Chapter 84: Train Arena
"Yes, sir. We do have a reinforced pocket dimension inside the Prime Train. Would you like to use it?" The projection said.
Carter turned to toward the Primer. "Well? Are you going to fight? Or are you going to run like a coward?"
The Primer hissed. He looked at the pale man with half an eye. "Bring it on, old man. I ain’t afraid of nobody."
Carter smiled, revealing his sharp white teeth and the corner of his vampire fangs.
A Primer amongst the group noticed that. His eyes widened briefly.
’Is that... a vampire?’ That Primer was familiar with the vampire concept. He had heard many things about it back when he was still on Earth. He never thought that vampire existed.
The projection led them into another compartment of the Prime Train. This compartment was unusually large.
"Huh? It is much bigger here." Carter said.
"Precisely, sir. The Prime Train uses a specific space compression technology. All the compartments used it to allow more space in the train."
Carter had already noticed the difference in space the first time he was here. Now he learned even more about it.
The pale man stood in his position, hands resting on his cane. The other Primers stood at the grandstand above to witness the upcoming fight.
The Primer that recognized the vampire traits was a short boy with orange hair. He couldn’t keep his excitement inside.
"What’s the matter with you, Lenny?" Another Primer asked him.
"You don’t understand. That man is a vampire."
"What is a vampire?" Another Primer said.
"It’s a myth back in my original world. A blood-sucking monster."
"Are they strong?"
"I don’t know for sure. Some stories depicted them as monster that could live forever but not that powerful. Some had the vampires used superpowers just like the people in the Republic."
"So you don’t really know how strong he is?"
Lenny shrugged, "I know about vampires but I’ve never met one before."
The strongest Primer, the one that antagonized Carter from before, also went into his position.
He had leather gloves, a rugby style armor with spikes on it, and a rugby helmet.
Their gears didn’t look that well maintained and more similar liked what they could gather from the environment.
"I suppose you come from an apocalypse world or something similar?" Carter said.
The Primer widened his eyes, "How did you know?"
The pale man shrugged, "The low-quality equipment. The excess amount of dust on your shoulder. And especially the attitude."
The Primer bared his yellow teeth. "You talk too much, old man. I will shut you up."
He held a baseball bat with nails on it.
"Are you ready, gentlemen?" The projection said.
Carter put his top hat down. "Allow me to introduce myself. Vladimir Wampyr."
"Wait a minute. That name..." Lenny frowned.
Carter continued, "Prince of Transylvania. Count Dracula."
Lenny inhaled deeply.
"What? Why did you react like that?"
"Do you recognize him?"
The other Primers asked .
Lenny nodded his head, "I recognize him. His name is very popular in my world. Dracula is the first ever existed vampire. The original."
The Primer gritted his teeth, "Dax. Primer of the Orange Dust."
"When the bell rings, the two contestants may fight each other. The Prime Train shall not interfere and issue any penalty. The fight only ends when one side surrenders or is defeated.
BEGIN!" The projection shouted.
Dax dashed forward. He held the bat to the side and was ready to swing it at Carter.
"Oh? Good speed. Good form. You developed this after years of surviving, huh?" Carter stood still and gracefully said.
"Heh? Dracula? He can’t even react properly. The myth you heard is fake, Lenny." A Primer on the grandstand said.
"We can’t even feel his power. He must be a nobody."
Lenny stayed silent. If the man in front of him was Dracula, then Dax was toasted. He didn’t feel like the pale man was a fake either. That man was just too calm.
"You talk too much!" Dax swung the bat at Carter.
The bat froze in mid-air and couldn’t go further.
"What?!" Dax widened his eyes. "How did you?"
Carter simply raised a hand and caused Dax to stop. He flicked his finger in the air, causing Dax to fly off and roll on the ground.
"Telekinesis? Since when does Dracula have Telekinesis?" Lenny mumbled. He mistook Carter’s Blood Manipulation for another skill.
"Grgh!" Dax grunted and got back up. He took out a handgun and fired at Carter.
The bullets stopped when they got close to Carter. A faint black energy stopped them.
It was Negative Energy Manipulation. Carter exuded Negative Energy around him and used it as a seal.
Dax squinted his eyes. He threw the gun away.
"It seems like I need to take this fight seriously." Dax said.
He aimed his hand toward Carter. A bright red beam of energy shot out.
’A new energy type?’
The beam was stopped a few centimeters away from Carter, the Negative Field protected him.
Carter hadn’t moved even one step since the fight started.
"I knew it! Dracula is strong!" Lenny shouted, which attracted Dracula’s attention. Carter looked over to him.
Lenny immediately made himself smaller and smiled. "Carry on. Carry on, please. I’m sorry for disturbing."
"You need to learn more about Energy Manipulation, Dax of Orange Dust."
Carter aimed his finger toward the Primer. A thin beam of black shot toward Dax. It was so quick that the Primer couldn’t even dodge.
The beam pierced through his abdomen. Blood shot out like a water fountain and he fell to the ground.
Carter walked slowly toward the man. The fight was already ended. Unless the Primer had some sort of healing ability or item.
He didn’t. Dax put pressure onto his wound.
"Damn it!" Dax crawled away but Carter was already there.
The pale man pointed his index finger at Dax. At the tip was an ominous black sphere.
"Do you yield?" Carter said.
"I... I sur..." Dax was about to give up but Carter covered his mouth.
"Unfortunately, you disturbed me. There is a price for that." Carter smiled. His sharp teeth were exposed. The vampire fangs glimmered menacingly.
The pale man tore his armor away and sank his teeth into Dax’s neck.