* * *
[This is dangerous.]
Heoju murmured. Geniella, who was smiling devilishly, revealing her canines, was revealing a blood-lust and insatiable desire for Lee Sungmin.
Geniella felt an incredible thirst from Lee Sungmin. It had been hundreds of years since she had become a vampire, but this was the first time she had experienced such an uncontrollable thirst to devour something.
She didn’t even feel that much satisfaction from the Bloody Heavenly Demon or Solitary Blade, Dokgo.
She had always quenched her daily thirst regularly and never had a shortage of meals. Even today she recently consumed a young maiden’s blood.
Nevertheless, Lee Sungmin had so many attractive and delicious scents coming from his body, that whatever reason she had, seemed like it was growing to become uncontrollable.
It was everything. How would he taste underneath his skin? How would his blood be? Would he taste like a Dragon, a monster or a human? What about a mix of all three?
With irresistible curiosity at the delicacy that had just stumbled upon her, Geniella licked her luscious lips fervently.
“……umm.”
Lee Sungmin also noted that Geniella was acting abnormal compared to the last time they had met.
Although he came to Travia in a hurry, he did not expect that he would face Geniella immediately upon arriving.
[If you fight, even as you are now, you will surely die.]
Heoju warned. No matter how strong Lee Sungmin had become, was still not comparable to the dangerous Vampire Queen who had been living for hundreds of years and was the strongest among the 5 Black Stars within Predator, who were known to be individually stronger than each of the 6 Divinities from Beyond the Heavens.
Even if he now had Transcended his human limits and was among the strongest on the continent, how could he challenge the Vampire Queen, The Apex of all vampires in the world, if he hadn’t even reached the Apex among all humans?
“……excuse me.”
Just as Lee Sungmin was nervously stepping back and gripping his spear tightly ready to defend himself if anything arose, Geniella spoke apologetically, panting loudly almost as if she were forcefully suppressing her desires. She took a few steps back and bowed her head.
“I’ve shown you an ugly side of me. Sigh…… It’s been a long time since I felt this way, so I almost became uncontrollable.”
Geniella covered her mouth with her hand delicately and laughed.
“It’s been such a long time since I’ve felt such a sense of bewilderment from an individual that I’m shaking with excitement and I’m scared, yet I’m also thrilled all at the same time. But, don’t worry. I don’t want to force you to become a vampire. Actually, it wouldn’t be problematic if I wanted to, but I won’t do something so barbaric.”
Geniella laughed in a gentle voice.
“And this place isn’t very… well favorable even if I did want to dine on your body. Just thinking about feasting in a dirty alley, filled with trash, goes against my own tradition. I don’t want to risk having the best meal of my life in such a disgusting area. Oh! I’m sorry… Even if you leave here, I won’t prey on you.”
“……what do you mean?”
“I want to enjoy you in every facet of life. Ahhhh, I’d have you in my bed, on my favorite blanket, with me when I sleep… Oh don’t be too confused. For vampires, our meals and sexual tendencies are deeply intertwined.”
Geniella laughed, answering a question Lee Sungmin didn’t even ask.
Her beautiful smile was one that a fanatic would display about their favorite toy.
However, her fanaticism did not shake Lee Sungmin’s wariness at all. He remained completely vigilant.
“On that bed…… I can have you when I want and how I want. It is my personal wish that I want to eat you completely down to your very insides. Ah, ah, ah… My expression might have sounded too intense just now. I don’t intend to prey on you completely. I just want to drink all your blood and swallow your flesh. Your lungs, liver, pancreas, bones, blood vessels, muscles, flesh and even your genitals, brain and heart.”
Geniella’s manner of speaking started to speed up. Her red eyes started to radiate a brighter glow, as her shoulders trembled.
Only after telling Lee Sungmin about her sickest and deepest desires, did Geniella smile refreshingly as if she had taken a weight off her chest.
“I want to chew it all up and drink it at night. Rather than that… rather than that low and primitive desire, my biggest reason for wanting you is to grow stronger in power, so please know that.”
“…… I don’t want to be a vampire.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to force you. I told you before, right? I won’t… Whoh! This urge… It’s so… so persistent.… enthusiastic, desperate, and yet never giving up. You’re still not ripe enough. That’s why I’ll be waiting.”
Geniella spoke and cut her words off.
It was the code and preference she had maintained up until this point. Unless Lee Sungmin had willingly come to her and accepted her, she would not form a blood bridge with him. She wanted something more…
‘Not yet.’
There was not enough despair from Lee Sungmin. Geniella clicked her tongue, suppressing her disappointment.
“What’s your business here? It would have been terribly urgent if you used a pegasus to travel.”
“…… I don’t need anything in Travia.”
“Oh……then.”
Geniella grinned.
“Is it about Kim Jonghyun?”
Lee Sungmin’s expression hardened at the words. He decided to question Geniella, who was grinning toothily.
“Do you know him?”
“I do. He’s a pretty funny guy, right? Oh, the man I’m referring to is one of my kind, a monster, not a human.”
Geniella hymned with amusement.
Kim Jonghyun was a very intriguing individual for Geniella. He took everything from Arbeth, the Arch Lich, and even became the owner of the Grimoire, a magical book of arcane knowledge that Arbeth had been in possession of, prior.
“I’m not here to pursue Kim Jonghyun. Did you come here to capture him like those humans, as well?”
“……for now.”
“Hoooh…”
Geniella bit on her lower lip at Lee Sungmin’s answer. After a brief silence, Geniella shook her head.
“I’m saying this for you. If you’re going to try and kill Kim Jonghyun, you’d better quit.”
“How come?”
“The ritual he’s preparing is exceedingly dangerous. I must admit that you are quite strong, but if you interrupt Kim Jonghyun’s ceremony…… whew!”
Geniella shrugged her shoulders and laughed.
“You’re going to die too.”
[Wait.]
Heoju suddenly materialized. He lifted himself in his spirit form from behind Lee Sungmin’s back and looked down at Geniella.
“Heoju.”
Geniella glanced up at Heoju’s spirit and called out his name.
“Have you been traveling with that human till now? I thought you would slowly become disillusioned with the ridiculous situation and choose to disappear on your own. I guess that lofty pride of yours has become insignificant after hundreds of years of loss without a physical body.”
[You’re saying useless things.]
“I’m saying this out of sympathy for you. I respected you quite a bit once upon a time. But… not right now.”
Geniella chuckled.
[Why are you doing nothing about the situation?]
Heoju asked Geniella, ignoring her sarcastic remarks.
[The dark wizard named Kim Jonghyun. I think you said he’s conducting a ritual in your area, but why are you letting him go?]
“Does it have to be my business to interrupt what he’s doing? It’s rather entertaining to watch. Also, Kim Jonghyun already asked me for permission in advance.”
Geniella replied with a big smile.
“So I decided to ignore his business. I have no intention of helping him nor disturbing him. I’m just going to watch from a distance and enjoy the show.”
“What the hell is he trying to do?”
“You must be very curious.”
Geniella let out an alluring laugh. She looked at Lee Sungmin who interjected, rolling her eyes that seemed to be fluttering with blood. Geniella, who was tapping her thick lips with her fingertips, grinned.
“But there’s no reason for me to let you know. Unless you can come up with something in equivalent exchange for that information, there’s nothing I should tell you, is there?”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything from you.”
‘At least not right now.’
Geniella suppressed her desires forcefully.
If he asked for power from her right now, she would even say no. Since he was not ripe yet.
Geniella didn’t want to drink Lee Sungmin’s blood just yet.
“Still…… I like you quite a bit. Let me give you a hint but, one that is not quite the answer.”
Geniella spoke with a smile.
“Kim Jonghyun is attempting to become something other than a human being.”
That was all that Geniella could give him. She sank her desires and thoughts and forcefully decided to leave it for now, as she turned away from Lee Sungmin.
Just like when she had appeared, she blended back into the dark shadows and disappeared.
“…attempting to become something other than a human?”
Lee Sungmin murmured what Geniella had just said before she left. Did that mean he was attempting to become immortal? All Dark Wizards had a way to become immortal that was relatively simple.
That was to become a Lich. But what Kim Jonghyun was doing, was not something that was required to become a Lich.
“Something other than a human……”Lee Sungmin turned around, muttering the suspicious words.
[She has a twisted sense of humor.]
Heoju murmured.
[That’s what Geniella had said. If you look at what she said, that Dark Wizard named Kim Jon-hyun…… I don’t think he’s attempting to become some simple immortal being. Didn’t she say it was something other than a human being?]
“She did.”
[She also said that Kim Jonghyun was preparing for a ceremony. Maybe the killing of seven villages was the ritual’s preparation. Do you remember what happened to the dead bodies in villages he exterminated?]
“They said the bodies were all stitched together and stacked on top of one another. And… he also pulled out all of their hearts.”
[Where did the other Black Heart go after the fight with the chimera girl?]
Lee Sungmin’s expression suddenly turned cold from Heoju’s question.
He didn’t know what sort of ritual it was, but he now knew that it required thousands of hearts. Geniella also had warned him that even he, in the Realm of Transcendence, might not be safe with his current strength.
“That’s good, then. I thought I shouldn’t have come…… But it’s now been confirmed with my own two eyes that Kim Jonghyun is a dangerous man. I don’t need any more reason to hesitate now.”
Since there were a lot of supporting troops, he believed he didn’t have to come. Such worries had completely disappeared from his mind.
Kim Jonghyun was now completely marked as dangerous in Lee Sungmin’s mind. He didn’t know what sort of ceremony he was preparing for right now, but the thought of whatever it included, made Lee Sungmin incredibly wary.
If exterminating seven villages was merely for the preparation…… It must have been a conscious decision, rather, to not run away, but to attract more attention and gather those people for a purpose….
‘It will be tough.’
Lee Sungmin touched the skin mask on his face. The owner of this face was not a mercenary. He was a simple adventurer, and there was no way to prove his identity. That would do for his cover up.
Lee Sungmin left the alley. It was not a long distance from Travia to Edor, where the punitive forces were gathered.
It was not a problem to travel, but rather to arrive.
‘If possible, I shouldn’t get caught.’
If it was revealed that Lee Sungmin was the Ghost Spear, Scarlett’s safety would also be compromised, and the Patriarch of the Murong Family, who would be close by, would most definitely act in rage and attack him.
He didn’t think it would be too burdensome to fend off the Murong Family, but it would risk Scarlett’s safety, position and risk stopping whatever Kim Jonghyun was planning.
“This really was not something I was expecting to do…”
Lee Sungmin grumbled and left the gates of Travia.
* * *
Seven villages. 5,000 hearts were taken individually from the residents of the seven villages.
Kim Jonghyun wandered in the dark as he donned a black robe. He was in a forest of trees filled with thick thorny vines, and in the middle of it, a deep pit filled with 5,000 once-beating hearts could be identified.
“Hmm.”
Kim Jonghyun hovered over the pit with levitation magic and glanced at the Grimoire, which was floating next to his head.
The Grimoire, the book with the most evil and forbidden arcane magic the Wizard Guild had ever seen. The reason why Kim Jonghyun took everything from Arbeth was not only because of his superior knowledge and considerable quantities of mana, but also because of the Grimoire that all Dark Wizards coveted.
In the past few years, Kim Jonghyun had done many things.
He returned from the City of Endless Night and returned to the Black Tower as if nothing had happened, and practiced learning all of Arbeth’s dark magic spells and constantly posted false completions and research documents to avoid the eyes of the Wizard Guild.
He then visited the dungeon Arbeth had made by recalling Arbeth’s memories from the soul he snatched, and took everything inside for himself.
He also spent more than half a year interpreting the Grimoire, which he had acquired in the process.
Thanks to Arbeth’s knowledge and Kim Jonghyun’s knowledge that had combined, Kim Jonghyun had been able to start interpreting a few of the Grimoire’s darkest secrets.
“These theories are fine…… Hmm. I don’t know if it’ll work out.’
Kim Jonghyun scratched his chin while checking the magic formula he drew. He wanted to go through several experimental trials, but unfortunately, this type of magical ritual was impossible to experiment with.
“It’s too late to quit now.”
Kim Jonghyun murmured in a soft voice.
In any case, he had killed over 5,000 people for this ritual and there was no turning back now that he had started.
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