DOTM: Chapter 216/217

Chapter 216: Story Meeting
Looking at the werewolf that had been reduced to ashless cinders, and then at the corpse beside it, scorched into briquettes, Ethan continued walking forward.

Only Selene remained ahead of him—the heroine of the film.

By his previous standards, he should have already burned this woman to ashes. After all, she was a vampire who fed on human blood.

Perhaps sensing Ethan's thoughts, Selene, who had been crouching to examine her companion's condition, raised the gun in her hand. The Beretta 93 automatic pistol could empty its entire magazine in an instant. A regular person would be riddled with bullets before they even realized it.

However, she knew that the weapon in her hand couldn't guarantee her safety. From her position earlier, she had clearly seen how Ethan took down the two werewolves. She suspected that if she pulled the trigger, she would be the one shredded into pieces.

"Who are you?"

Ethan's pace wasn't fast. He was still debating whether or not to kill her. But he quickly realized that his hesitation came from not wanting to do it in the first place. Otherwise, he wouldn't be overthinking it. He could have just thrown a blast of Holy Light. He didn't believe that a vampire like Selene would fare much better than the werewolf.

"My name is Ethan."

At that moment, Michael, who had caught up from behind, looked curiously at the woman in the leather jacket standing ahead.

She was indeed an attractive and beautiful woman, but the reason Michael noticed her wasn't because of that. He had seen this woman around him before. At the time, he thought they were just coincidentally headed in the same direction. Now it seemed...

"Is she one of those people's accomplices?"

Ethan turned and looked at Michael, the expression on his face like he was looking at an idiot. After all, it wasn't as if Michael hadn't seen Selene exchanging gunfire with the two men.

Michael also realized how dumb his question sounded, but he wasn't slow to react and immediately changed his wording. "I mean, wasn't she fighting those two earlier? So, she's probably... not one of those monsters, right?"

Even though the transformation of the big black man had been interrupted by Ethan's flames, for Michael, that one moment had left a deep, unforgettable impression.

So naturally, in his mind, he pieced together the narrative: monsters had attacked humans, and he was just the unlucky guy who got caught in the crossfire. Ethan was a mysterious mage who hunted monsters, and this woman might also be someone who fought against them.

"I have to say, sometimes a good-looking face really is an advantage."

Ethan had understood this long ago.

"But unfortunately, the person in front of you is no less dangerous than those monsters." Ethan turned back to Selene. "Isn't that right, Selene? Death Dealer of the vampire clan."

The word "vampire" didn't require any explanation. In Western culture, it was a creature everyone recognized. When Michael heard that the woman in front of him was a vampire, he couldn't help but take a couple of steps back. He also suddenly remembered that the man earlier had turned into a werewolf.

"What the hell is going on? Vampires? Werewolves? Mages?"

Michael clutched his head. He began to wonder if this was a nightmare. But why did it feel so real? And why wasn't he waking up?

Ethan ignored him and pointed to the Beretta in Selene's hand. "Put the weapon away. I don't like being aimed at."

Selene hesitated for a moment, then lowered her weapon. She knew that if Ethan wanted to kill her, she wouldn't be able to resist at all. Whether she held the weapon or not made no difference.

Judging from his current attitude, though he wasn't exactly friendly, he didn't seem openly hostile either. Maybe she could get some information out of him. She felt that this man knew the whole truth.

"Congratulations. You made the right choice."

If Selene had chosen to be his enemy, Ethan wouldn't have spared her. To him, Selene was just a beautiful vampire with a bit of plot significance from his past life, but nothing more. Killing her wouldn't affect his plans.

His sole target was Alexander Corvinus.

The moment Selene put the gun away, she saw Ethan slowly begin to fade from sight, emitting a faint yellow light.

That light gave her an eerie feeling. She didn't know what it was, but her instincts screamed at her not to be touched by it.

Especially since she had seen Ethan touch the werewolf earlier, which had caused the werewolf to ignite into a blazing torch and be burned into ashes.

She felt as though cold sweat had broken out all over her body, like she'd just been pulled out of water. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in hundreds of years of life.

"Who exactly are you?"

Ethan didn't answer Selene's question. Instead, he looked at the fallen vampire beside her. It was a male vampire and Selene's companion. They had come here together. After detecting unusual werewolf behavior, they had followed them to this place. In the end, this vampire had been shot by the black werewolf and collapsed.

Because the werewolf had used a new UV bullet, the vampire had died quickly after being shot.

Even with Ethan's intervention, this one didn't survive. The werewolf's upgraded ammunition was highly lethal to vampires. A single hit was enough to kill.

Selene had been examining her companion to understand what kind of bullet had such devastating effects. This was crucial information for the vampire clan. She had to report it back immediately.

If she survived.

"A passerby who doesn't particularly like werewolves or vampires."

Ethan waved his hand, and a blue light bomb appeared. When it struck the vampire's corpse, the light bomb reduced it to dust. As the particles scattered, not a trace remained.

The same spell was then used on the werewolf's body, leaving only Ethan, Michael Corvin, and Selene within the Mirror Dimension.

"Now seems like the right time for a conversation."

Ethan walked over to the wall, leaned against it, and looked at the two of them.

"Any questions you want to ask? I'll answer them all."

Since Ethan had identified Selene as a vampire earlier, Michael Corvin kept his distance from her. Now, he and Selene stood on opposite sides of Ethan, one on the left and the other on the right.

"What the hell is going on? Why were those monsters after me... and why are you helping me?" He wanted to ask why Ethan had drawn blood from him, but with a vampire present, he instinctively swallowed the question.

"Because of your blood, Michael. You have a special bloodline. That's why the werewolves in this city are after you. And it's also why I'm here."

Michael unconsciously covered the spot where Ethan had pierced him earlier. He hadn't expected it to be tied to his blood. He finally understood why Ethan had taken a sample.

"So... now that you've gotten what you wanted, can you let me go?"

Ethan shook his head.

"As I said, that was the price I paid in advance to protect you. You've been targeted. Do you think there are only two werewolves in this entire city?" Ethan tilted his chin toward Selene. "You can ask someone who's been fighting werewolves for hundreds of years how many of them are still out there."

Michael looked at Selene, who was also studying him with curiosity.

As a Death Dealer, Selene had just noticed the werewolves behaving oddly today. She had followed them to investigate their plans. She hadn't known anything about Michael Corvin's situation. It was only now that she realized everything that happened today revolved around him.

"I'm not sure. We've wiped out a lot of werewolves over the centuries, and the rest have gone into hiding. It's been a long time since we've had something like this happen. There shouldn't be many left in the city... but still, definitely more than two."

Ethan shook his head silently. Selene didn't know the full picture yet. She believed the vampires had suppressed the werewolves for centuries and that the werewolf race was nearly extinct. Even though she had noticed signs of change, she hadn't realized how serious things were.

In the original story, it was only through continued pursuit and investigation that she learned the werewolves were far stronger than she had assumed. Especially with the addition of ultraviolet bullets, she finally took them seriously.

"You said you're a passerby who doesn't like vampires or werewolves. So what are you planning to do about the vampires in this city?"

Selene no longer cared about the werewolves, or even about Michael Corvin's special bloodline. What concerned her now was her own kind. This unknown man, powerful and full of mysterious magic—if he wanted to act against the vampires in the city, would they even be able to resist?

Ethan stroked his chin. He suddenly realized that sparing Selene had its benefits. She could take him straight to the vampire lair. Otherwise, he'd have to waste time finding it on his own.

And if Selene ever learned the truth behind her parents' deaths, she certainly wouldn't reject his proposal.

"Maybe you should hear a story first... before I tell you my decision."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 217 This Is Not True

Alexander Corvinus possessed a unique bloodline that allowed him to survive unscathed when a devastating plague swept through his lands. The virus that infected others was transformed by his bloodline, becoming something entirely different. A very special bloodline.

From that point on, Alexander Corvinus became an immortal.

Years later, Alexander Corvinus had three sons. One was bitten by a bat and became a vampire. The second was bitten by a wolf and became a werewolf. These two became the ancestors of all vampires and werewolves.

"This is impossible!"

Selene's first reaction was disbelief. The idea that the ancestors of both vampires and werewolves were brothers? That would mean the noble and elegant vampires shared the same bloodline as those filthy and savage werewolves. It completely contradicted everything she had ever known. She simply could not accept it.

Her protest made no difference. Ethan simply continued telling his story.

When he spoke about the ancestors of vampires and werewolves, he also explained how the current three elders who governed the vampire clan came to power. He also revealed Selene's own background—how her parents had helped Viktor build the prison that sealed away William, the progenitor of werewolves, and how they were killed by Viktor after their work was done.

Selene should have been killed too, but because she resembled Viktor's deceased daughter, she was spared. Viktor raised her as his own daughter and trained her.

"No, that's impossible."

Ethan looked at Selene in front of him. He knew how difficult this truth was to accept. The man who had raised and trained her for hundreds of years, who she saw as a father figure, was actually the one who had destroyed her family. It was not easy to believe, even if one tried to put themselves in her position.

"It's easy to prove."

Selene stared at Ethan, waiting for what he would say next.

"Go back and wake Viktor. Ask him to his face."

That vampire elder would not bother lying to deceive Selene. Perhaps he simply saw no reason to. He believed Selene wouldn't dare oppose him, or that opposing him would be pointless. Now that Viktor no longer needed Selene as a substitute for his daughter, he had likely already begun considering getting rid of her.

As long as Selene asked the question directly, Viktor would let her know the truth.

Selene wanted nothing more than to turn and leave immediately, return to the vampire manor, and awaken Viktor to confront him. But she couldn't. She was still trapped in this strange place. Without Ethan's permission, she could not leave. So all she could do was remain where she stood and continue listening to his story.

"What does any of this have to do with me?"

Michael Corvin didn't care about the origin of vampires and werewolves. What he cared about was why he had been dragged into all of this.

Ethan turned to Michael next. To the surprise of both Michael and Selene, Michael Corvin shared the same bloodline.

"You are the descendant of the third bloodline left behind by Alexander Corvinus."

This original immortal had three sons. One became a vampire. One became a werewolf. The third remained human, passing down his bloodline from generation to generation.

Michael Corvin was the descendant of the son who retained his humanity.

Selene turned to look repeatedly at this seemingly ordinary man. She hadn't expected him to have such an identity. But why were the werewolves targeting him?

"Is there something special about this bloodline?"

"You still don't understand?"

Ethan reminded her again. "Someone with this bloodline—Alexander Corvinus—not only survived a devastating plague, but became immortal. William was bitten by a wolf and became a werewolf. Marcus was bitten by a bat and became a vampire."

Selene frowned. She understood what Ethan meant now. This bloodline could turn almost any adversity into a benefit.

Plague, bites from wolves and bats—none of them led to death. Instead, they triggered some form of 'evolution.' The werewolves suddenly wanted to find this bloodline. Did they want to evolve again?

If what Ethan said was true, then the werewolves' plan was terrifying. If they succeeded, could the vampires still suppress them?

She was still worrying about the vampire clan's future when she suddenly remembered Ethan standing right in front of her. And she realized that since this man clearly expressed hostility toward vampires, then the werewolf threat could be set aside for now.

Michael realized something else entirely. He would never return to a peaceful life. With such a unique bloodline, the werewolves would never let him go, no matter how far he ran. Even this female vampire beside him might not let him go. He had the unsettling feeling she could leap on him at any moment and bite him.

Involuntarily, he moved a bit closer to Ethan. That made him feel safer.

"So, now that we know the truth... what do we do next?"

After sorting out the vampire lineage, the werewolf threat, and Michael's identity, Ethan was now thinking about his next move.

"According to my original plan, I'd go straight to the vampires' lair and kill them." He looked at Selene. "The only reason I spared you was because I need someone to guide me."

Only then did Selene realize she had been kept alive solely because she could serve as a guide. A dignified Death Dealer, one of the vampire clan's strongest fighters, reduced to nothing more than a pathfinder. It was humiliating.

But she didn't want to refuse, because she wanted the truth. The only reason Selene hadn't agreed immediately was because she was still worried Ethan was lying. That he was just using her to find the vampire manor. That maybe Viktor wasn't her true enemy. Maybe all those things Ethan said were just made-up lies to manipulate her.

If that were the case, then she would become the blood clan's greatest traitor by leading Ethan there.

"I'm going back to confirm everything you said. If it's true, I'll help you."

Ethan smiled, clearly pleased.

"You may have misunderstood something."

He gently raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The surrounding space shattered like glass, and the group returned to the real world.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion or consent. I'm making a demand."

He had no interest in winning Selene's approval. There was no need to consider her feelings. He had already told her the truth, including who her true enemy was. Whether she believed it or not was irrelevant. Whether she agreed or not had nothing to do with him.

"Lead the way and see for yourself. Or die as a loyal vampire warrior."

No one in the crowd paid much attention to the group. In the eyes of passersby, they were just ordinary people standing in a corner of the subway station, chatting. Aside from Selene's striking appearance, there was nothing unusual about them. A few men looked her way, but that was all.

But from Selene's perspective, it was very different. Though Ethan made no moves, and his hands showed no yellow glow like before, she could still feel an overwhelming threat pressing in front of her. As if the moment she refused, she would be reduced to ashes on the spot.

"I..."

Selene hesitated for a long time. In the end, she chose not to believe Ethan.

After all, it was her first time meeting him. She knew nothing about him, had no idea if what he said was true. Until she confirmed the truth herself, she was still a warrior of the blood clan. She would never betray her kind.

"I admire your loyalty. But it's meaningless."

Ethan didn't actually do anything to Selene. He had already noticed that the person he had been 'watching' had left. Now that he had a qualified guide, all he had to do was follow.

"Hmm?"

Selene didn't know what he meant, but the fact that she wasn't being killed was something to be relieved about. She unconsciously let out a breath. Then she watched as Ethan called Michael to leave the subway station. After a moment of hesitation, she followed.

"What did you do?"

She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she could sense something was wrong. Ethan no longer seemed to care whether she led the way or not. It felt like he already knew where to go.

"It's simple. I let your companion see a vision of your death."

A simple illusion didn't even require much mana. All Ethan needed to do was wait quietly, keep an eye on the target, and not lose track.

With the miniature tracker provided by Stark, there was almost no way he would lose them.

When reviewing earlier events in his mind, Ethan remembered that in the first film, Selene had two companions. One of them had been guarding the stairwell at the subway entrance, and later participated in the battle.

But this time, due to his intervention, the battle between Selene and the werewolves had occurred entirely within the Mirror Dimension. The subway station had remained undisturbed. The vampire who had been on lookout above never noticed anything abnormal.

It wasn't until Selene failed to come out for a long time that he went down to check. And then, he saw exactly what Ethan wanted him to see.

Of course, he had no idea that the scenes of Selene being captured and easily killed were all illusions. He was the only one who couldn't see through them. All he knew was that during this operation, his comrades had fallen. He was the only survivor. And now, all he could think of was returning to report and request reinforcements.

What he didn't know was that this was exactly what Ethan wanted.

(To be continued.)