A violent surge of power erupted from Locke's body, spreading through his limbs like a tidal wave breaking its restraints. His muscles tightened, his bones seemed to hum, and an invisible transformation unfolded beneath his skin. The Blood Ancestor struggled beneath his foot, but the resistance grew weaker with every passing second, as if something fundamental was being torn away from him. At the same time, Locke's presence intensified, rising rapidly until it pressed down on everything around him.
"How dare you steal my power!"
The Blood Ancestor's voice came out like a beast's howl, layered with rage and disbelief. His scarlet pupils burned as he stared up at the man pinning him down, his expression twisted with fury and something deeper—fear. The sensation of being consumed from within was something even he had never experienced.
"Stealing?" Locke's voice was calm, almost indifferent, but the golden glint in his eyes carried a cold finality. "This is deprivation. This is what you get for devouring countless lives over the centuries."
A faint golden light flickered in his gaze, and at that moment, his aura surged so violently that even the vampires drawn by the Blood Ancestor's call hesitated. The creatures lingered at the edges of the chamber, restless and agitated, but none of them dared to approach.
A sharp, wet sound cut through the tension as a spear pierced straight through a vampire's skull. Vasily stepped forward, planting himself near Locke, his breathing steady despite the chaos. Behind him, Abraham approached, supported by Yin Fu and the others, his face flushed with a mixture of exhaustion and overwhelming emotion.
His eyes locked onto the Blood Ancestor at Locke's feet, and the intensity in his expression was unmistakable. His hand trembled slightly as he reached for the silver sword concealed within his cane, pulling it free with deliberate care.
Locke didn't move to stop him.
He simply watched.
Abraham stepped forward, his movements slow but resolute. The weight of decades of hatred and loss pressed down on him, but his grip remained steady as he raised the blade. Then, without hesitation, he brought it down.
The Blood Ancestor's head was severed cleanly.
A dull, guttural roar echoed through the chamber, fading into a hollow silence that lasted only a heartbeat before everything erupted.
The surrounding vampires surged forward in a frenzy. Even under the harsh glow of the ultraviolet lights, they charged like maddened beasts, completely ignoring the burning pain that should have driven them back. Smoke curled from their bodies as they pushed through the light, their hunger overriding every instinct of self-preservation.
Steam and haze filled the tunnel, obscuring vision as the battle reignited.
Locke slowly lifted his foot from the Blood Ancestor's body. His senses, sharpened far beyond human limits, told him the truth instantly—the creature beneath him had lost all signs of life. There was no pulse, no movement, nothing left of the monstrous will that had once dominated this place.
Abraham stood frozen, staring at the headless corpse. For a brief moment, disbelief clouded his features, but then his expression shifted. Confusion crept in as he realized something was wrong.
The vampires were still alive.
Locke's gaze flicked toward the severed head lying nearby, his eyes narrowing slightly as a subtle thought crossed his mind. In the next instant, his figure vanished without a trace.
"Where—where did he go?!"
Yin Fu's voice rose in shock, his eyes darting around the chamber. Nora turned in place, scanning every corner, but there was no sign of Locke anywhere. It was as if he had been erased from existence.
Abraham didn't react to their panic. His focus remained locked on the Blood Ancestor's remains, his expression tightening. He stepped forward again and drove his sword into the severed head, the blade sinking in with a harsh, tearing sound.
A faint sizzling followed as the silver burned through the flesh.
"This… this is impossible."
His voice wavered, the certainty he had carried for so long beginning to crack. Yin Fu and Nora exchanged glances, the same realization dawning on them.
"If the Blood Ancestor is dead… why aren't they dying?"
The question hung heavy in the air, unanswered.
Gasoline was poured over the remains, soaking into the charred ground. A spark followed, and flames erupted instantly, swallowing what was left of the Blood Ancestor's body. The fire crackled and hissed, burning fiercely until nothing remained but blackened ash.
Abraham stared at the scorched ground long after the flames died, his expression distant. Eventually, Yin Fu and the others helped him away, their footsteps echoing as they left the chamber behind.
Time passed.
From the silence of the cave, a faint, unsettling sound began to stir.
A figure staggered into view.
Eichorst.
His movements were unsteady, his body trembling as he approached the spot where the Blood Ancestor had been reduced to ash. His eyes glowed faintly with scarlet light, and his breathing came in shallow, uneven bursts.
Slowly, he reached out and pressed his fingers against the rock wall nearby. His movements were deliberate, almost reverent, as if he knew exactly where to touch.
Something responded.
A thin, blood-red worm emerged from the crack, writhing as it crawled onto his palm. It twisted and pulsed, alive in a way that felt deeply unnatural.
Eichorst's expression shifted.
Then, in a blur of motion, his figure dissolved into afterimages and vanished into the darkness.
…
The dimensional node shifted.
The world snapped back into place.
Inside a quiet bar, Locke straightened from the couch, his body moving with effortless control. Every injury he had sustained was gone, leaving behind a sense of vitality that coursed through him like a second heartbeat.
The sudden change made Emily freeze, a soft gasp escaping her lips. From her perspective, his body had only trembled for a moment, but now he looked completely different—refreshed, energized, almost unreal.
"I'm fine, Emily."
A confident smile touched his lips as he spoke. At this moment, he was no longer the same person he had been before entering that world. His gaze shifted slightly as a transparent interface materialized in front of him.
Locke
Dimension Points: 130 (earned through altering the storyline)
Innate Talent: Dimensional Deprivation
Abilities: Eternal Life, Body of the Ancestor (Archangel – Disabled)
He frowned faintly as his eyes lingered on the last entry. The mention of "Archangel" stirred a memory, pulling fragments of knowledge from the vampire storyline he had just left.
With a subtle thought, a scarlet interface unfolded before him like a doorway between worlds.
The familiar, ominous cover of the vampire series appeared, accompanied by a stream of information that flowed directly into his mind. In an instant, he understood—he could return to that world whenever he chose. And within it, there were still secrets left unexplored.
His gaze flickered, thoughtful.
But he didn't make a decision immediately.
To enter another dimension, he needed to accumulate energy again, to judge sins and gather enough power to open the path. Acting recklessly now would only limit his options.
Another thought surfaced, and a new interface appeared.
At the top of the list sat a bottle of pale, white liquid.
Angel's Blood: Contains immense vitality. Rapidly heals physical damage and extends lifespan.
Cost: 50 points
This was something he had accumulated while hunting vampires in the sewers. A portion had been given away, but the rest had been converted into this exchangeable resource.
Below it—
Pure Silver Sword: High-purity silver weapon.
Cost: 10 points
Locke didn't bother examining the rest. Most of it consisted of equipment he had already used in that world, nothing particularly valuable to him now.
With a flicker of thought, the interface disappeared.
The so-called Angel's Blood held no real appeal. Fifty points for something he could already produce himself—at a higher quality—was nothing short of wasteful. Compared to his earlier exchanges, the value simply didn't hold up.
He leaned back slightly, organizing his thoughts.
Somewhere deep inside, he had felt it—the sense that he couldn't truly kill the Blood Ancestor. But that didn't matter. He had stripped it of everything that made it dangerous. Even if it returned, it would be a hollow shell, incapable of standing against beings like Quinlan.
A faint breath escaped him.
The fact that he had obtained immortality so easily still felt surreal. What had once seemed untouchable was now just another piece in his growing collection of abilities. More importantly, his version of immortality was fundamentally different. It wasn't bound to body-swapping like the Blood Ancestor's—it was complete, stable, and entirely his own.
The enhancement from fully absorbing the Ancestor's body had also pushed his physical strength to a new level, nearly doubling what it had been before.
"Locke?"
Emily's voice broke through his thoughts. She looked at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity, clearly unsure what had just happened.
"You hired me, didn't you?" Locke lifted his head, meeting her gaze with a relaxed smile. "Then I'll take the job seriously. I'll help you run the bar your father left behind."
Morning came quickly.
Sunlight spilled across the uneven stone pavement of Wallier Street, casting long shadows as pedestrians hurried along their way. The city was already alive, the quiet of the night replaced by the steady rhythm of daily life.
Inside the bar, Locke pulled the curtains open, letting the light flood the room. Dressed in a simple waiter's uniform, he moved between the counters with practiced ease, organizing bottles and wiping down surfaces.
"Locke? Why are you up so early?"
Emily descended the stairs, rubbing her eyes as she took in the scene. Her expression shifted to surprise as she watched him work with quiet focus, completely absorbed in the task.
"And… what are you doing?"
"You paid me in advance and gave me a place to stay," Locke replied with a grin, not even pausing in his work. "Seems fair that I start earning it early."
The sunlight caught his face, highlighting his features in a way that made the moment feel unexpectedly warm.
Emily froze for a second, then quickly turned away, her heartbeat picking up as she hurried off to change. As the owner, there was no way she could let herself be outdone by her own employee.
Soon, the two of them were moving through the bar together, cleaning up the remnants of the previous night and setting everything in order.
When the doors finally opened, the regulars who had been waiting outside poured in, filling the space with familiar chatter and laughter.
This time, Emily wasn't alone.
"Hey! Locke, you're working here now?"
A bearded man called out in surprise as Locke moved through the crowd, handing out drinks with steady efficiency. His tone carried a hint of disbelief, clearly not expecting to see him behind the counter.
Locke smiled and gave a small nod to the man who had helped him before.
....
Join my exclusive P@treon community for 60+ thrilling chapters!
Link: pa*treon.com/MidnightWonder (Remove the *)
If you join now you will get 2 Chapters for free as well.
Don't miss out, join now!