Chapter 517, Blood Awakening
The shared vision ended.
Wu Heng released Glenda again.
His brows were still tightly furrowed.
A team cloaked in black capes, a large number of slaves, and magic arrays with stone coffins.
No matter how he thought about it, something felt off.
On Sheila Grey's side, the Adventurer's Guild team's ranger began reporting the situation on the island through the beast's vision.
There were unidentified ships, enemy numbers, and slaves in shackles.
They didn't mention the magic arrays or stone coffins in the buildings.
The beasts weren't ghosts—lowering their altitude could get them detected, making it hard to explore inside the buildings.
After listening to the report, Sheila Grey ordered the ranger to call back the beast.
Her gaze shifted to Wu Heng, "There are still a lot of them, and plenty of slaves."
Wu Heng glanced toward the direction of the island. "No big deal. Let's approach directly. Hiding here means they're not up to anything good."
"Alright." Sheila Grey nodded and turned to the team members, "Prepare for battle. Check your gear."
Wu Heng also turned and looked back.
Philipa was standing with the green-feathered parrot, competing to see who could crack the most sunflower seeds.
The deck was littered with shells.
"Philipa!" Wu Heng shouted.
"Ah! What's up?" Philipa looked over.
"Advance. Get us closer to that island."
"Roger!" Philipa quickly headed to the control room to give the order.
Wu Heng also began directing a large number of skeletons to emerge from the ship's cabin and prepare for battle.
...…
Antler Island.
As soon as the ships flying the Adventurer's Guild and Gold-Silver Island flags docked, they caught the islanders' attention.
Many people began to mobilize.
Several beasts flew into the sky, starting reconnaissance from a distance.
They confirmed the number of ships.
Upon seeing only one ship bearing the Adventurer's Guild flag, they visibly relaxed.
Two enemy ships immediately changed course.
They sailed directly toward the approaching ships.
On the decks, ballistae and crossbows shifted their aim, clearly intending to sink the ships at first contact.
...…
Wu Heng's ship continued approaching at full speed without slowing down.
"Their ship is heading toward us. Sailors are operating the ballistae and crossbows," someone shouted from the mast.
At the bow, Philipa readied the machine gun and patted her chest. "Leave it to me!"
The two ships drew closer.
Philipa opened fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosions erupted, and the ship on the left exploded instantly.
Debris flew everywhere, the ship split in half, and it slowly sank.
Then, she adjusted the barrel, and the machine gun spewed fire once again.
The other ship's cabin exploded, flames shot up from the stern, and thick smoke filled the sky.
"Done!" Philipa gave a thumbs-up to the group.
Uh…
Even though the team had seen machine guns destroy ships before, they were still surprised by how easily it was done this time.
On the sea, these ships were like paper.
They couldn't resist weapons like this at all.
Wu Heng glanced at the slowly sinking ships and the people screaming in the water.
He ordered, "Into the sea. Kill them all."
Splash!
The skeletons on both sides leaped into the sea, charging toward the people in the water.
They hacked at them with weapons or dragged them down to the depths.
The battle ended.
Standing on the deck, Wu Heng cast [Battlefield of the Dead], and the gray-white aura spread outward, turning all the floating corpses into skeletons.
"Board the ship."
Rope ladders were lowered on both sides, and the skeletons climbed back aboard.
The ship sailed forward again, stopping just outside Antler Island.
The recent battle had already drawn attention from others on the island.
The remaining figures in black cloaks positioned the slaves with shackles in front of them, forming a human wall between themselves and their enemies.
"Adventurer's Guild?" someone shouted from afar.
Standing on the deck, Sheila Grey responded, "Surrender now and return for an investigation."
A mocking expression appeared on the face behind the hostages. "I don't care why you're here, but leave now, or we'll kill these commoners. I assume your guild won't stand by and watch them die here."
Sheila Grey's eyes narrowed, and her face darkened.
She turned her head and asked softly, "What should we do?"
"I'll shoot the one talking—he's Level 15. The moment he dies, we launch a full assault," Wu Heng said while setting up his sniper rifle.
"What if they kill the hostages?"
"If we don't act, they'll die even faster."
"Alright, I'll follow your lead."
Wu Heng took aim and said, "Keep talking to him."
Sheila Grey resumed speaking to the distant figure, sounding as if she was persuading him to surrender.
The moment the enemy peeked out, Wu Heng fired from the deck.
Bang!
The gunshot thundered.
The Level 15 leader jerked backward and fell to the ground.
"Kill everyone holding a weapon," Wu Heng ordered immediately.
The skeletons leapt off the deck and charged onto the island.
The slaves instantly panicked.
The black-cloaked figures were equally chaotic—some engaged the skeletons with weapons, while others fled alongside the slaves.
The fierce battle unfolded.
The number of black-cloaked figures dwindled until none were left alive.
...…
Sheila Grey led her team ashore.
The skeletons had already begun dragging bodies and cleaning the battlefield.
Sheila Grey looked at the messy battlefield, momentarily at a loss for words.
Even though she had witnessed similar scenes before, the speed of this battle was still shocking.
It completely overturned the conventional belief that the stronger side held the advantage.
What Level 15 Professionals? What large fleets?
Against weapons like these, everyone was indeed equal.
Sheila Grey took a deep breath and said, "Team One, gather the slaves and check for any dangers. Ask them where they're from and verify their identities. Team Two, guard the ships and stay on alert. Report any danger to me immediately."
"Understood."
The two teams acknowledged and swiftly carried out the orders.
Just then, Wu Heng heard Glenda's mosquito-like whisper in his ear, "The blood is converging inside the building."
Wu Heng frowned.
He immediately checked the blood on the ground.
The blood from the corpses had soaked into the soil but was still being drawn by some force.
It was gathering toward one of the buildings.
Dark red trails formed linear marks.
Sheila Grey finished giving orders and followed his gaze to the bloodstains on the ground.
"What's going on?"
"There's a magic array and a stone coffin inside the building. They might be related," Wu Heng quickly explained and added, "Let's check it out."
With the skeletons, they approached the building. As they pushed open the door, both of their pupils shrank.
The dark red blood seeped through the cracks in the stone floor.
It formed streams that flowed into the stone coffin.
"The stone coffin is absorbing blood!" Sheila Grey gripped her sword hilt and stared intently ahead.
Wu Heng pulled her back a step and ordered, "Go take a look."
Skeleton Kashu was about to step forward.
Squeak!
Amid a piercing screech, the coffin lid slowly slid off and crashed to the floor.
Inside the coffin stood a withered figure with pale skin.
Completely naked, devoid of gender characteristics, its arms were posed as if it had just pushed the lid open. Folded behind its back were large, membranous wings.
It resembled a well-preserved corpse.
Suddenly, its tightly shut eyes snapped open, revealing blood-red pupils.
Glenda's voice sounded again, "Level 18."
A Level 18 Professional!
What a formidable foe.
"Kneel…"
Swoosh!
Boom!
Just as the raspy voice spoke, a silver-white lightning bolt struck suddenly.
The figure, which had just stepped out of the coffin, was sent flying back and crashed into it.
Wu Heng pulled Sheila Grey behind him and said, "Kill him!"
Skeleton Kashu charged forward. Clad in mist, Keramu supported himself with one hand and cast Cloud Mist Spell.
The room filled with thick fog in an instant.
"You're all going to die."
A roar echoed through the room.
Keramu appeared behind the "mummified corpse."
The cursed sword in his hand slashed horizontally toward its neck.
Slash!
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed, but the sword was caught by a withered hand.
Its wings unfurled, flapping violently and dispersing the fog.
Boom!
Skeleton Kashu reached it and smashed the desiccated body against the wall with immense force.
Bones crackled loudly.
Kashu kept advancing, raining down punches like a storm. Each strike reverberated with explosive force.
The dried body's flesh and blood continuously burst open.
Thick blood gushed from its mouth and nose.
Roar!
It howled like a beast.
Its arms wrapped around Kashu, hurling him backward with great force.
Its chest rapidly expanded as it opened its mouth and inhaled deeply.
The remaining blood in the magic array was pulled into its body.
The wounds on the withered corpse rapidly healed, and its once shriveled body grew fuller.
It gradually took the form of a middle-aged Western man with a broad forehead and sunken brow bones.
"Elf girl, your blood must be delicious. As for you, necromancer, you smell terrible."
Wu Heng and Sheila Grey were both slightly surprised as they looked at him.
They had basically figured out his identity.
A vampire.
Not one of those faint-blooded beings with bloodthirst brought on by strange artifacts.
But a true vampire.
"Attack!" Wu Heng gave a cold order.
There was no need to negotiate any further.
Delaying would only allow the opponent to continue recovering strength.
At his command, the two skeletons moved again.
Keramu vanished and reappeared behind the vampire, slashing with his longsword.
The vampire leaned forward to dodge and reached for the hilt of Keramu's sword, attempting to disarm him.
Keramu bent his leg and kicked the vampire's body.
Kashu followed closely, delivering a barrage of explosive punches that landed like a rainstorm.
The opponent was Level 18, and so was Kashu.
Although some of Kashu's abilities had diminished after becoming a skeleton,
the Boxer's combat skills still provided a significant advantage in melee combat.
Within moments, the vampire's body was riddled with blood holes.
Its tough skin couldn't withstand Kashu's forceful punches.
Wu Heng didn't let Sheila Grey join in. Instead, he split into six clones.
Disease Ray, Weakening Ray, Lightning Beam, Acid Splash.
They cast all of them simultaneously.
Then, they distributed submachine guns.
Five clones held submachine guns, while one began casting 'Mansion Spell.'
"Kashu, step aside."
Kashu moved to the side, giving way.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A dense barrage of bullets fanned out toward the target.
The vampire's eyes narrowed as it wrapped its wings around its body. The bullets struck its body relentlessly.
Blood splattered, and the vampire staggered backward.
Behind them, an ancient stone door cracked open.
A ballista, already loaded with an arm-thick bolt, emerged and pointed forward.
"Fire!"
Boom!
The ballista string snapped with a loud twang.
The bolt shot out like a howling wind and hit its mark instantly.
The sheer force sent the vampire flying into the rear wall.
Blood poured from the gaping wound in its chest and abdomen.
"You damn bastards, I'll find your families, drain their blood, and brew it into wine to savor slowly."
The vampire spat blood while cursing loudly.
The next second, a crimson whirlwind swept through the room as the vampire's body dissolved into a cloud of blood mist.
It seeped through the cracks in the crude walls and escaped outside.
"He's escaping."
Wu Heng had seen this blood mist trick before.
He knew it was a means of escape.
The group quickly rushed out of the room.
Outside, the blood mist coalesced back into a humanoid form.
Half-kneeling on the ground, it vomited large amounts of blood.
The scorching sunlight caused its pale skin to turn red and break out in blisters.
Its bloodthirsty gaze scanned the area and locked onto the crowd of shackled slaves.
"Stop him."
Wu Heng's voice sounded from behind.
A large number of skeletons stood between the vampire and the slaves, separating them.
Seeing the pursuing figures behind him, the vampire cursed through gritted teeth and unfurled his wings, taking to the skies.
He fled toward the distance.
"He's escaping!"
Sheila Grey shouted and took to the air, white wings spreading from her back as feathers appeared on her exposed skin.
Her wings flapped as she chased him directly.
Wu Heng had already stepped outside.
"Don't…"
Wu Heng tried to stop her, but Sheila Grey had already given chase.
Their opponent was a Level 18 Professional, who had chosen to flee under their combined assault—there was no way Sheila Grey could handle him alone.
In hindsight, they should've had Kashu restrain him with [Dueling Chains].
There was no way the vampire could've flown off while dragging Kashu along.
As the two figures chased into the distance,
Wu Heng had no time to hesitate. He pulled out his Barrett sniper rifle and aimed.
After locking onto the target, he pulled the trigger.
In the next instant, the vampire's left shoulder and wing exploded, scattering flesh and bone into the air.
The vampire's eyes widened with terror.
Who were these people he had encountered?
Or had they deliberately set this trap, waiting for him to emerge?
Panic filled his heart, and he began losing control of his body.
Suddenly, another powerful impact struck, blowing a large hole through his chest.
His head and lower body separated completely, with flesh and organs raining down from the sky.
Sheila Grey arrived just in time, her longsword emanating cold air as it slashed through his head, sending it plummeting to the ground.
With a thud, it hit the ground.
The vampire's body was in a miserable state. His head was barely connected to his chest, yet he was still alive.
He tried to speak, but only incoherent sounds escaped.
Wu Heng approached and shot him in the head.
At the same time, bone cages rose from the ground, trapping the escaping spirit in their center.
The spirit repeatedly rammed into the barriers.
Realizing it couldn't escape, it turned and snarled, "You can't do this to me! I want to see Lilith. She wouldn't treat her kin this way!"
Hearing this,
Wu Heng and Sheila Grey both frowned.
If it wasn't a coincidence, Lilith was the leader responsible for the Whisperers.
"What now?" Sheila Grey landed and asked.
Wu Heng scanned the surroundings and said, "I'll seal him first. We'll figure it out later."
He took out a new Soul Jar.
He placed it inside the bone cage.
The cage gradually compressed.
The Soul Jar began to emit suction.
The vampire's spirit grew more frantic. "You're humans with short lifespans! I can help you live longer! And you, elf, I can give you wealth and comfort for the rest of your life."
"We can negotiate."
"You shouldn't treat an elder like this."
"Damn you! You'll regret this. I curse you all…"
Amid increasingly desperate screams, the spirit was sucked into the Soul Jar.
The bone cage disappeared.
Wu Heng stored the Soul Jar inside his spatial ring.
"We'll deal with this later."
Sheila Grey nodded in understanding.
They both deactivated their enchanted states.
Wu Heng's head throbbed painfully, while Sheila Grey was covered in frost and shivering.
...…
Thud, thud, thud!
The sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Two squads, along with Philipa and the skeletons, quickly arrived.
They formed a defensive perimeter around Wu Heng and Sheila Grey, keeping an eye on the surroundings.
The sudden development had startled everyone.
No one had expected an enemy to be hiding in the dilapidated stone house.
The vampire had spread his wings and almost escaped.
A squad leader asked, "Island Lord, Deputy Steward, are you both alright?"
The effects of their enchanted items gradually subsided.
After drinking potions, they had mostly recovered.
"We're fine," Wu Heng replied.
Sheila Grey slowly stood up and said, "Philipa and the skeletons will handle ship and port defenses. Check the area again. Don't engage any threats—report back first."
"Understood."
The two squads quickly dispersed.
Philipa and the skeletons returned to the ship, securing the area around it and the slaves.
After thoroughly searching the island,
the squads returned one after the other. "Deputy Steward, the island is secure. The magic array inside the stone house has been destroyed, leaving only the stone coffin."
Sheila Grey sighed in relief and asked, "What about the slaves?"
The squad leader reported, "They're villagers from the Kingdom of Ekow. These people captured them and brought them here."
"Villagers?"
That was unexpected.
"Yes, villagers. They gave detailed addresses and verified that they're from the same village. They said that several days ago, these people came ashore, killed some villagers, and captured the rest to bring them here. They don't know why."
Sheila Grey rubbed her temples. This involved a kingdom and its citizens,
complicating things further.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Keep them secure. We'll bring them to Gold-Silver Island and try to negotiate with the Kingdom of Ekow."
"Understood," the squad replied and quickly left.
...…
After the others left,
Sheila Grey turned to Wu Heng. "Why do you think they captured these people?"
Without much thought, Wu Heng answered, "I suspect they intended to use them to resurrect the vampire we just killed."
"I was thinking the same. But humans rarely have dealings with vampires, especially one as peculiar as this." Sheila Grey stroked her chin, lost in thought.
"Let's question the corpses. It'll make writing the report easier."
"Good idea!"
Wu Heng summoned skeletons to drag over several withered corpses of black-cloaked men.
He cast [Speak with the Dead].
The first corpse slowly sat up.
Wu Heng asked, "Who are you people?"
The corpse replied, "We're followers of the Destiny Sect."
Wu Heng glanced at Sheila Grey, who shook her head, indicating she hadn't heard of them.
Wu Heng continued, "Why did you capture these people?"
"Following the bishop's orders, we were to awaken a powerful Professional."