Chapter 700 - The Hunt

Newest Chapter for Highest Tier (September 2021)

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Vampire King Apollyon

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Apollyon, Princess Sapphire, and the werewolf moved into the dawn forest to look for the Empress.

Unfortunately, he wasn't fully released from Lilith's Archdemon Magic, keeping him immobile.

It pained him even to take a step, and sometimes, he stumbled, but he endured.

He didn't want to show anyone his weakness aside from his wife.

The more she increased their distance apart, the more her hold on him loosened.

He didn't think it was a good idea..

At least, if he noticed himself slowing down then that meant Lilith was near.

It took him a moment to adjust his movements without faltering, and he slowly gained coordination in his limbs. 

He didn't say much about why they were chasing after Luna except that he told them that it 'appeared to be'—Apollyon used the subtle term to indicate that it was mere speculation of his—that his wife had been possessed by a demon from the woods and ran away.

He thought that it was brilliant, for he implied his uncertainty of Luna's condition, gaining Princess Sapphire and Xerxes' trust from the start.

For sure, his sister and her werewolf guardian would help them without having second thoughts.

Apollyon already knew that Princess Sapphire abhorred engaging with the Archdemons.

That was the reason why he put her abruptly to sleep against her will so as not to cause problems. Now, what would she do if she found out that not only was the Empress of the Vampire Realm an Archdemon, which confirmed the rumours spread by the Spring Courts, but also another Archdemon had shared her physical vessel?

Apollyon never considered his sister a coward with her stubborn refusal to cooperate with four Archdemons in her midst.

Still, he knew that she was afraid of what she might do under their extreme influence and persuasion for the sake of helping them.

Taken aback by his admission, Princess Sapphire had perpetual frown lines marring her forehead as their light, and brisk footsteps kissed the earth. 

Deep in thought, the Summer Princess chewed on her bottom lip as her brown eyes glanced around the surroundings, looking for the Empress' trail, as she held unto her werewolf's white silver fur on hid neck--long, glossy, and thick.

She didn't dare ask Apollyon the question that was niggling in her mind.

He didn't have to be a mind reader to know what her doubt was. Apollyon couldn't explain how this 'supposed' demon inside Luna's body escaped his strong presence effortlessly.

The obliviousness of a King from the Vampire Realm was an empty excuse. 

He saw the exact moment when he could see the cogs turning in his sister's head when it finally hit her—that the demon who possessed Luna was an ordinary demon but a powerful one—even powerful than him and his wife. 

Now, she was starting to ask him questions.

Apollyon prepared vague answers in his head in case it was a piece of information he didn't want to divulge.

"Brother." Tilting her head at him, she squinted to see his countenance. "What were you doing outside with the the Empress before this incident?" 

"It's none of your business."

"Why do I feel like you are deliberately hiding information from us?" She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted at him, taking offence, "How dare you when I am only trying to help? You see, it might help us predict the demon's next behavior."

"You are not an adult."

"I am an adult, alright?" He knew he had struck a nerve. One of Princess Sapphire's weaknesses was always fighting and proving how capable she was when her 'age' was brought up. "As the youngest spy master of the Summer Courts, It is my job to spy and see it all." She emphasised. "Everything." 

His sister didn't seem to perceive what angle of the conversation they were heading towards, so he replied bluntly, "We are doing adult things."

"Oh."

That shut her up. 

Clearing his throat, he tried changing the subject. "I would like to apologize for putting you to sleep." 

Clenching her fists, Princess Sapphire was forlorn when she couldn't bring that dead discussion back to life.

"Thank you for reminding me and pissing me off for the second time, brother. Never mind." She waved a hand in dismissal. "I will forget about it and move on but you still owe me a favor for that."

Apollyon inhaled, and all he could smell was pine aromas and fresh flowers. Lilith was smart to scatter Luna's scent in inconsistent directions. 

There was no way he could find Lilith as quickly as he would compare to Luna.

The mating bond could have given him that advantage.

In the moonlight, Xerxes might appear as a regular wolf, but the sheer size and the way he moved were different.

His bright golden eyes were filled with intelligence.

As a young werewolf, there was no doubt that his shifting shape was muscular, and his stance was confident. 

All at once, the wind died, and the leaves seemed to rustle.

When the three of them sensed a disturbance in their vicinity, all of them stayed still and scanned for any movement. 

There was none. 

In the next few seconds, Apollyon could hear pained moans reverberating around the forest before dark apparitions emerge from the ground, heading to the cliff's direction.

He already knew that Archdemons could control spirits.

These phantoms must have been summoned by Lilith. 

The three of them took flight into the trees as they followed thousands of ghosts.

Sprinting through the bushes and trees, Apollyon raced after Xerxes' pale tracks in the wooded gloom as the rocks in their path giggled from the movement of their soles.

The werewolf gave him a fleeting glance as if telling him to hurry up further up the mountain cliff as he ran with Princess Sapphire.

Xerxes' movements were fluid and easy, and he gritted his teeth, insulted.

It wasn't that he was slow.

He didn't know where to teleport because he hadn't been to the summit before.

When he reached the end of the mountain path at the top of a cliff, he saw several silhouettes of dark monsters.