Published: July 3, 2025
CHAPTER TEXT:
The front lines.
Hero Roman and Hugh faced off against the vampire Kalinikos and his two Strigoi henchmen.
Up until this point, the eight Strigoi had been dispatched in an instant.
However, these two were entirely different from their previous opponents.
First of all, their attire was different...
"Former adventurers, huh..."
Hugh muttered softly.
"Correct."
It seemed Kalinikos had heard that whisper. He smiled slyly and answered.
If they were adventurers in life, they wouldn't have lasted even two exchanges against the hero.
However, now as Strigoi, their physical abilities were drawn out beyond limits, compensating for their lack of skill with speed and power.
"I suppose I should entertain myself."
With that, Kalinikos generated a red sword from his palm.
"Bloody Sword..."
Seeing the red sword, this time it was Roman who murmured.
"That's also correct. You have a good understanding of vampires. Quite rare for an adventurer from the Central Nations."
Kalinikos was still unaware of the true identities of Hero Roman and Hugh.
However, he understood that Roman and Hugh were stronger than the former adventurers who had become Strigoi and thus decided to join the fray early.
It was certainly not just for "entertainment."
Kalinikos faced Roman one-on-one, while Hugh took on the two former adventurers.
Kalinikos' swordsmanship was of a considerably high level.
At the very least, the gap between him and Roman was not something that Roman could easily overcome.
Given that he was a vampire, said to possess far superior endurance compared to humans, it was expected that the longer the fight dragged on, the more advantageous it would become for Kalinikos.
Up until this moment, Kalinikos had been full of confidence.
However, that confidence shattered when he witnessed the sluggish movements of the Strigoi attacking the rear guard, one by one losing their heads.
"What is happening...?"
It was completely unexpected that fifty Strigoi could be wiped out without a single adventurer falling.
Both Hugh and Roman, having caught a glimpse of that scene, didn't fully understand what had transpired, but they could tell that the vampire before them was shaken.
If that was the case, exploiting that would be the natural course of battle.
Kalinikos' agitation affected the Strigoi, the former adventurers.
Hugh swiftly decapitated the sluggish former adventurers, severing their sword-wielding arms before following up without a moment's hesitation.
It was truly a divine act.
Even Roman, who caught it out of the corner of his eye, was astonished by the sword technique.
(As expected of the renowned hero and former a-rank adventurer...)
"You... I didn't expect this at all."
The vampire Kalinikos spat out those words.
As if enhancing his physical abilities in an instant, he backstepped with a speed that even Roman found difficult to comprehend, putting some distance between himself and both Roman and Hugh.
Then he muttered softly.
"Slave."
At that moment, something like a haze emerged in the minds of Roman and Hugh, severing their consciousness.
Roman gritted his teeth to endure, but Hugh unexpectedly knelt on one knee.
That scene was also visible to the ten members of the rear guard.
"What happened?"
Nils blurted out, but no one could provide a clear answer.
If only they had heard the word "Slave" that Kalinikos had chanted, perhaps Ryo would have understood.
However, even without hearing that word, Cleric Graham had a flash of insight.
"Could it be dark magic...?"
Muttering that, he readied his staff and chanted.
"Evil Protection."
The air warped slightly, and a hemisphere with a radius of about five meters was created around Graham.
"Quickly, get inside this!"
He called out to Nils and Amon, who were a short distance away, and the two scrambled into the hemisphere.
Then they looked to the front lines.
"What on earth is happening?"
"Most likely, it's the dark attribute magic 'Slave.' It’s a troublesome spell that allows the caster to control the target at will," Nils said, saying what was on everyone’s mind, and Graham replied.