"Yin Ling—!" Smoke and Han Bing shouted in unison when they saw her collapse.
"Hello. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kemi, under the command of the North African king, Abyss. Third-generation vampire." The boyish vampire smiled with a cunning expression entirely at odds with his appearance.
He stared at Adam, eyes glittering. Nothing could describe the thrill he felt—Adam, the true progenitor, was right in front of him! Most importantly, Adam had not yet fully unlocked his power. Before mastering high-level vampire secret arts, there was no way anyone could challenge him!
And the key to mastering those high-level arts? Fragments of the Moonstone. All twenty-five pieces were in the hands of the most powerful people in this world. Adam could not possibly obtain them!
"How did you know I was here?" Adam asked.
"How did I know?" the boy tilted his head, grinning. "Thanks to that… Spartan Legion. They went to battle with the Western guys, leaving me free to wander. Unexpectedly, I noticed the anomaly here. And even more unexpected… I ran into you."
"Heh… what a surprise," Adam murmured, flexing his shin bones. A brutal fight seemed inevitable. He had grown stronger, yes, but could he defeat a pseudo-third generation vampire? He had no confidence.
"Indeed, I'm surprised too. The vampires' kings were all searching for you, Adam. Yet I found you first. Looks like a new vampire emperor is about to be born." Kemi grinned, licking his teeth.
Who would become this emperor? Surely not any of the seven vampire kings.
These high-level vampires were centuries old—over a thousand years in many cases. They knew well that drinking the blood of stronger vampires enhanced one's own power. Kemi thought only of draining Adam's blood to rise above the seven kings.
"So… you want it all to yourself," Adam said with a smile, fangs flashing. He extended his claws.
"It's natural, isn't it?" Kemi's saliva nearly dripped.
Before he could finish, Adam struck. Like lightning, a fully charged punch shot forward. Kemi dodged, the fist smashing into the wall behind. Dust, debris, and smoke filled the room.
Without pause, Adam pressed his hands to the wall, sweeping with a leg—missed again. Smoke and Han Bing followed, full force—equally ineffective.
After a few crashes, the small underground room was ruined.
"Wait… something's wrong!" Adam muttered.
Did he dodge? From Adam's perspective, he hadn't. Yet every punch and kick had passed through Kemi's figure as if he were a phantom. At first, Adam suspected an afterimage. But his sharp senses told him: he was right there.
What was happening?
In the smoky haze, Adam held back. Kemi stood confidently, smiling, as if daring to taunt a progenitor.
"Feels good, teasing a progenitor," Kemi said.
He jumped back. Adam and the others retreated, hearts racing, palms sweaty. This fifth-generation vampire… was bizarre.
"Don't waste your efforts. Those Western vampires I fought a few days ago were the same. Distance means nothing to me. In vampires, spirit is everything—no matter the body, high-level spirit arts always prevail." Previously, he had wounded Tiger's companion, causing the emissary of Crystal to grimace.
Good. A talkative vampire. They often reveal their weaknesses. Yet Adam still couldn't figure out what made him untouchable.
Could he move without moving? He said distance didn't matter…
Then Kemi vanished.
"Careful!" Adam shouted to his team. But Han Bing's body shuddered—blood soaked the floor beneath him.
In front of Adam and Smoke, he fell to his knees, slowly collapsing.
Behind him, Kemi's fingers dripped blood.
"Second-generation vampires… tough to handle. You can't kill them, and when fighting, there's no time to feed. Only a strike to the heart can temporarily immobilize them." Kemi smiled. "If I hadn't known this… even a stronger opponent would've been troublesome."
Teleportation?
Adam stepped back, eyes fixed on Kemi, a hint of pride creeping onto his face.
"Smoke, go. Tell the vampire kings I'm here."
"What?" Smoke froze.
"You've gone mad? Tell them we're here? You'll get caught!" Kemi's grin vanished, replaced by icy calm.
"Even if they don't know, I can't escape anyway. If they want blood, they'll take it. Letting you, a small fry, get a chance—that's just lowering yourself!"
"You…" Kemi's face darkened, words caught in his throat. His arrogance evaporated.
"You think I'll tell them you tried to monopolize my blood?" Adam's eyes curved like a crescent moon, voice teasing.
Kemi went pale. Even the suspicion alone—wanting Adam's blood for himself—was enough to kill him a thousand times over.
"Go. Tell the vampire kings."
"Yes, Your Highness." Smoke straightened, turning to leave.
"Stop!" Kemi shrieked, moving to vanish.
In that instant, Adam gripped his right wrist with his left, fingers spread, and swung toward Kemi.
Crash!
Debris flew. Smoke and sand filled the air.
From the dust, Kemi slowly rose, hair disheveled, blood trickling from his mouth.
"Cough… what…?" Kemi brushed the dust off his hair.
"Space traversal isn't foolproof," Adam said expressionless. "Guess—can you leave here alive?"