Chapter 20: Opening the Door to Welcome Guests

“Is this the place?”

Staring at the tunnel before him, the serpent captain frowned and looked toward his patrolman. Sensing the captain’s gaze, the latter hurriedly nodded.

“Yes, Captain. According to our investigation, the target seems to have departed in this direction…”

“I understand.”

Having received his answer, the serpent captain said nothing more. He turned around and faced the rear.

“What do you think, Lady Elise?”

Standing in the center of the group was a girl who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a plain, jet-black robe, her long, silvery hair cascading smoothly down to her waist like a waterfall. At first glance, she seemed nothing more than a noble’s daughter, frail and delicate, with soft features and lips always slightly upturned, giving her an air of vulnerability.

But here, not a soul dared underestimate her. Whether brutish serpentfolk or the stealthy, assassin-trained tieflings, every eye upon her brimmed with respect and awe.

She was a nun of the Bloodstone Abbey in Black Onyx City, and the daughter of one of its three rulers—Elyat—her name, Elise Glint Eidan.

Elise’s lineage was legendary within Black Onyx City, remarkable for two reasons: first, she was born and raised within the city itself; second, she was the child of a half-vampire and a human. The latter point, especially, was a milestone miracle for the half-vampire clans.

Half-vampires—hybrids of humans and vampire kin—were not uncommon on the surface, where vampires often took humans as servants and “blood banks,” sometimes even for amusement. As a result, pregnancies occurred, and their offspring were known as half-vampires.

Half-vampires inherited the strengths of both parent races: the beauty, extraordinary physique, and longevity of vampires, and from their human blood, some resistance to sunlight and holy water. Though not immune, their tolerance far surpassed that of pure vampires.

Yet, half-vampires were not without flaws. Extended exposure to sunlight was still discomforting, and the latent violent tendencies of their vampire blood lingered within them, surfacing with the scent of blood and transforming them into beasts. For this, they were shunned by both humans and vampires, forced to hide in the deep, shadowy underworld.

Elyat’s own marriage mirrored the tribulations of his kind. Childhood sweethearts, he and his wife were forced from their village when his half-vampire heritage was discovered. Unexpectedly, his wife chose to leave with him. Together, they endured hardship and finally settled in the depths of the underworld.

Later, Elyat’s wife bore a daughter—Elise.

Elise’s birth sent shockwaves through the half-vampire community. Though there were rare cases of half-vampires marrying humans, most resulted in miscarriages or no pregnancy at all. For years, despair prevailed, but Elise’s birth rekindled hope.

As a fusion of human and half-vampire, Elise surpassed her predecessors. She possessed vampire beauty and strength, yet lacked the hidden bloodthirsty rage intrinsic to half-vampires. She also inherited human potential, and after little more than a decade of study, had become one of Black Onyx City’s few high-ranking mages. Astonishingly, Elyat discovered through experimentation that his daughter was completely immune to sunlight! She could walk beneath its rays like any ordinary person without fear.

She was, in every sense, perfect.

Thus, her reputation among the blood clans of Black Onyx City was second only to her father’s. Nearly every half-vampire saw her as the hope for their children’s future. If their offspring could live like ordinary humans, perhaps they would no longer be forced to lurk in these sunless, gloomy depths.

For this reason, Elyat’s request that his cherished daughter join this mission astonished his fellow rulers—she was considered his most precious treasure!

Some even called Elise the “Little Princess” of Black Onyx City.

Yet unlike pampered nobles, Elise was not only a high-ranking mage, but had also aided Black Onyx City in repelling attacks from other races multiple times. Her renown was earned, not inherited; for family alone could never secure her standing here.

Hearing the serpent captain’s inquiry, Elise rose. She frowned slightly, hesitated, and finally spoke.

“There were no more than ten of them.”

She glanced at the serpent captain before quietly adding,

“And there were no casualties.”

At this, the captain’s expression grew grave. Elise’s judgment as a high mage was never in doubt. Though her words seemed disconnected at first, he understood her meaning: a fully armed caravan had been annihilated by fewer than ten attackers, none of whom suffered injury. Even his own patrol could hardly achieve such a feat.

“I understand, Miss Elise. Then… about the mage…”

He frowned, lowering his voice. Elise had been sent to help ascertain the strength of the mage who attacked the caravan; after all, mages were formidable enemies, both above and below ground.

“Well…”

This time, Elise’s brow furrowed in difficulty. She hesitated before shaking her head.

“I can’t say for certain.”

“Not sure?”

“Yes.”

She lifted her hand, pointing to the scorched marks along the wall.

“From the traces, this mage is extremely proficient in elemental magic—legendary level, even. Look, Captain, the lightning bolt was fired directly ahead, catching the defenders off guard. But this was the most heavily guarded section of the caravan; sheer numbers alone should have held the line. Yet the bolt pierced the defenses and struck the tunnel wall. Caravans here value magic resistance highly; their guards typically wear enchanted armor. Normally, only a legendary mage could breach their defenses like this.”

“So, we’re up against a legendary mage?!”

At this, not only the serpent captain but the others exchanged uneasy glances. Legendary mages were respected everywhere, treated as honored guests. It seemed absurd that one would become a mere bandit.

Could this be a trap laid by some faction against Black Onyx City?

“But…”

“But?”

“This mage is very strange…”

Elise sighed in puzzlement. As a high mage, she could see the battle traces were clearly works of lightning and fire spells. But how could a legendary mage rely so heavily, almost exclusively, on just two spells? Lightning and fire—she’d seen them so often along the way she could recite them by heart.

Such behavior was typical of novice apprentices, not legendary mages.

Little did Elise know that Jain’s system only granted him two spells. It wasn’t that Jain didn’t want to use others; he simply had none available.

“Could it be some magical creature?”

The serpent captain suddenly suggested. Elise was uncertain. The underworld teemed with bizarre monsters, some breathing fire or shooting lightning from their eyes. Yet, there were no signs of beasts here, leaving her doubtful.

“In any case, let’s assess the situation further.”

She said no more. Aware of her unique status, she knew some respected her, others did not. With circumstances unclear, it would be unwise to insist a legendary mage was involved.

“Which direction did they go?”

“Reporting, Miss Elise, this way.”

“Let’s take a look.”

With that, Elise followed the serpent captain toward the other end of the tunnel. Upon reaching the corner at the passage’s end, her foot suddenly made a faint sound.

“Click.”

“Hm?”

Elise looked down. At some point, the uneven ground beneath her feet had become a stretch of stone slabs. Through the dust, faint patterns could be discerned.

“…!!”

In that instant, Elise felt a sudden chill—like stepping into the belly of a beast, everywhere she looked blood flowed, thick muscles and interwoven veins pulsed, warmth mingled with the scent of blood, leaving her momentarily stunned.

But as quickly as it came, the vision vanished. Once again, cold stone walls and shadowy corridors surrounded her, unchanged.

What was that just now…?

“Miss Elise?”

“I’m coming.”

Shaking her head at her colleague’s call, Elise hurried forward.

No one noticed that behind them, the heavy stone wall silently slid shut. In the blink of an eye, all was calm once more.