In this world, there are many apex predators, such as dragons, tyrannosaurs, sea monsters, griffins, or giants. However, beyond these, there exist unnatural predators created by magic: werewolves, vampires, ghouls, zombies, drowners, and strigoi, among others.
Numerous organizations and professions exist to combat these dark creatures, with the most well-known being the witch hunters—also called witchers or monster slayers. Originally, witch hunters focused on apprehending witches who practiced dark magic. Over time, their duties expanded to include battling the witches' dark magic-wielding lovers or partners, often male sorcerers. Later, their tasks grew to encompass fighting the demons and undead summoned by these dark mages, such as ghouls and zombies. Today, though still formally called witch hunters, they target all entities tied to dark magic—werewolves, vampires, and any other malevolent magical creatures. As a result, many simply call them "witchers," or monster slayers.
Witch hunters are often seen wearing high-crowned, wide-brimmed hats or hoods, traveling between towns to hunt creatures that should rightfully be the hunters. Because they frequently appear where evil creatures wreak havoc, witch hunters are generally regarded as harbingers of disaster and ill omens. Moreover, witch hunters often conduct witch trials, and some innocent women have been falsely condemned as dark magic users and executed, further tarnishing their reputation.
Yet, even among witch hunters, none compare to the Belmont family of Florenca in Cittalia.
If witch hunters are walking omens of disaster, the Belmonts are a walking apocalypse.
While typical witch hunters deal with common vampires, werewolves, or a handful of graveyard zombies, the Belmonts take on far greater threats: high vampires besieging cities (often resulting in half the city's population being wiped out), zombie plagues causing natural disasters, or invasions by otherworldly demons. Naturally, the Belmonts rarely bother with mere werewolves or zombies—they are professional vampire butchers. A witch hunter like Garth, who slew three high vampires, is considered the premier hunter in the entire Kingdom of Gulens. Yet, in the Belmont family's manor in Florenca, over fifty high vampire skulls are displayed, alongside countless skeletons of common vampires and vampiric beasts. It's said that, aside from royal vampires with 100% blood purity, every type of vampire has been slain by the Belmonts.
With only about 300 high vampires left in the world, the Belmont family, over a thousand years, has single-handedly eradicated over one-sixth of them. From the ninja and samurai lands of Yingzhou in the far east of Shenzhou to the highlands of Sketland in the northern isles of western Rosenland, from the camel-filled deserts of Eta to the snowy plains of Rossiya, home of brown bears, and from the colonial empire beyond the western seas to the free cities of the Alamanthi Empire—the Belmonts have made vampire slaying their mission, earning the title of Vampire Butchers. The vast majority of vampires tremble at the mere mention of the Belmont name. To many, they are a name too fearsome to utter, referred to only as "the Butchers."
Of course, to Sophia Dominatrix, that name is no different from any other beast.
The Belmont family was originally a knightly house of Gulens, once participating in the Crusades against the heretics of Eta. Eight hundred fifty years ago, instead of returning to Gulens with the Crusaders, the Belmonts halted in the Valhaz territory of eastern Rosenland during their journey back from Eta. Silania, a nation in southeastern Rosenland with a strong Romanian flair, is known as the Vampire Kingdom, home to a vast number of vampires. Its southern region is Sylannika, while the east borders the mighty Turkic Empire from Eta. To the west lie the Holy Alamanthi Empire, composed of numerous elector states, countless duchies, counties, and free cities, as well as the Magyar Kingdom, famed for its fierce, Hungarian-style hussars.
Valhaz is one of Silania's three duchies and the largest. Together with the smallest duchy, Modova, it is collectively called Eastern Silania, or the Land of the Dead. The other part of Silania, Western Silania, is the Aladair duchy. Due to the Dominatrix family of Valhaz, Aladair and Valhaz have long been at odds. As the seat of the Dominatrix family and Silania's largest duchy, Valhaz's ruling duke also holds the title of "Prince of Valhaz," one of Sophia's titles. Nominally, Silania is a "grand duchy," with its theoretical ruler, the "Grand Duke of Silania," holding a higher rank than the dukes or princes of the three duchies. However, Eastern and Western Silania are now split between two powers. Western Silania has fewer vampires, and its rulers and nobles are human, with the Duke of Aladair, from the Theosegu family, widely recognized by the human world of Rosenland as the "Grand Duke of Silania." In contrast, the eastern duchies—Valhaz and Modova—are ruled by the Dominatrix family, where at least half the ruling nobles are vampires, making it a true Vampire Kingdom. Though the human world acknowledges the human Theosegu family's Duke of Aladair as the "Grand Duke," in reality, Valhaz, Aladair, and Modova's territories and populations are roughly in a 4.5:3.5:2 ratio. Eastern Silania accounts for 65% of Silania's land and population, far surpassing the west, making the Theosegu family's claim to the title of "Grand Duke" more nominal than factual.
The Belmonts, who settled in Silania, waged a long war against the Dominatrix family and their vampire nobles. Three hundred years ago, they were besieged by local vampire nobles and driven out of Valhaz, relocating to the city-state of Florenca in Cittalia. Their legendary red hair became their hallmark.
Seven years ago, the Belmonts' manor in Florenca was destroyed by a mob, who believed their presence brought death wherever they went, viewing them as walking plagues. Now, the Belmont family is survived by only one heir: 21-year-old Anna Belmont.
Near the partially collapsed, dilapidated watchtower outside Windleaf Town, blasted by an explosion, students and professors from the Gulens Magic Academy were investigating. The tower's shattered stones littered the ground, and a crater over a meter wide marked the site of the blast.
"It's strange. This magical explosion came so suddenly that it preserved the traces of the spells cast here," said a 60-year-old male professor wearing a wizard's hat.
"Indeed. Such an explosion is rare, likely caused by rapid magical conflict, imprinting the spell traces like ink on paper. Normally, mages would erase such traces to avoid exposure—unless the caster was restrained," said a tall, elegant woman with an Eliland accent in her Gulens tongue. Eliland, an island nation in western Rosenland's Britannia, was a rival of Gulens across the sea. Still, frequent exchanges between the neighboring nations made her presence here unsurprising.
The woman, about 24 years old and 1.74 meters tall, wore a refined, deep teal noble-style robe with a flowing cape-like design, exuding elegance. Beneath it, she donned a sleeveless, sky-blue noblewoman's gown with a fitted bodice. The bodice, designed with two spherical cups, tightly encased her massive 36E breasts, its upper edge adorned with white lace forming a heart-shaped opening that revealed her deep cleavage. The gown cinched at her waist, hugged her hips, and flared slightly at the thighs, maintaining a straight silhouette for ease of movement. From the calves, the skirt widened dramatically, fanning out at the ankles. Due to gravity, the gown visually resembled a narrow A-line skirt.
She wore a pointed wizard's hat, marking her as a female mage. Her golden hair fell to her chest in front and reached her lower back behind, paired with sapphire-blue eyes and fair, rosy skin. Exuding intellect, poise, and grace, she was the epitome of a noble blonde lady. This was Jane Lancaster, daughter of the Earl of Lancaster from the Kingdom of Eliland.
Jane was the youngest full professor at Gulens Magic Academy, a rising star in the magical world. At 24, with two magical doctorates, she was the youngest high mage in three centuries. Most high mages achieve the rank in their forties after decades of effort, yet she attained it at 24, recently promoted to full professor. Her beauty, especially her 36E bust, often drew the gazes of male students during lectures. Raised as a noblewoman, she wore tight corsets from a young age, which accentuated her figure. Despite her stunning appearance, she upheld noble etiquette and dignity, never letting her beauty compromise her refined demeanor. She was quick to reprimand students for inappropriate thoughts, her noble upbringing shining through.
In Rosenland, mage ranks are Supreme Mage, Legendary Mage, Archmage, High Mage, Mage, and Apprentice. High mages number fewer than 50 across the continent, archmages only 15. The recently deceased Master Gale, killed by a vampire, was an archmage. Legendary mages are limited to four of the Six Council members: Chief Archmage Yusef, Right Hand Clement, Staff of the Council Alfonso, and Book of the Council Rodrigues. No supreme mages exist in Rosenland—or among humans.
Jane held a blue flame of magical energy, studying the traces left by Sophia's spells days earlier. "Teacher, why did the explosion happen?" asked an apprentice wearing a student cap.
"It's caused by magical conflict. Imagine I want to take a cup, but you don't want me to, so you grab it, opposing my force," Jane explained, extinguishing the flame. Her captivating blue eyes held the students' attention.
"Now, picture our opposing forces as magical energy, like gunpowder burning. Igniting gunpowder on the ground creates a fuse, burning quickly without exploding."
"But if a mage is desperate—say, near death or out of mana—they might recklessly pour all their magic into the conflict. It's like—"
"Like packing gunpowder into a barrel and igniting it, causing an instant explosion!" a student interjected."Or a musket! Gunpowder trapped in the barrel by the bullet burns rapidly in a confined space, firing the shot!" added another, a tall, 1.95-meter student with messy blonde hair. This was Sergei from the Rossiya Grand Duchy in northeastern Rosenland.
"Sergei only thinks about guns and cannons, not like a mage!" a student mocked.
"Shut up, Peter! We Rossiyans are a warrior race, not soft like you!" Sergei shot back.
"Quiet, both of you!" Jane's professorial authority silenced them. Though younger than many students, her presence commanded respect, like a cat before mice.
"But, Teacher, a mage causing such an explosion would know better. Why would they be so reckless?" a student asked.
"I don't know. We need to analyze the residual magic. They must have been in dire straits, knowing the explosion would preserve spell traces but unable to erase them," Jane replied.
"Jane, we've identified the magical residues," the male professor said grimly, holding a parchment.
"This… this is impossible!" Jane exclaimed, reading the results.
"What is it, Teacher?" Sergei asked.
"There were only three spells…"
"And?"
"One was an Absolute Suppression Field, an extremely rare pinnacle spell that neutralizes all magical items or wards."
"The other two?"
"They're unclear. One, let's call it A, is either Future Sight or Absolute Polymorph, both pinnacle spells."
"And the other?"
"It's also unclear. Its mana signature suggests it could be Supreme Decryption, Time Stop, or Dictum: Death."
"Also a pinnacle spell?"
Despite her shock, Jane remembered her teaching duties. "Tell me, why are pinnacle spells called such?"
"Teacher, I know! They're the zenith of each magical school, theoretically unsurpassable!" a male student eager to impress the beautiful professor answered.
"Pinnacle spells mark an archmage. Casting one qualifies you as an archmage!"
"If someone masters three or more schools' pinnacle spells, they're a legendary mage, like Master Clement!"
"Then," Jane continued, "what are the pinnacle spells of each school?"
"Of course! Evocation's Karsus' Piercing Cannon and Izaris' Grand Bombardment!"
"Could this explosion be Izaris' Grand Bombardment?"
"Impossible," Jane said. "The crater's too small, just a few meters. A mid-level fireball could do this. There was significant magical conflict, but the power was low. This crumbling, abandoned tower only partially collapsed, meaning the explosion wasn't for destruction. If it were Izaris' Grand Bombardment, the crater would be meters deeper, spanning hundreds of meters, with nothing left standing—not even stones."
"Teacher, there's Fate's Dictum: Death, where words alter causality, killing instantly!"
"Time's Time Stop!"
"Transmutation's Supreme Decryption!" Sergei added.
"You eastern Rosenland bumpkin! Only you call it Supreme Unlocking! It's Supreme Decryption, unraveling all riddles and lies. Only eastern bumpkins call it unlocking!" Peter taunted.
"A lock is a riddle, you softie!" Sergei retorted.
"Enough!" Jane snapped. "This is class! Answer properly or face silence spells!"
"Yes, Teacher. There's also Healing's True Resurrection, the only spell to truly revive someone!"Jane asked, "What must mages understand about True Resurrection?"
"Mages can't cast it! Revival is the domain of gods, only usable by divine clerics!"
"Correct. Mages use arcane magic, while resurrection and most healing spells are divine."
"Divine… what's that again?" Sergei scratched his head. Jane's elegant demeanor vanished, replaced by a stern professor's glare, terrifying the 1.95-meter student. "T-Teacher, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have slept in class…"
"Hmph." Jane gave him a cold stare, then continued, "There are four ways to wield magic: arcane, divine, pact, and source. Arcane and divine are the most common. Divine magic is used by clerics, who channel faith to supernatural entities, using it as a conduit for divine power. Nearly all healing and resurrection spells work this way."
"Arcane magic is what we mages use, specifically weaving magic. Other forms, like vocal magic, exist, but weaving is the most common arcane form, often just called arcane. We weave the universe's infinite magical energy, a network, to cast spells. All arcane users manipulate this network to varying degrees."
"Pact magic involves soul contracts with otherworldly beings, often demons, earning it the name 'forbidden magic' or 'warlock magic.' Warlocks, who use this, are strictly prohibited in the magical world. If you ever detect such magic, report it immediately."
"Source magic isn't always magic. It involves storing supernatural energy within the body. Sorcerers, for instance, have abundant internal mana, allowing them to cast without weaving the external network. Sorcerers can still use arcane or divine magic, but even cut off from the network or gods, they can wield their internal power."
"Maybe I'm a sorcerer!" Sergei boasted, making the female students giggle.
"You idiot, Sergei. Sorcerers are one in a billion. If you're a sorcerer, I'm the King of Gulens!" Peter mocked, sparking another argument.
"Quiet!" Jane raised her hand, and an air-formed hand slapped both their faces, leaving red handprints. As a professor, she could discipline students.
"Sorry, Teacher…" Sergei and Peter mumbled, heads bowed.
"Teacher, you said sorcerers aren't always mages. What does that mean?" a studious female student asked.
"Historically, we've only recorded a handful of sorcerers. Studies of their lives show not all were mages," Jane replied, turning to Sergei. "Sergei, a chance to redeem yourself. What's the difference between a mage and a sorcerer?"
"I know!" Sergei shouted, grasping at redemption. "Both weave magic, unlike sorcerers who have internal mana and don't need the network!"
Jane rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I asked for the difference!""I-I… uh…" Sergei stammered.
"If you don't know, say so!" Jane saw through him instantly.
Peter laughed, "Haha, Sergei, you idiot—"
"Peter, you answer!" Jane snapped.
"Huh? Sorcerers don't need to learn magic, mages do—ow!" Peter took a magical slap to the other cheek, now red on both sides.
"Haha, Peter—ow!" Sergei got another slap.
"You two are hopeless," Jane said, glaring. "Leonora, you answer."
Leonora, a poised female apprentice resembling Jane, wore a gray apprentice robe and hat, her blonde hair tied back. At 1.7 meters, she was Jane's favorite student, diligent and refined.
"Sorcerers are far rarer than mages, roughly one in four million, while one in ten thousand to one hundred thousand can become mages. Mages outnumber sorcerers forty to four hundred times. Both weave magic, but sorcerers do so instinctively, like spiders spinning webs, awakening naturally. Mages must learn to weave the network through study."
"Mages rely on intellect, calculating to weave magic. Sorcerers rely on what's called 'charisma,' a supernatural trait, often inherited. It's not just beauty or eloquence but a unique presence, letting them command thousands or defy odds. They often trace to supernatural ancestors, like dragons or elementals," Leonora explained eloquently, unlike the bickering Sergei and Peter.
"Enough. Jean-Aimé, continue," Jane said, pointing to a short, chubby black-haired student.
"Yes, Teacher," Jean-Aimé said. "Sorcerers gain charisma through heritage, using it to weave the network instinctively, like spiders. Their instincts can be honed. A better analogy is painting: mages and sorcerers paint on a canvas using the magical network's colors. Sorcerers paint sensually, relying on charisma to create masterpieces intuitively. Mages paint rationally, using calculations, rulers, and perspective to achieve the same. Sorcerers rely on emotion; we rely on data. Both can improve, but one through study, the other through enhancing their charisma."
"Sergei might ask, don't sorcerers have an advantage, casting instinctively without study? Are mages useless? Claude, answer," Jane said, turning to a refined, 1.8-meter, brown-haired, scholarly boy.
"Yes, Teacher. We have the disadvantage of needing study, but our advantage is that intellect is easier to improve than charisma. No human can outshine a dragon's charisma, but we can learn and grow stronger lifelong. Plus, we can learn any weaving magic, while sorcerers are limited to their awakened types. A fire sorcerer, descended from a fire elemental, casts only fire magic. We can master any spell we learn, limited only by learning difficulty and our mana capacity. Like Leonora's spider web analogy, spiders weave only webs, but we can learn to weave cloth or knit sweaters—spiders can't," Claude said confidently.
"If a sorcerer learned mage magic—ow!" Sergei interrupted, earning another slap.
"Theoretically, yes, but they're different systems. Forcing a sensual painter to use rulers and calculate proportions disrupts their instincts, weakening them. Likewise, mages can't trust intuitive casting without calculations, even with sorcerous charisma. We rely on data, not instinct," Jane explained.
"Teacher used so many metaphors, but I get it. It's like some walk on hands, we walk on feet. Even if our arms got strong enough to walk on hands, it'd conflict with our feet, becoming useless—ow!" Sergei's analogy was so absurd Jane slapped him again.
"Keep talking nonsense, and I'll silence you!" Jane glared, her authority cowing the towering Sergei into shrinking back.
"Anyway, you see why not all sorcerers are mages. Sorcerers weave instinctively; sorcerers have internal mana. Most assume sorcerers are mages, but that's convention, not theory. We lack enough sorcerer data to confirm. Now, what other pinnacle spells?" Jane continued.
A student answered, "Transmutation's Absolute Polymorph, Complete Polymorph, and Mass Polymorph!"
"What's the difference between Absolute and Complete Polymorph?" Jane asked. Peter seized his chance.
"Both are pinnacle, but Complete Polymorph is easier to cast with lower limits. To turn a rapist into a gelded pig, Complete Polymorph uses less mana but requires an hour of focus to maintain. If the caster loses consciousness or the target is dispelled, it reverts. Absolute Polymorph forcibly, permanently transforms with immense mana and complex casting. Even dispel magic can't reverse it—it's no longer a magical effect but a physical reality, like Complete Polymorph after an hour," Peter said.
"But the end result's similar. Complete Polymorph just needs an hour of focus. No one would use Absolute Polymorph's overkill, and even legendary mages struggle to learn it," Sergei added.
"Theoretically, yes," Jane nodded, rare praise making Sergei smile. "Though pinnacle spells are theoretically the strongest, do stronger spells exist practically?"
"Yes!" the class chorused. "The famous Aerion's Strike!"
"Indeed, spells beyond pinnacle are supreme mage spells, wielded only by supreme mages surpassing legendary mages. What supreme mage spells do you know?"
"High Elf King Aerion's continent-shattering Aerion's Strike!"
"Time Dragon King Akayun's Time Walk and Space-Time Travel!"
"Great Extinction, summoning a meteor to destroy cities, theoretically the world!"
"Otherworld Projection, used by the Demon Emperor to teleport demonic armies across planes!"
"And Sophia's Throne Domain!" Sergei shouted.
"Idiot Sergei, that's just a rumor!" Peter scoffed.
"Sergei, no folk tales! That spell's a century-old legend. Only Aerion and Akayun created supreme mage spells alone, named after themselves. Where's a supreme mage named Sophia in the last century?" Jane scolded, intolerant of pseudomagic in class.
Sergei argued, "Sophia's a common eastern Rosenland name! Half the women in Rossiya are Sophia, ura!"
"So?"
"I heard Silania's mysterious Dominatrix duke is a woman. Guess her name?"
"Sergei!" Jane, furious, silenced him with a spell, his mouth moving soundlessly. She'd warned him, and he'd crossed the line.
To shut him down, Jane asked, "Who are the living supreme mages?"
"High Elf Sage Aida Bellien!"
"Magic Dragon King Nargisha!"
"Time Dragon King Akayun!"
"Idiot Peter, Akayun's dead!" Sergei's silence wore off, as Jane only meant to punish briefly, hoping he'd answer well.
"That's a rumor—" Peter began, but Sergei cut in, "Idiot Peter, no spell or device has detected Akayun in three centuries!"
Peter looked to Jane for support. "Sergei, mages don't jump to conclusions. But evidence suggests Akayun was killed over three centuries ago. Only Bellien and Nargisha are recognized supreme mages now."
"Rumor says a vampire killed Akayun. I bet a female vampire named Sophia Dominatrix did it! Rossiyan warrior instincts never fail! Ura!" Sergei insisted.
Jane, livid, cast a stronger silence spell, muting him for a day.
Turning to the male professor, Jane said, "Sorry for the delay, my students."
"I've been a professor; I understand. You're a dedicated teacher, Lady Lancaster. But back to the parchment—it records three pinnacle spells from different schools…"
"Even Clement, no, Chief Yusef couldn't cast them so quickly…"
"And they're so odd…"
"Future Sight in combat? And Absolute Polymorph—only Yusef knows it, and it's impractical…"
"Do you think spell A is Absolute Polymorph? Then what's B?"
"No reason for Time Stop. The traces show B's conflict caused the explosion."
"But no reason for Supreme Decryption in battle either."
"Unless someone made counter-magic manacles for… kinky purposes?" the professor smirked."Martin, don't joke like that," Jane said, blushing. Though stern with students, she was inexperienced in romance.
"Professors Martin and Lancaster, we found six identical spell traces. They should've faded in hours, but the explosion preserved them," an apprentice said, holding another parchment.
"Not pinnacle… but… black magic?" Martin and Jane exchanged looks.
Six consecutive casts of the Undeath Curse? A spell that keeps a brain functioning indefinitely, allowing endless torture or dismemberment without death—who would use such forbidden black magic? It invites eternal pursuit by witch hunters.
"Martin, this explosion is no simple matter…"
"Indeed, the gears of this era are turning. Even archmages may become pawns of fate, let alone high mages like us," Martin agreed.
A woman in a high-crowned hat rode up to the crater. Mages, being scholars, didn't share the mob's superstition about such hats bringing calamity. They knew witch hunters were protectors, foes of disaster. The hunter was Anna Belmont, seen two days ago in Watermill Village, northern Cittalia.
"Good afternoon, high mages," Anna said. At 21, her knowledge let her instantly distinguish high mages from apprentices.
"Hello, witch hunter," Jane replied.
"Not here to arrest us, I hope," Martin teased.
"I haven't the time. I'm investigating this recent magical incident. Can you share what you know?"
The mages told Anna everything. She mounted her steed and galloped off.
"Say, Jane," Martin asked, "your student Sergei's wild theories—any chance they're true?"
"He's got plenty. Which one?"
"With a witch hunter here, could there really be a female vampire supreme mage?"
"You believe that nonsense? If a supreme mage, as Sergei claims, is a Dominatrix royal, humanity would've been wiped out already," Jane said, narrowing her eyes. "Do you think humanity could resist a royal vampire supreme mage?"
Martin chuckled, "If we had another Mels, maybe."
Jane glanced at him. At over sixty, he still indulged in such fantasies? Mels, humanity's first and only supreme mage, aided Eliland's King Arthur in pulling the holy sword, saving mankind. Most mages realize by 30 that supreme mages are impossible for humans. As Leonora said, most lack the talent for magic, with only one in tens of thousands becoming mages. Jane, a high mage at 24, was a prodigy among prodigies. Typical geniuses reach high mage at 30, archmage at 40, and legendary mage past 55. Ordinary mages may never reach high mage.
Martin teased, "Can't genius Jane become a supreme mage?"
"Don't mock me!" Jane snapped. Mels, though human-born, had a non-human soul, becoming an archmage at 4, legendary mage at 12, and supreme mage at 21. Jane, despite being the greatest genius in three centuries, knew many before her, more gifted, stopped at legendary mage. The fastest human record was high mage at 20, archmage at 25, legendary mage at 28—yet none became supreme mages. The only human to surpass legendary mage was Zoroaster, the great prophet of Eta's Pars Kingdom, enlightened by the God of Holy Fire, but he wasn't a true supreme mage, existing in an intermediary state. For true humans, legendary mage was the limit.
But vampires… born from humans, could they break that limit? Vampires, with eternal lifespans and affinity for necromancy, learn magic more easily. Their undead nature makes forbidden and necromantic spells simpler. But that doesn't raise their potential ceiling. The magically prolific Julius royal family never produced a supreme mage. Vampires, as former humans, can't become supreme mages, no matter their age.
Unless….......