The vampire turned into mist and covered the clearing. He was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Cate slammed her palm into the earth, and everything trembled. Large earth spears shot up from the ground and pierced through the mist. While most would not have been able to discern the vampire's true form within this mist, Cate could. She had already cast a spell to allow her to see through the vampire, anticipating him discarding his normal flesh appearance. She could still see his weaknesses, which allowed her to target him without issue. The earth spears struck his true form, and he let out a crazed scream that filled the clearing.
Cate merely snorted in response. The vampire shifted back into his flesh form, but Cate was already waiting for him with another spell, unwilling to give him any time to collect his senses and instincts, a respite that would only make him far too dangerous to handle.
She moved like the wind and grabbed him by the neck. Her dainty fingers clasped his throat, and in the next moment, the vampire felt his heart turning to stone. He had never felt this kind of power in his long life. His heart had been dead for hundreds of years, yet it remained the core of his power, holding the magic that made him the lethal creature he was. The destruction of his heart would mean his death, but this was rare, as few things could completely destroy a vampire's heart; most attacks were insufficient to stop it from regenerating and allowing the vampire to continue its immortal life.
Right now, the vampire felt this strange power turning his heart into stone, and even his immortal-level regeneration was not enough to save him. Nothing he did worked, and the debilitating weakness that flooded his body was overwhelming. He looked into Cate's eyes and, for the first time in centuries, felt overwhelming fear, sensing death creep into his soul.
"Let me live, and I promise never to do anything against you," the vampire pleaded.
Cate did not show the slightest change in expression; the coldness on her beautiful face remained constant.
"Do you even know my name?" the vampire asked once more, hoping to scare off his oncoming death with the declaration of his lineage. "I am Albrecht Ewald Amara," he declared, and this time, even the cold Cate showed a change in expression. The Mage Born, who had been watching everything with powerful calmness, no longer felt that the vampire should be killed.
Cate did not stop what she was doing.
"My father is Altergott Ewald Amara," the vampire dropped a name that could make any magical being freeze with fear. Among the Immortal Vampires, there were those so powerful and old that they were considered gods. One of these beings was Altergott Ewald Amara, the founder of the Amara Immortal Vampire clan. He was so ancient that some sources claimed certain gods were his juniors.
Cate had heard of this being even in her old life, and though they had never met, the legends of his deeds were enough to chill her blood. If the vampire before her was indeed the son of a vampire god, it would be a terrible mistake to kill him. Cate already had countless enemies, including actual gods, but she was not willing to add more foes unnecessarily. While she did not fear making an enemy of powerful beings, the vampire gods lived on the mortal plane, making them more dangerous than the actual gods who lived in other planes. If she were to kill this vampire and the vampire god sought revenge, she would face countless problems that could lead her plans for the Vault of Souls to a dead end. She did not want this trouble.
"If you come after me again, I will kill you. I will not care that you have a vampire god for a father. I will not care even if you yourself are a god. I will kill you and everything you hold dear. Even the Amara clan will not be enough to save you," Cate said as she lifted the vampire off the ground and threw him aside like a used condom.
Even after being let go, the vampire was so weak from the strange power that he could not move from the ground. Cate gave him one last look before she left the place with the Mage Born and Mary.
The clearing had become the most dangerous place in the forest; all the magic they had just used was sure to attract all kinds of beings. The three people moved through the forest as fast as they could, and even after reaching over two kilometers away, they could still hear very disturbing growls coming from the clearing they had just left. Cate had spared the vampire, but she was still okay with him being killed by the vicious creatures of this forest.
They stopped only after moving for an entire week. This was truly the Edgeless Forest.
Mary had regained consciousness, and all her wounds had healed; she was back to perfect health. The three grew closer after this experience. As they moved closer towards leaving the forest and joining the Avalon Society, they began understanding each other more as they discussed their lives and what they hoped to gain by joining the society. Cate and Mary grew to a point where their relationship could be said to be more than that of friendship, and Cate felt as though she had met a true friend in the Mage Born. From the moment they met, the Mage Born had said nothing, but his actions were enough to explain his heart.
They faced many powerful creatures. They knew the names of some of these things, but most were new beings they were seeing for the first time. These creatures were vicious and out for blood. They ran into other participants and ended up in fights. Cate and the Mage Born killed all who opposed them. They did this with some ease due to the help they got from Mary. As a seer, she was able to warn them about danger hours before they met it.