"You have been designated as a torture subject."
A torture subject...? What does that mean?
The question was immediately answered.
The torture devices near the bathtub began moving on their own, targeting me.
The first to move were the iron chains hanging from the ceiling. Razor-sharp hooks, like fishing barbs, hurtled toward me.
Yeongcheon Style: Killing Sound.
With a silent slash of my sword, I severed two hooks in mid-air.
The torture devices are moving because of Erzsebet's ability. If I subdue her, they'll stop moving too.
I had to subdue Erzsebet without killing her. If I killed her just because the fight was difficult, I'd surely regret it later.
Sweeping the floor, I leaped to evade the massive scythe hurtling toward me, then swung my sword to deflect the incoming hammers, pincers, seals, and awls as I closed in on Erzsebet.
Giiiiiiing.
I wrapped my sword around a nearly invisible steel wire and flung it aside. Then, I ducked low to avoid a torture chair that came flying at me.
"Hoh. You're like a circus monkey. Amusing. Very amusing."
"It's about to get even more amusing."
I extended my sword toward her. Subduing her completely would be difficult, so I reluctantly decided to sever at least one of her arms.
Erzsebet flung her fan wide open at me. A sharp, circular blade sprang from its tip.
So that was a weapon too!
I tilted my sword sideways to deflect the fan. Simultaneously, I reached out with my left hand toward Erzsebet.
Grab her neck, knock her unconscious... Ugh!
Crack.
A hammer struck my wrist from the side. Though the bone didn't break, the sudden, overwhelming pain shattered my concentration.
This level of pain shouldn't be possible. Is the amplified pain also part of Erzsebet's ability?!
Deflecting the incoming torture implements with my sword, I dove toward Erzsebet.
"Such ardent pursuit... If only your target weren't a mere monkey, I might have considered indulging you." Erzsebet smiled seductively, a smile perfectly befitting her villainous nature.
"...You'd make a perfect villain in a Korean melodrama."
Just as I was about to embrace Erzsebet, the blood in the bathtub surged upward, enveloping her body and transforming into crimson-black steel.
Startled, I tried to dodge aside, but Erzsebet grabbed my wrist. I hastily summoned a Thunderbolt, but she remained unfazed, her expression unchanged.
"If you desire to hold me so dearly... very well. I shall grant you one embrace. In exchange, you must offer me your blood."
The steel mass encasing Erzsebet split open, revealing long, razor-sharp spikes within. It was the most infamous torture device associated with Erzs bet B thory: the Iron Maiden.
Erzsebet, trapped within the Iron Maiden, gripped my wrist with one hand and my shoulder with the other, pulling me toward the steel coffin.
A chill ran down my spine. Instinctively, I knew that entering this iron tube meant certain death.
"Sorry, but I'm not into that kind of thing!"
I channeled all my Qi into unleashing a Thunderbolt.
Crackling, sizzling, zzzzzzzz!
Dozens of lightning bolts surged into Erzsebet.
"Ugh!"
Erzsebet's grip loosened. Seizing the opportunity, I immediately created distance between us.
The Iron Maiden makes it impossible to get close. If I try to approach, she'll just use it to kill me.
Clang! Kang!
Torture tools flew at me from a distance.
Dealing with Erzsebet was proving exceedingly difficult.
...Let's give up on knocking her unconscious.
There was a method: attacking her from a distance without getting close. For example, firing lightning. But controlling the power would be tricky, and there was a high risk of accidentally killing her.
She needs to bear my child. I can't kill her. So, I'll just shock her weakly enough not to kill her.
If precise power control was impossible, a weak attack would suffice. For now, lethal techniques like lightning were off the table.
I decided to eliminate the nuisances first Erzsebet's vampire subordinates. These vampire bitches, constantly probing for openings, moved with a complexity far beyond that of simple torture devices, making them incredibly irritating.
Pzzzzzzzz!
I systematically slaughtered the vampires one by one with Thunderbolt and my blade.
Erzsebet attempted to interfere, but her mobility was severely hampered, likely due to the Iron Maiden. All she could manage was hurling torture devices, allowing me to steadily thin the vampire ranks.
Three minutes later, the vampires were annihilated by Yu Seohee, Ju Seohyun, and me.
I turned to Yu Seohee and Ju Seohyun.
"You two should rest. This woman is my opponent."
"I want to help you, Mr. Sung Yujin, but I've exhausted all my Qi. I'd only be a burden now. I'll cheer you on from behind."
"...Do you think I don't see through your intentions? Your real goal is to defile that woman, isn't it?"
Ju Seohyun frowned as she spoke, but her refusal to draw her sword suggested she had no intention of intervening. Perhaps she wanted to gauge my abilities in the process.
"Hmph. Trying to show off in front of the ladies? Men are all the same..."
"Whether it's a bluff or not, we'll see soon enough. More importantly, you seem awfully calm for someone whose subordinates have all been killed."
"You mean these?"
Erzsebet's gaze swept down to the corpses of the female vampires strewn across the street, regarding them like weeds.
"They were mere servants. If I lose them, I'll simply create more."
Crackling.
I conjured a Thunderbolt in my hand and hurled it at Erzsebet in a surprise attack.
Clang!
One side of the Iron Maiden slammed shut, blocking the thunderbolt. The thunderbolt couldn't flow through the Iron Maiden because it wasn't ordinary steel. Originally made of blood, the Iron Maiden was imbued with immense mana.
"Ah... I'm thirsty," Erzsebet said, smacking her lips as she eyed Yu Seohee and Ju Seohyun. I crouched low and sidestepped, my target not Erzsebet herself but the torture devices.
The severed hook chain stopped moving earlier. If the torture devices are destroyed, they can't function.
I plunged my sword into the torture chair. Focusing my sword qi, I sliced through the iron chair with a single, precise strike.
Erzsebet's eyebrows twitched.
She didn't react at all when her subordinates were dying... Heh. Was this the right answer all along?
I slashed through the thorny whip that flew toward my neck with my sword.
"What have you done to my babies?!" Erzsebet shrieked.
Clang!
The Iron Maiden swung open, unleashing dozens of razor-sharp steel spikes at me.
Thunder Net!
I conjured a shimmering blue net of lightning before me. The steel spikes couldn't pierce the Thunder Net and instead clumped together, drawn by magnetic force.
Precise control is required, making it difficult to use freely, but this much is manageable.
Thud.
The mass of steel spikes dropped to the ground and dissolved into blood.
"Eeeek!"
Erzsebet, her face twisted with fury, hurled more spikes at me. I deployed the Thunder Net again, neutralizing the steel projectiles.
"She can transform into blood but doesn't use it... It's not that she can't think, but rather a range limitation. I'd estimate her blood manipulation range to be roughly 6-7 meters."
Keeping Erzsebet's range in mind, I began destroying her torture devices. After destroying about a third of them, I noticed a portion of her power had vanished. Just as I'd suspected, she was weakening as the devices disappeared.
"Y-you bastard! How dare you harm my darlings!"
Enraged, Erzsebet abandoned her refined demeanor, glaring at me with murderous intent and hatred. She transformed the Iron Maiden she was wearing back into blood. The blood didn't fall to the floor but floated in mid-air, swirling around her.
Erzsebet charged toward me.
Ignoring her, I chased after the fleeing torture devices, systematically smashing them one by one.
"Stop! Stop it!"
Erzsebet pursued me relentlessly, but she couldn't catch up. Her physical abilities were surprisingly weak.
Crack!
She lashed out with a whip made of blood, but I easily dodged it. Her attacks were too linear and predictable. There was no way I could miss avoiding them when I could see them coming so clearly.
It's obvious she lacks combat experience. Well, Erzsebet B thory was a powerful noble; she probably never had to fight herself.
I destroyed every torture device in the chamber.
The torture subject has been released.
Erzsebet stared at me silently, her expression burning with rage.
I grinned and flicked my hips, my groin naturally bulging.
"You...! You pathetic excuse for a man!"
Erzsebet transformed her blood into hooked chains and hurled them at me. The eight chains flew in different directions, Erzsebet anticipating my evasive maneuvers.
Then I'll do the opposite of what she expects.
I charged toward her, deflecting the incoming chains with my sword.
"...!"
Startled, Erzsebet stumbled back, quickly converting the chains back into blood, clearly intending to retrieve it.
Her power must be weakened. She's not as fast as before. I'm faster now.
Yeongcheon Style Thunderclap Step.
With a thunderous roar, I arrived before Erzsebet, who stood in a pool of blood.
"Blood, now ! Ugh?!"
I grabbed her by the neck and hurled her backward, then plunged the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger into the blood pool.
Crackling, sizzling, sizzling, sizzling, sizzling!
Red lightning erupted violently from my blade. I channeled hundreds of lightning tendrils, carefully controlling them to avoid touching Erzsebet while maximizing their power.
Without her torture tools and blood, Erzsebet is powerless.
I instantly vaporized the blood with Thunderbolt. Pushing my Thunder Net to its limits left me slightly dizzy, but the sensation would pass with time.
I strode toward Erzsebet, who had landed hard on her rear, and yanked my belt free. The blood around her was barely a liter.
"Y-you barbarian! Don't come any closer!"
She conjured a crude knife from less than a liter of blood and gripped it in her hand. The blade was barely ten centimeters long.
I ignored the pulse of arousal in my groin and reached for her weapon hand without hesitation.
Riiip!
I tore a long strip from her magnificent black dress, exposing a stretch of alabaster skin as I readied it like a binding.
Erzsebet gritted her teeth and swung the knife at me, aiming precisely for my neck.
Her physical abilities are barely at the level of an Exile who's just arrived in Atlantis.
I seized her wrist, disarmed her, and flung the knife aside. When she tried to kick free, I caught her legs and pinned them together.
"Aaaah! Let go! You barbarian! Don't touch me with your filthy hands!"
"What's she babbling about? Crazy bitch."
Erzsebet struggled violently, her long nails flashing as she swiped at me, and she lunged forward, trying to bite my neck. I grimaced at the grinding of her teeth.
"Yu Seohee, grab this bitch's hands."
"Yes~."
Yu Seohee glided over and seized Erzsebet's arms, pulling them above her head. Erzsebet's snow-white armpits were exposed.
The smooth skin stretched from her armpits to her full breasts a breathtaking sight impossible to find on women with smaller chests.
This bitch may be a mess, but her figure is undeniably stunning.
I tightened my grip on her constantly thrashing ankle, pinning it to the floor.
"Ju Seohyun, come over here and help too."
"Shut up! You think I'd help you?!"
"Bitch, you haven't forgotten the atrocities Erzsebet committed, have you? You deserve to die!"
"...Of all people, you're the one saying that? We'd be better off killing her quickly and going to help Kang Myungjin!"
Help Kang Myungjin? Was that really necessary? He could handle himself.
"Tsk... you're not listening. If you want her dead quickly, help me pin her down now. Otherwise, stay out of my way."
"Gah..."
Ju Seohyun bit her lip and approached me. She clearly disliked helping me, but she judged that restraining Erzsebet would end the fight fastest.
Ju Seohyun grabbed Erzsebet's leg.
"Aaaaaah! You barbarians!"
The Blood Countess is furious.