Chapter 414: The Resistance Army of Brasov City

’Even a Blood Prince, a third-generation member of the Blood Race, is just a corpse.’

’Mass-produced cannon fodder, a higher-grade version at best.’

’Third-generation members of the Blood Race aren’t worth much.’

’The Son of the Dragon must be a special case. He can’t be classified as third-generation; he’s equivalent to the second generation.’

’To uncover the secrets of the Blood Race, I either need to get my hands on a Blood Race Sacred Artifact or find a second-generation member.’

’So... the Blood Bath Queen?’ Qi Suian mused.

As for Oliver, Qi Suian had already tossed him into the Melting Furnace to be used as fuel.

The Blood Race was certainly durable. The last Female Governor General hadn’t even finished burning when he tossed in another piece of fuel.

However, he also noticed a diminishing return on Blood Race fuel. It was no longer possible to complete a full evolution with a single member.

The Female Governor General could only provide Qi Suian with, at most, fifty percent of his evolution progress.

If the pattern held, the progress gained from each member of the Blood Race would be halved.

The first time yielded a full evolution, the second gave fifty percent, and now Oliver could, at most, provide twenty-five percent.

Thus, the value of the Blood Race was starting to decline.

’My initial suspicion is that, just like with the Sacred Artifacts, I’ve triggered some kind of worldly defense mechanism.’

’Their inherent value hasn’t changed, but it’s being restricted.’

The Blood Race may be weak, but the abilities they’ve mastered are not.

This wasn’t like the Ghost World, where the world’s will had flung the gates wide open for him.

And yet, Qi Suian hadn’t dared to push his luck there. That will had its own consciousness, its own emotions. He was lucky to have gotten out of there alive.

’From Oliver’s description, the Blood Bath Queen’s combat prowess is still formidable.’

’She once summoned a sea of blood-red water, and it’s suspected she possesses some of her mother’s, the Red Sea Witch’s, power.’

’She’s rarely fought in recent years, focusing instead on developing the Transylvania Kingdom, but her combat strength likely hasn’t diminished.’

’An intercontinental missile could certainly deal more damage than her, but I only have one, and she can surely use her power more than once.’

The Blood Race didn’t have mana bars. As long as you could cast fast enough, running out of resources wasn’t a concern.

Their energy was most likely drawn from a Sacred Artifact.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t strong enough. Otherwise, he could have just followed the trail straight to the source.

He didn’t even understand how the Blood Race’s dark power worked, let alone how to trace it to its origin.

If you can’t see it and can’t understand it, there’s nothing to be done.

’Actually, I have a suspicion that the Sacred Artifacts might be related to the World Core required by the apocalypse game.’

’Against the Blood Bath Queen, I might manage a draw if I’m lucky, but killing her would be difficult.’

’I need to figure out how to get my hands on the Sacred Artifact she possesses first.’

’I need someone to draw attention away for me,’ Qi Suian thought, his mind turning to the group from the tavern last night who had tried to kill Oliver.

From his interrogation of Oliver, he had learned they were people within the Transylvania Kingdom who knew the truth.

They called themselves the Resistance. The name was a bit cliché, but their actions lived up to it.

After undergoing arduous Demon Hunter training provided by the Church, they began killing the Blood Race in the Transylvania Kingdom, operating in scattered cells.

However, they held no faith; they fought only for their homeland.

Therefore, they couldn’t acquire Divine Techniques, which put them in an awkward position: they had no support.

Without Divine Techniques, they lacked the primary power to fight the Blood Race and had to rely on external tools.

Furthermore, items like mithril daggers and Holy Water had to be obtained from the Church. Otherwise, relying on pure silver weapons alone was not enough to kill a high-ranking member of the Blood Race with a single blow.

Their operation at the tavern involved immense sacrifices, and because of that, the plan had proceeded with exceptional smoothness. Unfortunately for them, they ran into Qi Suian.

Still, the end result was achieved. All that mattered was that Oliver was dead.

Although he died at Qi Suian’s hands, his death still plunged the entirety of Brasov City into chaos.

Meanwhile, the Blood Bath Queen learned of the matter immediately and was now rushing toward Brasov City with a large army.

Brasov’s location was nothing special, but its productivity was far too important.

She needed to quell the chaos as quickly as possible. Allowing it to spread would disrupt the entire supply chain.

Not to mention, Oliver had been her trusted confidant, one of the notable powerhouses even among the Thirteen Clans. Yet he had been captured in public.

And by a human, no less. This was not a matter she could simply dismiss.

As for the saying that a wise person avoids unnecessary risks? If even the Blood Bath Queen was in danger, then Brasov City was already beyond saving.

As long as her parents and her brother, Dracula, didn’t intervene, only her nominal nephew, Vlad III Cepes, Son of the Dragon, could pose a threat to her.

But even that was just a threat. In a real fight, the Son of the Dragon was just an amateur.

Otherwise, how could she be so unshakable? It was precisely because her position was backed by immense power.

The Secret Faction did create an awkward situation, however. Normally, she could have simply turned into a bat or mist and rushed from the capital to Brasov City with ease. But in order to maintain her human facade, and needing to lead an army, she was forced to travel at a normal marching pace.

Fortunately, at her speed, the Blood Bath Queen could still arrive during the night and return before the next day’s dawn.

If her avatars weren’t composed of dark energy, unable to withstand the sun, she would have certainly left one behind and come in person.

’Based on her travel speed, the Blood Bath Queen should be able to issue commands in Brasov City tonight.’

’She won’t be able to show herself, but controlling the situation through the other members of the Blood Race in Brasov City shouldn’t be a problem.’

’Then why is she bringing an army?’ Qi Suian suddenly wondered. ’Why go through all this trouble for something she could solve on her own?’

All she needed to do was stabilize the situation and send another capable Blood Race member to act as Governor. The rest wouldn’t be an issue.

’She doesn’t have some ability to predict the future, does she?’ Qi Suian’s eyes narrowed. ’If not that, then she’s plotting something.’

’She can’t be coming to deal with the so-called Resistance, can she? The name has lofty implications, but frankly, they’re just a pack of sewer rats.’

’They’re hardly worth such a massive response.’ Qi Suian was genuinely puzzled as he reviewed the intel in his hand.

Unfortunately, with the distance being so great, he couldn’t confirm the situation and had to set the matter aside for now.

’First, I’ll find the Resistance. I’m sure they’ll be willing to cooperate with me.’

’If they’re not willing, it doesn’t matter. Their very existence makes them a conspicuous target.’ Qi Suian was no saint. If they cooperated, he would devise a plan for them.

If they refused, Qi Suian wouldn’t press the issue. He would simply use them as bait.

He couldn’t be bothered to come up with the plan himself, but with the AI in his possession, he had nothing to worry about.

-----------------

"The Governor of Brasov City in the Transylvania Kingdom was captured?" Alex, the Daywalker, asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. "By a human?"

He stressed the word ’human’.

"Yes. The news came from the Resistance."

"Diluted Holy Water had no effect on him, and he displays no characteristics of the Blood Race," the Archbishop at his side said.

Although the Resistance was no match for the Church, since they both fought the Blood Race, the Church was willing to support them at any cost.

Thus, the lines of communication between them had never been severed.

"There was no trace of Divine Techniques, either. We’re baffled as to how he managed it."

"After he disappeared, the Secret Faction has been tracking him, but they have no leads."

"But there is some good news. This individual’s appearance has sown confusion for the Son of the Dragon," the Archbishop continued.

The Daywalker knew exactly what the Archbishop meant by "confusion." It meant they now suspected he wasn’t the Cursed Child, that the person in Brasov City might be the one.

The Daywalker was puzzled by this himself. He was, in fact, half-human and half-Blood Race. He could use both Divine Techniques and dark power. He even possessed the eternal life of the Blood Race without their weaknesses, such as the fear of silver.

Theoretically, he was the most perfect life form.

"Forget about Brasov City for now. The Son of the Dragon arrived at the front lines with his Dark Legion last night."

"He still hasn’t made a move, which means he’s certainly plotting something bigger. We must be as prepared as possible."

The Daywalker was no match for the Son of the Dragon. His opponent wielded the Slaughter Knife, one of the Blood Race Sacred Artifacts.

With the gap in both personal power and weaponry, he was naturally outmatched.

"Rest assured, Your Holiness. The Execution Axe, another Blood Race Sacred Artifact, is on its way."

"As long as you wield it, Sect Leader, you will surely be able to hold him back." The Archbishop knew the Daywalker’s true identity, of course, but he harbored no dissent just because the Daywalker was half-Blood Race.

Their goal was the continuation of human civilization. If using the power of the Blood Race could achieve that, then so be it.

If the Church were some corrupt and rigid organization, it would have been destroyed long ago.

If they had been inflexible in the face of a powerful enemy, they wouldn’t have even needed the Blood Race to act—the nobles of the various kingdoms would have torn the Church apart themselves.

It was precisely because they were flexible, constantly adapting their structure and expanding their influence and power, that they had built the foundation they had today.

"How much longer?" The Daywalker desperately needed the Execution Axe, a Blood Race Sacred Artifact, to close the gap between himself and the Son of the Dragon.

"It will arrive tonight."

"And there’s more good news. A Priest named Roy has found the Soul Ring, another one of the Blood Race Sacred Artifacts."

"It’s being brought here now, but the journey is perilous."

"He’s currently in the Grand Kingdom, where the Church’s main forces have yet to suppress the rebellion." The Archbishop delivered this mixed news to the Daywalker.

The Daywalker’s eyes narrowed at this. If he had two Blood Race Sacred Artifacts, he stood a very good chance of evening the odds against the Son of the Dragon.

Even if he couldn’t win, he could at least lock his opponent in a protracted stalemate.

Then, the Ascetics in the rear would have enough time to deal with the various kingdoms, resolve their internal problems, and secure sufficient supplies and manpower.

Forcing the Son of the Dragon to retreat through a war of attrition would not be a major issue.

"Send men to escort this Pastor Roy. The Soul Ring must be brought here," the Daywalker commanded.

At this point, the Daywalker could only do his best. The Soul Ring’s appearance was just too inopportune. Of all the places for it to turn up, it had to be in the openly rebellious Grand Kingdom.

That certainly made things much more difficult.