Just like the usual, Shagatik enjoyed himself on the street of the city, showered with praises and admiration as Aldred's golem gave them food, coins, and clothes, and even built or renovated their houses.
In this continent, almost no government would spend money to build a home for the low class. Thankfully, Shagatik was a fool who was hungry for validation and praise, so tricking him was easy.
Aldred was inside the vault. It was empty because he had taken everything in it. He didn't find anything worthwhile. However, he wasn't disappointed, because he got something better.
"Brath, Breth, Broth."
"Yes, Master." The three undead lizardmen bowed.
"Tell me, did you really manage to kill a Platinum Rank?"
"Yes, My Lord," they replied at the same time.
"Explain it to me."
The three of them began explaining it to Aldred. Apparently, their feat of defeating a Platinum Rank didn't rely on their strength, but actually on their wit. They explained that to defeat a Platinum Rank, they played the long game. First, baiting the enemy to a faraway place where there was no reinforcement, and where they had planted a lot of traps.
After that, it was a hit and run operation for months until they exhausted the Platinum Rank.
That made much more sense than the three of them fighting the Platinum Rank head like what Aldred did to fight against that Behemoth.
But Aldred got more than eighty people to help him including his wives, Bartrem, and the soldiers. Not to mention he had a powerful sword that could surpass the limitation of ranks. So, his situation was a completely different case.
Aldred looked at his three new undeads and was satisfied. "If I can get more undeads like them, my journey will be much safer."
He was worried that the next challenge would be harder. After all, he had finished the second phase, and the third phase was said to be the last.
What would he encounter later? How strong would they be? He didn't know, so he had to prepare.
Tarrar entered the vault and approached Aldred. "The job is done. I have put thousands of worker golems to mine the region, and I have sent thousands more to the north."
"What about the ship-grade materials that I ask?"
"I have sent them to Dobbs. And he wanted me to give you something." Tarrar took out his spatial bag and gave it to Aldred.
Aldred received it with curiosity before he pulled something out of the bag. It was a soul flare, an ancient-looking gun that was mostly used by the pirates. It might look small and weak, but it was known to be able to kill Platinum Rank.
But it only worked in the middle of the sea. That was its biggest weakness and the reason why it was never used on land.
"This thing works on land," Tarrar said.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"I have no time to waste on a lie," Tarrar replied.
"What's the catch?"
"Dobbs said that it needs to consume your blood essence if you want to kill a Platinum Rank with it. But it only needs your mana for normal use."
"I can only replenish my blood essence once per day. Though, that will improve if I evolve further."
"I have no doubt that you will."
"Thank you. You are dismissed."
Aldred opened a portal for Tarrar. After he left, Aldred looked at the Soul Flare.
"A weapon that can kill a Platinum Rank… Finally."
In truth, Aldred had a lot of weapons that could kill a Platinum Rank. His ship-grade main cannons, magic-infused cannons, and soul flares.
But, they either only worked at sea, or they were too powerful or too heavy for anyone to hold and bring.
A shadow moved in the corner. Aldred smiled. "Whoever you are, show yourself unless you want to die."
The shadow zipped left and right, and then came at him. The shadow formed into a xenomorph-like creature. It was a 2-meter tall alien with four limbs, and all of those limbs held a shark-teeth blade.
Aldred summoned his Phantom Doomblade and blocked. Sparks came out of the impact.
The creature was astonished that Aldred didn't even retreat by a single step.
The Phantom Doomblade's sharp surface transformed into chainsaw teeth. With a speed of 20,000 rotations per minute, the blade easily went through the alien's weapon and cut off its body in half.
Green blood splattered on the floor before his blade absorbed them all including the body of the alien.
Numerous shadows started to move around, and they all rushed at him.
One alien pounced at him from the left, baring sharp, hideous teeth.
"What a weird creature." Aldred slashed to the left, killing the alien before he swung the blade in every direction.
The Phantom Doomblade shattered into different pieces and was connected by an invisible energy. Moving like a whip, it cut everything in its path.
After killing all the aliens, Aldred looked to the side, in the dark part of the vault.
A large foot stepped into the light before a creature, standing four meters tall, appeared.
"Just my luck. An early Platinum Rank monster."
[Devil Xenorph]
Level: 90
Power: Devour, Evolve, Stalk,
History: Escaping from a group of Ultra Soldiers, this wild Xenorph found itself hopping from one universe to another.
"A runaway, huh? Let me end your life here."
Devil Xenorph let out a screech before it charged forward, cracking the ground with each step.
Aldred raised his blade to block the attack. He then transformed his weapon to Soul Flare and blasted the alien's left leg.
The alien fell to its knees, and the Soul Flare transformed to Phantom Doomblade again before it plunged into the creature's chest.
Aldred bit his finger, and smeared the blood onto his blade. The blade glowed in eerie red light before it absorbed the alien's life force dry.
–1423
–1952
–2110
The flickering life on the alien's eyes came to a shut, and when Aldred pulled his blade, the alien fell to its death.
Aldred looked at his blade in pride. Now that it absorbed Dobb's Soul Flare, it had a function to consume his blood essence much better and gave it the ability to kill a Platinum Rank.
Though it was useful, his overall strength, max health points, speed, and the quality of his mana dropped by a few percent. He had to rest for a day in order to restore his blood essence.
Suddenly, the alien jolted awake and lunged at him.
His Soul Flare blasted the alien's head.
[You have killed Devil Xenorph]
[You have received Xenorph's blood essence]
Suddenly, a green energy orb formed on Aldred's palm.
"This is a blood essence?"
Opening his mouth, the orb entered his throat.
Suddenly, the alien's memory entered his mind:
Big soldiers with thick power armor hunted it down with rocket bullets. Big mechas stomped the earth while sending house-sized bullets at each other. Island-sized ships entered the atmosphere and blasted laser beams at the mechas and aliens below.
Aldred returned to reality.
[Viscount Blood Vampire Lv. 2]
[Evolution: 100/100]
[You have evolved]
[Viscount Blood Vampire Lv. 3]
– Increase the quality and amount of your blood essence.
– Blood Essence regeneration is 50% faster.
– Blood Manipulation mastery increased by 80%.
