The battle near the cold pond intensified, but fortunately, the nearby high-level magical beasts had been scared away by Danis's aura. Fars was unbothered by the possibility of any foolish beasts causing trouble; typically, those with great power wouldn't wander around the outskirts.
Under the combined assault of Fars and Danis, the once arrogant trio was reduced to a state of panic. As they felt the pressure mounting, the thief and the swordsman exchanged glances and decided it was best to flee. The swordsman, realizing their comrade on the ground was beyond saving, had no intention of dragging a burden along.
With a powerful surge of fighting spirit, the swordsman pushed back the surrounding ice and shadow arrows, even scattering the incoming magical projectiles. Seizing the momentary opening, the two of them darted off in different directions. Fars, quick to catch on, recognized their intent to escape. It was clear he needed to eliminate the more elusive thief first; otherwise, the thief could easily evade him with speed and stealth. Letting the swordsman escape for a while was of little concern. Fars was well-acquainted with this forest and knew the swordsman wouldn't get far in just a few days. He had all the time in the world to pursue.
After swiftly dispatching the poisoned archer, Fars pursued the thief. However, he underestimated the high-level thief's agility. In the forest, the thief deftly dodged Fars's attacks, and the distance between them grew too wide for Fars to employ some of his techniques. Relying solely on his current speed to chase was proving difficult. Moreover, having moved away from the cold mist of the pond, Danis could still conjure some cold air to shoot a few arrows, but their effectiveness had diminished significantly. Realizing this was a futile endeavor, Fars resolutely abandoned the chase and turned to pursue the swordsman instead.
Under the moonlight, a figure frantically dodged attacks from behind. Fars was in no rush; his prey had already expended considerable energy near the cold pond, and now, with even more exertion, the swordsman's speed began to wane. Fars closely followed, choosing not to strike, which kept the exhausted swordsman in a state of heightened tension. The energy expenditure felt akin to engaging in direct combat. No matter how much he fled, he couldn't shake off Fars, gradually realizing Fars intended to wear him down.
In such a situation, continuing to flee would lead to death. Faced with the choice of dying while running or confronting his fate with his sword, the swordsman resolved to defend his dignity as a warrior.
Fars had encountered many prey who refused to flee. For those willing to fight to the death, the best approach was to end things quickly to prevent any desperate last-ditch efforts. Fars focused his mental energy, preparing to deliver a final blow to the determined swordsman. He was not one to waste words on someone who would abandon an injured comrade.
Choosing a familiar spell, "Command ~~ Death," Fars prepared to unleash his lethal magic. He relished this bloodless killing spell, which allowed him to extract the prey's blood without losing too much of it, effectively eliminating them.
"Command ~~ Death." Once ready, Fars pointed at the approaching swordsman. With mental strength rivaling that of a magus, Fars was not someone a high-level swordsman could withstand. Strangely, the attack only rendered the swordsman unconscious, leaving him still alive, which puzzled Fars. Had the swordsman's will become so resolute that he could withstand Fars's full-force strike even in a state of mental fatigue?
However, the unconscious swordsman was now at Fars's mercy, allowing him to drain his blood without hesitation. The blood of a high-level swordsman was a rare delicacy; this was only the second time Fars had indulged in such a feast after sampling Carter's blood. In contrast, he had only taken small sips from Jesse, treating it as a rare delicacy. This full consumption was immensely satisfying.
Fars, the noble Viscount, had no qualms about claiming the belongings of the dead. Yet, when he discovered a necklace with a shattered gem, he finally understood why this swordsman could withstand his full-force attack. It turned out the swordsman was quite wealthy, possessing a magical necklace capable of resisting magical impacts. Such valuable items could save lives in critical moments, but this particular one was of a lower grade, insufficient to fully block Fars's mental assault. As a result, the swordsman was knocked out, losing his ability to resist.
It seemed Danis was even more interested in the corpse than Fars was; she hopped excitedly around it. Moreover, her hellfire didn't seem to attract any unwanted attention, leading Fars to question whether it was truly fire. While it might not affect him, it was odd that it didn't affect others either. He had never tested her on living beings before, as the little creature was too lazy to leave his embrace.
Danis finally settled at the corpse's head, her tiny claws grasping at the air as if seizing something. Then, with a delighted inhale, she returned to Fars's arms, appearing somewhat lazy as if she had just feasted.
Though invisible, Fars could still sense a tremor in his soul when Danis grasped something. It was fear—fear from his very essence. Fars realized she had captured the swordsman's soul. It turned out Danis could not only consume ice crystals but also devour souls.
Souls were different from specters or vengeful spirits; only a few individuals with special talents or certain soul-specialized professions could perceive them. Typically, necromancers captured soulless spirits tainted by negative energy to serve as minions, often referred to as specters. Fars had little understanding of souls, so he was taken aback by the little one's terrifying talent. To confirm Danis's ability, he returned to the cold pond, and without Fars's direction, she flew to the first fallen archer, repeating her previous actions. Fars felt another tremor in his soul as she consumed yet another soul.
Suddenly, Fars realized he might be somewhat evil. It was no wonder they sought to hunt him down. Not only did he drain the blood of his former kin, but he also had Danis, whom he raised, devouring their souls, preventing them from reincarnation. If word of this reached the church, his name would surely end up on the Inquisition's blacklist. Perhaps his head would even be worth a castle, Fars thought with a hint of self-mockery.
This time, the haul was significant; it seemed everyone carried a pouch of coins, further enriching Fars's treasury. Counting, he found several thousand gold coins. Surprisingly, he also acquired two valuable magic cores, bringing his wealth to tens of thousands of gold coins. Compared to the few hundred gold coins he received monthly from the Magic Guild, this was a much quicker way to earn.
However, the two individuals left behind no notable items. The only exception was the early-dead archer's quiver, which contained two arrows specifically enchanted with holy magic to combat vampires. Unfortunately, even a mere touch felt like burning his hand. Fars kicked the arrows aside in pain. After a moment's thought, he decided to store the bothersome arrows in his ring. After all, they were valuable; if left behind, someone else might find them and use them against him. Keeping them was the safer option. Thankfully, the unfortunate archer had been taken out first; otherwise, if he had shot an arrow right away, Fars would likely have sustained serious injuries.
It was becoming increasingly untenable to remain here. Having let another person aware of his secrets escape, Fars felt his hands were too dirty. Each time, he either showed mercy or failed to finish the job efficiently. The fleeing thief would undoubtedly seek revenge or sell his information, attracting more adventurers.
Last time, Jesse had brought three high-level professionals; this time, that high-level thief would surely attract even more powerful figures, possibly even specialized vampire hunters or church members.
Fortunately, it wouldn't be easy for them to come back. Fars still had some time to prepare. A lone individual was at a disadvantage, and he wasn't foolish enough to wait for them to come knocking. While this place was good, it wasn't suitable for him to stay indefinitely.
Perhaps due to being targeted, the number of magical beasts nearby was dwindling, and Fars's appetite for blood had grown. The blood of mid-level magical beasts no longer satisfied him. It was time to leave and hunt high-level magical beasts for sustenance.
Now, the only concern was how to feed Danis once they left. There were still plenty of ice crystals beneath the cold pond, but his ring had limited space and couldn't hold much, so he could only take a portion. Although Danis could evidently consume souls, he was unsure if she would be interested in the souls of magical beasts. Recently, he hadn't noticed her showing any interest in the souls of mid-level magical beasts.
Perhaps the souls of ordinary magical beasts were too weak to catch her attention. Fars decided to try finding a high-level magical beast to test her appetite. If Danis was willing to consume the souls of magical beasts, Fars could rest easy, taking her into this realm of magical beasts that people spoke of with trepidation. He could fight those he could defeat, flee from those he couldn't, and avoid those he should steer clear of, accepting his fate if things went awry.
With this clarity, he no longer needed to look back, allowing him to live freely and comfortably.