Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 541 - 495: Cleaning Up

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The bone spear shattered a gargoyle into pieces, as Lyle controlled the Claw of Vilumro to viciously slap a vampire dragged before him by Nia’s tentacles. The creature crashed through the window and flew out.

Another vampire was thrown into the crowd by tentacles, spitting a mouthful of blood, which was quickly absorbed by its surrounding companions.

"Idiots."

"Plague Messenger, heresy breeds." Vampires that had fed on Plague Blood grew twisted bone spurs from their flesh, and cages sprouted from their bodies, trapping them in place as they howled incessantly. After two or three such poisoning incidents, the Loshutar Blood Clan finally learned not to accept tainted gifts.

Lyle believed he must have looked quite spectacular at the moment: Nia was behind him, freely extending her limbs, and he could even feel the sensation of her tentacles beating against the pillars, causing the whole castle to tremble, as if Nia was about to tear the place apart.

Lyle didn’t have time to reprimand her, even though they were just a single plague outbreak in terms of individual strength, but there were too many of them, and the vampires, scared by the beatings, had even learned to fend off the plague, keeping away from their howling brethren and using magic to completely envelop themselves. Worse still, the castle’s blood servants kept coming in unrelenting waves like furniture that sat silently along the corridors and was now attacking en masse upon the blood clan’s command, demonstrating impressive force.

With Lyle as the dividing line, tentacles split the main hall in half, the narrow corridors by the pillars were blocked with piles of stones, and to get through, one had to go past Lyle.

In the background, the fight between Beatrice and Joshua continued fiercely. Delaries must have made some minor arrangements on Joshua, for even with a wound that wouldn’t heal, Joshua and Beatrice still fought back and forth.

The suppression from blood rights and oaths didn’t work—both were inheritors of the Blood Clan who had drunk the Blood of the Gods and transcended blood clan levels, which made the Blood Divine Artifact’s suppression effect far from ideal.

This tense situation greatly irritated Beatrice, but as a vampire herself, she didn’t have many options and could only continue to burn her blood to release magic.

The situation was getting tense for Lyle as well, with blood clan members, under the cover of blood servants, continuously targeting Lyle’s weaknesses, showcasing the vampires’ exceptional talent for assassination.

This couldn’t go on.

A tentacle wrapped around Beatrice’s waist, inadvertently allowing her to dodge Joshua’s claw strike.

The beautiful lady was entangled in the tentacles, screaming.

"Lyle! I’m about to rip his throat out!!!"

"We need you here more, Beatrice." There was no time to mock the female vampire’s bravado. Nia transferred Beatrice to their side of the tentacle wall, facing a large group of blood servants rushing at them.

The sense of crisis made the gemstone on her chest shine brightly, and visible sound waves roared from Beatrice’s mouth.

"Back off!"

Lyle and Beatrice had chosen the wrong target from the start: Blood rights and oaths couldn’t control Joshua, but not everyone here had drunk the Blood of the Gods.

The command contained the power of the Blood Divine Artifact; the lower-tier blood servants were blasted back directly, their ugly, shiny skin split open, with rebellious blood splashing out from the wounds.

Low-tier blood clan members were overpowered by Beatrice’s presence, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as the tentacles raised stones to crash down before them.

Beatrice annihilated most of the castle’s blood clan, using her voice to inflict pain upon them.

The easing situation allowed Lyle to be in the mood for joking.

"You have finally shown the same talent in singing as Alianna."

A delicate fist hit Lyle on the head, "Offending two ladies at once, I’ll sing your praises in Naslan."

The survivors, who had stood up amidst Beatrice’s roar, interrupted Lyle’s plea for mercy. They were the remaining high-tier blood clan members, powerful and having drawn on the Blood of the Gods; the blood of the weaker became their nourishment. Each movement bore a trail of blood, with about twenty or so successor blood clan members glaring at Beatrice.

"The Blood of the Gods bestows us power beyond our class, Beatrice. You’ve taken the Grand Duke’s favor for granted far too long. Now, it’s time to pay your debts!"

The pressure didn’t lessen; rather, the scattered blood magic power converged, solidifying and doubling in pressure.

Beatrice stood by Lyle’s side, looking earnestly at the challenge before them. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Twelve on my left, nine on your right?"

Lyle didn’t even get a chance to speak.

Nia spread her tentacles wide.

"Nine on Benny’s left, twelve on Nia’s right, Lyle gets zero!"

Beatrice, with a smile, turned her strange gaze onto Lyle.

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"Mr. Lyle, do you have any problem dealing with Joshua, although he’s just one person, you might..."

"Nia has no problem, Nia can even handle one more! Besides, I’ll protect both Lyle and Karen!"

Lyle showed a bitter smile.

"Beatrice, didn’t you say that you wanted to take care of Joshua with your own hands?"

Without turning back, Beatrice’s eyes remained focused on the limbs of the Blood Clan.

"So what, should I place you in danger just to honor my own prideful words? You’re also a part of Naslan, and I’d be pleased to see you fulfil the promise on my behalf."

Standing behind Beatrice, Lyle watched as her skin flushed crimson from the ignition of her blood.

Lyle controlled his tendrils to place Karen into a tendril cradle and pulled Beatrice behind him.

"?"

Lyle fitted the plague doctor mask on his face, its lenses reflecting a faint glimmer.

"Benny, since you’ve said that, how could I possibly interfere with your vow? You take on Joshua, I’ll handle them all, all of them."

Naslan’s third in line paused for a moment before stepping into the opening spread on the wall of tentacles, "Lyle, you’re really not suited to acting cool. I’ll contain Joshua first, call me if you get beaten to tears."

Nia perched on Lyle’s shoulder, her enormous eye on her chest staring at her host, curious.

"Beatrice’s manservant? Want to show off? Then pay the price, I’ll tear open your mouth before you can cry."

The vampires let out mocking laughter as they charged forth.

Lyle spread his arms, behind the lenses, the whites of his eyes constantly submerged by malice.

"Of course, I know I’m not cut out to lead, I only do what I’m sure of."

"A bad omen, terror descends."

A series of snapping sounds reminiscent of plant sprouting and bones fracturing began to echo, and a slender, twisted shadow at Lyle’s back swallowed the light, casting an area of darkness that not even the vampires’ night vision could penetrate.

Then the shadow cracked a smile, emitting a giggle.

"What fine specimens of the Blood Clan, surely you are very proud of the Transcendent Blood flowing through your veins."

"Oh, I can feel how much you adore the deity who graced you with this blood."

"But does God truly need your love or worship? Perhaps that deity just wanted fear?"

The Blood Clan didn’t understand what the suddenly changed manservant was talking about, but the derision in his voice infuriated them greatly, igniting the arrogance in their blood.

"You insects, die!"

"Lyle" squinted his eyes.

The huge shadow behind him moved in unison with his body, clenching a fist.

"As I intended, you little worms that licked my blood, it’s time for you to pay your debts."

"Your god says..."

"Die, servant."

The vampires’ limbs began to twitch spasmodically, and bulging swellings appeared on their skin, writhing back and forth in front of Lyle, black blood pouring from their mouth and nose.

Finally, they turned into a large mass of black and red bloody tendrils.

"Lyle may not be suited, but ’I’ can."