All the nobles present widened their eyes in utter shock, their hearts filled with unprecedented astonishment.

  Was that just...

  Viktor's power?

  No - how could anyone call him just a mage!?

  The terrifying force left everyone present stunned and speechless. No one would willingly take such a hit head-on, especially when it came from a seemingly frail mage who had thrown it out so casually.

  But even more horrifying scenes were yet to come.

  The next moment, there was slight movement among the shattered debris. Everyone turned their heads, focusing their gaze on the massive crater. They saw Augustus stretch out a hand from between the rubble, struggling to climb out of the ruins.

  Though his body was covered in dust and blood, he seemed to have sustained no major injuries. At this moment, all the nobles felt an unprecedented fear. They couldn't help but recall how Augustus had taken a sword strike earlier and emerged unscathed.

  Was Augustus still even human now?

  Finally standing upright, Augustus spat out a mouthful of blood. "What... incredible power."

  He hadn't expected that his new body, filled with power, would be reduced to such a sorry state by Viktor, a mere mage. And the other party hadn't even used magic.

  Now he finally understood why Viktor could fight so fiercely against those tiger-men, even overwhelming them. Though just a mage, he possessed such terrifying strength.

  However...

  "It's over, Councilor, it's all over."

  He raised his head, gazing frantically at the sky, his crimson eyes seeming to harbor a beast on the verge of awakening.

  The blood moon seemed to sense Augustus's emotions, emitting an even more intense glow. It became even redder, as if dyed with a layer of blood. Everyone noticed the blood moon's strange movements and looked up, gazing at the profoundly deep blood-red moon before turning to Pricis's grotesque form.

  Suddenly, under that blood moon, Pricis's appearance underwent an astounding transformation. The all-encompassing crimson in her deep eye sockets gradually contracted, transforming into two blood-colored pupils. Her previously distorted form gradually normalized, as if the blood light had merged with her body.

  Her once-pale body regained its color, returning to its former normal appearance. White hair, red eyes, dressed in a black formal gown. Her delicate features rearranged themselves on her face, her appearance and bearing exuding nobility and elegance.

  Except for the blood-colored flesh wings on her back, which looked somewhat eerie. Yet they didn't seem out of place - rather, they suited Pricis perfectly, as if she was always meant to have such a pair of wings.

  Seeing Pricis's restored form, all the nobles widened their eyes in shock.

  "Isn't that Count Laurien's deceased daughter!?"

  She... had truly been resurrected!?

  After witnessing this shocking scene, Augustus could barely contain his joy. He gazed frantically at the sky, his eyes flashing with approval: "The metamorphosis was successful!"

  "My perfect queen."

  As he looked up at the suspended Pricis, he no longer even cared whether Viktor could use magic or not. Even if he could, what of it? Vampires cannot be killed, even if their bodies are blown to pieces. As long as a piece of flesh or drop of blood remains, they will revive through the blood.

  "Viktor, even you cannot fight against vampires."

  Augustus's eyes sank deep into their sockets, filled with frantic desire and longing for Pricis. She seemed to have become an incarnation of the blood moon. Her clothes billowed in the high air, the blood-red light flowing over her body intertwining with her noble and cold beauty.

  Those crimson eyes coldly swept over everyone present before fixing upon Augustus, who was consumed by emotion. The bat wings on her back slowly spread in the profound bloodlight, the flesh's patterns clearly visible like nightmares in the night through the deep red glow.

  The blood-colored threads connecting to the blood moon detached as her body trembled. After floating in the air for a few seconds, they reconnected to Pricis's body. Following the threads, all the blood slaves were relinked by these countless strands.

  Some force seemed to flow through the blood lines, continuously pouring into the bodies of those blood slaves. Their once-withered bodies were now filled with blood. They struggled and twisted, rising again from the ground.

  These blood slaves were undergoing a terrifying transformation. Under their lips grew sharp fangs that could pierce through flesh and reach straight to the heart. The skin on their backs was also torn open with two deep holes, from which a pair of flesh wings slowly extended.

  They quickly spread open in the blood-colored moonlight, black skin gradually spreading from the base of the wings upward, eventually covering the entire fleshy wings. The muscles under their pale skin also gradually swelled, making the blood slaves' bodies more robust.

  Countless nobles watched the scene before them, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, their eyes radiating terror.

  Viktor watched the mutating blood slaves and spoke softly: "Vampires."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Vampires!?

  This spine-chilling name made all the nobles present freeze. It was a legend passed down from the vampire race. Vampires were the followers of the blood race, the most marginal of the blood race, transformed by true vampires, possessing their powerful, immortal bodies.

  But they were different from true vampires. They could only survive by feeding on blood and flesh. Once deprived of fresh blood, vampires would self-destruct. Therefore, vampires were merely consumables among the blood race, tools used by vampires to harvest blood and flesh.

  And now, these terrifying creatures with sharp fangs and bat wings on their backs made everyone believe. They were indeed real vampires.

  The amount of blood these thousands of blood slaves turned vampires craved was no small number. At this moment, this group of vampires suddenly began to move, as if sensing hunger. Their gaze fixed firmly on all the humans present.

  The feeling of being stalked by hunters wrapped around everyone's hearts. The noble lords were still somewhat better off, as they at least had the strength to protect themselves. But the twelve diplomatic ministers were completely panicked.

  What abilities did they have? If they really stood out, they couldn't even beat their empire's princess! So these diplomatic ministers all fearfully hid behind Aurelianne.

  But the crisis still came. The next second, those countless vampires, like a plague of locusts, flapped their flesh wings, attacking towards those countless noble lords.

  The twelve ministers closed their eyes in fear, but the expected attack never came. At this moment, they realized what Augustus said was true - their safety was indeed guaranteed.

  Only those noble lords struggled to defend themselves under the siege of these vampires. Beads of sweat seeped from their foreheads as they tremblingly drew their swords, forming a circle and swinging their blades at the vampires charging one by one.

  Even when the vampires' limbs were cut off, they would lean forward, using their sharp teeth to attack these lords. One third-rank viscount unfortunately became isolated and was surrounded by countless vampires. As the encirclement gradually tightened, that noble swung his blade, struggling with the madness of one facing death.

  After a series of slashes, only a few vampires had their heads cut off and bodies fell. His figure quickly disappeared into the vampires' encirclement. In his despairing gaze, the remaining vampires surged forward as one, engulfing him. In the blink of an eye, only his shrill screams echoed through the spacious courtyard.

  The countless people present felt panic and dread. Although these vampires' strength was generally only around second rank, there were simply too many of them. Only fourth-rank counts could barely guarantee their own safety. With their powerful strength, they could prevent vampires from approaching within thirty feet.

  But there were still countless deaths. Several nobles died under the vampires' onslaught. Once someone died, a crimson thread would descend from the sky, connecting to their body. Then, these drained corpses would be refilled with blood and complete their mutation. A new vampire was thus born.

  These newborn vampires, compared to those transformed from blood slaves, appeared more powerful and terrifying. Their teeth were sharper, their bodies more robust, and the red in their eyes was deeper and more piercing. Because they retained their strength from when they were alive.

  Many nobles hesitated when they saw people they knew well turned into vampires, their swords seeming to become heavy in their hands. They even called out the vampires' names from when they were alive, trying to awaken their memories.

  However, these powerful vampires could kill them in just seconds. Their fangs pierced the nobles' skin, and in the blink of an eye, the nobles' bodies were drained, becoming withered corpses. Red threads floated down from the sky, connecting to the withered corpses' spines.

  The entire courtyard was now like hell on earth. Several nobles struggled briefly in defiance before falling into immense pain. They laughed to the sky, even dropping their swords, giving up resistance. Finally being devoured by the mass of vampires surging toward them.

  At this moment, only despair remained in these nobles' eyes. These vampires who feared no death and had no humanity could not be killed by ordinary means. Even if their limbs were cut off, their torn torsos could quickly grow new limbs after a brief moment. Even if only a grotesque head remained, it would struggle to bite at them.

  But this wasn't the most desperate part. Even if they could survive these vampires, in the end, they would die from the bombs buried underground. Just one boom! No one would survive here.

  From start to finish, Augustus's goal was clear and resolute - kill all the nobles here and transform them into vampires who only obeyed him.

  Augustus watched the countless nobles struggling in the sea of vampires, his eyes filled with satisfaction and appreciation. Meanwhile, the blood the vampires drank seemed to become his power. Behind him, huge blood-red wings suddenly spread open amidst those suffocating screams.

  "Continue, let this bloody slaughter never end. This is my kingdom, and I shall rule over everything!"

  Suddenly, Viktor's voice rang out beside Augustus's ear. "Your Majesty, I'd like to remind you of something."

  Augustus was slightly startled, watching as Viktor walked straight to his side. Thinking of Viktor's power from earlier, Augustus was slightly startled, a flash of fear crossing his mind. But he didn't retreat. The dignity of being king wouldn't allow him to step back.

  And Viktor had achieved his wish of reaching his side. He stood right beside Augustus. His voice softly rang out beside his ear.

  "I care quite a lot about family, so—"

  ROAR——!!

  Suddenly, two tiger roars terrifyingly rang out, like thunderclaps tearing through the blood-colored night sky, deep and violent. These sounds not only stopped the vampires' attacks but also awakened those lords who had lost hope.

  Those nobles who had attended that auction particularly froze, as if an unpleasant memory had risen in their minds. Before they could react further, instantly, two orange lights shot through the crowd like meteors.

  Accompanying the orange figures were several flashes of cold light. Whenever the silver light passed, vampires would shatter like glass, breaking into pieces of blood and flesh. And those two orange lights seemed to have locked onto their final target — Augustus.

  Augustus's elite soldiers noticed these two rapidly approaching lights and hurriedly stepped forward, attempting to block these mysterious attacks. But a female tiger-person struck first, grabbing their bodies the instant she got close. Her claws pulled their bodies apart to both sides, the elite soldiers' bodies instantly split in half, blood soaking the ground.

  The other orange shadow charged straight at Augustus. Augustus widened his eyes, but that terrifying figure with its extreme speed instantly pounced on him. The next second, he was firmly pinned to the cold ground.

  No matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free from the restraint of that broad tiger paw. With a fierce roar, the Tiger King's bloody maw suddenly opened wide, as if to swallow Augustus's head whole.

  Augustus was also shocked by this sudden attack, his eyes widening as his hands desperately held back the Tiger King's beast mouth. For a moment, the two sides' strength was actually deadlocked.

  However at this moment, Viktor stood beside him. His eyes carried a cold light as he picked up the staff that had been thrown into the deep crater. He just held the staff like this, looking down at Augustus.

  "I recall vampires can't die."

  The bird head at the top of the staff was placed next to Augustus's head. Augustus widened his eyes, turning his head to look at Viktor's staff with a terrified gaze. That iron-cold bird head seemed to get closer and closer to his eyes.

  "Let's test that out."

  At this moment, Viktor raised his staff, making a golf swing motion, gathering his strength for a full swing. His voice, like that of death itself, echoed above Augustus's head.

  "Let's see how many times you can endure."

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  patreon.com/BZDXG - Unlock a HUGE stash of advance chapters now!

  Dive deeper into the story ahead of everyone else!