The other bikers felt chills crawl down their spines when they saw Landro "drinking blood."
But very soon,
the terror in their eyes faded with eerie speed.
In its place came excitement and shouting.
"As expected of Boss Landro! Even that couldn't kill him!"
"He's too strong! The strongest under heaven!"
"Landro, the immortal man!"
"Beautifully done! Suck him dry!"
The bikers continued enthusiastically praising their squad leader, as though the man Landro had just drained of blood and marrow were their mortal enemy.
"What is wrong with these people? Have they been hypnotized?"
Hua could not understand the bikers' state of mind, but it was obvious that something was wrong with them.
Had those riders been recruited from a psychiatric hospital?
Ptooey—
The resurrected Landro released his subordinate and flicked the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Tch, his blood was awful. Not nearly good enough for me to enjoy."
"But whatever. It was enough for an emergency. This isn't the time to be picky, considering I've already been killed once."
He had not expected the woman in the qipao to be such a tough opponent. Her strength was probably comparable to the commander from three years ago.
But that was already in the past. Landro himself was worlds apart from who he had been three years ago.
He could now pin that former commander to the ground and beat him senseless.
For now, however, he should wait for his body to finish repairing itself. Just a little longer.
Despite having already been killed once, Landro remained brimming with confidence. He even generously explained his power to his prey.
"I can wield power far beyond those espers. For example, I can control blood."
Landro pointed at Hua's arm. "Doesn't your body feel sluggish and numb?"
Hua clutched her arm, her face pale.
She had noticed long before Landro pointed it out. At first, she had assumed it was a symptom of poisoning and tried forcing blood from her body to dilute the toxin.
But it had no effect. Instead, Hua only felt her body growing heavier and more unresponsive. So this was the real problem.
Seeing understanding dawn in Hua's eyes while she remained powerless to act, Landro grew even more smug.
"I'm no attention-seeking esper. I belong to a new race that surpasses espers entirely—a vampire!"
"Blood makes up only seven to eight percent of the human body's weight, but as one of its most vital components, it exists throughout every organ. It can do far more than serve as a destructive weapon. If you can control all the blood in someone's body, that person becomes your puppet."
"Watch closely!"
As he spoke, Landro waved a hand, and one of his subordinates woodenly climbed off his motorcycle and walked over.
Landro bit open the man's neck as casually as opening a bottle, then began sucking his blood.
Once the man had been drained dry, Landro kicked him aside like an empty drink bottle and continued his explanation with undiminished enthusiasm.
"With proper control, blood can affect not only a person's physical condition, but even their emotions. That is why every member of the Third Special Assault Squad acts so abnormally. Even after witnessing this horrifying scene, the surrounding bikers remain unmoved, each of them as fervent as ever."
That was the origin of Landro's title, "Passionate Landro."
Even if he ordered his subordinates to disembowel themselves, they would do so with passionate enthusiasm.
In other words, Landro possessed an army that knew no fear of death!
"But I don't actually care about any of those functions. The greatest benefit this ability has given me is an immortal body."
Landro stroked the neck Hua had sliced open earlier. His severed windpipe and spine had somehow already healed.
The spine was one of the most difficult parts of the human body to repair. Such recovery was considered nearly impossible, yet Landro had returned to perfect condition within minutes.
"Isn't it miraculous?"
"Although I'm still only a third-generation vampire count, that's already enough to keep me from dying on the spot even if I'm disemboweled."
"As long as I have enough blood, I can survive. As long as I have enough blood, I can recover. I've implanted bloodstocks into every member of the Third Special Assault Squad here, turning them all into reserve blood bags for me! Hahahaha!"
Just now, he had controlled one of his blood bags, transfused himself, and resurrected.
"It's all thanks to that green-haired woman and the experiments she performed on me. She gave me this immortal body!"
At the mention of the green-haired woman, anger surfaced in Landro's eyes. He swung his arms and spoke through gritted teeth.
"I possess such incredible power, yet she still called me defective."
"One day, I will use the power of the vampires to become the King of the Night in Dusk City."
"Then I'll kill that mad scientist and become the one and only supreme vampire!"
At that point, Landro clicked his tongue. "That witch Ma really found me a massive problem."
It was not just that scientist. This time, she had sent him against another terrifyingly tough opponent.
But it did not matter...
As long as the enemy failed to discover his true weakness.
Landro touched his fully repaired chest and felt his newly regenerated heart begin beating once more.
He knew he had already recovered eighty percent of his strength.
"Vampire genes truly are terrifying."
Landro raised his head and looked at Hua once more. Her arm seemed to be giving off an irresistible fragrance.
"There's one more thing. After becoming a vampire count, any living creature touched by my blood has its blood placed under my control."
As he spoke, Landro's blood lifted Hua's spilled blood from the ground and carried it into his mouth.
He had intended to swallow it after only a casual taste.
But he had never expected the blood to be so overwhelmingly sweet and delicious.
Landro had long known that a young woman's blood was more fragrant than an ordinary person's.
The blood he had consumed before had been like chewing dry grass and paraffin in the middle of a desert.
But this girl's blood was like savoring a luxurious feast in an elite restaurant.
It was like rain after a terrible drought.
How could it taste this good?!
"Hahahaha! My blood is boiling!"
Landro clenched his fist and felt the surging power within him.
A strange warmth flowed through his body.
Every drop of blood in his veins screamed of his body's desire for the woman in the qipao.
Landro wiped the remaining blood from the corner of his mouth, licked his thin lips, and glared viciously at Hua. "This woman's blood is far too delicious. I want more! Much more!"
The bikers immediately shouted their agreement.
"Boss Landro is the strongest!"
"Go drink that woman's blood!"
Landro needed no encouragement. He was already desperate to taste more of Hua's blood!
The time for talking was over!
Landro charged toward Hua in great strides, plowing forward like a bulldozer and kicking every obstacle out of his path.
He moved so quickly that Hua had no time to react.
But despite his impatience, his tactics remained exceptionally cautious.
He remotely sent his motorcycle crashing toward Hua first as a feint.
Even though Hua knew it was merely a feint, the blood and energy within her body were in chaos. She could barely move her feet, much less dodge.
Ordinary people controlled their bodily movements through their muscles, while martial artists relied on their blood and energy.
A martial artist could focus the mind, circulate energy, and guide the flow of blood and energy throughout the body, gathering it in every limb and bone.
They controlled that flow through mental focus, thereby driving the body's movements.
That was why a martial artist's movement techniques far surpassed those of ordinary people. They possessed not only immense power, but also extraordinary endurance.
Yet no matter how intensely Hua concentrated, she could no longer control the blood and energy within her body.
In other words, Landro's ability to control blood perfectly countered Hua's martial arts!