Chapter Thirty-Three: A Breakthrough at Death’s Door… But the Villain?

Heir to the Rogrimus family, a hybrid of high-level vampire and demon bloodlines, captain of the South Flame Province team... these were my status and reputation as a reincarnator—titles and positions that grew ever more formidable and prestigious.

My name is Alex von Rogrimus.

Since becoming a reincarnator, power has surged through me incessantly, ensuring I would never again be that pitiful, powerless outcast in my family, neglected and without status.

Upon returning to my reality, I visited a cruel death upon my elder brother, Reinhardt von Rogrimus—the man who had always despised, bullied, and disregarded me—along with everyone else who had disrespected, harmed, or looked down upon me.

Even within this Main God Space, I utilized my intellect, my abilities, and my luck to acquire power, fusing two potent bloodlines to ascend to a higher realm of strength, leaving me virtually undefeated.

I established absolute rule over my team. I firmly seized control of all their resources, turning them into "livestock" that served me and were subject to my wanton plundering, which in turn fueled my own power’s constant growth.

Yet, in one team battle, I was utterly defeated and even killed by the enemy. If not for the Resurrection Cross I possessed, which allowed me to return safely to the Main God Space, I would have truly perished.

The one who killed me, the one who plotted against me, was the tactician of the North Ice Province team—a little girl whose name I didn't even know.

Even after that tactician died in a subsequent reincarnation world, my hatred for her did not fade. I loathed her, and I loathed the reincarnation team she belonged to. Eventually, an opportunity arose—a chance for vengeance that, while it could not involve killing my enemy with my own hands, would allow me to annihilate the North Ice Province team she once led.

But to my surprise, that tactician had been resurrected! She laid a trap, killing all my "livestock" save for me. Now, I have fallen into her snare, descending step by step into the abyss, on the verge of death once more.

I have no resurrection items left. If I die now, it will be a true, eternal death.

But I cannot accept this! There is so much left undone. I haven't taken my revenge on that North Ice Province tactician; I haven't wiped out her team! Am I to die here?

I refuse!

Bang.

The bullet streaked from the muzzle, aimed straight for the center of Alex’s brow. At that critical moment, Alex jerked his head aside. The bullet tore through his right ear but failed to kill him.

"Hmm?"

The Kurumi clone was stunned for a split second. The next moment, a surge of green flames erupted from Alex’s body!

The green fire engulfed the entire alleyway. Sensing something was wrong, the clones immediately pulled back, but the unfortunate clone that had slipped into the sewer to look cool bore the brunt of the explosion at point-blank range, with no chance to escape.

Boom.

Flames shot into the sky as Alex roared, bursting out of the fire and soaring into the air. Huge bat wings had unfurled from his back.

Other parts of his body had undergone drastic transformations: goat horns sprouted from his head, his eyes became heterochromatic—one crimson, one ink-green—and his physique became more slender. Green flames spiraled around him without causing him harm, radiating a terrifying aura.

Alex’s right hand clamped tightly around the neck of that Kurumi clone, and he buried his fangs into her throat. He devoured her blood and soul greedily, his own wounds knitting together as he "fed."

Naturally, the other Kurumis would not let "themselves" be consumed. They raised their flintlock pistols and fired at Alex in the sky, but with a mere thought, Alex shielded himself with his bat wings. The green flames clinging to the wings incinerated the incoming bullets, stripping them of most of their power. Even those that pierced the flames caused only negligible damage to his wings.

"Hahahahaha..."

Laughter erupted from the fire. When the flames dissipated, the Kurumi clone in Alex’s hand had been reduced to a desiccated husk. As he released her, the remains crumbled into ash and drifted away.

"I never imagined that the death crisis you brought upon me would lead to a new breakthrough."

Alex laughed maniacally. No scars remained on his body; the injuries inflicted by the clones had been fully repaired in this brief window.

"You’ve pushed me to unlock the Third Genetic Lock! I truly thank you! Hahahahaha!"

Compared to the previous two stages, the Third Genetic Lock does not provide a massive direct boost to raw strength. Its true power lies in the development of the brain—a significant enhancement in calculation, control, and learning ability. No matter the cultivation system, one gains an immense bonus, and even the right to create one's own skills.

However, that usually requires time to accumulate. Because Alex possessed two high-level bloodline enhancements, he had been unable to unleash his full potential while stuck at the Second Genetic Lock. Now, with the Third Lock open, that power surged forth, leading to a qualitative leap in his strength.

"It’s perfect. Your blood is just perfect... it merged perfectly into this body of mine, repairing my wounds and elevating my power even further!"

"Perfect, absolutely perfect! Your blood and souls are the finest nourishment!"

Alex laughed, thrusting his right index finger deep into his own temple and twisting it. Blood splattered, yet he continued to laugh with fanatical glee.

"This feeling of being reborn through fire, of coming back from the brink of death—it is absolutely magnificent! Even when I became a reincarnator and killed my brother Reinhardt, I never felt this level of pleasure and exhilaration..."

"This feeling is just too wonderful! It’s enough to make me go wild!"

The Kurumis lowered their flintlocks, staring silently at the deranged Alex.

After laughing in the air for ten seconds, Alex finally stopped. He lifted his head arrogantly, looking at the Tokisaki Kurumis below as if they were mere livestock.

"You’re next... don't think you’ll die as easily as that one. I will kill you slowly, ever so slowly. I will strip away your lives, trample your dignity—damn it, I will make you regret ever being born! Regret ever crossing me, Alex von Rogrimus..."

"I am the protagonist of this Main God Space!"