At the break of dawn, on the cusp between summer and autumn, the first light crept across the sky. The horizon shimmered with a pale, fish-belly white, edged by a thin ribbon of gold. That ribbon tugged the sun upward from the east, brushing aside the mist that should have lingered from the night before—almost as if the sun itself were impatient, leaning forward to see whether today might turn out better than yesterday.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. Yesterday's mediocrity merely gave way to another unimpressive day. Those striving to rise above it were still being worn down, their efforts shredded by the hardships ahead.
Boom!
Phaga was struck from the sky by Black's palm, plummeting like a meteor into the crowd of Ethereal. Dust erupted skyward, drifting up to the second floor and threatening to reach the third.
The Ethereal on the ground instinctively gathered, forming a circle.
Soon, Black and the Thracian flew before the ethereal matter. Black folded his wings, his toes touching the ground with a crisp snap. The Thracian, as ever, hovered in the air. Nearly taken out by Phaga's combo, he now seethed with rage, lunging forward with his spear to plunge into the dust. But an arm stretched out, blocking his path.
[Hold your horses, muscle-bound brute. Let the lads clean the floor first.]
Heed Black's words! Even a powerhouse like the Thracian had to lower his spear and stand down.
[Don't lose heart—your turn will come.]
Seeing the Thracian obey, Black nodded inwardly, tilting his head away with satisfaction. He gave a subtle nod toward the Tarasque Mixer behind him.
The Tarasque Mixer instantly understood Black's intent. Lowering its head, its pitch-black barrel began gathering the luminous glow of Ether.
Three, two, one!
BOOM!
It fired the first shot!
Instantly, all the Ethereal entities with ranged capabilities unleashed their assaults. Ether Bullets and Ether lasers poured forth as if utterly unconcerned with their own depletion, bombarding the dust cloud.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions echoed in rapid succession. A chunk of earth shattered and flew skyward, followed by a dust cloud towering higher than the original terrain. The cloud spread uncontrollably outward, its coverage area now larger than before. The dust billowed so intensely that Black had to flap his wings to prevent it from engulfing him.
As for the other side of the battlefield, that's none of my business.
[Halt!]
Black finally ordered. All the Ethereal beings ceased fire at that moment, exchanging glances as they awaited his next command.
[Little Flower, go in and investigate.]
After a moment's thought, Black ultimately decided to send Arlaune in. After all, among the present Etereals, only Arlaune possessed the ability to spew gaseous Ether Substance for self-protection. Plus, it was skin and bones—its death wouldn't be a loss. Sending it into the dust to search for the Creator was the perfect choice.
Soon, Arlaune, flower-like in form, crawled out of the Ethereal swarm on its four legs. Stepping forward, it bravely followed the Black's command and ventured into the dust.
Ten minutes later, Arlaune reemerged from the dust, the [Core] within its petals flashing repeatedly.
[Didn't find it?]
Black was taken aback. This answer sparked endless speculation.
Without hesitation, it plunged headfirst into the swirling dust.
[You muscular brutes, come in with me!]
The Thracian obeyed, immediately flying in after Black.
Soon, he saw Black crouched on the ground. It was crouched before an opening just wide enough for one person to pass through, pinching a handful of dust scorched by the Netherfire. It tasted a bit, then mused thoughtfully:
[Indeed, it is the power of the Creator... So he discovered subterranean space and broke through the ground to flee toward the underground garage?]
Black's pupils widened slightly, his eyes flashing with approval. Black knew from the start that the battlefield's underground was an underground parking garage. It was precisely by leveraging this knowledge of the terrain that he could conjure an army of ethereal matter out of nowhere, turning the tables with overwhelming numbers.
Yet he hadn't anticipated that Phaga would spot the clue at a glance, burrow reverse through the tunnel into the underground garage, and escape the fate of being swarmed by the Ethereal horde.
[Truly worthy of the Creator... That muscle-bound brute, follow him!]
Praise aside, the Creator still had to be eliminated. Otherwise, where would Black find the capital to keep growing stronger?
The higher they climbed, the tougher it got. A skilled opponent had practically delivered himself to them—if the Creator slipped through the spatial rift in the underground garage to escape elsewhere, that would be problematic.
Chaos in the void was a double-edged sword. Without a carrot, getting out was troublesome, but for others to hunt them down was equally troublesome!
Without hesitation, Black immediately led the Thracian into the underground garage.
The first sight that met their eyes was a chaotic pile of nearly wrecked vehicles. The emergency exit lights had long since failed due to the power outage. The school's underground world was not only deathly quiet but also pitch-black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
[Has he already escaped? No, that can't be right. The Creator's willpower is far stronger than mine. He wouldn't give up on even the slightest chance.]
Black murmured under its breath, scanning the surroundings with suspicion. Its instincts told it the Creator hadn't fled—the activity of Ether in the air was far too intense.
Yet within its field of vision, it simply couldn't detect the Creator's presence.
[Buzz, roar!]
Behind him, the Thracian, standing some distance away, emitted an incomprehensible growl.
Black assumed the creature agreed with his thoughts and called out without turning his head:
[So you think so too, right?]
[Though I always thought you were a bit dim, if even you recognize the Creator's peerless character, it means you possess at least the most basic understanding...]
[Hm?]
As if hearing a rustling sound, Black abruptly whipped his head around. But the moment he turned, he realized the Thracian who had descended with him was gone.
Black frowned, slowly approaching the spot where the Thracian had stood.
Gradually, gradually, Black spotted a writhing shadow around a corner.
It was the Creator!
Black's [Creator Detection Radar] still pinpointed the Creator's location. Overjoyed, he took a few quick strides forward and suddenly threw a punch, eager to shower Phaga with affection from his follower.
[Haha, Creator, surprise!!!]
Thud!
The metallic clang of impact echoed.
Black blinked dumbly twice, suddenly realizing his fist had slammed into a car-assembled gauntlet. Staring blankly, he lifted his head to find his longed-for Creator seated within a towering mecha. Another mechanical arm held the Thracian tightly, as if gripping a mouse.
Black's eye twitched. He forced a dry laugh:
[Um... Creator, good morning!]
…
At dawn in New Eridu, the official livestream channel suddenly went live without any prior announcement.
Millions of citizens, having just enjoyed the first light of morning, stared wide-eyed at their phones as the notification popped up.
[Good morning, citizens of New Eridu!]
[How did everyone sleep last night?]
[Your host must confess—I was extremely excited last night! Because just yesterday, the vampire clan announced they would take full responsibility for the "Black Incident." Truly thrilling news! I was so excited I could barely sleep...]
"Seriously, why all the pointless chatter?"
Inside Victoria Housekeeping, Rina and Lycaon still hadn't returned. Only Ellen, Corin, and their lodger, Rain, were home.
The three crowded around a small laptop in the first-floor dining room, watching the livestream.
Ellen, anxious beyond belief, immediately snapped at the host for speaking too slowly.
Rain tried to comfort her. "Alright, calm down, boss lady. The boss is blessed—nothing bad will happen to him, so you don't need to—"
[Now, let's invite the lead responsible for this incident—Professor Bern Kunmutu, Chief Scientist of the TOPS Alliance, and a member of the vampire clan—to give an update.]
Hearing real progress at last, Rain quickly stroked Ellen's back. "See? That vampire scientist is coming out. The boss is with him. Phaga will definitely be fine."
"Mhm."
Even with reassurance, Ellen's worry didn't ease.
But with nothing else she could do, she kept her eyes fixed on the screen as the host handed Bern a microphone.
Bern began reporting:
[We actually began operations last night. Things went smoothly. We located Black and surrounded him for quite a beating.]
The three watching at Victoria brightened immediately. Rain exclaimed, "Hear that, Ellen? I told you the boss would be fine!"
"Oh, don't worry. After beating Black, the boss will be back soon… Honestly, Bern should've at least driven him ba—"
[Unfortunately, timing was not in our favor. Just as we were about to finish off Black, dawn arrived. Vampires cannot fight under sunlight, so we retreated.]
[But don't worry—one of our members volunteered to delay Black's devouring of Ethereal to regenerate himself.]
[His name is Phaga. Yes, that Phaga you all know. He has the ability to move freely during daylight—he's a special type of vampire...]
"...The boss brought him back."
Listening to Bern's wording, Rain's voice grew smaller and smaller. Her expression blanked, blinking in stunned confusion.
Bang!
A sudden explosive crack sounded as Ellen shot to her feet, her tail smashing the chair beneath her to splinters. Rolling up her sleeves, she lunged for the giant shears already prepared nearby, teeth clenched in fury.
"Bern!!! How dare you leave my vampire alone in the Hollow?! Go die! Every vampire—go die, all of you!!!"
"And you two—don't even think about stopping me!"
A sharp tug at her waist made Ellen snap around. Though she tried to restrain it, both Rain and Corin could hear the blazing fury behind her words.
"No way, Miss Ellen! If just the three of us go after Bern, the TOPS Financial Alliance will throw us out instantly!"
Corin clung desperately to Ellen's waist, her cute little face scrunched tight with effort.
"Hey, Corin, did you count me in too? I have zero combat ability! If a vampire comes after me, I'm doomed!"
Rain, also wrapped around Ellen's waist, wailed in panic.
"Ellen, calm down! Calm down! You don't even know which direction the vampire clan's gate faces—how are you going to take revenge on them?!"
"Bern knows!"
Ellen gritted her teeth. "Bern is right outside the Doppelgänger Hollow entrance. I'll go tie him up first. If he refuses to tell me where the vampire clan is, I'll tear him limb from limb!"
She bucked her waist again, making Rain's hands slip.
No—she can't get away!
Rain dove forward and clamped onto Ellen's tail. "Don't! Ellen—we need to plan this. We must plan this!"
Just then, Rain's phone rang. Irritated, she answered immediately:
"Hello?! Who is this? I'm busy!"
To her surprise, Nicole's voice chimed from the other side:
"Oh-hoho~ Rain, busy with Phaga's situation, are you? No worries—I'm already headed toward the Dopagan Hollow with Phaethon. Ask the people at Victoria Housekeeping—do they need us to bring Phaga out?"
"Yes, of cour—"
Before she could finish, Ellen, who had instantly snapped to attention at the key words, shoved Rain aside. The phone ended up in her hand as she spoke coldly:
"This is the Cunning Hares, right? Bring Phaga out and you can name your price."
"Really? Then… eight million Dennies?"
Nicole had never heard such a heavenly offer. Her heart leapt—she threw out a price even she found terrifying.
But Ellen's pupils narrowed, and she answered icily:
"Eighteen million Dennies. Move fast."
"Yes! Mission guaranteed!"
At that price, Nicole's eyes instantly turned into Dennies. She slammed the accelerator.
Ten minutes later, Nicole's squad burst into the Hollow.
The chaotic frenzy at Victoria finally calmed. The trio crowded around the laptop, watching the screen being streamed by Phaethon.
As VIP customers who had thrown down eighteen million Dennies, Ellen and the others naturally had access to Eous's first-person perspective.
"Proxy, can you locate Phaga quickly?"
Inside the Hollow, Nicole looked down at Eous.
Eous waved a hand confidently. "No problem. Phaga must be fighting Black. Just head toward the area with the strongest Ether activity—you can't miss him!"
"That makes sense."
Nicole nodded, then gave the order:
"Alright, everyone—time to get to work! We're heading deep into the Hollow to retrieve the vampire that drops gold!"
Billy pumped a fist in excitement. "Yeah! Hey—wait!"
He suddenly froze. "Do you guys… feel the ground shaking?"
"Really? Ah—!!!"
Eous hadn't noticed yet, but a second later the earth violently trembled.
[Fairy: Alert. High-concentration Ether-active individual rapidly approaching. Classification: Unwinnable. Shall I pre-arrange a suitable crematorium for the Master?]
"Fairy, figure something out! Don't just stand there talking nonsense!!"
Belle screamed, frantically maneuvering Eous to flee.
But the next moment, the ground beneath them bulged upward, flipping Eous into the air like a ragdoll. He crashed face-first onto the ground.
The amateur Cunning Hares didn't even try to shield him. Instead, all of them stared upward in shock as a colossal mecha erupted from underground.
Outside the screen, Rain screamed in excitement, grabbing Ellen's shoulders and shaking her violently:
"That's the Kunmutu I upgraded! The Kunmutu was enhanced after improving Sacrifice No. 2!"
"As long as there's Metal Ether Creation, it can build a mecha with its bare hands!"