[You killed…]
[You killed…]
[You killed…]
…
[You killed…]
[You killed…]
[You killed…]
Messages filled my ears at every instant while, back and forth across the battlefield, Vlad and I danced.
I smiled in amusement, my mind becoming even faster due to the effect of experience entering my body.
'Vlad talks a lot, but I think he can see the flow of experience being absorbed by me. I wonder, what exactly is experience?'
Regardless of the answer, the barbarians tried to attack and defend themselves.
Axes, spears, and swords tried to pierce the flesh of an afterimage one after another.
Their blows never even came close to hitting the real me.
However, following very closely behind was Vlad.
SHING SHING SHING
Dozens of blows were exchanged, frightening those around who could not see, only hear the violent exchange sending out shockwaves.
"You'll need more than that to stop me!"
A smile spread across my face as I simultaneously attacked the barbarians and defended myself from his attacks.
Even so, each of Vlad's attacks promised to bring me down solely through air pressure or sheer impact.
Collateral damage piled up in the surroundings.
My claws grew shorter with every small clash, forcing me to hide behind one of his men.
Vlad's face grew more and more serious.
Experience continued to flow toward me, my body growing before the naked eye as my reflexes reached levels never before seen.
The world seemed static, filled with realistic statues, while lightning and raindrops and blood looked like the work of a painter before a canvas.
Everything seemed perfect, each brushstroke made with delicacy.
The real world seemed like a work of art.
However, within that painting, Vlad spun blood like a saw before sending it toward me.
SHING SHING SHING
More and more blows were exchanged until finally one of his attacks cut my flesh.
Vlad smiled, satisfied.
And then I healed myself, the wound closing rapidly.
His smile sank, his expression growing darker.
WOOSH
It was at that moment that both of us widened our eyes as an ordinary-looking arrow crossed the battlefield and was easily blocked by a shield.
"The mortals are rising up; your time is running out."
I smiled victoriously as Vlad became even more violent with his strikes.
Soon he began to ignore the lives of his men if it meant landing a hit.
My flesh was cut again and again while more and more of his men died, and I laughed despite everything.
WOOSH WOOSH WOOSH
More and more arrows crossed the battlefield, causing the battle to restart.
The barbarians quickly entered formation and advanced toward the narrow area of the cone, trying to reach the village.
Vlad growled irritably as he watched his men fall one after another to mortal arrows.
Soon, cultivators rose up and, with their talismans, began to activate their spells.
Before long, the barbarians fell more and more, as even lightning fell from the sky to strike them.
The barbarians screamed as they called out for their leader.
"Do not worry, I promised victory, and I will deliver victory!"
Vlad quickly summoned the blood of the fallen to protect those still standing.
The blood advanced like liquid metal, stopping the attacks against them, and soon they celebrated.
Until the rain grew stronger and the water from the stream rose into the air, guided by cultivators, and surged toward him.
Vlad watched his powers dissolve before his very eyes, even as he still tried to protect his men.
Desperation took over his expression as more and more fell.
Finally, he sighed heavily when the last barbarian fell with a thud.
"So this is how it ends…"
Vlad took a deep breath before focusing on the world around him.
I stepped forward as dozens of cultivators surrounded him, my aura finally leaving its defensive form as I summoned hundreds of arrows above me.
"Even so, I can start over."
Vlad soon recovered his own aura and began to shape it the same way I did.
The mortals and cultivators sighed in relief, finally feeling the weight lift from their backs.
"Do not lower your guard, prepare yourselves!" the mayor shouted, surrounded by lightning, as I witnessed the final bite of a desperate rat.
"My blood no longer works…" he murmured to himself. "In that case…" Vlad took a deep breath.
"No chance I'll allow it!" Immediately, I charged forward, exploding the ground beneath me along with the cultivators.
Dozens of arrows and spells rained down on him as Vlad's body underwent a transformation.
His skin turned reddish as he brought his hands together.
WOOOSH
Suddenly, a high-pressure jet of blood surged forward, piercing the head of a cultivator who immediately collapsed to the ground.
Reacting to the arrows and spells, Vlad shouted as loud as he could, creating a shockwave that scattered the arrows and spells.
Breathing erratically, he advanced with his own hands strengthened to the limit with blood, while his aura locked onto one cultivator at a time, leaving them completely vulnerable.
"Damn it!" I clenched my teeth as I watched the cultivators being brutally killed before my eyes.
Their blood was soon used as ammunition for yet another shot, killing more and more.
Lightning fell from the sky, flames engulfed the earth, and still Vlad moved from one side of the battlefield to the other, cutting them down one by one.
However, he was at his limit; his own power seemed to be placing crushing pressure upon him.
His breathing became increasingly erratic as his eyes looked as if they were about to burst from the pressure.
Even so, he pressed on.
Heads burst like watermelons before him while hearts were crushed at every moment.
The field became increasingly bathed in blood as the cultivators who controlled water died.
The rain began to weaken, and the water attacks stopped.
His powers would soon return with even greater force, while from afar it was possible to see a bloody mist rapidly approaching.
I clenched my teeth, seeing defeat approach even with the army already dead.
'Something needs to change, otherwise it's the end…'
It was at that moment that Vlad finally locked eyes with me, smiling with blood running down his lips.
WOOSH
Immediately, I dodged, but even so, piercing blood tore off one of my paws.
And just as I tried to regenerate, a hand grabbed the other. My aura surged toward Vlad, but then he headbutted me.
My consciousness wavered as my aura dissipated.
The paw he was holding was soon torn off as he too spat blood.
"Just a little more…" he murmured exhaustedly. "Just a little more!" he shouted, trying not to succumb to his own power, clutching his own head, which seemed to be in great pain.
Immediately, I took advantage of the opening and bit his shoulder, his bones cracking against my fangs before I tore it away.
Vlad screamed as he grabbed the wound.
My mouth filled with flames, which soon engulfed him completely at almost no distance.
I could see Vlad struggling against the flames, trying to approach step by step.
His hand, black as charcoal, reaching toward me while his eyes glowed with hatred.
He laughed like a demon even in the face of death.
Soon my flames were exhausted, leaving only a lump of charcoal in their place.
[ You killed a Blood Demon ]
The system notified me as more and more experience flowed toward me…
I sighed.
"Finally, it's over."