Chapter 1058: Bait

Chapter 1058: Bait

The bright, full moon enveloping half the night sky splashed on the pitch-black ground with its illumination. The outlines of the leaves in the forest were clearly visible, but all of a sudden, a series of animal howls broke out throughout the tranquil forest. Countless, startled birds woke up from their slumber, flapped their wings, and soared into the sky fearfully to escape the close-approaching death, as well as the holder of the death aura.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

A dozen black shadows flitted across the forest silently, and not even the criss-crossed thorns and lush tree branches were able to stop them in their tracks. They overcame obstacles like fast-moving ghosts and shortly after, rays of flashes shone, interweaving into a net of light.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A series of rasps rang and the shadowy figures landed on a lawn in the middle of the forest. Mysterious soldiers clad in black armor encircled them from the perimeter, wielding swords and staring at their target before them with crimson eyes. It was Carol and the vampires surrounded in the middle. They were covered in blood and injuries. But even so, they maintained their perfect formation. One of the young vampire ladies wearing a pair of glasses clutched the pitch-black staff, chanting under her breath. Then, scarlet shields appeared around the young ladies. The two young ladies standing behind Carol to her left and right held swords in both hands, glaring at their prey before them like raging wolves.

The peace between both sides lasted for only a moment before erupting into a violent battle again.

The dark soldiers by the perimeter pushed forward and flourished their swords. Meanwhile. the young ladies also raised their weapons and rushed toward them. The battle resembled a flower bud blooming its sharp edges. The young lady in glasses standing in the middle slammed the bottom of the staff into the ground. As she recited the dark, mysterious chant, radiances in balls of blood exploded instantly, transforming into sharp spears that flew in all directions. However, facing such an aggressive attack, the dark soldiers continued to march forward fearlessly. But at the next moment, they suffered for their actions.

Clang! Clang!

Carol danced in the flashes of blade rays like a nimble bat. The sword in her hand instantly turned into a bright spot, abruptly jumping over the slashing swords of the dark soldiers. Then, it changed its trajectory and pierced one of the dark soldiers through the helmet's opening. The soldier let out a mournful screech when suddenly, mysterious white smoke exploded from within the helmet. Carol withdrew her sword and retreated back to her original position. Meanwhile, the dark soldier swayed, took two steps back, and his body exploded, blasting his comrades around him. In an instant, their tight formation was smashed. The other vampire ladies quickly sheathed their swords and returned to their positions. But the several corpses before them announced that these young ladies absolutely weren't just fortunate to successfully burn down Athos City and came all the way to the Land of Atonement from the Country of Darkness.

"You think trash like you can stop us? Utterly worthless!"

Carol clutched the sword, lifted her head, and stared at the dark soldier before her. Even though their decision back then resulted in huge damages and loss of several comrades, on the other hand, it was under such harsh conditions that the potential of Carol and the remaining vampires was brought out by a large degree. One of the biggest similarities between them was that they were born into different ancient vampire families. It was due to this reason that they were strongly suppressed by Ashvril, which made them join Angelina's side. On the other hand, the ancient vampire families might not be as powerful as Angelina's royal family back then, but their heritage still ran very deep. And now, after a series of escapes, the strength in their bloodline was stimulated to the maximum, where vampires under the Viscount rank no longer posed any threats to them.

At this moment, an alluring laughter resounded in the air.

"Huhuhu, never did I expect you mice to have such sharp tongues."

The expressions of Carol and the others changed slightly upon hearing the laughter. They lifted their heads and turned toward the voice. Shortly after, they spotted a delicate, slender figure strolling out of the forest. She wore a scarlet, strapless evening gown, exuding a magnificent aura unmatched in her generation. The smile on her gorgeous face seemed ever so moving like she could captivate everyone in the area regardless of gender. Although Carol and the vampires were startled to see her, they quickly pulled themselves together and displayed their wrath and hostility—because this woman was one of the four legendary generals: the Blood Countess, Ashvril.

"How surprising that you came personally, Madam Ashvril."

Carol turned over and raised the sword, pointing it at Ashvril fearlessly. Upon seeing her reaction, Ashvril's eyes glinted in anger. Her enticement ability wasn't as effective on these noble heirs of ancient vampire families. This was also why Ashvril deliberately promoted the new and rising noble families and suppressed the ancient, well-established families. Her rule could only stabilize after she eradicated all threatening ancient forces. The blood relations of vampires was powerful and also a threshold that couldn't be bypassed. In order to overcome this obstacle, Ashvril had taken great pains. And now, the murderous intent in her grew stronger as Carol and the vampires weren't affected by her ability.

"All of you have nowhere to hide; surrender immediately. As a noble vampire myself, I shall give you a decent death!"

Ashvril commanded, stepping forward with lifted head and gazing proudly at them.

"Besides, do you think that I'm the only one here?"

"..."

At this moment, as though responding to Ashvril, the sound of heavy armor creaked. Shortly after, a sturdy knight in thick armor marched out from behind Ashvril. He held a sword, a pair of red eyes revealed from the gap in his helmet, scanning the battlefield. Upon feeling his gaze, Carol and the vampires shivered in fear. It felt as pressurizing and terrifying as a magnificent army with thousands of men and horses approaching them. They didn't even dare look straight into his eyes.

He was one of the four legendary generals: Spirit Chaser, Balende Nefarian.

Carol sucked in a deep breath of cold air, forcefully stifling the uncertainties inside her. Although she seemed calm, her heart was pounding. This went to show how huge the difference in strength was between Ashvril and the other three legendary generals. Ashvril could only rely on her charm to overwhelm the enemies and didn't possess any overpowering strength. On the other hand, the vampires were immediately shook by the massive pressure as soon as Balende appeared.

At this moment, another voice sounded.

"To think that my foolish subordinates managed to bring both of you here, I'm truly honored, Your Highnesses."

"Angelina!"

Ashvril grimaced immediately when suddenly, the air around them suddenly twisted and Angelina walked out of the void. She narrowed her eyes and gazed at Ashvril in disdain.

"What do you want, lowly hybrid? I heard your town was burned down by my adorable subjects, huh? So which men are you sleeping around with these days?"

"You...!"

Angelina's contempt enraged Ashvril. At this moment, Ashvril had as though returned to the day she had just awakened. The ancient vampire families looked down upon her in disdain just like Angelina did, as though she was nothing more than a pile of unworthy trash. Back then, she once wished that she could vanish from this world forever. However, she pulled through and swore that she wouldn't allow this to repeat. And now...

"... Great, Angelina. I heard you submitted yourself to the Void Dragon? Is that the reason why you dare to spout nonsense in front of me? Do you think you can act so brazenly just because of that?"

"You're the one who's brazen, slut."

At this moment, another voice sounded. Not only was Ashvril surprised, but the silent Balende also turned around instantly. There were three beings to their left, right, and back, blocking their retreat.

Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Alice.

Ashvril was baffled upon witnessing their presence. Even though she didn't know who Alice was, she witnessed Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in battle and felt their strength personally. It was especially so for Mini Bubble Gum. The instant Ashvril saw her, an unknown flame of anger lit up inside her. If it weren't for Mini Bubble Gum who destroyed her weapon during the battle in the Order Ceremony, Ashvril wouldn't be in this rocky position now. But she apparently had no time to consider this problem now. Of course, she knew that Angelina relied on the Void Dragon for help and just in case, she came here as fast as she could, attempting to resolve everything before the Void Dragon detected her. Anyway, to Ashvril, these vampires weren't powerful. With Balende's assistance, she was confident in taking them down in seconds. Ashvril thought that her plan was thorough and detailed enough, but now, the appearance of the trio clearly showed that the Void Dragon was aware of her arrival. But before Ashvril came up with a counter solution, the voice that she hated sounded once again.

"You came all the way to the Void Territory to smash our turf? You are so brave, slut; it seems like it was truly a mistake to not punch you to death during the Order Ceremony. Are you ready? Since you're here already, don't even think of going back alive!"

Mini Bubble Gum said with eager excitement, clenching her fists and revealing a sinister smile.