Chapter 264: Fierce Battle Between the Two Tribes

“Fight! Kill these monsters!” Sensing those figures charging at him, Rod’s gaze turned cold as he shouted loudly at everyone before him. Yet, his heart was filled with complexity as he spoke those words.
Monsters? In that case, he too was a member of the monster race. Facing these people, especially when fighting them, he inevitably felt conflicted. He hesitated to battle them—after all, he should have been on their side, fighting against the continent that abandoned and hunted him. Yet now, he stood with that continent against them? Such behavior seemed deeply contradictory to him.
“Kill them! Kill these bats and werewolves! We’ll eat them with our drinks when we get back!” Skora also shouted loudly at Curly and the others behind him. At this moment, their morale couldn’t waver. With fighting spirits high, they charged forward amidst howls, refusing to back down.
After a brief pause, the fierce battle resumed. Following closely behind the vampires and werewolves, the army of magical beasts launched another violent and frenzied attack, even more savage and aggressive under the leadership of the vampires and werewolves.
In an instant, the intense battle broke out again. Howls and screams echoed back and forth, with cries of agony filling the air. Blood once again stained the night sky. With the appearance of the vampires, the tide of battle turned in favor of the magical beast army, and the situation became increasingly dangerous. The number of casualties soared, and the deaths were utterly gruesome. The screams and cries of the soldiers and defenders killed by the vampires were especially pitiful. Under the vampires’ draining of life force, their eyes dimmed, and they quickly turned into mummies due to blood loss—a sight too painful to bear. Everyone present was shocked for the first time by such brutality. Those killed by the werewolves fared no better; they were torn to pieces by their sharp claws and scattered in the air. The bloody violence was so extreme it made one’s hair stand on end, and the blood rain in the air was both grotesque and eerie. Some of those torn apart lay on the ground, still shouting and roaring, unable to die immediately. The warriors split in two suffered the greatest torment, their screams piercing the night sky and reaching the heavens.

Such bloody and violent tactics not only failed to make the defenders retreat but instead ignited their fighting spirit. Though such brutal methods terrified them, they only strengthened their resolve to hold their ground. They couldn’t allow these creatures to break through Iron Bar Town; otherwise, if they managed to invade the continent, such violent actions would bring about immense crisis and bloodshed, killing countless innocent people, shattering many families, and separating countless loved ones—something they dared not imagine.

“Hurry! Go seek help immediately. The demons have appeared, and the vampires and werewolves are already attacking the city. It’s in extreme danger and needs urgent aid. Inform the empire across the continent about this situation to get help. This is my letter—ride fast and deliver it to the capital as soon as possible!” Emio instructed solemnly, grabbing the captain of his guard.

The vampires and werewolves had already shown up. He wasn’t stupid and could see that these were merely the enemy’s vanguard. Though these forces weren’t formidable enough to instantly destroy Iron Bar Town, once the main army arrived, they would surely lack the strength to hold on.

What was more concerning was the demons—the most terrifying race yet to appear. The vampires and werewolves had always been their vassal tribes. Since these two tribes were attacking together, it was obvious that the demons were behind it, driving and leading them. Once this most terrifying race showed up, with their abnormal combat skills and individual prowess, Iron Bar Town would undoubtedly fall! At that time…

At the same time, he finally understood why the beast horde erupted in such a regular pattern every ten years, why it was so organized and disciplined! He finally realized what force was driving them—undoubtedly the demons. He never expected that over a thousand years, within the Source of Darkness, they hadn’t collapsed or declined but instead made significant progress!

Faced with such a crisis across the continent, the Black Tooth Legion and tens of thousands of reinforcements alone wouldn’t be enough. They needed to seek help from the entire continent to fight against these three tribes together. Just now, taking advantage of the chaotic battlefield, Emio wrote a desperate letter and handed it to his guard captain, ordering him to take it to the capital.

“I will fulfill my mission. I swear by the God of Light, Lotte—no matter what happens, even at the cost of my life, I will deliver this letter to the capital and hand it to the Emperor!” Knowing the importance of this task, Lotte, as the captain of Amyo’s guard, spoke solemnly with a serious expression. The fate of the entire continent might depend on this blood-written letter, and he could afford no mistakes. After speaking, he gave a solemn military salute, then turned and rushed away with three soldiers toward the city gates.

A moment later, the sound of horses neighing was heard, followed by a loud cry as a rider sped away through the dust toward the capital.

On the battlefield, as the vampires and werewolves breached the city walls, the city’s defense system was completely shattered. Especially on Rod’s side, almost all the vampires and werewolves concentrated there, as if they had set their sights on him, making him their main target. Everyone charged at him.

Although reinforcements were arriving from the other sides, mostly powerful warriors of the Holy and Imperial ranks, they were too far away to help quickly, leaving Rod in an extremely dangerous situation.

Leading his Death Scythe Squad, and with the cover and support of many warriors, Rod and his group managed to achieve some success despite the fierce battles. They killed several magical beasts and injured some vampires, but those creatures had lifespans as strong as the legends said—ordinary injuries couldn’t kill them.

In close combat, Rod got a clear look at these vampires. Most of them had hair in white, black, or purple. They were tall and slender, appearing robust and strong, dressed in extremely elaborate attire. Coupled with their handsome appearances and innate noble demeanor, it was hard to imagine such people being vampires. That kind of aura was not something ordinary people could imitate or learn—it was innate. Even in such bloody and intense battles, their gentlemanly fighting style could still be felt; every move they made was exceptionally elegant and graceful, which was something Rod had to admit.

As for the werewolves, they had a completely different appearance and manner. After transforming, each of them was covered in thick fur—either silver, grayish-blue, or black. Their broad chests and bulging muscles made them look extremely intimidating, showcasing the explosive power within them! Their speed was no less than that of the vampires, with movements that were rough and powerful, lacking the elegance of the vampires and instead displaying sheer brutality. The bloodiest tactics came from them, making them seem like a group of strong-minded but simple-minded individuals! Through comparison, Rod finally understood why the werewolves were always held in lower status among the three races—just their temperament was enough to ensure they would never have a chance to turn things around.

At that moment, a werewolf appeared before Rod. Its imperial-level strength, speed, and power left Rod in awe! After a brief clash, Rod fell at a disadvantage, and the two became entangled in a fierce battle of unprecedented intensity. It was the first time Rod had encountered such a powerful opponent. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as a cold aura came from behind him, piercingly cold—he realized he was surrounded!

Someone must have taken advantage of the chaos, using their immense strength and speed to break into his formation and approach from behind, intending to attack him!

But turning around now was too late. The icy cold rapidly spread throughout his body, and a sense of death overwhelmed Rod in an instant!

“Damn it!” He frowned and cursed inwardly, but despair couldn’t be hidden from his heart.

A scream echoed through the air, startling Rod. He quickly turned to see one of his comrades—someone from his camp. Earlier that evening, he had even joked with him about going drinking together after the battle. Yet now, he lay dead at the hands of the vampires, his body rapidly withering as all his blood was drained.

He had died trying to help Rod defend against the vampires behind them. Rod knew clearly that while he was fighting the werewolf in front of him, a vampire of sacred-level strength had sneaked up behind him. He hadn’t had time to defend himself. Just as despair set in, a figure flashed by and stood in front of him, shielding him from this deadly threat—but at the cost of their own life!

“Head… I… remember to go back and check on my daughter…” Watching his comrade turn into a mummy at the hands of the vampires, Rod roared in anger at the werewolf that lunged at him again, sweeping out with a fierce roar. He saw his comrade raise his withered arm tremblingly before dying, pointing weakly at Rod with a voice so strained that it caused Rod’s heart to ache deeply—so much so that his eyes turned red.
“You… must die!” Snarling, filled with rage, his eyes gradually turning blood-red as Rod shouted each word. His fierce expression even stunned the vampires.