Chapter 400 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

The thunder god was a longstanding familiar presence for Claudia. On days heavy with clouds, it would subtly approach from the open sea, peeking in before bellowing towards the earth and unleashing bolts of lightning. Thanks to lightning rods and protective spells, it wasn't particularly dangerous, but the racket it made was truly bothersome, like an old man hollering. However, this was all part of the thunder god's design. The thunder god was merely fulfilling its 'alarm' role and never aimed its power at anyone. It would warn of lightning's approach and then fall prey to human wit, much like the powerful yet dimwitted giants of old tales. [... . -] But that description no longer applied to the thunder god. It grasped a spear. The world shuddered. The fine hairs prickled. A faint static charged the soil and rocks beneath. The thunder god's wrath sought a sacrifice. All of creation held its breath, bowing its head, hoping only to avoid the divine retribution. Never before had the deity shown anger towards humans. If it had, the world would never have retained its form. The thunder god proved this. [..-. .. .-. .] A spear, over 10 meters in length, glowed blindingly white. The earth and stones trembled and lifted. Then suddenly, as if time were stretched, the spear transformed into a beam of light. There were no ear-splitting crashes or blinding flashes. Even the spreading force condensed into a single point. The spear was thrown with a singular purpose. There was no launching motion. With a mere blink, it vanished from the thunder god's grasp, the spear now moving with lightning speed, beyond the eye's ability to track. “…Whine?” The incessantly barking dog blinked in confusion. Lunken, who had been massacring humans moments ago, had vanished from sight. In his place were Lunken's severed arms and legs, crashing to the ground, releasing the humans he had gripped. Where Lunken would end up was uncertain, but it was clear he was now closer to the Mist Kingdom than to Claudia. Even for an undead elder, reconstituting his body and returning to Claudia would take considerable time. Peru, who had vanquished the elder, stood with her arm outstretched, breathing heavily. Both vampires and humans were struck dumb, staring at her, as she witnessed the devastation she unleashed with the lightning. The ground bore the shape of branching tree limbs where the spear had grazed past. These were marks left by the tearing spear of lightning. Thin streaks of lightning rose like reeds from the cracked and broken earth. The land, now saturated with lightning, awaited Peru's command. Standing amidst this silence, Peru's expression remained impassive, though internally she was taken aback. ‘…Huh?’ This was not Peru's intention. She had only wished to repair the thunder god using the power of the golden realm to intimidate. To hope for a thunder god that was loud and threatening like its original intent. However, as she went to mend the thunder god, an unknown force had interfered, leading to an unforeseen complication. The thief of lightning had entrusted its carefully hidden power to Peru's will. Unbeknownst to her, she now governed every lightning bolt in existence on this land, becoming the true thunder god. YW9peUx5cktZYXhyU2hzY1VsMkQ0WlZiVG95V09LRHdGUHBzbVFJTXJIMWIrUDVuM1BkaFRSV0NxTlVXbFdETg '…This wasn't what I intended.' When a blank round shoots a live bullet, the one most shocked is the person who pulled the trigger. That was precisely Peru's situation. When the revised thunder god obliterated the elder, Peru was left startled by the uncontainable power. Yet, with her typically subdued reactions, even her surprise appeared nearly expressionless. Looking at the elder with lips pressed firmly together as if she had expected it, she exuded the aura of a sovereign unshaken by anything. There was no time to dispel misunderstandings. Seizing the moment of collective attention, Peru swiftly addressed the core issue. “…This is your final warning. Stop!” If not heeded, it implied they all might share the same fate... which wasn't just a feeling. It wasn't entirely incorrect either. Having proven her capacity, Peru's words were no longer a bluff, but an act of mercy. By repressing the power to overturn the world and twist its principles, she offered a chance for survival. She couldn't fully wield that power yet, but sophisticated skill wasn't necessary to kill. Amidst this, there was one individual with powerful authority honed to precision. He, who dueled the steel saint, moved without hesitation upon sensing the new force. “Blood Dance.” Vladimir clenched his fist tightly. Even his tremendously strong grip wasn't enough to contain the overwhelming force, and blood droplets exploded in all directions due to the pressure. In an instant, a heavy mist of blood enveloped the area, saturating the space. The blood spreading from his body absorbed the pools around it, growing in size. A life closest to death, paradoxically becoming immortal. The progenitor was a seed of a demon god, unable to fully blossom, instead becoming a deity of the species, establishing laws that applied solely to the vampire thralls. But establishing the rules didn't make one the best player of the game. It was Tyr who created them, but it was Vladimir who learned and refined its techniques. Briefly, the waterfall of clouds tinted crimson. The dark and red clouds let in no sunlight, filling the air with a foreboding metallic scent. It was a space created by vampires, for vampires. Within this crimson sanctuary, Vladimir moved, enveloped in the bloody haze. Only his glowing red eyes trailed through the darkness, soon blurring as Vladimir's form seemed to dissolve. It wasn't lost because he was too fast. His body melded with the sanguine mist. Vampiric Shadow Art. It bore the name of a form technique, yet resembled swimming. More accurately, it was closer to teleportation. For vampires, the boundary between the external and internal is indistinct. Blood flows, bodies break, but they don't attach meaning to it. They bind themselves anew, originating from the pure blood of their progenitor. In simple terms, their essence resides in that blood. Thus, if they scatter their blood like a mist, the entire mist becomes the vampire's flesh, and the realm under its influence. In this expansive form of himself, Vladimir slightly shifted his center of gravity. In a single motion, Vladimir appeared before Peru. Catching the greatsword that followed him with a murmur, he spoke. "You wield a power you cannot control." A technique that involved dissolving then relocating his body—impossible to pursue or prevent. Peru, delayed in her reaction, had no time to experience fear, only confusion, as Vladimir gazed down and swung the sword expressionlessly, offering no chance to test her capabilities. Yet, being someone who reads minds, I always discern the opponent's move. Typically, it's a helpless awareness, but fortunately, this time, there was a means to counteract. The greatsword brushed past Peru's ear. The sound was as if the world was sliced in two by the wind, and the red aura of the blade left a massive scar on the earth. The blade sank halfway into the ground. The red greatsword considered even cutting solid earth, yet Peru's blood was absent from it. The sword from the wielder of blood art narrowly missed its mark on Peru. Vladimir looked at his right arm, which he had just dismantled and reassembled. From within, a thin thread-like substance extended. Finer and more delicate than a spider's web, its luminous yellow lines flickered. The feeble-looking thread tugged at the most powerful elder's right arm. At the end of the thread, Vladimir found a card. The Seven of Spades. It worshipped the thunder god, wrapped around it like twine binding lightning. The Seven of Spades, Lightning’s Twine. Like a spool winding thread, it was a condensed mass of thin threads of lightning, wrapped to the billionth, trillionth degree. Vladimir spoke with mild curiosity. "So, you were the one wielding the power." Phew. That was close. I sighed inwardly with relief as I played innocent. “No. It’s not my power. I’m borrowing it.” Indeed, it wasn't I who diverted Vladimir's attack; it was his own power. When Vladimir reconstituted his entire body, I had seeded threads of lightning there. Between the merging blood, minute threads of lightning had woven in, interrupting just as Vladimir was about to wield the sword. If it could contact the inside of a body, even with my meager magic, I could momentarily make an elder’s heart beat—it’s from experience. And having once harnessed the thunder god's power, I was capable of manipulation if lightning threads connected internally. However, it requires direct contact with another’s body to perform such a feat. What fool would allow anyone to tamper directly with their nerves, save for a vampire? Even if Vladimir was aware and resistant, it would end. With a mighty grip, Vladimir broke the lightning threads I'd planted. Freed from their tether, he slung his greatsword over his shoulder and turned to me. “Do you wish to die?” A chilling intent washed over me. The overwhelming aura of the strongest elder made the blood running through my veins feel like it turned to ice, quieting itself. But I didn’t falter and kept smiling at Vladimir. “You can’t kill me." Because I am favored by Tyr. The wait wasn't long. Tyr gently warned Vladimir. “Vladimir. Restrain yourself.” In her quiet but firm voice was the message to refrain from rash actions. Vladimir bowed his head immediately, catching her words. “As you wish, progenitor.” All hostility disappeared as if it had never been there, as though all prior behavior had been mere pretense. In truth, it was akin to an act. His movements, words, and even the energy he emitted were all meticulously calculated. If he so wished, Vladimir could kill me in less than a second. By manipulating the blood stretched across the battlefield, he could squeeze my body until all that remains were drops of scarlet juice scattered from a pomegranate. Peru, too, stood little chance. With her full understanding of the thunder god still lacking, she couldn’t withstand the elder's assault. Even if she managed to dodge a strike, a persistent attack from Vladimir would leave her defenseless. In short, both Peru and I remained alive because Vladimir chose not to target us. Vladimir was not acting of his accord. He revealed killing intent towards me to gauge Tyr's inclination, and he attacked Peru purely because he perceived it as a threat. Assessing the situation with his capabilities, he easily relinquished the act. Although his intent to kill the saint was genuine, he instantly shifted focus upon realizing the futility. People become more stubborn with age, yet once past a certain limit, they might loop back. Vladimir’s judgments were surprisingly swift and adaptable. He’s the type I prefer. As long as I gauge his whims correctly and comply, there's nothing to lose. "Shall we calm down a bit, Tyr? There’s no need for us to fight amongst ourselves, is there?" Tyr still bore a dissatisfied expression. Although not harboring personal hatred for Peru, if she backed the Sanctum, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill. Not enough had I entrusted Peru with the demon god's power; I even protected her. Under Tyr's principles, she should be able to kill even me, yet she intentionally excluded that possibility due to her unwillingness to wrestle with such turmoil. “Are you siding with them? The Sanctum which sought to abandon not just me, but even you, to the world?” Tyr’s lament carried an intense resentment for being thrust into conflict. Having eased enough, it was time to keep close. Human emotions are like a kite; pull too much, and it nosedives, let go too much, and it flies away. “I’m unsure if I’m siding with them, but I’ve never supported the Sanctum. If anything, I’d rather hinder them.” “Then why do you obstruct me?” “Because the Sanctum desires their deaths just as much.” Though I hadn't indicated it, Vladimir slowly turned his gaze towards the Saintess of Steel. Feruel, who had been enthusiastically landing blows on Vladimir only moments ago, had let go at the critical moment and was merely observing. She hadn't summoned angels, nor did she utilize her divine powers. So, you must have realized it mid-battle, Blood Duke? Even this one isn't your ordinary folk. Regardless, since he was too loyal to voice his opinion, I advised Tyr myself. "The Saintess of Steel intends to martyr everyone in the clouds!"