Qianye hefted the newly assembled rifle, quickly finding his touch. This was no ordinary origin gun; it was a special edition Viper Needles customized for the Red Scorpion Legion, the standard equipment of Red Scorpion warriors.
The prototype of the gun came from the Empire’s Firebird Group, known for its high precision and powerful force. The energy conversion rate could reach fifty percent, making it a top-tier standard origin gun. The Red Scorpion Legion’s special edition Viper Needles had undergone a redesign and tuning of its critical parts, further enhancing its accuracy and power at the cost of a slower firing rate.
This was the Red Scorpions’ signature style—strike once and kill, never strike in vain.
Qianye gently gripped the rifle, the familiar feel as comforting as an old friend. Even during his most desperate days of flight, he had not sold a single part. After settling down in Beacon Town, Qianye buried the rifle under the bar, and it had been a long time since he last touched it.
Now, it was time to wield the Viper Needle once more.
As a former Red Scorpion, Qianye’s target was not just any vampire, but the noble blooded one.
With the Viper Needle slung across his back, Qianye took out the Colt pistol and attached a suppressor. Then, he left the bar and followed the prearranged route in pursuit of Yeying.
Not long after, several black-robed vampires appeared on the outskirts of Beacon Town.
One of them sniffed the air and said in a hoarse voice, “Yeying has left. She is heading west. Inform Lord Wilde immediately. We should follow her first.”
Another vampire replied, “West? I remember there is a secret settlement of the New Party there. Is she planning to go to their territory? If so, it would be another good topic for them to attack us in the parliament.”
“That’s not our concern. Let the bigwigs worry about it. Our job is to subdue Yeying and bring her back. But if we lose her, that will be our responsibility.”
The vampires began to move swiftly to the west, gradually spreading out in a large fan formation, creating a wide yet tight net, following Yeying’s trail.
Their speed was incredibly fast, even faster than the wolves of the wasteland, and they could run for a day and a night without rest. This was the strength of the vampires, with their innate racial abilities, they were natural enemies of humanity.
On a distant treetop, Qianye was peering through a scope, watching the darkened wasteland. The scope had a strange pale red field of view, and in the lens, he could see figures moving like burning flames.
This was the multi-purpose tactical scope equipped by the Red Scorpions, with special modes for vampires and werewolves. Qianye activated the night mode specifically for vampires. In this mode, the scope detected the unique blood force of vampires, presenting them as red figures in his sight.
Qianye silently counted the number of enemies: “One, two… a total of nine! Good, they really put in a lot of effort. This woman who calls herself Yeying isn’t as simple as she claims! A hunter? Hmph!”
He scanned the wilderness again, carefully switching to the wolf vision, but found no other suspicious targets.
Among the nine vampires, there was no sign of the noble one, indicating that these were just the vanguard, with the main force still behind. Their movements also confirmed this, as they did not rush to catch up with Yeying but instead spread out slowly, maintaining a steady pursuit.
This suited Qianye’s plan perfectly. He prepared to welcome these black-blooded mongrels. Qianye stowed the scope, flipped off the tree, and disappeared into the night.
Under the cover of darkness, a vampire cautiously entered a small valley. The valley was not large, but the terrain was complex, filled with thorny bushes and numerous caves. It was a temporary refuge for many scavengers.
Scavengers often set small traps around their camps, which they seldom removed when they left. Over time, the valley became a treacherous place, filled with hidden dangers.
Scavengers had an unspoken understanding, recognizing each other’s trap marks. However, this vampire, being a regular soldier, lacked such skills. Soon, he was doused with foul-smelling acid and his leg caught in a bear trap.
Furious, he continued his search. The minor injuries meant little to his resilient body, but the stench and the acid disgusted him. Vampires, after all, had an innate obsession with cleanliness. Yet, this valley had to be thoroughly checked, as it was a good hiding spot. If Yeying was here and he missed her, he would face severe punishment.
So, while grumbling, the vampire continued his search.
If only he could find a scavenger, he thought. He wouldn’t drink their filthy blood, but he would certainly take some time to torture these cunning humans!
As he walked, the vampire kicked a black-painted thin wire. Before he could react, the wire snapped!
Frowning, he warily looked around, waiting for the trap to activate. But just as he scanned the area, a flash of silver light burst several meters away, blinding him with intense radiance!
In the pitch-dark night, the vampire, with his superior night vision, screamed in pain, covering his eyes.
Drawing on his experience, he rolled to the side, escaping his original position.
But as he stood up, ready to force his eyes open, a cold blade pierced his back, stabbing deep into his heart!
The blade burned his chest, and he even smelled the acrid scent of burning flesh. In an instant, he realized, “The knife is coated with silver!”
Struggling futilely, he could not even make a sound, as a strong hand clamped his throat.
The vampire finally realized he was facing a formidable opponent, perhaps the hated vampire hunter. Only those deeply knowledgeable about vampires could accurately pierce their hearts and silence them with a throat hold. Many inexperienced humans would only cover their mouths, leading to their capture or death.
The vampire collapsed, motionless.
Qianye emerged like a ghost, silently drawing his combat knife and stabbing the vampire several times. He then turned the body over, checking the lips for fangs—a sign of a full member. Any adult vampire had at least the strength of a Level 2 warrior.
Qianye pried the fangs out with his knife, placing them in his backpack. Many institutions in the Empire paid handsomely for vampire fangs, a reward for slaying these creatures. A full vampire could fetch an imperial gold coin.
Qianye searched the body, taking valuable items and leaving the rest. Vampires often used weapons with special tracking devices. Taking them would alert all other vampires.
After cleaning up, Qianye collected several unused tin foil packets, which emitted a bright flash, useful against dark races with superior night vision.
Leaving the valley, Qianye ran for twenty kilometers, finding a hidden cave.
Donning tactical gloves, Qianye carefully drew a bag of silver liquid from his pack. He immersed his knife, drying it and sheathing it. Thus, he was ready for the next battle.
Closing his eyes, Qianye rested, his forehead beaded with sweat from the recent actions.
In the distance, Yeying suddenly stopped. Her left eye turned crimson, and in her vision, seventeen faint blood chains connected her to the far horizon.
These were Blood Chain Shackles, a powerful secret technique held by purebloods. Through the shackles, they could connect with a target and suppress both sides with multiple vampire warriors.
The more chains, the better the suppression. Although both sides experienced a drop in level, the shackles allowed the users to sacrifice lesser warriors to suppress a stronger enemy.
Once shackled, escape was impossible. The chains always pointed to the other end, and the only way to break free was to kill the linked vampires.
Yeying felt a slight weight lift, as one chain dimmed and broke, indicating that a warrior had been killed.
Looking back, she muttered, “He actually killed one? Is this luck?”
In her mind, Qianye’s power was minimal, comparable to a newborn vampire. Humans were so fragile.
Yet, humans were cunning and prolific. Countless dark race heroes had fallen to human tactics during the Dawn War.
The vampires on the other end of the shackles were not low-level. Each had the strength of a Level 5 or 6 warrior, equivalent to a colonel in the Empire’s army. They were reduced to Level 2 due to the shackles.
To Yeying, these warriors dying at the hands of a Level 2 Qianye was a bitter fate. Yet, she dismissed it, not worth pondering further.
Yeying continued her swift journey, vanishing into the night.
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