Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

“No!” Violet interrupted him, practically burying Ralf’s head in her arms. “We can’t trouble Sylvie, we can’t take up too much space. This is how we’ll rest tonight. I can lend you my shoulder. My dear wolf~”

"Is this a shoulder...?"

The people around them seemed to stop breathing, their empty gazes fixed on the two of them.

The silence was broken by a subtle sound, a faint murmur like the ramblings of a dejected person, or the silent erosion of the world by something deep and dark. The sound of wings flapping and the patter of water droplets hitting the slanted ceiling quietly replaced everything else in this irritating cacophony.

It was as if a storm had broken out outside, and a pair of huge wings were flapping in the wind and rain.

Sylvie looked solemn, her deep breath stirring the flickering candlelight. She looked at the two men and uttered a few words from her bright red lips.

"An angel has arrived."

In the shadows outside the chapel, a winged humanoid figure flew through the air, spraying liquid from its body onto the chapel's sloping roof, creating a torrential downpour.

Screams came from the walls; they were from the townspeople standing on the perimeter. They seemed to have seen something terrifying and were screaming.

Inside the chapel, however, the view was actually dim, with only a few candles casting their light, which merely turned the crowded people into distorted and chaotic reflections on the walls. The unknown and the panic of the outermost townspeople further fueled their fear, and reason was like a thread that could snap at any moment.

The sound of inhaling.

Ralph's sudden, forceful gasp drew the attention of those in the center.

Ralf and Violet embraced and gazed at each other, like the final pose of a waltz. That elegance, amidst the atmosphere of panic, transformed into a strange kind of beauty. Although Ralf's taut arms indicated he was wrestling with Violet, he finally managed to pin the lioness down, pulling his head half a meter away from her chest.

"It's blood, a strong smell of blood."

Outside the door, the winged creature, whose appearance was still unclear, was scattering blood on the roof, flowing on the ground, and seeping into the crowd through the cracks in the walls. The townspeople on the outskirts screamed because they felt the liquid flowing beneath their feet and saw its dark red color.

A rain of blood fell outside, seeping into the chapel and flowing at his feet.

These anomalies should have triggered a wave of terror among the crowd.

But this wave was actually forcibly suppressed.

Ralph simply explained the reason for the panic among the outer layer of people, then scanned the surrounding crowd with an empty gaze devoid of any thought, as if mocking those terrified by the blood, silencing their screams.

Blood had completely seeped into the entire chapel, and Ralf, Violet, and Sylvie, at the very center, finally stood in the pool of blood.

Then there is no more then.

A layer of blood, less than a centimeter thick, formed on the ground, reaching above Ralph's heels.

Nothing else happened; if you didn't look at the ground, tonight would be no different from any other night.

Silvet said a few words to calm the townspeople, and after personally confirming that there was nothing wrong with the blood and that it was being absorbed by the soil and drying out, everything returned to calm.

"Everything will be alright. We are in the chapel; it's safe here."

Sylvie emphasized this sentence to the two of them, then knelt down and leaned against the surrounding townspeople, closing her eyes to rest.

Sleeping standing up became an essential skill for the Dgonris people.

The standing crowd began to disperse, letting down their guard and resting with Sylvett's assurance.

Ralf held Violet, who had her eyes closed, his gaze hidden in her wine-red hair as he observed everything.

One hour, two hours...

He pulled open his coat and wrapped it around the soundly sleeping Violet, her soft breath brushing against Ralf's neck. Ralf's azure eyes turned golden, his pupils shrinking to vertical slits. His veined hands pulled the woman into his arms, feeling the few heartbeats that remained.

"One, two, three, four..."

The soft sounds were chewing in Ralph's mouth, like counting sheep to help him sleep, or something else.

A new day has arrived as scheduled.

The heavy iron gate slowly opened as the crowd pushed it open, and the townspeople of Dagonris rushed into the surrounding empty rooms. They would eat a small amount of food in the hidden cellars and continue to work for the survival of the new day.

Despite not having slept all night, Ralf was the most awake person in the entire chapel, a fact undoubtedly partly attributable to his long-standing habit of night patrolling. Violet, whose feigned sleep had been interrupted, was now stretching her body with gritted teeth to the side.

"How did I get exposed? I was holding back from making a sound!" Waking up in the morning and seeing Ralph's profile was a significant challenge for the female sheriff.

"Your heartbeat is much faster after you wake up."

"Damn it, do those fat pads on my chest not block out any sound at all?"

Ralph raised an eyebrow. "Unless your thing is still on your back." He shifted his gaze to another girl.

Like the not-so-young sheriff, Sylvie, the small-town mayor, was also feigning sleep. But the trembling eyelashes at the edge of her eyelids clearly indicated that she was experiencing a completely different kind of stimulation than Violet.

“Girl, silly girl, idiot…” Ralph’s hand patted the girl’s face lightly, his cold voice penetrating her nightmare.

Silvet opened her eyes, sat up, and hugged her arms as if she had caught a chill.

Her unfocused pupils finally found focus after a few minutes, and her eyes began to work again, transmitting Ralph's image into her mind.

“I received a revelation, a revelation of blood, in a dream.”

That was clearly not good news, Ralph thought to himself.

Silvet was expressionless, and the confusion and helplessness in her eyes made her look like a child who had just lost everything.

Yes, just like what Ralph saw at his brother's funeral.

Lyle had the same expression on his face as when he first met his nephew.

Chapter 478 Hunting Methods

“That blood, that’s a revelation from the angels.” Siveld squatted in the chapel, sitting directly beneath the statue of the victim. The candlelight cast the shadows of the sculpture over her, as if she were receiving divine protection. “The angels are not my enemies. The reason they haunt me every night with curses is because I am the key to all of this.”

"I am the key to solving the Degonris catastrophe."

Having received angelic revelation in vampire territory, the vampire daughter seemed quite convinced of it.

Ralf stood before the girl, like a black tower supporting the sky.

“Go on.”

"The fallen ones in those four regions have been corrupted. They have divided up the power of the angels and dismantled the blessings of this land. The bell ringers, caretakers, gravediggers, and priests hold fragments of the angel's sword. If we obtain all the fragments, we will possess the original power of this land."

"And then you will be the chosen one who uses this power."

Sylvie lowered her head, and the light, airy voice didn't seem to come from her.

"Yes, that is a power that only I can use..."

“Absurd.” Ralph’s blunt assessment struck Sylvie’s spine like a spear.

"Do you really think you're that special? That the world revolves around you? That an angel would choose you to be the successor to His power? Power often comes at a price! Girl! That's not something you can afford. Don't take on the burden of other people's misfortunes."

"That is... a power that only I can withstand."

Sylvie's soft voice was like a small boat in the torrential rain of Ralph, but the boat did not capsize.

“This is what Loshutar has to bear, this is my responsibility…”

The sorrow in her words made the perceptive Ralf realize that he had misunderstood. He grasped the girl's shoulders, brushed aside her disheveled hair, and looked directly into her purple eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful, stunningly beautiful.

"That's not power, is it?"

"..."

“Sylvit, I am your ally, I will help you, I need to know everything.”

Sylvie finally opened her mouth awkwardly, like a rough puppet, "...The vampire's curse is a betrayal of God. Profaned holy blood is enough to turn all blessings into curses. The angelic sword that was originally used to protect people has become a cursed sword that erases bloodlines. Anyone who is harmed by its blade will have their bloodline and their family perish under the malice of God."

"The Loshutal family, the sins of vampires, will die by the sword of angels."

Ralf took a breath, his clenched hands digging into the girl's shoulders, leaving them purplish-red, while Sylvie stared at him blankly, just like the others from Drogonris.

"You must use that curse to kill yourself."

“Let the curse of God flow in my blood; this is what Loshutar deserves.”

"How old are you, Sylvette?"

“My age is less than a fraction of the years that Loshutar has spent drinking blood.”

Ralph released his grip, brushing the stray hairs from his forehead with his right hand and wiping away the fine sweat from the corners of his hair.

"Why didn't the angels tell you sooner?"

The two of them already had the answer to this question in their hearts.

"Because you have come, we now have the possibility of defeating those who have fallen."

Violet covered her mouth; in her eyes, Ralf's reflection was hunched over.

"You will help me, because this is the only chance to save this land and liberate you."

Indifference and composure appeared in Sylvie's eyes, and the amethyst crystal seemed to condense with the same frost as him.

The wolf smiled.

You're right.

Eastern region.

A dilapidated wooden tower with half its foundation exposed. The tall tower has been repaired several times, and the messy wooden planks are like filler stuffing into every gap. The different shades of the original color of the planks indicate how many times the tower has been renovated, although it is now in a precarious state.

The original load-bearing pillars around the perimeter have been eaten by insects, revealing a dead, decaying yellowish-green color in the gaps. When the wind blows, the flimsy wooden structure makes an eerie sound, and it may collapse if the wind is even stronger.

"The bell ringer is inside this tower. Please be careful; the interior of the tower, which has undergone repeated renovations, is intricate and dangerous."

“Don’t worry, Ralf and I are professionals.” Violet slung her silver sword over her shoulder and strode confidently toward the dimly lit entrance.

"Vell." Ralph lowered his hand from his chin, called to the witch (temporary), opened the long box, and began to check the ammunition. "I'll do it."

"Are you going alone? The bell ringer has become a monster beyond human capabilities. You'll be in great danger," Sylvie explained, reassuring Ralf against any impulsive actions.

“One person is enough. Violet, you take the maid and step back.”

Ralph went forward alone, but instead of entering the entrance, he wandered around the outer edge of the tower, taking small pieces of ammunition from the box and stuffing them into the gaps in the wooden planks, filling the entire circle.

Ralph returned to the two of them, and all he did was place a bright red bullet in the gaps every few steps on the outer wall of the tower, like a diligent repairman.

Aren't you going in?

Ralf raised Dragonfire, inserted a fiery red bullet, and slowly chambered it.

"These alchemical bullets are 'sparks' with enhanced explosive power; just one shot like this is enough..."

boom!