Ch.5353. Count Leon’s Territory (5)

The moment the incantation ended, dozens of snake heads formed in midair by my spell flew toward the building that served as the vampire’s lair.

—KUGUUUGUGUGUGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGANG!!!!

These serpent heads, made of magical energy, collided with the outer wall with a thunderous roar, causing the building to shake as the sound reverberated in all directions.

However… despite casting such a flashy spell, the building remained sturdy.

This abandoned structure, which appeared ready to collapse at any moment, didn’t even tremble from the impact, let alone show any signs of damage.

“Well, well, looks like they’re not even trying to hide anymore?”

—Uuuuuuuuuh……!!

—SCREEEEEEEECH!!

—Grrrrrrrr……

As if confirming my suspicions, the vampire’s minions began pouring out from inside the building.

Seeing the horde of vampire ghouls and bloodsucking animals, I immediately cast another spell.

[Slice!]

—SLASH!

The cutting waves I formed easily dismembered their fragile bodies.

Focusing on area-of-effect rather than raw power, numerous minions caught in the trajectory of my slashes were cut to pieces, their body parts scattering across the ground.

Even with their strong vitality and superior regeneration, no low-level vampire could survive having their head split in half.

[Burst into flames!]

—WHOOSH!!

The sight of twitching, rotting flesh and discolored bodily fluids was so disgusting that I scattered flame flower seeds and rapidly accelerated their growth, using them like a type of firebomb.

The crimson flames that erupted from the seeds devoured all flesh and fluids, selectively burning only the vampire remains under my control.

As the magical fire I created raged, fueled by my magical energy, I brought my wrists together, then spread my hands in a mudra gesture and declared confidently:

[—Bite!]

—CRUNCH!!

No sooner had I finished speaking than a massive hydra head appeared in my line of sight and bit through the blood-red barrier formed on the surface of the building.

This barrier, which both protected the building from external destruction and continuously drained energy from enemies inside, was the type most favored by vampires.

Not only could it interfere with other mystical operations by utilizing the properties of the blood-tinted barrier, but it also supported vampire blood magic.

Therefore, I thought:

—CRASH!

Rather than foolishly trying to penetrate another mid-level magic user’s domain and hoping to survive, it would be better to dismantle the barrier from the outside and then enter.

The barrier shattered into fragments that scattered in all directions, gradually collapsing and disappearing.

The secret to destroying this barrier—which was extremely resistant to physical interference and external destruction attempts, almost like a pseudo-alternate dimension—was the power of the hydra’s mystery.

The hydra’s mystery that had entered my soul gave me access to three new beast magics:

First, enhanced regeneration targeting myself.

Second, the power of “Beast Formation” to summon and control parts of a hydra’s body.

And third, the hydra’s deadly venom, which could be used in conjunction with “Beast Formation.”

This venom affected not just the physical realm but also influenced souls and mystical elements.

The magic using the hydra’s venom—more potent than even high-ranked magical beasts’ poison—could affect magical energy itself.

In other words, it could break down the magical energy composing spells and barriers, effectively dismantling them.

—KUGUUUGUGUNG!!

With a sound like something collapsing, the formula that had transformed the entire building into a makeshift alternate dimension crumbled.

Nothing was immune to the hydra’s venom-magic, which appeared like a sticky, viscous poison.

And the moment the barrier collapsed, leaving the building unprotected:

[Grow! Constrict and penetrate!]

Small plant seeds buried in the ground responded to my magic, transforming into thousands of vines that began wrapping around the building indiscriminately.

Dozens of vines as thick as tree trunks enveloped the building, forcing their way through any visible gaps.

Where there were no gaps, they shattered weaker points like windows and burrowed inside, attempting to dominate the interior space.

This nature magic, focused solely on spatial domination, transformed the building’s internal environment to my advantage.

“Y-y-you… rotten bastard!!!”

And the moment the building’s interior became favorable to me, unlike before, the vampire—seemingly noticing its disadvantage—burst out of the building in rage.

The creature spread its bat-like wings and took flight, wearing armor that appeared to be made using vampire blood magic.

The full plate armor, complete with a helmet, guaranteed substantial protection befitting its appearance, and in an emergency, the blood forming the armor could likely be converted directly into weapons.

‘…A magic user?’

Judging that the creature was closer to a mage who had extensively trained in blood magic applications, I made a somewhat bold move.

[■■■■■■—!!!]

I wove magical energy to create a wild form, then draped it over my body. The form was that of a mid-level magical beast—a manticore.

Transformed into a ferocious beast with a lion’s body, scorpion’s tail, and bat wings, I glared at the creature with the unpleasant-looking head of an old man and spread my wings.

—FLAP!

With strength that could easily shatter a house-sized boulder, I pushed off the ground and soared upward in one leap.

I expanded my muscles to shoot poison spines from my back while simultaneously coating the claws of my front paws with “Hydra’s Venom” magic.

[DIE!!!]

Hundreds of blood arrows flew at me along with the vampire’s hate-filled incantation, but the combination of dense, thick muscles and tough, elastic skin boasted durability that even magic-coated blades couldn’t penetrate.

—THUDUDUDUD!!

Of course, the power of spells cast by a mid-level mage vampire was not to be underestimated, and several arrows remained embedded in the manticore’s skin with no sign of coming out.

And… this was not exactly a positive sign.

[—Explode!!]

—KABOOOOM!!!

One of the ultimate techniques of blood magic, “Blood Explosion,” detonated, causing the blood arrows embedded in my back to violently explode.

The searing pain in my neck and the ruptured neck muscles causing it were devastating, even for a manticore to simply endure.

[…Kuk!]

—…Whooosh.

With chunks of flesh torn from the manticore’s neck, at least several centimeters deep, I cast a regeneration spell using the hydra’s mystery on myself while simultaneously…

‘—Robo!’

[Yes!]

I ordered my animal companion, Robo, whom I had released earlier, to ambush the vampire.

—CRUNCH!

Robo charged with jaws wide open. Concealing even his breathing with predatory instinct, Robo lunged without looking back, bit into the vampire’s nape, and slammed it to the ground.

—THUD!!!

[B-blood m—]

[—GRAAAAH!!]

Robo, latched onto the vampire with jaws clamped around its neck, threw himself in recklessly.

He continuously targeted the regenerating neck, biting and tearing, blocking all attempts to cast spells, and thrashing mercilessly.

‘Back!’

[Yes!]

And immediately after, having shed the manticore shell and returned to human form, I gave the command, and Robo, faithful to my order, leaped back instantly.

[—Fire!]

Before the vampire could react in that brief window, a solar beam shot from the tip of my staff, crisply searing its surface.

—Sssssssss……!!!

AAAAARRRRGGGHHH—!!!

Though not as powerful as the solar beam cast by Sophia, the celestial school druid, this was more than enough to burn vampire flesh and melt bone.

In an instant, the armor covering the creature collapsed under the holy energy’s intense heat, its bodily fluids bubbling and flesh cooking.

“S-save, save me…!!”

—CRUNCH!

The creature screamed in the agony of its burning body, convulsively begging for mercy, but my mind was already made up regarding such pleas from vampires.

“Robo, tear it apart.”

[Yes!]

—CRAAAASH!!!

Robo, a mid-level magical beast specialized almost entirely in physical enhancement, leaped at the vampire and enthusiastically began to tear it apart.

He crushed its limbs, punched through its torso with his paws, and as a finishing touch, bit off its head and crushed it in his jaws.

I wasn’t sure if it was dead, but the vampire was certainly incapacitated for now.

[Burn!]

Of course, one shouldn’t be careless with undead creatures possessing the vampires’ tenacity and powerful regeneration, so knowing this well, I delivered a confirmation kill without hesitation…

‘…Ah.’

Around this time, the upper echelons of the city must have noticed the battle beyond the barrier, as a powerful life force, estimated to be mid-level, began approaching.

“Robo, let’s bolt!”

[Yes!]

Rather than getting involved in troublesome matters, running away was several times better.