Chapter 211: Chase

Amon sprinted after the vampire.

The young man was already several dozen meters ahead, moving with a speed that ordinary humans could never achieve.

He shoved past a pair of pedestrians, vaulted over a fallen trash bin, and glanced over his shoulder to check whether Amon was still following him.

When he saw Amon closing the distance, his expression changed. "You’re fucking kidding me!"

The vampire abruptly turned into another alley and kicked a wooden cart standing beside the wall.

The cart tipped over, sending crates of vegetables tumbling across the ground.

Amon didn’t slow down.

He planted one foot against the wall, pushed himself sideways, and cleared the entire mess in a single leap.

His body moved with ease, and he landed several meters beyond the fallen cart without losing his momentum.

’My body really has changed.’

His increased speed wasn’t merely a matter of having higher attributes.

Every movement felt more efficient, and his muscles responded to his thoughts almost instantly.

The vampire looked back again.

He grabbed a wooden sign from a nearby stall and hurled it backward with enough force to break it apart against Amon’s chest.

Amon crossed his arms and took the impact directly.

The sign shattered, sending wooden splinters flying around him, but he barely felt the collision.

He lowered his arms and continued running, his expression growing increasingly irritated.

"Stop running, you fucking bastard!"

"Go to hell!"

The vampire jumped from one rooftop to another, using chimneys, wooden beams, and raised sections of masonry to change direction.

Whenever he found an opportunity, he grabbed whatever was nearby and threw it at Amon, hoping to slow him down long enough to escape.

The vampire stumbled when his foot caught one of the pieces, nearly falling from the roof before he managed to regain his balance.

Amon used that moment to close the distance.

He jumped across the gap between the buildings, landing hard enough to crack several roof tiles.

The vampire immediately grabbed a loose wooden beam and swung it toward Amon’s head, but Amon ducked beneath the strike and drove his shoulder into the man’s stomach.

The impact sent the vampire skidding backward.

He crashed through a wooden railing and fell toward the street below.

However, before he hit the ground, several thin crimson threads burst from his fingers and attached themselves to the side of a building.

The threads tightened, pulling him sideways and slowing his fall until he landed on a narrow balcony.

’He has the same kind of blood manipulation as the other vampire.’ Amon thought inwardly.

The vampire tore the threads free and immediately continued running.

Amon kept on following him without much problem.

The vampire glanced over his shoulder and stared in disbelief. "WHY WON’T YOU FUCKING GIVE UP?"

Amon smiled coldly. "I’m really fucking pissed off!"

The vampire was beginning to struggle.

Every time he used them to change direction or avoid a fall, he seemed to lose a little more of his strength.

Amon noticed the difference immediately. ’He’s running out of energy.’

The vampire jumped from the rooftop onto a wooden platform erected beside a half-finished building.

He kicked a support beam as he passed, causing several planks to collapse behind him.

Amon landed on the platform just before it gave way.

The wood cracked beneath his feet, and he jumped again, grabbing the edge of the unfinished building with one hand.

He pulled himself upward and vaulted over the ledge, landing directly in front of the vampire.

The vampire was forced to stop as his eyes widened.

Amon smiled. "Surprise motherfucker."

The vampire immediately swung his fist.

Amon caught it.

The difference in their strength became obvious the moment their hands collided.

The vampire’s arm trembled as Amon tightened his grip, and despite his attempts to pull away, he couldn’t free himself.

Amon twisted his wrist.

The vampire hissed in pain and kicked toward Amon’s stomach, forcing him to release the hand before jumping backward onto another rooftop.

He tried to escape again, but Amon was already moving.

Amon caught the back of his jacket and dragged him away from the ledge, throwing him across the roof and into a pile of discarded construction materials.

The vampire struck the ground hard and rolled through several wooden boards before coming to a stop.

Amon walked toward him.

The vampire struggled to stand, but before he could regain his footing, Amon grabbed him by the collar and pulled him upright.

"Now," Amon said quietly, "we’re going to have a little conversation."

The vampire spat blood onto the ground. "Fuck you."

Amon punched him in the stomach.

The vampire doubled over, coughing violently, but Amon grabbed his hair and forced him to look up.

"Who are you working with?"

The vampire laughed.

Amon’s expression darkened. "Who is behind the attacks? The vampires? The elves? The Cordo family? Tell me who’s pulling the strings!"

The vampire continued laughing, even as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"You still don’t understand, do you?"

Amon tightened his grip. "Understand what?"

"This was never about a few bombs." The vampire’s grin widened. "What happened today is only a small part of a much bigger plan."

Amon stared at him.

Images flashed through his mind of the destroyed vehicles, the people lying motionless on the pavement, and the terrified faces of those who survived.

His grip tightened until the vampire’s collar began to tear. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"

Amon’s voice thundered across the rooftop.

He threw the vampire to the ground and kicked him in the ribs.

The man rolled several meters before crashing against a pile of bricks, but he was still laughing when Amon approached him again.

Amon grabbed his right arm and twisted it behind his back. "Tell me who’s behind this!"

The vampire tried to wrench himself free.

Amon drove his knee into the man’s back, pinning him against the ground, and then kicked his arm with enough force to break the bone.

A sickening crack echoed across the rooftop.

The vampire screamed, but the sound quickly turned into another fit of laughter. "You think killing me will change anything?"

Amon struck him across the face. "Answer me!"

Finally, Amon grabbed him by the throat and lifted him slightly off the ground. "Who are you working for?"

The vampire’s laughter slowly subsided.

His crimson eyes met Amon’s, and a strange calm settled over his battered face.

"You can kill me. You can kill a hundred more of us. It won’t matter."

Amon’s expression remained cold. "Why?"

The vampire smiled. "Because nothing can stop the destruction of this kingdom."

Before Amon could question him further, the vampire suddenly clenched his jaw.

Amon noticed the movement too late. "Wait--"

The man bit down on something hidden between his teeth.

A sharp cracking sound came from his mouth, followed by a faint chemical smell.

Amon immediately released him and stepped backward, but the vampire’s body had already begun convulsing.

His eyes rolled upward, his limbs jerked uncontrollably, and dark veins spread rapidly across his neck.

"Shit!"

Amon crouched beside him and tried to force his mouth open, but the man’s jaw had locked tightly.

Within seconds, the convulsions weakened, and his body became completely still.

Amon stared at him.

....The vampire was dead.

He had killed himself before Amon could extract a single useful answer.

Amon slowly stood up, his hands tightening into fists as he looked down at the corpse.

"Fucking coward."

Amon glanced toward the smoke rising above the rooftops and then he heard numerous footsteps.

Amon turned toward the entrance of the street and saw a group of armed soldiers rushing into the area.

Their leader raised his weapon. "Don’t move!"

Amon glanced at the soldiers, then at the dead vampire lying beside him.

Several soldiers moved closer, their weapons trained directly on his chest.

"Put your hands where we can see them!" one of them shouted. "Step away from the body!"

Amon slowly raised both hands. ’Fuck.’

He took a slow breath and forced himself to remain calm.

"Alright," he said, looking at the soldiers. "It’s not what it’s look like."

The soldiers didn’t lower their weapons.

Their commander stepped forward, staring at Amon with a hard expression.

"You’re coming with us."