Epic of Caterpillar Chapter 2912 - 2913: The Vampire Queen

RUMBLE!

As Beowulf succeeded in rescuing the group and restoring a measure of order to the chaotic terrain, Harumi sensed a powerful, reality-distorting aura drawing near.

A fissure tore open within the combined dungeons. Two individuals plummeted from the firmament, followed by a gargantuan monstrosity whose appearance defied all logic.

A Dream Entity!

Erika and Harumi instantly recognized the figures fleeing—they were the Chaos Gate overseers who had been managing the Dream Dungeon.

That was the very place where chaos had erupted. But what was the reason for their flight?

Had the trap they laid finally backfired?

Or were they merely victims caught in the same nightmare as everyone else?

Sakamoto and Mirabilis undoubtedly wanted to clarify that they were indeed suffering under the brunt of this horror.

However, they lacked the ability to speak.

BOOOM!

Upon crashing into the earth, a blinding explosion of brilliance and shadow erupted. Both figures utilized their Auras as a shield.

They looked ragged. Escaping the Dream Entities had been a harrowing ordeal.

Yet, they remained alive.

"Mirabilis, are you alright?"

"I am fine. I possess a natural resistance to these creatures. But what of you? You are merely human!"

"I am holding up fine."

Sakamoto had always been blessed with a peculiar gift: Fortune Manipulation. This fortune could achieve many things—even manifesting enough luck to shield him from permanent injury.

Although, it depleted his own energy reserves alongside other variables. Currently, he felt his endurance reaching its limit.

"CONSUME…! SOULS! SOULS! SOULS! CONSUME! CONSUME! CONSUME! CONSUME!"

The Dream Entity pursued them without rest. Towering taller than mountains, it lunged forward, supported by hundreds of massive, humanoid arms. An infinite array of screaming faces covered its shifting, amorphous form.

These bizarre entities existed solely to feast upon the souls of the Dream Plane. Having been unable to breach other Planes previously, they were now relishing their new freedom.

"Damn it all! Another one of those monstrosities is headed this way!" Erika shouted.

"We must flee! Quickly!" Harumi urged. "We should—Ugh?!"

As Harumi attempted to dash toward the exit, she collided with a figure towering over her.

"So there you are! Harumi, you have no idea how terrified I was!"

A familiar voice echoed as strong arms pulled her into a tight, protective embrace.

"Eh?!"

Harumi’s eyes widened in realization. Her mother was holding her.

The Vampire Queen Clementine.

"Your majesty!"

"Queen Clementine!"

"You have finally returned!"

Frankenstein, Lady Shadow, and Dan cheered at the sight of her arrival.

Clementine offered them a warm smile before stepping forward.

Her Aura flared, causing the very space around her to warp.

Blood and shadow wove together into an abyss.

Her gaze sharpened as she locked onto the approaching monster.

"You dealt with one. The next one belongs to me, Beowulf."

"Hah, fine by me! That is only fair."

Beowulf folded his arms while Clementine gently patted her daughter, bestowed a reassuring grin upon her, and then unfurled massive bat wings, darting into the sky like a crimson streak.

At that exact moment, another individual manifested.

"Brother?!"

Harumi caught sight of Mammon and sprinted to him, burying her face against his shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"A-Ah, Harumi… do not worry. Everything is going to be fine now. Mother is here with us, after all."

The group watched the sky as the Vampire Queen engaged the Dream Entity in a deadly dance.

The beast attempted to crush her with its massive hands, swatting at her across the landscape like a bothersome insect.

But Clementine remained untouchable.

Every blow she delivered shattered the monster’s limbs into countless fragments.

"GRRAAAAHHHH?!"

Clementine’s body glowed as if she had been forged into crimson diamond.

This was her Innate Ability—a gift she was born with.

"Adamas."

Among the Ancient Vampire lineages, the most venerable ancestors carried unique, divine-tier abilities.

Clementine was one in a billion to inherit such a power.

Adamas: the ability to transfigure her flesh into indestructible divine diamond.

Whenever she commanded it, Clementine became truly unbreakable.

Impenetrable.

Not even a Dream Entity possessed the power to injure her.

However, strength alone was insufficient. The monster’s multitude of eyes shimmered, fixating upon her soul.

Thus…

Her own eyes blazed with power.

She invoked her secondary vampire technique.

"Demonic Eyes of Petrification."

Her intense gaze flashed. The entire body of the Dream Entity began to petrify.

Unable to combat her, unable to move, it crumbled and succumbed.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Everyone gazed on in complete astonishment.

Clementine was undeniably the deadliest vampire ever spawned.

The combination of absolute invulnerability and instant-death eyes made her a force of pure terror.

However.

RUMBLE!

The stone rapidly reverted into Dream Essence, weaving the entity back into its twisted form.

"I warned you they do not perish so easily, Clementine! Remember when you petrified me, and I simply shattered the stone? These things are the same!" Beowulf laughed.

"I see. So they are stubborn meatheads who do not recognize death when it arrives—much like you, Beowulf," Clementine remarked. "Noted."

She lunged forward once more, becoming a blur of crimson and black energy.

Her Aura surged, causing her to resemble a colossal, bat-like vampire goddess.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Employing her invulnerable physique as a projectile, she pierced directly through the Dream Entity, tearing it apart from within.

"That meathead killed it with punches, so a method must exist… Aha!"

Her eyes glinted as she identified the core: an Inner Dream Soul Core embedded in the monster’s center.

Its form—composed of endless dreams and nightmares—appeared as a sea of memories trying to consume her.

Clementine simply brushed them aside and reached the core in one fluid movement.

"A beautiful pearl. How unfortunate that I must destroy it."

She gripped the core with her Aura-laden claws and crushed it.

Crack, crack…!

CRASH!

The Dream Entity let out a final, agonizing screech before dissolving into pink clouds and vanishing entirely.

"Wonderful. Mom is as incredible as your father…!" Harumi shared with Erika, beaming.

Clementine returned swiftly, carrying the remnants of the Dream Soul Core—glittering, jewel-toned pieces.

"The secret lies in attacking the cores within their bodies," she explained. "Destroy that, and they perish within moments."

"I understand!" Dan shouted.

"So that is their Achilles' heel," Lady Shadow mused, rubbing her chin.

"Thank you…" Frankenstein nodded.

"And you two…" Clementine turned her piercing gaze toward Sakamoto and Mirabilis. With their path blocked, they had no choice but to reveal their identities. "Are you not the supervisors of this entrance trial? Did the Chaos Gate Clan orchestrate this disaster?!"

"No, we did not," Sakamoto responded with a steady, firm voice. "We only intended to test the applicants and invite the strongest to join us."

"Why would we go to such lengths for chaos?" Mirabilis added with a sigh. "If we had masterminded this, those things would not be hunting us down as well."

"Hey mutt, do you believe these two are honest?" Clementine asked.

"Hmm, their Heart Essence reveals no deception!" Beowulf agreed. "They speak nothing but the truth."

To the surprise of Sakamoto and Mirabilis, Beowulf belonged to the Heart Tribe—Cultivators who focused their energies on the Heart, much like Wasp.

He also radiated the resonance of Heaven and Earth. He was a Dual Heaven-Earth Cultivator.

That fact likely accounted for his overwhelming power.

"Even though our factions are enemies, I propose a temporary alliance for the sake of survival," Sakamoto stated.

"Has Lord Chaos not been informed of the situation?" Mirabilis asked.

"He was indeed," Clementine replied. "However, he was delayed. He encountered a swarm of those Dream Entities and instructed us to come and rescue you."

"I believe he is… ah, here he is," Beowulf noted, looking toward the portal.

TRUUUM!

Eternal darkness billowed from the portal as a titanic entity of pure, infinite cosmic chaos emerged. He radiated even greater power after feasting upon dozens of the Dream Entities.

"That was a truly exquisite meal! There are so many delightful items to consume in this situation. If not for my worry for all of you, I would have feasted upon even more…"

He stepped through the exit and peered down at Sakamoto and Mirabilis.

"My lord, have you come to collect us?!" Mirabilis gasped.

"We are incredibly sorry to have failed you," Sakamoto apologized.

"Tsk, it is no matter. It is not as if you could have done anything against such events," Lord Chaos sighed. "Where is Nagumo?"

"He was…" Sakamoto looked down, his voice heavy with grief. "I humbly apologize. It is entirely my fault…"

"Just explain what occurred!" Lord Chaos commanded, a sense of desperation tainting his tone.

The two quickly recounted Nagumo’s fate, leaving Lord Chaos stunned. He had never imagined the situation would escalate to this degree.

"I see… So we are truly being besieged by unknown adversaries from another dimension!" Lord Chaos sighed. "How irritating. As if this world, and all of you, were not irritating enough." He glared at the gathered vampires and werewolves. "Kireina is still missing. I must find her before we pay a visit to Nagumo. I shall proceed alone. Both of you must return to the surface immediately and provide aid to the situation unfolding out there."

"What is occurring on the surface?" Mirabilis inquired.

"You will discover soon enough. They require your presence up there more than down here," Lord Chaos declared. "Now go! Everybody move!"

The group nodded and rushed out of the Dungeon. Lord Chaos absorbed it completely—so it could no longer threaten anyone… and because it served as a rare, delicious treat.

Once they emerged, they witnessed the Labyrinth of Madness beginning to destabilize. The shadows that sustained it collapsed.

A massive gate to Yomi materialized before them, pulling them toward it before they could offer resistance.

Beside them, various other Realms and Domains—caught in the same vortex—plummeted toward Yomi, merging with it as every Underworld entity began to fuse.

Among them was a Dungeon housing Matsuo’s group… along with another containing an ancient shrine and a mysterious golden blade humming with brilliance.

"D-Damn it! Where am I headed now?! Amiphossia! Where are you?!"