Chapter 40: Diverting the Misfortune

Under the cover of night, on the outskirts of the Old City apartments, Mo Yu stepped out of the building. He had six hours to complete his operation.

The entire city remained without power. Coupled with the overcast sky, the urban landscape was plunged into darkness, illuminated only in select areas by the警戒线 (warning perimeters) set up by the Public Security Squad. The vampires had destroyed the power grid, and it would require reconstruction before electricity could be restored.

The streets were empty and silent; not a living soul was in sight. Ordinary citizens, having received warnings about terrorist attacks, were all hiding in their homes, afraid to venture out. At this hour, the only ones active on the streets were demon hunters and members of the Public Security Squad.

Mo Yu stood at the street corner and took a deep breath. His body began to split, releasing over a dozen clones in rapid succession. They charged into the darkness, scattering in different directions to move deeper into the city.

...

In a high-end apartment complex within the city, a heavily armed Public Security Squad moved silently, weaving through the building and knocking on doors to evacuate civilians. Finally, a dozen of them arrived before a single door. They communicated with hand signals, and just as they prepared to breach the room, the door exploded from within. The security door was blown off its hinges, and the two men at the front were knocked over by the shockwave. A vampire lunged out of the room and soared into mid-air.

"Open fire!"

The squad raised their weapons. A dozen tongues of flame intertwined, but the vampire maneuvered at high speed, dodging every bullet. Instead of fleeing, it turned in the air and dived back toward them.

"Die!"

Amidst the vampire’s wild laughter, it flung a spray of dark red blood. Wherever the blood touched, it detonated violently, engulfing the entire corridor in a crimson explosion. It hovered in the air, anticipating the success of its masterpiece.

When the smoke cleared, a layer of transparent ice crystals encased the hallway, shielding everyone. A man stood in front of the officers.

The officers shouted in excitement, "Officer Mu!"

"Fall back and handle the others," the man instructed. With a wave of his hand, the ice crystals shattered, raining down upon the vampire like needles and piercing countless holes in its body. These wounds, however, were not fatal; the vampire’s flesh healed rapidly.

"Damn Awakened!" the vampire cursed. It flapped its wings and shot into the sky, fleeing into the distance, not daring to confront the man.

The man leaped into the air, water vapor condensing beneath his feet to form a thin rail. He glided rapidly along this track, pursuing the fleeing vampire. The two engaged in a chase between the skyscrapers. After a brief, intense battle, the vampire was finally pierced through the abdomen by an ice spear and fell from the sky, crashing heavily onto a rooftop. The man descended behind it.

Dozens of ice spears condensed in the air, their tips aimed at the wounded vampire. Just as he was about to execute it, an iron rod whistled through the air toward his face, moving so fast it broke the sound barrier.

*Clang!*

The man condensed an ice shield to parry the strike. By the time he looked back to execute the vampire, it was too late. Seizing the opportunity, the vampire launched a counterattack, spewing a mass of blood that triggered a violent explosion. When the smoke cleared, the vampire had already escaped.

The man attempted to pursue, but more iron rods flew at him. Frustrated, he searched for the attacker, finding a figure standing on a distant rooftop. He immediately charged forward to attack, but the assailant vanished into thin air. The man stood there, fuming.

Similar scenes played out across various locations in Black City. Just as a vampire was about to be executed, someone would suddenly appear to cover its retreat. As the incidents increased, intelligence about this individual began to coalesce into a clearer picture: a human male, around 20 years old, handsome, suspected of possessing an "avatar" or "clone" ability, and deeply connected to two major vampire families. He had successfully rescued at least eight 3-star vampires and numerous 2-star ones.

The news spread like wildfire. While the public was outraged and denounced the human traitor, certain elements within the "Rift Moon" were excited and began taking covert action.

With so many vampires escaping, it became difficult to cover their tracks. Demon hunters skilled in tracking began their work, and all clues eventually converged on a wealthy estate in the suburbs of Black City.

...

A vampire clutched its abdomen, stumbling forward. Its regenerative abilities had been severely hampered by the special silver powder used by the demon hunters. It desperately needed a safe place to rest. Its gaze fell upon the human in front of it. It did not understand why this person had saved it, but it had survived.

The human stopped and pointed toward the estate ahead. They were now on the outskirts of the city, and the mansion before them was vast, standing silently in the darkness.

"We're here. This is my secret base; it's very safe. Go on in."

"Why did you save me?"

"I’m just working for that master."

The human left. After a moment of hesitation, the vampire climbed over the wall and entered the estate. It was deathly silent inside. As it ventured deeper, mist began to fill the air, and red dots emerged from the fog, rapidly closing in on it...

...

In another part of the estate, Mo Yu was approaching with another vampire. The vampire paused, pricking up its ears as faint screams drifted from the direction of the estate. It said vigilantly, "It sounds like someone is screaming."

Mo Yu replied, "I don't hear anything. Are you so terrified that you're hallucinating?"

"Who... who is terrified!?" The vampire tried to maintain its dignity before entering the estate. Less than two minutes later, faint wails echoed from within.

"The fourteenth," Mo Yu noted to himself.

Whether they were elite-level or knight-level vampires, once they were tricked inside, they lost all contact. He had saved many vampires, but he didn't send them all in. If a knight-level vampire was severely injured, he provided "thoughtful" service—with his spiritual artifact dagger.

Feeling that the count was sufficient, Mo Yu stopped his operations and stood guard at the estate, checking the time periodically. After waiting about an hour, several vehicles drove toward him.

They were here.

He immediately backtracked five minutes, positioned himself at the gate of the estate, timed his approach, and intercepted the convoy head-on. The off-road vehicles screeched to a halt, their bright headlights illuminating a large area. The doors opened, and demon hunters poured out.

Someone shouted, "That’s him! Get him! Capture him!"

Hearing this, Mo Yu turned and ran toward the estate. Behind him came the sounds of projectiles cutting through the air and the roar of gunfire. There were bullets and thrown weapons. Whenever he was hit, he would release a clone. In the eyes of the demon hunters, the fleeing human traitor kept spawning duplicates that would be struck and tumble in different postures before vanishing into thin air.

In full view of everyone, he leaped into the estate and vanished in an instant. The pursuing demon hunters rushed into the estate without hesitation. But the moment they kicked open the gate and crossed the threshold, they also disappeared into thin air. This eerie scene caused those behind to halt.

"Stop! Everyone stop! This estate has a barrier!"

An experienced veteran stopped the others from entering and attempted to contact those who had gone inside using communication devices, but there was no response. The demon hunters tried various methods—deploying drones, sending in pets—but anything that crossed the barrier immediately lost contact. When the team leader wanted to report the situation upward, he was stopped by his companion. After an argument, the matter was reported exclusively to the "Ripper."