Chapter 304: What Happened? (5K Bonus Chapters 94 & 95)

Something's off.

Herbert suddenly becoming this gentle—there must be something wrong.

There's definitely something wrong here aaaah!

Elisabeth stared at Herbert's bright, gentle smile, yet her entire body tensed, even breaking out in goosebumps.

She had always been treated "cruelly" by Herbert; suddenly seeing his smile, she found herself unaccustomed to it.

No, she was extremely unaccustomed to it!

Rather than believe Herbert had suddenly become kind, she preferred to think there was some earth-shattering conspiracy behind it.

He's definitely planning to harm me again—I absolutely cannot fall for his tricks…

She stiffened her body as Herbert carried her in a bridal carry.

Her mind raced at high speed, terrified she'd fall into Herbert's trap.

But this time, Elisabeth had truly overthought it.

Herbert was simply in a good mood and decided to reward her—he had no intention of tricking her.

If you had to think the worst, it was merely a slight gentle compensation after having bullied her for so long.

As the old saying goes: "Hit with a slap, then offer a sweet jujube."

By the way, Herbert viewed this old saying as a typical "punish first, reward later" behavioral pattern.

It seemed like a common tactic in certain behaviors.

Clearly, Laozu was also very skilled at training… of course, referring to training and taming animals, nothing else implied.

And Herbert felt so cheerful because, under Nie Nasha's hint, he had finally realized something—his strength couldn't be judged by appearances.

Don't be arrogant, but don't undervalue yourself either.

On the surface, Herbert was merely a high-rank, highly talented Holy Knight.

Promising future, but currently not worth fearing.

In truth, the real Herbert was a Beast Tamer capable of controlling terrifying monsters.

In some people's mouths, he could even be called the 【Monster Manipulator】.

Shortened to: Monster Manipulator… hmm, that doesn't sound right, forget it.

Herbert himself had long realized this, but hadn't fully shifted his mindset.

Otherwise, a high-rank Holy Knight like him wouldn't have the qualifications to scheme against a Legendary-level Dark Elf Matron.

Where did his confidence come from?

Was it himself?

The true source of his confidence came from Vampire Prince Elisabeth, from Shadow Archmage Svan.

It was precisely because of their two powers that he dared to walk boldly through the Shadow Realm.

After realizing this, Herbert decided he should treat these two strong, plump thighs with proper care.

But even clinging to thighs comes in different postures.

Some people prefer to kneel on the ground, begging with the most humble gestures, even willingly letting others step on their face and lick their shoes.

Of course, we don't rule out certain individuals' peculiar tastes—they might genuinely enjoy that.

But Herbert disliked such humble behavior; he felt doing so would shatter his soul along with his dignity.

He preferred to eat soft rice with a hard attitude.

He would eat the soft rice, but on his own terms.

Like now—Elisabeth was clearly in the right, yet he easily dismantled her logic, plunging her into suspicion and confusion.

The two walked slowly in silence, holding each other, in an atmosphere that was anything but romantic.

Finally, after passing through a long corridor, they felt they had pierced through a "membrane," fully entering the Shadow Realm.

Upon entering, they immediately sensed subtle changes in their mana, a slight disorder.

In the densely shadowed air, the normally orderly mana elements now churned chaotically, wildly active with greater intensity than outside.

This was why the Shadow Realm was a forbidden zone for outsiders, yet native spellcasters remained unaffected.

It was not a mana-dead zone—it was a realm of elemental chaos, where all kinds of elements mixed in disorder.

This mana chaos made outsiders utterly unable to cast spells as usual, as if the smooth connection to mana had been forcibly severed.

Native spellcasters, however, were long accustomed to it and could effortlessly channel their own mana without interference.

Fortunately, neither Herbert nor Elisabeth were spellcasters, so the disturbance affected them little.

Herbert was nominally a Holy Knight; though they possessed some spellcasting ability, that power came from oaths, not from themselves.

And after casting, it mostly enhanced their own attributes—speed, strength, perception, and so on.

Adding holy enchantments to weapons could also be temporarily replaced by potions; overall, the impact on their strength was minor.

Elisabeth, as a vampire, fought purely through innate abilities, using blood as her spell medium, not relying on external elements.

Yet this discomfort affected them equally; both furrowed their brows.

"Ugh… puke…"

Elisabeth, with more mana inside her, reacted more strongly; she instinctively struggled, but Herbert's arm tightened around her, holding her close.

"Don't move. Obey." Herbert whispered in a gentle but unyielding tone.

"… "

Elisabeth's lips moved, but finally she shifted her posture, burying her head into Herbert's chest, obediently savoring the warmth.

The atmosphere between them finally began to turn romantic.

After a moment of adjustment, Elisabeth finally recovered somewhat, lifting her head and struggling to get down from Herbert's arms.

"Put… put me down…"

Herbert didn't move to stop her, just kept his head lowered and continued whispering gently.

"Be good."

Those words, utterly lacking in intimidation, made Elisa's heart skip a beat; it felt as if electricity was coursing through her whole body, a faint tingling spreading everywhere, and she instinctively chose to obey.

"Oh…"

She lowered her head again, letting her hair cover her expression, and gently breathed in the scent on Herbert.

Breathing in that intoxicating fragrance, Elisa's pupils gradually changed, a greedy desire surfacing, and her heart gave a light thump.

Thump.

The suppressed hunger gradually overtook her consciousness.

Rustle, rustle…

Elisa's delicate body slowly rose within Herbert's embrace like a flower gradually unfurling its petals.

Her movements were gentle and slow, as if drawn by some invisible force.

Then, her two slender hands, like two light feathers, came to rest softly upon his neck.

"…"

Herbert's expression shifted slightly, but he didn't stop her, letting the bloodsucker, who had lost herself to the moment, continue.

Elisa's expression carried a hint of blankness, as if she had fallen into some kind of hazy dream.

She half-closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly, then gently brought the tip of her nose toward Herbert's neck, her movements cautious and careful, yet brimming with an indescribable longing.

She sniffed lightly, her nostrils flaring slightly, as if trying to capture a unique and captivating scent.

Sniff~ Ha!

Then, the tip of her tongue peeked out from between her lips, lightly touching Herbert's smooth skin.

The tip of her tongue slid gently, as if carefully exploring, meticulously searching for the flowing deliciousness hidden beneath the skin.

Finally, came the tips of her fangs.

After a brief search, the sharp tips of her fangs were revealed.

In the flickering fluorescent darkness, accompanied by a soft "Tsst—", the vampire finally sank her teeth into the holy knight's skin.

The Young Lady vampire's eyes narrowed slightly, a greedy yet satisfied expression appearing on her face as she drank her fill of that intoxicating blood, as if it were the sweetest nectar in the world.

The holy knight, meanwhile, lowered his gaze, gently supporting the vampire's body so she could more easily drink his blood.

Elisa was hungry.

Elisa had previously killed so many slave traders; she shouldn't have been short on blood.

Whenever she wanted, she could casually feast to her heart's content.

But the fact that Elisa was hungry now could only mean one thing—she had looked down on those people's filthy blood and hadn't taken a single drop.

Thinking back, it was indeed so.

The flesh and blood of those evil men had all turned into a pool of crimson blood on the ground, rather than being absorbed into her body.

This discovery pleased Herbert greatly, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.

The taming was going very smoothly.

Now, Elisa was becoming increasingly unable to live without Herbert's blood.

The more Elisa depended on Herbert, the less likely she could break free from him, and the faster her conquest progress could be advanced.

When she became completely unable to live without Herbert's blood, that would be the moment she utterly fell.

The two remained like that for a while, until Elisa finally stopped sucking and let out a long, satisfied breath.

"Mm— Ha~"

The fragrant breath from her mouth blew contentedly onto Herbert's neck, making him raise an eyebrow slightly as he pressed his lips together, suppressing an involuntary reaction.

Elisa, still in a half-dreaming state, knew even after finishing her meal that she had to take good care of her food, and gently licked the wound with the tip of her tongue.

Herbert's expression shifted slightly. He cleared his throat lightly and said, "Ahem, did you enjoy yourself?"

Elisa instinctively smacked her lips, then muttered discontentedly, "Ah, it was okay, moderately enjoyable. It's good to drink, sure, but it still doesn't compare to holy blood…"

No good, that one still hits harder.

"Oh, so you've gotten picky now."

"Get up."

Herbert snorted, a bit annoyed, and his fingers applied slight pressure, giving a light pinch to the buttock he was supporting.

His fingers hadn't used much force, but it was precisely that ambiguous touch—half pinch, half caress—that made Elisa react most strongly.

"Ah!?!"

Elisa sobered up on the spot, springing up instantly, launching herself out of Herbert's embrace, spinning three and a half times in the air before landing on the ground.

"You!"

The Young Lady vampire glared, about to bare her fangs at the bully who had tormented her again, when her gaze happened to land on the bloodstains still not yet dry on Herbert's neck.

"Uh!"

Realizing what she had unconsciously done just now, her bravado deflated in an instant.

She scratched her head and gave an awkward little laugh.

"Ahahaha, nice weather today, isn't it."

How awkward.

She had been controlled by her instincts again, clinging to him and sucking hard for a good while.

"Heh."

Herbert chuckled softly, raised a hand to wipe at his neck, and used his fingertip to pick up a thread of liquid mixed with fresh blood.

He deliberately gave Elisa a deep look, then brought his fingertip to his lips and gently licked it.

"Mm, the taste really isn't bad."

Elisha:???

The vampire Young Lady had never seen anything like this before; her cheeks flushed red on the spot, and her eyes went wide.

She pointed at Herbert, her mouth opening and closing for a long while without managing a single complete sentence.

"You, ah, I, aah… huh?"

What are you doing?

Pervert!

Elisha instinctively stepped back, but Herbert, who had walked over with a smiling squint in his eyes, pulled her back in one motion.

"Ah!"

He picked up the stiffened Elisha in one fluid movement, lowered his head, and gently bit her neck.

!!!

Again with this!

"Ah…"

Elisha felt a wave of tingling numbness run through her body, and instinctively was about to collapse into Herbert's arms.

Who would have thought that this time Herbert would not hesitate in the slightest, and directly set her back down.

Elisha: Eh?

The vampire Young Lady lifted her head in confusion, only to see the Holy Knight's smiling gaze, full of hidden meaning.

"Alright, this time we're even."

He used his index finger to gently lift the vampire's chin, and his thumb pad to lightly stroke her still bloodstained red lips.

"If next time you still want it, or want to get more, then please just tell me directly."

Having said that, Herbert released his fingers without the slightest reluctance, leaving only a faint warmth on Elisha's chin.

"…"

Elisha pressed her lips together, glaring at the boy opposite her with insufficient force.

What nonsense are you talking about, I wouldn't want more!

Lines like this, ones she could easily say before, for some reason got stuck in her throat and refused to come out.

Beside this fellow, she seemed to have been changed without realizing it.

Just what had happened?

"You…"

And while Elisha was pondering what all this meant, an untimely third party inserted herself.

"Lord Herbert, the preparations are complete."

"Vilanmeya," who had been missing for quite a while, emerged from some shadow out of nowhere, expressionlessly wedging herself between the two of them, right in front of Elisha.

She didn't even glance at Elisha, bowed to Herbert, and then said deferentially: "My lord, I have done a preliminary survey, and the Dark Region has not changed much from my previous memories."

With a slight movement of her palm, a block of magic condensed from shadow magic trembled faintly, shifting into different shapes.

"Whether it's the composition of the magic or the terrain, it's all much the same as before."

A few hundred years, for humans, can be enough to change dynasties, to see off a dozen or more generations.

But for the whole world, that span of time is far, far too short.

A mere few hundred years, and the Dark Region showed no great change.

This news made Herbert nod slightly, feeling he had a little more certainty in hand.

Good news — it could ensure Swanny's combat power wouldn't be affected.

Swanny added: "Also, just now, the other cultivators from the monastery have followed someone's trail and entered the main passage."

"Everyone?" Herbert pressed.

"Everyone. They all went in the same direction."

"That fast, huh…"

Herbert blinked, not expecting these people's efficiency to be so high, that they wouldn't wait for him at all.

In fact, these people had been spurred on by Fa'ao and the others, and a fire was burning in everyone's heart.

They were desperately trying to prove that they were not cowardly weaklings who shied from battle.

They may be heroes, but we can be heroes too!

Swanny nodded and said softly: "And since they've taken that route, according to the maps they have, it should take at least five days to reach Maragas."

"My lord, the time has come."

The Dark Region's roads branched out in all directions, the tunnels interconnected, making it extremely easy to get lost, and there were many different ways to go.

Herbert caught the unspoken meaning in Swanny's words and asked: "So, what do you mean?"

A slight change flickered in Swanny's eyes, but quickly vanished.

"According to our original plan, we were to accompany them to the vicinity of Maragas City before splitting up, and now that we've already split off on our own, that saves us the trouble."

"The chance is rare; we can move ahead of schedule now."

"I know a secret shortcut; we can reach Maragas in less than half a day."

"That time difference of at least four days is more than enough for us to ambush and kill Stella, even handle everything, and return to their side."

The burdens had left on their own — opportunity knocks but once.

Herbert frowned slightly, neither rejecting nor directly agreeing.

Swanny's being so eager made him feel a subtle unease.

Being this hasty is not a good omen.

To put Herbert at ease, Svannie quietly added, "I've hidden flesh-and-blood clones on them. If anything happens to them, I'll know."

Clones again?

Herbert's brow lifted slightly, and he asked with some curiosity, "Tell me, just how many flesh-and-blood clones can you actually split off?"

Just the ones he could remember, he'd already seen four or five.

At this topic, Svannie smiled, shook her head modestly, and said softly, "This ability looks like a lot, but in truth there really aren't that many."

"If I push myself to the limit, and without any guarantee of combat power, the absolute maximum… is just over a hundred."

Herbert:?

How many?

I didn't catch that just now, say it again, louder.

How the hell many clones can you split off?

……

……

Malagas Moore.

"Ha, ha, cough, cough!"

In a shadowy corner, Theresa panted with effort, her eyes full of confusion.

In this city shrouded by "undeath," the young girl still struggled to live on.

Only, although she was alive, her appearance now had already changed greatly from before.

Her face looked considerably more mature, her chin had grown pointed and pretty, and her whole being was filled with a faint, bewitching charm.

The bloodstained eyepatch covering her right eye had fallen off somewhere, revealing the eye beneath — an eye of brilliant purple.

And the most startling thing was the girl's scarred, slender legs, which had now actually transformed into a thick, powerful tail covered in pale purple scales!

It was the long tail of a serpent.

The tail slid across the ground without leaving any trace; it was precisely thanks to this ability that she had been able to evade those people's pursuit.

"What exactly has happened to my body?"

Theresa lowered her head, gazed at the serpent tail beneath her, and murmured, not knowing to whom she was putting the question.

"I… just what am I?"

(End of chapter)