Deep within the pitch-black tunnel, the air trembled with savage roars and the metallic hiss of blades slicing through flesh. Sword flashes streaked across the darkness like bursts of lightning, and one vampire after another collapsed onto the cold stone floor, their bodies twitching before going still. The narrow passage reeked of decay and blood, thick enough to choke on, but the group pushed forward without hesitation, cutting through anything that moved.
After casually twisting a vampire's head clean off its shoulders, Locke wiped his hand against his coat and turned his gaze toward a smaller cave branching off ahead. A faint smile curved his lips, calm and controlled, as if the chaos around him was nothing more than background noise.
A guttural roar echoed again, snapping the moment apart. Another vampire lunged, but before it could even react, three spears punched through its chest, neck, and skull in a brutal, synchronized strike. The creature froze for a split second before collapsing lifelessly.
Yin Fu yanked his spear free, staggering slightly as he adjusted his footing. He still wasn't fully used to the weapon, and the unfamiliar weight and balance threw him off more than he liked. Sweat beaded at his temple, but he gritted his teeth and steadied himself, refusing to fall behind.
Beside him, Vasily moved with far more confidence. The moment he pulled his spear free, he gave it a sharp flick, sending arcs of white blood splattering onto the ground. His movements were fluid and practiced, almost effortless, and the way he carried himself made Daqi glance over with clear admiration lighting up her eyes.
Nora stayed positioned in the middle of the group, gripping her shield tightly. Every few seconds, she surged forward to intercept incoming attacks, blocking the vicious flesh thorns that shot out from the vampires like living weapons. The impacts rang against her shield with dull, heavy thuds, but she held firm, protecting the others as they pressed on.
In such a short span of time, their coordination had sharpened dramatically. What had started as a loosely connected group was now moving with a growing sense of rhythm, each person instinctively covering the others' blind spots.
"Eichorst?"
The low voice echoed through the hollow cave, carrying a weight that cut through the lingering noise of battle. Abraham stood at the front, his expression grim, his grip tightening around the silver sword in his hand. The scent in the air had changed, and he recognized it immediately. Rot, old and familiar, clung to the darkness ahead.
A figure emerged slowly, his pale face stretching into a twisted smile. "Abraham," Eichorst said, his tone dripping with mockery. "My master has spared you time and time again, yet here you are again, clinging like a stubborn hyena. What is it this time? Another attempt to drag your friends into your crusade?"
His cold eyes shifted slightly, scanning the group. When he didn't spot the one presence he seemed to be searching for, a flicker of tension crossed his face before fading into something more predatory. His gaze sharpened, like a hunter sizing up weakened prey.
A sharp metallic sound rang out as Abraham drew his sword in a single fluid motion. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and slashed toward Eichorst with decisive speed, the blade cutting through the air with a lethal arc.
But the strike met nothing.
An afterimage flickered, and in the same instant, a grotesque flesh thorn shot forward, slick with an unknown mucus as it whipped toward Abraham's chest. The attack came so fast it blurred, but just as it was about to land, Vasily lunged from behind and yanked Abraham out of the way.
The flesh thorn sliced through the space where he had stood a heartbeat earlier, narrowly missing him.
Gunfire exploded through the cave.
Yin Fu raised his weapon and fired wildly at Eichorst, the muzzle flashes lighting up the darkness in rapid bursts. The sound of bullets slamming into flesh echoed sharply, breaking the rhythm of the underground silence.
With a furious roar, Eichorst recoiled, retracting his flesh thorns as he turned and bolted deeper into the tunnel. Bullets struck him from behind, his body jerking as he stumbled and nearly fell, but he forced himself back up and kept running, his movements frantic and desperate.
Pain tore through him where the bullets had embedded themselves. Thin trails of smoke rose from the wounds, accompanied by a faint sizzling sound, as if his flesh was being burned from the inside out.
Silver bullets.
Fear flickered across his face as he pushed himself faster, heading straight toward where his master lay hidden.
Behind him, Abraham and the others were quickly surrounded once more by a surge of vampires. As the ultraviolet light flared to life, flooding the cave in a harsh purple glow, the creatures recoiled like frightened animals, hissing and retreating from the light.
Abraham's eyes hardened, urgency taking over. Without hesitation, he broke through the opening and chased after Eichorst, Yin Fu and the others following closely behind, fending off the remaining vampires as they moved.
Eichorst gritted his teeth as he ran, the sound of pursuit echoing behind him. Just as he was about to reach the hidden chamber where the Blood Ancestor resided, a deep, commanding voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
His body froze for a fraction of a second.
Scarlet light flared in his eyes, his pupils dilating as he silently received the command. A subtle shift passed over his expression, and without warning, he veered off course, diving into a narrow side passage instead.
Moments later, Abraham and the others reached the spot he had just abandoned. Under the ultraviolet beam, faint traces of white blood glistened on the ground, marking his path.
Abraham's gaze locked onto the trail, and he immediately moved to follow it. But before he could take more than a step, a low, resonant roar erupted from the opposite direction, followed by a chorus of answering howls.
The Blood Ancestor was calling.
Abraham's expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, he abandoned the trail and turned toward the source of the roar, his intent shifting completely. Compared to the Blood Ancestor, Eichorst meant nothing.
The roar deepened, vibrating through the stone itself. A crushing pressure slammed into their minds, dulling their thoughts and igniting sharp, stabbing pain behind their eyes. Abraham staggered, clutching his head as his vision blurred, barely able to make out the silhouettes of vampires closing in.
The group instinctively pulled together, shields raised in front of them. Under the relentless mental assault, they could barely muster the strength to move, let alone fight.
The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet, and the low, droning hum of the Blood Ancestor's presence filled the entire tunnel, oppressive and suffocating.
Just as their resistance was about to collapse, the roar abruptly stopped.
Relief flooded in like a sudden breath of fresh air. The pressure vanished, and clarity returned to their minds in an instant. Reacting immediately, they grabbed their spears and struck without hesitation, cutting down the stunned vampires that had crept too close.
The ultraviolet light continued to blaze, forming a barrier that kept the remaining creatures at bay.
Abraham didn't waste a second. He surged forward, heading straight toward the source of the earlier roar. Yin Fu and the others followed tightly behind, fighting off any stragglers that dared approach from the rear.
Water dripped steadily from the cave ceiling, each droplet splashing into shallow puddles with soft, echoing taps. The rhythmic sound blended with their footsteps as they entered a wider chamber.
At the center stood a crude, ancient sarcophagus.
Abraham's grip tightened around his silver sword, his face set in grim determination as he approached. Behind him, the others slowed, their expressions equally tense. Everything they knew about the Blood Ancestor came from Abraham's stories, but facing it in person was an entirely different matter.
Even Eichorst alone had been enough to push them to their limits. The thought of confronting the being he served sent a chill through them.
Step by step, Abraham closed the distance, raising his sword.
The sarcophagus exploded.
A massive figure burst out in a blur of motion, the sheer force of its emergence sending dust and debris scattering across the chamber. Abraham reacted instantly, driving his sword forward toward the shadow—
—and was sent flying.
The impact came like a sledgehammer. His body was hurled backward, the silver sword torn from his grasp as he crashed across the ground. The Blood Ancestor didn't pause. With a surge of overwhelming speed, it lunged toward Yin Fu and the others.
The ultraviolet lamp flared brightly, flooding the chamber with harsh light.
With a savage roar, the Blood Ancestor appeared directly in front of Vasily, its presence suffocating. A thick, grotesque flesh thorn shot out, aiming straight for his neck with lethal precision.
"Fuck!"
Yin Fu and the others thrust their spears forward in panic, while Vasily threw himself backward in a desperate attempt to evade. But the attack didn't slow. The flesh thorn continued its path, closing the final distance in an instant.
Then a blur cut through the air.
A flash of steel.
The flesh thorn dropped to the ground, severed cleanly.
The Blood Ancestor's scarlet eyes snapped toward the figure that had appeared, shock flickering across its inhuman features.
Before it could react, a kick struck its chest like a bolt of lightning.
Its massive body was launched backward, and in the same motion, Locke hurled the sword in his hand. The blade tore through the air and slammed into the Blood Ancestor's chest, driving it into the wall with tremendous force and pinning it there.
A deafening roar tore through the chamber. White blood spilled from its mouth as its body convulsed, the entire cave trembling under the force of its fury. Abraham and the others clamped their hands over their ears, faces contorting in pain.
Only one figure continued forward, calm and unhurried.
Locke.
"You—"
The Blood Ancestor's voice trembled with something unfamiliar—shock. Its severed flesh thorn regenerated rapidly, writhing back to life before lashing out again at blinding speed.
Locke moved just as fast.
He sidestepped the attack, his body shifting with precise control. In the same motion, he ripped the sword free from the Blood Ancestor's chest and swung it toward its head, the blade cutting down in a lethal arc.
The Blood Ancestor abandoned the attack, its form blurring as it twisted away and darted to the side, retreating in a burst of speed.
Locke followed without hesitation.
Behind them, the oppressive roar ceased completely. Abraham forced himself up, his body trembling as he watched Locke chase after the fleeing figure, excitement blazing in his eyes.
"You must kill him!"
His voice echoed through the chamber, raw and desperate.
Above ground, in the Red Hook industrial district, a heavy manhole cover rattled violently. Security guards stationed around the area snapped to attention, raising their weapons as they stared at the shifting metal.
A reinforced device locked the cover firmly in place, preventing anything beneath from forcing it open. Even so, the violent movement beneath it made their nerves tighten.
A distant roar rose from below.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, fingers tightening on their triggers.
Back in the tunnels, the Blood Ancestor crashed heavily onto the ground, white blood spilling from its mouth in steady streams. Its once-massive flesh thorns had been severed again, leaving ragged stumps that twitched weakly.
"Roar!"
"Deprivation!"
....
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