The journey was silent, the vehicle moving quietly in the twilight until the sun had almost completely disappeared below the horizon before the two arrived at the ominous, gloomy small town.
The tragedy had thrown the entire town into silent panic. There were barely any pedestrians on the streets, and a lot of households had their doors and windows shut tight, like even the air had frozen solid.
Some families had even moved out entirely, trying to temporarily get away from this cursed place. The arrival of an unfamiliar vehicle naturally drew the attention of the remaining residents, and gazes—either wary or hopeful—were cast from behind windows.
When Adrian and Clarisse stepped out of the vehicle, their pure white Vatican outfits stood out big time in the dim light.
This small town had a church, and most of its residents were believers. That's exactly why the massacre targeting the church seemed even more horrifying, even shaking the long-held faith of many.
"My Lord, this way..."
A man with a tough demeanor and solid build, middle-aged, had been waiting patiently nearby. Even though he was dressed in plain clothes, his firm gaze and upright posture clearly set him apart from ordinary people.
"A friar?" A hint of surprise flashed in Adrian's eyes. He could sense the considerable power contained within the guy.
"Yes, My Lord," the man respectfully replied, a bit surprised that he'd been seen through at a glance.
"Your physical condition is pretty excellent."
"Have you thought about joining the Saint Legion selection? With your qualifications and faith, you shouldn't have been rejected."
Adrian nodded approvingly.
The man chuckled freely and replied, "Let's leave the opportunities for the younger generation."
"First, take us to the scene." Adrian stopped asking questions, motioning for him to lead the way.
The three walked quickly toward the church. The afterglow of the setting sun stretched the church's silhouette long and crooked, and the surroundings were suffocatingly silent, with this indescribable, faint scent of blood lingering in the air.
The police tape hadn't been removed yet, fluttering slightly in the evening breeze.
Before even fully stepping into the church, Adrian's brows were already furrowed.
"Dark creatures... it was vampires."
It was a smell totally different from human blood—richer, more pungent, like it came from some deep-seated bloodlust and corruption of the soul.
The interior furnishings of the church weren't badly messed up—only some tables and chairs were tilted or knocked over.
This meant the attack was crazy fast, and the clergy had basically no time to resist, with even the chance of escape being almost zero.
"How terrible..." Clarisse's voice trembled slightly.
Even though the bodies had been cleared out ages ago, the splattered dark red bloodstains and lingering negative energy still made her heart ache—she could almost piece together the horrific scene in her mind.
"My Lord..." The friar's expression was serious, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"Your mission ends here."
"Hand over the information you have to us."
"Return to the Vatican and report."
Adrian cut him off.
The friar bowed and quickly left, understanding this wasn't a battle he could get involved with.
Adrian raised his hand and softly chanted, "God said, 'Let there be light.'"
Instantly, brilliant golden light erupted from his hand, sweeping through the entire church like a tide.
The nasty bloody aura and resentment rapidly disappeared in the holy light, and within moments, the entire space got back its solemnity and purity, like it had never been desecrated.
This sacred light even shone far into the small town, and residents pushed open their windows and doors, looking toward the church in shock.
"Is that... a miracle?"
"The Vatican hasn't abandoned us!"
People whispered, gradually walking toward the church, where they met Adrian and Clarisse coming out.
"Please rest assured, everyone."
"The church has been purified, and a new priest will arrive in a few days. As for whoever did this, they'll definitely pay the price."
Adrian's voice was gentle but penetrating.
His expression was calm, and he seemed wrapped in this sacred aura—a few words were enough to calm the unease in everyone's hearts. The residents gradually left, hope rekindled in their eyes.
"Your Eminence, where do we go next?" Clarisse asked after leaving the small town.
"To find the vampires," Adrian's gaze turned cold.
"Since we don't know exactly who did it, let them hand over the person themselves."
A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
Right now, internal conflicts within the vampire community were constant, with clashes between purebloods and dhampirs getting worse.
Rapid tech advancements made their weaknesses to UV light and silver weapons even more obvious.
Combined with threats from people like Blade, their situation was nowhere near what it used to be. Sure, there were still humans seeking immortality and power willing to work with vampires, but their strength and influence weren't what they once were.
Adrian figured this incident was most likely some isolated act by a certain vampire, but he had zero intention of spending time slowly investigating.
The Star Saint Legion had just been established and hadn't built its reputation in the supernatural world yet. Since someone had actively provoked them, he naturally planned to use this to establish their authority.
Night had fully fallen, and the vehicle drove toward the city's edge.
"My Lord, this is a vampire stronghold."
"Vampires and dhampirs have been gathering here for ages—order's chaotic, making it a blight on the city," Clarisse said, looking at the information in her hand.
Reaching their destination, Adrian didn't rush in but waited at the entrance for a bit.
During that short time, a lot of people came and went.
Shadowy figures filled the alley, mostly young people dressed in hip-hop and punk styles. The two, in their white robes, looked totally out of place, quickly attracting a bunch of hostile stares and whistles.
"Yo, Father coming to a rave too?"
"Wrong place, aren't you~"
They ignored them and kept going.
"You priests aren't welcome here..."
Several pale-faced, creepy-eyed dhampir guys stepped forward to block them. Before they could finish talking, Clarisse suddenly struck!
With a few thuds and screams, the guys hit the ground. Clarisse flung open her robe, revealing the combat suit underneath, her eyes cold.
"Don't touch His Eminence with your filthy hands."
The surroundings immediately went quiet, and nobody dared to block them again. The two walked straight toward the bar at the end of the alley.
The moment they pushed open the door, a murky scent of alcohol, blood, and cheap perfume hit them.
The lights were dim, the music loud, and humans and vampires mixed together inside.
Clearly, this was a vampire hunting feast, and a lot of ordinary people who'd been lured there were still clueless that they'd become prey.
Looking at the two out-of-place figures, curiosity was obvious in their eyes.
"People from the Vatican?"
"What, you think not enough people died in that church?"
A cold voice came from the direction of the bar.
Several vampires sneered, closing in, their eyes glowing with bloodthirsty red light.
"Or... you wanna join the party too?"
With miracles not showing up anymore, the Vatican, which had been in decline on the supernatural side for ages, clearly wasn't enough to scare the vampires present.
The space around Clarisse began to subtly distort, and a fierce glint flashed in her eyes.
Adrian, though, just smiled faintly.
"Call your manager out."
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