Chapter 216: The Vampire Count (Part 8)

Chapter 216: The Vampire Count (Part 8)

While Jie Fangcheng was searching for appropriate clothing, on the first floor, the Count was introducing his esteemed new friend to his castle.

Though this distinguished guest had always been somewhat discerning, he showed a rare bit of approval in the face of the Count's carefully constructed castle.

A sense of pride welled up within the Count, making his newfound friend all the more agreeable to his eyes.

The fastidious yet noble guest even took the initiative to compliment, "This castle is truly remarkable, a blend of aesthetics and practicality with a distinct artistic flair. Did you design and build it yourself?"

Count Kagele immediately nodded with a smile, "Yes, I did."

Having said that, Count Kager looked at him with a mysterious smile. "However, this castle is still somewhat rudimentary. It lacks the final touch, which I believe to be the most crucial one."

Upon hearing this, Luka before him revealed an expression of understanding. "I see."

Count Kager was surprised to find that this seemingly young new friend appeared to be quite knowledgeable in architecture.

He squinted his eyes, looking at Luka.

Vampires are naturally suspicious. Although his new friend before him seemed perfect, Count Kager still felt a nagging sense of doubt.

Perhaps it was because the other's performance was simply too impeccable, exceeding Count Kager's own understanding.

So he inquired, "My friend, do you also believe the castle is missing that crucial final touch?"

Luka merely glanced at the guests who were still standing in the garden.

Count Kager followed his gaze and chuckled, "Ah, my dear friend, you are indeed a perfect vampire. Yes, my castle is lacking some color."

He winked at Luka, "Though they may be mere mortals, the crimson blood within them could serve as the paint for my castle."

Luka, ever the gentleman, nodded in agreement. "Well said."

Count Kager felt more and more that this friend was quite simpatico with him.

"My dear friend, there will be a most entertaining game at the castle tonight. I am eagerly looking forward to sharing it with you," Count Kager was visibly excited. "But for now, a little patience is required. After all, the best meal should be saved for the deepest night, wouldn't you agree? It's a common understanding among vampires, is it not?"

Hearing this, Luka also nodded with a smile, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Shall we go to the treasure room for now? I assure you, when you see the piece I have there, you'll find it as breathtakingly beautiful and valuable as I do."

Count Kager had invited this friend to the castle with the intention of discussing the value of a rare personal treasure. Even though it was not yet late at night, and sunlight was no longer a hindrance for high-level vampires like him, their nocturnal habits made the night more comfortable.

Enjoying games in the evening and admiring treasures during the day, he was eager to deepen his relationship with this esteemed friend.

Luka simply nodded, with a dignified grace.

As they reached the staircase, Count Kager suddenly felt his eyes brighten.

A streak of white shadow appeared within the dimly lit castle.

Xie Fangcheng was rummaging through the Count's room. If nothing else, the Count certainly had a towering physique.

After trying on several pieces, Xie Fangcheng felt like a child stealing an adult's clothes, a sight too pitiful for words.

Until he came across this one... ah, it was a dress too, but unlike the previous puffy rose gown, this one at least seemed like it was designed for a boy, without an overly voluminous skirt, simply a white dress cinched slightly at the waist with a plain white belt.

The collar and cuffs were adorned with intricately crafted lace, and the skirt trailed the ground. As Xie Fangcheng descended, he had to lift the dress with one hand while sweeping back his long hair with the other.

Upon seeing him, the Count hesitated for a moment, then scrutinized him from top to bottom, a frown forming on his face.

This human... one had to admit, was exceedingly good-looking.

The dress was initially intended for the Countess, but now that it adorned him, it surprisingly fit quite well.

Count Kager was not angered, well aware that this lowly human must have rummaged through his room to have found this dress.

"Such a cunningly beautiful prey," he mused.

So, aspiring to become the "Countess," are we?

Xie Fangcheng had never received the compliment of being "cunning" before. Shifting his gaze from Luka, he stared blankly at the Count, pointing incredulously at himself.

"Are you referring to me?"

The Count squinted as he scanned him up and down once more, his gaze far from friendly.

Under normal circumstances, Xie Fangcheng would have sent the Count flying, but he restrained himself in the presence of Professor Zhang.

The Count, however, had not forgotten his original purpose.

This guest named Xie Fangcheng indeed possessed an extraordinarily attractive shell, and Count Kager even felt the urge to dissect him right there and then to see if his innards were equally pleasing to the eye.

But in the presence of his esteemed friend, Count Kager shifted his focus back to Luka.

"Mr. Luka, shall we proceed to the treasure room?"

Before Luka could respond, Xie Fangcheng interjected hesitantly, "Ah... you're heading to the treasure room?"

At this, Count Kager finally furrowed his brow.

"Xie Fangcheng, remember your place!"

Xie Fangcheng acted as if he hadn’t heard him, his eyes locked onto Luka.

Luka nodded at him.

Miraculously, Xie Fangcheng understood his intent: Leave it to me.

"Alright, then."

Hesitantly, Xie Fangcheng stepped aside from the staircase, watching as Luka and Count Kager ascended.

As the two were about to disappear from his sight, Xie Fangcheng, still uneasy, decided to follow them.

After all, Count Kager was a vampire. Should he react violently upon seeing the state of the treasure room, it could spell trouble for Professor Zhang.

His concern was not misplaced.

For as soon as he laid eyes on the condition of the treasure room, Count Kager’s eyes widened, and he looked on the verge of losing his sanity.

"Who is it? WHO IS IT?!"

The treasure room looked as if it had been ransacked—his precious artifacts lay shattered on the floor.

Some jewels and gemstones remained untouched, but how could they compare to the smashed masterpieces?

Take, for example, the human-skin mannequin, whose skin was peeled off at the peak of her agony. Even for someone as seasoned in the art as Count Kager, such a flawless artifact was rare. He had only this one in his collection!

And moreover, that mannequin was dressed in his cherished rose gown, which now lay discarded on the ground like a soiled rag, its red hue almost stabbing the Count's eyes.

Who could it be?

If he found out, he vowed to rip the perpetrator to pieces!

"Calm yourself, Kager."

Just as he unfurled his bat-like wings, preparing to take to the skies in search of the culprit, Count Kager felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

He turned to see Mr. Luka beside him, his red eyes tinged with a hint of resignation. "As a proper noble, you should never let anger dictate your actions."

True. Luka was the kind of elegant gentleman who wore a white rose even when hunting down family traitors.

Count Kager took a deep breath and retracted his expansive wings.

"My apologies," he nodded at Luka, struggling to maintain a façade of composure.

Yet his heart bled, and his gaze couldn't help but descend mournfully to his ruined collection.

At that moment, he heard his esteemed friend hesitate before offering strained consolation: "I know these artifacts hold great value for you, and whoever destroyed them is indeed reprehensible…"

Seeing the strained expression on Luka's face—tinged with uncertainty—it became apparent that these cherished artifacts seemed mundane to him. He clearly didn't understand why the Count was so upset over something so seemingly trivial.

Though Luka spoke warmly, as if comforting a close friend, his demeanor revealed an unconscious air of condescension.

This made Count Kager momentarily uncomfortable.

He was the most esteemed Count in this small town, always looking down on others from a lofty height. Ever since meeting Luka, he felt subtly looked down upon, albeit discreetly and indirectly.

Perhaps his overt anger just now had been too uncouth, causing his new friend to hesitate and furrow his brow as if sensing some discomfort.

Count Kager was not pleased, but he managed to maintain his dignity before Mr. Luka.

"These artifacts are indeed ordinary. What I regret is not the loss of these objects, but the audacity of the person who dared defile my treasure room. It's a challenge to me!"

Only then did Luka nod: "Indeed, someone took advantage of your absence to break in. Don't you have guards in your castle?"

Count Kager paused, and Luka instantly understood.

He sighed, "Kager, you're an open and forthright gentleman, but remember, we are nobles. Many a title-less and vulgar vampire covets our wealth. How can your castle be so defenseless? It's as if a chicken willingly sheds its shell, an irresistible lure for roving vampires."

In just a few sentences, Luka pointed out another person responsible for the vandalism of the treasure room—Count Kager himself.

This made the Count reflect on his own shortcomings.

In his small town, Count Kager was the only vampire noble, surrounded solely by ordinary humans.

For humans, avoiding a vampire was already taxing enough—let alone approaching the castle voluntarily.

That's why Count Kager had never felt the need for guards in his previous castle; he had full confidence in his own abilities.

What he hadn't anticipated, however, was that his newly built castle would have its treasure room vandalized so soon.

Was this, then, a result of his lack of foresight?

Count Kager felt something was amiss, but Luka's gently persuasive voice intervened once more.

"I understand you're an ambitious Count. Perhaps your reluctance to employ guards stems from your desire to avoid an overpopulation of vampires in your castle? Maybe you'd prefer to keep a retinue of humans? You met the six knights I brought yesterday; they're knights from the human Church."

Count Kager widened his eyes: "Knights from the Church?"

Not all humans were subjugated by vampires; a select few with special talents had formed a Church to resist the rule of vampires.

The human Church was essentially the sworn enemy of vampires. Just who was this Mr. Luka, guarded by knights of the Church?

Luka smiled, his red eyes glinting malevolently.

"Even the most righteous missionaries cast shadows; these knights from the Church are no exception. Their prowess may be modest, but having them 'protect' you offers a certain twisted delight."

Count Kager couldn't agree more.

What could be more satisfying than witnessing the once-defiant Church knights reduced to obedient attendants by a vampire's side for various reasons?

"I'll be returning to my family tomorrow. If you don't mind, I'd like to gift you these six knights as a congratulatory gesture for the completion of your castle."

In the short ten minutes from the time they'd entered the ruined treasure room to now, Count Kager's emotions had been a roller coaster—from anger and heartache to elation at the grand gift from his newfound, esteemed friend.

For a moment, he'd even forgotten about the vandalized treasure room.

This new friend of his was both dignified and generous!

"Such an invaluable gift..."

"You're an important friend to me," Luka looked at him earnestly, utterly convincing. "And I'm an important friend to you, am I not?"

This time, Count Kager's laughter was wholehearted.

"In that case, I won't decline. Thank you, Mr. Luka."

Xie Fangcheng, who had secretly followed them, stood gaping in a corner.

Professor Zhang's ability to manipulate people was indeed remarkable; just look at Count Kager, now wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Moreover, Xie Fangcheng knew intuitively that this so-called "gift" from "Luka"—aka Professor Zhang—wasn't a gift at all. It was a maneuver to plant six spies within the castle.

Before making his exit, Jie Fangcheng had been contemplating assassinating the Count to leave some inheritance for Professor Zhang.

Now it seemed unnecessary. The Count was on the verge of being hoodwinked and crippled. If Zhang Dao'an wished, taking his life would be a simple matter.

It's no surprise, coming from him.

Jie Fangcheng felt relieved.

Eavesdropping was, after all, not an honorable act; so Jie Fangcheng discreetly retreated.

Only after he left did Luka interrupt the Count's flattery.

"There's no need for such formalities between friends," Luka smiled. "Perhaps the castle has other more interesting locations?"

"Ah, indeed," the Count finally snapped back to reality, his expression tinged with embarrassment. "I apologize for receiving you in such a disorganized space. Come, my dear friend, allow me to serve as your guide and elucidate the ingenious design of this castle."

The two exited, conversing and laughing.

Just as they stepped out, the long-opportunistic butler finally rushed over.

He was sweating profusely, his face a mixture of shock and fear.

Earlier, when Jie Fangcheng had visited the Count's room for clothing, the butler had wanted to inform the Count that an extraordinary human had infiltrated their castle.

But lost in the unfamiliar castle, Jie Fangcheng happened to run into the butler, who was then unwillingly escorted to observe how the previously immaculate room had been turned into utter chaos.

Moreover, Jie Fangcheng had asked him, "Does this look good?" "How about that one?"

What could the butler possibly say?

Then this guest surreptitiously followed the Count—what on earth was he planning to do? Surely not an ambush!

Bewildered and fearful, the butler transformed into a bat and discreetly hung from the ceiling, watching Jie Fangcheng, who was tailing Zhang Dao'an.

Now that Jie Fangcheng had left, the butler was utterly beside himself with emotion.

Based on the Count's previous behavior, he would undoubtedly have killed the intruding human without a second thought.

But now, Count Kageil was in high spirits, especially since Luka had been hinting during their conversation that his treasure chamber was ransacked by some unknown, fledgling vampire.

Yet the butler had told him an entirely different story.

"Who? Jie Fangcheng?"

Count Kageil found it inconceivable: "You're telling me a human broke into my treasure chamber and vandalized my collection?"

This was completely inconsistent with what Luka had said. Count Kageil involuntarily glanced at Luka, who was looking back with a disdainful expression.

Their eyes met, as if they were at the end of their patience.

"A competent butler should not fabricate lies to deceive his master just to escape responsibility for his own failures in protection."

The statement was blunt, evidently touching a nerve with the noble vampire: "I despise lies and betrayal."

Count Kageil immediately thought of the rogue vampire whom Luka had personally pursued.

Consequently, even before the butler understood what was happening, Count Kageil gave a disdainful snort and reached out, snapping the butler's neck with one hand.

Luka, standing beside him, nodded approvingly: "That's how traitors should be dealt with—decisively. You indeed are an excellent Vampire Count."

My goodness! What a like-minded friend Luka is!

Count Kageil felt he could weep at the sheer beauty of their perfect friendship.

Both vampires engaged in cheerful conversation, with Count Kageil meticulously introducing Luka to every nook and cranny of the castle, even disclosing its secret passages.

Luka was multitasking, absorbing details about the castle's mechanisms and layout, while contemplating thoughts of Jie Fangcheng.

Perhaps it was due to realizing that he truly was both "Zhang Si Quan" and "Zhang Dao'an," but upon returning last night, he had felt a sense of "fusion" for the first time.

It was as if separate streams had finally merged into the ocean.

The feeling was strange; he was well aware that he was "Luka"—of course, a name he had given himself. At some point, he had inexplicably found himself inhabiting this body.

He didn't know who he truly was, but some sealed memories had resurfaced yesterday.

Jie Fangcheng, 'Do Not Respond,' 'Three Thousand Worlds'—these were among the fragments that came back to him.

His memories were incomplete and fragmented, impossible to piece together; mostly, he had the memories belonging to Zhang Si Quan.

Jie Fangcheng was formidable, but in the memory of Zhang Si Quan, that world was devoid of spiritual energy, and the NPCs there were not particularly strong.

Jie Fangcheng had demonstrated considerable strength in that spiritless world, but what about in this one?

Luka had an inkling that Jie Fangcheng's strength far surpassed his expectations, to the extent that even the Count before him might not be a match.

Yet, instinctively, Luka still wanted to clear all obstacles for him and keep him far from any danger.

Originally, Count Kageil wasn't his hunting target. According to Luka's memory, people in this world would appear and disappear suddenly without leaving any traces.

This castle had appeared in the same manner; logically, Count Kageil should also appear and vanish just like those before him.

Their impact on the overall situation was negligible and didn't warrant special attention.

Luka's objective was to hunt vampires of higher rank; obviously, an ordinary Count did not fit within those parameters.

However, if it were for Jie Fangcheng's sake, this Count Kageil was definitely worth dying for.

He meticulously plotted in his mind.

Unbeknownst to Count Kageil, he was blissfully unaware that there were two individuals in the castle who were contemplating how to end his life.

The wicked Count Kageil felt nothing but elation.

What was Mr. Luka's background, after all? His erudition, his eloquence—truly enough to shame any self-professed elegant vampire.

How fortunate he was to know such a noble figure! The family behind him must wield immense power. He, a mere Count, wondered if he would ever have the chance to come into the purview of such an illustrious household.

He must ensure that Mr. Luka is pleased with the evening's festivities!

These were Count Kageil's thoughts.

As the seconds and minutes ticked away, and the sun dipped below the horizon, none of the players on the ground floor suspected that they would pass the day so peacefully.

A survival dungeon was never simple, and the ominous atmosphere of this castle indicated a certain degree of danger.

Strangely enough, the Count, who should have been vigilant towards them, had his attention entirely commandeered by another NPC. How could such a scenario possibly occur?

Players were used to being the focus of a dungeon's Boss, bearing the brunt of its attention and firepower. Now, some unknown NPC had taken over that role, leading some players to new speculations.

"Could it be that the actual Boss of this dungeon isn't the Count but that NPC?"

In a way, their guess wasn't entirely off the mark.

The atmosphere of peace endured until dinner.

Everyone ate in the grand hall on the first floor again, only this time without the Count's presence. The meal was served not by the butler but by one of the flower servants they had seen earlier.

The quality of the food was abysmal, with visible, sticky red clumps of soil in the plates.

Contemplating the origin of this soil, everyone lost their appetite. However, facing off against the Boss on an empty stomach was not advisable.

Therefore, the majority of players begrudgingly picked out what was edible and ate it.

Only Jie Fangcheng stood up without a word after seeing the meal and headed towards the kitchen.

It didn't take long before he returned, nonchalantly chewing on a piece of bread.

Everyone looked at him with a tinge of envy.

This high-level player was truly unfettered in the castle. He seemed to have no fear of encountering NPCs and went wherever he pleased.

But the other players didn't share his audacity. Everyone else acted cautiously, afraid of making a misstep.

Shortly after Jie Fangcheng returned, Donna finished the food on her plate in a daze. After some hesitation, she finally made up her mind.

"Hello."

Jie Fangcheng looked up at her while munching on his bread.

Many players around turned their gaze towards them, but Donna paid them no mind.

She took out a book and handed it to Jie Fangcheng.

"I found this."

"Ah," Jie Fangcheng felt a headache upon seeing the book. But in the face of Donna's earnest expression, he extended his hand and took the book.

Flipping through just a couple of pages, Jie Fangcheng recognized it immediately.

Wasn't this one of the fairy tale books he had casually tossed aside in the treasure chamber?

Donna explained, "I think this fairy tale might offer some clues about our current predicament."

Intrigued, Jie Fangcheng leafed through the book.

The fairy tale was light on text, mostly featuring vivid, eerie illustrations.

The story itself was straightforward.

Once upon a time, there was a towering castle in a forest.

Majestic and grand, the castle was entirely white.

The castle's owner wanted to commission skilled artists to bring color to the walls.

He invited eleven painters into the castle, providing them with an array of brushes and a palette of vivid red hues.

—I want my castle to be magnificent.

So spoke the lord of the castle.

Each painter had different ideas: some suggested that vines should be drawn, sprawling like serpents around the castle; others thought it should be adorned with burning flames.

After hearing everyone out, the castle's owner ultimately decided to let each artist freely express themselves. He would grant them the utmost creative liberty, then select the most satisfactory design for his castle.

So, every painter put forth their best efforts, displaying what they believed to be their finest work.

In the final page of the book, the castle was awash in a vivid red.

—The painter responsible for this beautiful image emerged as the sole winner, receiving the owner's commendation and a generous reward before leaving the forest.

The fates of the remaining ten painters were left unsaid in the book. Yet in a corner of this vivid red castle grew ten bright red roses.

The fairy tale seemed to be hinting at something—obviously, the eleven painters corresponded to the eleven players.

Did this imply that only one player could leave the dungeon alive in the end?

Having experienced the earlier ordeal, Donna had no intention of publicly sharing this clue, but Jie Fangcheng was the one who had saved her life.

Although he had likely done it without much thought, Donna chose to inform him first at this moment.

A clever intuition already alerted her to the message conveyed by the book. In Donna's eyes, this player named Jie Fangcheng must be a seasoned veteran who had cleared many dungeons; he would surely deduce what this clue was trying to tell him.

After flipping through the fairy tale book in his hands, Xie Fangcheng looked bewildered: "What does this mean?"

"..." Donna paused, taken aback. The first floor was eerily silent; every player was all ears, eager to hear what they were discussing.

Donna was reluctant to disclose much, lowering her voice: "The clue is pretty clear!"

"Huh?" Xie Fangcheng hastily skimmed through the book once again.

He was genuinely inept at analyzing such things; by this point, he was considering seeking guidance from Professor Zhang Daoan while still holding the fairy tale book.

Donna was equally surprised; Xie Fangcheng's confusion seemed deeply genuine, as if he truly couldn't grasp her meaning.

"..." Regaining her composure, Donna subtly hinted, "Look here, it says, 'Everyone gets a chance in the castle...' Each painter needs to live in the castle they have created. That is to say, if a similar situation arises, I think we should consider that we'll have to live in our own self-created castles..."

Xie Fangcheng didn't understand.

However, it wasn't a big issue. He nodded, "As long as we're alive, that's good enough, right?"

"…Yes."

"Then it's settled." Xie Fangcheng handed the fairy tale book back to her.

All the nearby players were staring intently at the fairy tale book in Donna's hands; even Liu He, who had just been hit by Xie Fangcheng, seemed increasingly restless.

Clearly, the fairy tale book was a hot potato. Knowing her capabilities, Donna quickly thrust the book back into Xie Fangcheng's hands.

"Maybe you should hold onto this?"

Xie Fangcheng was indifferent, although the book was inconvenient to carry.

"You don't want it?" As he said this, Xie Fangcheng caught sight of the eager eyes of the surrounding players and promptly tossed the book onto the dining table, "You all want to read it?"

The crowd nodded in unison.

Xie Fangcheng cleared his throat.

"Well... let's trade items for it, then!"

Usually, it was Professor Zhang leading the way; this was his first time acting alone, and Xie Fangcheng's robbery initiation felt somewhat awkward.

The other players were also stunned.

They had witnessed robberies before, but those were usually committed with an item held to someone's neck, or by beating someone senseless—efficiency and speed were key.

What kind of robbery was this, starting without anything at hand?

Yet, the seemingly invaluable fairy tale book lay there on the table.

While everyone else hesitated, Fu Chengguang was the first to raise his hand.

"I'll trade."

He openly plotted to kill Xie Fangcheng in the garden, but the latter seemed entirely unconcerned.

Fu Chengguang had resigned himself to a certain death. Yet, throughout the afternoon, Xie Fangcheng merely sat in a chair at the entrance, glancing upward as if waiting for someone.

This left Fu Chengguang bewildered about Xie Fangcheng's actual intentions.

Now that Xie Fangcheng was asking for items, Fu Chengguang quickly made up his mind.

Fu Chengguang pulled a ring from his bag and laid it before Xie Fangcheng.

Picking it up for a closer look, Xie Fangcheng didn't know whether the ring was particularly valuable, but he could still gauge its grade.

A D-class item? Seems rather pricey.

The kid is rather sincere, isn't he?

In response to Fu Chengguang's questioning glance, Xie Fangcheng nodded: "See for yourself."

Fu Chengguang breathed a sigh of relief.

He really doesn't care, does he?

With that thought, Fu Chengguang picked up the fairy tale book and began to leaf through it rapidly.

Taking his lead, the other players also came forward one by one to trade items.

For a moment, the first floor resembled a library, with everyone lining up to borrow books.

The items given by the others were fairly ordinary. After collecting all the items, Xie Fangcheng kept only the D-class ring and placed the rest before Donna.

Donna, watching him collect items with the fairy tale book, didn't say anything.

After all, he had asked her if she wanted it, and she had declined.

Furthermore, since Xie Fangcheng had saved her life, and now so many items were being exchanged for the book, she considered it a reciprocation of his life-saving favor, right?

What Donna hadn't expected was that he intended to share the collected items with her.

"Ah? No, no need," Donna had never expected such an occurrence and quickly declined, "You're the one who collected these, I can't accept them without contributing."

"Hey, just take them. It's not like they're anything special," said Xie Fangcheng, causing all the players present to look at him in speechless disbelief.

Donna was bemused, "If it weren't for you, I'd already be dead by now."

"No need to mention it," Xie Fangcheng knew what she was thanking him for. Liu He had been tailing her stealthily for some malicious purpose. Xie Fangcheng had both exposed and injured him, in part, to protect her.

But he never considered such life-saving actions as something to hold over anyone. Seeing Donna's hesitance, Xie Fangcheng stuffed all the items into her arms.

"Don't refuse, keep them to deal with Liu He!"

Donna felt somewhat at a loss.

The feeling was surreal; she had just experienced both the ruthlessness and the gentleness of players in this game today.

Liu He, singled out by Xie Fangcheng, was momentarily startled, then somewhat speechless.

Let alone his current injuries, even without them, the man had already aided the elf once. Liu He was no fool; how could he possibly make a move on Donna again?

Seeing that Xie Fangcheng genuinely didn't want the items, Donna pressed her lips together and earnestly said, "Thank you."

Xie Fangcheng waved it off.

Just then, the Count's voice resounded from upstairs.

"...Indeed, it is getting late."

The players looked up.

The Count walked ahead, his face adorned with a smile that could only be described as saccharine.

"Mr. Luca, you are truly a kindred spirit. I'm sure you will also enjoy tonight's game."

"Oh?" Luca revealed an interested expression. "What game might that be?"

Count Kagerl, who had until then been entirely focused on Luca, finally turned his head around.

He scanned all the players present, the corner of his mouth curling up into a joyful yet cruel smile.

"This game is called—The Book of Horrors."

A book!

The players immediately thought of the fairy tale book they had just seen. Could it be that the clues given in the book were about to come into play?

Count Kagerl explained, "As you've all noticed, my castle has everything except for some vivid colors. Tonight, under the veil of the dark sky, why don't we all go to the garden? We can sit together, enjoying delicious pastries and sipping deep red wine, while sharing the most terrifying images ingrained in our memories."

At this point, Count Kagerl gave a mysterious smile.

"Of course, it's a game, and there must be a winner. My lovely guests, do your best to describe the most horrifying scenes from the depths of your soul! The one I find most terrifying will receive a reward and become the 'Countess' of the castle."

His eyes were full of undisguised intrigue as the Count added a malicious reminder, "Mind you, only one among the eleven guests can become the 'Countess.'"