Chapter Nine: Dark Walker [Please Subscribe]

"My Lord! Is Viktor not the progenitor of the vampires?"

Upon hearing Li Yang's words, Lucian’s face was etched with shock, and even Kraven wore an expression of deep, wavering uncertainty.

"That is merely a lie. Do you know the true origins of vampires and werewolves?"

Observing the bewilderment on Lucian's face, Li Yang understood that the truth remained hidden from him for now. However, he did not mind revealing it prematurely; after all, the quest to find the Blood of the Covenant relied upon them.

"The origins of vampires and werewolves—is there some connection between the two?"

Lucian exchanged a confused glance with Kraven. They stood there, staring at one another, their eyes filled with perplexity. They found it impossible to connect these two distinct species. Since they could remember, werewolves had been slaves kept by vampires, and it was only after Lucian led his rebellion that the two races became mortal enemies. Yet, from Li Yang’s tone, they sensed something unusual, as if a mysterious, unknown link existed between the two.

"If I told you that vampires and werewolves share the same ancestor, would you believe me?" Li Yang asked, watching their expressions with a playful smile.

"What... this... this is impossible!"

"Great God of Blood Sorcery, this joke is not at all funny..."

Lucian was stunned beyond measure. Though he was loath to believe it, his reason told him that Li Yang would not lie. Kraven, knowing little of Li Yang, was even more skeptical.

"While it may sound like nonsense, it is the truth. Werewolves and vampires possess many similarities. If you think carefully, you should understand what I mean." Li Yang shrugged, continuing, "Let me tell you a story, and you will understand."

"Around fourteen centuries ago, a lord lived in a territory plagued by a massive epidemic. All the commoners in his lands perished, yet he alone survived. Having endured the plague, the cells in his body underwent an unknown transformation. He became ageless and immortal, even gaining a wondrous ability to convert any virus harmful to him into something beneficial."

"Isn't it marvelous? He was the ancestor of the Immortals, the first immortal in the world: Alexander Corvinus."

"Later, he left his homeland, lived under an assumed name, married, and had three sons. They all inherited his immortal blood: one became the progenitor of vampires, one the progenitor of werewolves, and the third carried the pure bloodline."

"This... isn't this just a legend?"

This tale had long circulated among the vampires, even reaching Lucian’s ears, but no one had ever taken it as fact. Now, hearing Li Yang recount it, they were forced to re-examine the supposed myth. After all, given Li Yang's status, there was no reason for him to fabricate history to deceive them.

...

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of London, a group of shadows, ghostly and silent, crept toward the skylight of the werewolf stronghold. Every one of them was clad in black leather, moving with agility; the pitch-black night posed no obstacle to them. Leading them was a woman with a graceful yet heroic bearing.

"Stephen, are you sure you didn't remember wrong? Is this really the werewolves' lair?" The woman scanned the flat, desolate wasteland and gestured to the black youth beside her.

"Katherine, there is no mistake. I tracked several werewolves here yesterday. Their lair is right ahead." The young man pointed toward an abandoned factory not far away.

"Folks, stay sharp. Be careful. Let's move!" Katherine knew the youth's character; if he said so, it must be true. Leading the Death Dealers, she carefully approached the factory, and they held their breath as they peered into the skylight.

Inside, a group of werewolves was praying before a statue. Their expressions were solemn, and the entire space was deathly silent.

"What are they doing?" Katherine felt a wave of confusion. Not just her, but all the Death Dealers were baffled; they had never heard of werewolves performing such rituals.

"Do not alert them. There are too many werewolves here. You, head back to gather the main force and bring them here. I will search the perimeter; perhaps there will be unexpected gains." She commanded the young man, then stared at the indistinct statue in the center of the pit, a strange glint in her eyes.

"Someone is coming!"

Just then, several black cars pulled up near the entrance of a nearby subway tunnel. The Death Dealers immediately dropped into the grass to hide.

"Hmm... Kraven? Why is he here?" Katherine saw familiar figures disembark from the cars and slip into the sewers. With a sudden impulse, she led her group to follow them quietly.

...

"How much longer do you intend to listen?"

Li Yang had discovered these little mice the moment they reached the top of the skylight, but he did not mind. In his eyes, they were experimental subjects delivered to his doorstep, just in time to resolve the urgency in his laboratory.

"Damn it, what are those bastards doing... how could they let vampires sneak this close?" Following Li Yang's gaze, Lucian looked up. While he saw nothing amiss, he caught the faint scent of others in the air. He was intimately familiar with this scent. He had initially thought it was Kraven's, but after seeing Li Yang’s reaction, he realized other vampires had infiltrated.

"You dare betray me!" Lucian roared, lunging at Kraven. In his mind, the werewolf lair could not have been exposed, especially this hidden skylight. The only possibility was that Kraven had leaked their whereabouts.

"No, hell... Lucian, calm down! If I wanted to betray you, I wouldn't have come to see you in person!" Seeing the murderous rage in Lucian's eyes, Kraven panicked and scrambled to explain.

"Calm down, Lucian. These little mice were not brought here by him." Li Yang’s voice rang out like a clear spring, extinguishing the flames of Lucian's rage.

"Want to leave? Heh... since you've come, stay. I happen to be short on experimental subjects!"

"Decree of Heaven's Might: Purple Heaven Lightning Method!"

Sensing the vampires fleeing rapidly above the skylight, Li Yang sneered. A flash of silver light crossed his eyes, and a pale blue spark erupted from his body, instantly transforming into several lightning bolts as thick as thumbs that surged out of the skylight. Though he hadn't been practicing the 'Chaos Doutian Divine Thunder Syllabus' for long, once his mana was restored, using simple lightning techniques was effortless.

"No... urgh... crackle..."

"..."

Above the skylight, the fleeing vampires were struck by the lightning instantly. They convulsed, and in a blink, golden tentacles dragged them down into the pit.

"Katherine, is it?" Li Yang’s eyes flashed with brilliance as he looked at the twitching figures.

"It is Katherine, an instructor of the Death Dealers. My Lord, she is Viktor’s adopted daughter and his most trusted confidante. We cannot let her leave alive." Seeing the familiar figure, Kraven turned pale. While he inwardly cursed, a surge of heavy killing intent rose in his eyes. He knew that if she left alive, he would be the one to die.

"Kraven, you traitor... Viktor will not let you off..." Katherine struggled to her feet, glared at Kraven with hatred, and reached for the pistol at her waist.

"I advise you not to move..." As Li Yang spoke, a golden phantom of a centipede rose behind him, and an ancient, savage aura instantly permeated the pit. The Death Dealers, who had barely regained their footing, felt an inexplicable chill, as if they were being watched by a terrifying primordial beast. Their muscles trembled uncontrollably, and they collapsed to the ground. Even Lucian, though not specifically targeted, felt his spirit agitated by the pressure.

"Who... who exactly are you...?" Only Katherine, barely resisting the aura, stood up and stared at Li Yang with unwavering defiance.

"Excellent. I appreciate you. You truly are a born warrior to be able to overcome your own instincts." Li Yang’s eyes showed admiration. He hadn't expected Katherine to withstand the pressure of the Six-Winged Golden Centipede.

"Who I am is not important. What matters is what I can bring you!" Li Yang glanced at her deeply, then waved at Lucian. "Take them all down and send them to Dr. Jorkson!"

"Oh, by the way, I think there is a truth you ought to tell her." Li Yang looked at Kraven with a meaningful gaze.

"Yes, My Lord. I know what to do." Faced with Li Yang's inscrutable eyes, Kraven felt a jolt of fear, as if his deepest secrets had been laid bare. He answered with trepidation.