Chapter 447: On Hot Pursuit

In the grim confines of a dark dungeon where light barely entered, the scene was one of eerie atmosphere.

A young vampire, was suspended in the air, his naked body showing the brutal marks of torture. Chains bound his wrists tightly, and his feet dangled helplessly. Blood dripped steadily from his wounds, pooling on the floor beneath him, and the tools of his torment lay bloodied nearby.

As the dungeon door creaked open, Oberon flinched, his blurry vision struggling to focus. The sight of Rhygar entering the cell with a dark, menacing expression made Oberon's heart sink further. His eyes widened in fear, and he rattled his chains in a futile attempt to free himself, his strength drained from the relentless torture.

He felt like he had been trapped here for years under Rhygar's torture and had no idea if Asher's or Rhygar's torture was worse.

The former tortured him in a way where he wished he was in a coma, while the latter tortured him in a way where he wished he was dead.

Rhygar approached Oberon with a snarl, his voice filled with contempt. "Listen, you bloodburn trash. You better tell me the weaknesses of your alien king, and I shall go a bit easy on you. Understand? Or should I try plucking off one of your eyes to make sure you see what I am trying to do here?"

Oberon's dark red eyes quivered with a mix of pain and resignation as he remembered the number of times he and his mother tried to get Asher killed, only for him to suffer each time it backfired.

He still couldn't get over the nightmare of watching Rowena blow that alien's monstrous dick right before him. And when he woke up, they had truly consummated their marriage, making him feel like his world was destroyed.

It still had left behind a wound in his soul that still had yet to heal or maybe never would.

Coughing up blood, he revealed the truth as he saw it, "H-He has no weakness... He's a monster. You want to kill him? Go ahead... You'll be doing me a favor..."

Rhygar's face contorted with rage at Oberon's response. He violently punched Oberon's face, his frustration boiling over, "How dare you mock me?!"

Rhygar felt that Oberon was being loyal to Asher while trying to mock him by saying it was impossible for him to kill Asher.

As Oberon's head snapped back from the force of the blow, blood gushed from his mouth, "I-I am...not..." Oberon couldn't believe this fool misunderstood him and tried to make this fucker understand.

But Rhygar's fury didn't abate. He continued to punch the shit out of Oberon, each punch driven by deep-seated anger and a need to prove himself, "Even a bloodburn trash like you thinks I am useless, huh? I'm going to show them all, including my mother, how I am going to kill your so-called immortal king. Yargh!"

The sound of flesh being struck and torn away and Oberon's muffled cries filled the dungeon, though Oberon had no idea that this was just the beginning.

The usually bustling skies of the Draconis Kingdom were abruptly disrupted as large, shadowy figures carrying very powerful auras zipped across them, leaving the onlookers below in a state of alarm. The people gazed upwards, their hearts pounding with fear and confusion. The shadows moved so quickly that they seemed almost like apparitions, causing a stir among the populace, who wasn't expecting to see such a sight now.

The enlisted draconian soldiers, prepared for the first assault against the Bloodburn Kingdom, stood grounded, equally surprised and unsure of what they were witnessing. There was never any announcement yet that the attack on the Bloodburn Kingdom had already begun, leaving them puzzled.

At the northern border, Drakar materialized out of a dark red hole that suddenly tore open in mid air, followed closely by Lysandra, Lorvo, and a contingent of Draconian warriors, all poised for combat. However, their expressions quickly turned to one of confusion upon witnessing the scene unfold before them.

The sky was littered with a chaotic aerial display of multiple flying carriages darting in different directions, each carriage identical in make, color, and occupancy.

Lorvo, concern etching his features, turned to his king, "What do we do now, Your Majesty? We can't be sure which carriage he is in," he asked, the urgency of the situation evident in his voice.

Drakar, deep in thought, murmured with a cold, scornful smile, "That alien... Is he trying to pull a trick on us?" He was well aware that such a maneuver was beyond the ordinary, especially after receiving reports from border guards about the carriages' synchronized departure in every direction possible.

It was not like he could go after each and every carriage, nor did he prepare enough men to go after all of them. With someone like the Lady of House Valentine and a Bloodburn Guard protecting Asher, there would be no point in sending a batch of weaker ones after them.

To make sure he gets the key, he would have to take it from Asher personally.

However, an idea struck him, making Drakar scoff as he said in a dismissive tone, "It doesn't matter if he's pulled off such an elaborate trick," he declared confidently.

Turning to Lysandra, he said with a curve of his lips, "You are very good at tracking mana, Lysandra. I want you to sense the trail of his aura and every one of those bloodburners, just to be safe."

Lysandra's eyes narrowed, though without any hesitation, she nodded in acknowledgment and focused her gaze ahead. Her eyes began to glow with dark mana as her aura expanded rapidly, stretching for dozens of kilometers, until it enveloped the entire border of the kingdom.

After a minute of concentrating, she then opened her eyes with a newfound clarity.

She saw a few distinct dark red trails of man cutting through the air in different directions. Turning to Drakar, she reported her findings, "As you might have suspected, they have split up. But three of them, including Asher, I believe, are heading south from what I sensed."

Drakar's response was immediate and decisive, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's hunt that alien down and get the key," With those words, he vanished into thin air, swiftly followed by Lysandra, her brows furrowed.

A hundred kilometers away, a flying carriage soared through the sky. At the front, a woman in a fully armored suit and a crimson cape steered the carriage with focused precision. Inside the carriage, Asher sat opposite Naida, who kept a vigilant gaze out the windows.

Asher broke the silence, his voice carrying a mix of hope and urgency, "Are we still in the clear? I hoped we could buy some time by causing a huge distraction. The closer we get to our kingdom, the better, no matter how small the distance."

Naida's face was etched with strain, her tone grave, "We did buy some time, but they have people, especially Lysandra, who is an expert in tracking and won't try to deceive Drakar in matters like this because she knows she can't."

Asher's expression became grim as she knew Naida was right. He already saw what a tough nut Lysandra was, especially after seeing her not even flinch upon seeing Droco being killed before her and not hesitating to burn away the only remaining piece of her lover.

Naida added, "They must have already figured out where we are heading and are likely pursuing us. But even if they didn't, we might get ambushed by our other enemies, who must have already gotten wind of our escape. Let's hope nobody tries to shoot us down. I can only keep using my mana as a barrier for so long before I get burned out. Eradicator is also using her mana to pull this carriage through the air at maximum speed."

Asher held Naida's hand as he said in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry. I called someone who I am sure will be heading out here in no time. I am confident we will get to buy more time because of them."

Naida raised one of her brows as she smiled and caressed his hand softly as she said, "Ah, of course. I remember you sending a message just as we got out. Clearly, I have underestimated you in more than one way. You know how to use the right people. I really like that side of yours."

Asher curved his lips as he said, "Well, I—argh!" Suddenly, he grimaced with a grunt of pain.

"My king!" Naida instinctively moved closer to him as her eyes widened, "Is it happening again? You are burning even more than yesterday," she said as she placed her hand on his forehead.

Despite the scalding heat emanating from his skin that was hot enough to make her uncomfortable, Naida held onto him, hoping her touch could provide him some relief.

Asher, caught in the throes of unbearable pain, attempted to speak through gritted teeth, "I... I think it's getting to the worst point... like Drakaris said... There is no escaping this... So don't think about doing any--argh..." His voice was cut off by a groan of agony as he felt an intense, boiling sensation coursing through his veins, as if his very blood was set ablaze, threatening to consume his bones, muscles, and organs.

He wanted to warn Naida not to absorb his heat as she did before, fearing the consequences could be very fatal for her unlike before.

However, before he could articulate his concerns, Eradicator's voice pierced the tense air of the carriage, "Your Majesty, the draconians are right behind us."

Hearing her words, Naida and Asher looked at each other, their expressions turning even more grim.