At this moment, Locke was dressed in a full special operations uniform, his entire body tightly wrapped in tactical gear. The fabric clung close, leaving no exposed skin, giving him the appearance of a soldier deployed for a high-risk mission rather than someone who had just stepped into another world.
He scanned his surroundings carefully. Endless yellow sand stretched in every direction, the sky above hazy and oppressive. Ahead of him stood three teammates, their figures familiar in a way that immediately triggered recognition.
This scene—
It clicked instantly.
This was the setting of Blade: Trinity.
The storyline surfaced in his mind without effort. The vampire clans, terrified of the Daywalker—Blade—who hunted them relentlessly, had chosen to awaken their ultimate weapon. Their solution was simple but desperate: find and revive Drake, the original vampire, the progenitor of their entire species.
And the pyramid in front of him… that was where Drake slept.
Locke's gaze shifted to the structure just a short distance ahead. Up close, it wasn't as massive as it had seemed from afar, but the ancient weight it carried was undeniable. A faint sigh escaped him as he took a step forward.
Without his enhanced physique, if he had entered this place as an ordinary human, surviving what came next would have been nearly impossible.
Unless Drake simply chose not to kill him.
Pushing that thought aside, Locke followed behind the three vampires. They moved with purpose, leading him straight toward the hidden tomb where Drake lay sealed, just as his memory had outlined.
However, just as they were about to reach the inner chamber, Locke suddenly stepped forward and blocked their path.
"Forest?"
The name echoed inside the sealed space, one of the vampires speaking with clear confusion. All three of them turned toward him, their expressions uncertain.
"Hold on," Locke said, a faint smile forming beneath his helmet. "Let me check things out first."
What he really wanted was simple—test whether he could strip away part of Drake's power while the ancient vampire was still dormant.
From what he remembered, Drake in this world wasn't just any vampire. He was the true ancestor, possessing overwhelming physical strength, rapid regeneration, and immunity to both sunlight and silver. In many ways, he was even more perfect than the later generations.
But what interested Locke the most wasn't any of that.
It was Drake's ability to shapeshift—his power to transform into any living creature.
Standing over the exact spot where Drake should be resting, Locke slowly raised his hands, preparing to activate his ability.
Then—
The ground shifted.
Sand and stone began to collapse inward, cascading down into a newly forming cavity. The sight was eerily familiar. Locke didn't hesitate. He stepped back calmly, already anticipating what would happen next.
The other three vampires, however, reacted differently. Curiosity got the better of them, and one of them even dropped to the ground, trying to peer into the opening.
Before he could lean in too far, Locke reached out, grabbed him by the collar, and casually yanked him backward.
The sudden move left the other two stunned, their confusion only deepening.
At the same time, Locke's hands hovered over the opening.
"Deprivation."
An invisible force surged downward instantly.
But in the very next moment, something grabbed him.
A pair of grotesque, flesh-covered arms shot out from the darkness and clamped onto his wrist with terrifying strength. Before anyone could react, Locke was dragged straight into the pit.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Inside the collapsing chamber, Locke's fists exploded forward in rapid succession, slamming into the monstrous figure in front of him. The creature was grotesque, its body a mass of exposed muscle and twisted flesh.
This was Drake's true form.
In this state, his physical abilities were pushed to an extreme.
For a brief moment, Drake seemed disoriented, as if he hadn't fully processed the situation. That hesitation cost him. His massive body was driven downward under Locke's relentless assault, crashing against the stone beneath him.
Locke used the momentum to leap upward, his figure shooting back out of the pit.
"What the hell, Locke?! What are you doing?"
Ignoring the shout, Locke brushed dust off his uniform, though his expression had darkened slightly. That brief exchange had told him everything he needed to know.
Even at near full strength, his punches hadn't been enough to seriously injure Drake.
"That?" Locke replied with a light chuckle, his face hidden behind the helmet. "Just teaching someone a lesson for waking up in a bad mood."
Before the words had even settled, a shadow burst out of the pit.
Drake lunged toward one of the vampires standing nearby, his speed explosive and brutal.
But Locke was faster.
An afterimage flashed across the space, and Drake's massive body slammed into the ancient stone wall of the pyramid instead. Cracks spread instantly across the surface, the impact echoing loudly through the chamber.
"ROAR!"
Towering at nearly two meters, his monstrous form radiating raw violence, Drake let out a deafening roar as he locked his gaze onto Locke.
The remaining three vampires didn't hesitate anymore. Panic overtook them, and they bolted toward the exit without a second thought. It was obvious now—Drake hadn't been on their side.
They didn't even glance back.
"What are you?" Drake's voice rumbled through the chamber, low and filled with hostility.
Locke stood calmly near the entrance, completely unshaken.
"Me?" he said, tilting his head slightly. "You could say I'm the ancestor of vampires."
Silence followed.
The grotesque flesh covering Drake's body began to recede, dissolving back into his skin. In moments, the monstrous form disappeared, replaced by a tall, well-built man with sharp features and a commanding presence.
But his eyes were locked onto Locke.
Without warning, Drake moved.
His body blurred as he shot forward, his clawed hand aiming straight for Locke's head. The speed was terrifying, enough to overwhelm most opponents instantly.
Yet Locke didn't retreat.
His body shifted subtly, swaying left and right with minimal motion, effortlessly evading each strike. Every attack that should have landed passed by him harmlessly.
Then—
A fist cut through the air.
BOOM!
Locke's punch slammed into Drake's jaw with brutal force. Blood spilled from Drake's mouth as his head snapped back, his eyes burning with fury as he stared at the man who hadn't even bothered to change his stance.
"ROAR!"
Fangs bared, his face twisting with rage, Drake charged again.
But the result didn't change.
This time, he was sent flying even faster than before, his body smashing into the wall with a thunderous crash.
Locke followed up immediately. His strikes flowed seamlessly, each blow precise and devastating. Drake couldn't even mount a proper defense. The final sweeping kick sent him crashing across the ground once more.
"You treat humans like livestock," Locke said calmly, his voice steady as he looked down at him. "You drink their blood like it's nothing. In all these years, how many innocent people have you killed?"
"Don't you call yourself the ancestor of vampires?" Drake snarled, his eyes wide with anger. "And you're telling me you don't drink blood?"
The humiliation burned deeper than the pain.
To be suppressed so completely, right after awakening—it was something Drake couldn't accept. For centuries, he had stood at the top, the origin of everything. And now, someone stronger had appeared out of nowhere, claiming that same title while condemning him.
"Yes," Locke said lightly, a faint smile hidden beneath his helmet. "I suppose you could call me an ancestor. But I don't drink blood."
Inwardly, he couldn't help but find the situation amusing.
This vampire… wasn't the same kind he had become.
Still, the outcome was better than expected. Being able to suppress Drake this easily meant one thing—his return might come sooner than planned.
When he had entered this dimension, he had already understood the rule.
As long as he judged the Blood God and stripped him of his power, he would be sent back to reality immediately.
Locke stepped forward slowly.
His hands lifted, hovering just above Drake's head as he prepared to activate his ability once more.
Then—
A burst of fire streaked through the air.
BOOM!
A shell slammed directly into Locke's back, the explosion detonating instantly and sending his body crashing violently to the side.
....
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