Chapter Thirteen: Overpowering Henry

The vampire’s technique, “Black Phantom,” was a vicious move. He conjured phantoms to battle his opponent, and even if the phantoms were dispersed, he could summon more. Each strike landed on his adversary was real, while the phantoms remained illusory. If his opponent was powerful, at the very least, this technique would sap their strength. When they were utterly exhausted, he could suddenly shift position, appearing beside them for a deadly attack.

The phantoms swirled rapidly around Liu Yunfei. He felt as if a shroud of black sand blocked his vision; punching in any direction only struck empty air. Trying to break free from the circle of phantoms, he found they formed a wind wall beside him, exerting a tremendous centripetal force. Whenever he tried to approach the edge, an unseen fist would shove him back to the center.

If Liu Yunfei were alone, he would not have feared these phantoms; after all, they could not keep him trapped forever. Once the phantoms ceased, he could easily escape with a single blow. But aboard the Star Cluster, many helpless people awaited his protection.

The very thing he feared most was now happening. A speedboat was slowing down, preparing to dock alongside the Star Cluster. Henry seemed to realize what was happening and was in no hurry to attack, merely accelerating to prevent Liu Yunfei from leaving the speedboat. Now, Liu Yunfei was alone on this boat; the kidnappers who had fallen into the water had been rescued onto other vessels.

In his desperation, Liu Yunfei grabbed the hard plastic seat bolted to the speedboat. With a forceful pull, the rivets popped out with crisp sounds, and the nuts shot out like bullets.

He saw one of the kidnappers grabbing the Star Cluster’s railing, trying to climb up. Liu Yunfei swung his arm and hurled the plastic seat with all his might.

The kidnapper had just vaulted the railing. As he lifted his head, a white blur whistled through the air and struck his shoulder with a resounding crash. It felt as if a massive iron plate had slammed down—first his shoulder went numb, then he felt his neck crack, and finally, darkness enveloped him as he toppled backward into the sea.

The kidnappers on the speedboat were dumbstruck by Liu Yunfei’s formidable strike. Henry shouted, “Brothers, hurry up! Only the driver’s seat on the speedboat is separate plastic—the others are part of the hull. He has nothing left to throw!” The kidnappers began to stir again.

Quick-witted, Liu Yunfei thought, If you spin, I’ll spin too. He kicked off into the air, twisting his waist like a spinning top, rotating in the opposite direction to the phantoms. Faster and faster he spun, until the sea below whipped up a tornado, drawing up a massive whirlpool as if a gigantic black-mouthed monster was swallowing the speedboat whole.

Compared to the whirlwind Liu Yunfei had conjured, Henry’s phantoms were utterly outmatched, completely losing control and spinning in reverse with Liu Yunfei’s vortex, eventually collapsing and lying flat, spinning helplessly.

The faster Liu Yunfei spun, the more the phantoms stretched, finally unraveling into thin strands of darkness.

Henry realized his move had been countered and immediately transformed into a black bat, plunging into the whirlwind, grabbing Liu Yunfei’s calf and dragging him toward the vortex below.

The whirlpool gathered immense force, like an invisible hand pulling Liu Yunfei toward the seabed. The deeper he spun, the weaker the suction became. But Henry clung to his leg with all his might, squeezing it like a seamless iron ring.

Liu Yunfei bent down and seized Henry’s hand, one hand gripping his thumb, the other his index finger, pulling them apart. It felt like tearing apart two thick steel rods, the sensation of metal ripping.

No sooner had he freed that leg than Henry reached out his other hand and clamped onto Liu Yunfei’s other foot. Liu Yunfei swung his fist at Henry, but Henry merely gripped his leg, dodging and refusing to engage directly. At that angle, Liu Yunfei truly couldn’t reach him.

Thinking, If I can’t hit you, at least I can hit your hand, Liu Yunfei raised his fist, using the knuckle to strike hard against Henry’s thumb joint.

Henry never expected Liu Yunfei’s attack to be so ruthless. The pain was excruciating, making him want to cry out, but as he opened his mouth to scream, seawater rushed in.

Henry had lived for over two centuries, always inflicting pain on others, never suffering even a simple injection like an ordinary person. This was the first time in his life he’d experienced such agony. He could no longer hold onto Liu Yunfei, nor could he even try.

Liu Yunfei had completely severed Henry’s thumb, lost to the depths of the sea. With only four fingers, he could no longer maintain a tight grip.

Suppressing the tears streaming from his eyes, Henry transformed into a bat and shot up toward the surface. Liu Yunfei wasted no time, bursting out of the water like a missile, twisting and spinning rapidly to shake off the droplets.

In that brief moment, the speedboat leaning against the Star Cluster’s hull was empty; the kidnappers had all climbed onto the yacht. Liu Yunfei realized with alarm, This is bad. He dashed toward the main hall’s door.

Suddenly, from afar behind him, came a dull roar and a piercing shriek. Liu Yunfei whipped around, gasping—a rocket warhead was streaking through the air, trailing flames.

Pressed for time, Liu Yunfei had no choice but to abandon the hall. He didn’t even have time to turn; with all his strength, he flung himself backward, his body facing away from the warhead. Though the rocket posed no threat to Liu Yunfei himself, it was far too close to the Star Cluster. If it exploded, the yacht would surely sink.

Unlike certain protagonists from other fantasy novels, Liu Yunfei had no ability to slow down fast-moving objects. Moreover, an unguided rocket warhead travels even faster than a missile. Twisting his head, Liu Yunfei watched as it approached. When it was right behind him, he shut his eyes and clamped his arms together, leaving his fate to chance. Old Prince, Shalena—if I miss it, don’t blame me!