Thick fog, ashes, and flames. The peaceful town, originally nestled amidst green forests and tranquil waters, was now a scene of ruins and debris. Desperate townspeople leaned against dilapidated houses with numb expressions, staring at the monster in the town center.
A handsome face with a pair of gloomy, blood-red eyes, shoulder-length black hair, and sharp fingernails on slender fingers like a pair of claws, emitting瘋狂 laughter.
The Vampire Count, a monster that had ravaged the Ginnia region for hundreds of years.
In the hearts of the people of Ginnia, he was an irresistible monster. This Vampire Count no longer feared the sun in the sky and could appear at any time, even during the day.
The divine witch who once protected the town had died, and the new witch had not yet grown up, unable to provide protection to the townspeople.
Even the demon hunter who guarded the divine witch had been defeated by this Vampire Count. How could this not plunge the ordinary people into despair?
"Come, my enemy, the descendant of my former rival, come and kill me,"
The Vampire Count, more noble than any human aristocrat, looked at the kneeling demon hunter. A pair of blood-like wings pierced through his spine and grew on both sides, instantly transforming him into a terrifying monster similar to a human.
"Thrust the Sword of Command into my heart, just like your ancestors did hundreds of years ago, just like your grandfather did decades ago,"
Sharp thorns and fangs grew in the Vampire Count's mouth, and blood-like, solidified pupils projected a dense red halo.
"Come and end my eternal life, which is unattainable for you mortals, or face your unforgivable death!"
"What can you do, what can you possibly do?"
"The bloodthirsty monster stands before you. What are your chances of winning? One in a thousand? One in ten thousand? One in a billion? One in a trillion, or one in a quadrillion?"
The demon hunter slowly raised his head, pushed away the girl with emerald-like eyes who was guarding him, and stood up, leaning on his sword.
"So what? Even if my will is at the end of despair, it's still nothing to me. Stop bluffing, come on!"
The demon hunter's body dashed forward, his weak frame leaping across the ruins. The sharp sword flashed with a blue light.
Monster and human collided in an instant. Claws and blood wings struck and slashed, and the blue longsword chopped and crisscrossed. In a few short seconds, there were dozens of clashes of steel.
Flesh and blood flew, it was the demon hunter's blood.
In the final blow, the Vampire Count's monstrous body transformed into a sky full of shadow bats, scattering and then gathering, instantly reappearing behind the demon hunter, delivering a fatal blow.
"Indeed, a remarkable human," the Vampire Count turned to look at the fallen demon hunter, his face returning to calm.
"It seems you also cannot end my eternal life!"
The little girl quietly walked out of the ruins. Facing this bloodthirsty monster, although her trembling body betrayed her, her emerald-like eyes were full of calmness.
The calmness of the mind conflicted with the body's instinctual reaction to death, but this did not prevent the Vampire Count from appreciating the courage of this witch's descendant.
"Mr. Vampire, if possible, I am willing to replace these people, to exchange my life for their survival!"
Little Laila's childish voice rang out as she picked up the hem of her skirt and gave a slight bow to the bloodthirsty monster.
"What an unforgivable sin,"
The Vampire Count's blood-like eyes looked at the residents who had rekindled their hope for life and the future, and laughed with a hint of sarcasm.
"You once coerced the witch who protected you and burned my lovers and children to death, but now you want to let an innocent witch bear the punishment for your foolish choices,"
"You truly deserve to die!"
The Vampire Count scanned the entire town, then slowly stretched out his claws and covered the head of the girl who was desperately suppressing her fear.
The girl, Laila, took off her beloved red hat, revealing her golden-white soft hair, and voluntarily placed her head under the Vampire Count's claws.
The Vampire Count looked at Laila's two golden pigtails and her innocent green eyes, and hesitated for a moment.
Just then, strange noises rang out in the clouds, noises that the people here had never heard before.
Even the Vampire Count had never heard such a strange but strongly vibrating sound, like the sound of a stone mill turning in a mill, but magnified and even more majestic, or like the sound of a stone heart pumping.
This intense sound was fleeting, and then the Vampire Count and all the residents turned to look in the direction of the green fields and grasslands outside the town.
On the path covered by the mist in the forest, heavy hooves slowly approached.
Several tall, strange horses carried several bizarre knights from the mist.
Each strange horse was taller than an adult. Above the ears on both sides of the horse's head grew two curved spiral bone horns. Their eyes were wide and bright like golden lamps, and the breath exhaled from their thick nostrils was even more obvious than the mist in the forest.
The thick hooves were like giant bowls at the mouth of the sea, making people feel that even these strange horses could effortlessly kick a powerful knight to death with one foot.
The bizarre knights on the backs of the strange horses were covered in fully enclosed steel armor. The edges and corners of the steel armor were cold and stern, and two steel bone horn-like ornaments extended to the sides and rear of these bizarre knights' helmets, looking very strange.
However, the woman leading this group of knights attracted everyone's attention.
A pair of silver horn ornaments adorned her white gauze hat, and silver hair fell under the hat. Her rich beauty was highlighted by her cold, divine temperament, and her white gauze skirt was as dazzling as the skirt of a goddess.
Four knights followed the goddess, stopping ten meters away from the Vampire Count.
The beautiful goddess's clear and indifferent eyes swept over the destroyed town, as if looking for someone she knew.
Unfortunately, she didn't find anyone, so she stopped her movements.
In this silent gesture, a steel knight rode forward and looked at the Vampire Count, who was stunned by her beauty.
"Are you the most powerful creature in this region?"
The steel knight's heavy voice came from under his visor, carrying an aura of high authority.
Only then did people realize that the heavy swords used by these strange knights, hanging on the sides of these strange horses, looked as huge as doors.
These knights, from the waist up alone, looked taller than an average adult.
The Vampire Count frowned and became arrogant.
"How dare you speak to me in such a tone, human. I admire your..."
Whoosh!
Before the Vampire Count could finish his words, the tall steel knight drew the giant sword from his horse's back and threw it at the Vampire Count.
The Vampire Count's pupils suddenly dilated. Even this powerful vampire monster, who had lived in the world for hundreds of years, could not avoid this casual blow from the steel knight at his speed.
He could only instantly transform into countless shadow bats to avoid this silent blow that tore through the air.
But sharp and painful screams rang out in the vampire's shadow. There were hundreds of the scattered shadow bats, but all of them were locked by the giant sword.
The instantly expanding and collapsing shadows then reverted to the Vampire Count's true form. His huge blood wings drooped softly, and the giant sword pierced through the Vampire Count's body, pinning the monster firmly to the ground.
In his hundreds of years of life, the Vampire Count felt for the first time what it was like to have his heart hit by a siege hammer.
The once unbelievably powerful vampire monster was pinned down by the steel knight's giant sword. Then, the knight threw the chain from the back of his horse, looped it around his sword hilt, and actually intended to drag the Vampire Count away like a beast.
"Damn it, what monsters are you?"
The Vampire Count felt that all his abilities were locked by a strange power, or rather, a force field. He was now no different in strength from a mortal.
But these indifferent knights did not say a word. Instead, they followed the clear woman, turned their horses, and prepared to leave the town.
The little girl, Laila, kept looking at the woman with her sparkling eyes. When these people were about to leave, she finally couldn't help but chase after them.
Her two short legs carried her red boots, running quickly. Laila shouted at the back in front of her, "Please wait a moment..."
Hearing the little girl's call, the beautiful woman gently reined in the strange horse she was riding and turned her head slightly. A pair of silver gemstone-like eyes looked at the little girl, Laila, who stopped panting on the side.
"Are you a friend of Grandma Laila's?"
The little girl, Laila, shyly held the brim of her beloved red hat with both hands, blocking her rapidly beating heart, while looking at the silver-haired woman in front of her with admiring and curious eyes.
The silver-haired woman's eyes dropped silently, and she finally turned her head to face the little girl.
"I know you. I've heard Grandma tell stories about you!" The little girl, Laila, finally matched the beautiful face in front of her with the descriptions in her memory, and said with some joy.
Those green eyes were like spring waters rippling with vitality, making the silver-haired woman's indifferent eyes become gentle at this moment.
"Has your grandmother passed away, little Laila?" The silver-haired woman revealed a stunning smile, like a melting iceberg.
"Yes, Lady Chris, Grandma Laila was afraid that you wouldn't recognize me, so she named me Laila as well,"
Little Laila said shyly, "After Grandma met you, she returned to her hometown to live out her days. Our family settled here and never accepted the invitations from those nobles to leave,"
"Seeing you today, you are indeed as Grandma said, your elegance is as it was in the past, your radiance is dazzling!"
Chris Tiana sighed slightly, "So decades have passed here,"
The scales of everything in the world, all things and events, and the rhythm of life itself are different. Chris was moving forward in her own life, but she had become a story in the mouths of others.
The scene in the story happened to Chris, which touched her even more.
The little girl nodded, with nostalgia for the past and respect for seeing the admirable people of her predecessors.
Laila said cheerfully, "I heard Grandma Laila tell stories of your holiness. In the past, Grandma used to follow you and learn by your side, sweeping away evil everywhere in the world. I don't know how many werewolves, vampires, and ancient monsters died at your hands."
"Are you reappearing this time to eliminate the evil in this world again? Laila is willing to follow you like Grandma did. Don't worry, Lady, Laila is very good, Laila will quickly learn how to serve you!"
Chris shook her head and said with a smile, "I am not here to eliminate evil, I am just doing it casually."
"For me, the goal more than ten years ago was just to find our leader, to find my lover."
Laila blinked her eyes, gradually becoming bolder, and asked curiously, "Grandma said that you are the most powerful being in this world, and also the most beautiful. Then the lover who can be called a leader by you must be very powerful and good-looking."
Chris paused slightly, then smiled, "He is indeed very powerful and handsome. In my kindred, no one is better looking than him."
"But Laila, the truly recognized leader does not rely on power and strength, nor on titles and appearance. Those can only be called heads. The true leader relies on the belief that they can ignite the fire in other people's hearts."
"Such a leader will make so many powerful beings like me keep searching for his踪迹."
Little Laila didn't understand, she just asked curiously, "Then do you love him very much, if he is as outstanding as you said."
Chris pondered for a moment before answering, "Using the word 'love him very much' seems a bit difficult to describe,"
"Actually, I didn't spend much time alone with him, and my admiration for him is not as earth-shattering as in the stories,"
"But I am always attracted to him. My love for him is like breathing, like the pulse of mortals, subtle and lasting, but it is not a tearful love story."
"Hearing his deeds, I will be happy. Not hearing his news, I will worry!"
"Then it seems he is really outstanding," Laila bounced, and then said, "Can you save my guardian knight, so that I can follow you away with peace of mind."
Chris glanced at the unconscious guardian knight and chuckled, "You don't need to worry, your guardian knight will be fine,"
"But do you really want to leave with me, Laila? I am not here to eliminate evil this time, but to rule."
Laila's little face became even happier. She nodded and said, "Anyway, I don't have any attachment to this place. Grandma said, I can take on those responsibilities if I like them, and throw them away if I don't. I still want to see the world outside with you."
"But you are here to rule, is it because you want to have powerful power and an invincible army like those nobles?"
Chris reached out and lifted the little girl onto the horse to sit with her, then touched Laila's pigtails.
"Those are meaningless to me. Let me describe it to you in the simplest terms."
Kris pointed into the distance and said, "Those seashores will always have beacons built to guide navigation, and I came here to build a beacon of spacetime for our country to guide our leaders."
"All the lower planes closest to our world will be part of this grand plan. Once this spacetime beacon is established, our leaders, no matter how far away they are, will be able to find their homeland!"
Leila raised her small head and said loudly, "I will also help you, my lord, even if Leila doesn't have much power right now."
Kris's eyes lit up, and she said, "It doesn't matter, Leila, you can help me even without power."
"Your willingness to help me is the reason for you to become a queen. Are you willing to become the queen of this world and then help me!"
"Of course, I am willing," Leila nodded her little head vigorously. Although the little girl didn't understand power and status, she would be happy to help the adult in front of her.
"Then let's go, with us, and start ruling this world!"
"Huh? Just with you and these few knights?"
Leila's big eyes were full of doubt. Even though she believed that the adult in front of her was the most powerful being in the world because of her grandmother's teachings, she didn't think that she could conquer the world with just a few people.
Leila very sensibly removed herself from the equation. Her little arms and legs were so weak that even an adult could easily defeat her.
"It's enough. They are the empire's loyal guardian knights, but also the 'demons' who conquer the world!"
Kris looked at the other loyal, silent knights and smiled softly, "And I, am a Dragon!"
