Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 500 - 462: Legion of the Fallen

Beatrice’s sleep lasted for less than thirty minutes. When she woke up, her body was entangled with Lyle’s, at the edge of the windowsill, where Nia’s tentacles twisted and coiled into a unique mattress. The blood-sucking fangs had retracted, and the now smaller teeth reverted back to the lovely canine teeth on Beatrice’s even set.

Her head still rested in the crook of Lyle’s arm, listening through flesh and bone to that tempting heartbeat. Accompanied by a seductive sigh, two arms wrapped around Lyle’s neck.

"I didn’t originally plan to change how I addressed you, Lyle. But sister was right, some things are much happier accepted than just received."

"I..."

Her red lips sealed Lyle’s mouth, and he could taste his own blood on them. Beatrice’s movements were violent, and the suffocating sensation even reminded Lyle of the pain from the earlier bloodsucking. When Lyle came back to his senses, what he saw was the face looming over him in the moonlight, seductive and passional yet filled with arrogance and wildness.

"I take back what I said, I will join this feeding game. Don’t speak, just listen to me, Lyle. Do not entertain any guilty thoughts about me or Alianna, Naslan’s daughter is far more terrifying than you think. We will take what we want, our desires equal the affection between us sisters. I don’t care about your feelings for me, Lyle, you are my first blood meal, you just need to be sucked by me, to accept the favor," Beatrice said with a wicked smile, sliding her palm down Lyle’s face, "Anna, that blockhead, could have easily taken you down. It’s funny that I left my mark on you before her."

Her icy palm started at the forehead, then passed over the corner of the eye, down the cheek, to the jawline, then the neck. Beatrice’s eyes slowly narrowed as a blissful smile spread across her face, then abruptly stopped. Her palm rubbed over Lyle’s collarbone, searching for something.

"Where is my bite mark!"

Lyle swallowed.

"If you consider the bite mark left by bloodsucking as a mark, then I can only tell you that the wound has healed itself."

A flush of embarrassment and anger appeared on Beatrice’s face, and her hands clung tightly to Lyle’s shoulders, slowly bending down to let Lyle see her sinister gaze, "Heh heh heh heh, no mark? Then I will bite again, until the mark is made!"

"No, please! It hurts like hell!!!"

Lyle’s struggle was futile, and he could only watch as Beatrice slowly descended in his vision, the breath on his neck becoming increasingly intense.

Then there was the light kissing on the neck, like a dragonfly skimming the water, followed by Beatrice’s mosquito-like voice.

"Thank you, I’m very happy, my one and only blood meal, Lyle."

"Beatrice..."

A back slam made Lyle feel like his world was spinning. By the time he came to, Beatrice had already changed into a new dress, reverting to that haughty vampire, looking down at Lyle with eyes that might regard a maggot.

"Change your clothes, we’re going to find your Little Karen, Lyle."

If women changing their minds is said to be faster than flipping a book, then Beatrice must be an e-book, for all it takes is a swipe of her finger to disorient Lyle completely.

Dressed in a vampire-styled black and red outfit, Lyle stood beside Beatrice.

Beatrice fiddled with the lace trimmings on Lyle, while making snide remarks about his outfit.

"You know, my dear Lyle, if we weren’t pressed for time, I would have made you wear the most fitting suit. The shawl collar really doesn’t suit you, but Loshutar insists on this kind of attire. Pfft, sorry, it looks like your head is trapped in a cage. Maybe you should try that one with the boutonniere," she said.

"No, wearing that I feel like my head is on a white millstone. We’re pressed for time, Beatrice, clothes and such, isn’t it fine to just wear whatever?"

"No! You need a disguise, to pass as a member of the Blood Clan who has just luckily transformed. That way, the others from Loshutar won’t pay attention to our anomaly. We need to go undercover, to make them believe we’re the same kind, that we feed on fresh blood like they do. That’s how we’ll get a chance to get close to the Twilight Church. A real vampire, a respected vampire, will have all the external qualities of a noble. You also want to surprise Joshua at the wedding, right?"

"You mean we have to stay with that bunch of bloodthirsty maniacs these days? What if they feed?"

"When it’s time to feed, I’ll just bite you, Lyle," Nia said. "Vampires exchange blood to signify a close bond. I’m counting on you for ten days’ worth of meals, Lyle."

"...And that torment has to happen multiple times?"

"I was starving this time, Lyle. I promise I’ll be gentler in the future. Look at my teeth," she assured him, "I promise to only insert them into your normal blood vessels from now on, savoring it like one would taste a fine wine."

"Let’s get going, Lyle. Talking about blood-feeding is making my body phantom ache."

Smiling Beatrice and the sullen Lyle walked down the corridor, their way lit not by candlelight but by the crimson glow emanating from the gem on Beatrice’s chest. The blood artifact, Blood Right Blood Oath, felt blood power for the first time in ages and reclaimed its original red hue, casting out its red light. Falling into the hands of someone like Beatrice was undoubtedly the misfortune of this vampire artifact, having served nearly three months as an alcohol indicator.

"Your blood not only lifted the seal on my powers, but I used it to charge the Blood Stone as well. I hadn’t used it for so long, I had almost forgotten its capabilities," Beatrice said, stretching out her palm toward a blood servant kneeling by the roadside.

Beatrice seemed like a plague as every blood servant she approached fell to the ground in succession, losing consciousness.

"These blood servants are Loshutar’s eyes, and that’s also why the Blood Clan let us go. Their minds might be in disarray, but as containers of memories, they’re still pretty useful. When the sun rises again, there will surely be Blood Clan members to retrieve their memories. By then, whether it’s you drinking from the Holy Grail or seeking help, it will all be exposed."

"Blood Right Blood Oath, the suppression and control it exerts over the low-tier vampires, I’ve altered the blood servants’ memories of us. I can even turn these dimwits against their own. Let’s set a little trap, and after ten days, give them a surprise."

As Beatrice and Lyle were discussing their plans, their target, Karen Pembai, woke up in the darkness.

The once carefree girl’s eyes now betrayed her confusion, staying in the never-ending darkness without a sight of the sun. In this dark church, Karen lost track of how many days had passed.

Stillness, that was Karen’s primary sensation, even though there were so many around her, she could only feel the cold within her heart, along with regret. Karen regretted sending that letter before arriving at Degonris.

Facing the thorn-covered upside-down cross, Karen closed her eyes and prayed.

"Lord Lyle, please don’t come here, I beg you, stay away from Degonris. This place has... it has nightmares of holy light. Stay away, please stay away."

Perhaps it was the extent of Karen’s movements, or maybe her heart was beating too frantically; surrounding her figure, the kneeling shadows opened their blood-red eyes.

"Little angel, are you still afraid of us?"

Karen gazed in horror at the speaker, biting her lower lip, "It’s not fear, it’s sorrow that I feel."

The figure fell silent, crimson pupils lingering on Karen’s form, that determined yet frail silhouette.

"For us?"

"Lord Bolvent, do I not even have the right to feel sorrow?"

"Watching the guides of the Holy Light transform into man-eating monsters, I’m praying for the holy light to forgive your sins."

"We bear no sins. What we do is merely for the sake of ascension, and for revenge."

Karen’s scream erupted throughout the tomb, but her voice could not penetrate the thick rock nor could it warn anyone.

"Is this your so-called purification? The entire Purifier Legion has turned into vampires! Have you gone mad, Commander!"