539 Chapter 539: On the Road (1/2)
”Yue Jian!”
Both Nan Gong Jiao Shou and his wife shouted in panic, but I reacted by flicking the vampire's forehead with my finger.
Bam!
Icy mana coated the vampire's face and his grip loosened. Thanks to the physical reinforcement spells I learned from Teacher Ruff Fielding and the martial arts that Dad taught me, even a single flick contained enough power to send the vampire flying into the trees beyond. As for me, I clutched my finger and winced. Whoops, it looked like I overestimated myself.
”T…thank you.”
”Don't thank me yet.”
I glanced at the front. The vampires had gathered and were unleashing powerful blood spells to impale the car. Both Nan Gong Jiao Shou and his wife ducked as crimson spikes lanced toward the windshields, but before they could shatter the reinforced glass and puncture the vehicle, a glacial wall materialized in front to block the blood spikes. The wheels squealed and spun helplessly when the car was lifted off the ground from the sudden impact, but thankfully my reflexive ice spell mitigated most of the damage.
”…!”
”Aaaaah!”
Both Yue Jian and her mother screamed while Nan Gong Jiao Shou gnashed his teeth and struck the dashboard in frustration. The professor wanted to throw the gear into reverse and go back the way we came, but he spotted more vampires approaching us from behind, which rendered that plan impractical. He cursed as he struck the steering wheel this time. As for me, however…
”Stay in the car, everyone.”
I kicked the door open and strode out, freezing the blood spikes that sought to pierce through the ice barrier I had conjured earlier. With a force of will, I broke them apart. Stepping through the crumbling ice, I approached the vampires in what seemed like a confident manner. Inwardly, however, my heart was thumping really quickly and I prayed there wouldn't be veteran vampires or high-level adults amongst them. The hooded vampires glared glared at me, half out of curiosity and half out of annoyance, but it was clear they didn't recognize me.
All the better for me because it meant they would be underestimating me.
”You guys really suck,” I complained as I strolled toward them. They stared at me, not comprehending my insult at all. Well, I knew they sucked blood, but I didn't think they would take my provocation literally. Sighing, I pushed up my glasses and readied a spell.
”Kill him.”
The person who seemed to be the leader of the vampires gave an order, and as one the group threw themselves at me. I cocked my head at their suicidal charge, but then remembered that they did possess the advantage in terms of numbers.
Not that it would do them any good. That was why I was so pleased that they were underestimating me. By not evaluating the strength of their opponent correctly, they had slipped up and made a terrible mistake.
In a swift motion, I drew both Hei Yue and Bai Ri before slashing them in a series of swift, precise strikes. The vampires barreled past me, almost as if unaffected, and then they all stopped behind me.
”…who the hell are you?”
I pushed my glasses up my nose, my lenses gleaming to conceal my eyes temporarily, while taking care not to accidentally cut my face with my black sword. Smiling brightly, I shrugged.
”Just an ordinary friend of the Nan Gong family.”
”…”
For a moment, the vampires were silent.
And then, almost the entire group toppled over, blood spurting from their wounds as they literally fell apart. Arms, legs and heads – anything that could come off slid off, separated by a hissing geyser of blood. Even for vampires, their deaths were spectacularly bloody.
Only one of them survived. The leader.
”…you…!”
His voice sounded horrified while he stumbled back, clutching the stump that remained of his dismembered arm. Ah…unlike the rest, I failed to kill him. I was only able to disarm him. Oh well.
”Yeah?”
At a loss for words, probably because he was too terrified, he turned to flee. But suddenly I appeared right in front of him, raising Hei Yue and pointing my black sword at him.
”Do you think I'll allow you to escape?”
”…!”
I didn't even wait for him to answer. I beheaded him with a single stroke. Before his head even hit the ground, I was already approaching the stationary car. Sheathing both of my swords, I kicked at the frozen blood that continued to sprout from the ground, not entirely destroyed despite my efforts from earlier. Trampling through shattered crimson frost, I reached the car but stopped by the side instead of embarking within it.
”You…”
”You're really Zhao Yan's friend, aren't you?”
In contrast to his wife, who was utterly stupefied, Nan Gong Jiao Shou was shaking his head, impressed. He smiled and bowed his head gratefully.
”Thank you. If it weren't for you, I have no idea what would happen to us.”
”Well, don't celebrate too soon.” Lowering my sword, I cocked my head toward the road ahead of us. In the distance, I could see a gathering crowd of vampires. They were easily several dozen times the size of the force I had just eliminated. ”We still have company.”
The main force of the Crimson Blood Demonic Night clan charged.
”Professor Nan Gong, earlier you said you taught your daughters holy magic or purifying magic, right? Can you use them? Are you able to cast them on the vampires?”
”I'm afraid not.” Nan Gong Jiao Shou looked apologetic. ”I am a researcher, not a Paladin. The only holy and purifying spells I know are blessings and healing. Nothing that is useful for combat.”
”Well, you had better find a holy spell that can be used for attacks soon, or we might all die here.”
Unlike the five small fries that I had just taken care of, the main force of vampires was even more terrifying. There was no way I could fight that many of them, even though I was already drawing both Hei Yue and Bai Ri and casting whatever spells I could.
However, I stood my ground and lowered my swords. I suffused my black and white blades with icy mana, getting ready to unleash a major blizzard spell. I could maybe freeze ten of them with that spell before I got overwhelmed. If I was going to die, I was going out with a bang.
”Watch out!”