Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2912 - 2913: The Vampire Queen

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RUMBLE!

As Beowulf managed to rescue everyone and finally bring some stability to the chaotic landscape, Harumi felt an immense, reality-warping presence approaching.

A crack tore open within the merged dungeons. From it, two figures plummeted from the sky, accompanied by a massive monstrosity whose form defied comprehension.

A Dream Entity!

The people fleeing were ones Erika and Harumi recognized—the supervisors of Chaos Gate who had been managing the Dream Dungeon.

That was where everything had spiraled into disaster. But why were they running?

Had the ”trap” they set backfired on them?

Or were they victims too, just like everyone else?

Sakamoto and Mirabilis would have loved to explain that they were indeed on the receiving end of this nightmare.

But they couldnʼt speak.

BOOOM!

As they hit the ground, an explosion of light and darkness erupted. Both shielded themselves with their Auras.

They looked battered. Their escape from the Dream Entities had been brutal.

Yet they were alive.

”Mirabilis, you okay?”

”Iʼm fine. Iʼm naturally resistant to those things. But what about you?! Youʼre human!”

”Iʼm alright.”

Sakamoto had always been blessed with a strange power: Fortune Manipulation. That Fortune could do many things—even grant him enough luck to avoid permanent harm.

But it drew on his own energy reserves and various other factors. Right now, he was nearing his limits.

”CONSUME…! SOULS! SOULS! SOULS! CONSUME! CONSUME! CONSUME! CONSUME!”

The Dream Entity pursued them relentlessly. Larger than mountains, it charged forward on hundreds of giant human-like arms. Countless screaming faces covered its amorphous body.

These strange lifeforms existed only to devour souls from the Dream Plane. Unable to enter other Planes before, they now reveled in their freedom.

”God damn it! Another one of those things is coming here!” Erika cried.

”We should run! Quickly!” Harumi urged. ”We should—Ugh?!”

As Harumi tried to flee toward the exit, she collided with someone taller than her.

”So there you are! You donʼt know how worried I was, Harumi!”

A familiar voice rang out as strong arms enveloped her in a tight hug.

”Eh?!”

Harumiʼs eyes widened. Her mother was hugging her.

The Vampire Queen Clementine.

”Your majesty!”

”Queen Clementine!”

”Youʼre finally back!”

Frankenstein, Lady Shadow, and Dan celebrated at the sight of her return.

Clementine smiled warmly at them and stepped forward.

Her Aura surged, warping space itself.

Blood and darkness blended into an abyss.

Her eyes gleamed as she fixed her gaze on the approaching monster.

”You took one down. The next one is mine, Beowulf.”

”Hah, fine! Thatʼs only fair.”

Beowulf crossed his arms as Clementine gently patted her daughter, offered her a reassuring smile, then spread enormous bat wings and shot into the sky like a crimson blur.

At the same moment, another figure appeared.

”Brother?!”

Harumi spotted Mammon and ran to him, burying her face in his shoulder as tears flowed.

”A-Ah, Harumi… donʼt worry. Everything is going to be alright now. Mother is here with us, after all.”

Everyone looked skyward as the Vampire Queen danced against the Dream Entity.

The monster immediately tried to crush her with its hands, chasing her across the ground and swatting at her like an insect.

But Clementine was untouchable.

Every strike that landed shattered the monsterʼs limbs into fragments.

”GRRAAAAHHHH?!”

Clementineʼs body gleamed as though she had transformed into crimson diamond.

This was her Innate Ability—a power she was born with.

”Adamas.”

Among the Ancient Vampire Lineages, the oldest ancestors possessed unique, god-like abilities.

Clementine was one in a billion to have inherited such a gift.

Adamas, the power to turn her body into indestructible divine diamond.

Whenever she willed it, Clementine became truly unbreakable.

Impenetrable.

Not even a Dream Entity could harm her.

Yet that alone wasnʼt enough. The monsterʼs countless eyes gleamed, targeting her soul.

So…

Her own eyes blazed.

She activated her second vampire ability.

”Demonic Eyes of Petrification.”

Her gaze flashed. The entire Dream Entity began turning to stone.

Unable to fight, unable to move, it crumbled and died.

”…”

”…”

”…”

”…”

Everyone stared in stunned disbelief.

Clementine was the deadliest vampire ever born.

Her combination of absolute invulnerability and instant-kill eyes made her a terrifying force.

However.

RUMBLE!

The stone suddenly reverted to Dream Essence, weaving the entity back into form.

”I told ya they donʼt die that easily, Clementine! Remember when you petrified me that one time and I just broke through it? These guys are the same!” Beowulf laughed.

”I see. So theyʼre stubborn meatheads that donʼt know when to die—like you, Beowulf,” Clementine nodded. ”Noted.”

She charged forward, becoming a blur of red and black energy.

Her Aura surged, making her resemble a gigantic bat-like vampire goddess.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Using her invulnerable body as a weapon, she pierced straight through the Dream Entity, blowing it apart from the inside.

”That meathead was able to kill it with punches, so there must be a way… Aha!”

Her eyes gleamed as she located it: an Inner Dream Soul Core at the center of the entityʼs body.

Its form—made of countless dreams and nightmares—resembled endless worlds of memories trying to devour her.

Clementine simply slapped them aside and reached the core in a single step.

”What a beautiful pearl. A pity I must destroy it.”

She seized the core with her Auraʼs sharp claws and shattered it.

Crack, crack…!

CRASH!

The Dream Entity released an agonizing shriek before collapsing into pink clouds and vanishing completely.

”Amazing. Momʼs as incredible as your dad…!” Harumi said to Erika with a smile.

Clementine returned swiftly, carrying fragments of the Dream Soul Core—beautiful, jewel-like pieces.

”The secret is targeting their cores inside their bodies,” she explained. ”Crush that, and they die within seconds.”

”I see!” Dan exclaimed.

”So thatʼs their weak point,” Lady Shadow mused, rubbing her chin.

”Thank you…” Frankenstein nodded.

”And you two…” Clementine turned her glare toward Sakamoto and Mirabilis. With the exit blocked, they had no choice but to reveal themselves. ”Arenʼt you the supervisors of this entire entrance exam or whatever it was? Did the Chaos Gate Clan organize this mess?!”

”No, we didnʼt,” Sakamoto answered in a confident, stern voice. ”We were only planning to test everyone and invite the strong ones to join.”

”Why would we go to such lengths?” Mirabilis sighed. ”And if we had orchestrated it, those things wouldnʼt be chasing us right now.”

”Hey mutt, do you think theyʼre telling the truth?” Clementine asked.

”Hmm, well, their Heart Essence isnʼt lying!” Beowulf nodded. ”Theyʼre telling the truth.”

To Sakamoto and Mirabilisʼ surprise, Beowulf belonged to the Heart Tribe—Cultivators who focused on the Heart, much like Wasp himself.

He also radiated the power of Heaven and Earth. He was a Dual Heaven-Earth Cultivator.

That might explain why he was so overwhelmingly strong.

”Although we all belong to enemy factions, I would like to suggest a temporary alliance for survival,” Sakamoto said.

”Has Lord Chaos not been notified of this?” Mirabilis asked.

”He was,” Clementine replied. ”He was delayed, though. He got caught by a bunch of those Dream Entities and told us to come save you.”

”I suppose heʼs… ah, heʼs here,” Beowulf said, looking toward the portal.

TRUUUM!

Eternal darkness surged from the portal as a giant entity of pure, endless cosmic chaos emerged, brimming with even greater power after devouring dozens of Dream Entities.

”That was a delectable dinner! There are so many delicious things I could eat in this situation. If I wasnʼt worried about all of you, I wouldʼve gone and eaten even more…”

He stepped out of the exit and gazed down at Sakamoto and Mirabilis.

”My lord, have you come for us?!” Mirabilis gasped.

”We are deeply sorry for disappointing you,” Sakamoto apologized.

”Tsk, itʼs fine. Not like you could have done anything against what just happened,” Lord Chaos sighed. ”Where is Nagumo?”

”He was…” Sakamoto looked down, voice heavy. ”I deeply apologize. Itʼs all my fault…”

”Just tell me what happened!” Lord Chaos demanded, desperation creeping into his tone.

The two quickly recounted what had befallen Nagumo, shocking Lord Chaos. He had never expected things to escalate this far.

”I see… So weʼre really being attacked by unknown enemies from another world!” Lord Chaos sighed. ”How annoying. As if this world itself and all of you werenʼt annoying enough.” He glared at the vampires and werewolves. ”Kireina is still missing. Before we go pay Nagumo a visit, we have to find her. Iʼm going alone. You two should return to the surface quickly and help with whatʼs happening out there.”

”Whatʼs happening out there?” Mirabilis asked.

”Youʼll see. Theyʼll need you more up there than in here,” Lord Chaos said. ”Now go! All of you move!”

Everyone nodded and hurried out of the Dungeon. Lord Chaos absorbed it entirely—so it could no longer threaten anyone… and because it was a rare, delicious meal.

Once outside, they saw the Labyrinth of Madness destabilizing. The darkness that formed it began to collapse.

A colossal gate to Yomi opened right before their eyes, dragging them downward before they could resist.

Alongside them, various other Realms and Domains—caught in the same vortex—fell toward Yomi, merging with it and every other Underworld being fused together.

Among them was a Dungeon containing Matsuoʼs group… and another holding an old shrine and a mysterious golden sword gleaming with brilliance.

”D-Damn it! Where am I going now?! Amiphossia! Where are you?!”

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