Chapter 740: Lanchi Restrains the Blood Clan

Chapter 740: Lanchi Restrains the Blood Clan

On a chilly autumn night, a blood-red full moon hung high over the Brierda Industrial District, bathing the area in an eerie, sinister glow. Rusted shipping containers and winding alleyways were enveloped in an otherworldly crimson hue.

As a flock of crows drifted down from the moon, the sprawling stronghold of a powerful mafia organization was gradually revealed through the mist—a labyrinth of dilapidated factories, towering piles of magitech machinery, a maze of narrow passageways, and the ubiquitous presence of rusty containers.

This was the port district located in the southeastern part of Brierda, one of the few lawless zones in the city.

"Huff..."

Footsteps. Panting.

Suddenly, a young girl's figure darted around the corner, piercing the dead silence of the night. Her long, dark hair danced in the wind, and her amethyst eyes sparkled with a mix of fear and determination. She clutched a pitch-black kitten close to her chest as if it were her only source of hope and solace.

"Meow-elsa! We're surrounded by these containers and alleys, and a bunch of guys in black are after us! Help, meow!"

Meow Boss whispered frantically, pressing his mouth against a purple-hued communication magic card, desperately calling for assistance.

It had been a peaceful afternoon, with the two of them chatting happily as they walked back to St. Crisantium Abbey. But then, Elsa sensed something amiss—a hint of hostility in the air.

Sure enough, someone threw a transparent capsule of magic at them. Before Elsa could react, they found themselves transported to this unfamiliar area, surrounded by the mafia.

In that instant when it sensed the spatial magic, the kitten had darted into Elsa's shadow, its high-priority spatial magic allowing it to accompany her. If not for that, Elsa would have been in grave danger.

Consequently, it had put itself in harm's way as well.

However, after spending the afternoon with Elsa, it had grown fond of her. She was a pure-hearted girl, and Lanchi's mission for it had been clear: protect Elsa at all costs.

"It seems like my brother can't hear us clearly," Elsa remarked, noticing that the voice coming through the communication magic card was mostly static. She feared that her brother's end of the line was experiencing similar issues.

As an unknown territory within Brierda, Elsa had never ventured into this area before, and her understanding of the internal layout was based solely on her instincts.

If this was indeed the mafia's stronghold, the deeper they ventured into the core, the stronger the effect of the jamming magic devices would be. Conversely, the closer they got to the outskirts, the weaker the interference.

It was only after Elsa had determined the correct direction and fled toward the periphery that the little black cat was able to establish a successful connection with her brother.

She never would have imagined that this little cat was a sixth-rank beast, capable of producing a sixth-rank tool magic card—the [Ultra Long-Range Communication Program]. When she saw it pull out the communication magic card, Elsa felt like she was looking at a divine beast.

The girl's footsteps were chaotic and hurried, her graceful agility belying the clatter of her shoes against the hard ground as she tried to muffle her footsteps.

Elsa's figure flitted through the gaps between containers, her face appearing ghostly pale in the moonlight one moment, and the next, her nimble form darting between obstacles.

"Meow!"

Meow Boss's eyes, a yellowish glow in the night, shone like twin pinpricks of light.

In this part of town, dozens of figures clad in black emerged, their silhouettes moving swiftly through the factory ruins and container maze like phantoms.

Their eyes were cold and ruthless, like a pack of wolves that had caught the scent of blood.

Leading them was a burly man with a shaved head and an intimidating aura. His face, scarred from countless battles, looked even more menacing in the moonlight.

"You can't even handle a second-rank little girl! What if the other executives find out we didn't play clean? We'll all be punished!" he barked, his voice filled with anger and disappointment. His hoarse whisper echoed through the deserted factory district, sending shivers down one's spine.

If they let her keep running, she might figure out the layout of the area.

Fortunately, she was heading in the right direction, gradually making her way toward the outer boundaries.

But they still had a long way to go.

With agile movements, the girl with black hair climbed onto a rusty container, effortlessly leaping and maneuvering through the shaky steel frames as if gravity held no power over her. It seemed as though an invisible force aided her, lifting her as if she were floating.

She skillfully utilized her surroundings to her advantage, hiding in shadowy corners or navigating through intricate pipes, always managing to evade the black-clad assassins' traps at the last second.

While the mafia members knew this area like the back of their hands, they struggled to predict the girl's movements and the anti-gravity principles she employed. They could only rely on their numerical superiority to gradually tighten their net, inch by inch eroding her chances of escape.

In this heart-pounding race against time, under the crimson moon, the night was filled with the rustling of leaves, the howling of the wind, and the eerie cries of crows.

After what felt like an eternity...

Elsa finally managed to shake off her pursuers and hide in a narrow, deep alleyway.

Leaning against the mottled brick wall, her frail body trembled uncontrollably, like a frightened bird.

Beads of perspiration formed on her pale forehead, sliding down her delicate features and silently dripping to the ground.

"Thank you, Little Black Bread," Elsa whispered, her lips quivering with fear and exhaustion. Her ragged breathing and the thunderous beat of her heart created a discordant symphony.

If it weren't for this fairy beast assisting her with psychokinesis, she wouldn't even have had a moment's respite.

She slowly shifted her position, adjusting her gaze.

Using the faint moonlight, Elsa began to survey her surroundings, carefully analyzing potential escape routes.

Her eyes scanned the towering ruins of buildings and the intricate web of pipes before finally settling on a path leading away into the distance.

That path was lined with dilapidated, rusted containers, overgrown with vines, making it appear especially deep and mysterious in the darkness.

But the direction was right.

Heading that way would bring her closer to the outer boundaries.

"Meow..."

Meow Boss let out a timid meow.

In this deadly location, there was not only a jamming barrier but also an air control barrier, preventing them from flying too high.

Having only heard about the air control barrier from Lanchi's mention of the Shadow World's cliffs during the Holy Court's Villainous Banquet, Xiao Yan never expected to encounter one himself.

If the barrier were just a little stronger, they wouldn't have to worry about being unable to defeat their enemies.

The group of pursuers, clad in black, weren't particularly strong, with their leader likely only at the fifth-rank. However, their numbers were simply too overwhelming, and they were all well-trained assassins. Xiao Yan could just barely handle the minor leader, but with the addition of his underlings, it would be a hopeless situation.

Upon further reflection, Xiao Yan had already reached his peak growth. If he wanted to become even stronger, he would need to reach the ninth-rank, which would be a humorous mismatch against a fifth-rank opponent.

"I have a feeling that something is amiss..."

At this moment, Elsa didn't rush to make her escape. She pressed her temples, deep in thought.

When faced with a dire situation, thinking things through might prove to be more useful than acting rashly.

If she reappeared now, the mafia would quickly discover her again, and staying hidden here wasn't a long-term solution either. Soon, she would be completely surrounded.

This group had intended to kill her from the very beginning.

Fortunately, all her other cards were meant for life-or-death situations, including invisibility, speed boosts, and control breaks. Additionally, her eyesight and stamina were especially good at night.

If not for Headmistress Violet's gift of the [Moon Goddess Mirror] that protected her from the initial assault, she might have been in grave danger by now.

She looked down at the silver moon pendant clutched in her hand.

[Moon Goddess Mirror]



[Category: Equipment Card]



[Grade: Pink Sacred]



[Attribute: Reconnaissance/Regeneration]



[Rank: 2]



[Effect: When equipped, this jewelry enhances crisis awareness. In the event of unavoidable fatal damage, the mirror's surface will shatter instead, taking the blow in the wearer's stead. Mirror regeneration requires 30 days and cannot be combined with other effects that grant immunity to fatal damage.]



[Note: Comfort, shelter, hope, and love—we share this world, relying on prayers and your presence.]



Even at this moment, she still felt a lingering sense of crisis hanging over her.

Although she had managed to evade the mafia for now, the crisis warning from the Moon Goddess Mirror seemed to keep her heart on edge.

"Elsa, it's time to keep moving..."

Meow Boss felt that hiding here any longer wasn't safe.

"Little Black Bread, have you contacted my brother?"

Elsa hugged the black kitten and asked in a low voice.

"The signal is still weak. If we move further out and get closer to the edge of the jamming barrier, it might improve."

Meow Boss replied, looking up.

He desperately hoped that Lanchi would suddenly appear and rescue them from this predicament, but he also knew that the chances of Lanchi hearing his words were slim.

At this point, they would have to rely more on themselves.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

Elsa hugged the little black cat tightly, feeling guilty.

During their continued escape, if the situation called for it, she would use her less-than-proficient innate magic, [Judgment Eye]. Its ability allowed her to observe the sins of her targets, determining their level of danger. Additionally, if she were a detective, she could also get the answer first and then prove the process.

At night, she could also use the reconnaissance ability of Judgment Eye to detect the approximate location of targets within a small range, even through walls.

This ability would show her too many things she didn't want to see. At the Roland family banquet, she had seen an incorrect number.

Elsa had informed Ursula about it.

Ursula believed her and immediately notified her brother, Marquis Ryan, the head of the Roland family. After investigating, Marquis Ryan had come to a bizarre conclusion—

There was never such a person at the banquet that day.

It was as if everyone's memory had been altered, except for Elsa, who alone saw that man.

Since then, Elsa had been plagued by nightmares and dared not use the Judgment Eye ability again.

When she sought guidance from Headmistress Violet, the headmistress also advised her gravely to never let anyone know about her innate magic in the future.

Now that her brother, Landel, happened to be in Brierda, she felt a rare sense of relief, but she was also afraid of dragging her brother into troublesome events.

As expected, she had seen what she shouldn't have.

"Don't say that, Elsa. It's my duty to protect you, meow."

Meow Boss felt that Elsa was putting too much pressure on herself. This young girl always seemed to shoulder her worries alone.

Their current position might be closer to the inner workings of the mafia than its outskirts, so even after running for a while, the communication signal hadn't improved significantly.

Escaping or successfully contacting Lanchi might require a long and arduous chase.

"Just focus on figuring out our escape route for now! I'll follow your lead, meow..."

"Wait, if we're closer to the inner workings..."

Elsa's gaze shifted back and forth, considering the two directions.

From the very beginning, she had sensed something amiss.

If this place truly belonged to the mafia, why would they target her...? After all, she was the younger sister of Professor Landel, the current rising star in the scientific community. Harming her would undoubtedly stir up trouble.

While the current mafia leader had some connections with the legitimate world, he generally preferred to keep a low profile in the underworld.

Even the subordinates of the Brierda mafia, a few of its executives, were conducting group enterprise businesses in parts of the empire that were within the law's reach.

The leader himself often stayed in the River Port Building, the center of their territory.

Such a strategically-minded mafia leader shouldn't have given the order to kill her.

From the actions of the minor leader and the group of pursuers, it seemed more likely that they were acting behind the leader's back, having accepted an extremely lucrative offer from the minor leader and his group!

Elsa gritted her teeth, her eyes hardening with determination.

She decided to test her theory.

The next second, she quietly got up and, under the moonlight, darted away like a swift black wolf, disappearing down the unknown path to continue her flight.

Not far behind, the sound of pursuing footsteps drew closer, relentless in their pursuit.

She had just finished planning an entirely new escape route in her mind and hadn't had much time to act on it when she heard a sharp sound of something slicing through the air. Immediately afterward, a bullet hole appeared in the brick wall, sending dust flying.

High in the sky, atop the containers, a sniper from the mafia hid in the shadows, cunningly aiming at her.

His magically enhanced firearm was modified with a silencer, so there wasn't even a gunshot sound.

Fortunately, Meow Boss, nestled in Elsa's arms, sensed the danger and enveloped the girl with an invisible force ability, causing the bullet to deviate from its trajectory as if it had hit an invisible wall, narrowly missing the girl and vanishing into the night.

"Elsa, you're running in the wrong direction?" Meow Boss exclaimed in shock.

He felt that Elsa was deliberately running towards the heart of the mafia's territory, a risky move.

"Yes, we're heading straight for the mafia's lair. If the boss finds us, we'll probably be safe," Elsa informed him as she quickened her pace.

Instead of continuing her previous escape route, she resolutely ran towards the core of the mafia's territory—a bustling area with a hint of glowing lights.

"Stop right there!" the bald mafia member shouted, having initially been stunned by Elsa's actions. Once he realized she was doing this intentionally, he also understood her intention.

Not just him, but the girl's actions startled the entire group of pursuers.

Their hunt was unauthorized by the mafia boss, a completely private operation.

However, the sum offered by their client was too great to resist.

The down payment alone would be enough to fill their performance shortfall.

Upon success, the enormous payout would not only allow them to leave the mafia but also grant them financial freedom for life.

With a conservative boss who wouldn't pursue them too aggressively during this transitional period, they were confident he wouldn't want to blow things out of proportion.

But this cunning girl seemed to have seen through their plan, daring to head straight for the mafia's inner sanctum, knowing that creating a ruckus would likely attract the boss and his henchmen!

"We must kill her quickly!" the bald man thought, gritting his teeth. They couldn't afford to let the situation escalate, so they sped up, disregarding all else.

However, the agile girl nimbly weaved through the complex architecture, sometimes climbing old fire escapes and sometimes squeezing through narrow pipe tunnels, always staying just out of their reach. Their ranged weapons were ineffective against her due to the invisible psychic force protecting her.

Meanwhile, Elsa's mind raced as she formulated a plan.

The mafia's obvious panic confirmed her suspicions—

Their operation was unauthorized, and they were afraid of drawing attention from within.

"Little Black Bread, look for an opportunity to attack the containers!" Elsa instructed.

Meow Boss nodded and unleashed a Wind Blade attack.

A series of explosions reverberated, piercing the quiet night with an ear-splitting sound.

Surrounding heavy objects—steel bars, containers, and even several-ton old machines—were wantonly destroyed, sending dust and fragments flying in a hurricane of debris.

Each explosion felt like a heavy hammer blow to the pursuers' hearts, causing their faces to pale and their movements to become more frantic.

"This damn brat!" they cursed.

They knew that if this continued, the entire mafia would be turned upside down by this seemingly weak girl.

Earlier, they had the upper hand, and she dared not make a sound. Now, she was turning the tables and creating a ruckus!

The louder the noise and the closer they got to the heart of the mafia's territory, the more likely they were to attract the boss's attention!

"Little Black Bread, once we reach the brightly lit River Port core, we'll be safe," Elsa whispered reassuringly to the black cat in her arms.

"Meow!" Meow Boss nodded, feeling confident.

Even without Lanchi, he was a top-notch driver!

The damp air from the protective moat cut through the bone-chilling breeze.

Far behind, a group of ten or so black-clad men moved with ghostly speed.

But now, it was their turn to navigate the terrain cautiously, trying to muffle the noise of collapsing containers while doing their best to keep up with their quarry.

They became hampered and clumsy.

The agile figure of their target and the black cat's uncanny abilities weighed heavily on their minds, leaving them in a difficult predicament.

As the distance between them and their prey widened, it seemed unlikely they would be able to capture her before she reached the outskirts of the mafia's port territory, and their anxiety peaked.

Elsa sprinted through the darkness, turning into a winding, labyrinthine alleyway.

On both sides of the alley loomed stacks of containers, dozens of meters high, rusted and casting giant shadows in the night.

For Elsa, who had warmed up during the chase, this grimy, dimly lit alleyway represented a glimmer of hope.

Her delicate face, previously worn with fatigue and fear, now showed signs of relief.

Although she couldn't contact her brother Landel, with the help of the little black cat's magical powers, she was confident she could shake off her relentless pursuers.

The blurry, bright lights at the end of the alley grew increasingly distinct.

"We're almost there, meow!" Meow Boss encouraged, his eyes reflecting the dancing lights in the darkness.

The crimson moon hung in the sky, occasionally obscured by the dark gray haze.

It was like an evil eye, shining with a sinister red glow in the pitch-black night, coldly observing this absurd chase and seemingly excited by the impending tragedy.

In the alley, the wind howled, turning an already unsettling atmosphere into bone-chilling cold.

The surrounding air condensed into frost, making breathing difficult, as if an invisible hand was gripping their throats.

Not just Elsa but even the pursuing mafia members paled in fear.

They abruptly halted, their fingers instinctively tightening on their firearm triggers.

Alas.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

A piercing scream tore through the sky, almost shattering eardrums.

When Elsa looked back, she saw the mafia members' heads flying high into the air, like a string of broken kites.

The gushing blood spurted from the severed neck, forming several beautiful yet terrifying arcs of blood in the air before a black downpour drenched the ground, forming a pool of bloody stench.

The headless torso fell to the ground like a broken puppet, its limbs twitching nervously on the ground, resembling a human model painted with black paint, eerie and frightening.

"......!!"

Elsa's eyes widened, her amethyst eyes rapidly contracting in extreme terror.

She instinctively hugged the little black cat in her arms, the only source of warmth, feeling its slight trembling.

Meow Boss also sensed the chilling malevolence and its fur bristled.

It let out a low, angry roar, the sound echoing in the empty container maze.

Compared to Elsa, Meow Boss was undoubtedly several levels stronger, and he instantly located the most dangerous enemy.

Following the cat's gaze, Elsa gasped as she saw a black shadow slowly descending at the other end of the deep, pitch-black alley, blocking out the sky.

At the center of the shadow's face were blood-red eyes, like the blood moon itself, or rubies forged from fresh blood.

He wore a black formal outfit, the crimson satin fluttering in the night wind.

His pale face resembled fine white jade, yet it exuded a chilling aura of death.

A cruel smile curved his lips, his teeth glinting with a sinister light in the moonlight.

"These useless mobsters are really something."

Carmel Viscount gracefully landed on the ground, his tone filled with disdain and an oppressive aura that made it hard for Elsa to breathe.

Each of his words felt like an ice pick stabbing at Elsa's heart.

Those crimson eyes, exuding an aura that made her physically uncomfortable, reminded her of an extremely dangerous being she had read about in the ancient texts of St. Crisantium Abbey.

"Miss Elsa Washington, I heard that your eyes can see things that you shouldn't?"

Viscount Carmel stared at the invisible psychokinetic barrier beside Elsa, then shifted his gaze to the black cat in her arms.

Carmel, who possessed the Concealment ability, had come tonight to clean up the mess. He planned to have the mobsters kill Elsa and then eliminate them to leave no witnesses.

As for the intermediary Resurrectionist who had contacted the mobsters, they had already been dealt with.

He never expected this little she-wolf to have such a formidable cat with her, making it difficult for the mobsters to capture her.

If she continued to escape, she might actually make her way to the heart of the mob's territory, and that would spell trouble.

He couldn't let her get away, and more importantly, he couldn't let the mobsters' boss capture these subordinates who had taken on this private job.

"..."

Elsa was utterly terrified, her throat constricting as she struggled to speak.

Before her stood the very being she had seen that day.

The one who had appeared at the Roland family banquet, with a kill count so high it was abnormal, was undoubtedly a vampire.

When she stared into the abyss, the abyss also stared back.

It seemed that her ability was already known to them.

And because of that, they had targeted her to silence her forever.

"Hehe."

Seeing her silence, Viscount Carmel took a leisurely step towards Elsa, his footsteps squelching through the blood on the ground, as if even the earth trembled at the presence of this bloody overlord.

Even with Meow Boss' full-power psychic barrier, it seemed to only slightly slow him down, forcing him to walk a little slower.

If not for this resistance, he might have taken her life in an instant.

Elsa backed away, only to find that she had nowhere to retreat, her back pressed against the cold, hard wall of a container, trapped with no way out.

She felt dizzy, her vision spinning.

The glimmer of hope that had risen earlier was now utterly shattered, replaced by boundless despair.

Even if she escaped this time, what about the next? Facing this mysterious and powerful race, she and the cat would be hard-pressed to escape again.

When there's one insect in the room, it's likely that the room is already infested, and she dared not think about the scale of the vampire presence in Brierda.

Viscount Carmel advanced step by step, his tall figure emerging from the shadows at the end of the alley, engulfing the petite girl in his shadow.

"Can you tell me how many people I've killed?"

Carmel stood before Elsa, his voice smooth as silk, laced with biting sarcasm and malevolence.

He couldn't remember the last time he had encountered a member of the wolf tribe.

In any era, torturing and killing wolves was an enjoyable pastime for vampires, as their sturdy bodies could withstand any amount of abuse without breaking.

The wolves' fear and agonized screams were the most precious seasoning.

"..."

Elsa sat on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes, her purple irises flashing with the instinctive triangular mark of Judgment.

She hugged the black cat tightly, her slender fingers digging into its black fur as if seeking a semblance of security.

"Seven digits... You're a demon, and the Goddess will never forgive you..."

Elsa struggled to breathe, her angry tears streaming down her face, her vision filled with distorted numbers, the embodiment of sin, threatening to obscure even the shadows at the end of the alley where the vampire stood, making it impossible to pinpoint his exact location.

Aside from this vampire, she couldn't think of anyone else present who could have committed so many murders.

"?"

This time, it was Viscount Carmel's turn to be stunned.

While vampires killed as casually as squishing insects, he couldn't recall the exact number of insects he had squashed.

But seven digits were indeed excessive. Was Judgment Eye malfunctioning, or was the ability itself flawed?

"Hello."

Suddenly, a gentle yet firm hand rested on his shoulder, and he hadn't even noticed when someone had approached him from behind.

... Wait.

In this alley, there should only be him, the young she-wolf, and the cat.

Now, there was one more.

At that moment, he realized.

Perhaps, in this alley, there truly was a being that Judgment Eye had deemed worthy of a seven-digit sin count.

And that being.

Was right behind him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end