Extra To Protagonist

Agony exploded in Merlin’s neck.

A sharp, piercing heat, like molten iron searing through his veins.

His body froze. His limbs twitched violently as something unnatural crawled through his bloodstream—thick, foreign magic latching onto his mana circuits like a parasite.

His breath hitched. ’He’s—draining—!’

The vampire sighed, eyes fluttering half-shut in bliss. "Delicious," it murmured against his skin. "I should savor this."

Merlin’s vision blurred.

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His mana—his strength—was being ripped away by the second.

If he didn’t break free now, he was dead.

He forced his trembling fingers to move.

His grip tightened around Kyrix.

’Come on—COME ON—’

A surge of wind magic erupted around him—

Merlin twisted—

And rammed the pommel of his rapier into the vampire’s ribs with all his strength.

CRACK.

The vampire hissed, staggering back as a sharp gust of wind detonated between them.

Merlin stumbled away, gasping for breath, one hand clutching his bleeding neck.

His heart was racing, beating too fast—his head spun—his mana was dropping too quickly—

The vampire’s eyes gleamed.

"Not bad," it purred, licking the blood from its lips. "But not enough."

Merlin barely had a second to recover before the vampire snapped its fingers.

The blood mist around them thickened, swirling unnaturally, closing in like a cage.

Merlin’s instincts screamed.

’If I don’t do something then—I’ll die.’

His mind raced—

He couldn’t run away—

So he had to end this. NOW.

He exhaled sharply, gripping Kyrix tightly.

Water and wind coiled around the blade, the air humming with power.

The vampire’s smirk widened. "Desperation?"

Merlin’s gaze hardened. "No, I will win.."

He lunged forward and the battlefield shook.

Merlin lunged, Kyrix humming excitedly as wind and water surged along its razor-thin edge.

The vampire’s crimson mist spiraled inward, tendrils of blood magic reaching for him like grasping hands.

Merlin’s mind raced. He hadn’t placed Courier’s Mark yet—meaning no instant escape. If he miscalculated, he was dead.

No mistakes.

The vampire smirked, standing its ground. "Come now, boy. You already know—"

It flicked its wrist. Blood spikes erupted from the mist, aiming straight for Merlin’s chest.

Merlin twisted mid-air, wind magic coiling around his body to redirect his momentum. The spikes missed by inches, but he felt the heat of their corrosive energy as they shot past.

He landed—

[Courier’s Mark]

A pulse of spatial energy left him, marking the ground a few meters behind the vampire. A perfect escape route.

The vampire just stared at him without a clue.

Its smirk widened. "Are you going to attack me properly?"

Merlin ignored the taunt. Instead, he exhaled sharply—and he tried to reach for time.

’Come on now!’

The world slowed.

The vampire’s smirk froze in place.

Merlin moved.

His rapier became a blur, stabbing forward faster than the eye could follow.

One hit—straight to the heart.

Except—

The vampire’s blood pulsed unnaturally, shifting instantly to form a barrier in front of its chest.

Merlin’s rapier collided with the blood shield—

The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, wind and water exploding outward.

Time resumed.

The vampire clicked its tongue. "Tsk. That was impressive."

Merlin cursed. It reacts instinctively with its blood—even if I speed up, it adapts.

The vampire’s hand flicked.

The mist twisted, solidifying into hundreds of blood tendrils that lashed out at him from all directions.

Merlin vanished using Courier’s Mark.

He reappeared at his marked point, immediately launching a jet of water at the vampire’s back.

The vampire spun, summoning a wall of blood to block the attack.

’He’s fast, but he’s relying on that blood magic too much.’

Merlin narrowed his eyes. He just needed to force an opening.

Wind swirled around him as he charged again, his sword flashing in the dim light.

The vampire’s eyes gleamed.

It lunged forward, meeting his attack head-on.

Their clash echoed throughout the entire field.

—

The final exchange began.

Sparks erupted as his rapier clashed against the vampire’s crimson-forged blade. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, wind howling around them.

Merlin gritted his teeth. The vampire was stronger than him—physically, at least. Every strike carried unnatural weight, pushing him back inch by inch.

But that was fine.

Because strength wasn’t what he needed to win.

The vampire smirked, its blood-forged sword twisting to lock his rapier in place. "You’re running out of tricks, boy."

Merlin exhaled as he tried to use his time affinity.

The world slowed to a crawl for a couple of seconds.

The vampire’s smug expression froze mid-sentence as Merlin moved first.

He let go of Kyrix with one hand, gathering water magic in his palm. The air chilled instantly as he compressed it into a hyper-pressurized spear—one strong enough to pierce solid steel.

He thrust it straight at the vampire’s stomach.

Time resumed properly.

The vampire barely had a fraction of a second to react.

Its instincts flared—blood magic rushed to defend—

But it was too slow.

Merlin’s water spear pierced through its barrier like paper.

A dull crack echoed as it sank into the vampire’s stomach.

The vampire gasped, its smirk shattering into wide-eyed shock.

"—What?"

Merlin didn’t give it time to process.

With a flick of his fingers—

The spear detonated.

A torrent of high-pressure water erupted from inside the vampire, shredding its torso open.

Blood and mist sprayed across the battlefield as the vampire was blasted backward, crashing against the stone ground.

Merlin panted, wiping blood from his chin.

’Not done yet.’

He rushed forward using his space and wind affinity, appearing over the fallen vampire. His blade flashed downward, wind-infused steel aimed directly at its neck.

The vampire growled, eyes burning with rage. Its blood magic pulsed, desperately trying to form a defense—

Too late.

It sliced clean through.

A final spray of crimson mist.

The vampire’s head hit the ground.

And silence took over the entire battlefield.

Merlin exhaled, pulling his rapier back. His body screamed with exhaustion, but he refused to let himself collapse.

The system’s voice echoed in his mind.

[Host has leveled up to the Second Star!]

[Congratulations on achieving your Second Star host!]

[Congratulations on defeating a warrior of blood.]