Chapter 1465: Chapter 1465

"Even if a Duke-level vampire really died, the residual power in its corpse would be enough to transform a normal person into a powerful vampire. If it didn't die, then a thousand years would be more than enough time for such a creature, with its powerful self-healing abilities, to reawaken."

"I'm more inclined to believe the first theory, because the vampire currently haunting the town is clearly very young. The witch in town could tell you as much. If the monster killing people now really was transformed by coming into contact with an ancient vampire's corpse, then it wouldn't be surprising for it to possess some strange items to hide its tracks. That's why I can't find it. But ultimately, it's not a naturally born creature, and there are still ways to distinguish it."

The diviner's book chronicled the events of the vampire grand duke from a thousand years ago, and it mentioned some of the vampires' secrets. This gave Jenkins an idea of how to deal with the murderer.

As dusk began to fall, he stood up to leave, planning to return to the church and inform the priest of his intentions. The diviner rose to see him off, standing at the doorway and watching as Jenkins pushed open the picket gate, ready to enter the woods.

The young woman began hesitantly, her hand on the door. Jenkins turned to look at her.

"Is there something else?"

"That... It's better if I don't say. I never ask for names in the past, nor do I reveal my own. It could cause unnecessary trouble. But I can let you see what I look like."

As he spoke, Jenkins removed the disguise of his black robe, revealing his true form—Jenkins, dressed in pajamas. Standing in the snowy woods in pajamas should have been a ridiculous sight, but the young woman found herself blushing for some reason, as Jenkins's half-elven face was indeed very attractive:

"If everything you said is true, then in the future, please remember to carry on the school's legacy."

Jenkins nodded, then turned and walked straight into the forest.

That night, the plan was set. Jenkins bid farewell to the old priest and left the church. The night was deep. He trudged through the snow, one heavy step after another, to the town's small square. In this backward era, there were no streetlights, and tonight's moon was hidden by clouds. Though it was dark, the man standing in the square was still remarkably conspicuous.

"I knew you would come. That damned diviner must have told you everything she knows."

The speaker's eyes seemed to burn with blood-red flames. As Jenkins drew closer, he realized the man wasn't standing but hovering above the snow. His voice was normal, not repulsive like his hideous face.

"Yes. It seems the diviner's guess was right. You really are just an ordinary person who happened to touch a creature's corpse and was assimilated by its bloodline."

"I'm no ordinary person now."

As the vampire spoke, Jenkins stepped into the square. The snow crunched under his feet.

"I saw a stranger in town today and knew you must have come for me. I imagine you must be surprised. You had just prepared to search for me, only to receive my invitation for a meeting."

He was right. Jenkins was indeed a little surprised. His appearance here wasn't part of the original plan, but it wasn't a bad thing. At least he wouldn't have to go out of his way to find him.

"I will drain you of your blood, to warn any future travelers not to meddle in affairs that don't concern them, and to show the witch, the priest, and the diviner in town that no one can stand against me."

The moon finally emerged from behind the clouds. Its crimson light shone down on the vampire, allowing Jenkins to see his grotesque features in full.

The monster instantly transformed into a cloud of black smoke and rushed toward the stationary Jenkins. Jenkins nimbly dodged, and the smoke made a sharp turn in mid-air, flying toward the back of his head.

Jenkins slid to the side and dropped to the ground, rolling twice across the snow before flipping back to his feet. He threw his right hand up in front of his face, letting the approaching black smoke collide with the flames that erupted in his palm.

As the vampire's shriek echoed through the air, he pulled back his fist, spun, and crouched. Then he lashed out with a kick, a beautiful spinning kick that struck the vampire just as it solidified from its misty form.

It all happened in a matter of seconds. The vampire skidded a long way across the snow before stopping. Jenkins watched as he scrambled to his feet, spitting black blood and staring at Jenkins in astonishment.

"How can you be so strong?"

"Actually, this is just a warm-up."

He wasn't boasting; it was the truth. In this era of waning supernatural power, the level of strength was even lower than Jenkins had guessed. Only after they clashed did he suddenly realize that he didn't need a plan at all. There was no one here who could defeat him. Official source ıs novel·fire·net

"You just wait! I'll be back!"

With that, the vampire burst apart where he stood, transforming into dozens of small bats that flew off in all directions.

At that moment, a shout came from the rooftop of a building on the east side of the square:

"In the name of God!"

The old priest, dressed in his ceremonial robes, spread his arms wide. A dazzling holy light erupted from his body, and the bats flying eastward immediately retreated.

"Stay back, you disgusting things!"

The witch appeared at the western intersection, a small pouch in her left hand. With her right hand, she continuously scattered dust from the pouch before her. The bats flying west couldn't pass through the barrier of dust and were forced to turn back.

The young diviner appeared to the south, holding her mithril dagger. She swung her weapon continuously, using incantations to dispel the dark power, and barely managed to drive the bats back.

The bats flying north were burned to ash by Jenkins the moment they appeared. Jenkins couldn't catch all of them, but a few were no problem.

The remaining bats reconverged, and the panting vampire reappeared, surrounded by the four superhuman individuals.

"You can't kill me! Even if you annihilate my soul and bury my body deep underground, the power of the vampire will rise again in the future. This is a power you short-lived mortals will never comprehend!"

It roared at them, then suddenly lunged toward the diviner, only to be kicked back by Jenkins. The falling snow began to trace strange patterns around Jenkins. Under the effect of [Ice Solidification], the snowflakes swirled past him, slowly enveloping the groaning vampire, and finally froze it completely in ice.

Throughout this process, Jenkins just stood there, not even lifting a hand. This greatly astonished his three companions. They had never witnessed such power.