Chapter 389: The Might of the Queens

Big Black gritted his teeth, letting out a click of his tongue as the ground cracked under his stance. The veins in his arms throbbed from his skill, and the sight of Alexander reassembling without a scratch sparked rage in his eyes.

"Slippery mosquito..." said Big Black, rolling his shoulders as his skin emitted a metallic hum. "Dispersal skills are annoying. But magic isn’t infinite, kid. Let’s see how many times you can turn into bats before your reserves run dry."

"You can try as many times as you like," said Alexander, setting Liora down on a rocky ledge. "Stay here, brat. This won’t take long."

"Be careful, Alexander!" said Liora. "You’re not just fighting him! The Spider Queen won’t stand by!"

Before Alexander could reply, a laugh echoed from the ridge. The Spider Queen stepped forward, driving her extra limbs into the rock.

"A vampire sticking his nose into my domain?" said the spider sovereign, extending her arms as purple mist pooled from her glands. "What an arrogant creature. Big Black, stop playing with your food. The serpent’s forces are on the verge of collapsing."

In the center of the hollow, the Serpent Queen propped her spear against the ground to keep herself upright. Her yellow eyes scanned Alexander with suspicion.

"A Vampiric Emperor..." whispered the scaled sovereign. "I don’t know who sent you, boy, but if you’re after the spider’s head, do not lower your guard. Her venom corrodes the soul."

"Thanks for the advice, Your Majesty," said Alexander, cracking his neck as steel claws extended from his fingers. "But today I came to settle a personal score with this dog."

"You talk too much for a walking corpse!" roared Big Black, lunging forward with a second burst of [Explosive Muscles].

This time, Alexander did not resort to bat dispersal. Seeing Big Black’s charge, he put his skills to the test.

"[Shadow Vampire Summon Lvl 1]," said Alexander in a low voice.

From his shadow, three dark figures emerged, shrouded in mist with glowing crimson eyes. The shadow vampires threw themselves into Big Black’s path. The shockwave from [Explosive Muscles] blew the summons into pieces, but they slowed the trajectory of the attack.

Taking advantage of that fraction of a second, Alexander slipped past Big Black’s blind spot.

"[Storm Steel Claws Lvl 1]," whispered Alexander, crossing his claws through the air.

Gusts of silver blades sliced through the atmosphere at sonic speed. The impacts echoed like hammer blows against an anvil. The claws tore into Big Black’s steel skin, opening gashes across his chest and arms.

"Curse you...!" roared Big Black, leaping back as he covered the open wound, shocked that simple claws had breached his defense.

In that instant, the Spider Queen took advantage of Alexander’s distraction and fired a silk web coated in purple venom. The mesh wrapped around Alexander’s left arm, dissolving his clothes and tearing through flesh to the bone.

"Alexander!" screamed Liora from the rock.

"Soul-corroding venom? Pathetic," said Alexander, showing no pain.

"[Divine Regeneration Lvl 1]," he activated.

A faint glow enveloped the area. In under two seconds, the scorched skin expelled toxins, the muscles reconstructed, and his skin returned to its pristine state without a scar.

Both Big Black and the Spider Queen froze, staring at the speed with which the injuries vanished.

Alexander lunged forward, but Big Black reacted just in time. He crossed his forearms as Alexander’s claws slammed against his torso. The metallic clash echoed through the valley, but the advisor gritted his teeth and absorbed the strike with the density of [Steel Body].

"Don’t think you’re catching me with the same trick twice!" roared Big Black, driving a knee strike toward Alexander’s midsection.

Alexander blocked with his palm, but the impact of [Titanic Strength] forced him to skid across the terrain. Big Black gave him no room to breathe; he closed the distance, unleashing a barrage of heavy strikes accompanied by bursts of [Explosive Muscles]. Alexander ducked and parried, but the force behind every punch sent shockwaves through his bones.

"[Shadow Vampire Summon Lvl 1]," invoked Alexander again.

Two shadows surged from the ground, but the Spider Queen fired projectiles of poisonous silk that impaled the summons before they could land a swipe, dissolving them into black smoke.

"You won’t distract me with shadows, vermin!" hissed the Spider Queen, extending her limbs to weave a perimeter of threads around the area.

Taking advantage of the queen’s cover, Big Black closed the gap and landed a punch to Alexander’s face. The vampire’s head snapped back, and the force launched him into the canyon wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Alexander!" screamed Liora, clutching her hands against her chest.

Alexander stepped out of the rubble, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Thanks to [Divine Regeneration Lvl 1], his split lip and bruised cheek healed in seconds, but his expression turned serious. The combination of Big Black’s physical resilience with the Spider Queen’s tactical support and venom was making the fight tough.

"You two have good coordination for a pair of pests," said Alexander, cracking his neck as his crimson eyes blazed. "But this is just getting started."

Alexander let his arms drop to his sides and exhaled a sigh. In an instant, the air throughout the canyon turned thick, suffocating, and cold. The bloodlust of a Vampiric Emperor unleashed without restraint, casting a shadow behind him that devoured the light remaining in the night. His crimson eyes blazed as his bat wings unfurled, beating the air with power.

Big Black took a step back, feeling the hair on his arms stand up under the pressure of Alexander’s aura. He clenched his fists, shifting his stance against the monster standing before him.

However, as he glance toward the center of the hollow, Big Black’s face darkened.

The Serpent Queen, wrapped in an emerald aura, was regenerating her wounds and recovering her magic reserves. Taking advantage of the distraction Alexander provided, the scaled sovereign forced herself back onto her feet, her spear held firm in her grip, ready to re-enter the fray.

"Tch... This is bullshit," muttered Big Black through gritted teeth, clenching his jaw as the situation spiraled out of control.