As a member of the higher vampire clan, Dracula retains some of the habits of certain human nobility.

In other words: she is a lady on the battlefield!

If Isabella's battles were like the invading onslaught of a monarch overflowing with authority, then Dracula was always calm and composed, as if no opponent could ever make her change her expression.

In that brief moment when she returned to the ground and shielded Wang Yafu behind her, a group of men dressed as adventurers surrounded them, wielding various weapons.

Among them were the high priest responsible for long-range healing, the berserker who launched attacks up close, the sharpshooter who targeted weaknesses in his prey, and the grand mage skilled in summoning magic.

These were all superior professions that a typical group of adventurers could not assemble.

The opposing party either came from top-level guilds or were employed by the ruling class of the human empire.

Judging from the top-grade equipment they wore from head to toe, it was more likely that Dracula belonged to the latter. After all, only someone who could afford to squander the royal treasury could be so extravagant.

"The prey has landed..."

It seemed that the burly berserker was the core of the group, taking on the role of captain. He was the first to step forward and examine Dracula from head to toe.

"Such fancy clothing. You appear to be a vampire noble. Both you and your life seem to be quite valuable!"

The berserker gripped the hilt of his sword single-handedly and, after drawing it, switched to a two-handed grip. He then swung the sword high, seemingly launching a regular attack but in reality, it was his ultimate move!

When a person trains that action of drawing a sword thousands of times and uses it repeatedly in past battles, they can achieve the fastest and most powerful strike. Simplicity is always the best, and he did not want anything flashy.

The blade moved with the wind, and both the killing intent and sword energy rose to the sky. The berserker charged directly towards Dracula, and the moment the blade was about to strike, the force behind it caused a large patch of ground beneath his feet to collapse.

"This is a good opportunity. Wang Yafu, pay close attention, observe what kind of character this person who thinks they're generous can show in a life-or-death situation!"

Dracula decided to treat the upcoming battle as a teaching opportunity to help the girl understand the cruelty of the world. The bloodline on her shoulder appeared, which was a part of her blood and also served as a shield.

Clang!

The sword struck the circular bloodline, which seemed more like iron hitting a steel surface rather than a sharp edge cutting through liquid. The bloodline was an invincible weapon.

The "shield," which was shaking in mid-air, transformed into a whip and pulled the sword back. It then obediently wrapped around Dracula's right arm, as if it had a life of its own.

The berserker re-gripped his sword and took a few steps back, standing in front of his three comrades. He firmly held the blade in a reversed grip, stomping the ground and letting out a loud roar.

"Hmph, the strength of a military expert. We thought you were a vampire noble, but it seems we made the same mistake. That kind of power should belong to the 'Cainian bloodline,' right?"

Cain was the famous progenitor vampire, said to possess the power to challenge the gods and symbolize unmatched authority within the clan. "Cainian bloodline" did not refer to literal descendants, but rather referred to close relatives who shared the same bloodline as the progenitor or vampires injected with the blood of the progenitor.

The concept of bloodlines is not accurate for humans, but it is highly regarded among the magical and vampire communities. Individuals with some of the progenitor's blood are exceptionally powerful, just like Dracula. On the surface, her strength seemed to be at the level of a military expert, but the true extent of her power hidden beneath that composure was uncertain.

"You blood hunters always come to our territory and cause trouble. Aren't you tired of it?"

This was Dracula's third encounter with a hunting team this year. Blood hunters were essentially poachers who occasionally targeted isolated prey. However, unlike regular poachers who would be arrested for hunting rare animals, those who harm innocent vampires could become heroes and receive rewards in the presence of the emperor.

The activities of blood hunters were strictly limited to the border. If they openly crossed the line, it would become a major issue that could ignite a race war.Due to these limitations, the Blood Clan in the capital has a very limited understanding of the threat posed by humans. If it weren't for Dracula occasionally wandering near the border, she would still be completely unaware of the potential danger.

"One of the three human empires is a nation with only females. In other words, your employer is among the remaining two countries..." The Archmage answered on behalf of the leader.

"Don't bother trying to get information out of us. We won't even utter a single extra word!" The Archmage replied sternly. When it comes to taking someone's money and doing their bidding, it is essential not to disclose any information about the employer. Adventurers and assassins are no different in this respect—they both keep certain secrets hidden until death.

Unfortunately, the Archmage misunderstood Dracula's intention. She was not asking questions to trace back and expose the mastermind behind the Blood Hunting team. She simply wanted to tell those four individuals, "If you're not going to reveal any information even if you're killed, then I can only assume it's a personal act. You four must understand that trespassing and taking the initiative to attack in the territories of other races will be punished by death!"

Isn't it simple enough not to mention your connection? Just pretend there is no connection or backing!

Since they are just ordinary hunters with no background, killing them would be no different. No matter how much effort some empire put into cultivating these four individuals, it would be all in vain if they were to die here. There would be nowhere left for them to quarrel.

Wang Yafu found it difficult to get used to the life-and-death battle environment he was now facing, but he knew he had to get used to it eventually.

The chanting began, and the fire element quickly gathered. The Archmage was about to use her proud level 11 magic, which she considered her trump card. Using ancient magic would surely pose a greater threat to Dracula. Unfortunately, those higher-level spells were not easily loaned out, even though they could be found in the empire's library.

Thus, the Archmage could only use her famous technique to deal with the target. He believed that after using this move, the opponent would be unable to resist!

During the accelerated incantation, the flames coalesced and formed a giant within seconds, standing at around eight or nine meters tall and burning with fire. This was a combat body made up of the purest elements, capable of dominating any previous battles and wars due to its extremely high temperature. Even rare metals would instantaneously melt upon contact with its body.

The so-called "magic shields" and magical defenses were nothing but jokes in front of the giant. Its attacks were truly capable of causing injury with a mere graze and death upon contact.

Faced with such a colossal figure, Dracula's interest was truly piqued. Only something worthwhile deserved to be destroyed. With her keen observations, she knew that the opponent had no intention of engaging her head-on, but instead aimed to attack Wang Yafu from the sidelines in order to distract her attention.

Dracula had two options before her:

Abandon Wang Yafu and counter-attack the fire giant.

Or, fully protect the girl and allow herself to be manipulated by the Archmage.

Her choice between herself and the girl, whom she had met for the first time, was clear. She declared, "I'll have both!"

Dracula brandished her blood whip and charged towards the detouring fire giant, appearing incredibly formidable. However, she was not foolish and had no intention of using her cold body to directly confront the scorching heat. Why resort to physical blows when she had magic at her disposal?

As the fire giant noticed one of its targets entering its territory, it raised its empty head without any reactive cognition and lifted its right fist high. The strike produced a sonic boom, seemingly capable of killing Dracula instantly.

She swiftly increased her speed while soaring in mid-air, outpacing the giant in a blink of an eye. She leaped into the air, evading the descending fist. With her astonishing explosiveness, Dracula swiftly retaliated, directly striking the giant with the Hook Spike attached to the end of her whip.

Just as the counter-attack was about to succeed, the Archmage in the distance displayed a hint of mocking laughter.

Boom! The Hook Spike struck the giant's body but was engulfed by the rising flames. Although Dracula's counter-attack hit its mark, due to the fire's persistent nature, it only left a shallow wound. Still, there was some distance to go before it would truly be destroyed.Due to the minimal damage caused, there was no obvious sound, and it sounded like water hitting the surface of an iron block to the great magician;

The four people burst into laughter, dismissing Dracula's feeble attempt:

"We brothers gained significant achievements in the last war that were worthy of being titled as counts. Although you are powerful, it wouldn't be difficult to deal with you as long as we take you seriously!"

"Oh, the competent subordinates who have achieved great feats... turned to doing such petty theft by their own leader?"

"No need to sow discord, the four of us have plenty of patience. Today's battle will be the prelude to shaking the continent. We'll start by killing you, the 'Cain heir,' and use your corpse as a stepping stone to a glorious future!"

"That would be a pity."

"Why, thinking of begging for mercy now? It's too late. Blame it on your bad luck for encountering the combination of the four of us... What's that sound?"

It was a very faint sound, like the buzzing of a mosquito.

The inexplicable sound initially sounded like fabric being torn, then increased to the sound of pebbles being crushed. Not long after, it escalated to the sound of hard objects breaking and shattering.

In the eyes of the group, they only saw the giant barrier in front of them, splitting open with an extremely deep crack that could penetrate their bodies. With horrified looks, they witnessed scattered flames falling to the ground.

"Impossible! The giant is as hard as divine materials, and it's immune to most magic. Why did it shatter with just a whip?"

Dracula casually waved her completely relaxed right hand a few times, moving her fingers and feeling pretty good about it.

She swung her left arm a few times and casually answered the other's confusion:

"The power of crushing force! This magic tactic is effective against opponents like the Destroyer or lower, but unfortunately, my level is 'Enchantress'!"

This heir of Cain's legitimate bloodline brandished the whip a few times, holding her head high with pride.