The commercial skirmish executed by Lu Yuan was a calculated, financial blow, momentarily forcing Lilith to divert resources and attention. Yet, the strike only solidified her focus on the true prize: the fragment of the Nocturne Key. She saw the market attack not as a defeat, but as a map drawn by her enemy, showing the extent of his vigilance and territoriality.
Two nights after the crash, the pursuit led both Lu Yuan and Lilith to the subterranean depths of C City, a sprawling, forgotten network of sewers and abandoned subway lines that had become the unofficial locus for the supernatural black market. This wasn't a world of chandeliers and tailored suits; it was a realm of exposed concrete, dripping moisture, and the scent of decay mixed with illegal magic.
The exchange was scheduled to take place in "The Pit," a vast, vaulted chamber beneath the old docks, where the most volatile transactions were brokered. The seller was a secretive organization known for dealing in ancient, forbidden artifacts—a group that Victor, the rogue sorcerer, often used as a proxy.
Lilith arrived first, gliding through the shadows with the silent speed of a predatory cat. She was dressed in sleek, durable black leather, her usual aristocratic jewelry replaced by minimalist, silver-laced weaponry discreetly woven into her clothing. She positioned herself high in the rafters, her long, sharp senses absorbing the scene below.
The air was heavy with the low-level hum of minor magical wards and the nervous energy of the dealers. The artifact in question—a small, intricately carved iron box said to contain the latest fragment of the Key—was placed on a stone pedestal, illuminated by a single, flickering lantern.
A moment later, a distinct shift in the air pressure announced Lu Yuan's arrival.
He didn't move with Lilith's spectral stealth; he moved with the force of gravity. He entered through the main tunnel entrance, accompanied by two massive, silent bodyguards—both Werewolves from his inner circle, though disguised as heavily armed human security personnel. Lu Yuan wore rugged tactical gear beneath a heavy, dark coat, his presence instantly dominating the space.
Their eyes met across the vast chamber—a silent, furious recognition. Lu Yuan had anticipated her move; Lilith knew he would follow the scent of the Key. The tension was so thick it seemed to absorb the moisture from the air. The unspoken agreement was simple: they would deal with the brokers first, then with each other.
The broker, a diminutive, nervous gnome-like creature with surprisingly sharp eyes, began the proceedings. "We are here for the Whisper of the Moon. Offers start at ten thousand blood-saints."
Lilith remained in the shadows, using her telepathic projection to submit her bid—an impossible sum of digital currency that would wipe out several small economies. Lu Yuan countered immediately, his voice resonating through the chamber, bypassing the normal channels, asserting his authority.
"The Titan Group offers complete legal immunity and protection within C City jurisdiction for all parties involved, plus twenty thousand ounces of pure silver." The silver offer was a calculated jab; the Werewolf knew silver was an ancient countermeasure to Vampiric influence.
The bidding war escalated instantly, moving from currency and gold to favors, secrets, and magical resources. Both Lu Yuan and Lilith were not interested in the bidding itself; they were waiting for the moment of exchange—the chaotic window where they could seize the box.
The broker, delighted by the frenzy, was about to announce the winner when the air suddenly turned cold and brittle.
From a side tunnel, a wave of distorted energy erupted, unlike the clean, elemental power of the Werewolf or the psychic force of the Vampire. This was chaotic, tainted power, heavy with the stench of decay and scorched earth—Victor's black magic.
Masked figures, cloaked in ragged black cloth and armed with enchanted crude weaponry, swarmed into the chamber. They were not here to buy; they were here to destroy and seize.
"The Sorcerer's Pawns!" Lu Yuan roared, instantly abandoning the auction. He shoved his two guards forward, his body already beginning to swell, veins standing out on his neck as he prepared for a partial shift.
Lilith, too, reacted instantly. The black magic was the true threat, Victor's signature a sickening confirmation of her worst fears. She dropped from the rafters, landing with the softness of ash, and unleashed a silent, invisible psychic blast that tore through the initial wave of mercenaries. The force didn't break them physically, but it crushed their will, dropping them in place.
The black market erupted in panicked chaos. The broker screamed, trying to protect the iron box.
"Secure the Key!" Lilith's voice echoed directly into Lu Yuan's mind—a non-verbal, telepathic command.
Lu Yuan, momentarily stunned by the intimacy of her mental projection, shook off the distraction. He lunged towards the stone pedestal, his brute strength focused on clearing a path. He didn't trust her, but he knew Victor's interference was the greater immediate danger.
As Lu Yuan closed in on the box, one of Victor's strongest pawns, a hulking figure imbued with temporary dark strength, intercepted him. Lu Yuan met the attack with a roar, the sound echoing the ancient forest, his fists connecting with the pawn in a brutal, bone-jarring impact.
Simultaneously, Lilith saw three masked figures converging on the box from another angle. She wasn't fast enough. She reached out with her mind, focusing her entire essence on the pedestal. With a violent screech of tearing metal, the stone pedestal exploded outwards, throwing the iron box high into the air.
The box tumbled, and both Lilith and Lu Yuan moved in perfect, synchronized pursuit—one a blur of speed and telekinesis, the other a thunderclap of muscle and momentum.
Just as the box reached its apex, an unseen force—a final, precise spell from Victor, executed remotely—smashed into the box. It didn't open it; it fragmented the iron casing into metallic shrapnel, scattering the true prize, a small, obsidian shard, across the chamber floor.
Victor had won the round. He hadn't gained the Key, but he had ensured that neither of the Dual Sovereigns did either.
Lu Yuan landed heavily, his expression a mask of fury. Lilith landed near him, her crimson eyes scanning the floor, searching for the scattered fragment.
The pawn Lu Yuan had been fighting dissolved into dust, leaving behind a mocking, sickly sweet scent of corruption. The true threat was gone, but the spoils of war were lost.
"He knew we were coming," Lu Yuan snarled, his breath ragged.
"And he just confirmed the Key is central to his plan," Lilith countered, her voice low and dangerously cold. "This was a trap, Alpha. And we both walked right into it."
The fragmented iron box lay broken on the ground, a silent testament to Victor's cunning. The first joint confrontation had ended not in a victory for either the Vampire or the Werewolf, but in a chaotic draw orchestrated by their common enemy, setting the stage for their next, inevitable clash.