Chapter 8: Pursuit in the Endless Night

Zhao Luo said behind me, "Truly an eye-opening display. I genuinely admire your power."

I needed to explain why I had fought in such a battered state. The big guy was strong, but not strong enough to prevent me—a god-slayer renowned as invincible—from standing back up. I had become a prisoner of my own reputation; the aura of being the strongest was a shackle I could hardly shake off. I found this pathetic, yet I was so addicted to the thrill of it that I could not bear to leave.

I chuckled and said, "I like to be beaten to the verge of death by my enemy before launching a counterattack. It's... more interesting that way." Looking at a fractured rib protruding from my chest, tears almost welled up in my eyes against my better judgment.

Zhao Luo said, "What a bizarre interest. Do you have masochistic tendencies?"

I replied, "Yes, I often have my wife prepare some whips and leather boots..."

I was merely spouting nonsense, as I swore I had no idea what those things implied; everyone knew I was purer than an angel. She frowned, disliking the topic. Strangely, if she disliked such things, why did she understand their connotations?

Everyone wears a mask of their own and hides secrets of their own. Just as I did not actually enjoy being abused—I merely was not the strongest—and she did not reject those implements of unclear purpose, she was just as hypocritical as I was...

Zhao Luo was holding a stone tablet densely inscribed with characters. She said, "This is indeed the Book of Elgia. I have mastered its meaning, but it was not authored by the ancestors of Salott, but by another. Salott sought to attain liberation through the study of this ancient tome."

I wanted to yawn, but my consciousness as a mighty warrior made me merely nod with inward restraint and ask, "Who was it?"

Zhao Luo said, "Cain."

I said, "That is far too ancient. Things from thousands of years ago... I don't have much interest."

Zhao Luo frowned and said, "Mr. Fishbone, you claim to be a descendant of Longinus's ancient bloodline; you ought to carry yourself with some scholarly demeanor."

I feigned weakness and said, "I *am* Longinus... Never mind, never mind. I should return to my city, or my wife will suspect I'm having an affair outside..."

Zhao Luo said, "I will return with you, and I can explain to your wife that our relationship is innocent. Being of the vampire kindred, I do not engage in improper relations with the opposite sex."

I was struck with horror and said, "Are you intentionally trying to stir up trouble?"

Zhao Luo said, "If your wife is prone to suspicion, I will plead your case. Speaking one's mind directly is the code of conduct for our clan."

I asked, "Are you also an anime fan from the last century?"

She looked at me in incomprehension.

I said, "Light Cicada—what a terribly *chūnibyō* name. Are you some kind of ninja or something?"

Zhao Luo said, "I told you, we are an Eastern branch of the Salott clan, spread across China and Japan, not ninjas."

Not everyone was as bored as old man Saint Longinus. In the decadent previous century, despite his advanced age, he had remained obsessed with ACG culture, which had unfortunately subjected me to the contamination of such knowledge.

I did not wish to dwell further on this topic. My wounds had healed considerably, so I turned to check on the big guy. He was neither better nor worse; lethal poison could not kill him, yet he struggled to heal. I felt that using the pronoun "it" to address him was inappropriate; "he" was a better choice.

He was now able to communicate with me mentally. I asked him his name, and he replied that he was "Abel's Mystery of Life Number Seven." I asked, "Can I call you Number Seven?" He said I could.

Number Seven had beaten me too ruthlessly. Suddenly, I felt the blood of Vasilyusha shut down, no longer supplying its endless restorative effects. My heart ached, but I knew I should be content; had it not been for her generous gift, I would not have survived until now.

Right now, I needed to go find some other... cheat codes.

I noticed Zhao Luo raise her head and knit her brows. Her third eye snapped open, darting alertly around us as she said, "We are surrounded."

I asked, "Are you certain?"

She said, "Certain."

"Who is it?"

"Another group of people."

I said anxiously, "That's practically telling me nothing! I know it's another group, but *which* group?"

Zhao Luo said, "It is the people of the Epoch Empire."

I harbored an extreme aversion to these troublesome remnants of mages. Every time, they brought me massive trouble, and to make matters worse, I was currently at my weakest and most helpless state.

I asked, "Are they here for the book?"

Zhao Luo said, "To be precise, for both the book and this sword."

"Do they have a way to track you?"

Zhao Luo shrugged and said, "I killed one of their people to seize this Sword of Wisdom's Fire; they won't let me go."

I glared at Zhao Luo, silently reproaching her for bringing unprovoked disaster upon me. Zhao Luo said, "I assumed the Epoch Empire was your enemy, so you should thank me for seizing this powerful weapon."

"They probably have heavy artillery and flamethrowers; they don't lack your antique!"

Zhao Luo said, "Then please fight by my side. I will use my magic to heal your wounds."

"You know healing magic?"

Zhao Luo said, "I am a warrior of the Salott clan, but all Salott are born healers. I can bring the nearly dead back to life almost without expending blood."

That profession sounded rather like a Paladin.

She focused her third eye on me. Her emerald-like pupil emitted a gentle radiance that swept softly over my wounds, like a mild spring breeze caressing my soul. Within ten minutes, my broken ribs, damaged organs, and misaligned bones had completely recovered.

I pointed at Number Seven and said, "What about him?"

Zhao Luo's divine eye shifted to a white hue. She said, "He possesses powerful self-healing capabilities inherently; I merely need to purge the toxins from his blood."

I drank the Eye of Odin and gazed out through the castle window. She was right: under the cover of night, the soldiers of the Epoch Empire were closing in. Their numbers were small, but since they were a unit tracking Zhao Luo, they were certainly well-prepared.

I asked, "Do you have any intelligence on them?"

Zhao Luo said, "Among them are vampires of the Salott clan."

I let out a miserable groan and said, "Why are there members of your own family in the Epoch Empire?"

Zhao Luo replied, "The Eastern Zhao Luo clan is regarded by them as heretics. We are enemies with them, not kin."

As the saying goes, the closer the relation, the deeper the hatred. Without being family, where would such monumental enmity come from?

"Then do you have any justifiable reason for killing someone to snatch a sword?"

"In this epoch, killing someone to snatch a sword requires no reason."

That was true. She was on my side, and the Epoch Empire was my opponent; that reason was quite enough.

I asked, "Do the Salott vampires possess any bizarre spells?"

Zhao Luo said they knew healing.

I asked, "Do they all have eyes like yours?"

Zhao Luo said, "Yes."

I asked, "Is it mandatory to kill your relatives and friends to awaken that eye?"

*Shut up! Shut up!* Now was not the time to be discussing anime memes.

Zhao Luo smiled and said, "The conditions aren't that harsh. As long as one is turned by a member of our clan, this eye opens by itself." She added, "This eye is called the Eye of Odin..."

I said, "That name infringes on a trademark; my potion is called the Eye of Odin!"

Zhao Luo said, "Please don't interrupt. It is also called the Eye of Vision. Within the Salott clan, some can use this eye to perceive danger and observe secrets, just like I do. Therefore, I have no doubt that they have already detected us."

I said anxiously, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

With a *swish*, a bullet flew in through the window. Reacting quickly, I let out a yell and threw myself backward in an exceptionally dashing pose; the bullet struck the wall behind me.

Shortly after, I detected ten people ascending the left staircase and nine ascending the right, moving at a blistering speed. They were likely either mages or vampires.

Zhao Luo said, "The divine eye can also disorient the enemy. Beware of hallucinations."

Surprises truly came in a steady stream; why couldn't she just say everything at once?

A figure in black materialized behind me, thrusting a sword at me. Thanks to Zhao Luo's warning, I knew he was merely an intent-manifestation threat from the enemy and not a physical entity, so I remained unmoved. Sure enough, the figure vanished on its own. I slashed the Stone Cedar toward the doorway, cutting down an Epoch Empire soldier.

With a series of clanging sounds, a grenade rolled in. I triggered the Iron Lotus, and with a thunderous roar, the explosion blasted me back a few steps while nether-light rippled all around. This was an ether grenade, designed specifically to deal with supernatural abilities and monsters.

A man's voice shouted, "Return the holy artifact, female thief! Otherwise, I swear in the name of Salott to burn your entire clan of heretics to ashes!"

Zhao Luo retorted, "Heretics? No, *you* are the ones who have betrayed Saint Salott's dying wish and forgotten the hatred of our ancestors! I cannot tolerate this sword remaining in your hands!"

While the two of them carried out this impassioned shouting match, the Epoch Empire soldiers were not idle. They tossed ether grenades into the room as if they were worthless. The ether explosions disrupted the shadows, and lacking the confidence to escape via darkness, I could only duck behind the throne.

However, they had infuriated Number Seven.

Number Seven charged outward, a blast of freezing ice instantly immobilizing several soldiers outside the door. Seeing that the situation wasn't bad, I let out a hearty laugh and said, "Splendid, my adorable pet. I don't even need to intervene personally to deal with such weaklings."

I had spoken in the tone of a senior martial arts expert from an ancient wuxia film. The effect should have been quite good—instilling awe just like the legendary Tianji Elder in certain novels, utterly failing to live up to the name.

Yet as the saying goes, "Darkening multiplies strength tenfold, while redemption weakens it sevenfold." Suddenly, Number Seven seemed struck by madness, swinging his fists at empty air as the soldiers bypassed him and unleashed a coordinated volley of gunfire in my direction. Shielded by the throne, the pulverizing stone chips and ricocheting bullets still made things rather unpleasant for me.

Zhao Luo swept her sword horizontally, unleashing a dazzling, majestic, fierce, and searing torrent of flame that swallowed all the soldiers. Though they wore fire-resistant armor, the flames found their way through the seams, igniting them from within and reducing them all to tallow.

I retracted my previous statement; a flamethrower could never accomplish that.

Zhao Luo unleashed more flames toward the doorway. However, the enemies outside began spraying fire inward as well. Their flames were peculiar, clashing and neutralizing Zhao Luo's fire, surging back and forth in a struggle of mutual annihilation. Zhao Luo raged, "Mages? Blood mages of Remoir? You truly have allied with them?"

The voice from outside answered, "Times have changed. You cannot unleash the full power of the holy sword; you are finished."

Using shadow-stealth, I slipped behind them. The big-talker was still locked in a verbal duel with Zhao Luo, seemingly using his divine eye to reinforce the Remoir mages' stamina. As the old saying goes, one cannot serve two masters at once. He failed to notice me. I rewarded him with a bolt of Annihilation, reducing him to ashes amidst his shrieks of agony. The two remaining mages turned around to look at me in horror, only to be instantly ignited by Zhao Luo's flames.