"So, this was their n all along... To create a witch-vampire hybrid to tip the scales between the vampires and witches," I mutter, my eyes narrowing as I nce at Ze, who nervously nods in confirmation.


    "You knew all this and still went through with it. Honestly, I don''t even know how to feel. But I can''t entirely me you—my own grandfather once used me and my sister as bargaining chips. My sister''s stuck back on Earth because of his scheming. I scolded him for it, and now it seems someone else could use a bit of scolding and a reality check," I say, my gaze shifting to Xander, who''s busy ying with my face, blissfully unaware of the tension.


    "Jake, don''t do it… She''s too powerful," Ze whispers, her worry evident.


    "And so am I," I reply confidently. "Besides, she asked me to prove myself worthy."


    The next moment, my blood armor materializes, encasing me from head to toe.


    "Jake…" Ze calls out again as I hand Xander over to her. The little one resists, her cries starting the moment she leaves my arms.


    "Sorry, Xander. Daddy needs to fix some things and teach an old geezer a lesson," I say with a soft smile, gently tugging her cheek before turning back to Ze.


    "How do I get back to your mother?"


    Ze hesitates. "I-It feels strange calling her my mother. Even though she gave birth to me, I''ve never addressed her as one. We just call her Ophelia. To reach her pce, you can use that orb over there," she exins, pointing to arge green crystal radiating powerful energy.


    "That''s one of the problems right there," I say, shaking my head. "She does care about you, Ze, but she''s terrible at being a good and logical mother. I''ll have to show her what it truly means to be one."


    Approaching the orb, I ce my hand on its surface. As expected, the witches have enchanted it to work as a short-distance teleporter. Energy surges around me, and in an instant, I reappear in the massive hall where I left Duke and Ophelia.


    "You''re back. And… what''s this you''re wearing?" Ophelia asks with a chuckle, her gaze settling on my blood armor.


    "Listen, I''m done with games. I''m done being a pawn. I want Ze and my child to live freely, to do whatever they wish without being shackled or restricted. Even livestock deserves more freedom than this," I say, my re sharp and unwavering.


    Ophelia, however, seems unfazed by my outburst.


    "Look, Jake—"


    "Stay out of this, old man," I snap, cutting Duke off mid-sentence. His face pales, and he swallows nervously, wisely choosing silence.


    "You''re really challenging me, kid?" Ophelia says, shaking her head. "Even if you are the reincarnation of the Protoss, you''re nowhere near full power. Fighting me is like courting death."


    Her arrogance only makes me smile.


    "Wouldn''t it be a shame if I sliced your asteroid home in two?" I reply slyly. "It''d leave all your witches homeless."


    Her smirk falters, her expression hardening as the weight of my words sinks in.


    "If that''s what you want… so be it!" she bellows, mming her hand onto the armrest of her chair.


    Before I can react, the room around me shifts, and I''m teleported once again.


    "Tch. This teleporting nonsense is getting old. I need to find a way to counter this," I mutter, scanning my new surroundings and preparing for what''s toe.


    The darkness around me is absolute, no moons to illuminate the sky, just an endless void. From the faint hum of space energy in the air, I can tell I''ve been transported to some kind of wastnd in a pocket dimension. Despite the darkness, my heightened senses make everything as clear as day. I consider summoning my Blood Spirit but decide against it for now.


    The truth is, I''m not at my full potential. My current evolution as a Vampire Lord limits me to just sixty percent of my power. But even at this stage, I''m no pushover.


    Suddenly, Ophelia materializes before me, her figure cloaked in a massive shroud of ck miasma that swirls ominously around her, leaving only her face exposed.


    [Mission: Defeat Ophelia and Make Her Apologize.]


    [Reward: Celestial Aura.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Use: Celestial Aura can be used along with celestial points to mimic a god. Even an average god won''t be able to detect the host''s true identity, except for those of the upper tier.]


    The system''s notification catches me off guard, but the reward makes me grin. I''ve always treated the system with respect, knowing that any mission it assigns is crucial. This one is no exception.


    "You''re going to regret this," Ophelia says coldly, her miasma expanding, spreading outward in an unending wave of darkness.


    I grip Excalibur tightly, feeling it respond to the blood armor encasing me. The sword glows an intense crimson as it hungrily draws blood from the armor, infusing itself with power. The sheer surge of energy coursing through me is unlike anything I''ve felt before.


    Without warning, Ophelia charges at me, her speed almost blinding, the miasma swirling around her like a living entity. I meet her head-on, my blood armor leaving a radiant red trail on the ground as I propel myself forward.


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    Raising Excalibur high, I prepare a devastating strike.


    "Swordcraft: One Million Cu—"


    Before I can finish, I''m abruptly teleported to another location, forcing me to halt my attack. Quickly adjusting, I turn just in time to see a massive ck orb hurtling toward me at an rming speed.


    "Shit!" I curse, bracing myself. Every instinct tells me this is bad. Whatever that thing is, it''s pure destruction. Channeling all the KI I can muster, I swing Excalibur with a surge of blood aura, aiming to neutralize the orb. But to my shock, the de passes through it effortlessly, like slicing through air.


    The orb doesn''t stop.


    I press my hands against the ck mass, desperate to stop its advance. Unlike the sword, my hands make contact, but—


    [Warning! Warning!]


    [Chaos Energy Detected!]


    The system''s alert freezes me for a split second. Chaos Energy… one of the most destructive forces in existence, capable of devouring anything it touches. Alphonso''s teachings rush back to me, but no amount of theoretical knowledge could''ve prepared me for this.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!" I roar as the orb begins to consume my KI at an rming rate. The sheer force of it pushes me back, cracking the ground beneath me. It''s relentless. My reserves are depleting fast, and


    I realize I have no choice but to pull out my trump card.


    "Blood baby, help me!"


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