Chapter 41: The Vampire’s Gambit

A blood-red spear, gleaming like a crimson rainbow, was aimed directly at Chloe Raina. Steam still hissed from its tip, a scorching whisper vibrating from the shaft as Longinus’s fingers danced across the grip, nimble as a pianist’s.

Chloe Raina stared at Longinus, her gaze tense, while Alice Fabian Caligula made no secret of her deep aversion to the figure before them.

With swift, fluid motion, Longinus thrust the spear toward Chloe Raina’s chest, then deftly hooked the white cloth wrapped around her, lifting it with the effortless grace of picking up a strand of pasta with chopsticks.

The white fabric drifted to the ground, leaving Chloe Raina utterly exposed. Her chest, previously disfigured by bites, was now perfectly healed, revealing skin as pristine as freshly fallen snow.

“Truly, a vampire’s recovery is remarkably swift.”

Longinus held the spear aloft, a smile gracing her lips as she fixed her unwavering gaze upon Chloe Raina’s bare form. Intricately carved magic rings encircled her hand, emanating a dazzling brilliance.

From her grasp, a silver spear materialized. Chloe Raina instinctively recoiled, a profound revulsion stirring within her. This was a silver weapon; a vampire struck by silver would find their wounds unable to heal at their usual accelerated pace.

“Prince Cliff wishes for you to live, but I do not.” Longinus playfully stuck out her tongue. “Farewell, Divine Chosen.”

Alice Fabian Caligula drew a dagger from her sleeve, her eyes darting nervously toward Longinus.

Longinus did not charge. Instead, she simply hurled the silver spear at Chloe Raina.

The silver projectile tore through the night sky, its immense force twisting the surrounding air into a compressed mass, forming a miniature vortex.

Chloe Raina’s body remained utterly immobile, not from unwillingness, but because the entire event unfolded in an instant.

Yet, her vision managed to trace the silver spear’s trajectory, as if time itself had been slowed immeasurably. The terror of death surged over Chloe Raina. Would she truly watch herself die?

*Splash.*

Crimson blood splattered across Chloe Raina’s cheek, yet her body registered no pain.

It was not her blood. The liquid seared her face like sulfuric acid.

A tall figure suddenly appeared before Chloe Raina, a cascade of pale purple hair obscuring her vision as a powerful gust of air lifted her blood-red gown.

Lucia gripped the silver spear tightly, with such immense force that it seemed she might snap it. Her hands were already drenched in blood, but no hint of pain marred her expression.

“Lady Chloe Raina, you have toiled diligently.” Lucia offered Chloe Raina a gentle smile, though her face flushed crimson upon realizing Chloe Raina’s nudity.

“Lady Chloe Raina, I believe this is indecent.”

“Hey, that’s not my fault!”

“Just in time.”

Alice Fabian Caligula’s hand was also bleeding; she had, astonishingly, plunged her dagger into it moments ago.

“Lucia, how are you here?” Chloe Raina asked, looking at her savior with surprise.

“This is a blood magic called ‘Blood Trace.’ It allows me to teleport to a marked person, provided they are bleeding.”

“She marked me while you were asleep,” Alice Fabian Caligula stated blandly. She picked up the white cloth from the ground, wrapping it around her own hand before offering a piece to Chloe Raina.

“Here, you can’t stay naked, can you?”

Chloe Raina accepted the white cloth, rewrapping herself.

“Lady Chloe Raina, allow me to show you how a vampire truly fights.”

Lucia lifted her leg, kicking the silver spear. It shattered into particles, dissipating into the air.

Longinus’s gaze settled on this uninvited guest. She raised her crimson spear, a smile spreading across her face.

“You’re a vampire too?”

“She is my mother, you traitor.”

Before the words had fully left her lips, Lucia leaped into the air, her long gown tracing a beautiful arc like a flowing ribbon. She transformed into a crimson phantom, assailing Longinus.

Longinus’s smile widened. She abruptly extended her hand, which became engulfed in a brilliant white light. In an instant, another brand-new silver spear materialized from thin air, which she then hurled with force at Lucia.

The silver spear precisely pierced the blood mist, yet the mist, like a spiderweb, tightly ensnared the weapon. After being severely restricted by the sudden stop, it was then dragged to the ground by a powerful gravitational force. Lucia suddenly appeared on the ground, reaching up to snatch the fallen silver spear.

Lucia shook her head uncomfortably. The silver spear hissed and scorched in her hand, its silver corroding her delicate skin, leaving mottled, root-like marks crawling across her flesh.

Longinus gave Lucia no quarter. Her movements were swift as she rapidly closed in on Lucia, who was momentarily stunned by the scorching pain. She violently swung her crimson spear. Lucia retreated, evading the strike. Seeing this, Longinus began to chant a spell.

Chloe Raina watched the duel with bated breath, not daring to blink, fearing she might miss a single detail. However, Alice Fabian Caligula tugged on Chloe Raina’s ear, saying, “Stop watching the show. We need to rescue Lady Xina first.”

Longinus freed one hand, summoning a purple spear. Gripping both the purple and red spears, she unleashed a meteor-like arc. Lucia, holding the silver spear, struck back at Longinus.

Longinus effortlessly parried Lucia’s counterattack. With immense force, she thrust both spears at Lucia, piercing her heart simultaneously. Lucia stood impaled by the two spears in a martyr’s pose. Yet, a flicker of displeasure crossed Longinus’s eyes.

The Lucia impaled by Longinus dissolved into a blood mist. Behind Longinus, the true Lucia plunged a dagger toward Longinus’s heart.

Longinus shimmered, dodging the attack and instead seizing Lucia’s wrist. Lucia then transformed into a swarm of black bats, settling atop the house.

She remained silent, seemingly waiting for something.

“Well done.” Longinus blinked her beautiful eyes. “Unfortunately, this is where it ends.”

The chant concluded, and a gleaming spear tore through the sky, plummeting toward Lucia. Lucia quickly dodged. The spear shattered every tile on the rooftop, piercing deep into the earth below.

Just as Lucia was about to sigh in relief, the sky flashed again, as bright as day.

Twelve spears simultaneously streaked across the night sky, all targeting Lucia, resembling a meteor shower from above.

Lucia quickly tumbled from the rooftop. However, Longinus stood below with her twin spears, completely impaling Lucia’s body. She hoisted Lucia high, and the twelve spears then pierced every part of Lucia. This time, not even the strongest regenerative ability could save her.

No joy registered on Longinus’s face, only deepening confusion.

Lucia’s corpse dissolved into viscous blood, completely covering Longinus’s body. The blood, like spider silk, tightly bound her to the ground.

“What… what is this?!”

For the first time, Longinus felt genuine astonishment. She looked around, realizing that Chloe Raina and Alice Fabian Caligula had already exited the house with a sleeping Lady Xina, and Lucia stood beside them.

Lucia ignored the exasperated Longinus. Instead, she lifted her skirt and curtsied slightly to Chloe Raina. “This is the true essence of vampire combat—achieved through strategy, not brute force.”

“I cast two spells beforehand: ‘Blood Trace’ to conceal my presence, and ‘Blood Puppet’ to create two decoys, thus confusing her.”

“Amazing.”

Chloe Raina was utterly impressed by Lucia’s combat skills, yet Alice Fabian Caligula remained unimpressed.

“Clever tricks, but they’d be useless against large-scale destructive magic like Angelica Cornelia Scipio’s.”

“But you can only hypnotize people,” Chloe Raina added, a playful jab that made Alice Fabian Caligula blush and turn her head away.

“Isn’t this amusing?”

Longinus interrupted their conversation, her gaze settling on Chloe Raina.

“Poor thing, utterly unaware that you’re being played like a puppet.”

Chloe Raina looked at Longinus. Though bound, Longinus showed no signs of tension. Did she have another trick up her sleeve?

“Muffle her mouth so she can’t cast spells—” Alice Fabian Caligula suggested. Lucia took some white cloth from Chloe Raina and wrapped it directly around Longinus’s mouth.

Longinus was finally silenced, letting out muffled grunts that appeared comically absurd.

“I can’t believe she managed to infiltrate us by posing as a spearman,” Lucia said with some concern.

Chloe Raina looked at Longinus, trying to find more traces of Xiao Nuoqi in her face—the Xiao Nuoqi who was so righteous and always followed Big Brother Norria.

“Were all the stories you told me fake?”

Chloe Raina gently caressed Longinus’s cheek. The Xiao Nuoqi whose brother died in a calamity and whose sister was sold into slavery—this was her true face.

At that moment, however, Longinus’s body began to ignite. Like Alysia Junia Brutus, her form started to fade.

Lucia and Alice Fabian Caligula stood guard tensely beside Longinus, but she clearly had no possibility of resisting further. She dragged her broken body, rising from the ground.

Flames consumed half of her body, burning away the white cloth in her mouth. Chloe Raina saw her lips moving with a strained effort.

“It was all true,” Longinus whispered softly. “And the one who caused it all was you.”

Longinus’s hand reached out toward Chloe Raina. Just before she could touch Chloe Raina, she completely dissolved.

All that remained was the faint scent of burning in the air.