Free Web NovelChapter 855: Chapter 856: Abandonment
Both Van Helsing and Ethan felt uncomfortable in this room.
A massive bathtub, large enough to resemble a swimming pool, wasn’t filled with clear water, but with a thick smell of blood that made it obvious what was inside.
Looking up slightly, they saw the source of the blood—countless young girls hung naked above the pool, with special tools inserted into their bodies, allowing their blood to slowly and continuously flow into the pool.
Countess Selene lay immersed in the crimson blood, her eyes half-closed in utter enjoyment. In her hand, she held a specially made goblet, which she simply raised to catch the crimson liquid dripping from above.
"..."
Van Helsing asked Ethan in as calm a tone as he could manage, "So, what do you think? Is she still the Selene you know?" But anyone could hear the fury suppressed in his voice.
"Obviously, this is not the one from my home."
"From your home?"
Van Helsing wanted to ask more, but now was not the time.
"Let’s talk later."
He pulled out a chakram from inside his heavy coat and threw it directly, aiming for the nearest girl.
He knew that even if they were rescued, these girls would likely not survive without immediate medical care, but he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
However, the chakram didn’t achieve its intended result. The device restraining the girl wasn’t particularly strong, but as the chakram approached, the crimson liquid on the girl’s body seemed to come alive, deflecting it to the side.
"Looks like... this isn’t just an ordinary person who’s fallen into darkness."
As a seasoned vampire hunter, Van Helsing had encountered all kinds of dark creatures. Some were ordinary people who craved power, whose minds had fallen. Such individuals would commit terrifying, incomprehensible acts, but they were still human. Disgusting as they were, they were easy to deal with.
But there were others who, after falling, had gained terrifying power. The Countess before him was clearly one of those.
Selene held her goblet and rose from the blood, revealing her flawless curves without a hint of reservation. She made no effort to conceal herself, even caressing her own body with an intoxicated expression.
"As a guest, you shouldn’t behave this way."
As she spoke, her body slowly floated upward until she stood barefoot on the surface of the blood. The crimson liquid clinging to her skin gradually shifted, transforming into a skin-tight blood-red gown.
"So you expect us to welcome you warmly and sit down for a fine dinner?" frёewebnoѵēl.com
Selene didn’t seem offended by Ethan’s sarcasm at all. Instead, she gazed at him with interest, as if he were a delicacy. That gaze made Ethan increasingly certain—this wasn’t the Selene from his home. Although they looked nearly identical, the difference in temperament was too drastic. Even a stranger would not mistake the two.
Ethan stared at her for a moment longer. When he came to, he found himself surrounded by a sea of crimson. The blood had transformed into chains, attempting to bind him.
He drew his longsword. Though now just an ordinary person, Ethan’s physical condition was still strong. His reaction speed was quick, and years of training had honed his combat instincts. After a few exchanges, he judged that these chains weren’t especially strong. He could deal with them.
Selene’s magic was bizarre but not particularly lethal. Given that Van Helsing’s fame was built on combat prowess as a regular human, aided by various equipment, it seemed dark creatures in this world weren’t as terrifying as expected.
As long as he overcame the fear, Ethan’s current strength was enough to hold his ground.
He swung his sword to both sides, deflecting the blood-red chains as they came. He also discovered something: the sword in his hand seemed to have a slight purifying or dispelling effect. Perhaps it was a piece of Church-issued equipment Van Helsing had obtained?
Van Helsing glanced over, confirmed Ethan was holding up fine, then immediately pulled out his special crossbow and launched a volley at Selene in the distance.
The arrowheads were specially designed to combat dark creatures. Now that Selene had completely fallen and gained dark powers, she was naturally within that category.
She was cautious of the bolts Van Helsing fired. Raising her hand, she summoned a wave of blood for defense and shifted her position. The bolts pierced through the wave, still aiming toward her, but their speed was significantly reduced, allowing her to dodge with ease.
What followed was an awkward battle. Although Selene’s magic was strange, once they figured out its patterns, both Ethan and Van Helsing could handle it. After a long fight, they had only suffered minor flesh wounds.
However, their attacks had little effect on Selene. Van Helsing had brought many "blessed" weapons specifically to fight dark creatures, but they were useless if they didn’t hit.
As time dragged on, Van Helsing realized the tide was turning against them.
Selene, immersed in the blood pool, seemed to have endless energy. Despite the lengthy battle, she remained relaxed. In fact, the longer the fight went on, the more she seemed to enjoy the game.
"She’s toying with us."
Like some beasts that didn’t kill their prey immediately but instead tormented them, Van Helsing and Ethan were now her prey.
"I can tell."
Ethan had seen many kinds of situations. He already understood Selene’s strategy—she intended to use her ’infinite’ energy to wear them down before doing whatever she pleased.
Tsk. To think he used to do whatever he wanted with Selene... Looks like retribution came quickly.
Though she wasn’t trying to kill him immediately, Ethan’s mind was distracted. He kept thinking about what this so-called "mission" actually was.
After repeatedly analyzing it, the most likely goal was to make him "regain" his strength. Even a small portion of his former power would be enough to eliminate this Selene with a flick of his hand.
But after many attempts, he kept hitting a strange barrier. It was as if his own body had become a seal, suppressing his power. He could faintly sense its presence but just couldn’t access it.
It was maddening, like the urge to sneeze stuck at the edge of release.
"What are you thinking about?"
Because he had become distracted and a little frustrated, Ethan’s movements slowed slightly. As a result, he was grazed by a blood blade, leaving a wound on his neck that bled profusely.
"Oh dear, what a waste."
Selene licked her crimson lips, baring sharp fangs as her eyes glowed scarlet. Even her hair shimmered with a faint bloody hue. The woman before him was growing more and more distant from the Selene he once knew.
Recalling the blood blade, Selene licked the blood off it lightly. Though the blade was formed from condensed blood, Ethan’s blood didn’t mix with it.
"Hmm... Just as I thought. Blood full of youthful vitality. If I drink your blood and bathe in it, I’ll become even more beautiful."
"..."
Staring at the crazed Selene, Ethan felt the blood flowing from his neck and suddenly had a strange thought.
"Could this trial... be telling me to abandon my ’mortal body’?"
He wasn’t just randomly speculating. After being wounded and continuously bleeding, he found it was easier to sense the power within his body.
The change was extremely subtle. If he hadn’t been focusing closely, and if his ability to notice minute changes wasn’t as sharp as it was, he wouldn’t have realized it so quickly.
"But if I abandon my mortal body, won’t I die?"
He looked at Selene in the distance. The blood swirling around her had turned into long whips, covered in blades and barbs, and they were already locked onto him.
"No. If my power is still there, just sealed deep inside, then I must still be immortal!"
With that realization, Ethan finally understood the nature of this so-called trial.
Death on the surface isn’t real death. What matters is the divine core, the essence of condensed divine power. It’s time to discard the useless mortal shell that holds him back.
"Hope I’m not wrong."
As the blood-colored whips surged toward him, Ethan released the hand covering his wound and let the longsword fall to the ground. To the shock of both Van Helsing and Selene, he was pierced and shredded by the countless whips.
Almost at the same moment Ethan was torn apart, a pillar of light descended from thin air, enveloping the spot where he had stood. Soon, a translucent figure appeared within the light.
"Just as I thought."
The phantom, gradually taking shape, was clearly Ethan. He suddenly threw a somewhat insubstantial dagger. The phantom-like weapon passed through the obstructing blood wall and plunged straight into Selene’s heart.
"Even if I can’t use much power, it’s enough to deal with someone like you."
As divine flames erupted from the dagger and Selene turned to ash, Ethan casually waved to the stunned Van Helsing.
He said nothing more. He already knew which world came next, and they wouldn’t meet again.
"Unless you awaken a Zanpakuto..."
(To be continued.)
