No, aren't vampires a bit too over-the-top?
Ed asked himself, if this world was indeed created by a Tree God whose existence was unknown, then the vampires were being treated with the favoritism of an eldest son.
Highly infectious, Blood Corpse Transformation Incarnation; only weakens but doesn't kill under sunlight; agile at night; special abilities can be gained at Low Tier...
Aside from being constrained by those in power, it has virtually no flaws!
"Well."
Ed sighed and muttered to himself:
"If I were a vampire when I landed, paired with Little Green, I'd probably rule half the world by now."
"What did you say?"
Willow didn't hear Ed's Whisper clearly and asked casually.
"It's nothing, please continue."
"The vampire grand dukes have recovered from the chaos corrupted by the Demonic Tide. My mother once spoke with two of them, and according to them, the previous decades were like a dream to them. Now that they have woken up, they have naturally regained their sanity."
"However, not all demons possess this ability, or rather, only the strongest few vampires do. For the vast majority of creatures, falling into madness due to the Demonic Tide is an irreversible process."
"My mother firmly believes that vampires are not special. Their so-called awakening from chaos is actually just a compromise with the Demonic Tide. They may appear rational, but they are fundamentally no longer the same people they once were."
Willow continued to reveal the secrets of the vampire race, Ed, after thinking for a moment, interjected with a question:
"The vampires have regained their sanity, and the Blood Corpse are still chasing you?"
Willow's expression turned slightly angry:
"It's gotten even worse."
Just as my mother guessed, those vampire grand dukes weren't always very bright, so they hoped that liches could become their advisors and help them make decisions.
"According to vampires, one can be painlessly transformed into a lich vampire simply by receiving the Embrace, gaining a long lifespan and the ability to manipulate blood. Liches are already exceptionally talented in Psionic Energy, and when combined with their blood-related powers, they become exceptionally powerful."
"But you didn't agree?"
"Yes, because that would mean becoming a complete puppet of the vampire grand dukes. Some liches have succumbed, but my mother and I didn't want to become like that, so after the negotiations with the vampires broke down, she took me and we continued to flee for our lives."
"But vampires with reason are much harder to deal with than before, and our hiding place is becoming increasingly easy to discover."
"During the escape, my mother's soul was marked by some Blood Corpse she killed."
Willow pointed to a location on the map:
About a month ago, my mother and I were driven to the brink of despair. She eventually let me into the teleportation array, but she stayed there herself...
"Therefore, I hate Blood Corpse just as much, perhaps even more than most humans."
Ed remained silent upon hearing this. Although the Blood Corpse Blood Corpse was now everyone's enemy, he didn't actually have any hatred towards it.
So Willow is indeed one of the few people in the entire Second Holy See who has blood on their hands with the Blood Corpse. She, Gray, and Xilǐ'er can be considered Alliance makeshift Avengers.
Ed processed the information provided by the lich and then shifted the topic slightly:
"What's the name of the Grand Duke who's been hunting you down?"
"Two grand dukes participated in the pursuit, Wens and Rosalind. My mother was ultimately killed by Wens."
"Do you know the names of these seven grand dukes?"
The lich nodded:
" Antos, Wens, York, Rosalind, Vanessa, Adelaide, and Hall —three of them, along with all the Blood Corpse in the lineage, were left in the Demon Realm. The remaining four, along with the Blood Corpse in the lineage, were supposedly sealed away, but I haven't figured out exactly which ones were sealed away and which ones were left in the Demon Realm."
"This rumor is clearly true, because Blood Corpse have indeed appeared outside the Graycast Corridor and the Eternal Domain, a sign that the seal Shattered."
"You know the seal Shattered?"
"Of course, all seals will eventually Shattered, and the Shattered trend is from the outside in. So the initial Blood Corpse weren't that difficult to deal with. The more you go, the stronger the Blood Corpse will break free. If it weren't for the dragons and the 'black hole' here, I probably would have left."
As Willow recounted her story, Ed's brow furrowed slightly.
The settings... don't quite match up.
He clearly remembered Gray saying that the textbooks in the Graycast Corridor stated that three of the seven Blood Dukes were sealed away, and the other four were trapped in the Demon Realm in a battle royale (Chapter 290). How come it was the exact opposite in the Lich's case?
He looked at the lich in front of him, his expression becoming much more serious:
Are you sure what you're saying is true?
Willow first nodded, then shook her head slightly:
"At least that's what my mother told me. She spoke with Wens and Rosalind after they regained their sanity, so those two must be in the Demon Realm. As for the others, I haven't seen them myself."
Ed stroked his chin and added:
" Xilǐ'er, who comes from the Eternal Domain, once entered the Demon Realm to wage war and killed a count from the Wens Lineage, which matches up to this."
"My Soul Returner will be marked with the Blood Curse of ' Antos ' after killing Blood Corpse during this period, so Antos should be in a sealed state, which is not a problem."
"But Gray once told me that in the knowledge of the Graycast Corridor, four vampires were left in the Demon Realm and three were sealed away, which is different from what you said. I think there may be some hidden story behind this."
"In short, the status of three grand dukes is now confirmed, while the status of the remaining four is still under investigation."
Willow nodded:
"I see. What you said makes a lot of sense. My mother's notes may contain relevant information. I'll take a closer look at them now, and then we can discuss it further."
"Then it's settled. Oh, right, I have one last question I'd like to ask."
"Excuse me."
What is your research area?
Willow looked into Ed's eyes, pondered for a long time, and asked:
Do you really want the world to return to order?
Ed was a little confused by the question:
"Of course, is there any existence that doesn't want the world to return to order?"
Willow nodded:
" Wens and Rosalind are such people."
"No, why?"
"Because they believe that if the world returns to order, the enhancements they received from the Demonic Tide will also disappear, and vampires will no longer be the most powerful demon race."
"Just because of that?"
"Just because of that."
Willow said with certainty:
"So they're hunting us down not only because they hope we'll become one of the Blood Corpse and their strategists, but also for another reason..."
The lich gently placed the short staff adorned with the blue gem on the table:
"We've found a way to slow down the Demonic Tide."