Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 518 - 474 Hunting Method

"Those bloodstains, they are the revelations given to me by angels," Sylvette squatted in the chapel, seated right beneath the statue of the sufferer, with candlelight casting the sculpture’s shadow over her, as if she was under God’s shelter. "Angels are not my enemies. They endure the curse every night and search for me because I am the key to it all."

"I am the key to resolving the Degonris disaster."

The daughter of the vampires believed in the revelation received in the territory of the vampires.

Ralph stood before the girl, like a dark tower supporting the sky.

"Continue," he commanded.

"The fallen ones in those four areas have been corrupted. They have divided the powers of angels and dismantled the blessings of this land. In the hands of the bell ringer, the custodian, the Tomb Guardian, and the Priests lie the fragments of the Sword of Angels. If we gather all the pieces, we will possess the original power of this land."

"And then, you are the chosen one to wield this power."

Sylvette bowed her head, her voice so light it seemed not to come from her.

"Yes, that is the power... that I alone can wield."

"Absurd," Ralph’s candid judgment struck like a lance against Sylvette’s spine.

"Do you think you’re so special? That the world revolves around you? That an angel would choose you to inherit His power? With power comes great cost! Girl! That’s not something you can bear. Don’t take upon yourself the catastrophes of others."

"That is a power... only I can bear."

Sylvette’s faint voice was like a tiny boat amidst Ralph’s torrential outburst, but the little vessel didn’t capsize.

"This is what Loshutar must bear. It’s my responsibility..."

The sadness in her words made the sharp-witted Ralph realize a misunderstanding in his perception. He grasped the girl’s shoulders, pushed aside the disheveled hair, and looked directly into her purple eyes. Breathtakingly beautiful, soul-stirringly exquisite.

"That’s not power, is it?" he asked.

"..."

"Sylvette, I’m your ally. I will help you. I need to know everything."

Finally, Sylvette awkwardly opened her mouth, like a crude puppet, "The curse of the vampires is a betrayal against God, and the desecrated Holy Blood is enough to turn all blessings into curses. The Sword of Angels, once meant to protect people, has become a curse that eradicates bloodlines. Anyone harmed by its blade, his bloodline, his family will perish under God’s spiteful will."

"The Loshutar Family, the sins of the vampires, will die by the Angel’s sword."

Ralph inhaled sharply, his clenched hands pressing into the girl’s shoulders, leaving a purplish red mark, while Sylvette numbly looked at him, just like the rest of Degonris.

"You want to use that curse to kill yourself."

"Letting God’s curse flow through my bloodline is what Loshutar deserves."

"How old are you, Sylvette?"

"My age doesn’t even amount to a ten-thousandth of Loshutar’s years of vampirism."

Ralph released his hold, his right hand pushing back the disordered hair from his forehead, and along the way, wiped the fine sweat from his temple.

"Why didn’t the angel tell you sooner?"

They both already knew the answer to that question.

"Because you have come, we now have the possibility of defeating those fallen ones."

Verlet covered her mouth; in her eyes, the reflection of Ralph, stooping.

"You will help me, because this is the only chance to save this land and liberate you all,"

Indifference and certainty, these qualities appeared in Silvette’s eyes, forming frost on the amethysts just like his.

The dire wolf revealed a smile.

"You’re right."

The eastern region.

A decrepit wooden tower, its foundation half-exposed, loomed overhead. The tall tower had been patched up numerous times, with mismatched planks stuffed into every crevice like makeshift filler, their varied hues indicating the frequency of its facelifts, although it now teetered on the brink of collapse.

The original supporting columns around the perimeter were riddled with woodworm, exposing sickly yellow-green, rotting and decaying cores through the gaps. Even the slightest breeze would cause the unstable wooden structure to emit sinister creaks, threatening to topple with a stronger gust.

"The bell ringer is inside this tower, please be careful. The repeatedly mended interior is intricate and dangerous."

"Don’t worry, Ralph and I are professionals," Verlet said, slinging her silver sword over her shoulder and striding confidently to the dim entrance.

"Verlet," Ralph lowered his hand from scratching his chin, stopping the Female Demon Hunter (temp) in her tracks. He opened the long box and began to check and organize the ammunition. "I’ll go."

"Are you going alone? The bell ringer has become something beyond human, it’s very dangerous," Sylvette cautioned Ralph, urging him not to act rashly as she filled him in on what she knew.

"One is enough. Verlet, take the girl and step back."

Ralph moved forward alone but didn’t enter through that entrance. Instead, he circled the tower’s perimeter, pulling out small bullets from the box and inserting them into the cracks between planks, going all the way around.

Ralph returned to the two of them, and all he had done was plant a bright red bullet in the crevices of the tower’s outer wall every few steps, like a diligent repairman.

"Aren’t you going in?"

Ralph lifted Dragonfire, loading it with an incendiary red bullet, chambering it slowly.

"These Alchemical Bullets are ’Spark’ enhanced with explosive power. Just one shot..."

Bang!

The roaring muzzle blazed with fire. A fierce blast erupted at the base of the tower, followed by a series of explosions. All the lower support pillars were completely destroyed, and the dying tower’s spine was broken by Ralph. As it collapsed thunderously into ruin, Ralph reloaded the next bullet.

"All set, ladies. We’ve reached the top of the tower."

Who decreed that to battle a boss, one must go through the standard steps, playing hide-and-seek with the tower’s master inside a gloomy tower?

Sorry, the dire wolf only plays by his own rules.

Gun in hand, Ralph stood his ground, a fierce smile spreading across his face as he watched the tower debris scatter.

Bell ringer, take a hard fall and then let’s settle this on the ground.

"Verlet, get ready to clear the rubble, and be careful. That bell ringer might still be alive."

Ralph noticed Sylvette’s bewildered expression. The gunpowder and the blast had shaken her nerves, and her mouth hung open wide enough to fit a small chicken egg.

"Why, did you just destroy the tower?"

"Why? Hasn’t your angel already identified him as the enemy? To kill a monster, destroy its lair, I just reversed the order. Or is it that you plan to preserve this tower, which could stand as a monument to any architect’s disgrace, as a world heritage site? In my opinion, I simply used the most correct method," Ralph replied.

"Do you have any complaints about our Demon Hunters’ methods of hunting?"