It looked like there had been a slight misunderstanding in the communication between him and Blade.
Adam had wanted the vampires captured quietly. Blade, on the other hand, had apparently decided "capture" meant "let them come to you," leaving the rest up to Adam.
"Six of them… that'll do nicely."
Adam counted the vampires and nodded. With the forces he currently controlled, dealing with these six would be more than manageable.
George stared at the seemingly harmless young man and shouted urgently, "Run! These guys are extremely dangerous!"
"I know, I know." Adam replied softly while paying no attention to the bloody scene on the ground as if it barely registered.
That made sense... it was nighttime, and they were a hundred yards apart.
One of the vampires lifted his head, licked the blood from his lips, and charged excitedly toward Adam.
Dennis sensed something was off but stayed silent, watching with his enhanced vision.
Under normal circumstances, the human would be pinned down in seconds, throat torn open. Vampires possessed overwhelming strength and speed compared to ordinary people.
George's expression changed drastically. He wanted to save the young man's life... he knew exactly what vampires were capable of... but at this distance, it already seemed too late.
The attacking vampire lunged for Adam's neck.
In that instant...
Whoosh!
A silver-glinting tail shot out from the darkness, brushing past Adam's shoulder. It moved in eerie silence yet carried lethal intent, striking straight at the vampire's face.
"Chest." Adam commanded calmly.
The tail tip adjusted slightly downward and punched clean through the vampire's chest like a skewer, lifting the entire body high into the air.
A piercing scream tore through the night. The vampire's vigorous vitality kept him from dying instantly, his cry mixing terror with utter disbelief.
What the hell is this thing?!
A series of soft, scuttling sounds followed.
Then several ghostly figures darted through the darkness, spreading out and encircling the vampires at close range.
Dennis frowned, studying the strange creatures.
"Four of them… What kind of beings are these?" Surprise flickered across his face.
This had to be the place. The inexplicably present police, the strange human, and these even stranger creatures.
His thoughts turned to that special blood. Using his powerful night vision, he observed the Xenomorphs carefully.
Up close, they shared a similar overall design but had subtle differences... some were slightly more muscular, others leaner and clearly built for greater speed and agility.
The one constant was that all four moved on all fours… yet Dennis had the odd impression that creatures with entirely different body structures had simply donned the same exoskeleton and crouched before him.
George and the other officers were stunned, mouths agape. The scene unfolding before them defied all logic.
"You know Blade?" Dennis said. "So you're the one supplying him with those unusual weapons."
Even at this distance and volume, both sides could hear each other clearly.
"That's right. Though there's been a small deviation from the plan. Killing you might help correct it somewhat."
As Adam spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the vampire impaled on the Xenomorph's tail.
Good... it was only a chest wound. He wasn't dead. If brought back in time, he could still be useful.
"That liquid you gave Blade… it's blood too, isn't it? Where did it come from? Don't tell me you created it yourself, or…" Dennis's eyes kept darting over the Xenomorphs.
It seemed absurd, but after ruling out other possibilities, maybe these strange yet powerful creatures were connected to it.
Just one tail had effortlessly skewered a strong vampire. That alone proved their extraordinary strength.
"Attack." Adam ordered first.
The other three Xenomorphs sprang into action, rushing the enemies. The one beside Adam joined the fray as well.
The vampires immediately drew handguns and opened fire on the Xenomorphs.
They were smart. If these things excelled at close combat, firearms should handle them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Small wounds appeared on the Xenomorphs, but they charged forward as if they felt no pain. As they closed in, blood began dripping from their injuries, splattering onto the vampires with a sizzling sound.
"!!"
"My leg's burning through!"
"Careful... their blood is highly corrosive, just like the Daywalker's weapons! It can eat through steel… but this is even stronger…"
The truth was out, and the vampires were even more shocked because they had already suspected something.
What kind of creature was this? Even the blood that spilled from its wounds could inflict massive damage on enemies? No... the fact that their bodies could even carry such corrosive blood in the first place was insane.
These beings were living weapons, born for battle!
Gunfire continued to roar. A few vampires, driven by bloodlust, abandoned their guns and charged into melee... only to quickly realize it was a fatal mistake.
The moment one closed in, a Xenomorph opened its jaws and sprayed a mouthful of blood directly at him.
That single attack took the vampire out of the fight.
One by one, the vampires fell. Somehow they remained alive despite their injuries. Their limbs were savagely torn off by the Xenomorphs, leaving them screaming in agony on the ground.
The harder they fought, the more wounds they inflicted on the Xenomorphs... and the more of that corrosive blood splashed onto themselves. The price kept climbing.
Even Dennis was stunned. The Xenomorphs' combat effectiveness shocked him. They fought like a perfectly trained unit that had rehearsed the scenario countless times. There were no audible calls or visible signals, yet they executed flawless tactics. Individually they were extremely dangerous, and they showed no fear of injury or death.
Or rather, under these conditions, their own injuries and potential deaths had become just another weapon in their arsenal.
"Enough! Stop! I came here to negotiate!" Dennis roared. He knocked back one Xenomorph and watched his subordinates fall one after another. He waved his arms dramatically while taking aim at Adam and firing.
His shot was precise.
Adam simply shifted his body slightly, dodging the bullet with perfect timing.
Dennis's expression changed. He fired repeatedly, yet with his marksmanship, not a single round hit the target!
This wasn't luck. It meant the opponent's physical abilities far surpassed a normal human's... at the very least, he possessed extraordinary perception.
A Xenomorph pounced on Dennis, its corrosive blood overwhelming him. He could only scream in agony.
Deep regret filled him. He had underestimated the situation. He should have brought more people.
Even then, stopping such agile opponents from escaping would have been difficult.
Most frustrating of all, Dennis still had no idea who he was actually fighting or where they came from!
"Six vampires… really excellent specimens."
Only now did Adam walk forward unharmed, looking at the six wounded but still-living vampires with appreciation.
"You're not killing us… so you want to negotiate? Tell me... what do you want? Money? Status? Power?" Dennis felt a flicker of relief now that none of his men had died.
As long as there was room to talk, there was a chance to survive... and then plan their revenge.
"None of those. I need you all to stay alive for the next few hours. I'm very eager to verify something crucial using you creatures who can only survive by drinking human blood."
Adam's voice carried a strange hunger for discovery, like the whisper of a devil.