Chapter 458 It feels even weirder

The air was so still it seemed as if it were frosted.

Everything was silent now, save for the crackling of the fire and the pounding of Irene's heart.

The vampires in this world have heartbeats.

She is still alive!

And this feeling has never been so strong!

All the dark clouds that had accumulated in her heart disappeared because of that promise.

Unlike Irene who was so moved that she almost shed tears, Quentin Tonglu was completely desperate.

I never thought the empire had become so terminally ill that it could even tolerate vampires!

Seeing that the prince of the empire was so persistent that he was even willing to break off relations with his ally, he weighed the pros and cons for a long time and finally gave up his insistence.

Of course, the main reason was that he found that he really couldn't win, and even if he won, it wouldn't be worth it.

Erin Campbell was originally a platinum-level warrior, and was the type that could fight back and forth with the amethyst-level Chaos Chosen.

Even though she is seriously injured now, it will take some effort for me to deal with her.

What's more, these humans don't know what's good for them. They don't care about right or wrong but only care about their stance!

From the unfathomable Prince Colin to the loyal knights beside her, everyone chose to ignore it as if they didn't see it.

How to fight this?

After realizing this, Quentin's tense muscles relaxed. He was no longer as cold and stern as before and let down his rigid attitude.

"...Since the prince of the empire has said so, the lord of the High Mountain Kingdom should just pretend he saw nothing. The war is more important."

Irene, who was in a panic, showed an expression of disbelief in her eyes, and looked at the dwarf in surprise who changed his position in an instant.

She had thought it would take a long time to convince this ally to continue fighting alongside the Duchy of Campbell, but she had not expected that His Highness Colin would resolve the issue with just a few words.

Once again, he generously extended a hand to help her when she needed help the most...

"Thank you for your understanding," Luo Yan nodded slightly. "As you said before, I hope you will also put the overall situation first."

Quentin looked at him expressionlessly, a cold snort emanating from beneath his thick beard.

"I declare in advance that if any consequences arise from your foolish actions, the Copper Furnace Family has nothing to do with it! We are simply upholding our ancient alliance and fighting for our common destiny."

"I can testify for you and your family, using my reputation as a prince of the Empire as a guarantee... If anyone questions you about this, just say the Empire forced you to do it."

Luo Yan raised two index fingers and swore. After making the first oath, he put down one index finger, turned to face Irene, and continued in a gentle tone.

"In addition, I have also issued a statement. No matter what the outcome, the Duchy of Colin will always stand with Irene Campbell!"

These words were like a warm current, instantly hitting the softest spot in Irene's heart.

Her face turned red all the way from her cheeks to her ears, and it seemed as if hot steam was coming out of her head.

"I……"

She opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to say that she wasn't worthy of him going to such lengths. He was willing to believe her words, that she had never sold her soul to Chaos, nor had she signed any contract with any demon... She was already very grateful!

However, thinking of his previous words "Don't talk first", she subconsciously closed her mouth, hiding her slightly trembling lips and flushed face under the shadow of the lowered hood.

She seemed to have returned to the unfinished dream.

That addictive sense of security brought her back to her childhood...

Theresa, who was standing by, was surprised at first, and then looked at Colin with awe.

She was right—

This gentleman is a truly noble knight!

Even though he is not a knight.

Quentin shrugged his shoulders to indicate that he had no objection.

No matter how the Principality of Colin treats Irene, that is the human race's internal affair. He only cares about the Copper Furnace Family's foothold in the Mountain Kingdom.

However, out of concern for his neck, he couldn't help but ask:

"Just think of it as me being nosy, but I'm just asking... What if she goes crazy and bites people? I heard that some vampires won't recognize their relatives when they go crazy."

Regarding this matter, Luo Yan was undoubtedly the one with the most say among all the people present.

He had seen many vampires when he was at the Demon King Academy. Those who pretended that they would die without human blood probably weren't craving blood, but something else.

From the perspective of the food itself, the blood of the Minotaur is undoubtedly the most delicious, but there are countless substitutes.

At least the vampires of Hell no longer bite the neck directly. It's like how humans, no matter how much they like beef, won't use a knife and fork to eat the cow.

but--

That's not the point.

Luo Yan looked at Irene with a smile.

"Erin."

Irene was caught off guard and responded subconsciously.

"……Um?"

Luo Yan looked at her and spoke gently.

"Promise me you won't hurt anyone else."

"If you're really hungry, I can lend you my neck."

…

The meeting to decide the future fate of the "Northern Rescue Army" finally ended, and the commander of the dwarf reinforcements, Quentin Copperfurnace, finally decided to turn a blind eye.

However, he also suggested that in order to prevent the army from being shaken, Campbell must find a way to conceal Irene's identity!

At the very least, they had to hide her scent and prevent the dwarves from discovering that their commander was actually a shameful vampire!

Although Luo Yan felt that Irene smelled quite good, he knew what the dwarf meant by the so-called smell.

That is the racial talent of the dwarves.

After all, in the mines, they often don't use their eyes to confirm each other's identities, but their noses.

Their mortal enemies, the ratmen, actually also have this talent. They can smell a vampire standing in front of them in minutes.

but--

This is not a problem for Luo Yan.

"Leave this matter to me. I happen to be proficient in potions." Looking at Quentin who looked suspicious, Luo Yan smiled and promised.

He is so good at this!

Especially the perfume formulated to cover up the scent of the dead!

Until now, no one has discovered that none of the priests in the Silverpine Town Church are alive; they are all undead spirits planted by the Demon King...

After leaving the command tent, Luo Yan followed Irene to the latter's tent.

The two of them were silent all the way until they stood at the door of the tent. Irene held it in for a long time before she uttered a sentence as soft as a mosquito.

"Can I...can I speak now?"

Luo Yan was stunned for a moment, then he remembered what was going on and said with a laugh.

"Of course... now you can."

I didn't expect this guy to be so obedient.

In his impression, the princess was clearly a person with strong opinions, but he didn't expect that she had such an interesting side.

It was really worth the trip.

"Ah, Demon King, I didn't expect you—"

'Youyou, shut up.'

"Hmm—"

The white mist that had just drifted from Luo Yan's body instantly disappeared as if it had been shot in the chest by an arrow...

As if she realized how strange it was, Irene lowered her head and hurriedly lifted the tent curtain, then walked in with thumps and thumps, her movements as stiff as an old steam engine.

Luo Yan glanced at Theresa who was standing next to him. The latter gave him a "please" look, and then stood guard outside the tent like a loyal gargoyle.

That look seemed to convey the feeling of "I'll keep watch for you guys," but there was no sense of needing to hide away...

Seeing that the knight lady was pretending to be stupid intentionally or unintentionally, Luo Yan gave up the silent hint and followed Irene into the tent.

He didn't intend to do anything bad anyway.

The atmosphere in the tent was very quiet.

Irene lit the candle on the table, dispelling the darkness in the tent.

The furnishings here are quite simple. Apart from a camp bed, a wooden table with a map on it, and an empty shelf.

It was probably used to hang armor and weapons.

Irene reached towards her chest, as if to take off her cloak and hang it up, but her index finger stopped just as she unbuttoned the first button.

Silence spread in the tent.

Just when Luo Yan was wondering whether he should say something first, Irene finally spoke, breaking the panic-stricken silence.

"sorry……"

Luo Yan couldn't help but smile.

"Why are you apologizing so suddenly?"

Irene turned around and whispered.

"You came here because... you didn't receive a reply from me?"

Luo Yan was stunned for a moment, his expression a little subtle.

However, Irene took this as a tacit agreement and explained anxiously.

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you anything, but I swear I didn't mean to hide anything from you, I just..."

"You don't want me to worry."

Irene nodded slightly, and this time she responded to his inquiring look with silence.

Luo Yan did not continue on this delicate topic, but just looked at the pair of emerald green eyes that were both strong and somewhat evasive.

"Can I take a look?"

That expression seemed to be a rejection, she still needed some preparation.

However, Luo Yan did not give her the chance to process this anxiety alone.

He walked in front of her, ignoring her eyes that closed reluctantly after dodging, and slowly reached out to take off her hood.

A head of silver-white hair as bright as moonlight cascaded down like a waterfall.

There was a look of misery in her eyes when she reopened them. Irene subconsciously wanted to step back, but was stopped by a pair of gentle and firm eyes.

"Honestly, it's beautiful."

"...You don't have to comfort me." Irene lowered her head and bit her lips lightly.

Luo Yan shook his head slightly and said seriously.

"I never lie."

This is the truth.

Although the "white hair" setting is a bit advanced for the Campbell people, it is just right for the players of "Catastrophe OL".

The same goes for him.

Of course, Professor Lilith is a different matter.

"Thanks……"

Looking at Irene who suddenly started to thank him again, Luo Yan couldn't help but smile again.

"Why are you suddenly thanking me again?"

Avoiding the gaze that was as hot as a branding iron, Irene blushed and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Because... of what happened just now. Thank you... for helping me out."

"I'm just telling the truth." Luo Yan's voice was very light, as if he was talking about something ordinary. "The Eileen Campbell I know is not the kind of person who would sell her soul to Chaos for power or other desires."

This unreserved trust caused a crack in Irene's guarded heart.

"Can you tell me?" Luo Yan looked at her seriously and continued in a concerned voice, "Tell me what you know."

Irene took a deep breath, and her emerald green eyes, which had been out of focus due to confusion, gradually regained their determination and confidence.

She told him everything that had happened during the day.

From how Rolandal's eerie piano music undermined the coalition's morale, to how she had to call upon the power of her ancestors to protect her men's lives, to her reckless rush into the forest to confront Rolandal, to her final desperate situation at the hands of endless Chaos Beasts, and to the final thought in her mind before she lost consciousness...

Including how she summoned "Colin" with the Light of Legend, and how she inexplicably woke up and appeared in a cave...

She told everything without reservation to Mr. Colin, whom she trusted the most, even though some parts made her feel difficult to say.

For example, the man named "Luo Yan".

Luo Yan listened quietly without saying a word.

Even when she mentioned "Luo Yan", at least eight out of ten of her sentences were describing a shameless hooligan in various ways.

It was not until Irene finished speaking with a blushing face that a thoughtful expression appeared on his handsome face, as if he was carefully analyzing an extremely complex academic problem.

He had told Irene about his experience studying abroad in Xuebang, which made it convenient for him to talk nonsense from the perspective of a Xuebang magician.

"From my limited understanding, the essence of 'The Legend of Light' isn't a weapon, but rather the honor passed down through generations by the Campbell family and the faith held by the people of Campbell. Simply put, it's the embodiment of 'faith'... am I correct?"

Irene nodded slightly.

"That's the explanation."

This explanation was so accurate that it even surprised her, because even she herself took a long time to understand these secrets.

The Campbell family did not include these things in the epic because some things would not work once they were written down.

There are always people who are clever enough to try to take shortcuts.

"If so, can I make a hypothesis?"

Luo Yan looked at Irene and continued in a speculative tone.

"In order to protect the people of Campbell, you pushed the power of the Light of Legend to its limit, even sacrificing your own life. This act itself goes beyond the realm of 'weaponry'; it's more like... a sacrifice to the gods, praying for victory."

"...Sacrifice?" Irene looked at him blankly.

"That's right."

Luo Yan nodded and continued.

"The Light of Legend has answered your prayers. Or rather... the deity that bestowed miracles upon the Campbell family has answered your prayers."

His voice was gentle yet powerful, as if he was explaining the sacred teachings to Irene.

Although it was a doctrine he made up.

"...Any miracle comes with a price, and your vitality is no longer sufficient to pay it, so this price ultimately manifests itself in the form of a curse."

"Simply put, your life has been deducted into the negative—well, what I mean is, you've overdrawn something that none of us can see, but the gods can."

Irene widened her eyes and was stunned for a long time before she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"Curse? But..."

How could the loving Saint Sith bring a curse upon His children?

Besides, she was doing it for the right thing.

"Of course, the word 'curse' may be difficult for you to accept. Perhaps I should use a more accurate term - divine 'compensation'."

Seeing that Irene found it difficult to accept this "curse theory", Luo Yan quickly put on a new vest for his own theory.

After his swift and decisive operation, Irene was no longer confused, and hope gradually appeared in her eyes.

I see--

It is divine compensation!

Now that makes sense!

Gazing at the pair of eyes that were shining again, Luo Yan struck while the iron was hot and continued to add to his theory in the name of holiness.

It's not to make it sound more complete and reliable.

It simply means stuffing a bunch of correct but useless garbage into it, increasing the difficulty of reciting the original text and the cost of discussion and communication, thereby indirectly reducing the probability of being exposed in theoretical exchanges.

Irene was completely stunned. Her mind was filled with the sacred compensation and His Highness Colin's efforts to give her advice.

She never considered herself as a savior who sacrificed herself, she just felt that she should do it, so she went without hesitation.

However, that wonderful explanation was still like a ray of light falling from the sky, splitting open all the darkness and fog in her heart.

The guilt and self-doubt that had plagued her since she left the cave now found a bright outlet.

Just as His Highness Colin said, although she became a vampire, she was not a vampire who sold her soul to the devil.

But he is the "chosen one" who was reborn after burning himself to protect the people of Campbell!

Whether others believe it or not——

At least he believed it.

"But that 'Luo Yan'..."

“It doesn’t matter!”

Luo Yan interrupted Irene quickly. His haste even surprised Irene a little, making it difficult for her not to think too deeply about it.

Looking at the increasingly red face, Luo Yan continued speaking without stopping.

"As you said before, that guy isn't a good person, but I'm more inclined to believe he didn't do anything and was just a 'bystander.' I'm assuming he's a vampire living in seclusion in the mountains. What would you find if you put yourself in his shoes? A vampire who wasn't born from the vampire's First Embrace! She was even born from the Holy Light!"

"If I were him, it would be hard for me not to be curious about this special kind of person and want to study him—"

"Um, can you let me say something..." Irene looked up at Colin with a red face, and finally couldn't help but speak again, gently interrupting his "monologue".

Maybe she was overthinking it.

But she didn't want the person she admired to be upset over some non-existent misunderstandings and hide his distress in his heart.

Especially the explanation that seemed to be comforting herself and also seemed to be self-consoling, which really made Irene feel distressed.

Even if she admitted that there was a little bit of happiness in this bitterness, at least Mr. Colin's reaction showed that in his mind she was not just a friend worthy of respect.

Luo Yan stopped talking and looked at Irene who wanted to say something.

"What's wrong?"

Fighting back the urge to avert her gaze, Irene displayed a rare bravery in front of him that she only displayed on the battlefield, and answered with a tone that sounded like an oath.

"That shameless man...he didn't even have time to do anything to me!"

As if that wasn't convincing enough, Irene blushed and continued to babble, "Although, although a button was undone, but, but I'm still wearing the clothes underneath!"

“…………???”

"I, I feel like you seem a little nervous about his name... but there's no need to be. I, I, I... am innocent!"

Irene's face turned even redder, and this time even her voice was out of tune, as if her brain was fried.

With Luo Yan's intelligence, he could of course see what Xiao Chunv was thinking, which was why he almost couldn't control his facial expression.

I'm okay with being jealous of myself...

no--

How can you tell that I'm jealous?!

An inappropriate voice suddenly emerged from the side, which was obviously filled with a sense of mockery.

"Master Demon! Don't panic. I remember you said that most vampires have brains that are not very intelligent, just like the brains of little demons—"

'Youyou, shut up.'

"Woo—"

Luo Yan felt his mind was a little confused and he had no time to argue with his own divine nature.

However, someone here was clearly even more confused than him. The blush on their cheeks was gradually spreading into their emerald green eyes...

Irene's eyes turned scarlet, like a mandala blooming in hell, flashing a noble and enchanting light under her silver-white bangs.

But the weird thing is——

Her expression was not noble at all, and even had a hint of sickness, as if she had seen some fresh and delicious prey.

“It’s so hot…”

“Blood…ah…blood!”

Irene, with "lifeless eyes", murmured loudly, her shoulders shook slightly, and suddenly she pounced on him as if she had lost her mind, and opened her little mouth that had canine teeth growing out of it who knew when.

Although Irene seemed to have lost her mind, Luo Yan regained consciousness in an instant.

He just made a quick move with his left hand and deployed several barriers in succession without hesitation. At the same time, he stretched out his right hand and grabbed the forehead of the person who was coming to kill him.

"Vivian! You're so brave!"

He really didn't know that the head of the Colin family possessed this hidden ability, which not only allowed him to control his own followers, but also to "descend" from thousands of miles away.

However, Luo Yan was such a meticulous person that he could guess the truth of the matter with his toes.

The devil's majesty was released in an instant, and "Eileen's" eyes became clear in an instant, and her desire for blood turned into fear of being whipped.

She subconsciously wanted to act crazy and run away, but when she met those intimidating eyes, she instantly knew that her trick had been exposed.

There was a mist of grievance in the clear red eyes. "Eileen" pouted and complained in a voice that was completely inconsistent with her heroic face.

"I... I just wanted to see which vixen stole the token your dear Vivian gave you."

Luo Yan interrupted her expressionlessly.

"sit down."

Her knees trembled slightly as "Eileen" immediately sat down obediently, not daring to show any disrespect or resistance. However, the light in her scarlet eyes was not fear, but anticipation.

There's nothing to look forward to.

Luo Yan just wanted to ask her something.

"You answer whatever I ask you."

"yes!"

"Have you changed in any way recently?"

"I, I, I've grown taller!"

"Seriously."

"I, I, I'm growing—pooh, platinum!"

Platinum.

Luo Yan nodded slightly.

"not bad."

"hey-hey……"

"Erin" smiled innocently, rubbing the back of her head in a feigned humility. "It's not so bad... I think I was able to knock the demon examiner away with one punch during the final exam!"

Luo Yan raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Then you're in the spotlight."

"Oh my, it's okay, it's okay!"

"Eileen"'s nose was already turned up to the sky. She modestly said that it was okay, but her face looked like "please praise me more".

There was no change on Luo Yan's face, but he couldn't help but smile in his heart.

To be honest, he missed home a lot after being away for so long.

Let's wait until things here are over and then go back and take a look.

After finishing her own story, Vivian blinked curiously and turned the topic to her brother whom she had been thinking about all the time.

"Speaking of which, my brother, have you become stronger recently?"

The slap on her forehead just now was so powerful that she couldn't move at all!

Luo Yan smiled faintly upon hearing this and spoke calmly.

"It's okay, I'm at the Amethyst level."

“Amethyst level!!!”

Unconsciously opening her mouth, "Eileen"'s eyes completely turned into the shape of little stars, and she cast an incredible look at him.

Amethyst-level expert before the age of twenty-five!

What's this?!

This is simply the reincarnation of the devil!

At this moment, the admiration in her heart was as endless as the magma outside the Demon City!

Looking at Miss Vivian Colin who was trying to flatter her, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something and said with a slightly frown.

"By the way, I'm talking to you here, your 'family' won't hear it, right?"

"No, no!" Vivian waved her hands, which didn't belong to her, and said with a playful smile, "She'll just remember that she slept, and won't have any memories of anything else, hehe..."

That being said, there wasn't really anything she could do. It just so happened that this follower's mental and physical strength had reached their limits, so she had the opportunity to project her consciousness with the help of the ritual's power.

Once she aroused the other party's will to resist, her control was instantly lost. Only when her followers submitted to her from the bottom of their hearts could she truly come and go freely. Otherwise, she could only use some tricks to "control" them.

By the way, this unpopular ritual was taught to her by Heniwei.

Some vampires with low bloodlines might still be able to use this skill, but for a prominent family like the Colin family...

Does controlling a few puppets require extraordinary powers?

Ordinary human nobles are not worthy of being developed into their followers, and they usually cannot eat the truly valuable chosen ones.

Although Vivian's desire to strangle this vixen was genuine, this incident did allow her to get a great deal.

All thanks to her super invincible, wise and brave brother!

While the two were having a long conversation, Theresa outside the tent blushed and kept glancing at the closed door curtain, curious but not daring to look inside.

She had just heard an unnatural commotion, but why was there suddenly no sound?!

It feels even weirder...

(End of this chapter)