Chapter 1736: Chapter 118: Vampire Emergence 2
"Ancestor, there has been a change in the Capital, we..."
Before the sentence was finished, the middle-aged man suddenly launched a surprise attack on the elder. Unfortunately, he clearly underestimated the elder’s vigilance. With just a sound heard, the man was kicked flying over ten meters by the elder and broke his spine on impact.
"Who are you, and why are you impersonating Karol?"
The elder immediately pressed for answers.
Three hundred years had passed, with over ten generations in between, but ultimately they were his descendants. Now, being taken over by others was something he clearly could not tolerate.
"Hehehe..."
After a strange laugh, the severely injured middle-aged man suddenly transformed into a swarm of bats and started scattering in all directions.
The bizarre scene startled the elder. He had seen many bats, but a living person turning into a swarm of bats was clearly beyond his comprehension.
The creature in front was clearly not one that existed on the Continent of Aslante.
Without any hesitation, the elder directly struck hard, exterminating most of the bats in front of him. Originally intending to search their souls, he ended up finding nothing.
"They escaped!"
The elder said unwillingly.
The bats’ flight speed was too fast, and he had been shocked by the scene earlier, reacting slightly slower than needed, so he failed to intercept all the bats.
To a Sanctuary Powerhouse, allowing someone below Sanctuary status to escape right before his eyes was undoubtedly very embarrassing.
"Something’s not right, there’s an ambush!"
Realizing the danger, the elder immediately chose to vanish.
Almost simultaneously, several shockwaves appeared at the spot where he had just left. Without a doubt, this was an ambush specifically set for him.
After the initial sneak attack failed, they directly shifted to a blitz.
In the blink of an eye, six Sanctuary Powerhouses surrounded him for the kill. Perhaps due to a discrepancy between body and soul, these six had slightly slower reactions.
A duel between strongmen is a moment’s affair; facing six opponents is stressful, but he managed to seize the moment to escape.
"Damn, that old bastard got away. The secret certainly can’t be kept now; explaining to the Ancestor will be difficult!"
The person in blue clothes frowned as they spoke.
"This was expected; none of our powers have fully recovered, merely equivalent to those newly entering Sanctuary.
Given a failed sneak attack, attempting to detain a Sanctuary Second Order was unrealistic in itself.
In an actual fight, that old fellow might not be afraid of us. If not for his cowardice and fleeing, we would probably need to take down a few of us to detain him!
The Falcon Kingdom is isolated remotely, but that doesn’t mean their strength is genuinely weak. Our previous plot succeeded mainly because it caught them by surprise.
The real force behind the previous coup was actually the Falcon People; our race merely utilized disguise to make use of those Human Race fools.
In such a large Kingdom, hidden powerhouses certainly aren’t few, and it’s impossible for us to kill them all.
Leaks are only a question of time, and similar things are likely happening elsewhere. As for the Ancestor, we should just report it truthfully!"
The leading man in purple robes said confidently.
Successfully taking over the Falcon Kingdom was already a significant miracle. Expecting no leaks after that was utterly dreaming.
As a powerful maritime trading nation, the Falcon Kingdom was hardly a secluded place. Long-term disconnection with the outside world would certainly attract the attention of the Human Alliance.
Moreover, there is an exiled Queen Marisol likely seeking aid here and there at this moment. It would only be a matter of time before interference from the continent’s nations occurs.
Not wanting to face the pressure from the Human Race alone, the other races invading the continent would need to act together, promptly causing trouble to share their burden.
...
Having narrowly escaped disaster, the Sanctuary elder did not hastily leave the Falcon Kingdom; rather, he concealed his identity and began investigating secretly.
The enemies attempting to ambush him were certainly not ones who just appeared out of thin air. In his memory, there was no information on these mysterious creatures, let alone any enmity.
Nobody intentionally provoke a strong Sanctuary enemy for no reason; the enemies choosing to target him were certainly because they believed he was in their way.
Assuming a new identity and infiltrating the Capital, the elder was greatly shocked. He had merely closed himself for some time, yet the Kingdom had changed masters.
Among the ruling officials, he found many whose souls and bodies were not in harmony, a clear indication that they were parasitized.
Seeing this, he instantly understood why the coup could proceed so smoothly. The Kingdom’s rulers were replaced like swapping the peach for the plum, naturally being substituted.
However, this shell-hopping approach also has its drawbacks. People can use body occupation for disguise, but sudden changes in daily habits and political stances will certainly raise the suspicion of those around.
The upheavals occurring at the court were basically triggered by this. Learning things they shouldn’t know would immediately attract a mortal danger, nothing like the rule-bound struggles among Nobles.
"Viscount, these Blood Roses are drawn from the finest maidens’ blood, absolutely free of pollution for your pleasure!"
The newly appointed Butler John flattered his master.
In just a month, the Viscount Mansion had changed three stewards, all of whom died tragically, their bodies drained of blood.
Officially it was declared as accidents, but how frequent could accidents be? If a vampire-like beast had infiltrated the city and caused trouble at the Viscount Mansion, their master would have surely involved the City Guard.
Combining his master’s peculiar requirements, the astute John was scared half to death and quickly decided to satisfy all of them for his own survival.
The act of drinking live human blood usually happens within a Cult. Occasionally, a few Nobles can’t resist trying it out, however.
Out in the open, everyone scorns this, and the Human Alliance has even issued a ban. Laws of various nations also mark such acts as key targets for crackdown. But secretly, this vile behavior persists.
To satisfy their peculiar cravings, some Nobles even secretly nurture blood slaves to provide fresh blood for themselves.
"Well done, John!
Promoting you to steward seems to have been the right choice. Keep it up, and benefits will surely come your way in the future."
If it were a month ago, receiving praise from his master would have thrilled John immensely.
But now things were different; the kindly Viscount in front of him was merely a demon ready to devour at any moment in his opinion.
The steward’s role has always been filled by the most loyal people, typically serving for several generations and only those who are both loyal and capable qualify to take such a position.
However, three staunchly loyal stewards lost their lives for admonishing the master, completely extinguishing John’s loyalty. Now, all he wanted was to survive.
"Master, these are part of my duties. If there are no other orders, I won’t disturb your meal!"
As he spoke, John’s waist bent even lower, fearing exposing any little thought might cost him his life.
"Go!"
Viscount Hank waved his hand and said.
He had finally escaped that ghostly place called The Kingdom of God, and it was the perfect moment to enjoy life; he had no interest in speculating about the thoughts of his subordinates.
Be obediently compliant, then he would keep using them. Otherwise, consider them added to his feast.
From the moment they occupied the Falcon Kingdom, their racial nature was ignited. If it wasn’t for the Ancestor’s command above to operate locally long-term without lawless actions, otherwise...
Gently stepping out of the room, walking only a few steps, John suddenly felt his body lighten. Upon realizing, he found himself already outside the Viscount Mansion.
"Tell me, when did your Viscount undergo such a drastic change in personality?"
Startled by the question, Butler John, still recovering from the shock, said: "About a month ago, back then the Capital hadn’t undergone dramatic changes.
Ever since returning from exploring The Kingdom of God, the Viscount’s demeanor turned violent and bloodthirsty, killing at the slightest displeasure.
In the past month, three stewards met unfortunate ends at the mansion, and I am the newly appointed ..."