How powerful was the vampire Dracula? Shen Yi did not know. But he was aware that as the final boss designed for enhanced adventurers in this mission, imagining Dracula's strength as anything but formidable would be an understatement. A life force of 2000 points was not indicative of his true potential, as vampires are inherently skilled at regenerating health. Had Shen Yi not abandoned the idea of using the townspeople to besiege him, and had the underground cavern not lacked life forms for Dracula to feed on, it would have been impossible to kill him, no matter the extent of the damage inflicted.
Even so, any attack from Dracula was more than Shen Yi could handle. But he didn't need to. As Dracula unleashed the Bloody Shockwave at Shen Yi, he quickly pulled the bound Frankenstein's Monster in front of himself. Dracula's strike could undoubtedly kill Shen Yi, but it would also spell doom for the Monster. Dracula could not allow this to happen. On seeing this, Dracula instinctively faltered, and the aimed attack missed, hitting a large stone nearby. Meanwhile, Shen Yi shamelessly hid behind the Monster and continued to shoot at Dracula.
"Roar!" Dracula let out a furious cry. This insignificant character had reactions beyond his expectations, but his underhanded tactics prevented Dracula from acting rashly. Van Helsing also rushed out and opened fire on Dracula. Dracula, boiling with rage and nowhere to vent, charged at Van Helsing, his nails growing wildly.
"Vampire racial skill: Vampiric Claws, damage 75, ignoring 30% of defense, temporarily reducing the opponent's defense by 2 points with each attack, and converting 20% of attack damage into his own life force." This skill was more potent in Dracula's hands than in Marica's.
Van Helsing, ready to use his close-combat double-strike skill, clashed with Dracula. Their fist and claw met with light thuds. Dracula's claw opened a bloody wound on Van Helsing's chest, while Van Helsing's Phoenix Eye Punch hit Dracula's abdomen. However, Dracula managed to block Van Helsing's elbow strike. "Combo failed, elbow strike effect nullified, unable to inflict damage."
Shocked, both Van Helsing and Shen Yi hesitated for a moment, during which Dracula kicked Van Helsing, sending him staggering back, spewing blood. Just as Dracula was about to finish off Van Helsing, Shen Yi pushed the Monster towards Dracula and fired a shot. Dracula screeched, blocking the bullet intended for the Monster, his malevolent gaze fixed on Shen Yi.
Despite Shen Yi's escalating deceitfulness – first using the Monster as a shield and then targeting it directly – Dracula was cautious not to attack them head-on, guarding the Monster instead. Shen Yi seized the opportunity to run to Van Helsing, pretending to help him up while secretly activating his healing skill to treat Van Helsing's wounds.
"You alright?" Shen Yi asked.
"I won't die," Van Helsing growled, his expression ghastly.
Despite their elaborate plans and ambushes, Dracula had only suffered half damage. But now, they seemed to be out of options. Initially, Van Helsing had disapproved of Shen Yi's methods, being a church hunter who believed in honorable combat. But the current situation proved Shen Yi's approach was correct; Dracula's strength far exceeded Van Helsing's expectations.
Dracula glared at them, growling, "You two... must die!"
Shen Yi chuckled, "I don't think so. Mr. Dracula, did you really think I'd only prepare two or three little tricks to deal with you? You're mistaken. I never underestimate my opponents."
Saying this, Shen Yi suddenly injected Van Helsing with a strange serum, reassuring him, "Don't worry, this will give you the power to fight the vampire."
The next moment, Van Helsing felt his strength surge, a bloodthirsty craving growing within him, his vision turning blood-red. "This is..."
"Werewolf blood. It gives you the ability to transform into a werewolf," Shen Yi whispered.
Shen Yi's fourth preparation.
After using a psychic probe on Van Helsing, their alliance displayed all his details. "Werewolf Van Helsing. Base attributes: Strength 40, Agility 35, Constitution 80, Spirit 10, Will 20. Cannot use original attack skills while transformed. Transformation lasts 3 minutes, with a 20% increase in attack speed and 10% increase in critical hit rate while in the frenzied bloodthirsty state. Receives a 50% damage bonus against vampires."
The transformation boosted attributes, life, and melee capabilities, especially effective against vampires with a 50% attack bonus. No wonder werewolves were considered vampire
nemeses.
Van Helsing, now a towering, hairy beast, roared and charged at Dracula. Dracula's eyes flashed with fear, but he quickly laughed darkly, transforming himself. His elegant image twisted into a hideous form – long fangs, elongated ears, and giant wings, resembling a massive bat. Shen Yi was shocked to see Dracula's life force increase by another thousand points upon transformation.
Dracula's transformation bolstered his life force more dramatically than Van Helsing's. The battle between the transformed Van Helsing and Dracula erupted fiercely, with continuous rumbling sounds echoing in the cavern as they clashed.
In his werewolf form, Van Helsing fought with heightened fervor, his vision blood-red as he relentlessly clawed at Dracula. Although he lost access to his skills, his enhanced brute strength was exhilarating. Dracula, too, seemed unable to use his skills post-transformation, and the two tore into each other fiercely.
Shen Yi fired at Dracula, who caught the bullet in his palm and roared madly at Shen Yi, swatting Van Helsing aside. As two minutes passed, Van Helsing's life force dangerously plummeted. Shen Yi, unable to use his healing skill from a distance, could only watch helplessly.
"It seems a single werewolf isn't enough to take down this guy," Shen Yi mused. "But it's about time they returned, right?"
As he spoke, a furious wolf howl resounded from the cavern's entrance. Accompanied by the howl, another werewolf leaped into the cave, with Anna riding on its back. Behind her was the tavern assistant, Gascon.
As the werewolf and Gascon entered, they immediately attacked Dracula, while Anna jumped off the werewolf's back and ran to Shen Yi, "I hope I'm not too late."
"Just in time," Shen Yi smiled. "So your brother is back to his senses?"
"Yes, everything happened as you said," Anna replied sweetly.
When Dracula and his brides came here, they had not anticipated that Anna, following Shen Yi's instructions, had already opened the door to the vampire castle with Gascon's help. Gascon was more than willing to aid in this mission. With Dracula away and his forces attacking Transylvania town, the vampire castle was virtually undefended. Inside, Anna found a potion to restore her brother to human form. (In the original plot, Van Helsing kills Dracula in werewolf form, and Anna dies trying to administer the potion to him. Thus, the potion's existence was a key element unaffected by plot changes.)
Following Shen Yi's instructions, Anna and Gascon administered half the potion to her brother, allowing him to maintain his werewolf form without falling under Dracula's control – Shen Yi's fifth preparation.
To kill the final boss, only manageable by seasoned adventurers, Shen Yi employed various methods to weaken his opponent and strengthen his side. Now, with two werewolves and a formidable warrior joining the fray, Dracula was severely impacted.
Gascon, seeing Dracula, roared and charged, his battle axe emitting an unusual glow: "Fury Slash: Axe skill level 5, dealing double strength damage to a single target, increasing regular attack damage by 10% for 40 seconds." Gascon's strength attribute of 35 points, higher than Van Helsing's, made his strike formidable. The blow hit Dracula's chest, causing him to howl in pain.
Van Helsing and Gascon closed in on Dracula, relentlessly attacking him. With three close-combat fighters and Shen Yi's sniper support, occasionally healing them, Dracula was overwhelmed.
As Dracula's life force dwindled and injuries accumulated, he suddenly punched Van Helsing away and reverted to his human form. In an instant, he transformed into hundreds of bats, swarming towards everyone.
"Vampire Dracula's special skill: Bat Incarnation. Uses remaining life force to transform into a swarm of vampiric bats to attack enemies, dropping one life point for each bat killed."
"Vampiric Bats, Dracula's incarnation, damage 5, defense 0, life force 10 points. Special trait: Suicide Attack. Each bat can self-destruct, inflicting 15 fixed damage on targets."