NOVEL WEB Chapter 198: Chapter 198 : "Victor Dead"
Watching Selene walk away, Kenthelion didn't say a word. He knew exactly what was going through her mind—she wanted to take revenge with her own hands.
Moments later, Amalia approached with slow, graceful steps. The slit of her thin dress revealed her long, elegant legs with every stride. In one hand, a glass of red wine swayed gently with her movements. She sank into the sofa with a poised ease and crossed her legs with practiced elegance.
Amalia
"Don't you love that woman?" she asked flatly, though her sharp gaze betrayed a deep curiosity.
Kenthelion
"She's the best fighter we have. She'll be fine," Kenthelion replied, leaning back comfortably. "They've all gone after Viktor. And now I have a beautiful woman sitting beside me—do I look like a man who'd waste such a golden opportunity?"
He wasn't worried in the slightest. Selene had drunk the pure blood of Alexander Corvinus. She was far stronger than she had ever been. With her newfound power and Lucian by her side, Viktor shouldn't be a real threat. Even if Selene couldn't kill him, Viktor wouldn't be able to take her down so easily either.
Amalia
"Selene was right—you really are a shameless bastard," Amalia muttered as she tugged halfheartedly at her dress, trying to cover her thighs.
Kenthelion
"Damn, I just wanted to remind you how shameless I can be... especially around a woman as gorgeous as you," he said with a teasing smile, not a hint of anger in his voice.
Amalia shot him a sharp glare, her voice rising.
"Do you even realize how perverted you sound?! The way you look at me... it's like some wild animal! You're practically devouring me with your eyes!"
There was no denying it—Kenthelion's gaze gleamed with a hunger that was far too easy to read.
Kenthelion
"Well, you're the one who chose to wear that dress. Low-cut, revealing almost everything. Isn't that an open invitation to be flirted with?" he said, his eyes casually raking her from head to toe.
Amalia
"Others might admire me, but you—you stare at me with pure lust!"
Kenthelion
"Little girl, can't we have a civil conversation without tearing each other apart?"
Amalia scoffed, utterly unimpressed.
"Little girl?! Please. Your grandparents probably weren't even born yet when I started hunting humans. And you dare call me that?"
Kenthelion raised an eyebrow, grinning.
"Damn, I forgot you're a Vampyre. But you got one thing wrong, sweetheart... looks can be deceiving."
Amalia shrugged, shaking her head with mild exasperation.
"Hmph... And by the way, the proper term is Vampyre, not Vampire. We're not some cheap movie trope."
Kenthelion
"Ah, Vampyre, huh? Has a nice ring to it. You'll learn more soon enough—if you agree to be my woman."
Amalia's eyes widened in disbelief, her face lighting up with indignation.
"You... you're such a pervert! You already have Selene, and now you're flirting with me?! You're—you're a shameless, womanizing bastard!"
For a brief moment, Amalia finally understood what Selene had meant—the frustration of dealing with a man who could charm anyone with nothing more than that maddeningly easygoing grin.
---
The underground air was stifling and dusty, but that didn't stop Selene and her team of ten Tempestus Scions operatives from slipping into the Lycan base with quiet, vigilant steps. Each member carried a heavy metal crate sealed with protective wards.
When they arrived, Lucian greeted them in the main chamber, flanked by several of his guards.
Lucian
"Thank you, Selene... thank you so much for the weapons you brought."
His eyes widened as he saw the contents of the crates: advanced rifles loaded with next-generation silver nitrate rounds. These weapons were designed to pierce both vampire and Lycan defenses—a perfect killer in a nocturnal battlefield.
Selene
"We're allies now, Lucian. We share a common enemy."
Her tone was cold but resolute.
Lucian nodded firmly, then immediately ordered his men to distribute the weapons among their fighters.
---
As night cloaked the sky, the shadows of the vampires began to stir.
Hundreds of vampire soldiers, fully armed with automatic rifles and specialized anti-Lycan melee weapons, advanced in disciplined formation toward the werewolves' hidden lair deep beneath the city. Among them stood Victor, calm and commanding yet concealing a burning fury. He personally led the elite Death Walker unit.
Lycan 03
"Boss, they've arrived. Vampires... hundreds of them," reported a young Lycan to Lucian, his breath hitching with tension.
Lucian
"Only hundreds?" Lucian murmured, half-mocking. "Victor keeps getting more arrogant. He thinks this is just another routine hunt. Overconfident fool."
His eyes narrowed, voice low but cutting. "Alert every unit—the trap begins now."
As vampire troops one by one descended into the ancient sewer system, their footsteps echoed through the damp stone corridors. They did not realize that darkness did not belong to them.
Then the ambush struck.
Werewolves attacked from the shadows, using narrow tunnels and alternate passages they had prepared beforehand. Explosions rocked the corridors, followed by gunfire ripping through the night.
A brutal firefight erupted.
The thud of weapons, Lycan roars, and vampire shrieks blended into a chaotic symphony. Though well-trained, the vampires were pressed back—they were fighting on unfamiliar terrain, while their enemies knew every inch of it.
Vampire bodies fell one by one, their blood mingling with the filthy runoff flowing below.
Only when the Death Walker unit entered the fray did the balance begin to shift. With superhuman strength and speed, the Death Walkers shattered Lycan defenses and restored the vampires' dominance.
Victor, expression frozen, strode through the carnage and whizzing bullets without uttering a word. His gaze was fixed on a single point: the heart of the Lycan lair.
"Lucian. Selene," he thought. "Tonight, I end this personally."
Deep in the underground lair, Lucian stood tall among the shadows, Selene beside him holding her twin pistols. They waited in silence—not out of fear, but in readiness.
Victor reached the center of the Lycan stronghold with measured steps, Death Walkers trailing behind him like death incarnate. His cold eyes locked on the two figures standing unwavering in the blood-scented darkness, where gunpowder still lingered.
Lucian and Selene.
They did not flee. They did not hide.
They stood and waited.
Victor
"You two..." he said, voice deep and brimming with restrained rage.
"A thankless harlot and a treacherous bastard. You will die here, tonight."
Lucian stepped forward slightly, jaw tightening.
Lucian
"Victor... Today, I avenge Sonja."
His eyes glinted with anger and wounds unhealed.
"...and my child who never saw this world."
Victor sneered—not a laugh, but cold arrogance.
Victor
"Silence."
"I executed my own daughter for tainting our noble blood with you—traitor."
Selene, standing at Lucian's side, lifted her face slowly. Her gaze was piercing, filled with anger and hatred buried long ago.
Selene
"Victor... You will pay in blood for every life of my family you took."
Her hands moved swiftly, drawing her twin pistols in one smooth, deadly motion.
Click. Click.
Silver rounds were locked and ready.
Victor only laughed.
Victor
"Haha... kill them."
He gave a subtle signal.
The Death Walkers readied their weapons, prepared to unleash hell in that chamber.
But before a single shot was fired—
"VRAK-VRAK-VRAK!"
Suddenly, blinding flashes and thunderous energy blasts erupted from the large pool at the side of the room.
"DUG-DUG-DUG-DUG!!"
The Tempestus Scions—elite human soldiers of the Imperium Caelestis—emerged from the shadows along the pool's edge. Their dark uniforms shimmered, weapons glowing bright blue as they fired high-powered energy rounds.
---
One Death Walker hadn't even raised his weapon before his chest exploded under a plasma shot that obliterated his heart instantly. His body was hurled backward, engulfed in a burst of searing energy.
Chaos erupted in an instant.
Selene seized the chance. She fired her twin pistols at Victor with icy precision, silver bullets slicing through the air with sharp reports.
Lucian snarled as his body began to shift—bones cracking, skin stretching—and within seconds he'd transformed fully into a Lycan. With a thunderous roar, he lunged forward, aiming for the heart of his age-old vengeance.
The battle ignited instantly.
Lucian leapt at Victor, claws and fangs bared in Lycan form, while Victor met him with aristocratic vampire strength. They clashed brutally—claws versus blade, rage against betrayal frozen over centuries.
Selene raised her pistol and unleashed a hail of shots at Victor.
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
Yet Victor, though wounded, was still too powerful. With vampire speed and agility, he dodged, the bullets only grazing him.
In one savage slash, Victor's sword struck Lucian repeatedly, black blood spurting out. Lucian howled in pain but did not fall—he clung on, staggering but unbowed.
Seeing Selene as the greatest threat, Victor abandoned the wounded Lucian and charged at the vampire hunter.
With burning red eyes and sword drawn, he leapt toward Selene, swinging from above.
But Selene was ready.
With extraordinary reflexes, she rolled aside to evade the deadly strike, then in one swift motion unleashed a flurry of kicks.
"DUK! DUK! DUK! DUK! DUK! DUK!"
Her blows landed squarely on Victor's chest, sending the ancient vampire flying backward several paces.
Lucian, body still bloodied, wasted no time. He lunged and batted Victor's sword aside with his claws, sending it skittering across the floor and crashing against the wall.
Victor retaliated with a full-force punch. Lucian was hurled into a stone pillar but remained alive.
Sensing a golden opportunity, Selene dashed to retrieve Victor's sword. In one rapid surge, she struck—and before Victor could react—
"SYUTT!"
—she severed his arm.
"ARRRGGHHH!!"
Victor screamed as his right arm was cut off, blood spurting wildly from the shoulder.
Lucian, rising again with heavy breath and battered flesh, leapt in and bit into Victor's left arm with a roar of vengeance until it tore away.
"GRAAAAHHHH!!"
"KRRRAKK!!"
Bones shattered, flesh was ripped—the left arm was torn off completely, blood gushing across the stone floor.
Victor
"Damn... you... BASTARDS!!"
His body collapsed onto the floor. Blood pooled around him, spreading slowly. Without both arms, Victor's face went pale. He panted, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
He knew—tonight was his end.
Yet even on the brink of death, his hatred flickered. His face contorted in rage as he spat his final insults.
Selene stepped forward, sword dripping blood in her hand. From another direction, Lucian reappeared—holding Victor's severed arms like war trophies.
They surrounded Victor's helpless form—the two most eager to deliver the final blow with their own hands.
Lucian
"Victor... go. Beg Sonja's forgiveness... and your grandchild's that never had a chance to be born."
Lucian lifted his foot and kicked Victor's prone body.
Victor
"Aahh... aahh..."
Soft groans escaped Victor's lips, half from pain, half from wounded pride at dying by traitors' hands and the "ungrateful child."
Selene stared coldly. Her eyes showed no mercy—only a calm, icy satisfaction.
Selene
"Lucian... just finish him."
She tossed the sword to Lucian.
Lucian (catching the sword)
"You sure you don't want to end this yourself?"
Selene
"I've moved past that. But you... you deserve to deliver the end."
Lucian
"Thank you, Selene. I owe you. And if one day you need me, just call."
Lucian raised the sword high.
Lucian
"Goodbye, Victor."
With one swift, powerful stroke, he severed Victor's head from his body. It rolled slowly before coming to rest, eyes still staring at the ceiling though no longer alive.
The remaining Death Walkers—Victor's last loyalists—were cut down by Tempestus Scions emerging from hiding: plasma fire and purging flames eradicated all remaining vampire forces in the Lycan base.
Selene approached Victor's lifeless body.
Selene
"Lucian... open his chest. Kenthelion said there's something inside him."
Lucian asked no further questions. With the same sword that ended Victor's life, he split open Victor's chest. Blood and bone scattered, and from the shattered cavity he pulled out a mysterious object—a specially crafted pendant.
Lucian looked at it, then handed it to Selene.
Lucian
"I don't know what this is... but it doesn't feel meant for me."
Selene took it and examined it silently. There was something familiar... something that somehow felt like a legacy she was meant to guard. She stored it carefully.
Moments later, Raze appeared, bloodied but alive. He nodded to Lucian.
The battle was over. Vampires were destroyed. The Lycans suffered heavy losses, but tonight... they had won.
Selene
"Lucian, I'll return. But Kenthelion said... the authorities have begun to notice our existence. So be careful."
She said this seriously before turning away.
Without waiting for a reply, Selene departed with the Tempestus Scions. Lucian paused briefly, somewhat surprised by that information. His eyes narrowed, then he quickly issued orders.
Lucian
"Raze, clean up this place. Bring all survivors to the backup den."
Raze nodded and moved off with the remaining Lycans.
Not long after Selene and Lucian left, Kenthelion appeared at the battlefield. His gaze swept the area, ensuring it was secure. When he saw Selene safe in the distance before her departure, his expression softened slightly. But his eyes soon fell on Victor's lifeless body lying on the ground.
Without many words, Kenthelion gave a brief command.
Kenthelion
"Collect all these vampire and Lycan bodies. Send them to the lab. For research."
Terran Marines moved swiftly. They lifted the scattered corpses and loaded them into medivacs. In the sky, several Viking units in ground mode guarded the perimeter, ensuring no outside interference.
Suddenly, a Marine officer raised his hand, signaling alert. Someone was approaching.
Terran Marine Officer
"Visual contact. Unknown target approaching from the west."
All weapons were aimed. A defensive formation snapped into place. Kenthelion, sensing the presence as well, stepped forward. Moments later, the figure emerged from the rubble.
Cleaner Captain 07
"Lord Kenthelion, are you here as well?"
A captain from Alexander Corvinus's Cleaners unit—one of the special recovery and cleanup teams—approached, followed by twenty-four fully armed soldiers. He gave a full salute.
Kenthelion nodded calmly. He raised his hand, ordering the Marines.
Kenthelion
"Lower your weapons. Continue the evacuation."
Terran Marine Officer
"Yes, Your Majesty, Emperor."
The Marines resumed loading bodies into the medivacs. Tension eased somewhat. The Cleaners appeared more relaxed once they saw the Terrans no longer preparing to fight.
The Cleaner captain stood before Kenthelion. He knew that although aligned with Corvinus, their power still depended on the technology and weapons Kenthelion provided.
Kenthelion
"Proceed with your task. But Victor... you need not handle him. Tell Alexander that I have taken care of his body. I have retrieved its contents."
Cleaner Captain 07
"Understood, my lord. I will report immediately."
The Cleaners activated their devices—advanced tools provided by Kenthelion—and began erasing all biological traces of this brutal battle. Corpses vanished, evidence was wiped away, and the ground was restored to its prior state. All done to ensure the major powers of the world would not detect their presence.
Kenthelion looked around one last time, making sure nothing was left behind before boarding a medivac. Terran Marines joined him, preparing to return to the battlecruiser in orbit.
Ten Banshee units and ten Vikings formed a close aerial escort around the ten medivacs. The fleet then sped off into the night sky, heading toward the Imperium Caelestis battlecruiser.
---
Kraven's Residence — Vampire Castle
The night sky hung dark over the ancient vampire family castle. Moss-covered stone walls and medieval chandeliers still cast a dim bluish glow, marking the void of power left by Victor's fall.
Inside the main hall, Kraven sat brooding before a nearly extinguished fireplace. Moments earlier, he had received word: Victor, the Elder, was dead. His body had not been found shattered on the battlefield against the Lycans. The guards delivered the news with tense faces, but for Kraven...
It was good news.
A small smile slowly curved on his lips. Pleasure. Great pleasure.
Kraven (hissing softly)
"Victor... that arrogant old fool... you've finally fallen."
He had not sent elite troops to Victor's location. Instead, he had dispatched low-tier vampire soldiers—cannon fodder disposable at any time. And now, it was done. Victor was dead. Selene was gone. Lucian was untraceable. The vampire world was fracturing.
Kraven rose and walked slowly toward the grand stone throne once reserved only for vampire elders. He gazed at it for a long moment... then sat upon it. The cold stone seemed to greet him with the frozen deaths of his ancestors. Yet Kraven did not flinch.
Kraven
"Only Marcus remains... let him sleep. There's no point awakening him. After all... who knows if the rumor is true."
He bit his lower lip, somewhat hesitant. Though ambitious, Kraven knew that killing Marcus was a high-stakes gamble. Rumor had it that if an ancestral vampire died... the entire vampire race would perish with him.
And Kraven was not ready to die.
But the next news hardened his expression—Lucian had disappeared. And this was not good news. As long as Lucian lived, the Lycan threat would never truly fade. So, a decision was made.
Kraven
"Soren."
The heavy wooden door creaked as a loyal soldier entered the room. He stood tall, wearing black armor, eyes full of respect and a hint of unease.
Soren
"Boss."
Kraven
"Find that werewolf. Track their trail. I want them dead before dawn."
Soren
"Right away, boss."
Without further words, Soren bowed and left the room, his boots echoing on the cold stone floor.
Kraven stared at the closed door, then leaned back against Victor's cold stone throne. He touched the ancient vampire crest carved into the chair's back, then laughed—a deep, echoing laugh.
Kraven
"Ha... ha... ha... hahahaha...!"
Reflected light danced across the walls as his laughter reverberated like a curse in an old crypt. That throne was his now—at least, for this night.
---
Interior: Battlecruiser Hangar – Night
The air inside the battlecruiser felt humid. A thin mist from the cooling systems floated along the dark metal corridors. Distant engine hum formed a low symphony of technology that never slept.
Kenthelion returned early. His body was grimy, caked with dust and the foul stench from the Lycan base's sewers. He entered his private quarters and immediately stepped into the decompression shower. Hot water mixed with blue light washed over his wounded form.
Meanwhile, Selene finally returned to the ship. It was quiet. There was no sign of Kenthelion.
In the observation hangar, however, Amalia stood alone, gazing out at the distant stars.
Amalia (without turning)
"Did you kill Victor?"
Selene (flatly)
"Yes. He's dead."
Amalia nodded slowly. Her face showed no expression, though her eyes looked somewhat wistful.
Amalia
"Dead... Now only Marcus and I remain from our era."
She was silent for a moment, then asked softly:
Amalia
"Kenthelion went looking for you. Weren't you supposed to return together from the fight with Victor?"
Selene raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
Selene
"Kenthelion went too? I didn't see him."
There was a hint of relief in her eyes that she couldn't fully hide. At the news that Kenthelion had also been involved, her usually frozen expression softened slightly.
Amalia (eyeing Selene sharply)
"In that case... maybe he didn't want you to see him."
Silence.
Then... the hangar doors slid open automatically. A soft hum cut through the quiet.
Kenthelion entered, hair still slightly wet. His black clothes were clean, and he carried himself with relaxed confidence. He scanned the hangar, then smiled.
Kenthelion
"Ah... the two most beautiful women on this ship gathered here. Congratulations, Selene, on your revenge."
Selene met his gaze but did not return his smile.
Selene
"You went too?"
Kenthelion (feigning ignorance)
"What do you mean? I don't understand..."
Selene
"To the werewolf lair. You went there too, right?"
Kenthelion (shrugging)
"Oh? Did you see me? Impossible. I'm very good at leaving no trace."
He cast a glance at Amalia, realizing she likely leaked the information. He stifled a grin. Obviously Selene already knew.
Selene remained silent, then with an unreadable expression tossed something at Kenthelion—a weathered metal pendant engraved with vampire symbols.
Kenthelion caught it in one hand, stared at it briefly, then stepped slowly toward Selene and handed it back.
Kenthelion
"This belonged to your father. It should've been yours to hold."
Selene (surprised)
"My father?"
Her eyes widened. She stared at the pendant as if seeing her past laid bare. No wonder it felt so familiar...
Selene
"But... what is this for? Why did Victor hide it on his person?"
Kenthelion
"It's... a key."
Selene
"A key? A key to what?"
Kenthelion (turning to Amalia)
"You know too, don't you, Amalia?"
Amalia (slightly taken aback)
"Yes... I know. But... who are you, really? How could you know this secret?"
Her gaze was sharp, though her voice betrayed curious intrigue.
Kenthelion (smiling mischievously, half-joking)
"Of course someone told me... if you want to know who, just—"
He trailed off, then dramatically lowered his gaze to Amalia's chest, wearing a roguish grin that was impolite yet strangely charismatic.
Amalia
"..."
She simply sighed and rolled her eyes, pretending not to be affected though her cheeks flushed slightly.
Selene
"You really... shameless."
Kenthelion
"But at least I'm honest."
Selene
"You shameless bastard. What exactly do you intend to do?"
Seeing Kenthelion continue to stare at Amalia and take her seriously, Selene lost patience. She pushed Kenthelion and cut him off.
Kenthelion was pushed onto the sofa, but calmly guided Selene to sit beside him.
Selene complied, though she turned her face away, unwilling to look at him directly.
Kenthelion
"This is the key to the underground prison where Wilhelm is held—the werewolf. That prison was built by your father himself."
He spoke quickly, getting straight to the point as if wanting no misunderstandings.
Selene's eyes widened briefly. She examined the object more closely. Something felt familiar, though the memory remained vague.
Amalia
"You can't be serious about releasing that creature, can you? He's already lost his humanity. You know the consequences if he's freed?"
Amalia's tone sounded surprised. She even knew Wilhelm's name—details not lightly known to just anyone.
Kenthelion
"Release Wilhelm? Am I mad? Are you sane? Why would I release him? Looking for trouble, huh? Besides, even if he were freed, he wouldn't be able to do anything!"
He snorted in annoyance, then glared at Amalia sharply.
Kenthelion
"You know what they say: big-breasted women often lack brains."
Amalia
"What did you say, bastard?!"
Her anger exploded. She rose halfway, furious at being insulted.
Kenthelion merely smiled casually, then looked at her with a teasing tone.
Kenthelion
"I'm just an ordinary man. And this is how ordinary men talk."
Amalia
"In that case, I imagine any other woman would have torn you apart alive if they knew Selene had fallen for someone like you."
That remark made Selene blush. Her face reddened, but she said nothing as Kenthelion slipped an arm around her waist and shot a playful grin at Amalia.
Kenthelion
"By the way, Amalia... you're a thousand years old, right? Have you ever liked a man?"
Amalia
"Men? Trash. What use are they?"
She replied evenly, entirely unbothered by the question.
Of course Kenthelion had nearly forgotten: Amalia came from a noble lineage and was known as a powerful, respected woman. It made sense she looked down on men, especially those she deemed inferior.