Realm of the Bloodline, Fangs Revealed

As the Blood Moon Domain enveloped the entirety of Thornflower Castle, the visible world turned a deep crimson. At this moment, the density of the scarlet mist reached its peak, and the family mage hired by Count George finally descended into complete madness.

Corrosive spells, blackened and erratic, began lashing out indiscriminately. Human guests scrambled in panic, seeking cover. The elder vampires, however, prioritized eliminating the frenzied supernaturals, inadvertently becoming the protectors of the human attendees.

Within the Blood Moon Domain, the mage roared in madness. Though the backlash had rendered him both deranged and powerful, his rationality was lost. Precious mana erupted without restraint—yet every spell aimed at the elder vampires missed its mark.

Those ancient, ghastly figures seemed to merge with the bloody mist, dissipating into the air only to reform in an instant behind the mage. Moments later, the roaring ceased as the mage’s head was cleanly severed by an elder vampire’s swift strike.

Meanwhile, Luo Wei and Evelyn were making their way toward the center of the venue. Luo Wei observed the combat style of the elder vampires.

Now he understood the true advantage of the "Blood Moon Domain" for them.

To put it in gaming terms, within this vampiric domain, their opponents simply "couldn’t lock onto a target." They moved like phantoms, untouchable.

Admittedly, this noble "invincibility frame" was the ultimate buff...

Just then, the eerie gazes of the elder vampires shifted to another target.

Count Philip’s guard was a retired paladin from the Church—the only supernatural guard who had retained his sanity.

With devout recitations, he imbued a weathered greatsword with divine power. Stepping forward, the blade, radiant with holy light, cleaved through the air toward the vampires.

One of the elder vampires grinned sinisterly, his form exploding into a cloud of bloody mist.

In the next moment, to the knight’s shock, a withered claw materialized from the mist behind his shoulder. With a pained scream, his sword arm was torn clean off, blood gushing like a fountain.

The knight clutched his severed limb, collapsing to his knees in agony.

But as the elder vampire moved to finish him off, a sudden azure glow flared to life.

Luo Wei stepped in front of the knight, blocking the lethal strike with a [Sigil Shield].

System-rewarded skills were truly convenient. [Sigil Shield] was a 6th-circle spell—under the magic system inherited from the Arcane Hermitage, mastery of 6th-circle spells marked one as a high-tier black-robed mage.

In reality, however, Luo Wei had only self-taught from Gould’s Tome of Magic, and his current limit was 3rd-circle spells. So, in truth, he was a lopsided, half-baked high-tier mage—low offense, high defense.

The elder vampire’s eyes flickered with surprise, as if he hadn’t expected a mage with a sound mind. He scrutinized Luo Wei warily.

Simultaneously, every elder vampire turned their attention toward him.

Because the moment Luo Wei and Evelyn appeared, they had unhesitatingly sided with the humans.

"Luo Wei!" Headmaster Danton exclaimed joyfully, clapping him on the shoulder. "Knew you’d still be alive. Truly worthy of being my junior brother."

"Headmaster, please don’t call me that," Luo Wei replied, studying him. Despite the chaos, the seventy-something Danton wasn’t even winded—compared to the disheveled guests, he seemed unnervingly calm.

Some of the guests rushed over excitedly. "Right! We forgot—Headmaster Danton, you’re Gould’s disciple! If even your junior brother is this strong, your magic must be even more formidable!"

At these words, everyone seemed to find their anchor, clustering around Headmaster Danton in hopes that this legendary grandmaster would protect them.

Luo Wei discreetly observed the headmaster, trying to sense the mana emanating from him.

Yet he detected nothing—whether due to his own low level or some other reason, he couldn’t tell.

Quietly, Luo Wei asked, "Headmaster, what’s your level? Don’t tell me you’ve mastered 9th-circle spells—are you an archmage?"

Headmaster Danton smiled enigmatically, exuding the aura of a grandmaster.

Luo Wei grew even more curious. "Wait… do you know spells beyond the 9th circle?"

Headmaster Danton glanced around, then leaned in conspiratorially.

"Truth is… I don’t know any magic."

Luo Wei stared at him skeptically, initially thinking it was a joke.

Danton’s smile turned sheepish. "It’s true."

Luo Wei sighed. "But you’re Gould’s eldest disciple. And the headmaster of the Arcane Institute..."

"I’m the headmaster of the Arcane Institute, not the Magic Academy," Danton replied with a helpless chuckle. "Magic… well, let’s just say I never had the talent for it. Back then, I followed the old man for reasons other than learning spells. Honestly, I’m just a craftsman..."

"You really don’t know any?" Luo Wei’s eyes widened.

Danton rubbed his balding head, looking even more embarrassed.

"Well, not entirely none. I know a bit of crystal magic…"

"And a few cantrips—the kind even apprentice mages can cast. So, junior brother, when the fighting starts, you’ll have to protect this old headmaster, alright?"

Luo Wei facepalmed. He glanced back at the hopeful human guests and decided it was best not to shatter their illusions…

But unexpectedly, Headmaster Danton’s expression turned serious. He leaned in again and whispered something strange.

"When the chaos starts, keep an eye on me. Cover for me."

Luo Wei frowned at him.

Danton merely resumed his cryptic smile, offering no further explanation.

Pondering this, Luo Wei scanned the massive castle shrouded in magical barriers. He recalled that Headmaster Danton had been involved in its modifications...

...

As Luo Wei and Danton conversed quietly, the bloody mist surrounding the human guests stirred once more. Shadows of crimson encircled them all.

Luo Wei’s gaze locked onto the elder vampires. By now, they had complete control over the venue—and their numbers were alarmingly vast.

Count Philip’s voice trembled with suppressed fury. "Vampires of the House of Abraham, do you realize what you’re doing?"

"You dare openly rebel? How has the Empire treated you all these years? Is such glory and wealth still not enough? Do you fools truly believe His Majesty won’t reduce this pathetic Thornflower Castle to ashes?"

The elder vampire Meizi materialized at the center of the crowd, casting a cold glance at the human noble.

"Rebellion? That’s too heavy a charge for us to bear."

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you have all witnessed, the patriarch is dead, and the church members who murdered the duke are hiding among you. Our Abraham family has shown great restraint thus far. Now, all you need to do is follow me to a certain location. Once your innocence is confirmed, you may leave freely."

"You expect us to believe that? Disgusting blood-drinking monsters! You’re the ones who killed the duke!" A noble, forgetting all decorum, shouted in outrage. "Who knows where you’re trying to take us? And you’ve already slaughtered our guards!"

"It was not us who killed the duke," Meizi replied with a faint smile. "I’ve said all I needed to say. Whether you believe me or not is up to you."

Her words were met with a wave of angry murmurs from the crowd. Luo Wei kept his eyes fixed on Meizi. At this point, even a fool could see there was a conspiracy at play, yet she still spoke as if it were a simple matter.

His gaze flickered toward the young vampires and those from the City of Cain. Her words seemed directed more at them.

After all, no one wanted to shoulder the blame for assassinating a patriarch. Whether anyone believed it was another matter entirely.

And the place they intended to take the human guests? Without a doubt, it was the prearranged ritual altar. Luo Wei had seen one before—on the rooftop of Evelyn’s family estate.

Amid the rising fury, an elder vampire let out a chilling laugh. "Meizi, why waste so many words? You’re starting to sound as long-winded as that brat Victor."

A surge of blood mist swirled, and his withered claws materialized behind Count Philip, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

Chaos erupted once more. Behind every human guest, the shadow of an elder vampire loomed. With no supernatural guards left to protect them, the situation was hopelessly one-sided.

Only Luo Wei and Evelyn continued to resist fiercely. Spotting a blood-shadow forming behind Headmaster Danton, Luo Wei swiftly conjured a [Sigil Shield], slamming it back with a forceful impact. The shadow let out a muffled grunt as it recoiled.

Taking advantage of the pandemonium, Luo Wei and Evelyn shielded Headmaster Danton, pushing through the crowd toward a specific direction.

Fortunately, his sixth-tier magical barrier was as stubborn as a tortoise’s shell, and Evelyn, wielding her crimson scythe, moved like a shadow—striking swiftly when she could, retreating behind the shield when outmatched. Their seamless coordination left the three elder vampires gnashing their fangs in frustration.

"Headmaster!" Luo Wei felt his mana draining rapidly. "Enough with the riddles—what’s the plan? Where am I taking you?"

"Underground! Hurry, get me to the underground control room!" Danton’s eyes darted nervously around. "Don’t worry about them—they won’t die! Just get me there! Trust me!"

"Understood!"