Chapter 83: Lestat, the Vampire Marquis

"Marquis Lestat, what brings you here?"
Dermont leapt to his feet in delight, his face alight with excitement as he called out.

The middle-aged white man who had descended from the skies placed a hand on his chest and gave a courteous salute, responding in a proper London accent, "Young Master Karren, the Grand Duke does not wish to see you brothers fighting each other. He specifically instructed me to remain hidden and reveal myself when the time was right to resolve the conflict between you two. I had not expected you to fall into the hands of this extraordinary human, so I was forced to step forward and capture him for you."

Dermont laughed heartily, deeply grateful for his father's foresight in sending Marquis Lestat to follow him and protect him in secret. Now, this extraordinary human was as good as caught.

A bloodline marquis stood a rank above him, equivalent to a second-tier extraordinary human—far superior to Dermont, who was at the peak of the first tier. Surely this detestable human would be subdued in an instant. And if he continuously drank his blood, Dermont would soon ascend to the rank of marquis himself, perhaps even become a bloodline grand duke like his father; it was no longer an impossible dream.

Lin Xiao rose from the ground without hesitation, immediately pulling up his system interface and allocating the three SP points he had just gained from leveling up into two skills.

One was the LV1 skill Tiger Assault, the other a new skill: Weapon Parry.

[Weapon Parry: LV1 basic skill. Raise your weapon and use a special method of exerting force to deflect attacks coming from the front; at equal levels, the parry is complete. If the attacker is one level higher, parry effectiveness is reduced by 50%.]

He unlocked this new skill because the attack from the newcomer had been powerful enough to send him flying in a single blow. Though his formidable defense kept him from taking much damage, he still lost over ten HP points. If the opponent kept up a relentless assault, even with high health, he would eventually be worn down. Improving his Weapon Parry skill was timely.

Meanwhile, Tiger Assault had advanced to LV2 mastery, bringing significant changes:

[Tiger Assault: LV2 Mastery. Grab an enemy in front, run forward a distance, then throw them. Can inflict multiple hits on enemies collided with during the run.
LV2 Mastery Special Effect: Guaranteed Hit. At equal levels, Tiger Assault always hits; if the target is one rank higher, success rate is reduced by 50%.]

While it did not increase attack power, the LV2 Tiger Assault added a guaranteed hit effect. As for the 50% success rate against higher-ranked foes, Lin Xiao believed that, combined with the Devil's Left Hand, he could still guarantee a hit.

"Marquis Lestat, hurry up and capture him. I can't wait to savor this human's blood," Dermont said urgently.

Marquis Lestat raised a finger and shook it, replying, "There's no need for such trouble. If we wish to drink his blood, he'll come over on his own and offer his neck for us."

Dermont was momentarily stunned but soon remembered something, casting a sympathetic look at Lin Xiao. This fellow was doomed.

Rumor had it that Marquis Lestat was a master of mind control, exceptionally skilled at manipulating thoughts. Most extraordinary humans of his rank succumbed to his power, let alone someone of Dermont's own level.

Lestat's gaze fixed upon Lin Xiao, and an invisible, mysterious force shot from his brow and invaded Lin Xiao's mind.

On high alert, Lin Xiao sensed a peculiar yet familiar force breaking into his consciousness. Recalling Lestat's words, he instantly deduced this was a mind control skill, similar to that of the witch Zoe.

Had this happened before he forged the radiant Platinum Star, or before his mental duel with Zoe, he might have been caught off guard and instantly controlled. But those conditions had changed; he had already battled Zoe and triumphed. Now, his will was as unyielding as steel. Unless a bloodline grand duke employed mind control, he would not be defeated.

Indeed, his mind held fast, and no matter how Marquis Lestat pressed his mental invasion, he could not breach Lin Xiao's defenses.

Yet Lin Xiao could not counterattack either. The marquis's mental strength was even greater than Zoe's—like the waves of Lake Campas, endlessly crashing and surging in repeated assaults.

Dermont watched in surprise as Lestat, once so assured, grew serious. He raised a hand to his temple, clearly exerting himself to the fullest.

"How can this be? He's only a first-tier extraordinary, probably weaker than me in truth. How can he resist Lestat's mind control?"

Dermont was confused, but then felt relieved. It wasn't his own incompetence that led to his repeated failures—it was the sheer ferocity of his enemy.

If even the marquis could not easily defeat this human, then Dermont's losses were understandable.

Marquis Lestat felt thoroughly embarrassed. He had said the target would walk over and offer his neck, yet the man stood unmoving, as if that promise had slapped him in the face.

As a veteran bloodline marquis, Lestat had never suffered such humiliation. Even against third-tier extraordinary humans, he could rely on the bloodline's ability to fly and escape. If he couldn't win, he could always run.

But now, facing someone ranked lower than himself, he could not easily win—a shocking turn of events.

"This human must be hiding some unknown secret."

Meanwhile, as the duel of wills continued, Chief Hope held Dustin tightly and watched the confrontation with anxious unease. Even he could tell that some dangerous power struggle was underway.

Dermont's eyes flickered as he watched, then suddenly he flapped his wings and rushed forward, striking Chief Hope aside and snatching up the fallen Dustin. Sinking his fangs into Dustin's neck, he began to gulp down blood.

His intention was to provoke Lin Xiao, hoping to make him lose focus and allow Lestat to seize the opportunity, so Dermont could enjoy his blood.

Instead, the effect was the opposite.

"Ah!"

As Lin Xiao engaged in a battle of wills, the sight of Dustin's fate ignited an unprecedented fury within him.

Damn you all, do you really take me for an easy target, something you can squeeze and toy with at will? You're all going to die.

A torrent of spiritual force thundered forth, smashing into the invading mental energy and shattering Lestat's control.

The bloodline marquis suddenly spat a mouthful of blood, staring at Lin Xiao in terror. He had actually been defeated in his most specialized domain, by a human ranked below him—a result beyond his comprehension.

Charge Slash!

Devil's Hand!

Tiger Assault!

Three skills in swift succession; Lin Xiao erupted like a tiger unleashed, pouncing in an instant across three or four meters to stand before Dermont.

A monstrous devil's hand, like the claw of a ruler from hell, seized Dermont's throat.

Dermont turned pale with fright, desperately trying to flee, but escape was impossible. The devil's hand moved too fast, faster than his own reflexes, closing around his neck and lifting him like a hawk clutching a chick.

The Dustin in his grasp dropped to the ground with a thud. Deep punctures marred his neck, blood gushing forth, his mouth overflowing with blood—his life hanging by a thread.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao's thoughts stirred. With a single swing of his axe, he severed Dermont's wrist and pressed the bleeding stump to Dustin's mouth. The bloodline blood gushed into Dustin's mouth in a torrent.