SSS Awakening: Rebirth of the Strongest Vampire God Chapter 674 The whole gang assembles

Not long after Damon reached the Crimson Mountains, the key figures in his life began to emerge one by one, stepping through the twin teleportation gates he had secretly established. These portals remained closed to the general public, and Damon intended to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. He preferred to let the weak weed themselves out before allowing the masses anywhere near his primary territory.

However, those logistical concerns were currently the furthest thing from his mind.

His chest heaved and his heart hammered against his ribs, the lingering chill of a near-death encounter clinging to him like a thick shroud. He had fully anticipated a counterattack; only a fool would saturate entire cities in lethal poison and expect the powerful to remain idle. With the abyss carving through half the continent while he contaminated the rest, the priorities of the Light Faction were crystal clear.

Against the abyss, they would be cautious, taking the necessary time to organize a formal and measured defense. But they would show him no such patience. He knew they would never grant him the same level of wary respect they afforded the abyssal corruption.

He had factored this into his plans. He expected the super guilds to bypass standard protocols and exhaust every resource available to expedite a strike against him.

He had even anticipated that a B-rank powerhouse would eventually enter the fray.

Yet, there was a massive gulf between mental preparation and the physical reality of such an encounter.

The instant that aura brushed against his senses, his survival instincts flared. Neither pride nor self-assurance could silence the primal alarm screaming through his veins. It was the unmistakable herald of a swift, crushing demise—a death from which there was no escape.

He realized now how delusional he had been to think he could exchange blows or even orchestrate a clean getaway. The truth was brutal: a B-rank was an elemental force of nature, and he was nowhere near that level. He had stood on the precipice of absolute annihilation, and there was no way to sugarcoat that terrifying fact.

Exhaling a shaky breath, Damon ran a hand through his hair. "…That was too close," he whispered.

The reality was stark. He could slaughter D-ranks in his sleep and dismantle C-ranks with ease, but a genuine B-rank? He wouldn't just be defeated; he would be wiped from existence.

Damon sighed, questioning what made the chasm between C-rank and B-rank so impossibly wide. How could a single advancement in Cultivation feel like crossing the span of a galaxy? It wasn't merely a matter of raw power or mana capacity. It was… authority. A B-rank distorted reality simply by being present. Laws of the world yielded to them, space became fluid, and the elements bowed. Their very existence served as a decree: 'You are not worthy of this battlefield.'

That was the terrifying power he had just glimpsed and narrowly evaded.

His pulse remained erratic. His body still felt the suffocating pressure, remembering how the miasma had recoiled like a frightened beast and how he had stood before a being that could unmake him with a single thought. He had vastly underestimated the true meaning of a B-rank.

"…I must become stronger," Damon hissed to himself.

Checking his system interface, he noted that only fifteen hours had passed. He had slightly more than two days to prepare before the system event commenced. Every second of this window had to be utilized to finalize the tasks he had been procrastinating on.

He was too deeply committed now to aim for anything less than total victory in the upcoming event. He was destined to draw the gaze of these B-rank monsters eventually, but his aggressive push to dominate the event had forced that confrontation much sooner than expected.

Now, he had to ensure this gamble would be worth the risk. Retreat was no longer an option; his only path lay forward.

As Damon stood lost in thought, more of his acquaintances gathered around him. They watched him in a heavy silence, filled with unspoken questions. Eventually, Aurora arrived, breaking the tension as she skipped toward Damon and made herself comfortable in his lap.

"What’s wrong, hubby? Why the long face? Also, I’ve named this adorable little creature Nox."

"Like Nitrous oxide?"

"Pffft. No, hubby! Named after the goddess of night and darkness. We’re both stunning goddesses." she giggled, holding the cat between her palms. However, as soon as the feline was near Damon, it scrambled for freedom, diving into his robes to hide as if its life were at stake.

Damon watched the display but remained silent. Rubbing his temples, he chose to ignore the antics. "Anyway… is everyone accounted for?" He scanned the crowd. Ellora, Green Eyes, Riven, Kaelthorn, and even Arya were present. Everyone of importance who was tied to his fate had successfully reached the Dark Faction continent.

Sylvara and Nevin were the next to show, followed by Phoenix and Blood Wraith. Meira arrived shortly after. Finally, his family appeared in their small floating castle, accompanied by Erin.

As the others stared at the magnificent flying fortress in awe, his family members descended. His sister-in-law, true to form, didn't wait for a greeting before launching into a tirade of righteous fury.

"What is it now? What’s your excuse for dragging us here this time? Do you have any idea how much you’re hindering us? If not for your interference, I would have successfully completed my class change by now! I was on the brink of a major breakthrough. You aren’t the only one capable of achieving great things!"

Georgina scoffed, continuing her rant without pausing for breath. "If you can do so much, then you should realize how capable my husband and I are. Stop this nonsense! You can't just toss us into some dungeon or pull us to whatever hellhole you choose whenever it suits you! Honey, say something to him, won’t you?"

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A special shoutout to Syphatrol for picking the cat's name!