Gap

Finding Angela was not difficult for Li Lin at all. Although Nia's absence prevented him from using divination magic to pinpoint the little one's location, the familiar and its master had a mental connection. Using this radar-like connection, Li Lin easily found the cave that Mina had mentioned.

It was clear that the little guy was under a lot of pressure. The road was littered with the corpses of various monsters, and Li Lin didn't even need to probe further to realize that the little guy had almost wiped out all the creatures around him. Although most of these subterranean creatures were powerful and evil, it was hard not to feel sorry for them after such a tragic end. However, Li Lin simply sighed and didn't say anything more.

Just as Mina described, this was a very beautiful place, but also very complex. Although he sensed Angela's presence, Li Lin couldn't quickly locate her. The fluorescent plants possessed magical power and were clearly very dangerous. After all, this was the Underdark, a world without light. And these plants used their light to lure and devour their prey.

Could Angela have been swallowed by that thing?

Li Lin immediately banished this absurd thought from his mind. Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, the little guy could absolutely not be attacked by such a thing.

The feeling of telepathy grew stronger, and Li Lin passed through another cave. Then, he heard a faint humming sound coming from the darkness.

"Angela?"

Li Lin gave a soft call, and the singing immediately stopped. Then, the little creature jumped out of the darkness, looking at Li Lin with an excited smile.

"Master? What brings you here?"

I heard you got lost.

Li Lin glanced meaningfully at his surroundings, then turned his gaze back to Angela.

That's why I came to find you.

Who said I'm lost?

Facing Li Lin, Angela blushed slightly and pouted, looking like a wronged child.

"I was just resting here for a bit... Hmph, that idiot Mina can't even handle things properly, and you had to come all this way to find me..."

"Are you really not lost?"

Li Lin watched Angela with amusement. Her big red eyes weren't squinting as usual, but were constantly darting around, which in fact revealed the truth. However, it was rare for Li Lin to see Angela like this, so he decided to tease her a little more.

Of course not!

Angela proudly puffed out her chest.

"This is the dark underground world, the source of darkness. How could I, a noble noblewoman of the night, possibly get lost in such a place? I merely found the scenery beautiful and decided to rest here for a while and enjoy the view."

"Then why didn't you inform Mina?"

"Well..."

Angela was momentarily stunned by Li Lin's question, but then her smug and arrogant expression returned.

"Hmph, as a servant, she should know how to read my mind! If she can't even do that, what's the point of having her? Hmph, it seems I must punish that idiot properly when we get back. It's a shame she's also a member of the dark vampire clan, yet she can't even do something as simple as reading between the lines."

It's unclear whether Angela is angry that Mina doesn't know how to read people's expressions, or that Mina is too good at it.

"Okay, okay."

Li Lin chuckled inwardly, not intending to push the little one too hard, otherwise Mina might be in big trouble when they got back.

"It's getting late, let's head back soon, after all, the caravan is about to set off."

"Ah, wait a minute, Master."

Just as Li Lin turned to leave, Angela suddenly stepped forward and grabbed his robe. She seemed to realize that her action was giving away her secret and immediately and awkwardly released his hand. However, Vampire Species is Vampire Species after all; the wisdom accumulated over countless years is not just for show. Angela instantly donned a beautiful, warm, and lovely smile, and approached Li Lin with a light laugh.

"There's nobody here."

"Are you planning to do this here?"

Li Lin raised an eyebrow and looked at Angela.

"Certainly."

Angela chuckled and took a step back.

"How are you, Master? You've been enduring this for so long, it must have been very tiring."

"But it seems to me there's a little guy who's putting in even more effort than I am."

Li Lin gazed at Angela, a helpless bitter smile spreading across his face. He reached out and caressed Angela's small face, then slowly slid his hand down her fair neck to her slightly protruding breasts. The gorgeous gothic dress perfectly enveloped her petite body, which was not yet fully developed (and would never be), like an outer shell covering an unripe fruit.

"Waaah..."

Sensing Li Lin's desire, Angela's body tensed. She clenched her teeth, trying not to make a sound. The desire through her clothes gave Angela a strange feeling, as if the clothes covering her body had come alive and were wantonly invading her. Watching Angela's slightly parted breaths, Li Lin's right hand slipped through the gap in the untied ribbon and entered her, touching the delicious flesh inside after breaking free of the outer shell.

"Mmm... Master... it's so itchy..."

Angela nestled in Li Lin's arms, enjoying Li Lin caresses, and couldn't help but moan softly. But the little one wasn't about to give up so easily; soon, she reached out her little hand and began to retaliate by reaching between Li Lin's legs.

"It's already so big, truly worthy of being the master's murder weapon."

"You shouldn't be saying things like that!"

As the clothes covering Angela's body were slowly removed, the girl's flawless, perfect body was exposed to the fluorescent light. Li Lin knelt down on her and gently bit the small, pinkish protrusion, causing Angela to tremble and stop what she was doing.

"Master? You're being far too cunning..."

"As a familiar, you have no right to complain to me."

To Li Lin, Angela's body was special. She never possessed the typical human body odor; instead, she exuded a deep fragrance—and a subtle hint of bloodiness. Each time he interacted with Angela, Li Lin felt as if he were savoring a fine wine—smooth, delicate, and sweet, yet harboring a potent, stimulating quality. Her smooth, supple skin was soft and comfortable, yet it also gave him a fragile illusion; simply holding her in his arms evoked an urge to assault her, to forcibly destroy her.

Angela was clearly impatient; she parted her lips slightly, welcoming Li Lin's intrusion. Li Lin quickly silenced her with a kiss, his hand sliding downwards, penetrating deeper into her sensitive area, and giving her a firm squeeze.

"Ah..."

Stimulated violently, Angela suddenly screamed, then immediately stopped. However, the echo of her "Ah!" reverberated within the cave, slowly fading into the darkness after some time.

"You have to hold back, okay?"

Li Lin revealed a smug smile and looked at Angela.

"If you shout too loudly, those mercenaries might hear you."

"...!!"

Angela tensed up immediately, instinctively trying to close her legs. At that moment, taking advantage of her momentary distraction from his words, Li Lin penetrated the girl's body.

Caught off guard by Li Lin's unexpected attack, Angela had no choice but to cover her mouth tightly with her hands. As a noble Vampire Species, it would be an absolute humiliation for Angela to have her cries heard by those lowly humans. But right now, this humiliation had also become a source of pleasure for her; the fear and anger buried deep in her heart had also turned into a burning flame under Li Lin's actions. Soon, Angela's small hands were wrapped around Li Lin's neck, and she was suspended in mid-air like a bear in a tree, gritting her teeth and trying to withstand the onslaught of wave after wave.

Similarly, the intense stimulation Li Lin felt was no less than that of Angela. The bodies of Vampire Species seemed to possess an innate allure; any man who entered them would become addicted and unable to extricate himself. Moreover, Angela had no body temperature; her body was naturally icy cold. Although this feeling was different from that of ordinary women, it still brought a unique kind of stimulation.

Perhaps water is an exception.

Li Lin thought about this as he exercised.

However, he had no experience in engaging in such "interactions" with elemental spirits.

Just then, Li Lin suddenly felt Angela's body begin to react violently, and he was also nearing his limit. So Li Lin tightly embraced the petite body in his arms, and with a low growl, began his final assault...

When it was all over, no one knew how much time had passed.

Angela nestled quietly in Li Lin's arms, appearing unusually exhausted. While theoretically Vampire Species don't possess the physical sensory feedback of "fatigue," the "special conditions" of this situation had put the little one under considerable mental strain. The clash between her Vampire Species pride and her primal urges for pleasure was exhausting, but despite her best efforts to hold back until the very end, she ultimately succumbed to Li Lin's advances and surrendered completely.

Don't worry.

Li Lin straightened his robes, and after confirming that there were no problems, he looked at Angela, who looked somewhat uneasy.

"I set up a soundproof barrier around here from the beginning; no one outside could have heard what you just said... hahaha..."

"Master! You...!!"

Angela jumped up suddenly, her little face puffed out in anger.

How could you...?

"But you seem to be enjoying it quite a bit, don't you?"

"Ugh... it's not exactly bad, but..."

"Alright."

As Li Lin spoke, he patted Angela's little head.

"We should head back. We've been gone for so long; the caravan must be getting impatient."

Angela narrowed her eyes in displeasure, wanting to say something, but ultimately gave up.

"It's wrong of you to treat me like this!"

"Okay, even if I was wrong, as an apology, I won't force you like this again in the future, okay?"

"Waaah..."

Seeing Angela's adorable face change color in an instant, Li Lin smiled happily. He didn't say anything more, turned around, and walked back the way he came. Angela's expression changed several times, but in the end, she followed behind Li Lin and left the dark cave.

Interlude Village

The sound of horses neighing came from outside the window.

Pete hugged his child and looked curiously out the window.

Xiernas is a remote town, rarely visited by anyone. Who could be coming here at this time?

He looked out the window and his eyes widened in surprise. At the village entrance, dozens of strong horses had already blocked the way, and riding on them were knights in full gold armor, their expressions serious. Moreover, not far behind them, a banner was fluttering in the sunlight.

"The Knights Templar!"

Pete gasped. He had lived here for sixty years and had never seen these real Templar Knights before. What were they doing here? Pete didn't think too much about it. He handed his grandson to his wife, straightened his clothes, and strode out of the house. As the village chief, he had an obligation to greet these knights, no matter what their purpose was.

Just as old Pete stepped out of his house, he noticed several villagers standing there looking uneasy.

"Village chief, who are those people...?"

"Templar Knights."

Although Pete was also inwardly panicked, he had to appear calm for the moment. What business did these important figures have in his small village? They were fully armed and didn't seem very friendly... With these uneasy thoughts, the old village chief slowly walked up to the knights, bowed slightly, and paid his respects to them.

"Greetings, holy knights, welcome to Xiernas... I am Pete, the village chief. May I ask what brings you here?"

"Hello, sir."

The lead knight dismounted, removed his helmet, and revealed a warm smile.

"I am the Grand Master of the Third Knights Templar of the Temple. I apologize for disturbing you and hope you can forgive me."

"Oh, esteemed knight, it's nothing..."

Faced with the knight before him, old Pete was somewhat flustered, unsure of what to say. After all, in all his years, he had never seen anyone of higher rank than the steward of the neighboring lord's castle. This young knight, however, was the Grand Master of the Knights Templar —far more powerful than the steward. Yet, he still didn't know what these knights were doing here. Although old Pete voiced his question, the Grand Master didn't say anything more, only that he had some urgent business to investigate. This made old Pete uneasy, because he had just heard from the militia that the knights had politely "invited" them back to the village, leaving them to guard the entrance. What was the purpose of these knights coming here for no reason?

"Village Chief, I'd like to ask, there should be a pastor here, where is he?"

"Oh, you mean Mr. Hanmo?"

At this point, old Pete temporarily put those whimsical ideas aside and answered respectfully.

"He's a very good pastor... He does his best to treat anyone in the village who falls ill. However, these days Mr. Hanmo himself seems to be feeling a bit unwell..."

At this point, the old village chief looked up at the church.

"I wonder how his health is. We haven't seen him in the village for the past few days; nobody knows what he's been doing..."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Upon hearing the old village chief's story, the knight frowned slightly. He bent down and spoke a few words with his colleague beside him before turning back to the old village chief.

"Excuse me, Mr. Village Chief, I have a favor to ask of you."

"You're too kind. Please just let me know if there's anything I can help you with..."

"That's right. We've come here on a sacred mission entrusted to us by His Holiness the Bishop. It's to protect the kind people here that we've traveled so far to get here."

"Protect? Respected knight, how could I...?"

"According to His Excellency the Bishop, evil has already enveloped you."

Even if the knight's expression wasn't so serious, what he said was enough to frighten the poor old man.

"We have come here to bring you the glory of the gods and the light of goodness, and to protect you from the afflictions of evil."

"This, how is this possible? Your Excellency, Knight."

Upon hearing the Knight Commander's words, the old village chief was stunned for a moment before hurriedly responding.

"We are all devout believers, and this little village has been peaceful for so long; we haven't heard of anything..."

"Evil is not necessarily just what you can see in front of you."

The knight commander shook his head, forcefully interrupting the old village chief's frantic explanation.

"I hope you can help me gather the villagers into the church, where we will bestow upon them the blessings of a great god to help you resist this terrible evil force."

"Oh, that's right, of course."

The old village chief had already sensed the underlying firmness in the knight commander's tone, so he said nothing more. He quickly bowed to the knight commander and then withdrew.

"Commander, what's your opinion?"

Watching the old village chief's departing figure, another knight asked in a low voice.

"As I entered the village, I already had a vague sense of the power of darkness and evil."

The Knight Commander's previously friendly and warm smile now turned solemn and serious.

"It seems that His Excellency the Bishop's information was correct."

Upon entering his house, the old village chief quickly ordered his servants to gather the villagers. Then he sighed, as if something was on his mind.

"What's wrong with you?"

The old woman stepped forward, watching her husband with curiosity. A group of Templar Knights had appeared here, claiming to protect them from evil—wasn't that a good thing? Why did her husband act as if the world was ending?

"I have a bad feeling about this."

The old village chief frowned.

"Although these Templar Knights are all good people, I still feel that something is not quite right... I've lived for almost seventy years and have never seen anything like this before."

At this point, the old village chief hesitated slightly and looked at his wife.

"Perhaps you shouldn't participate in this blessing ceremony. I have a feeling something's not quite right."

What are you talking about?

The old woman stood up abruptly and hugged the child in her arms tightly.

"You doubt the great God of Justice? This is blasphemy! How could you think such a thing! Our daughter and her husband both died young, leaving us only this one child. Do you want him to be deprived of the blessing of the God of Justice and to be tempted by darkness?"

That's not what I meant!

Perhaps due to his agitation, the old village chief suddenly shouted angrily. However, he quickly realized his loss of composure and sighed again.

"I just meant... never mind, I won't say anything more."

Seeing that his wife wasn't listening at all, the old village chief could only sigh and say nothing more.

Summoned by the village chief, the villagers quickly gathered inside the church, curiously watching the Templar Knights guarding the area and occasionally whispering among themselves. Of course, some of the elders, like the village chief, didn't quite understand this unusual summons. However, they believed they hadn't done anything against God's will, so they didn't need to worry too much.

When the old village chief entered the church, he was somewhat surprised to find that Templar Knights were guarding the area, and the priest they knew was still nowhere to be seen. Therefore, the old village chief was not at ease at all; on the contrary, he became increasingly worried.

However, there is no turning back now.

The old village chief had no idea that their fate had been decided the moment the heavy church doors closed.

The knight commander stepped forward, and the crowd immediately ceased their commotion and whispers. They all stared at the man before them with curious, confused, and puzzled eyes, wondering what he had to say.

"Dear friends, the Almighty, Merciful, and Just God has noticed the suffering and evil that plagues you!"

The knight commander suddenly spoke, startling everyone. His voice was like rolling thunder, sounding exceptionally terrifying.

"We have learned from the revelation God has given us that darkness and evil are eyeing this land! They will invade your minds and tempt you!"

He stretched out his hands, facing the gods.

"Can we allow such evil deeds? No, we cannot! To protect you, to protect you devout believers, our bishop has given the order, and that is why we have come here. To drive away the evil and darkness around you!"

Silence fell over the crowd. They looked at each other in confusion, wondering what had happened. No one noticed that the Templar Knights had blocked the gate.

"Pray! Pray to the great God of Justice, and ask for his help!"

As he spoke, the knight commander was the first to kneel on one knee and began to silently recite a prayer. Although the villagers were somewhat confused, they followed him and knelt down, beginning the same action.

A holy light gradually appeared inside the church, a light that felt comfortable and warm. However, the old village chief suddenly felt that this light was unusually dazzling. Although it was very comfortable, for some reason, the old village chief suddenly felt a deep-seated aversion to this holy light.

It's too bright!

"Wow---!"

The silence of the church was broken by the cry of a baby.

"Who is it?!"

The knight commander suddenly turned around, his serious eyes fixed on the crowd below.

"Who is it that cries out in the holy light!"

"M-Sir, I'm so sorry... I didn't..."

The old village chief's wife held the child tightly in her arms. She wanted to apologize, but the holy light before her only allowed her to see a white blur.

"Perhaps it's because the light is too dazzling..."

"Boom!"

Just then, the door on the inside of the church was suddenly kicked open.

Hanmo, the once kind and gentle priest, was now dressed in tattered clothes, his priest's robe stained with blood. He held his hands high, along with a stone on them.

"Who? Who is unleashing evil in this sacred church?!"

He shouted loudly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the Templar Knight before him.

"Are you here to kill me? You evil devil?! No, I won't let you succeed! This is my child with the Holy Maiden, and I will never hand him over to evil to be used!!"

As he spoke, he clutched the stone tightly in his arms, appearing almost frantic.

The knight commander's face was grim. He slowly walked forward, and then, a longsword gleaming with holy light was drawn from its sheath.

"You have been tainted by darkness, priest."

He spoke in a deep voice, gritting his teeth. At that moment, the villagers below the stage began to writhe on the ground in agony. The evil aura that Angela had infiltrated into their bodies, as well as the light-fearing spell released by Nia, sensed the powerful divine force and began to activate. The villagers felt as if their bodies were being scorched by the sun. They screamed and rolled on the ground, some of them running into the shadows to escape the light.

Just as His Holiness the bishop had said.

Gazing at the chaotic scene before him, the knight commander gripped his longsword tightly, his eyes fixed on the priest before him.

"You who indulge in evil! You will die in the glory of the God of Justice!"

"No, I will not die! You are the evil ones!"

The pastor took two steps back, hugged the stone tightly, and kissed it lightly.

"I will absolutely not hand over my child with the Holy Maiden to you, absolutely not!"

As he spoke, his figure suddenly shot out of the church as fast as the wind. The knight commander was stunned for a moment before realizing that his opponent had actually escaped!

"Quick, go after him!!"

He immediately gave the order, and several Templar Knights immediately gave chase. After all, there were Templar Knights guarding the outer perimeter, and this corrupted fellow couldn't escape!

Thinking of this, the Knight Commander slowed down his pace, which he had originally intended to follow. He turned around, looked at the mournful cries coming from inside the church, and sighed deeply.

"Please, my lord knight, save me... please..."

A child crawled to the side of the knight commander, his eyes closed, tears of anguish streaming down his face. The knight commander sighed deeply, then raised his longsword.

A flash of white light, and the child's head was severed. His frail body immediately lost its strength and collapsed to the ground. Bright red blood flowed everywhere, staining the once pristine white ground.

"The only way to save their souls is to let them rest in peace."

Finally, he gave the order.