burned within him. Even Duke Brad felt a flicker of unease.
After a moment of feigned contemplation, Duke Brad broke into a mocking grin.
"Oh? I remember you."
"The leader of Devil’s Offspring, the poor scapegoat."
Tch. He chuckled lightly, as if recalling a delightful memory.
"Back then, your people’s wails echoed for three days and nights. I found it exquisitely pleasing. And my brave, Justice-filled subjects—oh, how they enjoyed venting their fury. The blood of your kind soaked the Northwind Keep until even the Moat ran red."
"But it wasn’t wasted. Your people died meaningfully—giving me the chance for my great Ascension."
He paused, feigning regret.
"The only regret? Letting you escape."
"But now…"
A smirk curled at the corner of his lips. A flicker of Crimson Red flashed in his eyes.
He loved watching mortals suffer—watching their eyes fill with despair. And Meizhuolashi, right before him, was the perfect example. He would personally extinguish the last spark of Tiefling Revenge.
"I’ll kill you."
"Kill you."
Meizhuolashi hacked through wave after wave of shadowy limbs, pressing forward with grim determination. He was now just ten meters from Duke Brad.
His body was riddled with wounds that exhaled faint, corrupting smoke. The Evil Strength within them greedily devoured his vitality. Yet Meizhuolashi showed no reaction—his face was blank, expressionless.
In the flames, he saw his wife and child, screaming.
Among the shadows, the souls of his fallen kin rose, chanting in unison.
“Kill him.”
Duke Brad watched the Tiefling approach, his pale face flushed with anticipation.
"Yes… yes. That’s it. The will. The madness. The hope of revenge."
Perfect.
He licked his lips, savoring the moment. This despair—this blood—was like aged wine, rich and sweet. He wanted to drink it slowly.
"Come on," he taunted, spreading his arms wide. "Go ahead. Kill me. Devil’s Offspring."
Ha-ha…
"Do you want revenge? Finish your greatest enemy?"
Meizhuolashi charged forward, sword raised high. With a roar, he swung down, the blade blazing with crimson light, aiming to sever the vampire’s neck.
Slash—
The sword cut through flesh. Blood sprayed violently—splattering across Meizhuolashi’s face.
But Duke Brad didn’t move. He let the blade sink deep into his neck. Then, with a calm, deliberate motion, he grabbed the hilt and pulled the sword free.
As the Bloodstained Greatsword was withdrawn, the wound on his neck began to close—flesh knitting together at an impossible speed, healing completely in seconds.
He turned the sword over in his hand, admiring it.
"Good. Push harder."
"But this? This won’t kill me. After all, I am immortal."
A grin spread across his face. He was eager to see that familiar expression—despair, regret, terror—etched onto Meizhuolashi’s face.
But it never came.
The rage had been a mask.
Meizhuolashi’s face was calm now—serene, almost. His black eyes locked onto the vampire.
"Seven years ago… I first began thinking about how to kill you."
"You’re strong. Almost without flaw."
"But you’re arrogant. You despise all mortals—so much so that you forget your enemies."
"What?"
The Bloodstained Greatsword flared with a blinding Arcane Radiance—a spell long hidden within its blade, a Sealed Power discovered after years of searching across Anzeta.
【Otu Mifan Dance】
The spell took hold. Duke Brad began to move—shaking, swaying, kicking his legs in a ridiculous, jerky rhythm. His body twisted and bounced like a puppet on strings.
But Meizhuolashi didn’t relax. He knew this powerful vampire could break free at any moment.
"Alje!"
Meizhuolashi shouted.
In that instant, two former enemies—once sworn foes—stood side by side, united against a common terror.
From the darkness above, a thunderous eagle cry split the air. Alje, long hidden in ambush, finally revealed himself.
He held a wooden spear drenched in Holy Water, plummeting from the sky in a deadly dive.
His eyes—now golden like a dragon’s—burned with unbridled fury, ready to unleash its wrath.
The Alje of old was dead.
Now, only Evil Dragon’s vassal remained—a Crimson Scale Conqueror, born of revenge.
He would kill this monster.
End this endless cycle of suffering.
Whoosh—
The spear pierced through the vampire’s back, emerging from his chest. The Holy Water seared through his flesh, hissing and sizzling like oil on fire.
Brad Lakanman was impaled, pinned to the ground. His head drooped. Blood trickled from the wound, and the Otu Mifan Dance stopped.
"Ha… ha…"
"Meizhuolashi… is it over?"
Alje landed on the ground, breathing heavily, his body trembling from the strain. His breath carried the stench of sulfur.
"Far from it."
Meizhuolashi stared at the lifeless body, his brow furrowed, voice heavy.
Alje snapped alert. He drew his Everburning Greatsword, scanning the shadows with dread.
"He is everywhere."
"Let our blood boil within him."
"Let us embrace the great Ascension."
The Vampire Offspring’s chanting grew louder, more mournful, more desperate. Chains still bound them. Bloodlight still connected them to Duke Brad. The Evil Rune Array beneath their feet pulsed with eerie energy.
Suddenly—BAM!
A massive Vampire Offspring, hulking and obese, exploded from the Stone Pillar, bursting into a foul, viscous sludge of blood.
As he died, he whispered:
"I will find immortality… in His eternal body!"
It was Traviv Lakanman, the Duke’s second son—the living symbol of Gluttony.
And as the blood flowed through the Bloodlight, merging into Brad Lakanman’s form, his body swelled—growing taller, stronger. He had absorbed Traviv’s Constitution.
The worst had come true.
Meizhuolashi and Alje’s worst fear had become reality.
He had Respawned.
Or perhaps, he had never truly died.
The wooden spear trembled in his chest.
A deep, echoing laugh echoed through the Underground Bastion.
"Hahaha… such power!"
"After centuries of waiting… this is the moment!"
The corpse-like Duke Brad slowly rose to his feet, yanking the spear from his chest with a single motion. Flesh and muscle surged back into the wound—closing instantly.
Now, having absorbed the Ascension Offering, he was no longer vulnerable to Piercing Stakes.
He was no longer mortal.
He was a true, eternal Monster.
Duke Brad grinned.
"Good. This strength… lives up to my expectations."
With those words, his body expanded—growing to three meters tall, towering over both Alje and Meizhuolashi. His Crimson Red eyes blazed with insatiable Greed.
He inhaled deeply, tasting the blood in the air. Recognition flickered in his gaze.
"Oh? You…"
Alje Yoman.
"My most trusted hound. I thought you’d died at Storm Ridge. I’d planned to turn you into an immortal servant—forever loyal to me. But you missed your chance."
"But you’re just a dog. How dare you bite your master?"
Alje’s face—half-dragon, half-human—twisted into a snarl of fury. His golden eyes burned with rage.
"Brad Lakanman… you destroyed everything."
"I’ll kill you!"
Duke Brad advanced slowly, radiating an oppressive aura.
"You know, don’t you?"
"Poor little thing. I was going to reveal the truth before I turned you. But now I’ll never see your face when you learn the truth. How… disappointing."
"Don’t let him provoke you!"
Meizhuolashi roared, severing another shadow tendril.
"Destroy the Offshoot Bodies! If you don’t, his strength will keep growing!"
Alje snapped back to reality. He leapt onto his Giant Eagle, but it was too late.
Another Vampire Offspring, slender and beautiful, exploded from the pillar—turning into a thick, foul torrent of blood.
As she died, she moaned, her voice filled with ecstasy:
"I will find fulfillment… in His eternal desire!"
It was Lilanni Lakanman, the Duke’s second daughter—the embodiment of Lust.
The blood flowed through the Bloodlight, merging into Brad Lakanman. His eyes flashed with a seductive, alien light. He looked like desire incarnate—having absorbed Lilanni’s Charisma.
Duke Brad stared at Alje.
"Your struggle… is entertaining."
"Then let me turn you into my loyal hound once more—filled with endless hatred."
His crimson eyes glowed with Arcane Radiance.
【Dominate Human】
"No!"
Alje screamed, eyes shut tight, fighting the spell with every fiber of his being.
But no matter how strong his will, he couldn’t resist the Lust-infused magic. The spell claimed him—once more, he became a puppet.
"Die!"
Alje’s eyes went blank. He swung his Everburning Greatsword, slashing toward Meizhuolashi.
Meizhuolashi had no weapon. He dodged frantically, but Alje’s skill was unmatched. Each blow left deep wounds across his body. His expression grew grim.
"This can’t go on."
But… Master is almost here.
He clenched his fist. In his palm—crushed beyond recognition—was a Crimson Crystal, shattered long ago.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
