Chapter 29: Practical Combat and Venting

Noxia trembled, her aggrieved eyes moist. Her voice carried a nasal tone, as if she could not believe what she was seeing. “Lorevil?”

She felt as if she were in a pitch-black place. She was so afraid… so cold, so uncomfortable… Her chest hurt, and breathing had become exceptionally difficult.

She could only curl up.

But at the thought of Lorevil, Noxia opened her eyes with difficulty. Guided by a faint glimmer of light in the dim cabin, she finally managed to see clearly.

Standing by the bed was Lorevil.

Those wine-red eyes held concern for her, a sight that left her slightly dazed…

Seeing Noxia snap out of it, Lorevil let out a sigh of relief and asked gently, “It’s me. I’m back. Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I had… a nightmare.”

Noxia looked at her, her pale lips trembling for a long time before she finally choked out the words.

Lorevil lowered her gaze to the crystal teardrops sliding down Noxia’s cheeks. Her heart ached uncontrollably, and her hands tightened instinctively.

She wanted to know what kind of nightmare had made Noxia so sad…

“I dreamed… that everything in front of me was fake. Your concern for me was fake, and your words were fake too…”

Noxia sobbed uncontrollably. “I dreamed that you were just like before, ignoring me, throwing me in this room, and never coming to see me again…”

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she threw herself into Lorevil’s arms and wailed.

Lorevil’s gaze lingered on Noxia’s messy silver hair, her expression gradually darkening. Noxia had grown up in an ordinary Vampire family where her parents showered their gifted elder brother with love, and neglecting Noxia was a common occurrence.

Furthermore, the original owner of this body had placed Noxia, her fiancée, in this side wing.

Not only was it damp, but the narrow and dark setting easily triggered Noxia’s fears.

The rise in her wife’s Blackening Value just now was proof.

Noxia sobbed softly, clutching her arms, her voice broken. “I’m so scared, Lorevil… I’m so scared that all of this is my imagination, and when I wake up, I’ll be back to those old days…”

Even in her own room, even when Noxia was the only one in the house, she would only cry softly; the sound was never particularly loud.

But seeing Lorevil enter the room with such a concerned look, Noxia suddenly found an outlet for her emotions. Large tears fell from her reddened eyes.

Lorevil said heart-wrenchingly, “Go ahead and cry. You’ll feel much better once you let it out.”

She could feel the emotions Noxia had suppressed for so long slowly draining away with the bitter tears.

The Blackening Value dropped at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Perhaps on countless late nights before Lorevil arrived, Noxia had curled up on this small bed in this cramped, remote bedroom, sobbing in vulnerability and helplessness.

Noxia cried until she was exhausted and fell asleep. Lorevil held her as they lay on the small bed.

Fortunately, she was back.

There was still time for everything.

That night, nothing more was said.

—

“The next class is Master Catherine’s practical combat class. Everyone, bring your protective gear and gather at the western training grounds.”

Master Jerwen, dressed in a black robe, said as he pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose.

After speaking, Master Jerwen walked over to Lorevil and asked, “Lorevil, you’ve missed too many classes. How is the organization of your combat notes going?”

“I haven’t finished organizing them yet,” Lorevil answered honestly.

It was all because the original owner had not studied properly. The combat notes were a mess — not only was the handwriting illegible, but more than half of the key points were missing.

Before Noxia’s breakdown yesterday, Lorevil had been staying up late to catch up on her notes.

However, the practical combat techniques of the Vampires were far more complex than she had imagined.

Additionally, the basic movement techniques that a Tier 2 Vampire should master and the application of bloodline energy were somewhat obscure and difficult for Lorevil to understand.

Lorevil’s only thought now was to attend every class well and build a solid foundation.

After all, Master Jerwen had also said that a Tier 2 Vampire was nothing more than a newborn baby. Only at Tier 3, when the bloodline awakened, could one be considered a true Vampire.

“Finish them as soon as possible. Practical combat classes leave no room for carelessness. The path of Vampire cultivation is long and difficult; you must not be as playful and unmotivated as you were before.”

Master Jerwen gave Lorevil a final reminder before turning and leaving the classroom.

Lorevil looked at her notes with a wry smile.

Even Master Jerwen could not stand the original owner’s poor behavior.

Seeing that she had excellently completed Madam Sharon’s practical task, the surprised and relieved Jerwen could not help but pay a bit more attention to Lorevil, hoping she would change soon.

The classroom instantly became lively as the tutor left, with Vampire students also discussing practical combat.

For Tier 1 and Tier 2 Vampires, practical combat could stimulate the bloodline energy within the body. During this process, the bloodline energy would integrate into various parts of the body.

This provided a good physical foundation for future rank advancements.

Combat techniques and future bloodline secret arts were even hotter topics of discussion among the students.

A significant number of hardworking students practiced their combat skills independently in the academy’s training rooms, hoping for a good performance in the practical class.

Fini leaned into Lorevil’s ear and whispered, “It’s Master Catherine’s combat class, you know.”

Having learned from Fini about the general situation of Catherine’s inquiry, Lorevil naturally knew what she was thinking.

The kiss from their last accidental encounter with Catherine was still fresh in her memory, leaving her with complicated feelings.

In Master Catherine’s combat class, Lorevil would inevitably have to meet Catherine and might even spar with her.

Just thinking about that scene made Lorevil feel awkward.

“What are you afraid of?” Fini saw that Lorevil did not speak and, assuming she was scared, continued, “Master Catherine won’t eat you.”

Lorevil replied crossly, “How do you know she won’t?”

“Lorevil, she seems to treat you differently than others…” Fini said, pouting her lips.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Lorevil glared at her, her cheeks flushing.

Inadvertently, Catherine’s soft kiss flashed through her mind.

“Although Master Catherine is usually very cold and has a bit of a short temper, she is very serious about teaching combat techniques. That’s why she’s so popular,” Fini said, speaking highly of Catherine. “Besides, aren’t you bad at practical combat? If you ask Master Catherine for advice then, she’ll definitely agree to give you extra lessons.”

Lorevil reminded her, “Alright, let’s go. The combat class is about to start.”

The two followed the crowd of students to the western training grounds.

The training ground was a wide, open space. The ground and surroundings were reinforced to withstand the impacts generated by the Vampire students’ training.

Lorevil put on her protective gear and began to warm up like the other Vampires, waiting for Catherine’s arrival.

Before long, a slender figure appeared at the entrance of the training grounds.

“Today’s combat class will be sparring in pairs. Focus on practicing the basic application of bloodline energy and evasion techniques.”

Catherine wore a black academy uniform, her long silver hair tied into a high ponytail. Her ice-blue eyes scanned the field, pausing briefly when they landed on Lorevil before quickly returning to normal.

As soon as she finished speaking, many of the Vampire students on the training grounds showed expressions of excitement.

The theoretical knowledge taught by Master Jerwen was certainly important, but Vampires were bloodthirsty by instinct and yearned for intense combat.

“Although the bloodline energy of a Tier 2 Vampire is relatively weak, if used properly, it can still exert significant power,” Catherine said seriously.

The students present nodded one after another; this was something Master Jerwen often said in class.

Combat techniques were tailored specifically for Tier 1 and Tier 2 Vampires who had not yet awakened their bloodlines.

“Similarly, evasion techniques are for saving your life. Don’t ignore the importance of dodging just because the focus is different. The more powerful the enemy you encounter, the more important evasion becomes.”

Catherine raised her eyebrows and drew a cold, shimmering longsword. “Remember, in actual combat, surviving is more important than winning. Now, form groups freely. Sparring begins in 5 minutes.”

After Catherine finished speaking, Fini pulled Lorevil into a group.

After a few simple exchanges…

Lorevil was already able to gather the weak bloodline energy in her body into her arms, significantly increasing her speed and strength.

This was also thanks to the clubs she had joined during her university years.

Not only had she practiced boxing, but she had also engaged in fitness training.

*Whoosh!*

Soon, Lorevil’s longsword whistled through the air toward Fini’s shoulder.

‘So fast!’

Fini instinctively dodged to the side, but her movements were still half a beat too slow, and a few strands of her silver-white hair were severed.