The SSS Ranked Villain's Return-Chapter 201: The Vampire Progenitor?

He expected this trial to be a simple run-to-the-end type of deal.

However, Neraxis soon noticed that wasn't the case, as in front of him, some kind of blue ball of fire manifested.

It emitted far more heat than he had felt a few moments ago.

Frankly, it felt like if he approached any closer, he'd be burnt to a crisp.

Going around it was impossible too, as the room was too narrow.

However, as he glanced behind himself, Neraxis noticed that the bridge was slowly melting apart.

In just a few moments, there would be no ground to stand on.

And when that happened, even if he was floating above ground, he wouldn't be safe, as the lava would shoot up—just as it had done earlier.

Fuck... Neraxis grumbled, looking for options.

After a few moments of thought, he finally came up with something.

Despite {Aura of the Abyss} and Frost not really decreasing the heat he felt, they seemed to slightly affect the surroundings.

Therefore, Neraxis extended his hand and sent a pulse of mana, which managed to slightly disrupt the blue fire.

He obviously didn't miss this chance, and neither did Evangeline, as she shot forward.

His skin was slightly scorched. However, aside from that, Neraxis was fine.

Evangeline, in her sword form, wasn't doing terribly either, as every time the lava came into contact with the sword, she'd drain a bit of his blood to heal.

Nonetheless, now that they had passed the first hurdle, Evangeline sped up, the sword zipping forward just above the bridge.

Hey... Now that it has calmed down a bit, mind telling me what you meant by the good and bad news? Neraxis asked, making sure not to fall.

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[Bad news, you turned into a vampire,] Evangeline said flatly. [Good news? You're not a regular vampire, but one similar to me. A progenitor.]

What...? Don't you think this is a little anti-climactic? You know, I don't really feel that much different than when you usually turn me into a vampire. Neraxis asked, puzzled.

[Well, I've turned you into a vampire 167 times now. I'm surprised you held out that long. But don't worry, your progenitor bloodline hasn't awakened yet. Once it does, all the pain you've felt in your life will feel like it was child's play,] Evangeline added ominously.

A shiver went down Neraxis's spine, but he proceeded forward.

There were many situations where he thought he would die, only to be saved by becoming a vampire.

Of course, his mood swings got better, and he no longer lost control.

That, and he had accepted this outcome a long time ago, as in the end, it didn't really matter.

If anything, he would only become closer to Evangeline.

[Oh yeah, quick tip...] Evangeline giggled. [If you're going to give your blood to the girls again, make sure not to consciously turn them into vampires. You'll know what I mean once you get around to it.]

Got it. Neraxis replied, and as he did, he finally noticed the end of this bridge.

It wasn't covered with anything, but at the same time, there was no bridge to walk on anymore.

Simply put, if he didn't have Evangeline and he wasn't a vampire, he would've died near the midway point.

Therefore, Neraxis headed forward, while also neatly dodging the lava that shot out from above, until eventually, he reached the end and stood on the platform, which cooled him down.

And of course...

[Solaris Tower - 1st Floor Elite Mode: The Blazing Bridge - Complete]

[Climber: Neraxis Valen]

[Current Progress: 1/10 Floors]

It was surprisingly easy, but again, every single 1st floor he had gone through was easy so far.

Therefore, Neraxis's gaze landed on the next bout of notifications.

[Solaris Tower - 2nd Floor Elite Mode: Ember Sentinel's Watch - Available]

[Do you wish to enter?]

[Yes/No]

Neraxis pressed "Yes" without hesitation.

Immediately, his vision shifted, almost feeling inverted, as he finally arrived at the 2nd floor.

He was in the middle, and around him, he could count 16 bronze statues.

All of them were holding different kinds of weapons, ranging from swords to spears to shields. Some even had bows.

Soon, the last message appeared.

[Solaris Tower - 2nd Floor Elite Mode: Ember Sentinel's Watch]

[Objective: Defeat the Bronze Ember Sentinels while avoiding the sun.]

[Status: Starting In 5 Seconds!]

Sun? What sun? Neraxis looked around, and aside from a few rocky formations, he couldn't see any glimmer of light.

If not for his {Cosmic Sight}, he wouldn't be able to see in the first place.

However, as the timer hit zero, he suddenly noticed light enveloping the room, and as he looked up, Neraxis saw the ceiling part, revealing a sun that covered his entire vision.

Since he wasn't in cover, Neraxis's hand touched the sun, and in an instant, it turned to dust as the reaction spread up his arm.

However, before it could get too far, Neraxis grabbed his sword and cut his arm off at the shoulder, stopping the deterioration from happening.

Now that's some serious heat. Neraxis remarked as he fell into cover. Now, this is going to be a little troublesome.

After five whole seconds, an arm sprouted out of his shoulder.

His {Unyielding Vitality} now functioned as a regeneration skill. While it could be better, he'd take what he could get.

After all, he was nowhere near maxing it out.

Despite that, Neraxis looked around and noticed that the shadows were perfectly visible, making a pathway for him to avoid the sun.

But of course, it wouldn't be so easy, as those statues from earlier finally lit up, their heads glowing with a faint golden light.

The other statues began glowing as well the moment the sun came into contact with them.

Unsurprisingly, all 16 statues were staring directly at him—even the ones that couldn't see him through the rocky cover.

Taking a deep breath, Neraxis decided to focus and evaluate the situation.

If he was exposed to the sun, he would be killed.

The same applied to the bronze statues, but it was the opposite—if they weren't in direct contact with the sun, they no longer functioned.

This is definitely more difficult than Dreamspire. Neraxis thought with a sigh as he summoned his sword before glancing at one of those statues.

Their cores were obviously in their heads, and if he could destroy them, they would no longer function.

Finally, he was done debating, and in the next moment, he brought his hand back, his sword slightly vibrating.

Then, Neraxis focused on one of the statues not too far away, and in the next moment, he used one of his newer skills, {Atomic Stab}.

It was a direct upgrade from {Universal Stab}, but this one focused on the vibrations that happened on the molecular level.

As a result, its strength increased several times over.

He calmly brought his sword forward, and the moment he did, a single silver line burst out from the tip of his sword, traveling straight toward the statue's head.

It cleanly passed through it, not leaving even a single mark.

But as the golden glow faded, followed by the statue dropping to the ground, Neraxis smiled in his victory.

An overpowered technique that he could condense as much as he wanted.

Better yet, since he had mastered the basics, these techniques no longer had cooldowns.

And of course...

[1x (S+ Ranked Construct) Bronze Ember Sentinel Slain! Reward: Stigmata 12.82% → 15.82%]

Neraxis stood up and stretched his back before glancing at the other glowing statues.

This is going to be good target practice.