Witnessing this eerie scene, all the werewolves vigilantly observed their surroundings. The few who remained in their wolf form had their hackles raised, overwhelmed by an intense sense of danger.
Suddenly, the wind ceased, and the night became eerily silent, the darkness pressing down on the werewolves like a heavy weight.
In the silence that seemed to have muffled the entire world, footsteps echoed, each one pounding on the hearts and souls of all living beings.
Then, from the deep, dark night, two figures emerged.
One was a tall, slender old man with a head of pure white hair, his face distinctly square and elongated, with deeply drooping eyes. This was a face that carried the rich style of the Appenine continent, instantly memorable. His white hair, without a single stray color, hung down from both sides of his cheeks, forming decorative curls at the ends.
The other was a petite young girl with an exceptionally sweet face. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with her blood-red lips. She wore her hair in a long ponytail, with the high collar of her black cloak revealing blood-red embellishments, making her appear both beautiful and eerie.
The old man with white hair spoke softly, “I never imagined that such a small place would gather so many wild dogs. No wonder the stench was so strong even from a distance.”
“Additionally, something quite interesting has happened here. It seems some of our lower-ranking kin are embroiled in an internal conflict,” the girl said.
The old man lifted his head, took a deep breath, and said, “Can you guess what I smell? It’s the finest mithril, oh, dangerous but with a deadly beauty. And the one who crafted it is a worthy adversary. Haha, this little place is surprisingly lively, truly unexpected! Could this be the call of fate?”
The girl glanced at the werewolves with a look of disgust and said, “If it weren’t for the overpowering stench of these wild dogs, I too could have smelled the mithril.”
Hearing the unrelenting insult, the werewolves growled in anger, but their intense sense of danger kept them rooted to the spot.
An elder werewolf, gripping his wooden staff, stepped forward and sternly declared, “Where do you come from? This is the territory of the Black Nightmare tribe!”
The old man with white hair smiled and replied, “Black Nightmare, what is that? As for where we come from, that’s not something you need to know. An old wolf nearing death should not be so curious. Curiosity is a trait for the young and the superior races.”
The girl’s gaze fell on Yètóng, and she suddenly exclaimed, “What is that? Such beautiful blood!”
The old man, momentarily stunned, slowly approached Yètóng. With each step he took, the werewolves retreated, whimpering. The immense gap in their ranks instilled a fear that left no room for resistance.
Reaching Yètóng, the old man dabbed a bit of her blood and tasted it, his expression shifting dramatically.
He then stepped back, laughing loudly, flailing his arms to express his joy, “This is, this is the taste of ancestral blood! She has awakened the bloodline of the progenitor, she is… a primal species!”
“The King will be interested in her,” the girl said.
The old man pondered, “Yes! But her blood has a familiar scent. Let me think, whose territory is nearby… Old age does this, always forgetting things… Ah! I remember, the nearest is Count Kaos. This girl’s blood carries the scent of Kaos, she must be a pure-blood descendant!”
“Kaos?” the girl’s eyes held confusion.
The old man shrugged, “An old fellow with ancient heritage. But he’s obsessed with finding the secrets of the Black King’s treasure, unable to manage even his small domain. I hear his viscounts are plotting against him. Seems like the cause of the internal strife.”
“Sounds like a useless guy. I’m not interested in Kaos, but the stench of these wild dogs is unbearable.”
“Then let’s clean them up. You do it,” the old man smiled.
“Why is it always me!”
Complaining, yet not refusing, the girl’s eyes turned crimson, like two shining rubies. Her lips moved as if chanting, but no sound emerged.
She emitted ultrasonic sounds, akin to a melodic song, but to the werewolves, it was the call of the Grim Reaper!
All the werewolves wailed in agony, collapsing and writhing on the ground!
The weaker ones couldn’t last ten seconds before their heads exploded. Then, the higher-ranking werewolves’ heads followed, in a horrific and surreal display.
Witnessing the bloody spectacle, the girl continued her silent chant, her doll-like face twisted into a grin of excitement and cruelty. In that moment, she was the harbinger of death, and all who heard her voice were doomed to eternal silence!
Yǐngláng endured for thirty seconds before finally falling. He clutched his head, rolling around, even smashing it against the wall of a dirigible. The steel wall dented, but his head remained unharmed.
As the girl’s tone rose, Yǐngláng let out a final, long scream, and his head burst into a mist of blood!
Only the elder werewolf persisted, supported only by his staff, trembling as he pointed at the girl, “Y-You… Nàna…”
“Correct!” the girl smiled sweetly, snapping her fingers, causing the elder’s head to explode.
The old man produced a white handkerchief, covering his nose, “Don’t you think the stench of these wild dogs will spread more now?”
“This will make you move faster,” the girl covered her nose with her delicate hand.
Inspecting Yètóng’s injuries, the old man frowned, “She’s badly injured. I need fresh blood to help her, so we can get back in time.”
“There’s a human town nearby, but it’s still a distance away.”
“No, that’s too late. Fortunately, there’s someone here, and I’ve already detected his scent.” The old man stood, taking two steps and vanishing into the depths of the junkyard. Moments later, he reappeared, carrying Qiānyè.
“Truly a robust and cunning human, still alive. Otherwise, his blood wouldn’t be fresh,” the old man smiled.
He extracted a thick metal plate from Qiānyè’s chest. The plate, twisted and clawed, had prevented the fatal blow. But the force of the werewolf leader’s attack had shattered Qiānyè’s ribs, and he would die soon.
The old man placed Qiānyè beside Yètóng, tearing open his shirt, and pricked his neck, drawing blood.
Yètóng reacted, instinctively sensitive to blood. She sat up, her eyes opening, pupils filled with a blood-red haze, and fangs protruded from her mouth.
She pounced on Qiānyè, biting his neck, gulping the hot blood, which not only sated her thirst but also alleviated her pain.
To the old man, Yètóng’s manner of drinking blood was perfect, and he marveled, “No wonder she’s a primal species with the blood of the progenitor! Besides the powerful ability of her eyes, she can hide the traits of a blood clan, a unique ability of one of the ancestors. Which ancestor, I need to think…”
Nàna watched, her chest rising and falling, her breathing rapid, not hearing the old man.
She grabbed Qiānyè’s right hand and bit his wrist artery!
The old man’s praise stopped, staring at Nàna in shock.
Nàna sucked hard, then screamed, throwing Qiānyè’s hand aside, retreating, her expression complex.
“How is it?” the old man asked, rarely seeing Nàna like this.
Nàna, somewhat confused, said, “His blood is sweet, but that’s it. I don’t know why, but the scent of his blood makes me lose control. I want… to give him the First Embrace!”
“What?” the old man was truly shocked. Confirming Nàna’s seriousness, he sighed, “It’s too late. His blood has been sanctified by this child, a primal species. Though her level is low, neither you nor I can suppress her blood power. Only she can turn him into a blood clan, but even if she wakes now, she won’t complete the First Embrace.”
Nàna, still bewildered, licked the blood from her lips.
The old man picked up Yètóng, “We must go. If we’re late, we won’t make it to the blood pool.”
Nàna followed, occasionally looking back at the motionless Qiānyè, reluctant but ultimately leaving.
Blood slaves were a path of no return, and both humans and blood clans had no solution.
The night quieted, as if nothing had happened. But if those in the know saw the old man and the girl, it would cause a stir.
Duke Julio and Nàna, even among the blood clans of the upper continent, were known as deities of slaughter.
After an unknown amount of time, Qiānyè felt someone dragging him, hearing faint voices.
“Finally, the boy is dead.”
“Yes, throw him into the Burning Canyon. I don’t want to stay here any longer.”
“Me neither.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage