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

Not long after Damon reached the Crimson Mountains, his inner circle began to materialize one by one, emerging from the synchronized teleportation gates he had secretly established. These portals remained hidden from the public eye, and they would stay that way for the foreseeable future. Damon intended for the weak to be weeded out naturally before allowing the masses anywhere near his primary territory.

However, that logistical concern was currently the furthest thing from his mind.

His pulse thrashed against his ribs and his breathing remained jagged, as the lingering shadow of death clung to him like a freezing mist. He had anticipated a counterattack. Only a fool would saturate entire cities in lethal toxins and assume the powerful would remain idle. With the abyss shredding half the continent and Damon poisoning significant portions of what remained, the Light Faction’s targets were clear.

They would hesitate when facing the abyss, taking their time to strategize and mount a proper defense against such a threat. But against him? They wouldn't pause for a second. There was no chance they would grant him the same cautious respect they afforded the abyssal rot.

He had foreseen this. He had calculated for it. He fully expected the super guilds to bypass standard protocols and expend every available resource to accelerate their retaliation.

He even anticipated that a B-rank would eventually cross his path.

Yet, there was a massive chasm between expecting a threat and actually standing before it.

The instant that presence grazed his senses, his survival instincts screamed. No amount of pride or self-assurance could muffled the primitive alarm bell ringing through his blood. It was a premonition of sudden, inescapable annihilation.

He had been catastrophically wrong to believe he could exchange strikes and perhaps slip away from such an adversary. The truth was brutal. A B-rank was an elemental force of nature, and he was nowhere near that level. He had come within an inch of certain death, and there was no way to paint it in a better light.

Damon let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. "…That was far too close," he whispered.

The reality was blunt. He could slaughter D-ranks in his sleep. He could tear through C-ranks all day, but when it came to a true B-rank? He wouldn't just be defeated. He would be wiped from existence.

Damon sighed, questioning what made the threshold between C-rank and B-rank so impossibly wide. How could a single advancement in Cultivation feel like crossing a boundless 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. The laws of the world yielded to them. Space became fluid. Elements bowed in submission. Their mere existence served as a decree: 'You do not belong on this battlefield with me.'

That was the terrifying gap he had just glimpsed and narrowly escaped.

His heart still hammered. His body still felt the suffocating pressure that had weighed on him—the way his own miasma had retreated like a frightened cub, and the feeling of standing before a being that could unmake him with a single thought. He had vastly underestimated the true meaning of a B-rank.

"…I have to get stronger," Damon muttered 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 resolve every loose end he had previously ignored.

He was committed now; he had to aim for the ultimate victory in this event. Eventually, he would have drawn the gaze of these B-rank monsters regardless. It was unavoidable, but by pushing everything to the limit to gain an advantage in this event, he had voluntarily shortened his own ticking clock.

Now, his only option was to ensure this gamble succeeded. There was no path backward. The only way was forward.

Damon fell into silent contemplation as more familiar faces gathered around him. They watched him in silence, wondering what had happened. Finally, Aurora arrived, breaking the tension by skipping toward Damon and unceremoniously dropping into his lap.

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

"Nitrous oxide?"

"Pffft. No, hubby! It's after the goddess of night and darkness. We are both stunning goddesses." She giggled, squeezing the cat between her palms. The moment the poor creature was near Damon, it scrambled for freedom, leaping onto him and burrowing into his robes as if its life depended on it.

Damon watched the display but remained silent. He merely massaged his temples and moved past the distraction. "Regardless… is everyone gathered?" He scanned the area. Ellora, Green Eyes, Riven, Kaelthorn, and even Arya—everyone significant who was tied to his fate had reached the Dark Faction continent.

Sylvara and Nevin were the next to show. Phoenix and Blood Wraith arrived via teleportation shortly after. Meira appeared as well. Finally, his family arrived in their small floating fortress, with Erin accompanying them.

While the others stared at the massive castle in awe, his family members stepped out. Naturally, his sister-in-law bypassed any need for an explanation, marching toward him with a face full of indignation.

"What is it now? What's your excuse for dragging us here this time? Do you have any idea how much you are hindering us? If it wasn't for you, I would have finished my class change by now! I was on the brink of something major, you know. You aren't the only one who can achieve great things."

Georgina scoffed, not stopping even to catch her breath. "If you can do all this, then you should recognize the potential my husband and I have. Stop this nonsense, alright? You can't just toss us into this dungeon whenever you feel like it and drag us to whatever pit you choose! Honey, say something to him, will you?"

***

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