Chapter 211: The Vampire Count (Part 3)

Chapter 211: The Vampire Count (Part Three)

Jie Fangcheng turned around and did a double take.

Despite the darkness, he instantly made out the figure behind him.

A vampire, dressed in a floral shirt with medium-length hair neatly combed back and sporting gold-rimmed glasses, was eyeing him. Those distinctly unhuman crimson eyes swept over him as the vampire archly raised an eyebrow.

"A guest of the Count?"

Jie Fangcheng felt oddly unsettled.

When he had disembarked from the carriage earlier, the butler at least appeared refined in both demeanor and appearance.

However, when that same butler cast a glance at him, Jie Fangcheng felt a palpable sense of discomfort.

In contrast, the vampire before him seemed flippant. He even flashed a smile, revealing two pointed fangs.

"A guest should know their place and not wander aimlessly," the vampire said, placing a finger to his lips and squinting his eyes as he wiggled the finger. "The Count's castle can be perilous. Delicate roses should have the self-awareness to protect themselves."

The "Delicate Rose" scratched his head, casting a somewhat skeptical gaze at the vampire before him, as if he wanted to ask something but ultimately refrained.

"Is that so?"

Odd.

Jie Fangcheng disliked people who were smooth talkers. Although the vampire before him was handsome, his oily and flippant tone would have normally had Jie Fangcheng reaching for his weapon.

But for some unknown reason, this time Jie Fangcheng felt it was tolerable.

The vampire before him adjusted his glasses with his middle finger, his eyes peering at Jie Fangcheng from behind the lenses as if assessing prey.

Such a look was generally offensive, especially to someone like Jie Fangcheng, whose physical intuition was rather sharp. Normally, if someone regarded him as prey so openly, that person would be on the ground within a second.

However, being scrutinized in this manner by the vampire, Jie Fangcheng didn't feel offended.

"Um... who are you?" Jie Fangcheng inquired.

The vampire before him tilted his head slightly. It was only at this moment that Jie Fangcheng sensed a faint aura of hostility emanating from the other party.

Perhaps he had grown accustomed to Zhang Dao'an's murderous aura, so Jie Fangcheng maintained a pleasant demeanor: "Not willing to share your name?"

The vampire paused for a moment, his eyelids dropping as if contemplating something.

"Luca."

"Pardon?"

The vampire named Luca looked at him, "That's my name, Luca. And you are?"

"Ah, Jie Fangcheng."

Luca examined him intently and nodded.

"You should return; the Count should be arriving soon."

Upon hearing this, Jie Fangcheng couldn't help but ask, "By the way, I've been meaning to ask, what’s the name of the Count of this castle? What kind of person is he?"

Luca raised an eyebrow, "This is our first meeting, isn't it? And you're already asking me questions? Do you trust me that much?"

Jie Fangcheng paused, uttering an "Ah."

He was somewhat puzzled himself. Although the vampire called "Luca" didn't give off a good impression, Jie Fangcheng oddly felt that this man wouldn't harm him.

This inexplicable trust made Jie Fangcheng immediately think of another person.

"Um... Are you Zhang Dao'an?" Thinking along these lines, Jie Fangcheng simply posed the question.

Upon hearing this name, the "Luca" before him arched his eyebrows once more.

"No," he said, turning his gaze to Jie Fangcheng. "But I do know this person."

"Huh?"

Professor Zhang is really here!

Jie Fangcheng quickly asked, "Where?"

Luca merely gave him a gentle shove.

"You'll meet him very soon."

Will I be meeting the Count soon?

Then who is this Luca?

Though filled with questions, everything should be fine if Professor Zhang is also in this duplicate world.

After reuniting with Professor Zhang, I can consult him directly. Being so intelligent, he'll surely help me understand why I would trust an unfamiliar vampire so readily.

Thinking this, Jie Fangcheng offered a polite nod to the vampire before him. He was about to grasp his skirt and depart, but under the vampire's watchful eye, he changed his action to lifting it.

He awkwardly lifted the heavy, voluminous hem of his dress and descended the stairs he had initially ascended.

After he left, the suave vampire—who had arched his brows and cocked his head—leaned against the wall. A pair of crimson eyes followed Jie Fangcheng's departure, cold and penetrating.

"Jie Fangcheng..."

The name is all too familiar.

"And Zhang Dao'an, Zhang Si Quan..." Reflecting on the events in his "memory," Luca inexplicably smiled.

From the first floor, the voice of the Count wafted up. Luca's crimson eyes narrowed, and he leapt backward, vaulting out of the castle.

His expansive mechanical wings carried him away, and soon, Luca landed in front of a ramshackle room not far from the castle.

Pushing the door open, a feeble cry of pain emanated from within.

Beneath the dim candlelight, a genuine vampire was nailed to the wall. His large, black wings resembled those of a bat, but the bones had been removed—vampire wing bones are lightweight and durable, making them ideal for constructing mechanical wings.

This is a world ruled by vampires, monsters with lifespans lasting millennia and unimaginable strength. They stand at the top of the food chain, subsisting on human blood.

But these vampires not only use humans for food; they also like to toy with them as pets.

They select beautiful young men and women, bring them into the castle, and subsequently torture and kill these frail and beautiful humans—a favorite pastime for every vampire.

The one Luca held was intent on killing him.

Seeing Luca now, the vampire pinned to the wall looked especially terrified.

He struggled to say something, but the human in front of him seemed to have lost interest.

Luca approached the desk and leafed through a thick stack of notes.

The pages were filled with many strange symbols, many of which even millennia-old vampires had never seen.

Luca turned to a fresh page and wrote down the name of the latest "duplicate."

—Count Kagerl.

.

"I am Count Kagerl, beautiful ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to my castle."

The vampire, dressed in a black tailcoat, arrived fashionably late.

Jie Fangcheng descended just as the last of the eleven players arrived.

Only once all the players had gathered did Count Kagerl finally make his entrance.

He courteously bowed to his guests, appearing much like any human count. However, the red hue of his eyes and the sharp fangs revealed when he spoke betrayed that he was no ordinary human aristocrat, but a vampire.

Jie Fangcheng observed attentively.

The Count seemed polite and urbane, vaguely reminiscent of Zhang Dao'an, yet not quite. The impression the Count left was distinctly different from that of Zhang Dao'an.

It was hard to articulate, but Zhang Dao'an was decidedly unique.

However, the encounter with Luca upstairs had made Jie Fangcheng somewhat hesitant.

Perhaps more observation was needed?

With this thought, Jie Fangcheng steadied himself, ready to see what the Count would do next.

—Nothing much, really.

The elegant Count Kagerl had the meal served, consisting only of finely arranged vegetables and fruits, sans meat.

Jie Fangcheng was not particularly fussy about food, found the meal palatable, and finished it all.

The surrounding players were more cautious, nibbling on thumb-sized pieces before surreptitiously spitting them out.

The Count paid it no mind. He dined with equal grace, although for a vampire, sustenance comes solely from blood. Eating human food was merely an act, an emulation to display gentlemanly manners.

After the meal, the Count clapped his hands.

Promptly, the butler who had been seen earlier pushed a cart forward.

"This is rose wine produced within the castle, called 'Roseblood.' It has a calming effect," said the Count gently. "As you may know, our vampire castle occasionally entertains some uninvited 'friends' during the night. I fear it might disturb your rest, so please enjoy this calming wine and sleep soundly until morning."

The players exchanged glances, immediately grasping the implications of Count Kagerl's words.

Drinking this wine, it seemed that a good night's sleep would be guaranteed, even if the future remained uncertain.

On the other hand, rejecting the wine might mean confronting the castle's "uninvited" guests—a terrifying prospect.

To drink or not to drink?

While the crowd hesitated, someone caught sight from the corner of their eye: it appeared someone had bravely drained their glass.

Not only did the players turn their heads, but even the Count seemed surprised. He hadn't expected such cooperation from among this batch of attractive guests.

When his castle was newly built, he'd invited twelve beautiful guests. Once inside, they'd been visibly unnerved. Despite the Count's cordial invitations to drink, those guests had been tearfully terrified, leaving the Count to laboriously pour wine down their trembling throats, one glass at a time.

This set of guests appeared to have much greater nerve!

The Count looked at Jie Fangcheng with an approving, smiling gaze.

"This guest has done exceptionally well."

Wiping his mouth, Jie Fangcheng was candid in his response: "It's not very good."

Going further, he even offered suggestions for improving the brew: "The taste doesn't sit right; it's both sour and astringent. Maybe don't brew it next time."

“……”

"The food was okay, though."

The crowd looked at him with a mixture of horror and astonishment.

Count Kagerl examined him and, in the end, merely offered a playful smile. Remarkably, he didn't take action.

"Is that so?"

Where most would have held their tongues, Jie Fangcheng spoke candidly: "Yes, it is."

Oh my God!!

The players felt the room grow tense as they sensed Count Kagerl's mounting irritation. The dim candlelight flickered erratically, and even the Count's shadow seemed to tremble.

Had this guy just infuriated the boss?

Who is he? Don't drag us into this!!

Hostile glances converged on Jie Fangcheng.

Fortunately, the Count did not erupt in anger. He simply gave Jie Fangcheng a deep, penetrating look.

"I've taken note of the guest's suggestions."

With that, the Count waved his hand: "Take them to rest."

The butler arrived, accompanied by a retinue of maids. Under their guidance, the players didn't head upstairs but instead descended into the underground.

The castle's basement contained around a dozen rooms, each one sumptuously furnished, albeit marred by a pervasive dampness.

Perhaps it was due to the wine they'd consumed earlier; the players found the damp environment oddly comforting, neutralizing the warm flush induced by the alcohol and lulling them into drowsiness.

Each individual was given a separate room. Upon entering his, Jie Fangcheng found the surroundings rather agreeable.

But where exactly was Professor Zhang?

The Count truly didn't seem to be the one...

Did he have to seek out Luca then?

But where was Luca?

There was undoubtedly something amiss with that glass of rose wine, yet it seemed to have no effect on Jie Fangcheng.

Unable to sleep, he lay under the covers, staring at the ceiling, pondering how to locate Professor Zhang.

Time ticked away, and the castle's clock tolled the midnight hour.

Dong—Dong—Dong—

Swish swish... swish swish...

Something emerged from the ground. As Jie Fangcheng was lost in thought, staring blankly at the ceiling, a skull abruptly appeared before his eyes.

The hollow eye sockets of the skull "looked" at him, its ghastly teeth opening and closing, emitting a sound that could set one's teeth on edge.

Jie Fangcheng wasn't keen on interacting, so he acted as if he couldn't see it, continuing to stare vacantly at the ceiling.

A raspy voice emanated from the skull.

"You... are... pretending... not to see... me?"

How annoying, thought Jie Fangcheng. If it wants to be frightening, be frightening, but why talk?

And if it insisted on talking, then it should at least not sound so jarring, scraping bone on bone to articulate words.

Annoyed, Jie Fangcheng turned over.

To find another, smaller skull staring at him from the edge of the bed.

"Why... won't you... answer?"

The larger skull pushed its way through, seemingly indignant.

"You... are... pretending... you can clearly... see... me!"

Unable to hold back any longer, Jie Fangcheng sat up abruptly.

"I saw you, I did! With both eyes wide open! What's the matter? You two look just fine; do you need an audience? Can't sleep in the dead of night and won't let others either? What's wrong with you?"

The skeleton moved sluggishly, seemingly attempting to reach out its bony claw to strangle him.

Xie Fangcheng took the initiative, swiftly dismantling the larger skeleton in two moves and folding its bones before burying them back into the ground.

The skull was a bit large and awkward to fit, so Xie Fangcheng simply threw it out as he opened the door.

The basement echoed instantly with a "thud-thud" sound as the skull rolled away.

His gaze then shifted to the smaller skeleton.

The little skeleton took a dive and buried itself back in the ground.

Silence enveloped the world.

Xie Fangcheng lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling once more.

"I wonder where Professor Zhang is right now?"

"I'm not exactly a powerhouse, and this tiny world is infested with vampires; would I be bullied if I were just a regular person?"

"Had I known, I would've ignored his advice during the last raid and left him some extra gear."

"I can't even leave the castle now; I have no idea how I'm going to find him."

With these thoughts, Xie Fangcheng pondered and finally closed his eyes.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, the door was gently opened.