Ethereal Ascendance: A Journey of Transformation(Vol 5)

Vol 5/ Chapter 85: The Vampire Ancestor

"Can that fatty handle it?" I muttered to myself after they disappeared from sight.

Now I was alone. No way I'd join Raydwin and Adrian for a run! But just sitting around waiting for Cyra didn't feel right either. So I decided to wander around the neighborhood to kill time.

Tenda Flats was a resettlement area, but it was actually an old neighborhood at least 10 years old. It sat on a hillside east of Shine Metropolitan. During the day, most residents were out working. But at night, it got super lively. The nearby shopping street was packed with people, as busy as the city center.

"Here's your takoyaki, miss. I gave you an extra one. Come again!" said the stall owner.

I eagerly popped one in my mouth. So yummy! You can't get this special snack in another world. Probably only on Earth.

I strolled along the street, buying and eating stuff. But suddenly something felt off. A strong dark aura appeared in the crowd ahead.

As people moved forward, I spotted a figure in a tailcoat.

He looked weird - sunken cheeks, pale face, middle-aged, with a mysterious vibe. His outfit didn't match the surroundings at all. But cosplay was popular in this country lately, so most people ignored him. Only a few gave curious looks.

"You must be a vampire, right?" I asked bluntly when he got close.

"Didn't expect to meet a human with such strong light energy in another world. Are you also a light mage who crossed over?" he replied in the common language of the other world.

Could it be...

"What do you think?" I answered in the same language. I don't like giving straight answers to monsters. It's more fun to play dumb.

"No, that's not right. A human mage wouldn't be so calm seeing me..."

But this guy was smart. He saw through my act right away:

"Angels who hide their wings are almost the same as human mages. I've met many before. So you must be an angel!"

No doubt, this vampire knew everything! From our chat, he was very likely the vampire ancestor I'd been looking for!

"Well what do you know, the one I've been searching for comes right to me!" I said coldly. At first I thought he'd left the country. If he really left, it'd be hard to find him. But if he came to me himself, of course I wouldn't let him go!

"Sounds like you've been looking for me..." The vampire ancestor's expression changed as he realized something.

"So you're the one who took out my subordinates? No wonder I came back to find the organization I worked so hard to build was wiped out by humans! Humans in this world don't even know about elements. It must be you angels messing things up!"

"Oh? And how did you find me?" I asked. After destroying the vampire den in the south, I never showed my wings again to save energy. How could he find me so precisely, even with strong senses?

"Haha, do you even need to ask? What do you think?" He didn't answer directly, but glanced behind me with an amused look.

Could it be... I turned to look and finally understood.

"That stupid Cyra!"

The place the vampire pointed at was Tenda Flats Building 3, where Cyra was. To livestream, that idiot had her wings out the whole time!

Angel form doesn't lose much light energy, but in this element-poor Earth environment it really stands out. Over time it attracted monsters!

If I hadn't happened to run into the enemy in the shopping street, Cyra would've been the vampire ancestor's first target!

"I don't know what your friend is up to hiding in that building. Lying in wait for me? Or too scared to come out? But tell me, do you really plan to fight me right here?" The vampire ancestor suddenly smiled evilly. Several figures emerged from the crowd behind him.

"So you've already gotten to them!" I sighed. These minions were all residents from around Tenda Flats, newly turned into vampires. Clearly this ancestor's handiwork!

The one bit of luck was that he hadn't been here long, so not many were infected yet - just a handful.

The situation wasn't too bad. As long as I took out the ancestor, the source of all evil, all the minions should lose their power!

"Let's go somewhere quieter!" I said, turning to leave. Afraid he might not follow, I taunted: "Or are you scared and want to run away?"

"No problem... as you wish!" The ancestor smiled creepily. Thankfully he agreed and followed me away from the crowded shopping street.

...

We went to a nearby hilltop, not far from Tenda Flats. It was a city park viewpoint, closed at night and deserted - perfect for our fight.

"Nice place, great view! Too bad it's only good at night..." The vampire ancestor looked up at the night sky, then suddenly turned vicious. "It's all because of you! You wrecked the power I built in this city. Now I have to start over and lay low. I won't let you off this time!"

"Oh yeah? We'll see if you've got what it takes!" I stuffed the last takoyaki in my mouth. No need to hold back now - I spread my wings.

"An eight-winged angel? Not bad, not bad. Didn't expect angels to be so deep into this world!"

Surprisingly, he didn't look scared at all when he saw my form. He even clapped, looking impressed.

Is he just putting on an act?

I was confused. Vampires are gifted, born at 4th level almost equal to angels. But they're limited by dark energy side effects - very few surpass 7th level! Plus he'd made many minions here quickly, which should've weakened him. He shouldn't look down on an eight-winged angel!

But remembering that "Director" who was over 6th level, I didn't dare underestimate him. I launched three purifying light orbs at him from different directions.

"Heh..." With a scornful laugh, the vampire ancestor's body suddenly scattered into a flock of bats, vanishing into the night sky.

If I still had just two wings, I might not understand what happened.

But now it's totally different - this is actually one of vampires' innate skills. They can transform into bat form to dodge in battle. They even make fake copies to confuse enemies.

In that case, the next move should be...

I drew my sword and stabbed behind me without hesitation!

"You think a weapon like that can hurt me?" The vampire ancestor appeared behind me, pinching the blade between two fingers. But his smile froze as a thick beam of light shot down from above, engulfing us both.

The sword was just bait. The real attack was still "Paradise Lost Shockwave"!

With my magic badly depleted and hard to replenish, I can't waste high-level spells. Every shot must hit the enemy!

My earlier moves were all to ensure this by distracting him. Light magic doesn't hurt me at all, but vampires sure don't like it. Even if it doesn't kill him, it'll badly wound him for sure.