Flames roared upward, swallowing everything in violent orange light. Heat distorted the air, turning Deacon's final expression into something grotesque and frozen.
Boom.
His face remained locked in disbelief as the ultraviolet beams intensified. Under the raging fire, his body began to crumble at a speed visible to the naked eye. Flesh blackened, cracked, and flaked apart like overcooked clay. Within seconds, his entire frame collapsed inward, disintegrating into drifting ash.
Even his soul did not escape.
The next instant, a familiar mechanical tone echoed in Locke's mind.
『Ding!』
『Successful kill!』
『Obtained extraordinary points: "200"』
『Current extraordinary points: "236"』
『Ding!』
『Kill the destiny target. Additional reward obtained: "Ability Sublimation Card ×1"』
Two golden fangs clinked against the concrete as they fell from the dissolving remains. At the same time, the system's notification settled fully into Locke's awareness.
His brows lifted slightly.
Ability Sublimation Card?
That was new.
What was it supposed to do?
With a thought, Locke summoned his current interface.
『The Ultimate Evolution Module』
『Supernormal Card Slot: "1"』
『Extraordinary Points: "236"』
『First Card Slot: "Vampire Gene"』
『Ability Level: "A"』
『Ability Effects: "Eternal life (as long as the head remains intact, death is impossible), agelessness (appearance permanently fixed at current state), extraordinary speed, extraordinary strength, extraordinary physique…"』
『Ability Defect: "Blood thirst (blood is the source of vitality; if not consumed for one week, continuous weakening occurs)"』
『Ability Note: "500 extraordinary points required for further upgrade"』
Locke skimmed past the familiar data.
Unless something unexpected happened, he had no intention of upgrading the Vampire Gene again right now. The cost-performance ratio wasn't great. He already possessed the two most valuable aspects of vampirism—immortality and agelessness.
As for blood thirst, he considered it manageable.
Instead of burning five hundred points on a marginal improvement, it would be smarter to save toward unlocking a second card slot. That was the real step toward his "Superman" blueprint.
His gaze shifted downward.
An item bar had appeared on the interface—something that hadn't existed before.
Open.
Ten empty grid slots materialized in his vision. In one of them lay a colorful card, shimmering faintly.
Locke focused on it.
『Item Name: "Ability Sublimation Card"』
『Item Quality: "S"』
『Item Description: "Select one ability. Upgrade or sublimate it without consuming extraordinary points."』
『Drop Source: "Chance reward for killing a destiny character."』
『Remarks: "Sublimation is the key!!!"』
"Sublimation…"
He read the description twice.
After a brief pause, he selected the card and applied it to his only current ability—Vampire Gene.
Immediately, three bold exclamation marks exploded across his vision. A projection image unfolded before him, as if the system were deliberately warning him not to waste the card carelessly.
It showed the Vampire Gene upgraded from A-level to S-level. Then, with the Sublimation Card applied—
The result shifted.
"This is…"
"Blood Clan?"
Locke's eyebrows rose as he studied the visualization.
After maxing out the Vampire Gene and applying sublimation, it could transform into a Blood Clan Gene?
He drew in a quiet breath.
Wait.
Weren't vampires and blood clans the same thing?
He blinked.
Before he could examine further, his ears twitched subtly. Distant engines and boots against gravel filtered into his enhanced hearing.
Debbie and the Sentinel Emergency Response Team were almost here.
No time.
He dismissed the interface.
His eyes dropped to the two golden fangs on the ground. After a moment's consideration, he bent down and picked up one ring lying nearby. Then he turned, walked toward where Brown had collapsed, and positioned himself beside him.
With a practiced motion, Locke rolled his eyes back and dropped flat onto the ground.
The main player was now unconscious.
Exactly one minute later, headlights flooded the area. A combat armored vehicle screeched to a halt outside the hangar after spotting agents down near the entrance.
The rear door burst open. Emergency tactical officers poured out, moving with precision.
And Debbie.
"Boss!"
The moment she saw Locke lying beside Brown, suit torn and eyes closed, panic overtook her. Tears welled instantly in her baby-faced features as she sprinted toward him.
The tactical team split seamlessly. One unit advanced into the hangar in formation. Another established a defensive perimeter.
"Clear."
"Clear."
"Clear—survivor located."
Inside, they found Blade sprawled across the floor, clothes shredded and face swollen beyond recognition. He looked like he'd gone ten rounds with a wrecking ball.
But he was breathing.
Debbie exhaled sharply at the confirmation in her earpiece. Then she knelt beside Locke, cradling his head instinctively.
"Is the ambulance here yet?" she shouted upward.
"En route!" one of the officers replied.
A faint sound escaped Locke's throat.
"Ah—"
Debbie froze, then looked down in shock as his eyelids twitched in her arms. Her eyes brightened instantly.
"Boss! Boss!"
Locke's eyelids trembled as if they weighed a thousand pounds. After several attempts, he forced them open with visible effort.
His gaze landed on Debbie's tear-streaked face. He blinked slowly, expression empty and unfocused, as if he didn't recognize her.
Debbie's heart lurched.
"Boss?"
He didn't respond at first. His eyes drifted aimlessly, brows knitting together as though trying to piece together fragments of memory.
Several long seconds passed.
Then clarity flickered back.
"Debbie," he said hoarsely.
Relief flooded her face.
"Boss, you remember me?"
"Of course."
He raised a hand and pressed his fingers to his temple as if fighting off a headache. With Debbie's support, he pushed himself upright.
She examined him anxiously.
"Are you okay? The ambulance will be here soon."
"I'm fine." Locke shook his head slightly. "What happened?"
Debbie swallowed. "Satellite feed glitched. We lost visuals here for twenty minutes."
Good.
Locke kept his expression neutral.
Beside them, Brown stirred. With assistance from a tactical officer, he forced his eyes open and immediately displayed the same three-step confusion routine Locke had just performed.
The difference was simple.
Brown was genuinely disoriented.
Locke had rehearsed.
Judging by Debbie's reaction, the performance had landed.
A few minutes later, Debbie helped Locke to his feet while an officer supported Brown. Together, they moved inside the hangar.
Blade had just been slapped lightly on the cheek by a tactical officer to rouse him.
His face, already battered beyond dignity, somehow looked even worse up close. It didn't just resemble a pig's head—it had achieved full authenticity.
He blinked sluggishly.
Five full seconds passed.
Then, in a hoarse, utterly sincere voice, he asked the most fundamental question of the night.
"What happened?"
"…."
...
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