Chapter 962 An Innocent Kid
It was true that the Ichor Blindness had the power to impair his vision, transforming all non-vampire entities in the vicinity into a crimson distortion. It was also true that the Vampires' presence was erased, undetected by the ordinary senses.
However, Rex has a seventh sense that was an accidental benefit of the System.
Caught off guard earlier, he was battered by the Vampires.
Unfortunately for the opposers, Rex's ingenious solution to counter the Troubadour of Blood War's influence didn't take long to manifest. All he needed to do was to scan their stats, and he did exactly that, telling the System to scan all of the entities within his vision.
Due to that, several stats materialized, orbiting the invisible Vampires.
He now could tell where their location would be without the need to see them directly.
Rex was able to block the incoming attack because of this.
Subsequently, he channeled his energy and unleashed a surge of black lightning mana into the earth, invoking the Black Field Orko spell, spewing a network of writing black lightning tentacles that surged forth from the ground, lancing toward the Vampire before him.
Intending to leap back to dodge, Rex caught the Vampire's wrist and held him in place.
Like an iron grip, the Vampire couldn't move away.
Blitz!
All of his limbs were ensnared by the black lightning tentacles, subjecting him to a searing electrical shock that left his entire body wracked with agonizing stiffness. Gritting his teeth, he shot a glare at Rex, still surprised that Rex was able to anticipate his earlier attack.
Oblivious to the glare, Rex stood up and infused his sword heavily with powers.
Blitz!
He infused his black lightning and red force at the same time.
Pulling nothing back, he swung the sword, aiming to cut the Vampire into two perfect slices.
In retaliation, a blood-energy shockwave exploded from within.
Surprisingly enough, the shockwave effectively dispersed the Black Field Orko spell, turning them back into essences of mana gain. In quick succession, he then chanted an incantation, liquefying his body into a fluid form, using it as a defensive measure against the impending sword strike.
Splash!
Upon receiving the strike, the Vampire backed away before turning back to normal.
Gazing at Rex, a deepening frown etched on his face.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"How did you break free?" the Vampire, the commanding general of the entire army asked in bewilderment. It was the first time he saw something like this. "Out Enchanters' spell is absolute, the Ichor Blindness is absolute, so how did you break free?"
Right before the attack, the Vampire general already marked the troublesome entities.
Aside from Rex who was obviously a force to be reckoned with, he also marked Edward and Mavenna who were battling on the other side of the battlefield. Vampire captains under him have banded together to attack Edward and Mavenna.
Crucial individuals of the enemy should be taken out first.
On the other hand, the Vampire general aimed at Rex alone, thinking that it would be easy.
But his expectation was crushed instantly when this happened.
"Who told you I broke free?" Rex replied, his eyes were still shrouded completely in crimson.
Merely the gaze of his eyes revealed that the Enchanters' spell, the Troubadour of Blood War, still clung to him. However, he somehow managed to fix his stare in the general direction of the Vampire general, albeit not right in the eyes.
It was obvious that he still couldn't see properly.
Additionally, the panging feeling in his head kept him from fully attune to the fight.
"Who are you...?" the Vampire general eventually asked.
From the beginning, there was something peculiar about Rex. Other human soldiers within the army seemed to despise him, casting disdainful glares and disapproving looks in his direction. Moreover, there was an enigmatic aura surrounding him.
An aura that piqued the curiosity of the Vampire general regarding his true identity.
In his point of view, Rex is anything other than normal.
Upon hearing this, Rex maintained his composure and slowly lifted his chin, projecting an air of arrogant confidence in preparation for what he was about to say. Then, in a voice both measured and powerful, he declared, "Me...? I am Rex Silverstar"
The Vampire general had his eyes widened when he heard this.
Rex's voice was light, but his answer was loud when it reached the Vampire general's ears.
Just as he said that something unexpected happened.
With a bright lightning strike from the uncontrollable weather above, twelve more Vampires suddenly surrounded him from all sides, pinning him in the center like prey. All of them boast thick blood energy, showing that they are the captains.
Although the situation made Rex look like the prey, in truth, it was the complete opposite.
Contrary to Rex who has his gaze calm, the Vampires were inflicted with alert and their hands were slightly trembling. It was not Rex who was the prey, but these Vampires were his prey in this battlefield.
Even the name alone attracts the twelve Vampire captains to help the Vampire general.
Nobody who lived in the new era hasn't heard the name Rex Silverstar.
"You... You are the next threat after the Executor. I, Kurt Morelli will make sure that you die here, in order to secure the future of our younger generations" the Vampire general, Kurt declared and promised overbearingly.
In return, Rex only smiled, "I see. Come then, I'll welcome all of you to try!"
Meanwhile, in the other region of the Shifting Realm.
Similar to Rex and Edward's situation, the army faced staggering losses due to the capricious nature of the Shifting Realm. It was hard to predict the danger of the terrain, and they would need to constantly be on the alert to not be blasted by a stray lightning strike or snowstorm.
However, the army hasn't faced the Demon army yet.
Ryze and Brigitta were still leading at the very front, warily sweeping their gazes around.
Both of them and the army they led had already taken down a couple of small skirmishes from the Demons, but most of them were spawned Demons. It was also random, these skirmishes couldn't be used to locate the main Demon army.
Due to that, they pushed onward, hoping for the slightest clue.
While sitting on a reinforced tank coursing through the snowy terrain, Brigitta glanced over.
A peculiar look in her eyes as she gazed at Ryze.
"I heard that there's a commotion back in the UWO main office, resulting in several people dying from being burned, I guess that was your doing?" Brigitta suddenly asked, she heard from her associates about a breakout not too long ago.
Upon hearing this, Ryze's body tensed a little, being forced to remember that day.
Brigitta squinted her eyes when she saw this reaction, "As far as I'm concerned, you are just a kid who gained the power of a Heavenly Dragonman, so I never thought that you would have the balls to escape and go back to the traitor Rex. Even though we are quite generous for not treating you like a criminal or putting any charges on you despite being affiliated directly with him, you decided to pay us back with betrayal"
"Even killing those innocent people, aren't you a young killer?" She added in a mocking tone.
Albeit he wanted to ignore her remarks, it's hard.
Pausing briefly, Ryze then uttered, "I told them to leave me alone, I didn't mean to kill them..."
Despite the remorse, Brigitta kept gazing at him in disgust.
Obviously, she knew that Edward and Ryze were trained thanks to Sebrof's command.
But now, that turns out to be the wrong move.
Not only did Ryze have no gratitude for the lenience he gained, but he even killed some people in his attempt to reconcile with Rex. Humanity has trained a living abomination, and now, he was standing on the other side with the traitor.
Upon seeing the disgusted gaze he was receiving, he tried to keep a straight face.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmEven though he really wanted to rebuke, as it was not entirely his fault, with those people attacking him relentlessly, he did a great job of hiding those emotions from Brigitta. However, this made her continue, "Let's say that the blood in your hands is really an accident, why did you choose to side with him? Is it because you are a Heavenly Dragonman now and feel detached from humanity? Are you fine being with someone who has killed countless innocent human lives?"
Having reached his limit, Ryze shouted back in anger, "Rex is not a bad person!"
"Not a bad person...?" Brigitta chuckled.
In a second, her face contorted hideously as she positioned her body to face Ryze. "In case you forgot, what he did has left a mark in Ratmawati City. Countless people died. Not a bad person? Try saying that to the people that have lost their entire families because of him being unable to suppress his wrath for the better good"
Ryze's expression darkens when he hears this.
He couldn't rebut the fact that there were people who suffered from collateral damage.
All of them did nothing wrong, and yet, they were also affected.
Silence enveloped the two of them as the reinforced tank advanced slowly, the cold wind of the snowy terrain brushing Ryze's body as if depicting the ultimate chill that those people were feeling when they lost their close ones.
It must be an emotional pain beyond imagining.
One moment, they were there, but in the next, all of them were gone forever.
With a watchful eye on Ryze's reaction, Brigitta spoke again, her voice earnest, "Help me help humanity, don't let the justice in you die. Rex is unpredictable and dangerous, his very being is cursed, bringing nothing but ruin to all he touches."
"You know who the real bad person is, you know I'm right" She added lastly.
Another silence happened again.
But this time, it was longer than the first, Ryze had his face down all this time in thought.
"Yes, you're right..." He suddenly said, voicing out his thoughts.
Upon hearing this, Brigitta couldn't conceal her smile. It was already a part of her plan to convert Ryze to do whatever she wanted, there was no way she would let a chance like this slip away from her hands.
'He's nothing but a kid, his innocence is easily exploited' Brigitta pondered with a sly smile.
But then, Ryze pressed on, his voice firm, "You're right that Rex killed countless innocent people in his rampage back then. You're right that he's dangerous. You're right that he's far from good and is a bad person... However, don't mistake my stance. I know the full story, and your words won't sway me"
"What...?" Brigitta was taken aback, not expecting this response.
Compared to earlier, Ryze's gaze looked resolute and sharp, not looking like the gaze of a kid, "You see, Rex hinted to me earlier. He hinted that I was still a kid with incredible power. Now I know that he said that, expecting something like this to happen..."
It was only then that Brigitta snapped out of her trance, her frown deepening.
"Rex rescued me from slavery, adopted me, and even helped me make the power of the Heavenly Dragonman my own. Despite my past mistakes, disappointing him severely, he accepted me back. Maybe for you, he's evil, but for me... he's the kindest person I've ever known" Ryze passionately expressed, drawing a direct line between him and Brigitta or humanity in general.
"He's a killer! Do you really think that kind of person is good for you?" Brigitta rebutted.
For the first time, Ryze smiled sardonically.
His reptilian eyes glowed as he looked at Brigitta in contempt, a perfect copy of what Rex's face would look like when he had sealed his triumph. "A killer? His parents were killed, and you wanted him to stay calm for the better good?" He chuckled in ridicule. "If anything, those lives that were killed by Rex, it was the product of what all of you sow"
"In other words, their deaths were your responsibility. So don't act like you're good..."