Chapter 260: Full of surprises

Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Full of surprises

Bruno vanished.

One moment he was standing a hundred meters away, his nine-foot frame coiled with compressed power. The next, he was directly in front of Lucian, his fist already halfway to Lucian’s face. The sheer speed was staggering—the compressed Titan Form had multiplied his already monstrous physical stats, turning him into a living bullet.

WHOOSH!

Lucian’s eyes widened. He barely had time to react, his instincts screaming. He morphed the Blood Reaver in an instant, the greatsword liquefying and reshaping around his right hand, forming a jagged, crimson gauntlet.

CLANG!

Bruno’s fist met the Blood Gauntlet with a deafening clang. The impact created a visible shockwave that cleared the snow around them in a fifty-meter radius, exposing the frozen earth beneath. The force of the blow traveled up Lucian’s arm, the bones creaking under the strain.

CRACK!

A deep gash opened across Lucian’s forearm, blood spraying into the cold air. He was pushed back, his boots carving deep trenches in the frozen ground. He looked down at his arm, the wound already healing, and let out a dark chuckle.

"Impressive," Lucian admitted, his crimson eyes gleaming. "You actually made me bleed."

Bruno didn’t respond. He was already moving again, a blur of bronze and orange. Lucian immediately followed up with Blood Annihilation, a massive wave of crimson energy erupting from his palm.

Bruno met it with the First Form of the Martial King Fist Art—Tremor King’s Fist. His fist, wreathed in golden-orange energy, collided with the crimson wave.

BOOOOOOM!

The two attacks detonated simultaneously, creating a mushroom cloud of fire and blood. The shockwave flattened the surrounding terrain, sending snow and debris flying in every direction.

From within the smoke, Bruno burst forward, his body covered in minor burns that were already healing. He threw a devastating right hook, followed by a left uppercut, then a spinning kick that would have shattered a mountain.

Lucian dodged, weaved, and parried. The Blood Gauntlet on his right hand moved like a living thing, blocking, deflecting, redirecting. His left hand fired Light Bolts and Blood Needles in between blocks, forcing Bruno to stay on the defensive.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

They clashed again and again, moving with blinding speed across the frozen plain. Their battle carved a path of destruction through the landscape—mountains shattered, hills flattened, forests reduced to splinters.

At one point, Bruno leaped high into the air, his massive form silhouetted against the grey sky. He brought both fists down in a devastating hammer strike. "Mountain King’s Wrath!"

BOOOOOOM!

The ground where Lucian stood erupted, a massive crater forming instantly. But Lucian had already used Light Steps, appearing behind Bruno in a flash of golden light.

"My turn," Lucian said.

He formed a hand seal. "Blood Domain."

WHOOOOSH!

A massive sphere of pressurized blood erupted from Lucian’s body, engulfing a thirty-meter radius. Bruno froze mid-turn, his body locked down by the overwhelming gravitational pressure. His mana and blood energy were being drained rapidly, pulled toward Lucian like water down a drain.

"What the—" Bruno grunted, struggling to move.

Lucian didn’t give him time to escape. He gathered his mental power, his eyes glowing with a dark, violet light.

"Mind Spike."

ZZZZZT!

A concentrated lance of mental energy shot into Bruno’s consciousness. Bruno screamed, his hands flying to his head as a sharp, blinding pain tore through his mind. His concentration shattered, his Titan Form flickering as his control wavered.

Lucian raised the Blood Reaver high, the blade shifting back into its greatsword form. Dark Sword Intent blazed along the edge, but he deliberately suppressed its power, reducing it to about half of its full strength.

"Eclipse Sword Art, Third Form: Blood Moon Eclipse."

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

A storm of overlapping crimson slashes rained down on Bruno. The attacks were weaker than the full version, but they were still enough to overwhelm Bruno’s defenses. The slashes struck his chest, his arms, his legs, each one leaving a deep, bleeding wound. At full power, they could probably tear an early Astral realm cultivator’s defenses.

CRASH!

Bruno was sent flying backward, crashing into a snowbank and leaving a massive crater. He lay there, his body covered in wounds, his Titan Form dissolving as he lost consciousness.

Lucian landed softly, the Blood Reaver returning to its sheath. He walked over to Bruno’s unconscious form and pulled a small, glowing pill from his storage ring—a Tier 3 Healing Pill. He gently placed it in Bruno’s mouth, watching as the pill dissolved and the wounds began to close.

"Well," Lucian murmured. "You lasted longer than I expected."

He lifted Bruno’s massive form with ease, throwing him over his shoulder.

A few moments later, Lucian arrived back at the Remmos mansion, Bruno draped over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The guards at the gate immediately snapped to attention, their eyes widening at the sight of their young master’s unconscious, battered body.

"Young Master Bruno!" one of them exclaimed. "Is he—"

"He’s fine," Lucian said calmly. "Just exhausted. He needs rest."

Mira, who had been waiting anxiously in the foyer, rushed forward the moment she saw them. Her face went pale as she saw Bruno’s condition.

"Bruno! Oh my god, what happened to you?!" she cried, her hands trembling as she touched his bruised face.

Bruno groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He was still groggy, but the healing pill had done its job. "I’m fine, Mira... just a sparring match..."

"Sparring?!" Mira’s voice cracked. "You look like you fought a war!"

Bruno chuckled weakly as Lucian set him down. "You should see the other guy."

Mira turned to Lucian, her eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and concern. "What did you do to him?!"

"We sparred," Lucian said simply. "He wanted to test his new strength. He lost. He’ll be fine after some rest and food."

Mira looked like she wanted to argue, but Bruno placed a hand on her arm. "Mira... it’s fine. He was helping me. I asked for it."

Mira bit her lip, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She helped Bruno to his feet, wrapping her arm around his waist. "Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and fed."

Later that evening, Lucian sat at the dining table with Bruno and Mira. Bruno had changed into fresh clothes, his wounds already healed, though he was still visibly tired. Mira had prepared a lavish feast—roasted meats, fresh bread, and a selection of fine wines.

Lucian, however, only drank the wine. He had no need for food. Vampires could only taste meat and blood anyway, and he wasn’t particularly hungry.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Mira asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"It’s fine," Lucian said, raising his glass. "The wine is excellent. It’s the only thing I can truly enjoy."

Mira looked confused, but Bruno just shook his head, silently telling her not to ask.

After dinner, Lucian and Bruno stood outside the mansion, the cold winter air biting at their skin. The snow had stopped, and the sky was clear, the stars shining brightly overhead.

Bruno crossed his arms, looking up at the sky. "I wanted to thank you," he said quietly. "For the bloodline. For the power. For... all of it."

Lucian shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "Don’t mention it."

Bruno chuckled. "You’re a strange guy, Lucian. One minute you’re a cold, ruthless killer, the next you’re giving me advice like some old master."

Lucian smirked. "I’m full of surprises, aren’t I?"

He turned to Bruno, his expression becoming more serious. "Are you coming with me? The Tower opens in a month. If you want to get stronger, that’s the place to do it."

Bruno was silent for a moment. Then, he shook his head. "Not yet. I need to stay with my family for a while longer. And I need to tell my father that I’m leaving. He won’t take it well."

Lucian nodded. "Understandable."

Bruno grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "If the old man tries to restrain me, I’ll just run. He can’t catch me now."

Lucian laughed. "I’d pay to see that."

He stepped back, summoning the Dark Wyvern. CRACK! The massive beast materialized with a roar, its midnight scales gleaming under the moonlight. Lucian mounted it, looking down at Bruno one last time.

"Don’t be late," Lucian said.

Bruno nodded, raising a hand in farewell. "I’ll be there. Just try not to die before I arrive."

Lucian smirked, then the Dark Wyvern launched into the sky, carrying him into the night.