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Chapter 201: You, Are Guilty!
The royal palace was utterly buried in countless flames.
Numerous ancient buildings, rich with history, had stood on this land for many years, only to be completely destroyed by human hands today.
Max looked at the towering inferno, a cold smile touching the corners of his mouth. He said to the Old Bartender, "You guys head back to New York first. I need to get to the Himalayan Mountains immediately."
"The Himalayan Mountains? What are you going for?"
"To help. The boss has a plan. He told me to go help him as soon as I dealt with the Vampire problem," Max said in a low voice.
The Old Bartender shrugged and asked no more questions.
Everyone knew that if Tony gave an order, Max would see it through no matter what, regardless of how difficult the process or how outrageous the reason.
"What about you two? Want to come back to New York with me? Tony will be very happy to see you when he gets back," the Old Bartender said earnestly, giving Whistler, an old fellow he got along with well, a hug before leaving.
Blade and Whistler exchanged a glance. After a moment of thought, Blade shook his head. "My life is on the battlefield. I won't consider anything else until every last vampire is exterminated. With the complete collapse of the Vampire Kingdom, I'll seize this opportunity to attack the remaining vampires as much as possible."
The Old Bartender spread his hands with some regret. It seemed he would be returning alone.
Electro, Max, nodded to everyone, then his entire body dissolved into several streams of electricity, moving off in one direction.
From the United States to the Himalayan Mountains, the distance might be vast, but even the longest journey across a planet's surface couldn't compare to the convenience of a freely moving electrical current.
Although Max's speed hadn't reached the absurd level of near-lightspeed, he could still manage more than ten times the speed of sound. Any faster, and it would easily cause damage to his body.
The intense explosions and fires had long attracted attention from all sides. Hordes of media outlets swarmed the area, but because the vast region consisted of private estates, they could only film from a distance.
The various factions that had participated in the vampire eradication had already secretly withdrawn. The remarkable results of the battle left many satisfied, and the collapse of the Vampire Kingdom would make it easier for them to purge the vampire remnants.
This was a huge victory; vampires were no longer a serious problem. In the past, the ties between the Vampire Kingdom and the Human Government were so close that many who wanted to act had to face immense financial pressure.
The vampires' industrial wealth surpassed that of most financial magnates, tying many people's hands.
But then came Max, a God of Slaughter who cared for nothing, becoming a key driving force in burying the Vampire Kingdom.
In this massive Kingdom, Tony had first killed Deacon, indirectly leading to the Kingdom's instability. Now, Tony's subordinate had directly destroyed the Kingdom.
Tony was, simply put, a vampire slayer.
In truth, when Tony was weak, he would have considered the vampires a formidable enemy. But as time went on, he regarded them less and less.
The most terrifying and craziest era was about to arrive. Its mere prelude was enough to make all sorts of monsters and demons crawl out of the woodwork, and in this brief overture, the Vampire Kingdom couldn't even hold its ground.
Wonder Woman was still sculpting, Superman was still farming, Dormammu was stirring restlessly, Apocalypse was still slumbering, and Black Adam's Awakening was imminent...
Any single one of these second-rate individuals possessed the power to utterly destroy the vampires, to say nothing of the more terrifying extraterrestrial visitors capable of inter-universe combat.
The so-called "powerful" and troublesome vampires of a bygone era didn't even qualify to be cannon fodder in this new age.
Extermination was only a matter of time. At the very least, Tony would never spare a species that fed on humans.
Max moved leisurely through the air, his direction set toward the Himalayan Mountains. According to the orders Tony had left him before departing, a great battle was waiting for him there.
Although Max didn't understand, since it was Tony's command, he just needed to follow it.
New Mexico had not been peaceful lately. Aside from Max leading his team on a frantic purge of vampires, rumor had it a Ghost Rider, wreathed in roaring flames, was also killing people everywhere. Many who had suffered losses wanted to capture that Ghost Rider, but they never returned, and gradually, the efforts died down.
Max moved swiftly through the air, contemplating the many orders Tony had given him, and a strong interest in the battle taking place in the Himalayan Mountains began to grow.
Not far from Max, a dazzling spark would occasionally light up. The light was erratic and moving at high speed.
Max merely glanced at it from mid-air before passing by indifferently. He had no interest in such trivial matters. If it had nothing to do with him and nothing to do with Tony, his interest wouldn't be piqued. His mind was completely filled with how to better execute Tony's plans.
But, the fiery light spotted the collection of electrical currents floating in the air. It drove a flaming motorcycle in hot pursuit. Behind this figure, its entire path was marked by a long trail of burning tire tracks.
This was a Ghost Rider. That Ghost Rider and the motorcycle beneath him were both burning with a peculiar flame that seemed as if it would never be extinguished. As it blazed, it gave off a strange sensation, as though the fire was not emitting the heat of a normal flame, but one that burned the heart and spirit.
The motorcycle let out a deafening roar, its powerful engine granting it formidable speed. One had to know, even when Max was moving "leisurely," he was still approaching the speed of sound, yet this guy behind him was able to stick to him like glue.
Max glanced back and was instantly stunned. The visual impact was too strong.
As Electro, he at least had the form of a "person," just one that glowed blue and was a bit unusual. But the one chasing him couldn't even be called a person. What kind of person had a skull for a head that was wreathed in roaring flames?
Max's face was cold as he abruptly stopped his movement. The numerous electrical currents converged into a humanoid form, floating in the air and looking down on this strange fellow.
"Who are you?" Max asked.
The Ghost Rider looked up, the burning flames suddenly flickering. He took out a length of chain, also ablaze, and hurled it viciously at Max in the air.
The speed of the chain was astonishing, shooting straight toward Max and producing a whistling sound as it cut through the air.
Within the burning skull, in its hollow eye sockets, a pair of eerie eyes seemed to be watching Max from the darkness.
"Look into my eyes!" the Ghost Rider said, tilting its head up, its voice deep as if from Hell itself. "You, are guilty!"
(end of chapter)
The royal palace was utterly buried in countless flames.
Numerous ancient buildings, rich with history, had stood on this land for many years, only to be completely destroyed by human hands today.
Max looked at the towering inferno, a cold smile touching the corners of his mouth. He said to the Old Bartender, "You guys head back to New York first. I need to get to the Himalayan Mountains immediately."
"The Himalayan Mountains? What are you going for?"
"To help. The boss has a plan. He told me to go help him as soon as I dealt with the Vampire problem," Max said in a low voice.
The Old Bartender shrugged and asked no more questions.
Everyone knew that if Tony gave an order, Max would see it through no matter what, regardless of how difficult the process or how outrageous the reason.
"What about you two? Want to come back to New York with me? Tony will be very happy to see you when he gets back," the Old Bartender said earnestly, giving Whistler, an old fellow he got along with well, a hug before leaving.
Blade and Whistler exchanged a glance. After a moment of thought, Blade shook his head. "My life is on the battlefield. I won't consider anything else until every last vampire is exterminated. With the complete collapse of the Vampire Kingdom, I'll seize this opportunity to attack the remaining vampires as much as possible."
The Old Bartender spread his hands with some regret. It seemed he would be returning alone.
Electro, Max, nodded to everyone, then his entire body dissolved into several streams of electricity, moving off in one direction.
From the United States to the Himalayan Mountains, the distance might be vast, but even the longest journey across a planet's surface couldn't compare to the convenience of a freely moving electrical current.
Although Max's speed hadn't reached the absurd level of near-lightspeed, he could still manage more than ten times the speed of sound. Any faster, and it would easily cause damage to his body.
The intense explosions and fires had long attracted attention from all sides. Hordes of media outlets swarmed the area, but because the vast region consisted of private estates, they could only film from a distance.
The various factions that had participated in the vampire eradication had already secretly withdrawn. The remarkable results of the battle left many satisfied, and the collapse of the Vampire Kingdom would make it easier for them to purge the vampire remnants.
This was a huge victory; vampires were no longer a serious problem. In the past, the ties between the Vampire Kingdom and the Human Government were so close that many who wanted to act had to face immense financial pressure.
The vampires' industrial wealth surpassed that of most financial magnates, tying many people's hands.
But then came Max, a God of Slaughter who cared for nothing, becoming a key driving force in burying the Vampire Kingdom.
In this massive Kingdom, Tony had first killed Deacon, indirectly leading to the Kingdom's instability. Now, Tony's subordinate had directly destroyed the Kingdom.
Tony was, simply put, a vampire slayer.
In truth, when Tony was weak, he would have considered the vampires a formidable enemy. But as time went on, he regarded them less and less.
The most terrifying and craziest era was about to arrive. Its mere prelude was enough to make all sorts of monsters and demons crawl out of the woodwork, and in this brief overture, the Vampire Kingdom couldn't even hold its ground.
Wonder Woman was still sculpting, Superman was still farming, Dormammu was stirring restlessly, Apocalypse was still slumbering, and Black Adam's Awakening was imminent...
Any single one of these second-rate individuals possessed the power to utterly destroy the vampires, to say nothing of the more terrifying extraterrestrial visitors capable of inter-universe combat.
The so-called "powerful" and troublesome vampires of a bygone era didn't even qualify to be cannon fodder in this new age.
Extermination was only a matter of time. At the very least, Tony would never spare a species that fed on humans.
Max moved leisurely through the air, his direction set toward the Himalayan Mountains. According to the orders Tony had left him before departing, a great battle was waiting for him there.
Although Max didn't understand, since it was Tony's command, he just needed to follow it.
New Mexico had not been peaceful lately. Aside from Max leading his team on a frantic purge of vampires, rumor had it a Ghost Rider, wreathed in roaring flames, was also killing people everywhere. Many who had suffered losses wanted to capture that Ghost Rider, but they never returned, and gradually, the efforts died down.
Max moved swiftly through the air, contemplating the many orders Tony had given him, and a strong interest in the battle taking place in the Himalayan Mountains began to grow.
Not far from Max, a dazzling spark would occasionally light up. The light was erratic and moving at high speed.
Max merely glanced at it from mid-air before passing by indifferently. He had no interest in such trivial matters. If it had nothing to do with him and nothing to do with Tony, his interest wouldn't be piqued. His mind was completely filled with how to better execute Tony's plans.
But, the fiery light spotted the collection of electrical currents floating in the air. It drove a flaming motorcycle in hot pursuit. Behind this figure, its entire path was marked by a long trail of burning tire tracks.
This was a Ghost Rider. That Ghost Rider and the motorcycle beneath him were both burning with a peculiar flame that seemed as if it would never be extinguished. As it blazed, it gave off a strange sensation, as though the fire was not emitting the heat of a normal flame, but one that burned the heart and spirit.
The motorcycle let out a deafening roar, its powerful engine granting it formidable speed. One had to know, even when Max was moving "leisurely," he was still approaching the speed of sound, yet this guy behind him was able to stick to him like glue.
Max glanced back and was instantly stunned. The visual impact was too strong.
As Electro, he at least had the form of a "person," just one that glowed blue and was a bit unusual. But the one chasing him couldn't even be called a person. What kind of person had a skull for a head that was wreathed in roaring flames?
Max's face was cold as he abruptly stopped his movement. The numerous electrical currents converged into a humanoid form, floating in the air and looking down on this strange fellow.
"Who are you?" Max asked.
The Ghost Rider looked up, the burning flames suddenly flickering. He took out a length of chain, also ablaze, and hurled it viciously at Max in the air.
The speed of the chain was astonishing, shooting straight toward Max and producing a whistling sound as it cut through the air.
Within the burning skull, in its hollow eye sockets, a pair of eerie eyes seemed to be watching Max from the darkness.
"Look into my eyes!" the Ghost Rider said, tilting its head up, its voice deep as if from Hell itself. "You, are guilty!"
(end of chapter)
