Chapter 112: Duke Kalen, Grand Duke of the Blood Clan (Bonus Update for Faxi’s Reader Monthly-Ticket Supporters)

Lin Xiao had a faint suspicion about a certain possibility: since Michael could accommodate both vampire and werewolf powers and awaken the blood source, his constitution must be quite extraordinary. Then, as his sister, Nancy surely possessed the same unique physique.

Perhaps, when the exorcist master from the Sanctum Paradise Church had arrived, they hadn’t come to help Berham, but with a special purpose—such as seeking out Michael’s family for their rare traits.

Since Lucien, the werewolf leader, had located Michael, it was hardly surprising that the Sanctum Paradise Church had managed to find Nancy.

But they shouldn’t have harmed Sheriff Hope; that was their gravest mistake.

“Number Eleven, quickly use your psychic roaming ability and search for Michael’s sister Nancy,” Lin Xiao instructed. Her talent made finding people effortless, no matter where they were, and now, as an intermediate witch, her range and precision had grown remarkably.

Obediently, Number Eleven closed her eyes and activated her search. After a moment, she pointed toward Lake Campus. “I see Nancy. She’s tied up with ropes, locked in a cabin, and they’re sailing swiftly down the waterway. Wait—bad news. They seem to have noticed my probe. A woman used her power, and my search was blocked.”

She opened her eyes, face pale. Lin Xiao hurried to comfort her, holding her shoulder.

“I have to rescue my sister!” Michael suddenly transformed, spreading his massive wings, ready to soar after those who’d taken Nancy.

“Wait, Michael. We need to understand their strength first. Eric, what’s going on?” Lin Xiao turned to Eric—strongest among them, a second-order superhuman. If even he couldn’t handle them, pursuing would be perilous.

Eric’s face was grim, though it was hard to read his expression. He shook his head. “Their leader is a woman, extremely powerful—her strength rivals that of a vampire grand duke. With a single move, she left us helpless. I’m not a coward, but I advise you not to follow.”

If her power matched the grand duke’s, she was a high-level witch. Lin Xiao felt a bit relieved and glanced at Misty, the newly arrived witch, herself a high-level practitioner. If she was willing to help, they might have a chance to save Nancy.

Misty’s expression was solemn, her brows furrowed in thought. Noticing Lin Xiao’s gaze, she looked up and said, “Mr. Byers, though I am a high-level witch, my white witchcraft specializes in healing, not combat. That woman is a high-level witch skilled in black witchcraft—I may not be her match.”

This time, Lin Xiao frowned. It was not an uncommon thing; even within the same rank, there were vast differences.

For example, he himself, as a first-order superhuman, wouldn’t claim invincibility among his peers but could challenge higher ranks—he’d slain second-order supernaturals, though the method was best forgotten.

Misty wasn’t confident she could defeat the enemy; even with Lin Xiao’s help, it would be dangerous. Michael’s power had only just awakened; while his group attacks were formidable, he certainly couldn’t contend with a high-level witch.

Number Eleven, though full of potential, was still limited at this stage—she could match most intermediate witches, but a high-level witch would still be too much.

He couldn’t risk so many lives, and his own, for Nancy, with whom he had no personal connection—it simply wasn’t worth it.

Seeing Lin Xiao hesitate, Michael made an instant decision, beating his wings and flying toward Lake Campus.

Suddenly, a massive shadow descended from the sky, crashing into Michael and gripping his throat, suspending him in midair.

“Michael!” Number Eleven cried out, preparing to teleport and rescue him, but Lin Xiao grabbed her arm, his face more serious than ever, eyes fixed intently on the shadow.

He couldn’t be blamed for his caution—the shadow was enormous, dwarfing even Lestat, with a wingspan over ten meters, blotting out the moon and looming above them like a storm, radiating a terrifying pressure.

“Victor Cullen!”

“Duke Cullen!”

“Father!”

Three exclamations rang out, from Eric the Blade, Misty the high-level witch, and finally, Stefan.

“How odd, truly odd—why does this little fellow have the sacred artifact of our kind, the Bloodshadow Mirror? Stefan, care to explain?” The newcomer looked down, a middle-aged man with the appearance of a white Westerner, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, his golden hair slicked back, his features chiseled and imposing, exuding an aura of authority that marked him as far from ordinary.

He was a vampire grand duke, second only to the princes of the bloodline, and a key member of the Elder Council.

Stefan glanced at Lin Xiao, then stepped forward, kneeling on one knee to the man hovering above, and replied, “It was left by Marquis Lestat. He was slain.”

“Oh, so Lestat, that useless wretch, finally met his end? Hmph. Useless ones never rise again. Tell me, what happened? Your steward called me, saying your life was in danger and requesting rescue. Yet here you are, alive and well, while Lestat is dead. Who dared such audacity? Do they think, just because our kind has not appeared for so long, that they can slaughter us at will?”

As he spoke, his gaze swept across Misty, Lin Xiao, and Eric, undisguised murderous intent flashing in his eyes. Among those present, whoever killed Lestat with the Bloodshadow Mirror must be one of these three.

Lin Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. Things were going from bad to worse tonight—high-level witches appearing one after another, and now a vampire grand duke had arrived. Did they know I’d just advanced and come specially to “celebrate”? Couldn’t I have enjoyed my moment a bit longer?

He calmly pulled up his system interface, hurriedly clicking the upgrade button and spending two hundred points of source power to rise to level twelve.

Even at level twelve, he still wouldn’t be a match for the grand duke, but at least he could struggle a bit more—perhaps even survive.

He invested all twelve free attribute points into intelligence, raising it to seventy-six. With higher intelligence, his magic attacks would grow stronger, and all his skills would be more potent.

He spent three of his four SP points to upgrade his Thunder Summoning Talisman from level two mastery to level three excellence—his only skill likely to harm a vampire grand duke. The rest weren’t worth mentioning.

Sadly, exorcists could only raise skills to level three—otherwise, if he could boost Sacred Light to level four, he might stand a fighting chance. Now, he could only seek life amidst death.

Thunder Summoning Talisman: Level Two Mastery—Internal magic forms the talisman, summoning thunder within a ten-meter radius to attack enemies. Magic attacks against dark creatures have a twenty percent bonus. When thunder strikes, it stuns the enemy for one to three seconds and deals lightning magic damage. Each use consumes two hundred magic points.

Level Two Mastery Special: Thunder Blessing—Convert internal magic to lightning attribute, imbue weapons to deal extra lightning damage and penetrate armor. Consumes ten magic points per second.

Level Three Excellence Special: Chain Lightning—Condense the talisman, summon three chain bolts to attack three targets simultaneously, or combine them into a single, triple-strength attack. Each use consumes three hundred magic points.

With the Thunder Summoning Talisman upgraded to level three excellence, its power was greatly enhanced, yet Lin Xiao’s confidence remained shaky.

Because, above all, the vampire grand duke suspended in midair exerted such overwhelming pressure that death seemed imminent—he felt utterly powerless to resist.