Second World

"Blood Debt? Hey, that's the name of my companion quest," Jack said. He realized then that all this time Arlcard's target was emperor Marcus, but who was this Cain that Marcus called?

Arlcard sneered upon Marcus mentioning the name. The red smoke apparition above him did the same. When he next spoke, it was like two persons were speaking at the same time. One was Arlcard's voice. The other came from the red smoke apparition. A voice Jack had never heard before.

"Hehe, you must never expect to hear from me again. How do you enjoy the throne? From this young vampire's memory, I learned that you have ruled for a thousand years. Has it been that long?"

"… How do you survive?" Marcus asked.

"Survive? Do you call this survive? Hmph. This is just my lingering spirit. I know you fear that I will somehow come back from the dead. You know I practiced an ancient secret necromancy technique. You burned my body and tethered my remaining in an urn before locking it away at the bottommost floor of your royal mausoleum. All because you feared that I had some sort of enchantment on myself."

"Since you are now before me, I guess I've been correct?" Marcus said.

"You are, but what you didn't expect is that I place two enchantments at separate places. One was in my body. The other was inside the conspirator who helped you to backstab me. Our brother, Auberlard."

Marcus' eyes narrowed after hearing it.

"Yes. That time during my final struggle, I bit Aubelard. Have you heard about the unholy reincarnation, brother?"

"That is just a myth," Marcus uttered.

"And here I am!" Arlcard or Cain exclaimed. "I poured my mind into studying that ancient technique. If I had mastered it, I would have become immortal! This technique allows us to reincarnate inside our vampire offspring. Even if our real body dies, we can be reborn again. When Aubelard created this young vampire, the unholy reincarnation that I'd planted in him was passed. My will grew inside this new vampire."

Arlcard's face seemed jubilant when he spoke of the unholy reincarnation, then it suddenly turned into an ugly scowl.

"Now, my consciousness is strong enough to come to you. We will settle our debt today! The debt you owed me when you betrayed me. A betrayal so you could become the sovereign of the country we had just united when it should have been mine by right!"

"What right?" Marcus snickered. "You were simply older and stronger, but you lacked the cunningness and the charisma of a leader. That was how you fell. That's how our brothers and sisters were willing to follow me instead of you."

"And where are these brothers and sisters?" Cain asked. "I bet you have gotten rid of them as well? From this young vampire's memory, I learned that Aubelard betrayed you and stole your Book of the Damned. How did it feel to get betrayed? It didn't feel good, did it?"

"Hmph! What a load of bull. You are just an incomplete soul. Don't think that you can trick me," Marcus said. "As you said, if you have mastered the unholy reincarnation, you might have fully reincarnated, but you did not. What you are using is just an incomplete technique. I wonder how long you can last in that state."

"Even if so, it is enough to take you down!" Arlcard and Cain bellowed. The red smoke that formed Cain's visage enlarged exponentially and headed for Marcus.

Marcus formed a spell formation speedily. It was completed before the smoke engulfed him. A blinding radiance exploded. The entire room suddenly turned especially bright. Jack and Leavemealone had to shield their eyes.

Cain's smoke form was burned by this extreme light. He screamed from the pain. He was blown back and Arlcard stumbled backward due to the pull.

"You might be stronger than me in the past, brother, but a thousand years have passed. Do you think I'm still weaker than you?" Marcus laughed.

"Grggh…" The smoke was in shamble. It formed back into Cain after much difficulty.

Cain looked at Marcus who was now a level 85 mythical. Even during his prime, Cain was a level 82 mythical. He turned to Jack and said, "What are you waiting for? Attack…!"

Jack was unsure. This grudge between these two ancient vampires had nothing to do with him. He was unsure if he could still consider the person before him as his companion, Arlcard. But then he remembered killing Marcus was also the objective of Horatio's quest, which had something to do with him.

Jack transformed into a supreme dragon form. "Let's kill this blood-sucking motherf*cker," he said.

Leavemealone followed suit and transformed into the white tiger emperor.

"Brother, you asked before where our brothers and sisters are, do you?" Marcus chuckled. He didn't seem worried about being outnumbered.

"Let me call them out!" He exclaimed. The regal robe he wore shone.

"He is using his equipment's ability," Peniel informed.

"Like my Judgement of Past Kings?" Jack asked.

"Yes, but Marcus is the first emperor. This country doesn't have any past sovereigns. What the equipment summoned are the spirits of its founding elders who have died."

"That's right! The founding elders are my brothers and sisters," Marcus heard Peniel's words. "Even in their death, they serve me!"

The first one appeared. It was a tall male vampire who held a long halberd.

"Isaac…," Cain recognized the spirit.

When Isaac was about to unleash his attack, a crimson tentacle suddenly pierced his back. He stopped moving then.

This took everyone by surprise. They turned their attention to the tentacle and saw that it came from the Chalice of Blood.

A second spirit appeared. This time, it was a female vampire. Cain identified her as Zara. Same as Isaac, another crimson tentacle came out of the chalice and stuck onto Zara's back before she could do anything.

Marcus stood at the side, smiling.

"Stop him!" Cain commanded.

Jack and Leavemealone had the same thought, but Marcus was ready. He cast another spell and a wall of light barred them from approaching.

Behind the light barrier, the process continued repeatedly. The spirits of Sangrod's founding elders appeared but they didn't unleash their attacks like they were intended. Instead, they were stopped by the Chalice of Blood.

"What did you do?!" Cain yelled at Marcus, which was only replied by the vampire emperor's wide grin.

Jack and the others never stopped hitting the light barrier, but the light barrier was very sturdy. Jack decided to use his Brave Slash combined with One-word Slash empowered by mana manipulation. The barrier was destroyed then, but Marcus' skill was completed.

Nine founding vampire elders were before Marcus. They didn't disappear as his equipment's skill intended. They were forced to stay in this plane by the Chalice of Blood.