Chapter 404: Gold Rank Threat

Alexander ignored Vanessa’s screams as she was run through by the shadow spear and locked his eyes on the minotaur.

"Where were we?" said Alexander in a calm tone.

Big Black didn’t answer; panic shattered what composure he had left, and he bolted through the burning warehouses. Alexander trailed behind him, pacing himself. Realizing he couldn’t create separation, the minotaur spun on his heel, swinging a punch packed with the remnants of his strength.

Alexander tilted his head, dodging the strike. He raised his hand and drove five talons into the giant’s throat and chest. The claws of [Storm Steel Claws Lvl 1] sliced through the hide, making the minotaur howl in pain.

Big Black collapsed to his knees, staring at his bloodied torso in disbelief.

"Impossible..." stammered Big Black, spitting blood. "You... can’t... I am immortal!"

Alexander didn’t waste time listening. He palmed the giant’s skull with one hand and exerted force, crushing the bone until a shriek tore from the minotaur’s throat.

"Could you drop the gentleman?" asked a voice from the smoke. "I know he’s a piece of shit, but he’s our piece of shit and he’s protected under the Planetary Protection Treaty. Please don’t..."

Crack.

Big Black’s head burst under the pressure of Alexander’s claws. The minotaur’s body slumped onto the concrete like a sack of meat.

"Sorry, my hand slipped," said Alexander, wiping the blood from his arm.

From the dust emerged a soldier wearing tactical body armor. Though he appeared to be walking slowly, every stride bridged hundreds of meters, warping the space beneath his boots.

The soldier smirked upon seeing the minotaur’s corpse.

"We have a Vampire Emperor Invasion, Gold-Rank threat," said the soldier, tightening the straps on his forearm. "Do you feel strong enough to invade a planet all by yourself?"

"And what if I do?" asked Alexander, taking a step forward.

"Vampires and creatures from the other world are always stupid," sighed the man with contempt. "Incapable of thinking beyond their idiocy... Since you leave me no choice, I’ll handle you myself. My name is Jhonson. Remember it in your next life when you’re less of an idiot."

Jhonson vanished from Alexander’s sight.

"Impact."

Jhonson’s body rematerialized, driving his fist into Alexander’s abdomen. The shockwave detonated, slamming the vampire into the ground and carving out a crater meters wide.

"Come on, get up," said Jhonson, hovering over the edge of the pit. "That was barely a greeting. I want to see how long you can last."

Alexander climbed out of the rubble, brushing the dust off his shoulder. He cracked his neck as his dark eyes analyzed the newcomer.

"That was interesting," said Alexander in a raspy voice. "You hit harder than that idiot Big Black, and you’re faster, but it’s not enough."

Jhonson bounced on his toes and settled into a boxing stance.

"Let’s see how long you hold up," said Jhonson.

He threw a jab into thin air from meters away. The blow didn’t travel physically; instead, it hit Alexander in the face. Yet rather than flying backward, the kinetic energy detonated inside his skull, exploding the air around him while Alexander remained planted in the exact spot.

"Like it?" smirked Jhonson with satisfaction. "It’s called [Concentrated Impact]. I can strike from anywhere, and my impact will come from all directions, making you feel like you’re exploding from the inside. I don’t know how tough you are, but there’s no defense against me."

Alexander wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his lips.

"I felt that a little, but it’s not enough," said Alexander, keeping his eyes locked on the soldier. "You’re barely tickling me."

"Oh, I see," said Jhonson with a smirk. "Then let me test that."

Jhonson erupted into a flurry of strikes into thin air. His fists moved as a blur, yet the blows didn’t travel through space; they materialized inside the softest points of Alexander’s body.

BOOM!

An internal detonation ruptured his liver. Alexander flexed his legs and leaped sideways to dodge the next strike, but shifting his position was useless. Mid-air, his stomach exploded from the inside, killing his momentum and forcing him onto one knee against the asphalt.

BOOM!

Another impact detonated inside his neck. Alexander tried using his speed to break line of sight and gain distance, but the soldier’s skill relied on no physical path: the shockwave originated at the core of the vampire’s body, tearing through his organs and rattling his skeletal structure with every explosion.

Alexander spat a mouthful of blood onto the concrete, feeling the forces shredding his internal tissues before [Divine Regeneration Lvl 1] could seal the damage.

Jhonson paused his fists, dropping his guard as he stared down at the kneeling vampire.

"Punching bags aren’t usually as tough as you," said Jhonson, letting out a chuckle. "But at the end of the day, they’re still just that: punching bags that take hits."

Despite the internal explosions tearing his body apart, the glow of regeneration healed the damaged tissues, and Alexander pushed himself back to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. He stared at Jhonson with pitch-black, expressionless eyes.

"You have a strange skill," said Alexander in an icy tone.

Without warning, Alexander unleashed [Storm Steel Claws Lvl 1], lunging forward with his talons shrouded in electricity and darkness. Yet before the strike could connect, Jhonson vanished from his line of sight.

Whoosh!

Alexander cleaved through thin air. Jhonson materialized ten meters to the side, hands in his pockets with a smirk.

"Too slow, bloodsucker," mocked the soldier.

Alexander didn’t halt. He spun on his heel and unleashed a barrage of claw slashes, moving at speed that would have shredded any opponent. Yet the outcome remained unchanged: with every strike Alexander threw, Jhonson appeared and disappeared, flickering from one spot to another with ease, dodging every blow without physical exertion.

"You’re good, I’ll give you that," said Jhonson, reappearing atop the hood of a crushed car. He glanced at his tactical watch with concern. "But my boss will be here shortly, and I don’t want to explain why you’re standing. So if you’ll excuse me..."

Jhonson dropped to the ground and set his stance. He pulled his right arm back, channeling energy not into his fist, but directly into the spatial coordinates Alexander occupied.

"[Massive Impact]."

Jhonson threw a overhand straight into the open air.

BOOM!

The detonation was deafening. It wasn’t a physical blow; it was a burst of force born inside the core of Alexander’s body. The shockwave blew his entire torso apart.

Alexander collapsed backward onto the shattered asphalt. His chest and abdomen were obliterated, leaving a crater where his ribs used to be. His organs spilled across the smoking concrete.