Chapter 475: Chapter 475

Queen Serian of the Northern District stood with a grave expression, staring down at the pile of ashes beneath her feet.

The vampire that had been pierced by the silver rapier had turned to nothing more than dust.

With a weary sigh, Serian asked.

“Haah… What happened to the one bitten by the vampire?”

Borin hesitated, unable to give a quick answer.

“Don’t tell me, they turned into another vampire?”

“The mutation is in progress.”

Serian exhaled another heavy sigh at Borin’s reply.

“I’m sorry. I should have stopped it beforehand.”

“How could this possibly be your fault, Borin? It was my mistake for bringing the sarcophagus into the Northern District without proper investigation.”

“Haah… The problem now is how we’re going to contain this situation. The dungeon is still secured, yes?”

“Yes! Our elites are standing guard, so there shouldn’t be any issues for now.”

“It’s only a temporary fix. We need something more decisive.”

“Then… what do you suggest?”

“You said Zeon has returned, right?”

“Call him. We need his help.”

Borin immediately stepped outside.

Her steps toward the slums were heavy.

If possible, she didn’t want to ask Zeon for another favor.

Every time she did, it felt like her debt to him grew heavier.

But this time, there was no other choice.

Borin arrived at Zeon’s house and knocked on the door.

After a short moment, footsteps approached, and when the door opened, the person who greeted her was an unexpected silver-haired beauty.

Borin was so taken aback by the woman’s presence that she momentarily forgot why she had come.

“Me? I’m Zeon’s friend.”

“Mm. My name’s Tesserina. And you are?”

“Nice to meet you, Borin. So, what brings you to Zeon’s house?”

“You came to see him? Come in!”

“Of course. He’s just in the shower, so wait a bit.”

At Tesserina’s words, Borin’s imagination went wild.

Tesserina caught her flushed expression and chuckled softly.

“Stop imagining weird things. Nothing like that happened. Now come in.”

Borin hurried inside.

As the captain of the Blue Leaf Special Unit, she prided herself on being more composed and resolute than any elf.

Yet, for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to act confidently before Tesserina.

Creatures like elves, and other non-human races, could never stand tall in front of a dragon.

If Tesserina had been in her true form rather than a chimera, Borin wouldn’t have even been able to breathe properly.

Not just Borin, no elf, no other race could stand before a dragon without trembling like a rabbit before a lion.

That was what dragons were.

Absolute beings who ruled over all life on Kurayan.

The idea of resistance didn’t even exist.

Sometimes tales circulated of warriors who had slain dragons, but most were lies.

True, some dragons had been hunted before.

But they had all been young ones, newly born.

A dragon in its mature form, like Tesserina, was nothing short of a living calamity to other races.

Resistance was unthinkable.

Finding herself sharing the same air with such a being, Borin’s body went rigid like wood.

Just as Tesserina said, the sound of running water came from deeper inside, it seemed Zeon was indeed taking a shower.

Still stiff with tension, Borin carefully asked.

“Who exactly are you to be here with Zeon?”

“Me? I told you, I’m his friend.”

“Yeah! We met yesterday and became friends.”

Tesserina smiled, flashing her white teeth.

It was a dazzling smile, yet Borin’s skin prickled with goosebumps.

“Wait… Zeon actually accepted you as a friend?”

“That doesn’t sound like him…”

Zeon was a man of strict boundaries.

Those within his line received his warmth. Those outside it, he never let close.

Many, Borin included, had tried to step across that line. But Zeon never gave even the slightest opening.

Naturally, he had no one he’d ever truly called a friend.

So hearing Tesserina say she was his friend, it was shocking.

At that moment, Zeon emerged, lightly dressed after his shower.

“Borin? What brings you here?”

“I came under Lady Serian’s orders to escort you.”

“Me? Is this about what happened yesterday?”

“With how loud that mess was, not seeing it would’ve been stranger.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to handle it quietly, but the vampire was too strong…”

“So it is related to vampires.”

“Yes. The problem is… quite serious.”

“Then we should talk there.”

At that moment, Tesserina chimed in.

“Hey, mind if I tag along?”

“It’s about vampires, right? I’m sure I’ll be of help.”

“…As long as you promise not to cause trouble.”

Tesserina grinned, her teeth gleaming white.

Unpredictable as ever, childlike, almost, but she carried the mind and power of a dragon.

That alone was reason enough for Zeon to bring her.

The three headed toward the Northern District together.

As they entered Neo Seoul, Tesserina couldn’t contain her awe.

Towering skyscrapers piercing the sky, vehicles flowing through the streets, people far more polished than those in the slums,

The sight of Neo Seoul overwhelmed even a being with the consciousness of a dragon.

A civilization built by humans atop the desert, It was far grander, far more imposing than it had appeared from outside.

“This is incredible. The races of Kurayan couldn’t even imagine building such structures.”

“They could, if given the same resources and conditions.”

Tesserina spoke flatly.

“It’s a matter of imagination.”

“This city, this street, is probably what humans once saw as their ideal world. Maybe it’s even what Earth looked like before its fall. But the people of Kurayan, none of them have ever seen or imagined anything . That gap in imagination can’t be bridged easily. To build something , they’d first have to see it, experience it. Without that vision, it’s impossible.”

“Perhaps you’re right.”

Zeon nodded slightly.

He had been to El Harun. He knew better than anyone how different the other races were.

The elves there were not like the ones who lived in Neo Seoul.

They shared blood, but their way of thought, their lifestyle, utterly different.

The non-human races of the Northern District had, in many ways, already become half-human.

They had changed to survive in Neo Seoul.

As they entered the district, elves, dwarves, and other races came into view.

They wore the same kinds of clothes as humans, aside from their unique features, they were almost indistinguishable.

That alone set them apart from the races of El Harun.

Tesserina’s eyes sparkled.

“This place is fascinating.”

“I’m glad I came. Everything’s new. I could never get bored here.”

A dragon’s life was monotony itself.

Born with overwhelming power, they faced no real threats. And after living for so long, there was nothing left to surprise them.

But Neo Seoul, it stirred something inside her.

A city built by the weakest of creatures, humans, standing defiantly atop the desert, It was a breath of fresh air even for a dragon.

She hadn’t come to Neo Seoul for amusement, though.

She had a reason, a grave problem to solve.

Even so, to feel something like joy in the midst of it all felt almost ironic.

Following Borin’s lead, Zeon and Tesserina entered Serian’s quarters.

“Welcome, Zeon! And this is…?”

Serian, greeting him, paused as her gaze fell on Tesserina. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N()velFire.net

“This is Tesserina. A friend.”

Tesserina said, smiling softly.

At that moment, Serian felt it, an immense, indescribable pressure that made her flinch.

She had lived in Neo Seoul for over a century, but she had never encountered such a presence before.

Curious as she was about Tesserina’s identity, there were more pressing matters at hand.

Serian composed herself and got straight to the point.

“I’m sorry to summon you , Zeon. But the situation is urgent.”

“It’s about the vampires?”

“Yes. We discovered a dungeon not far from Neo Seoul.”

“Wait, what? A dungeon near Neo Seoul?”

“Yes. It’s extremely rare, so we paid extra attention while clearing it. We didn’t want it to pose any danger to the city.”

“Unfortunately, it turned out to be a vampire’s tomb.”

“Yes. According to the raid captain, there were countless sarcophagi inside. Since they couldn’t open any within the dungeon, they brought one back here. After exhausting every method they could think of, they finally managed to open it.”

“Don’t tell me, that’s where the vampire came from.”

“Yes. The moment the sarcophagus opened, it attacked the elves and fled.”

“Borin and the Blue Leaf Unit managed to kill it, but the problem lies with those who were bitten.”

Tesserina spoke as if it were obvious.

“They were bitten, so the blood corruption must be spreading. The first victim will be in the worst state.”

“That’s right. You seem to know quite a bit about vampire physiology.”

“Tesserina is correct. Those bitten by the vampire are undergoing transformation into its thralls. The first victim’s condition is especially severe.”

There’s a common misconception that anyone bitten by a vampire becomes one.

But that’s not how it works.

For an ordinary person to turn into a vampire, the one who bit them must be of high rank.

Yet such high-ranking vampires rarely indulge in reckless feeding.

Even when they did drink blood, they used special abilities to ensure their prey wouldn’t turn.

They considered themselves divine beings, and controlled their numbers carefully.

Lesser vampires, however, lacked that control.

Their victims didn’t become vampires, but mere blood fiends, beings that couldn’t live without feeding on blood.

Those who turned would then hunt new prey, and the infection would spread like a plague, turning all life into the same cursed form.

The elves bitten by the vampire from the sarcophagus were all in the midst of that transformation.

For now, they were locked away in an underground cell, quarantined. But unless a cure was found, they would die.

“Curing them is one problem. But the bigger issue is sealing the vampire’s dungeon. We haven’t cleared it yet. If we leave it as is…”

“The rest of the vampires will pour out.”

Zeon finished for her. His expression darkened.

If that happened, their destination was obvious,

A city packed with humans, their perfect feeding ground.

To the vampires, Neo Seoul would look like one enormous cattle farm.

Serian bowed her head deeply.

“Please, Zeon. We need your help.”