Chapter 217: Vampire Count (9)

Chapter 217: Vampire Count (IX)

If Donna's previously found fairy tale book had been subtly hinting that the players were in a competitive relationship, implying that perhaps only one among the eleven could survive—

Then now, Count Kagerl's words had explicitly confirmed it.

Though no one was sure what exactly the "Countess" reward entailed, clearly, acquiring this title would maximize one's chances of survival within this scenario.

Moreover, after saying all this, Count Kagerl "thoughtfully" allowed the players time to prepare.

"In ten minutes, our game shall commence. My lovely guests, please make full use of this time to conjure the most horrifying scenes within your minds!"

With that, he gracefully turned his head and departed from the first floor with the guest known as Luca.

The players stood in the grand hall, each retreating a couple of steps almost in unison.

Clearly, these ten minutes were not granted by the Count for "creative contemplation," but rather for a time of mutual combat among the players.

Naturally, if one were to eliminate all the others, they would become the sole survivor—and hence, the sole "Countess."

It was one of the methods to complete the game successfully.

Almost imperceptibly, the attendees divided into three factions.

Liu He stood as a faction unto himself. Despite his injuries, his abilities were still notably superior to the other players.

The remaining eight, with Fu Chengguang among them, stood relatively close together.

Fu Chengguang found the situation deeply ironic. Earlier in the afternoon, he had passionately sought to form a group of eight players.

If successful, he had believed that would indeed be their most likely avenue for victory.

But the moment Xie Fangcheng appeared, that eight-player coalition disintegrated almost instantly.

Now, thanks to the Count's words, the eight had little choice but to regroup.

Of course, they had no intention of using this time to kill Xie Fangcheng and Liu He—for the same reasons that held true earlier in the day.

When responsibility is diffused among individuals, everyone tends to think: why should I be the first to act? Why can't I just follow?

The current situation differed from the afternoon. Then, Fu Chengguang had been the primary instigator. If Xie Fangcheng were to act out of anger, he would likely target Fu Chengguang first.

Now, however, the likelihood of being targeted had equalized among the eight. Leaderless, they had no choice but to gather closely together, casting wary glances at Xie Fangcheng and Liu He.

While they would not initiate any action, none of the eight could be sure if Xie Fangcheng or Liu He would take the offensive.

The last faction consisted of Xie Fangcheng and Donna.

Donna, keen of mind, noticed that this powerful player seemed disinterested in the others; when the Count spoke, he appeared to be focusing solely on Luca.

The vampire known as Luca also cast several discreet glances his way, squinting intriguingly when the term "Countess" was mentioned.

What's going on with these two...?

Donna didn't want to overthink it, but the term that flashed through her mind was "exchanging amorous glances."

Did Xie Fangcheng know Luca?

How odd... What exactly was Luca's identity? It was one thing for the NPC to take particular notice of him, but why did it seem like someone on the player's side was also well-acquainted with him?

Donna couldn't quite make sense of it, but she found herself in an awkward situation.

In terms of strength, she was somewhat stronger than Fu Chengguang and his eight associates, yet still fell short when compared to Liu He.

In the afternoon, out of sheer stubbornness, she ventured alone into the castle to search for clues. She first shared the clues she found with Jie Fangcheng. Moreover, she also had items given to her by other players in her possession.

Forming a group with Fu Chengguang and his eight associates was out of the question, let alone with Liu He.

At the same time, she wasn't close enough to Jie Fangcheng to confidently latch onto his coattails.

Donna stood beside Jie Fangcheng, momentarily confused by the unfolding situation.

Yet, miraculously, a subtle balance was achieved among the players.

Although they were in a competitive dungeon, and the boss even allowed time for them to turn on each other, no one made a move.

On the surface, Fu Chengguang and his eight associates seemed to be the strongest. Yet because of the afternoon's events, trust had collapsed among them, and no one wanted to initiate an attack.

As for Liu He? Normally, he might resort to subtle tricks, but now he was injured, and the person who had injured him was present. He was even less likely to act, opting instead to stay on his guard against others.

And Jie Fangcheng...

After Luca disappeared by the staircase, Jie Fangcheng listlessly propped up his chin, not even bothering to glance at the other players.

Jie Fangcheng was deep in thought.

Could Professor Zhang have some other plans for this Count? Would attacking the Count directly disrupt those plans?

But the Count really was asking for it.

He'd wait a bit longer. But if the Count continued to hold back, wouldn't making the first move be somewhat unreasonable?

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Jie Fangcheng watched as time ticked away, second by second.

Soon, ten minutes had passed.

The clock on the wall chimed, and amidst the ringing, the Count reappeared.

He looked somewhat surprised at his elegant guests on the first floor.

He had always enjoyed inviting humans into his castle as "guests," subjecting them to such "tests."

There was no denying it, watching these feeble beings resort to using their fists and teeth to slaughter each other, displaying all manner of ugliness in life-and-death situations, greatly pleased the vampire.

Splatters of crimson blood on the floor, and sometimes even the sight of a dying person's eyes widening in terror as their innards spilled from their abdomen...

Ah, what a deeply satisfying spectacle.

But what was going on with these guests? Why were they standing around as if stupefied? One even had the audacity to sit down leisurely!

The Count was somewhat displeased.

Ten minutes—just enough time for them to kill four or five like rabid dogs, but not nearly enough to whittle the numbers down to one survivor.

The game required survivors; only guests pushed to their limits would produce the most exquisite spectacle.

They were far too calm!

The Count furrowed his brows, but with his esteemed new friend by his side, Count Kagerul refrained from commenting.

The two vampires descended step by step from the staircase. Upon reaching the ground floor, Count Kagerul snapped his fingers.

"Let's go, my lovely guests."

The castle doors swung open on their own accord.

Outside, a thick mist shrouded the environment, only a few dimly lit blue dots twinkling in the garden were visible.

As the players followed Count Kagerul into the garden, they realized that at its center stood a broad table of black and red. The blue light emanated from white candles alight on the table.

Thirteen chairs surrounded the table, slightly lighter in color but with tall backs—each resembling a tombstone from behind.

Elegant numerals marked these "tombstones." Two chairs, unnumbered, were evidently reserved for the Count and Luca.

The other chairs ranged from two to twelve. The early arrivals had swiftly claimed the central chairs, leaving the chairs numbered two and twelve, which flanked the unnumbered ones, vacant.

By the time Liu He arrived, only the chair numbered two remained unoccupied.

In the Count's presence, Liu He said nothing, albeit begrudgingly, and took his seat in the number two chair.

On the table, in front of each player, lay a plate of exquisite pastries shaped like hearts, next to which stood a glass of wine resembling blood.

The atmosphere was both silent and tumultuous. No voices could be heard, but something seemed to be lurking nearby.

The faces of the players were so pale they seemed even whiter than Count Kagerul, the vampire himself.

Count Kagerul was quite pleased with their fear. With gracious charm, he first invited Luca to sit, and then gestured for the players to do the same after taking his own seat.

"Please, take your seats."

After saying this, his eyes inadvertently wandered and noticed that Jie Fangcheng, the guest in question, had already seated himself beside Luca without waiting for permission.

This guest was becoming more and more presumptuous!

As if stealing the gown prepared for the “Countess” wasn’t enough, now he had taken his seat without awaiting approval!

"You—"

Just then, the Count’s vision was obscured.

Luca leaned in, effectively blocking his line of sight.

"Is the game about to begin?"

Ah, yes.

The game!

This insubordinate guest, who has so annoyed him, will certainly fail the test the game poses.

Count Kagerul cleared his throat.

"Welcome to the game of the 'Terrifying Album.' No need to be nervous, it's merely a bit of amusement," he said, smiling, and even giving the players a playful wink. "Think of this game as a tea party. Don't worry, even if your described scenes are not terrifying enough, you'll only receive a small punishment from me."

Punishment.

Was this "not terrifying enough" purely subject to the Count's judgment?

Alarm bells rang in the players' minds as the Count extended his hand, dropping a pair of dice onto the table.

The dice rolled and quickly came to a halt.

A two and a five.

Seven...

Fu Chengguang's face changed.

He hadn't expected that snagging a middle seat would make him the first to speak.

"Ah, guest number seven," the Count said, turning his gaze to Fu Chengguang. His uniquely vampiric blood-red pupils glinted with undisguised malice, a look of someone eager for the ensuing drama. "What, pray tell, would be the most terrifying scene in your imagination?"

Fu Chengguang lowered his eyes.

He took a deep breath.

"A cell...built over water. The water reaches waist-high, and in it are numerous...corpses."

"Hmm?" The Count inquired with interest, "And what sort of corpses might these be?"

"Human corpses. Some have decayed from soaking in the water, some are freshly dead. Many chains dangle from the ceiling, securing these corpses," Fu Chengguang took another deep breath, "I am chained there too, with the key hidden on one of the bodies."

The Count couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He exchanged a glance with Luca, who also wore a small smile.

"He's quite clever," Count Kagerul noted.

The scene Fu Chengguang described wasn't particularly terrifying—it was just a water cell. The most horrifying instances the players had encountered were certainly in the ghostly dungeons.

Ghosts, with their myriad ways of causing death, reveled in turning living humans into specters like themselves. Not only was the survival rate extremely low in these ghostly dungeons, but the level of terror within was also high.

However, these ghostly dungeons typically appeared in higher-level worlds. As of now, the players in this particular dungeon hadn't yet experienced such a trial.

Fu Chengguang thought the same.

In his memory, the most terrifying dungeon he had ever experienced was this water cell.

The surrounding corpses weren't initially there when the dungeon started... they were the bodies of other players.

Every hour, the jailer would randomly drop a key. Each key corresponded to a lock on a player. If the key fit, the chains would unlock; if it didn't, the chains would tighten and strangle the player to death.

It may sound like a dungeon requiring luck and collaboration... but it wasn't.

Each key was random, and with thirty-two players, the odds of a key fitting one's own lock were one in thirty-two.

The only way to survive was to have other players test the keys when they dropped.

Naturally, failure meant death.

In the end, Fu Chengguang was the lone survivor of that dungeon. Quick-witted and strong, he collaborated with others at first, but eventually fought them to determine which of the last two keys belonged to him and which to his rival.

By that point, three days had passed.

The scent of decaying corpses filled the air, turning the once-clear water murky and foul.

Fu Chengguang collected all thirty-two keys, assigning each to its corresponding corpse, before finally determining which one was his.

For over a month after exiting the dungeon, he suffered nightmares.

Now, when Count Kagerul inquired about the most horrifying scene, Fu Chengguang immediately thought of the moments he spent searching for keys on each corpse.

He remembered every face in that dungeon.

Fu Chengguang was indeed clever. "Terrifying Album" seemed to imply that the more ghouls described, the scarier it would be.

But in reality, "terror" is subjective.

For instance, if someone described a parade of a hundred demons in front of Jie Fangcheng, he wouldn't find it horrifying; he'd just think it meant more overtime work.

Thus, the game had a hidden criterion: the more realistic the description, the higher the score.

Imagined horror could never surpass experienced horror, and Fu Chengguang understood this.

As expected, Count Kagerul approved of his description, smiling contentedly, "I find your scene very satisfying. I'm even eager to see it realized once more. Ah, the anticipation! I wonder what the next guest will offer us?"

But the next player clearly didn't grasp the game's hidden conditions.

He described a horrifying scene he had imagined.

"A ghost, fresh from eating a person, drags the new corpse down the road. Its body is covered in eyes. I dare not breathe, hiding behind a rock, waiting for it to pass. Just then, I hear footsteps."

The Count smiled and shook his head, "Not bad, I suppose. I can only wish that you find the terror you seek in such a scenario."

The player paused, momentarily stunned.

Next was Donna.

Donna discreetly cautioned Jiefang Cheng to not depict the scene too terrifyingly.

She suspected that the players might experience the horrifying scenes they describe.

She then softly began her narration.

“It was a dense forest where my friends and I built beautiful houses upon the trees; elves love to dwell in trees. But one day, a massive snake invaded. Stretching over twenty meters, it could easily crush a house with a single bite.”

Just like Fucheng Guang, she had discerned the concealed criteria of this game.

Donna was cunning; the scene she described was indeed one of her fears — a past fear.

Such an incident had indeed occurred in her younger world, where a giant snake intruded the elves’ haven. It took them tremendous effort to drive the serpent away.

Donna was but five years old then.

Her home was devoured by the snake, and she narrowly escaped its maw. Even at five, an elf possesses some martial prowess.

Having miraculously survived, Donna since developed a phobia of snakes.

As she finished her tale, the players exchanged puzzled glances. They questioned Donna's sanity, deeming her scene hardly terrifying. Was she seeking punishment from Count Kager?

However, while the surrounding players felt this way, Count Kager merely squinted at her, slightly displeased, "While it's an intriguing scene, you've held much back."

He voiced his thoughts, but showed no intent to punish Donna.

Relieved, Donna realized her gamble had paid off.

The dice rolled again. As the players continued to craft their horrifying scenarios, either too fantastical or insufficiently terrifying, the count's expression soured.

He discreetly glanced at Luca, his newfound friend. Surprisingly, Luca showed neither impatience nor boredom. Was it due to his impeccable manners or genuine interest?

What a dull group of guests.

At last, the dice settled on the table.

Two.

Liu He's eyes darted about.

It's finally his turn.

Being a D-level hunter, Liu He's intelligence is certainly not lacking.

Whatever Donna and Fu Chengguang could think of, he had thought of as well.

But Donna chose to step back, creating a less terrifying scenario, so she wouldn't suffer a gruesome end once trapped within.

However, Liu He chose to take a step forward.

——The Countess.

He coveted that title.

As long as the described scene is the most terrifying one—

"It was a modern building. It was past midnight, and all other employees had left. Only me and three colleagues remained. We were searching for a confidential document in the company. To stay in touch, we turned on video calls. Yet, the building had poor signal; there was a five-minute delay in everyone's video, but the audio was synchronous. Oddly, the first colleague's video feed quickly went dark. But before it did, we heard two screams from his end."

What Liu He described was no longer just a scene; he was passionately weaving a story.

"The remaining three of us were terrified. We decided to meet in our office. However, the second colleague's video soon went black. Before it did, I heard him shout: 'Run!'"

"Perhaps due to the delay, that 'Run!' echoed twice."

"I was scared, so I hid inside an office cabinet, reaching out to the last colleague with an active video for help. He comforted me, reassuring that he'd find me soon."

"Due to the five-minute video delay, it was only then that I saw in his feed... he had caught up with the first colleague and axed him down."

"I quickly realized that the two screams from the first colleague weren't from him alone. One was from his own video, and the other was from the video of the colleague who killed him."

"Why did I come to this realization?" Liu He smiled brilliantly, showing no sign of fear but rather delight, "Because when I timidly emerged from the cabinet, I saw that familiar axe. I also heard my colleague asking me: 'Are you alright?'"

"His voice echoed from both his video and mine."

After Liu He finished, a smile finally graced the Count's face.

He clapped his hands joyfully, whispering to Luca beside him: "I'm most impressed with his scene!"

Indeed, what Liu He described was something he had personally experienced.

But he wasn't the colleague hiding in the cabinet; he was the one wielding the axe, hunting down every last survivor.

Hearing the Count's praise, Liu He sighed with relief.

Now, only the one named Xie Fangcheng remained.

What terrifying scene would he bring up?

"None," Xie Fangcheng responded calmly, "I've never been afraid."

The Count abruptly stood up.

"Xie Fangcheng!!"

"Hmm?"

The broad wings behind the Count were about to spread, but Luca held them down.

"Alright then. Since it's a game, naturally some are willing to participate, and some aren't." He spoke with an air of elegance, "As a refined noble, there's no need to get upset over such trivial matters."

In the presence of esteemed friends, the Count reluctantly took his seat, resentment evident.

He snorted, "Mr. Luca is right. However, since you're a guest I invited, following the host's rules is a courtesy. If you refuse to participate, I suggest you accept the penalty directly."

"What penalty?" Xie Fangcheng asked with a sly undertone.

If only the Count dared to lay a hand on him, then Xie Fangcheng's retaliation would be justified self-defense.

The Count laughed coldly again, "You'll find out tonight."

"Alas," Xie Fangcheng sighed in regret.

This man!

The Count's blood pressure soared.

He avoided looking at Xie Fangcheng and turned to Liu He instead.

"I loved your scenario the most."

Excitement shone in Liu He's eyes.

But the next moment, the Count announced, "Tomorrow, you'll receive the title of 'Countess'. Be grateful!"

Tomorrow?

"Wait... why tomorrow??" Liu He's expression darkened instantly.

The Count furrowed his brows, "Do you have any objections to my decision?"

Liu He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

"No."

It's okay, don't be scared, he's not like those naive fools from before.

His strength is much greater than theirs! Even if he truly has to enter the scenario he created, so what?

However, a vague sense of danger lurked in Liu He's heart.

Was the real challenge confronting only "himself"?

"The hour is getting late, esteemed guests. Please partake of the refreshments I've prepared for you, savor the wine, and retire to your rooms."

At this juncture, the Count added with a meaningful glance, "I hope to see you all tomorrow."

What does he mean? Is there danger looming tonight?

The players were lost in their thoughts. Like the first day, they feigned eating and drinking the refreshments, only to discreetly dispose of them later.

Only Xie Fangcheng seemed to differ. Though the treat's appearance was uninviting, it was chocolate-made, sweet and aromatic, with a strawberry-filled center.

Surely, this is better than dry bread?

Delighted, Xie Fangcheng consumed it. The wine, unlike the previous day's, was richer in flavor and texture, so he drank that too.

As for retiring...

Xie Fangcheng glanced at Luca, who discreetly mouthed from where the Count couldn't see: "I'll come to you."

Thus reassured, Xie Fangcheng dutifully followed the crowd back to his underground chamber.

Whatever the treats and wine were supposed to do, they seemed to have no effect on him.

Xie Fangcheng lay awake, waiting.

Despite the waiting, Professor Zhang, who had promised to visit, never appeared.

With a vampire in the castle, Xie Fangcheng grew uneasy.

Sitting up abruptly, he approached the door, intending to search for Professor Zhang.

However, as he opened the door, the scene before him shifted dramatically.

A water dungeon.

Just like the one Fu Chengguang had described, where he was shackled, and facing him was that familiar face from his memories, glaring at him with malice.

"Very well! Let's see who prevails! I'll kill you first—"

Fu Chengguang seemed in a poor state, his past injuries vividly re-emerging.

The figure opposite him appeared to be empowered, significantly stronger than before.

Upon entering, Fu Chengguang had already had a skirmish with this adversary and was clearly outmatched.

What to do now?

Although no direct evidence confirmed it, Fu Chengguang felt that this constructed scenario existed solely to end his life.

They still had two keys left to unlock; Fu Chengguang had no choice but to fight on.

Just then, he heard a voice from behind him, saying, "Excuse me."

Fu Chengguang was taken aback. Turning around, he saw Xie Fangcheng standing in the water with a look of deep annoyance, appearing almost on the verge of passing out.

Upon seeing Fu Chengguang, Xie Fangcheng inquired, "What's going on here?"

As he spoke, with a casual slap, Xie Fangcheng sent an approaching “person” flying.

Fu Chengguang hesitated for a moment and then quickly explained the situation.

"Wait, you're still trying to unlock chains?" Xie Fangcheng was clearly eager to leave. "So, the goal is just to unlock these chains, right?"

"Yes, unlocking the chains and leaving this water dungeon means we've succeeded."

"Sounds simple enough."

Xie Fangcheng approached and grasped Fu Chengguang's chains.

Fu Chengguang tried to deter him, "There's no need. We tried before, and..."

Snap.

Xie Fangcheng, holding the now broken chains, said, "Hurry, get out. Let's see if I can follow."

“……”

Pinching his nose in disgust, he urged, "Come on! Move it!"

Fu Chengguang hurriedly left the water dungeon.

Once he departed, the scene before Xie Fangcheng indeed shifted.

On a path, a ghost was seen dragging a fresh corpse.

A player hid behind a rock, hugging his head, trembling, on the verge of tears.

At the time of creating the game, he only intended to craft a horror scenario, but who would've imagined that he'd eventually face the terrifying situation himself?

Had he known, he wouldn’t have chosen this scenario!

But it was too late.

The fear instilled by the ghost was palpable. Was he destined to meet his end at the hands of this specter? Wait, what was that noise?

The player hiding behind the rock thought he heard the sound of something being thrown.

With great trepidation, he couldn't resist peeking out from his hiding spot.

The moment he did, terror overcame him, and he collapsed.

Unfortunately, after hearing the sound, the player hesitated for a bit before daring to look out.

At that very moment, Jie Fangcheng arrived just behind him.

As he poked his head out, he found himself face-to-face with Jie Fangcheng, who had been looking for him.

It must be said, anyone would be startled if a face suddenly appeared in front of them without warning, almost as if seeing a ghost.

Jie Fangcheng remarked with confusion, "Look at how startled you are. What's there to fear in a ghost?"

Having said that, he didn't take the time to consider the player's psychological well-being.

Jie Fangcheng gestured behind him, "The ghost is dead, there's no need for you to be scared here."

The player peeked and, indeed, the man-eating phantom he had created was completely embedded in the ground, not stirring at all.

“……”

The player relaxed a little, and the scene before Jie Fangcheng shifted once again.

Like this, it kept changing, as each terrifying scenario the players had constructed in the garden unfolded in front of Jie Fangcheng, clearly a form of "punishment."

Thinking of Zhang Daoan, Jie Fangcheng showed no mercy to the players, attacking and defeating as needed.

However, what happened on Donna's side took him by surprise.

By the time Jie Fangcheng blinked and found himself in Donna's setting, the fairy had already slain the python.

"Back then, we too killed it with our own strength," Donna said calmly, reminiscing, "My little world was perfect. Had it not collapsed, it would have been the most beautiful place in the world."

Jie Fangcheng nodded, choosing to remain silent.

The scene before him transformed once more, revealing a high-tech skyscraper.

Liu He was on the verge of losing his mind.

His assumption was correct; things weren't that simple.

He had become the colleague hiding in the cabinet, while the version of "himself" hunting him down was far more powerful than he currently was.

"Damn!" There's no winning this.

Why? Why??

He had won the game, hadn't he? Why did he have to die here??

"Where are you? Don't run."

The outside "self" was searching with a phone, video recording, while Liu He's teeth chattered in fear.

What to do?

Just then, Liu He heard an eerie scream from the "himself" outside.

"Who are you?!"

Jie Fangcheng appeared somewhat perplexed, looking at the Liu He before him, "Liu He?"

Hearing Jie Fangcheng's voice, the real Liu He paused, a surge of hope rising within him.

Although unsure of how Jie Fangcheng got in, it was clear that Jie had strong abilities, possibly enough to handle the other Liu He outside!

"Jie! It's me, the real Liu He!" Liu He hastily crawled out of his hiding place, "That one out there, he's a monster!"

"What?" Jie Fangcheng scratched his head in confusion.

Eager to prove his identity, Liu He said, "This afternoon, I handed over a folding fan as my item! Do you remember?"

A folding fan?

Jie Fangcheng couldn't quite recall, but the one who didn’t look like Liu He knew his name instantly, while the one with Liu He's face questioned who he was.

"Jie, help me! Help me kill that monster! Once we get out, I’ll give you all my items!"

Jie Fangcheng wasn't after his items. He knew Liu He was no saint and initially didn’t want to get involved.

However, in the short span of their conversation, the “monster” wearing Liu He’s skin was already charging at them with an ax, aiming to kill Jie Fangcheng.

Seeing the malicious intent on a face that looked annoyingly like Liu He’s, Jie Fangcheng didn’t hesitate.

With full force, he shattered a nearby table, deftly grabbing a table leg and smacked the creature, sending it flying.

The "Liu He" monster landed with a thud, twitched a couple of times, then lay silent.

Before the real Liu He could even rejoice, he felt as though he too had been struck hard, and he coughed up blood mixed with bits of his innards.

Everything turned blurry. He shakily pulled out a revival pill from his bag and popped it into his mouth.

Damn it… damn it all!

He was going to lose everything in this scenario!

The most valuable thing Liu He had was that revival pill, saved for this year's "competition."

Having sacrificed so much, Jie Fangcheng shot him a glance.

"Don't forget about the items, by the way."

Jie Fangcheng reminded him, and at last, the scene changed from Liu He's predicament back to the castle.

Thank goodness. Jie Fangcheng was relieved that all the dirt and stains from the various scenes—like the dungeon and dirt roads—didn't persist on his clothes.

That was of utmost importance to Jie Fangcheng.

Jiefang Cheng pulled out the staff he had acquired through dubious means and dashed directly upstairs.

Behind him, Liu He was fraught with frustration and pain. He wanted to scream, but this was a vampire's castle—skeletons might lurk anywhere.

Liu He's restorative potion wasn't the kind that grants instantaneous healing. If he were to encounter a skeleton now, it would spell certain doom.

Thus, Liu He could only stifle his scream, expressing his agony in a silent, mournful roar.

.

Elsewhere, Jiefang Cheng had no clue where Count Kager and Luca were, and had to search floor by floor.

The castle was immense. However, being a vampire residence and to facilitate flight, each level had soaring ceilings, giving it an eerily spacious feel.

The castle had only three floors. As Jiefang Cheng scoured rooms on the second floor, a sudden noise from above caught his ear.

It seemed something was afoot on the top floor.

Without hesitation, Jiefang Cheng swiftly made his way upstairs.

As he rounded the staircase, the sight before him left him stunned.

The entire third floor resembled a slaughterhouse, drenched in crimson blood.

Something—or someone—appeared to have been dragged, leaving behind a long trail of smeared blood.

Could it be Professor Zhang?!

With a sinking feeling in his heart, Jiefang Cheng hurriedly followed the trail.

He quickly passed by several rooms, and as he turned the final corridor, the scene before him was chillingly clear.

Bathed in silvery moonlight, Count Kager hovered with one of his bat-like wings torn off, and the other dangling pitifully.

In front of the Count, a towering figure gripped his throat, from his back extended peculiar mechanical tendrils.

His demeanor was as calm and refined as ever, and even his voice retained its characteristic gentleness.

However, under the pale moonlight, the tableau before him radiated malevolence.

Luca chuckled softly.

"The Countess?"

Count Kager struggled desperately, the life visibly draining from him.

"I wouldn't dare address him as 'Countess'... You truly are bold."

The mechanical tendrils coiled around the beleaguered vampire, drawing him close. With blood-red eyes fixed on Kager, Luca whispered, "Die."