"Boring. So boring. Are there only puppets like this here?"
Dozens of Carrion Eaters surged forward, yet barely a handful reached Yuri’s side.
Any stragglers that slipped through were reduced to irreparable fragments by Maria’s hands.
Terrifying as they seemed, these creatures were undeniably low-tier Monsters.
Yet despite the countless slain along the way, their numbers showed no sign of dwindling.
More humans, still lost in sleep, unknowingly transformed into their kin!
Strangely, not a single survivor had been found.
Carrion Eaters were fearsome, but certainly not invincible to humans.
Which meant only one plausible explanation…
Those capable of killing them had likely been eliminated first by whoever controlled these beasts.
"What’s their goal? What do they gain by unleashing Carrion Eaters on this airship?" Zuo Yuan kicked away a roaring Monster, his brow furrowed.
That was the part he couldn’t grasp.
Ordinary sky pirates couldn’t possibly command Carrion Eaters.
And why would the masterminds behind this disaster use them to ravage the airship?
The hellish scene around them ruled out greed—no money remained when everyone was dead.
This airship held no valuable cargo either.
So…
Was it about the people?
Zuo Yuan’s mind raced, but human logic rarely aligned with a monster’s.
"Why must there be a benefit?" Yuri arched a brow, stifling a bored yawn. "Whims, curiosity, or simply… finding it amusing. That’s all."
Exactly. Did it need a reason?
Zuo Yuan: "..."
"Don’t measure monsters by human values. Our worldviews are fundamentally—" Her expression shifted abruptly. A slow, chilling smile curled her lips.
"They’re here…"
Zuo Yuan froze mid-thought, then sensed it too.
*BANG!*
The five or six Carrion Eaters blocking their path exploded like overfilled sacks.
Filthy blood sprayed violently outward—
—only to halt mid-air inches from Yuri. With a leisurely snap of her fingers, the crimson droplets hung suspended, frozen in time.
At the center of that scarlet cloud, a pitch-black metal object glinted ominously.
Spiraling shockwaves trailed it. Magical energy, guided by its special material and immense force, radiated terrifying power.
This black bullet had shredded the Carrion Eaters. Yes—a bullet.
Not an ordinary one. The magic runes etched on its tip alone multiplied its destructive potential exponentially.
A proper term would be *magic bullet*.
Yuri’s own bullets were condensed from unique power too, but against this crafted projectile? Clearly inferior.
After all, this bullet channeled the very essence of magic itself.
Yuri raised a finger, tapping the air lightly.
*Clang.*
Blood and bullet alike clattered to the floor, lifeless.
Meanwhile, far away—
"Ineffective?"
Sen lowered his sleek black rifle, swiftly changing position as he muttered. His location was compromised—he knew it.
"Who *is* she? That technique feels… familiar!"
Impossible. He’d aimed perfectly, firing the moment her attention wavered during speech.
Yet his attack had been nullified so unnaturally.
"No idea. But I have a feeling… she might not even be human." Betty’s voice crackled in his ear, heavy with unease.
Sen frowned. "Switch targets next time. If she’s immune, test her companions—"
A glacial voice cut through his thoughts—definitely not Betty’s.
"Oh?"
He turned stiffly. Yuri stood there, impossibly close.
She regarded him with the detached calm of someone observing a corpse.
Shock paralyzed Sen for seconds. But instinct screamed.
Bone-chilling danger triggered his reflexes. He swung his arm up.
*Click.*
The bullet fired point-blank—no aiming needed.
Recoil hurled him backward as the shot buried deep into Yuri’s chest, blooming a spray of blood.
Her body rocked slightly from the impact.
"That… hurt," Yuri murmured, watching the phantom-like youth retreat. A bullet clinked to the floor as her wound sealed.
The magic runes on it should have made her explode like a watermelon.
Pity she’d rather avoid that sensation.
Her wrist lifted. A black pistol materialized, its muzzle grinning like a demon’s maw.
*BANG!*
No silencer this time. The deafening roar split the air.
Yet—as if sensing death—Sen twisted mid-flight.
"Eh?"
He fired again without hesitation.
Two black bullets collided mid-trajectory as if choreographed.
Metal deformed. Sparks shrieked. A black shard broke free, streaking toward Yuri.
She tilted her head slightly, letting it graze past.
"Sharp instincts. Then try this…" A cruel smile spread as she spun, both hands rising.
Sen glanced back—and his pupils shrank to pinpricks.
*PANG! PANG! PANG! PANG! PANG!*
The gunshots merged into a deathly rhythm, indistinguishable in their rapid fury.
A weapon never meant for such speed bent to her will.
Doom coiled around Sen like a suffocating net.
Too many shots. Impossible to dodge… *I’ll die!*
"Like hell! I haven’t even married my favorite girl yet. **Blood Corruption!**"
*Thud-thud-thud!*
Bullets tore into him, spraying crimson mist.
But—
"*GAAAH!*"
Though grievously wounded, he fled faster than before—several times faster.
Violet veins now crawled from his neck to his forehead.
"Blood Corruption?" Zuo Yuan gasped. "That’s a Half-Orc ability!"
Only Half-Orcs could wield this bizarre power.
Born of human and beastkin blood, they lacked the beastkin’s raw physique but inherited unnatural talents.
Blood Corruption was the strongest among them.
By igniting their bloodline, Half-Orcs gained temporary, exponential boosts—to strength, stamina, spirit, regeneration. A kitten could become a tiger.
But activating it awakened their beast blood, warping their bodies: cat ears, wolf tails, features only true beastkin possessed.
Half-Orcs appeared human normally; only Blood Corruption revealed their hybrid nature.
(Though prolonged use sometimes made traits like ears impossible to hide. But that’s beside the point.)
Zuo Yuan had witnessed this ability before. The veins on Sen’s face matched the beast-mark of Blood Corruption.
Yet strangely… no other changes marred his human form.
Zuo Yuan had never seen such an anomaly. It was deeply unnatural.
"Blood Corruption?"
Yuri’s sharp ears caught his words.
Memories stirred—ancient ones. She’d fought beings wielding this power before.
"If it interests you," she declared, eyes fixed on the fleeing youth, "we’ll capture him for study."
Blood Corruption had amplified Sen’s speed. He vanished in blurs of motion.
Yuri remained unhurried.
This cat-and-mouse game needed no rules.
Her pale fingers twitched. Sen’s spilled blood levitated under a crimson glow, writhing like living serpents.
Blood was more than sustenance for vampires—it was toy and servant.
Yuri could make it perform the impossible.
Like hunting its master.
The blood mist surged forward like wind-driven smoke.
"Let’s see what our little friend truly *is*," Yuri murmured, gliding after it.
A thrill sparked in her chest. Whatever awaited below promised to be… delightfully interesting.
