When Vlad stepped out of the teleportation array, a surprised little girl trailed closely behind him.
It was Snow White, wearing a pure white princess dress, her skin fair as snow, radiating a delicate and luminous charm.
"Brother Vlad, is this a magic teleportation array? It's so amazing!" Snow White asked innocently, her wide eyes sparkling.
"Snow White, come with me. This is where you'll be studying from now on."
Vlad led the curious girl out of the wizard academy's teleportation hall.
A fresh breeze swept past as Snow White stepped outside. She found herself standing atop a tall tower on a mountain peak.
From this height, the entire wizard academy stretched out before her, filled with wondrous sights.
A witch soared across the sky on a broom.
Training grounds flared with magic—fire, ice, and lightning filling the air.
Summoner apprentices called forth rare and unusual creatures.
Groups of students held books, deep in animated discussion.
The powerful atmosphere of magic and learning poured straight into Snow White's heart, making her eyes widen in awe until she nearly forgot she was standing on a suspended terrace.
"Snow White, do you like it here?" Vlad asked with a smile.
"Yes, Brother Vlad, it's incredible! Do you think I can become as strong as them one day?" Her voice trembled with hope.
"Of course," Vlad answered warmly with a nod.
One of the main reasons he had traveled to the Kingdom of Leyle was to bring Snow White here.
Her natural gift for spiritual power was already remarkable at her age—she was destined to grow into a powerful witch or magician.
After entrusting her to Adrianna, Vlad went to find Mirena.
Mirena, surprised and delighted to see him, rushed up and greeted him with a kiss.
Behind them, Sybil stood watching enviously, her expression filled with longing and frustration.
Vlad, of course, noticed. He kissed Sybil gently on the forehead, asked about their recent days, then turned back to Mirena.
"Mirena, I've discussed it with my uncle. We've set the wedding for early next year. What do you think?"
As he spoke, he shot Sybil a playful wink, his expression full of suggestion.
Sybil's face flushed crimson, her heart racing.
Mirena cast Vlad a sultry look, clearly anticipating the wedding with excitement.
Later that evening, after dinner was finished and the academy's elders had departed, Vlad remained in the side hall with Sybil. She crouched on the ground, her face stubborn and tense.
Vlad understood her feelings. Because of Mirena, Sybil would always come second.
And Mirena was not the only woman in Vlad's life—this made Sybil's insecurity all the stronger, driving her to cling desperately to him.
Even if Vlad didn't wish to wrong her, he couldn't bear to reject her outright.
Watching Sybil turn and lie down on the table, Vlad sighed softly.
"It'll hurt. Won't you regret it?"
"I'll give you everything I have, as long as you want me," Sybil whispered, her eyes dazed but her voice firm.
Her body trembled as she lifted herself slightly, already prepared.
Vlad realized she had steeled herself for this.
He reached out, and firelight flickered faintly in the shadows.
A muffled moan filled the air.
Time blurred.
After countless moments, Sybil lay weakly in Vlad's arms, dizzy and lost, unable to recover her senses.
Vlad adjusted her skirt with care, murmured a blood-healing spell, and gently let her rest.
Sybil left reluctantly, glancing back every few steps.
But Vlad suddenly stiffened, his eyes narrowing toward a dark corner of the hall. His voice was cold.
"Come out. Stop hiding."
The air rippled, the magic veil dissolving—revealing Gretel.
Vlad froze. She was still just a teenager!
His scalp prickled as shock exploded through him.
Face darkening, he stormed over, seized Gretel by the ear, and scolded her.
"Uncle Vlad, don't! I didn't mean it—I was just resting here, and you suddenly barged in!" she protested.
Vlad stopped in his tracks.
Realizing the blunder, even his thick skin couldn't save him from embarrassment.
"Not a word about this, understand?" Vlad muttered sternly, before turning and leaving in a hurry.
He had been far too careless—not even checking first.
Watching him flee in a panic, Gretel's cheeks flushed red. She gave a little huff, pretending indifference.
"It's not like I haven't seen it before. Hmph!"
Meanwhile, far south in the Kingdom of Clovit, disaster struck.
The night sky was dark and pouring with rain.
In the pasture outside Clovit Castle, a massive green vine surged upward, piercing the heavens, spreading wildly into the storm clouds.
Within moments, the vine stretched tens of meters thick and rose tens of thousands of meters high, reaching far beyond the clouds.
At its peak floated a colossal island.
Anyone familiar with old legends would recognize it.
Gantua—the fabled Kingdom of Giants!
By the next morning, shocking news had spread across Velvia.
When Vlad arrived at Viktor Castle through the teleportation array, the halls were already filled with people.
The six members of the Velvia Blood Council were present, along with clans led by Verona.
Behind Vlad followed Muriel, who had just advanced to a first-level blood warlock, accompanied by her wizard council.
Vlad wasted no time. At his signal, Verona began to explain the catastrophe.
A horde of giants—numbering in the thousands—had descended into the Kingdom of Clovit.
They launched an assault on its capital.
Most shocking of all, Notting, the Chief Judge of the Church—who had come to quell the wolf plague—was slain.
The Church's knights had suffered devastating losses.
The news left Vlad bewildered.
But after Verona's testing and Solomon's intelligence, it was confirmed: Notting had been a formidable first-level demon hunter, likely at the very peak of that stage.
Yet even he had fallen so swiftly.
The gravity of the situation became clear to Vlad immediately.
After Verona's account, realization struck him.
These giants must be the same ones exiled to the floating island in the tale of Jack the Giant Slayer.
But according to the story, their invasion shouldn't have happened so soon.
Something must have changed.
...
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