Chapter 475
Queen Serian of the Northern District stood with a grave expression, staring down at the pile of ashes beneath her feet.
The vampire that had been pierced by the silver rapier had turned to nothing more than dust.
With a weary sigh, Serian asked.
“Haah… What happened to the one bitten by the vampire?”
“Well…”
Borin hesitated, unable to give a quick answer.
“Don’t tell , they turned into another vampire?”
“The mutation is in progress.”
“Haah…”
Serian exhaled another heavy sigh at Borin’s reply.
“I’m sorry. I should have stopped it beforehand.”
“How could this possibly be your fault, Borin? It was my mistake for bringing the sarcophagus into the Northern District without proper investigation.”
“My apologies.”
“Haah… The problem now is how we’re going to contain this situation. The dungeon is still secured, yes?”
“Yes! Our elites are standing guard, so there shouldn’t be any issues for now.”
“It’s only a temporary fix. We need sothing more decisive.”
“Then… what do you suggest?”
“You said Zeon has returned, right?”
“Yes!”
“Call him. We need his help.”
“Understood.”
Borin imdiately stepped outside.
Her steps toward the slums were heavy.
If possible, she didn’t want to ask Zeon for another favor.
Every ti she did, it felt like her debt to him grew heavier.
But this ti, there was no other choice.
–Knock, knock.
Borin arrived at Zeon’s house and knocked on the door.
After a short mont, footsteps approached, and when the door opened, the person who greeted her was an unexpected silver-haired beauty.
Borin was so taken aback by the woman’s presence that she montarily forgot why she had co.
“W–who are you?”
“? I’m Zeon’s friend.”
“Friend?”
“Mm. My na’s Tesserina. And you are?”
“B–Borin.”
“Nice to et you, Borin. So, what brings you to Zeon’s house?”
“Is Zeon here?”
“You ca to see him? Co in!”
“May I?”
“Of course. He’s just in the shower, so wait a bit.”
“In the shower?”
At Tesserina’s words, Borin’s imagination went wild.
Tesserina caught her flushed expression and chuckled softly.
“Stop imagining weird things. Nothing like that happened. Now co in.”
“Huh?”
“Co on.”
“Ah, y-yes!”
Borin hurried inside.
As the captain of the Blue Leaf Special Unit, she prided herself on being more composed and resolute than any elf.
Yet, for so reason, she couldn’t bring herself to act confidently before Tesserina.
Tesserina knew why.
Creatures like elves, and other non-human races, could never stand tall in front of a dragon.
If Tesserina had been in her true form rather than a chira, Borin wouldn’t have even been able to breathe properly.
Not just Borin, no elf, no other race could stand before a dragon without trembling like a rabbit before a lion.
That was what dragons were.
Absolute beings who ruled over all life on Kurayan.
The idea of resistance didn’t even exist.
Sotis tales circulated of warriors who had slain dragons, but most were lies.
True, so dragons had been hunted before.
But they had all been young ones, newly born.
A dragon in its mature form, like Tesserina, was nothing short of a living calamity to other races.
Resistance was unthinkable.
Finding herself sharing the sa air with such a being, Borin’s body went rigid like wood.
Just as Tesserina said, the sound of running water ca from deeper inside, it seed Zeon was indeed taking a shower.
Still stiff with tension, Borin carefully asked.
“Who exactly are you to be here with Zeon?”
“? I told you, I’m his friend.”
“Friend?”
“Yeah! We t yesterday and beca friends.”
Tesserina smiled, flashing her white teeth.
It was a dazzling smile, yet Borin’s skin prickled with goosebumps.
“Wait… Zeon actually accepted you as a friend?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“That doesn’t sound like him…”
Zeon was a man of strict boundaries.
Those within his line received his warmth. Those outside it, he never let close.
Many, Borin included, had tried to step across that line. But Zeon never gave even the slightest opening.
Naturally, he had no one he’d ever truly called a friend.
So hearing Tesserina say she was his friend, it was shocking.
At that mont, Zeon erged, lightly dressed after his shower.
“Zeon!”
“Borin? What brings you here?”
“I ca under Lady Serian’s orders to escort you.”
“? Is this about what happened yesterday?”
“You saw it?”
“With how loud that ss was, not seeing it would’ve been stranger.”
“I’m sorry. I wanted to handle it quietly, but the vampire was too strong…”
“So it is related to vampires.”
“Yes. The problem is… quite serious.”
“Then we should talk there.”
“Thank you, Zeon.”
At that mont, Tesserina chid in.
“Hey, mind if I tag along?”
“Hmm?”
“It’s about vampires, right? I’m sure I’ll be of help.”
“…As long as you promise not to cause trouble.”
“I promise.”
“Then co with us.”
“Hehe.”
Tesserina grinned, her teeth gleaming white.
Unpredictable as ever, childlike, almost, but she carried the mind and power of a dragon.
That alone was reason enough for Zeon to bring her.
The three headed toward the Northern District together.
As they entered Neo Seoul, Tesserina couldn’t contain her awe.
“Wow…”
Towering skyscrapers piercing the sky, vehicles flowing through the streets, people far more polished than those in the slums,
The sight of Neo Seoul overwheld even a being with the consciousness of a dragon.
A civilization built by humans atop the desert, It was far grander, far more imposing than it had appeared from outside.
“This is incredible. The races of Kurayan couldn’t even imagine building such structures.”
“They could, if given the sa resources and conditions.”
“No. Never.”
Tesserina spoke flatly.
“And why is that?”
“It’s a matter of imagination.”
“Hmm.”
“This city, this street, is probably what humans once saw as their ideal world. Maybe it’s even what Earth looked like before its fall. But the people of Kurayan, none of them have ever seen or imagined anything like this. That gap in imagination can’t be bridged easily. To build sothing like this, they’d first have to see it, experience it. Without that vision, it’s impossible.”
“Perhaps you’re right.”
Zeon nodded slightly.
He had been to El Harun. He knew better than anyone how different the other races were.
The elves there were not like the ones who lived in Neo Seoul.
They shared blood, but their way of thought, their lifestyle, utterly different.
The non-human races of the Northern District had, in many ways, already beco half-human.
They had changed to survive in Neo Seoul.
As they entered the district, elves, dwarves, and other races ca into view.
They wore the sa kinds of clothes as humans, aside from their unique features, they were almost indistinguishable.
That alone set them apart from the races of El Harun.
Tesserina’s eyes sparkled.
“This place is fascinating.”
“You think so?”
“I’m glad I ca. Everything’s new. I could never get bored here.”
A dragon’s life was monotony itself.
Born with overwhelming power, they faced no real threats. And after living for so long, there was nothing left to surprise them.
But Neo Seoul, it stirred sothing inside her.
A city built by the weakest of creatures, humans, standing defiantly atop the desert, It was a breath of fresh air even for a dragon.
She hadn’t co to Neo Seoul for amusent, though.
She had a reason, a grave problem to solve.
Even so, to feel sothing like joy in the midst of it all felt almost ironic.
Following Borin’s lead, Zeon and Tesserina entered Serian’s quarters.
“Welco, Zeon! And this is…?”
Serian, greeting him, paused as her gaze fell on Tesserina.
Zeon spoke first.
“This is Tesserina. A friend.”
“Zeon’s… friend?”
“Nice to et you.”
Tesserina said, smiling softly.
At that mont, Serian felt it, an imnse, indescribable pressure that made her flinch.
She had lived in Neo Seoul for over a century, but she had never encountered such a presence before.
Curious as she was about Tesserina’s identity, there were more pressing matters at hand.
Serian composed herself and got straight to the point.
“I’m sorry to summon you like this, Zeon. But the situation is urgent.”
“It’s about the vampires?”
“Yes. We discovered a dungeon not far from Neo Seoul.”
“Wait, what? A dungeon near Neo Seoul?”
“Yes. It’s extrely rare, so we paid extra attention while clearing it. We didn’t want it to pose any danger to the city.”
“And?”
“Unfortunately, it turned out to be a vampire’s tomb.”
“A tomb?”
“Yes. According to the raid captain, there were countless sarcophagi inside. Since they couldn’t open any within the dungeon, they brought one back here. After exhausting every thod they could think of, they finally managed to open it.”
“Don’t tell , that’s where the vampire ca from.”
“Yes. The mont the sarcophagus opened, it attacked the elves and fled.”
“I see.”
“Borin and the Blue Leaf Unit managed to kill it, but the problem lies with those who were bitten.”
Tesserina spoke as if it were obvious.
“They were bitten, so the blood corruption must be spreading. The first victim will be in the worst state.”
“That’s right. You seem to know quite a bit about vampire physiology.”
“A little.”
“Tesserina is correct. Those bitten by the vampire are undergoing transformation into its thralls. The first victim’s condition is especially severe.”
There’s a common misconception that anyone bitten by a vampire becos one.
But that’s not how it works.
For an ordinary person to turn into a vampire, the one who bit them must be of high rank.
Yet such high-ranking vampires rarely indulge in reckless feeding.
Even when they did drink blood, they used special abilities to ensure their prey wouldn’t turn.
They considered themselves divine beings, and controlled their numbers carefully.
Lesser vampires, however, lacked that control.
Their victims didn’t beco vampires, but re blood fiends, beings that couldn’t live without feeding on blood.
Those who turned would then hunt new prey, and the infection would spread like a plague, turning all life into the sa cursed form.
The elves bitten by the vampire from the sarcophagus were all in the midst of that transformation.
For now, they were locked away in an underground cell, quarantined. But unless a cure was found, they would die.
“Curing them is one problem. But the bigger issue is sealing the vampire’s dungeon. We haven’t cleared it yet. If we leave it as is…”
“The rest of the vampires will pour out.”
Zeon finished for her. His expression darkened.
If that happened, their destination was obvious,
Neo Seoul.
A city packed with humans, their perfect feeding ground.
To the vampires, Neo Seoul would look like one enormous cattle farm.
Serian bowed her head deeply.
“Please, Zeon. We need your help.”
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