Hell's Gate

Something was amiss, so Russell decided to wait and see. He remained silent and watched as Van Helsing walked over to court disaster!

Van Helsing also sensed something was amiss, but his more than four hundred years of exorcism career had brought him to the brink of death countless times, and he was used to such things. He slowly stepped forward with his longsword, carefully removing the rotten wood that had melted from the coffin.

A moment later, Van Helsing, with a strange expression, beckoned to Russell, signaling him to come and take a look.

Russell held Cross in one hand and Crystal in the other, and in the center he saw a dark cave that had sunk deep into the ground.

The cave was about the width of a person, and there was no sound of wind inside, nor did it know where it led.

Van Helsing drew his sword, wanting to bleed a little, but Russell decisively stopped him. The Magic Circle's function was to draw blood into it; what difference was there between drawing blood into it and courting death?

Just as the two were hesitating, a noise came from the ventilation shaft of the domed tomb, and dozens of black bats swarmed in, converging and transforming into Dracula in human form.

"If I were you, I would stay away from that cave entrance, as far away as possible."

Dracula sneered repeatedly, but Russell saw a hint of panic in his eyes. Dracula cared a lot about this place and would rather go and get a beating than let anyone cause trouble.

Can you tell me why?

Russell pulled Van Helsing aside, and seeing that Dracula's expression was strange, he actually intended to bleed him out.

"You don't need to know! Leave the Frozen Castle now, and our grudges will be wiped clean. I'll pretend you were never here."

"So, we should thank you then..."

Russell scoffed, took out Adamantium Blade, and held it to Van Helsing's neck. "Tell me the truth, or I'll bleed you dry!"

Van Helsing: "..."

Dracula's face twitched. Seeing that Russell might actually slit Van Helsing's throat, he said with difficulty, "That's the Hell's Gate. If you bleed into it, you'll open that gate, and then the army of hell will descend, and everyone will be doomed."

Russell remained silent, moving the Blade two centimeters away from Van Helsing's neck, and continued, "As far as I know, the Frozen Castle is where your father exiled you, and your father was a knight of the Lord. How could this place be connected to the Hell's Gate?"

"Heh, you're right..." Dracula chuckled self-deprecatingly, "But don't forget, I am the devil's servant, serving the devil by building the Hell's Gate to the human world. What's wrong with that?"

Van Helsing frowned. "If that's the case, why are you stopping us? Isn't summoning the devil your wish?"

"Idiot, if it were just a wish, I would have done it already!"

Dracula angrily retorted, "The devil is only a devil in hell, and God is only God in heaven. They can stay high above; the human world doesn't need them."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this, though they didn't say it aloud, they all agreed in their hearts. Gods are better off living in legends; it's fine for them to occasionally perform miracles, but if they were to actually appear on earth, it would be a disaster.

Dracula suddenly became full of positive energy, not because he had realized something and wanted to turn over a new leaf and become a good person, but because the arrival of the devil did him no good at all.

Dracula wanted to rule the human world and become a supreme god. To achieve this goal, there was a necessary prerequisite: there was no being stronger than him on earth.

Therefore, he built the Hell's Gate according to the devil's command, but he also tried his best to prevent the gates from being opened.

To put it bluntly, he's a devil too!

Now that things have come to this, regardless of whether Dracula's words are true or false, this hole must not be touched.

Russell, in any case, wouldn't touch it; it's too hot to handle, and he can't bear the responsibility.

"This hole is too dangerous to leave; it must be destroyed." Van Helsing glanced at the dark entrance, a Hell's Gate that could open at any moment, and the thought sent chills down his spine.

"Sorry, I can't."

Dracula resolutely refused, leaving no room for negotiation. "I made a pact with the devil, and I gained immortality and immense power. The price I paid was to build the Hell's Gate. If the gates are destroyed, I will not live according to the pact."

Russell's eyes lit up. Destroying the Hell's Gate would also take down Dracula in the process. This... this kills two birds with one stone! It has to be destroyed!

"Idiot, since I dared to say it, I'm not afraid of you daring to make a move."

Dracula glanced at Russell with disdain, revealing his inner thoughts, and said half-jokingly, "The completion of the Hell's Gate means that the human world and Hell are connected. If this gate of the human world is destroyed, it is equivalent to the gate of Hell being unshackled, and the human world will become Hell's backyard, where people can come and go as they please."

Why should I believe your lies?

"Because you can't afford to gamble!"

Van Helsing remained silent. Indeed, he couldn't afford to gamble, not even if the Pope were in his place.

Dracula scoffed, "Get out of here! You've destroyed the Magic Circle; I need to draw a new one..."

Van Helsing's expression darkened, and he tightened his grip on his longsword. "Gudra, you still dare to build this door?"

"Hmph, I can only guarantee I will never open it!"

The two were locked in a fierce confrontation, and it looked like they were about to fight again. Russell decisively stepped back and led a group of people to stand on the sidelines and watch, occasionally shouting encouragement to Van Helsing.

The two men got into another fight after a disagreement, but they both tacitly stayed away from the Hell's Gate, afraid that their blood would spill inside.

Accidents often happen unexpectedly, and Russell knew this well. To avoid a melodramatic turn of events, he flicked out a water balloon hidden in his sleeve and placed it above the hole to prevent blood from splashing in.

With no worries about what was happening, Van Helsing and Dracula fought even more fiercely. To be precise, Dracula fought even more fiercely, transforming into his bat-like human form, grabbing Van Helsing by the neck, pinning him against the wall, and punching him repeatedly in the face.

Van Helsing took two punches and coughed up blood, spraying it all over Dracula's face.

Bathing in the blood of one's mortal enemy is an honor one desires above all else, and Dracula, of course, wouldn't shy away from it. He accepted it with a cold laugh, and then his tragedy struck.

The blood was mixed with Holy Water blessed by the Pope. To dark creatures, it was no less powerful than splashing sulfuric acid on a human's face.

Dracula screamed and released his grip, half of his face melted into mud by the Holy Water. His Immortal Body was barely keeping him alive, and he writhed on the ground in agony.

Van Helsing picked up the longsword from the ground, his eyes turning dark gold. He was then brutally beaten, and his true form returned to normal.

Russell gripped the Cross necklace tightly, and to his astonishment, Van Helsing cleaved Dracula in two with a single sword strike. He then strode toward the black cave that led straight to hell, his longsword glowing with holy light as he thrust it down, held it upside down.

Water splashed, and a holy light penetrated the endless darkness...

Russell was dumbfounded. What did the angel boss mean by this? Was he going to close the door or open it?