Chapter 57
In a dark, desolate alley, a body was dragged across the blood-stained floor. The lifeless figure belonged to a young woman with pale skin and striking yellow hair. Her face was frozen in horror, her eyes vacant. Though her body had been stabbed countless times, it wasn't the barrage of wounds that killed her—it was the precise strike through her heart.
The one dragging her wore a red armored suit, identical to the fallen woman's. He moved with grim purpose, stepping into a dimly lit hallway where five more corpses lay sprawled in pools of blood. All of them, like him, had once been members of the Red Vanguard.
From the shadows of the alley, a man with coiled blond hair stepped forward, his serpent-like locks brushing against his pale cheeks. He gazed at the bodies with detached interest.
"Where are the rest?" the red-armored man asked, his voice low.
"They'll be here soon," the blond man replied casually.
As if on cue, the wall to their right exploded inward. A hulking figure stepped through the dust, hoisting a jagged stone hammer over his shoulder. Others followed behind him—some arriving with subtle grace, others with flashy entrances. Within a minute, over a hundred individuals in red armor had filled the hallway.
The Red Vanguard had assembled.
The blond man walked up to the six corpses, his expression souring—especially at the sight of the yellow-haired woman. He clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"To think even she was this pathetic..." he muttered.
"Take that back," a sharp voice cut in.
The speaker stepped out from the crowd: a man with long blue hair, glowing blue veins pulsing across his body. A chill radiated from him, frost forming at his feet.
"Freezer," the blond man said with a smirk. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"One more word, and I'll make you regret your entire existence," Freezer growled, cold mist curling from his lips.
The tension crackled between them as their energies surged. Just when it seemed the two were about to clash, a calm, commanding voice echoed from above.
"Enough."
The entire room fell silent. Even the hot-headed duo froze.
A figure descended gracefully, landing before the corpses. Twin red blades were strapped to his back. He had short, graying hair and an aura that made even the strongest among them stand still. Though clearly older, his presence radiated undeniable strength.
This was Ferris—leader of the Red Vanguard, second only to the Dark Emissaries within the Cursed Organization. It was said that, unlike most, Ferris could face a Dark Emissary for minutes before falling. The others wouldn't last a second.
"Step aside," he ordered.
The two men obeyed.
Ferris knelt beside the bodies, his face unreadable—but fury burned in his eyes as he looked upon the yellow-haired woman.
Rising to his feet, he turned to face the assembled Red Vanguard.
"Tell me—who's responsible for this?"
The blond man stepped forward, his voice cool and clear. "Based on what we've gathered, the culprits are guild members from the Northern Continent. They wore white uniforms trimmed with blue."
Ferris fell into deep thought. He wanted nothing more than to crush this unknown guild—but his attention was already stretched thin with a critical mission in the Eastern Continent. He couldn't abandon it, not even for vengeance.
He looked at the blond man.
"Shifter. Pick three members. Find that guild. Destroy them."
Shifter grinned. It had been too long since he'd had a reason to unleash himself. Things were about to get fun.
"What about Project Ultimate?" one of the Red Vanguard asked.
Ferris narrowed his eyes. "Orders came from the leader himself. The project continues. But this time—we move in teams. Anyone who gets in our way... eliminate them."
The rest of the Red Vanguard roared in unity, their bloodlust echoing through the desolate chamber. Ferris turned without a word, dragging the six corpses behind him with a wave of his hand. The bodies floated lifelessly, bound by invisible force, following their leader into the shadows.
"Hey," one member whispered to his comrade, watching Ferris disappear into the darkness. "What do you think he does with the bodies?"
His companion shrugged. "This isn't the first time, you know. He's taken corpses away before… multiple times."
"Yeah, but still—don't you find it strange?"
"Who cares?" the other man snorted. "They're dead. Useless now. If Lord Ferris wants to burn them, bury them, or eat them—let him. It's none of our business."
He chuckled, but the first soldier didn't laugh. A chill ran down his spine. The joke didn't feel like a joke.
---
Later, in a hidden chamber...
Ferris stood before a stone altar surrounded by runes carved in unknown the tongues. One by one, he stabbed his crimson blades into the corpses. As the blades pierced flesh, the skin shriveled and dried like aged parchment, their blood drained into the weapons. The red blades pulsed faintly before fading back to silence.
His face was calm, but frustration burned in his eyes.
"Still not enough…"
The last body remained untouched—her yellow hair still shining faintly in the dim light. Ferris knelt beside her, brushing a strand from her lifeless face.
"I'm sorry, niece… I failed you."
But what he did next was anything but mournful. With precision, he drove a blade into her stomach. Blood seeped from the wound, flowing into the sword. Her body, like the others, withered within seconds, until nothing remained but an empty husk.
He stood, raising his blades. "A few more... Still far from what I need."
Suddenly, his eyes flicked to the corner. "You've followed me this far. Why don't you come in and greet me properly?"
At the chamber's entrance, a Red Vanguard soldier stood frozen, eyes wide. He had been the one to joke earlier, then decided to checked it out. And what he had witnessed now was worse than anything he imagined.
Blades that drank blood.
"N-no, I wasn't—I didn't mean to—" he stammered, backing away.
"Enter," Ferris repeated, smiling without warmth. "Say hello."
The soldier turned to flee—but before he could take a step, Ferris was already in front of him. The two blood sucking blades glowing in his hands.
"P-please… let me go," the man begged, trembling.
Ferris tilted his head, smile unfaltering. "Of course. I'll let you leave."
He plunged both blades into the soldier's chest.
The man gasped, blood pouring from his mouth. "Y-you… you're a monster."
Ferris looked into his eyes. "You brought this upon yourself."
He activated the blades.
A red glow engulfed the soldier as his blood was sucked, his scream piercing and raw—until silence claimed him.
Ferris pulled the blades free, now gleaming with fresh power. He flexed his fingers, feeling the surge of energy.
"Feeding on the living… now this is something else," he muttered, a grin creeping across his face.
"Time to visit a few hero guilds."
To be continued....