An abandoned shipyard along the Hudson River stood silent under the dim light, its rusted frames and towering machinery casting long, jagged shadows across the ground. This was Blade's hidden base, a place known to almost no one, where he and his mentor had lived and operated for years.
The man who raised him, Whistler, remained behind while Blade went out to retrieve his serum. Though Blade didn't need to feed on human blood like other vampires, his body still required regular injections to suppress his darker instincts.
Inside the shipyard, Whistler suddenly felt something was wrong.
A faint disturbance in the air, a shift in silence—something subtle but unmistakable. His instincts, sharpened over years of hunting, immediately went on alert. Then he remembered what Blade had told him just days ago.
Be careful.
His expression darkened. "Those damn vampires…"
Without hesitation, he grabbed a submachine gun and moved into position, his posture tightening as he scanned the surrounding structures. Massive shipbuilding equipment loomed everywhere, creating blind spots and hiding places.
Several shadows flickered between the machinery.
He caught a glimpse—but not clearly enough.
Before he could react further, a sudden gust of wind came from behind him, followed by a heavy impact that slammed into his back. The force nearly knocked him off his feet, but he stumbled forward and barely managed to steady himself.
Spinning around instantly, Whistler fired a burst of bullets into the darkness behind him.
Nothing.
No one was there.
Then the laughter started.
"Ha… hahaha… hehehe…"
It echoed from every direction at once, layered and distorted, impossible to pinpoint. The sound crawled along the metal structures, bouncing and shifting until it surrounded him completely.
Whistler clenched his jaw, a cold killing intent rising in his chest.
"If you want me dead," he muttered, tightening his grip on the weapon, "then come and take it!"
His eyes flicked toward a nearby tool station. Without hesitation, he slammed his palm down on a hidden switch.
Instantly, alarms erupted across the entire shipyard.
Beep—beep—beep—
The sharp warning signals cut through the night, echoing across the massive space.
…
When Blade returned, what he saw stopped him in his tracks.
Flames roared through the shipyard, devouring everything in their path. The fire climbed high, licking at the sky, while large sections of the factory roof had already collapsed inward.
Smoke billowed thick and black, choking the air.
"Whistler!"
Blade rushed forward, his heart tightening, but there was no sign of him anywhere in the burning wreckage.
Then his eyes caught something on the wall nearby.
A message.
An address, scrawled clearly, along with a single line—if you want to save him, come here.
Blade's expression darkened instantly, fury surging through him like a storm. Without another second of hesitation, he turned and left, heading straight toward the trap.
…
Not long after he was gone, something stirred at the edge of the Hudson River.
A withered hand clawed its way up from the water.
Whistler dragged himself onto the shore with great difficulty, his breathing ragged and uneven. His body was covered in injuries, each movement sending waves of pain through him.
He turned his head and looked at the burning shipyard, grief and anger mixing in his eyes.
Then, step by step, he staggered back toward the entrance.
When he reached the wall, he saw the message.
The address.
In an instant, realization hit him.
"A trap…"
His gaze dropped to the ground, where fresh tire marks cut through the dirt.
Blade had already gone.
Whistler coughed violently, a few drops of blood spilling from his lips as rage and helplessness collided in his chest. For a moment, the pain almost overwhelmed him.
Then, through the haze, he remembered something.
A number.
Blade had mentioned it before.
Maybe… there was still a chance.
Forcing himself upright, Whistler clenched his teeth and began moving again. He needed a phone. He needed to call that person.
Because that might be Blade's only hope.
…
Emma Church.
Rex stood quietly in his room, reviewing his current status with a focused expression. After his last trip to the vampire archives, he had opened both a bronze-tier and an iron-tier reward package.
The results were displayed clearly before him.
Name: Rex ViperAge: 22Bloodline: HumanStatus: Normal
Power: 27Speed: 30 (Human limit)Defense: 20Constitution: 24Spirit: 30 (Human limit)
Skills: Combat Master, Pistol Master, Trap Master, Swimming Master, Basketball Master, Submachine/Assault Rifle Master, Diving Master, Sniper Skill, Singing and Dancing
Abilities: Night Vision, Compound Eyes, Dragon's Qi: Burst, Infrared Vision, Electricity Control
Items: NoneInstance: UnlockedAlternate Universe: Unlocked
Main Task: Those who are guilty must be punished
Iron-Level Prey: 13/27Bronze-Level Prey: 9/27Silver-Level Prey: 0/3
Latest Mission: Gold HuntGold-Level Prey: 0/1
Creed: Kill to gain redemption
Rex frowned slightly as he looked over the numbers.
Progress was slowing down.
Finding large numbers of silver-level targets wasn't easy, and without them, his growth would stall. The thought alone was enough to give him a headache.
Maybe I should crash another vampire gathering…
But Frost had gone quiet since the last incident.
Just as he was considering his options, the phone rang.
The voice on the other end was weak, strained, and clearly old.
"Is… is this Iron Man? Save… save… Blade…"
The words came in fragments, broken by pain and exhaustion, but the message was clear enough. Whistler quickly explained what had happened, his voice fading in and out.
Rex let out a sigh. "Blade… you're really too stubborn."
Why didn't you call me earlier? Do you really think you can handle everything alone? Your mother's in their hands, and you're still charging in headfirst.
Despite the irritation, he didn't waste time. He grabbed his equipment and prepared to move out immediately.
If he remembered correctly, Frost had already captured twelve pure-blood elders.
If he could take them out…
That alone would likely yield at least two silver-tier reward packages, not to mention everything else along the way. If luck was on his side, this could be a major leap in power.
Before heading out, he made a quick detour to the hospital where Karen worked.
At his request, she had already prepared an anticoagulant formula.
For vampires, it was pure poison.
In another version of events, it had been this very compound that allowed Blade to defeat Frost after he obtained the power of the Blood God. Without it, that fight would have been nearly impossible.
Armed with that, Rex moved toward the address Whistler had given.
But when he arrived, the place was empty.
Shattered glass covered the ground, and bullet holes riddled the walls. The aftermath of a fierce battle was obvious, but the people involved were gone.
Rex rubbed his face, exhaling slowly.
Blade had been taken.
No surprise there.
When your mother's in enemy hands, even the strongest man can be forced into a corner. The cruelest part was that his own mother was now standing on the other side.
Right now, she was probably helping them drain his blood for the ritual.
Rex immediately contacted David.
"Have you found the altar yet?"
David's voice came through, calm and precise as always. "There aren't many large construction sites in or around New York right now. After filtering public projects, military zones, and government sites, we narrowed it down to three locations."
He continued without pause. "I hacked nearby traffic cameras. One of them caught the direction of the convoy that left your current location. Based on that, only one site matches."
"A hidden underground construction project," David added. "I'm sending you the route now."
Rex sped toward the location, his car cutting through the streets at full throttle.
Then the system activated.
[Ding. Temporary mission issued: Eliminate the vampires.]
[Mission Content: New York is in danger. Save it, Knight of Judgment.]
[Mission Duration: Indefinite.]
[Mission Rewards: Based on completion performance.]
Rex's eyes lit up slightly.
A temporary mission.
The last time he received one, it came with an ability upgrade card.
If he could get another…
Maybe Electricity Control could finally evolve into something truly powerful.
He smirked faintly. "Come on, Frost. Let's see what you've got."
…
The moment he entered the underground altar, his expression changed.
Too many enemies.
And worse—
He was late.
The ritual had already begun.
In the central chamber, a violent black wind roared through the space, twisting and spiraling like something alive. The air itself felt heavy, oppressive, charged with an overwhelming presence.
With his spirit already at the peak of human limits, Rex could clearly sense it.
A power unlike anything he had faced before.
He swallowed once, then immediately adjusted his plan.
Fighting head-on right now would be suicide.
"Alright, Blade…" he muttered under his breath. "Let's get you out first."
In a hidden chamber above the altar, Blade was pinned between two massive stone slabs. His limbs were pierced and bound, blood draining steadily from his body.
He was barely conscious.
Rex quickly activated the mechanism, and the stone slabs split apart with a grinding sound. Blade's body dropped limply to the ground, barely able to move.
Without hesitation, Rex pulled out several blood bags he had prepared in advance.
He had grabbed them from the hospital earlier, expecting this exact situation.
Blade needed blood.
But Rex wasn't about to let him bite anyone.
After drinking, Blade's breathing steadied, strength returning to his body bit by bit. His eyes snapped open, and when he saw Rex, surprise flashed across his face.
"Iron Man… why are you here?"
Rex snorted. "If I wasn't, you'd already be dead."
He paused, then added, "Whistler called me."
Blade's eyes widened slightly. "He's alive?"
"If he hadn't called, you'd be dead before he was," Rex replied bluntly. "You've fought this long and still act this reckless? Charging in alone like that?"
Blade's expression shifted slightly, a faint flush appearing on his otherwise cold face. "I was trying to save someone. Time matters. There's no room to hesitate."
Rex didn't argue further. Instead, he tossed him a set of syringes—more than a dozen, each filled with a turquoise-colored liquid.
"Anticoagulant," Rex said. "Inject it into a vampire, and it kills them. Don't waste it on random grunts."
He stepped aside, clearing the path ahead.
"Alright, hero," Rex said with a faint grin. "Go take down Frost."
....
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