Vlad’s inhuman instincts warned him of the incoming danger. In that split second, with death rushing toward him in the form of an open jaw lined with razor-sharp teeth, ti seed to stretch.
His body tensed. His mind honed through years of battle experience took over, instantly picking the best available option.
Still bound and hanging upside down, Vlad pushed his body backward as he took out an explosive potion vial from his inventory, a small crimson vial appearing in his bound hands.
He crushed the vial without a second thought, and with inches separating him from the creature’s razor-sharp teeth from digging into his neck, an explosion went off.
The blast shot Vlad forward, and with his chin tucked, he crashed headfirst into the charging beast with a sickening crack, the sound of crushed bone lost beneath the echo of the impact.
The creature’s neck snapped back violently. Its balance shattered mid-flight, and while his massive wings flared in reflex, trying to stabilize, the montum was too much.
It flipped midair, twisting as it shifted off-course, a streak of bone-white vanishing past Vlad in a blur of rage and wind.
"MASTERRRR?" Vel roared in panic as the explosion flung her away.
{System Notice: Due to the player engaging in battle against a creature two ranks higher, The Lone Calamity effect ’Solo Scaling’ has activated. All stats increased by 14%.}
"Grrrrrrr," Vlad gritted his teeth, not from the pain of the destroyed flesh and bones but because he knew this encounter was not what he had been expecting.
He took out a Greater grade healing potion and crushed it before he swiftly equipped his gauntlets, making more than half of the potion stay on his broken hands.
"BOOOMMM"
The creature, failing to regain his balance, crashed into the ground seconds later, and knowing ti was not on his side, Vlad used all his strength to swiftly break free from the already crumbling chain.
Vlad pulled himself upward with a sharp breath. A second explosive vial appeared in his hand, and without hesitation, he hurled it at the chain above him.
The glass vial shattered on impact. The volatile liquid hissed as it t the open air and ignited instantly, swallowing the chain in a sudden fire bloom.
A heartbeat later, another explosion rang through the cavern, and as it did, Vlad’s hands were already closing around the chain, ready to pull it apart.
"VVVRRRAAAARRRRR"
Vlad heard the roar, followed by the piercing noise of wings cutting through the air. Alarm bells rang in his mind, but he kept pulling, shattering the chain, and freeing himself.
As he fell, Vlad twisted midair, swinging the heavy chain like a whip.
The creature shot toward him like an arrow, swinging his left hand to push the chain aside, and for a brief mont, Vlad’s ash-gray eyes locked with the beast’s burning crimson ones.
The creature stood over two and a half ters tall, humanoid in shape but monstrous in every other regard. Its skin was bone-white from head to toe, stretched taut over ripped muscles, and thick green veins pulsed beneath its surface.
Its face resembled that of a beast, with sunken eyes burning with crimson irises, wide bat-like ears jutting from its skull, and a jaw lined with jagged, predatory teeth.
From its back extended two massive, skeletal wings, shaped like those of a bat and lined with spiny ridges.
The creature growled and lashed out, swinging his claw, missing Vlad’s face by a hair’s breadth, catching him across the chest and sending him reeling down.
’It’s him,’ Vlad confird its identity, the status window of the creature floating before his eyes.
(Rare)
Na: Cazimir
Title: (Mix Blood)(Abomination)
Rank: Third Rank
Level: 241
Health: 172k
Mana: 28k
Skills: {Vein piercer}{Blood Pact}{Red Harvest}{Blood Mirror}{Shade Veil}{Lurker’s Grace}{Hypnotic Gaze}
Description: Cazimir, a half-vampire, half-gargoyle, is the notorious leader of Cazimir’s Brood. He currently carries a bounty of ten thousand gold, which is placed by the city of Skyreach.
Vlad rembered Cazimir because he was a special wandering world boss monster with a skill called the ’Blood Parasite’ that allowed him to control others.
In his past life, Cazimir had beco quite the sensation, and many wished to bring him down, not only for the system reward but also for the hefty reward from the city.
The Silver Knights, a top twenty-ranked guild, was lucky enough to take it down, and the battle had been brutal.
But the Cazimir from his past life and the one before him were two completely different creatures. The forr was a Unique grade World Boss, a Fourth Rank Ascendant capable of going against hundreds of players, and the latter was a common criminal.
"BOOOOMMMM"
Vlad crashed into the stone floor, the impact sending a shockwave of pain through every nerve in his body.
Bones cracked, so shattered, and a rush of blood filled his mouth, tallic and thick. He coughed the blood out, consciously ignoring the pain as he tried to find answers.
’But, the question is, why is he here and infected by the verdant blight?’ Vlad questioned, as mories related to Cazimir ca to his mind.
mories of seeing Cazimir, The puppeteer Raid, surfaced in Vlad’s mind, and just as he expected, there had been no signs of the Verdant Blight afflicting Cazimir back then.
He didn’t have sickly pale skin or pulsing green veins, and most importantly, he had been completely sane.
Cunning to an extre, fiercely intelligent, and unnervingly strong, Cazimir was no run-of-the-mill criminal.
But Vlad also realized that the skill ’Blood Parasite’ shared a striking similarity with the Verdant Blight, as both granted the ability to control others.
While one was far superior and more dangerous, their similarities were still present, even if only to a limited extent.
He also considered that he might be in the Deceiver’s lab but quickly dismissed that thought because the Deceiver was too cautious to let loose a liability who could beco the reason for his downfall.
Vlad looked up and shouted, "Hey, Calm down, I can help," But Cazimir didn’t even flinch.
He dropped like a thunderbolt, ignoring the plea, his massive fra shifting midair to land on Vlad with the clear intent to crush him where he lay.
Vlad rolled aside at the last second, the stone floor cracking where he had lain. He spun on his hand to recover back to his feet and, without a mont’s delay, tried to reason with the vampire once more.
"I can heal you," Vlad shouted, voice sharp and steady. "I know about the Elixir..." But his words were cut short.
Cazimir turned with uncanny speed and drove a heavy boot into Vlad’s chest. The world turned a blur, as Vlad flew backward like a broken doll, slamd into a jagged chunk of listone.
The attack had left Vlad with broken ribs, blood filling his mouth, and two-thirds of his health gone, and that was when he had used ghost weave to divert most of the impact force.
’He is affected by the plague, there is no doubt,’ Vlad thought, dragging himself upright.
’So either sothing with him would change to make him the Puppeteer from my past life, or this very tiline had changed, and he would stay just a petty criminal,’ Vlad reasoned, his eyes staying calm even in the face of death.
The system notification reminded him of boosts gained from his titles, but he had no chance of winning in a frontal battle because where his best stat was around 60, Cazimir’s worst stat would be over a thousand.
But that didn’t an he was willing to accept his death, not when this mine might hold secrets about the Deceiver.
’I would like to keep him alive to answer my questions,’ Vlad said, raising a pale white whistle to his lips, ’But, If it’s between him and , then he is going to die,’
Cazimir stood in the distance, his eyes still ablaze with rage. But instead of charging forward to end Vlad’s life, he remained still.
The air around his right hand shimred briefly, then stilled, leaving behind a vial filled with a murky green liquid, thick and sluggish, like stagnant swamp water.
He slowly began to walk toward Vlad, and while a bit taken aback by his actions, Vlad did not think about reasoning again and quickly used the whistle.
"SHAAAAEEFFF"
"MASTERRRRRRR"
Just then, a shrill scream rang aloud, side by side with a sharp whistle, high and shrill like a blade slicing through the fog.
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