Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Everyone stared in astonishment, doubting their own eyes.

The Frost Dragon, renowned for its pride and nobility, now trembled uncontrollably, its crystalline scales rustling around its neck. Its massive dragon eyes betrayed an undisguised terror, like a punching bag flinching from a blow.

As descendants of true dragons, the greatest aspiration of the dragonkin was to return to the Dragon's Nest, the ancestral home of their mighty forebears. Yet, to this day, no sub-dragon dared to venture there—the Dragon's Nest had become the slumbering ground of the Dusk Giant Wolf.

A Dragon Speech, passed down through generations among the dragonkin clans, warned: "Never again provoke the Dusk Giant Wolf."

All dragonkin knew the Dusk Giant Wolf would eventually awaken, heralding a new nightmare for their race. What vengeance would the awakened beast unleash upon them? They dared not even imagine.

When confronted by the Dusk Giant Wolf in person, feeling its unrestrained, terrifying aura, the dragon blood in its veins seemed to freeze instantly. There was no mistaking it—those molten gold vertical pupils, like the blood-red sky at sunset, encased a cold, cruel core.

The not-so-agile Frost Dragon held but one thought:

—Bring this news back to the Dragon's Nest.

No matter what, the dragonkin must be informed.

The Association Head’s eyes flickered with surprise.

He and the Frost Dragon were bound by a blood-bond, yet the dragon had never so openly defied his command.

Amid the crowd’s gasps, the Frost Dragon flapped its wings in frantic disarray, stumbling through the air like a person whose legs had turned to jelly from fright. Its hasty, uneven flight culminated in a resounding *boom* as it crashed into the towering wall of the Dragon Association’s plaza, leaving a gaping hole.

…The ever-proud Frost Dragon had actually fled?

Everyone was stunned, finding it both unbelievable and absurd. Their gazes simultaneously fell upon the little black furball—just what was the origin of this tiny creature?

The little black furball tutted. It had merely yawned, and the sub-dragon had already bolted like a scared rabbit. Its round, fluffy body hopped back into the child’s arms, its tail swaying lazily.

Luo Ci blinked. As an enthusiast of flying mounts, if not for already having a Chimera, he might have coveted the Frost Dragon. Its majestic entrance had indeed impressed him, but its panicked escape quickly dispelled any such thoughts.

Once the dragon’s oppressive aura dissipated, Kevin slowly stood up, leaning on his sword. Jia Xide clutched his chest, still pale with shock. Luo Ci glanced at them worriedly, relieved to see they were mostly unharmed.

Noticing the Association Head’s probing gaze, Luo Ci shot him a defiant look. *Hmph, your dragon ran away—what are you going to do now?*

Just then, the rhythmic click of boots on marble echoed through the plaza. Everyone turned to look, Luo Ci included, as a group of knights in pale blue dragon-riding attire approached. The leader wore a sash across his chest and a silver star badge on his shoulder, his expression as cold as frost.

The Association Head’s expression changed, and he hurried forward eagerly. "Lord Kaleyn, you’ve finally arrived—"

But Kaleyn’s next words made the Association Head’s face turn ashen. "I’ve already witnessed everything. The headquarters has received over a dozen complaint letters from the town. I’m here to investigate this matter thoroughly."

The Association Head forced a smile. "Lord Kaleyn, it’s all a misunderstanding. I can explain—"

The Dragon Association’s inspection team held full authority. If misconduct was uncovered, his position could very well be at risk.

Kaleyn didn’t even spare him a glance. He pulled out a scroll from his robes, filled with the townsfolk's complaints, and tossed it before the Association Head. With a wave of his hand, the inspection team seized the Association Head and his subordinates, pinning them to the ground.

Luo Ci, still holding the little black furball, gaped at the scene. The previously haughty Association Head and his faction were now detained. As Kaleyn approached, Luo Ci blinked his round eyes but didn’t move.

Kaleyn looked down at the child, who only came up to his knees. The little one’s soft cheeks were flushed with anger, his pout making him look cute rather than intimidating—utterly lacking in menace but undeniably adorable.

A faint trace of amusement flickered in Kaleyn’s icy eyes.

Luo Ci cocked his head. "You’re not here to back him up, are you?"

Kaleyn bent slightly. "What do you think?"

Luo Ci pinched his fingers and puffed his cheeks. "Probably… not."

Unable to resist, Kaleyn gave the child's head a pat—just as fluffy and soft as he’d imagined—before straightening. "Let the grown-ups handle this. Weren’t you heading to the Mage Association?"

Luo Ci nodded. Jia Xide walked over, patting his chest in relief. "Thank goodness nothing happened. That was terrifying. But… just what kind of monster is Da Fa?" This was no ordinary high-level monster…

"Da Fa is just Da Fa! He prefers the name I gave him over Fariel, right?" Luo Ci lifted the little black furball in his arms. After being cuddled for so long, its inky fur was all ruffled. The child smoothed its fur with his small hands, earning a contented purr as the creature gave his hand an affectionate lick, tickling him.

Jia Xide watched enviously. Though he’d always been scared of monsters, having one this attached to him didn’t seem so bad.

With the Vice-Captain no longer interfering, their certification was easily approved.

An association staff member led them into the library. "This section is organized chronologically. You may freely browse records of recent events in Kamusokis."

The three immediately began poring over the records. The files were meticulously detailed, but Luo Ci frowned as soon as he saw the newspaper clippings.

Most of the victims had died in agony, completely drained of blood, and the photos showed gruesome scenes. What puzzled him, however, were the numerous bite marks covering their bodies. At first glance, they resembled vampire attacks, but the bite marks were much thicker.

Moreover, vampires were a race who prized elegance and refinement, even in feeding. Yet these bite marks were jagged and chaotic—less like careful bloodsucking and more like wild, animalistic chewing. Some victims even had chunks of flesh torn from their necks.

Jia Xide and Kevin scoured newspapers from recent years, searching for patterns in vampire activity, but found none.

Luo Ci frowned, resting his chin on his hand. Then it hit him. Jia Xide had mentioned hearing of similar incidents since childhood—perhaps finding the earliest recorded case would help?

He murmured to his furry companion.

The two split up to search. The little black furball, being more agile, leaped onto the shelves. After a moment, it returned with an old dossier in its mouth.

Luo Ci couldn’t resist giving the fluffy ball a squeeze and pinching its plump little paws. "Good boy. I’ll buy you a giant taco later."

The little black furball licked the child’s chin.

As Luo Ci opened the dossier, yellowed pages greeted him, yellowed with age. It documented Kamusokis’ first recorded vampire attack. Kevin walked over and read out the date and place: "...A church?"

Now even Luo Ci thought that was weird. "Vampires are dark creatures, yet their first attack was at a church?"

Jia Xide scratched his head, confused. "What’s strange about that?"

"Predators, whether vampires or otherwise, usually hunt within their comfort zones during their first attacks. Churches are filled with holy relics and blessed water—things that harm vampires. Why would they choose such a place?"

Unless...

Kevin murmured, "That location was where they felt safest."

Luo Ci slammed his little hand down. "Let’s go investigate the church."

---

The Church

It was the *Festival of Holy Light*, and most of Kamusokis’ residents had put aside their work to attend mass at the church, listening to the Pope’s sermon.

The crowd was so large that nearly all the clergy were busy maintaining order. Knights of the Holy Light, of the church, stood guard at every entrance.

From a distance, Luo Ci spotted the Pope on the ceremonial platform, clad in white and gold ceremonial robes. His robes were embroidered with patterns symbolizing the path to enlightenment, while the cuffs and back bore the emblem of the sacred sword of the Paladins, symbolizing the radiance of the Holy Temple. His golden sash glittered in the sunlight, and his crown, adorned with nine luminous pearls, shimmered. Holding a scepter in one hand and scriptures in the other, he looked down with compassionate eyes.

Two cardinals followed, holding up the train of his robe. Wherever he passed, the faithful among the crowd dropped to their knees in reverence.

Luo Ci cocked his head. "How come the Pope has so many believers?"

"Where there's darkness and danger, there must also be faith and light," said Kevin.

"Not only that, but this current Pope is the most revered one," Jia Xide added, as his father was a devout follower and thus he knew some inside details. "After the Holy Temple fell into decline, the Church, inheriting its glory, gradually rose to prominence, dividing into the factions of light and darkness. However, the Pope, who had gradually gained power, took several wives in succession, including a princess from a neighboring small kingdom. The problem was that all these wives mysteriously disappeared one after another."

Luo Ci curiously pressed, "And then?"

"Later, his Cardinal exposed the Pope's secret. When people raided the church, they discovered that those wives had been imprisoned underground to bear children, their blood drained to sustain his own life. It turned out that the Pope was obsessed with vampire immortality. After his crimes were exposed, he still insisted he was innocent. But a Pope who advocated the opposition of light and darkness actually worshipped vampires—what an irony, a huge scandal. He was forced to step down not long after."

Jia Xide shrugged. "Later, he went mad, secretly pouring blood into the holy water font, turning the entire pool into a bloodbath. This became known as the infamous 'Poisoned Holy Blood Incident.'"

Luo Ci seemed to understand. "That Cardinal wouldn’t be..."

"Yes, the Cardinal who bravely exposed the former Pope is the current Pope," Jia Xide said, his tone filled with admiration. "This Pope is also a devotee of the Paladins and advocated commemorating the great Paladins through the Holy Light Festival. He has dedicated his life to restoring the glory of the Holy Temple."

Luo Ci nodded thoughtfully, but Ash seemed unmoved. After all, his memories were fragmented, and as an undead being now, the past felt like viewing through frosted glass—hard to stir any emotion.

Jia Xide spoke knowledgeably, recounting the Pope's great achievements. Inheriting his father's legacy, he was also a devoted follower of the Church, even carrying the Pope's *Holy Scriptures* in his bag.

As Luo Ci listened, he followed the group toward the church, but before entering, they were stopped by armored knights of the Light.

The knights of the Light scrutinized them, their gazes lingering on the child's pink eyes and horns. Frowning, one loudly declared, "Dark creatures are not permitted in the Church!"

Kevin reacted first. As the knight of the Light placed a hand on his sword, Kevin did the same, coldly demanding, "Who said there are dark creatures among us?"

The knight of the Light's expression hardened. "That’s none of your concern. Someone reported it to us." With that, they began forcibly expelling them from the church.

Their actions were extremely rough. Kevin drew his sword and crossed swords briefly with them. The knight of the Light stiffened slightly, sensing some pressure, realizing they weren’t easy opponents. Still, he had no choice but to repeat his earlier words.

Luo Ci wasn’t particularly angered, just curious—who had reported them?

Then, amid a commotion, the Pope slowly approached, flanked by several Cardinals and followers. His expression was calm as he asked gently, "What is happening here?"

The knight of the Light promptly explained the situation. After listening, the Pope gave them a kind and forgiving smile. "Lower your weapons. How can you point them at friends celebrating the Holy Light Festival together?"

At once, the knight of the Light sheathed his weapon—proof of the Pope's absolute authority in their hearts.

The Pope beckoned warmly. "The Church welcomes all who seek its guidance. Please, come in."

For Jia Xide, this was the first time he had been so close to his idol. His freckled face flushed with excitement, and he stumbled awkwardly, as if forgetting how to walk.

Luo Ci looked up. The Pope seemed to have cast some spell—under the crown, his upper face was obscured by a radiant holy light.

The Pope spoke gently, "The knights of the Light were discourteous. Might we have the chance to turn conflict into harmony and share in the holy sacrament together?"

Sharing a meal with the Pope was a once-a-year opportunity, selected from thousands, and included receiving his blessing. As a devout follower, Jia Xide was so overwhelmed he nearly fainted, nodding eagerly in agreement.