Chapter 33: Vampire Lord Insignia

"Urgh, can you try to 'borrow' another car? I have a feeling that we really need it now," Seojin stated, feeling like a heavy suppression was acting all over his body.

The Vampire Lord was still suppressed. He did not do anything, but his simple gaze was more than enough.

Seojin felt like he was being stared at by a poisonous snake. It was as if he stood on a bloody battlefield.

He could not even imagine the feeling if he was standing right next to the Vampire Lord. Even from such a great distance, he was feeling suffocated.

[You have been marked by the Vampire Lord]

Seojin came out of his daze after hearing the new notification. On the back of his right hand, a blood red mark appeared, accompanied by a burning sensation.

He gazed at the mark as the burning sensation subsided.

[The Insignia of Vampire Lord]

[Those who are marked by this insignia can always be detected by the Vampire Lord, as long as they are within a certain range]

[Effects]

[Strength +20]

[Agility +20]

[Stamina +20]

[Magic +10]

As Seojin looked at the description of the mark, he was left stunned.

At first, the mark looked like a curse that was cast on him by the Vampire Lord so he could be located. But the mark came with additional effects that helped him instead.

"Just what is he thinking about?" Seojin frowned.

A car stopped next to him, and Lee Taehyung called out. "Come inside. We are leaving."

"You truly are an expert at borrowing." Seojin did not think about the insignia for now. It was more important to escape from this place first.

Taehyung started the car and sped through the road.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

Seojin rolled his eyes and asked in return, "Would you believe me if I say I'm not scared?" Seojin asked in return.

"Not even a little."

"Then why do you even ask?"

Seojin did not expect to be marked by the Vampire Lord so soon. He thought at worst, he would come across the High Vampires.

He did not think that the Vampire Lord was going to be there, observing everything like a spectator, despite the restriction.

"Do you think I was foolish?" he asked the Regressor.

He was certain that from the perspective of a Regressor, his actions could certainly come across as a little naive.

"It was not foolish. If anything, I was more foolish than you when I first-"

Taehyung closed his mouth and didn't continue any further.

"If anything, I think that you showed me something really interesting," he changed the topic. He gazed at the back of Seojin's hand with intrigue. "And I believe I'm not the only one who is taking interest in you."

"I would rather not have that man's interest."

Seojin did not know what the Vampire Lord wanted with him. Did he really need to give him that insignia, just to track him?

This insignia came with a lot of stats. With this, he was even stronger than Lee Taehyung at present. If he really wanted him dead, why would he make him stronger?

"Unless..." His words trailed off, as he thought out loud.

Before he could finish, he felt danger. His Guidance skill was warning him. A Battle Guidance thread appeared before him, even though there was no enemy.

He would have thought that something was wrong with his skill, but this skill had never failed him in the past.

For it to suddenly activate on its own, he could only feel the kind of danger he was in.

He drew out his Sword, almost shouting for Taehyung to stop the car. But it was too late.

A shadow appeared in front of them as a figure landed over the hood of the car.

Boom~

As the unknown figure landed on the car's hood, the car shuddered under the weight. It came to an abrupt halt, as if it had crashed against an unbreakable wall.

The impact was strong enough to kill everyone inside the car. Even cars made in the modern era could not protect themselves.

The windshield shattered and two figures came flying, crashing on the ground.

Not far from the crash, Seojin was lying on the road. Blood seeped from a wound on her forehead.

On the contrary, the Regressor had managed to land on his feet, even in this situation.

"Are you alright?" Lee Taehyung approached Seojin, who looked like he had taken the worst brunt.

"Never been better," Seojin sarcastically replied as he struggled to stand up, his head spinning from the impact.

"That might leave a scar..." He rubbed his forehead, which was still bleeding. He could feel the deep cut there.

He could not believe that he was still alive. If it wasn't for his strengthened stats, he was certain he would have been dead.

"Don't you know it's against the traffic rules to jump before someone's car?" He picked up his rusted sword and turned around.

It didn't take him long to guess who it was. The timer for the High Vampire restrictions had long hit zero. The worst had come for them.

"I am happy that you two are alive," the High Vampire spoke. "It would have been boring if you had died so early."

Seojin observed the High Vampire. The man was strong. No, calling him stronger was an understatement. He was dangerously strong.

There was another thing that caught Seojin's attention.

"Is that...?"

The High Vampire was carrying a sword as well. The Sword was different from his Sword, but he could still feel a sense of familiarity with that Sword.

His own Sword was vibrating when in contact with that Sword.

"Is that another fragment of Haphaestus' Sword?"

He was wondering why he hadn't seen the other two fragments. But now that one was before him, he understood why.

The fragments weren't lying around. They were being used by people as they were powerful swords on their own.

"This makes things more complicated."