Chapter 39: The Original Order’s Ritual and Longinus’s Deception

Chloe Raina had barely stepped one foot out the door when a fierce wave of heat, like a gale, struck her face. A raging bonfire, resembling a scarlet fire dragon, pierced the clouds and soared into the sky, while the thick scent of smoke assailed her, making her cough repeatedly.

Several women, tightly wrapped in grey robes, stood by the bonfire. Their arms were outstretched, and frantic hymns emerged from their mouths, akin to the whispers of Satan.

“Praise… our Emperor.”

Like bloodthirsty corpses, disjointed sentences sporadically escaped their rusted throats, and a foul, decaying stench emanated from their dust-laden robes.

Chloe Raina gasped for air, her body trembling with fear. Alice Fabian Caligula clasped Chloe Raina’s hand, offering her a calm gaze, which finally allowed Chloe Raina to compose herself.

Wooden fences, like the high walls of a prison, tightly enclosed the surrounding landscape.

“Is this Bruen Castle?”

Chloe Raina remembered the dilapidated castle vividly.

“It once was,” Longinus said with a faint smile. “But now, it’s our temporary camp.”

“Who are they?” Chloe Raina’s gaze fixed on the terrifying women as she questioned Longinus.

Longinus lowered her emerald eyes, smiling but remaining silent. Xiao Nuoqi’s smile was guileless, yet Longinus’s held an exceptionally wicked charm.

“They are the Original Order, a group of pitiable souls who couldn’t retain their youth,” Alice Fabian Caligula answered for her. “They betrayed the Eledis Empire, and the gods abandoned them.”

Alice Fabian Caligula cast a pitying glance at the Original Order. Their faces were shriveled, skin mottled, hair streaked with grey, and their eyeballs had atrophied, leaving only two dark, hollow sockets.

Suddenly, the Original Order ceased their prayers. Their fierce eyes turned towards Alice Fabian Caligula, yet they were held back by some powerful force, standing motionless in place.

Longinus raised her gaze, playfully scrutinizing Chloe Raina. “Lady Chloe Raina, do you know why the Original Order enjoys hunting Elders?”

“They can only regain their youth by killing Elders, correct?”

Chloe Raina was utterly convinced of this possibility.

“The gods no longer favor them,” Longinus shrugged, smiling as she looked at Chloe Raina. “They simply envy the immortal Elders.”

“Then why are you still so young?”

Longinus’s face was as smooth as frost, her hair soft, and her skin so delicate it seemed it could break with a touch, like a child’s fresh complexion. Her apparent age was strikingly different from the other Original Order members.

“A secret.”

“I believe the history of the Original Order and the Eledis Empire can wait,” Alice Fabian Caligula interjected coldly. “Longinus, who was the man killed by the tiger?”

Longinus bowed respectfully, a sweet smile gracing her lips. For a fleeting moment, Chloe Raina felt as if Xiao Nuoqi had returned. “As you command, Lady Alice Fabian Caligula.”

“He was a new recruit, similar to me in hair color and appearance, even his scent was alike. He was a godsend, a perfect scapegoat, but he had a face full of freckles, so I had to disfigure him.”

It was Jack. Chloe Raina’s heart sank, wondering how Miko would react upon learning this.

“So you harmed Simon?” Chloe Raina murmured.

“I only intended to make it look like he’d killed me. But that beast, seeing me kill the poor wretch, actually charged at me, and even took a shot for it.”

Longinus rubbed her nose, chuckling slyly.

So that was why Simon harbored such intense malice towards Xiao Nuoqi’s corpse.

“Then you emerged from the crowd, seized Xina Sirena, and forced me to come with you and Chloe Raina,” Alice Fabian Caligula finished for her, adding a scathing remark. “What a scoundrel.”

“To the Original Order, ‘scoundrel’ isn’t a derogatory term. Besides, there’s something else I’m quite curious about.”

A faint shimmer passed, and snow-white particles coalesced, sprinkling onto Longinus’s hand. Suddenly, a blood-red dagger materialized in her right hand.

Alice Fabian Caligula hastily shielded Chloe Raina. Yet, Longinus plunged the dagger into her own hand. With a crisp slicing sound, blood gushed from her palm, dripping onto the ground.

She extended her hand towards Chloe Raina, a smile gracing her face.

“No, don’t!” Alice Fabian Caligula sharply turned to Chloe Raina, attempting to suppress the onset of her desires.

Chloe Raina’s face flushed crimson, her scarlet eyes fixated on the continuously bleeding hand. The desire within her, for reasons unknown, ignited fiercely, consuming her last vestiges of rationality.

Delicious.

Chloe Raina struggled to break free from Alice Fabian Caligula’s grip, her head lunging outwards in a frantic motion.

Enticing.

Chloe Raina had already surged forward, tackling Longinus to the ground. Alice Fabian Caligula’s pulling was futile as Chloe Raina pressed down on Longinus’s body.

Sweet.

Chloe Raina seized Longinus’s hand, her crimson tongue roaming wantonly over it, seemingly intent on licking every drop of blood clean. The blood-soaked fingers smoothly slipped from Chloe Raina’s mouth, saliva dripping to the ground in their wake.

Moments later, rationality returned to Chloe Raina’s mind. She was dragged away by Alice Fabian Caligula, landing with a thud on the ground. Longinus lay there, beautifully sucking her own fingers.

“As a vampire, you should be more faithful to your desires.”

Longinus sat up, looking at the two with keen interest.

Chloe Raina wiped the blood from her mouth, gazing at Longinus with a perplexed expression.

Alice Fabian Caligula gritted her teeth, glaring furiously at Longinus, her eyes seemingly spitting fire.

“You are truly remarkable, to have allowed a Divine Chosen to become a vampire. But this is good too; they won’t suffer like my colleagues.”

Longinus glanced at the covetous Original Order members nearby. They had resumed their chanting, their withered faces silently narrating their resentment. She then looked back at Chloe Raina.

“Lady Chloe Raina, as a vampire, you need to drink human blood three times a day to be satisfied,” Longinus chuckled softly. “Or perhaps your Elder companion isn’t feeding you regularly?”

Three times a day? For Chloe Raina, drinking blood once every two days was already a luxury, and most of it was horse blood. Elder blood was indeed much more palatable, which explained why she had lost all reason upon seeing Longinus’s blood earlier.

“Longinus, you wretch,” Alice Fabian Caligula said with hatred.

“Oh, right, I remember now. Vampires face a life-threatening danger if they drink an Elder’s blood, don’t they?”

A chill ran down Chloe Raina’s spine. She cried out, “What danger?”

Longinus spread both her palms, intoning, “Ten.”

“I only have ten years left to live?”

“Nine.”

Chloe Raina’s heart nearly stopped.

The light had faded from Alice Fabian Caligula’s eyes. Chloe Raina tugged at her clothes, and Alice Fabian Caligula looked at her, saying, “An Elder’s blood is blessed by the gods, making it a deadly poison for vampires. That’s why I never fed you my own blood.”

“Damn it, why didn’t you stop me then?”

“Three.”

“I was pulling you very hard just now.”

“Two.”

“Use your damned hypnotic magic! Like you did on Xina Sirena!”

“One.”

“Have you forgotten the bracelet Alena gave you? Hypnotic magic doesn’t work on you.”

“Zero.”

As the countdown concluded, Chloe Raina felt a massive surge erupting from her throat.

“Hiccup—”

She let out a long, resonant burp. Nothing else happened, yet her face flushed crimson as she quickly clamped her mouth shut. Still, more important than embarrassment was the fact that she was alive.

“I’m fine?” Chloe Raina touched her entire body. She was still wrapped in white cloth, but nothing had happened to her.

Longinus burst into laughter, rubbing her eyes as she looked at a bewildered Chloe Raina.

“Have you forgotten? I am no longer favored by the gods.”

“I thought as much,” Alice Fabian Caligula nodded faintly.

‘What just happened? It feels like they conspired to prank me.’ Chloe Raina stood up. No wonder Alice Fabian Caligula had seemed so nonchalant earlier; she must have known the outcome all along. But why would Longinus stage such a scene?

Alice Fabian Caligula’s expression remained tense. Her brows were deeply furrowed as she stared intently at Longinus.

“Perfect timing,” Longinus said, picking up the dagger that had fallen to the ground. The dagger quickly dissolved into particles and vanished.

The chanting of the Original Order ceased in unison, the collective sound dying away completely. From the flames rising from the bonfire, a red-haired maiden, unclothed, slowly emerged. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist, and though she walked out of the scorching fire, she was utterly unharmed.

“Alysia Junia Brutus.”

Alice Fabian Caligula stared meaningfully at the red-haired maiden. ‘It seems she is the leader of the Original Order, but why is she completely naked?’

Chloe Raina awkwardly averted her gaze. However, the red-haired maiden walked directly towards Chloe Raina.

“Long time no see, Caesar.”

Alysia Junia Brutus lifted Chloe Raina’s face, leaving a faint, soft kiss on her cheek.