The Shining Star Above The Heaven

BOOM!

The three bodies of observers suddenly exploded, tearing apart an entire section of the vessel. Many were instantly killed in the blast, as no one had been prepared for such a sudden explosion. At the same time, more explosions erupted in other parts of the asteroid cluster.

These were vessels belonging to other powers from the Ancient Blue Gate World and even from other stars. All of them were destroyed in the same manner, as the observers inside suddenly detonated.

"Fuck! What the hell was that?!"

"Are the devils attacking us?! Why was there no warning?!"

"Prepare for battle! Wait for the commander's order!"

On the vessel carrying the powers of the Orian Continent, the crew fell into panic at the unexpected blasts. However, being trained personnel, they quickly assumed they were under attack by the devils and immediately took their positions, preparing for battle.

Despite the front side of the vessel being badly damaged, and the ship drifting on its own from the force of the explosion that pushed it aside, the people inside did not fall into chaos for too long. Many quickly rushed toward the damaged section, only to be shocked by the sheer scale of destruction.

The blast had truly blown apart a massive chunk of the vessel's front, and in this state, they knew that using warp was out of the question. With the ship so heavily damaged, they could only rely on normal flight to move.

"Where is the commander?! Didn't he just come here a moment ago?" shouted one of them as he inspected the blast site. Suddenly, he sensed something near the wrecked section of the vessel. A moment later, a figure appeared, as if materializing from the ruins.

The sight of him made many widen their eyes, and they quickly approached.

"My lord!" they shouted, to which the commander only responded with a nod. His face was grim as he looked at the space now exposed before him. Fortunately, he has a protective talisman, which activated the moment he realized something was wrong with the observers. That was the only reason he was still alive and breathing.

The destruction had left the vessel crippled, turning it into a sitting duck. He gritted his teeth, frustrated that he had not realized earlier that the observers had fallen under a hypnotic technique.

A technique he could not detect could only mean that the one who cast it was far stronger than him. Combined with the red light he saw before the explosion, and the fact it used living bodies as its medium, he recognized it instantly.

'The vampire's blood laws… the Explosive Blood Puppet,' the commander thought.

This meant their position had already been compromised, and the devils of the vampire race were now attacking them.

While he was still frustrated by his late realization that had cost so many lives, he suddenly sensed something approaching from space. The others felt it as well, and all of them instantly turned toward the same direction. A few moments later, the shapes came into view, and what they saw made him frown.

"What is that?" one of the men asked in confusion.

After another moment, they finally saw the details clearly, and their eyes widened in shock. What approached was a massive swarm of flying beings, so numerous that from a distance they looked like a red mist spreading through space.

"Those are Red Fur Bats! The bloodsucker bats of the vampire race!" the commander shouted. Then his voice rose with urgency, "Kill them before they bite you! If you're bitten, you'll be paralyzed and drained of blood until you're dead!"

At once, many began unleashing elemental attacks against the incoming swarm. Countless blasts struck the bats, yet the red tide seemed endless, surging toward the crippled vessel like a wave.

The commander drew his artifact, a spear from his storage ring, and swept it toward the incoming wave of bats. With a single swing, he split the swarm apart, the strike even shattering part of a massive asteroid nearby.

His pseudo-immortal establishment stage cultivation's aura flared, as he continued his relentless assault. Each strike not only tore through thousands bats but even ripped open spatial cracks in the void.

Yet the swarm seemed endless, as if more appeared from nowhere to replace those just slain.

If the vessel were intact, they could have raised its barrier. But with the ship crippled, they had no choice but to fight in the open.

After several moments of struggle, the tide of bats finally reached them. Just as the commander had warned, many people were bitten. The instant their fangs sank in, paralysis spread through the victims' bodies. They collapsed to the floor, unable to circulate their inner energy, unable to move at all.

The bats injected paralyzing venom with each bite before sinking their fangs deeper, draining their victims dry of blood.

"Aghh!"

"Noo!"

"Fall back! Fall back to the deeper part of the vessel! Stay away from those monsters!"

Panic spread instantly as the swarm grew more brutal. In barely fifteen seconds, countless people had already fallen as victims. Their bodies shriveled within moments, drained dry by thousands upon thousands of bats.

The commander and a handful of others at the pseudo-immortal establishment stage still managed to hold the line, their powerful techniques barely keeping the swarm from overwhelming them. But even they were starting to be forced back. For every one they killed, five more appeared. The wave showed no sign of ending.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The commander swung his spear in rapid succession. Each strike annihilated thousands of bats in an instant, yet it was never enough. He knew the swarm had already rampaging through the vessel's interior. The screams of his men reached his ears, screams filled with terror and death. But he could do nothing. His own life was hanging by a thread as the endless tide pressed ever closer.

'Fuck, did those bastard devils at the pseudo-immortal stage come here directly? How could they know our position when I was certain we were hidden from their senses all this time?' he thought.

Even as he attacked, his mind racing, but he suddenly sensed something amidst the endless swarm. His head turned to another direction, still striking down bats as he looked. His body trembled when he saw a figure standing among the swarm, menacing red eyes fixed on him. The commander instantly knew, this had to be the master of the bats!

Abandoning his defensive stance, he dashed forward and unleashed his most powerful strike. His spear glowed with a blinding light as he thrust it toward the figure, who simply stood there, watching him calmly.

But then, a chill ran down his spine. He sensed something at his side. Goosebumps shot across his body as he realized the figure before him was nothing but an illusion woven from the bats. The real one was already at his side!

Before he could react, the figure grabbed his arm in a crushing grip, halting his spear. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't push the attack forward.

The commander's eyes locked on the black-haired vampire beside him. He tried to strike with a desperate kick but—

Grab!

The vampire grabbed his head with his free hand and lifted him effortlessly. The commander's kick struck the vampire's head, but it had no effect. The vampire didn't even flinch, its crimson gaze fixed coldly on him while its grip tightened around his skull.

"Weaklings that exist only as my nourishment. Cattle that have no right to resist me," the vampire said, voice dripping with disdain.

Suddenly, the commander felt his body wither.

"No… no!" he tried to scream, but the words barely left his lips as every drop of blood, every ounce of life, was drained from him. In less than ten seconds, only bones remained. His death was swift and merciless.

When the vampire was finished, he flung the corpse aside. The swarm of bats descended immediately, tearing into the remains with ravenous hunger.

The vampire, one of Rulleus's guardians named Vertiz, looked over his pets as they wreaked havoc everywhere. The vessel was already engulfed by his swarm of bats, and the other vessels scattered throughout the asteroid cluster had met the same fate. He had dealt with them swiftly, this ship was the last.

Now there were no eyes or ears left to report back to the Central Star Cluster. It was a basic strategy, silence the enemy's intelligence network. When the Central Star Cluster realized what had happened, it would already be too late. They would only discover the truth when the vast armada of devils appeared in their own territory.

With his task complete, Vertiz dissolved into a red mist, vanishing along with his countless bats, leaving behind nothing but a destroyed interstellar vessels and the stains of blood that testified to the carnage.

Back aboard Rulleus's vessel, Vertiz reformed and gave a slight bow.

"It's done, your Highness," he said.

Rulleus smiled.

"Good. Now we can catch them off guard. There will be a surprise waiting for them."

Xarz, hearing this, sighed inwardly.

'Well, I hope that's the case… and not that we are the ones surprised.'