Cedrick and the others had finally arrived at the foot of the Third Mountain.
"At last, we're getting close," Stephen said as he looked toward the towering peak ahead.
"Tsk. Why won't my teleportation ability work on this mountain?" Xenon complained in frustration.
"The important thing is that we're almost there," Cedrick said, his eyes filled with determination.
"But what if the Gate Keeper refuses to help us?" Stephen asked.
Cedrick clenched his fists.
"I will do whatever it takes to make him agree," he said firmly.
Without another word, they continued their journey toward the summit.
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"Your Majesty!" Maddison shouted.
Xylon immediately rushed into the chamber.
"What is happening?" he asked anxiously.
"Her Majesty the Queen's bruises are spreading even more," Maddison said with concern.
Xylon gently held Jade's arm and looked at her pale, unconscious face.
"Babe, please stay strong," he whispered. "I am searching for a cure. Please hold on a little longer."
Even though Jade did not answer, Xylon continued to stay by her side, unwilling to lose the woman he loved.
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"As time passes, the Queen's condition is getting worse," Heberlin said.
Xylon slammed his fist against the table.
"If only there was something I could do..." he said in frustration.
"Your Majesty, I found something in an ancient book. It describes a condition identical to the Queen's illness," Lilith said.
Xylon immediately looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"According to the book, there exists a remedy capable of curing any illness that affects vampires, no matter how severe it may be."
"And what is this remedy?" Blake asked.
"It is called the Vampire's Bid," Lilith explained. "A mysterious blue liquid that flows within a great cave located in the northern region of Aznar."
"The northern region?" Zake repeated.
"Isn't that where the land of the barbarian vampires is located?" Heberlin asked.
"That's right," Xylon replied. "Erasmus, the land of the barbarians."
"If you are going there, you must be extremely careful," Lilith warned. "The moment they recognize the King, they will surely attack him. You must avoid attracting the attention of the barbarians."
Xylon's expression became resolute.
"In that case, we leave at dawn tomorrow. We must find the Vampire's Bid as quickly as possible."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
They all understood the danger that awaited them.
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Arden and the young Vladimir walked through the streets of Aznar.
As they continued walking, the young King suddenly felt his strength leaving him. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest in pain.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Arden asked with concern as he immediately moved to his side.
"Arden..." Vladimir whispered weakly. "My existence in this world does not have much time left. I will soon disappear."
A rare expression of sadness appeared on Arden's hidden face.
"But what about the new King? There will be no one left to guide him, especially now that Kan is gone."
The young King gave a gentle smile.
"You will guide him," Vladimir replied. "As his Reaper."
Arden remained silent for a moment before lowering his head.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
Vladimir slowly stood up despite his weakening body.
"We must reach the palace as soon as possible. My power is nearly exhausted."
With those words, the two continued their journey.
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Meanwhile, Lilith stood silently in front of the portrait of her brother, Yvess.
"My brother..." she whispered sadly.
She removed the withered roses from the vase and replaced them with fresh ones.
However, she accidentally bumped into the urn containing Yvess's ashes.
The urn fell to the floor and shattered.
The ashes scattered across the floor.
"Oh no..." Lilith whispered in panic.
She immediately knelt down and hurriedly picked up the broken pieces of the urn. In her haste, a sharp fragment cut her finger.
"Ouch," she muttered.
The wound on her finger quickly healed, a natural ability of a vampire.
She called for a servant to help her clean the mess.
But she failed to notice something unusual.
A single drop of her blood had fallen onto Yvess's ashes.
The blood slowly soaked into the ashes.
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"LISTEN, ALL OF YOU!!! We will attack Aznar once again, so prepare yourselves!" Leviathan shouted to the army of demons.
The demons roared with excitement, their voices shaking the very grounds of the castle.
A wicked grin spread across Leviathan's face.
He had no intention of stopping until every last vampire had been wiped out.
His hatred had grown far beyond revenge.
He wanted the entire vampire race to disappear.
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"Let's stop and rest for a while," Titus said.
The two of them sat on a large rock amidst the endless void of the World of Emptiness.
Titus noticed how unusually quiet Aria had become.
"Is something bothering you?" he asked.
"Nothing," Aria replied softly. "I just remembered something."
"You still haven't told me how you ended up here," Titus said.
Aria lowered her gaze.
"While we were returning to Aznar, Leviathan suddenly appeared and attacked us. I saw that his flames were going to hit my former lover, so I protected him and took the attack myself."
"Former lover?" Titus repeated.
A shadow of sadness crossed Aria's face.
"I made a mistake that hurt him deeply, and because of that, he chose to end our relationship."
"I see..." Titus said quietly.
Silence settled between them.
Titus secretly studied Aria's features.
To him, she looked like an angel.
Her face was delicate and gentle, and there was an elegance in the way she carried herself.
Yet, ever since they had met, he had never once seen her smile.
She always wore a sad expression.
For the first time in a long while, Titus became curious about someone.