Chapter 2309: Arad’s Hibernation XXI

"Huh?" The paladin stared into the darkness, but couldn’t see anything. "This darkness is as dark as the Blood Lord’s voice. There is nothing there." The paladin then pointed her arm at the darkness and fired a ball of divine magic.

The ball of divine magic instantly disappeared into the darkness, and they couldn’t even hear it hit a wall.

"There is nothing there..." The paladin spoke, then looked back at Capsella and Ginger. "One of the nuns saw a pair of red eyes in the darkness. We can’t confirm that claim, so I suggest we get out of here for now."

As the paladin spoke, Ginger and Capsella looked back at her and nodded. "That’s the plan."

They all turned around and walked in the opposite direction. But after a whole minute, they were still locked in the darkness. "What’s going on?"

Capsella looked at the burning purple sun in her hand and growled. "It’s about to fade. If we don’t get out of here, we’ll die." She tried to link back with Eris, but the connection cut off before it could even be started.

"I can’t contact Lady Eris." Capsella gasped, slightly panicking.

"The darkness shouldn’t have such power." Ginger growled and swung her arm, spreading her own magic to inspect the darkness. "Something else is here, or someone. It’s the one interfering."

One of the nuns looked around and then spoke. "Could it be an illusion? Similar to the ones that fairies use to mislead travelers through forests? We could’ve been walking in circles."

As everyone looked at her, they paled. Because behind her stood a slender, naked, pale man with long, silky black hair, an anorexic frame, and eyes bright red as rubies.

"Hmm... we got a smart one here." As the man spoke, the nun immediately jumped back.

"You..." Ginger growled. "Father?"

The man smiled from ear to ear, grabbed the skin of his arm, and pulled on it, stretching it to almost a whole meter before shivering, and his eyes, each of them, looked in a different direction. And then he let it snap back like a rubber band.

"That’s a fairy... no, a spirit." Capsella growled, and Ginger stood in front of her. "Probably one of Father’s dormant spare bodies." She then pointed her hand at the man. "If you’re the one who locked us here, then open the path. Or I’ll tear you apart right now."

The man chuckled. "Let you out? Tear me apart? You can’t do that, can you? There is the possibility that killing me would permanently lock you all up here. You won’t take that risk." He waved his arms. "I’m pretty much safe." ℯℯ𝘭.

He was right. Ginger can’t just kill him. She threw a glance at the twitching purple star and frowned. They don’t have much time left.

"What can we do so you let us out?" Ginger growled, and the man smiled. "You’re smart, you understand quickly."

He pointed at his mouth. "I need blood, the blood of a very powerful vampire, so I can awaken, to my full power and leave this place. I have the same goal as you all." His fingers twitched. "You, red hair! I want your blood. You’ll die, so they all can live."

At that moment, Capsella started laughing. "You want us to give you Ginger? Now that’s funny, far too funny, slender man."

"What’s so funny about it?" He growled, and Capsella leaned on Ginger’s shoulder. "As you see... she is the blood mother of our lord, his stepmother as well." She then pointed back at the paladins and nuns with her thumb. "Even if we all die here, she is the only one we’re sending back."

"Then you all die here, and I’ll wait for the next one who comes." He turned around, and Capsella laughed again. "Pathetic, isn’t it? You’re leaving just like that?" She stared at his back. "If you are one of Vlad’s spare bodies, then... doesn’t awakening mean that he’ll take over your body?"

The slender man froze, sighed, and turned around. "You’re too smart for your own good." He disappeared, and in the next moment, Capsella’s arm that held the purple star was slashed cleanly off. The slender man was behind her, his nails having extended into long black claws.

He never intended to let them leave or die. He needed Ginger’s blood, and he was going to take it. This wasn’t just any random vessel, but one of Vlad’s spare bodies. When Vlad was torn apart and had his remains sealed, this body was freed from the shackles of his blood magic, but that didn’t mean it was useless.

Many of Vlad’s spare vessels were willing servants who gave themselves up to be their Blood Lord’s extra lives, and this one wasn’t an exception. Even with him being freed and Vlad being no more, he still wanted to revive his Blood Lord again.

With Arad being the new Blood Lord, even if Vlad were to revive, he wouldn’t be a Blood Lord anymore. At best, he’ll wake up as a mere Vampire Lord, but that power would still be higher than any spawn could ever hope to have. Then, to regain his title, authority, and power, he would have to find, track, and absorb all of Arad’s blood.

One thing was for sure. This slender man was as powerful as a seasoned Vampire Lord, so if he manages to absorb Ginger’s blood, Vlad would revive with that combined power as his base.

Capsella’s arm hit the floor, and blood splashed everywhere. The purple star only lasted a fraction of a second before bursting into a flash of light, and the slender man was already rushing toward Ginger to catch her before the darkness eradicated her. But then, something grabbed him by the hair.

He was stalled for a second, and then growled. "Why... isn’t the darkness rushing in?"

"Did you really think... that the purple star was the source of the power keeping us safe?" It was Capsella who grabbed him, and after saying that, she kicked him in the balls with her steel boots, hard enough to send him flying up with a stream of blood.

"The power comes out of faith, out of love, and out of our bonds with our Divine Goddess Eris." Capsella’s whole body was burning with Eris’s divine magic and blood magic, and that glow was what was keeping the darkness at bay.

The slender man landed at the edge of darkness and hissed at them with a growl. "Then let’s see how far you’ll last." Crawling backward on all fours, he disappeared into the darkness, and the paladins formed a tight defensive circle, surrounding Capsella, Ginger, and the nuns.

"Lady Capsella, how much time do we have?" One of the paladins asked, and Capsella smiled. "Long enough. Be on guard, as he’ll attack and probably try to drag Ginger away."

Ginger looked at them, then at the darkness. She might have a solution, but it’s too risky. Will it work, or will it just make them an easier target? She sadly didn’t have time to think about that and had to speak up.

"I got a plan, some of us might die, but it might work." As she growled, Capsella looked at her with a smile. "Good, I was about to ask everyone to let their power loose and blast this entire temple to ash."