NOVEL NEXT Chapter 407: The Shorebreaker is dead
The merfolk, still watching from the surf, whispered among themselves, awe and disbelief clear in their voices. This wasn't just a boast anymore. The bloodsucker was proving himself right before their eyes.
The demon crow thrashed, its wings beating hurricanes of wind slashes, but Damon casually blocked all of them as if they were nothing.
Dozens of blood lances floated behind Damon in a perfect circle, humming with lethal intent. The lances shot forward at once, streaks of red cutting through the storm winds.
The crow shrieked and tried to climb higher, wings flaring to conjure another wall of slicing wind, but the storm of blood pierced through without mercy.
The final strike came in the form of a colossal spear once he had already finished absorbing all of its essence. The bird was already almost dead, but Damon hurled the spear forward like a judgment from the heavens, the shockwave booming across land and sea as it impaled the Shorebreaker clean through its chest.
The demon crow let out one last, agonized cry that echoed for miles before its massive form exploded into a rain of black feathers and flesh.
From the ocean, silence fell. The merfolk stared, their glowing eyes wide with disbelief. A beast they had fought and failed to kill for years was brought down just like that in moments.
"The Shorebreaker is dead."
"The bloodsucker… killed it."
"He slew it like it was nothing!"
Damon stood amidst the feathers and ruin, his crimson eyes gleaming as he turned to look back at the sea. Not even caring about their weakened state on land, the two tribe leaders hurriedly rushed forward towards Damon.
The lead merwoman's pale green scales glistened as she pulled herself halfway onto the black sand, water dripping from her hair like strands of liquid jade. The burly merman beside her followed, trident clutched tight, his jagged coral armor scraping against stone.
Both of them lost their fish half and were now standing on the dry land with humanoid legs, covered in scales. Both dropped low in reverence, their glowing eyes fixed on Damon.
The merwoman's lips parted first, trembling with awe. "We bled, we starved, and we lost countless kin to that fiend. For years, it mocked us, devoured us, and defiled our waters. Yet you…" Her gaze flicked to the crater, then back to Damon, "…thank you."
The merman struck his trident into the sand, bowing his head. "The Tides themselves bear witness. Our tribe is eternally grateful to you, my lord."
The crowd in the sea erupted in ripples of sound, tails thrashing, voices carrying across the waves. "Blood God!" they cried. "Blood God! Slayer of the Shorebreaker!"
Damon stood there, feathers and gore drifting around him like confetti, crimson aura still whispering faintly from his skin. That went well. He had also gained 5 points in agility and an increase in wind element affinity from the bird, which was a good haul overall.
Erin slithered up beside him after collecting the demonic mana core and whatever meat was salvageable. She also collected all the feathers she could. Ever since Damon praised her for her trinkets, she had been diligently collecting whatever she could in case he needed them again.
She leaned close, her forked tongue flicking as she whispered, "My Lord, they bow to you. They finally understand your might." Her eyes glittered with delight as the merfolk continued their chant, the water itself seeming to dance in rhythm with their cries.
The lead merwoman lifted her chin, her jade-like eyes shimmering with both reverence and hesitation. "Blood God... Tonight, we honor you. The Shorebreaker's death is not just our victory, it is the salvation of our waters. Come with us beneath the waves. Join our feast. Accept our gifts. Please allow us this small act of gratitude."
The burly merman drove his trident into the ground again, the impact sending a dull tremor across the shore. His voice rumbled like distant thunder.
"Our tribe has known only hunger and humiliation since the Shorebreaker came. Tonight, that ends. Tonight, the Crimson Shoals feast in your name, Blood God. You will sit at the heart of our tables, as kin of the Tides."
He unclasped a jagged necklace of bone and glowing coral from around his scaled throat and held it out in both hands. "A token of our bond."
Behind them, the ocean erupted into frenzied cheers, merwomen splashing the water with their tails, mermen slamming tridents against the surf in thunderous rhythm. "Feast for the Blood God!" they cried. "Feast for the Blood God!"
Damon smiled. "Okay, lead the way." He readily accepted the invitation. "Show me how the Crimson Shoals celebrate their heroes."
The merwoman's lips parted into the faintest smile of relief. She gestured gracefully, the tides surging at her command to form a wide, rippling path of crimson water that stretched out to the open sea.
[Ding! Your reputation with the Crimson Shoals has increased.]
[Ding! You are now friendly with the Crimson Shoals.]
"Only friendly, huh?" Damon shrugged. He had already expected this.
The light faction continent might have thrived on unity and order, but the dark continent was nothing like that. Here, alliances were fragile, forged in blood and broken just as quickly. Betrayal and grudges were the natural law.
For a vampire to be acknowledged as even a friend by these merfolk was no small feat. It was a rare step forward in a land where trust was almost nonexistent.
Erin once again gave him a ride, this time in her full serpentine form as she and Damon glided along the crimson path the merwoman had conjured. The merfolk parted reverently as he passed, their glowing eyes fixed on him with awe and fear intermingled.
Tides swelled and receded in rhythmic pulses, forming natural drums that echoed the chants. Coral lanterns flickered to life beneath the waves, their bioluminescent glow painting the water in shades of emerald and sapphire.
***
Mass release sponsored by Robert_Baziluik