A vampire whose body had undergone even more severe mutations emerged from the muddy ground.
If vampires transformed by Second-Class Wizard Apprentices merely developed fangs, Blood Claws, Blood Eyes, and bat wings while still largely resembling humans, then those converted through the Vampire Curse and Blood Curse by First Class Wizard Apprentices were far more bestial in nature.
His face had elongated, his eye sockets sunken, and his body was covered in gray fur like a terrifying beast. Black barbs sprouted from the wings on his back, and his skin was coated in a viscous slime.
If vampires created by Second-Class Wizard Apprentices were 30% beast and 70% human, this one was now 70% beast and 30% human.
His pupils were Blood-colored Sclerae, within which floated black inverted cross-shaped irises.
The vampire Howard, who had crawled out of the mud, spoke with evident frustration, "Did you anticipate my ambush in advance?"
Howard glanced at the owl hovering in midair, a flash of savagery in his eyes. "Damn it, a shapeshifter."
"Never mind, it doesn't matter." A surge of confidence crossed Howard's face. "As long as you've left Lilith's Cottage, I can kill you."
"You White Wizards aren't skilled in combat, but I'm different. I'm a Black Wizard—fighting is what I do every day. I've lost count of how many battles I've fought, how many magical resources I've seized to reach this point."
Howard grinned viciously—only for an Omen Mandrake Vine to pierce through his chest the next moment.
Locke had rendered the magic vine invisible and launched the attack while he was speaking.
Locke frowned slightly. Despite his magic vine having pierced the vampire's heart, the creature showed no signs of dying.
In an instant, Locke's mind raced. 'The Wood Element clearly penetrated his heart. Could it be that a First Class Wizard Apprentice-level vampire's immortality has overcome this weakness?'
Howard sneered. "You've never fought a Vampire Baron before, have you? A Vampire Baron's strength, speed, and undying capabilities are beyond those of ordinary vampires."
The next moment, he charged toward Locke's main body at blinding speed, aiming to slit his throat with his Blood Claws.
But a Rot Soil Konjac King floated behind Locke, firing a [Mayfly Firecracker] at him.
Howard, who seemed to have intelligence on Locke, knew the danger of those Spore Cannonballs. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he used his vampiric speed to dodge effortlessly.
The deep purple Spore Cannonball struck the ground and exploded, releasing thick violet mist that rapidly contaminated the soil and air.
Locke continued firing Mayfly Firecrackers relentlessly, pursuing his target.
"Attacking with just one Mayfly Firecracker is still too clumsy. Ideally, I should control three simultaneously to create a spore rain for area coverage," Locke mused. "But obtaining six more Corpse Soil Konjacs is nearly impossible. Perhaps I'll need other plant magic to compensate for the gaps between each Mayfly Firecracker attack."
"Indeed, a bit of combat is necessary. Only in battle can one truly deepen their understanding of their own Spells."
While repeatedly using the Mayfly Firecracker to suppress his opponent, Locke was also rapidly enhancing his comprehension of this Spell.
Locke's Mayfly Firecracker functioned like heavy artillery, each blast forcing the Vampire Howard to exhaust every means to evade.
Though Howard prided himself on his undying nature, if he were struck by the Spore Cannonballs that disrupted cognition from the Mayfly Firecracker, it would mean his utter demise.
Thus, in a sense, Locke possessed a Spell capable of bypassing the Vampire's immortality and defeating him outright—a fact that Howard found particularly troublesome.
Their battle had already shifted rapidly from one side of the mountain range to the other.
As they fought, their Magic Pressure clashed, sending ordinary Magical Creatures and mundane wildlife in the forest fleeing in terror, birds scattering in all directions.
Throughout this, Howard continually attempted to leverage his Vampiric physical superiority and undying resilience to launch attacks on Locke's true form while retreating.
Locke, meanwhile, maintained his heavy artillery suppression with the Mayfly Firecracker, forcing Howard to avoid direct confrontation, while simultaneously harassing him with Omen Mandrake Vines. When Howard tried to close in for melee combat, Locke employed All Plants as Soldiers to engage him.
Additionally, Locke relied on the defensive capabilities of his Nightwalker Feather Coat to withstand Howard's sudden Blood Claw ambushes.
Under this relentless combo, Howard found himself with few viable options.
Yet, even as Locke pursued him, the only effective method he had against Howard's undying nature remained the Mayfly Firecracker.
Both their Mana reserves were depleting swiftly.
Mid-chase, Howard abruptly pivoted, his Blood Claw slashing toward Locke's neck—only to clash with the Leaf Blades controlled by All Plants as Soldiers.
In an instant, Locke recited the incantation for All Plants as Soldiers again, and the Leaf Blades swirled around him, launching over a dozen consecutive strikes—from his neck to his wrists, down to his ankles—leaving trails of blood in their wake.
Were he not a Vampire, such an assault would have killed him outright.
Yet Howard only let out a maniacal laugh. "You underestimate our Blood Curse magic far too much! Attacks like these have no effect on our undying bodies!"
Locke retorted impatiently, "Didn't you come here to kill me? Stop running. Our fight has already drawn the attention of patrolling Wizards and the academy's higher-ups."
"If you want me dead, then hurry up."
Howard's expression darkened. He had indeed come to kill Locke, having accepted a mission from the Blood Curse Court's academy branch.
The Blood Curse Court had issued a kill order for the First Class Wizard Apprentice who developed the Crystal Palmfire Lotus.
During the last Wizard War, they had suffered devastating losses due to the Crystal Palmfire Lotus—chief among them the destruction of the Curse Formula Research Institute, which claimed the lives of numerous Wizard Apprentices and erased invaluable research on new curses and experimental data.
Yet, to his dismay, Howard had underestimated Locke's strength. Far from the newly promoted First Class Wizard Apprentice described in the intelligence reports, Locke's Mana reserves were far deeper than anticipated.
Were it not for the Vampire's undying body, he would have already been defeated. As it stood, he was barely holding on.
He hadn't found any openings.
Locke's Spell composition was exceptionally well-balanced, and he possessed a high-level Enchanted Item that bolstered his defenses.
Seizing the moment Howard turned to attack him, Locke flung a handful of seeds into the air—seeds mixed with an advanced cultivation solution—and chanted an incantation. Instantly, the 0.5-ring Wild Grass Entanglement erupted.
The Wire Tendon Grass began rapidly entwining around Howard, a binding-type Spell.
Howard's eyes flickered. "Damn it, this is bad—really bad."
Relying on his extreme speed, he attempted to escape the Spell's range, but the wild grass had already coiled around his legs and was creeping upward.
Meanwhile, the Mayfly firecrackers behind Locke loomed like the gaping maw of death, poised to unleash their barrage toward him.
Howard's Blood Claw struck the Wire Tendon Grass, and his expression twisted.
The grass was far too tough—he wouldn't have time to destroy it before Locke's Mayfly firecrackers hit him.
And then, he'd be finished.
In the next moment, resolve flashed in Howard's eyes. He actually used his Blood Claw to slash his own legs, then relied on his wings to propel himself out of the Wild Grass Entanglement's range.
Panting heavily midair, he glared at Locke, who was still pursuing him. "This bastard..."
Locke followed with keen interest, watching as Howard's legs slowly regenerated. "So the undying body has reached this level, has it?"
"That really is troublesome."
Without halting his assault, Locke hurled a Crystal Palmfire Lotus at him while simultaneously chanting the incantation for Scorched Earth Bomb.
Howard barely had time to catch his breath before he saw, with horror, a dazzling crystalline flower hurtling straight for his forehead.
(End of Chapter)