Chapter 218: The Vampire Count

Chapter 218: The Vampire Count (End)

Beneath the ghastly moonlight, the gentleman in the tailcoat sprouted mechanical tendrils from his back, strangling the screaming vampire before him.

Vampires are a formidable species. Even the lowest of their kind can easily slaughter an average human, let alone a Vampire Count.

Yet, the once-mighty vampire seemed no more than a wrung-out cloth in his grasp. Blood seeped from the twitching corpse, forming a crimson lake that reflected the haunting moonlight.

Luca's expression remained serene, as though not committing murder—although technically, it wasn't a human life he was taking.

Ever since the vampires took dominion, human existence became tremendously challenging.

Vampires not only treated humans as food but reveled in hunting and tormenting them. To ensure their continuous supply, the reigning four vampire princes established "breeding centers" throughout the land.

If one could say that outside these centers, a semblance of "humanity" existed—where vampires still required human labor for lavish clothing and grand castles—the inside of these centers was pure hell.

Luca's mission was to hunt down vampires. Numerous vampires have perished by his hand, so eliminating a mere Count was nothing extraordinary...

Suddenly, he sensed something and whirled around.

In the moonlight, not far off, a pristine figure in a white dress looked at him in astonishment.

Jiefang Cheng's pupils were deep black, even more so under the moonlight, resembling two pristine gems.

“……”

A soft thud.

As if startled, the mechanical tendrils retracted, dropping the Count's body into the pool of blood, splattering some onto Luca's shoes.

Luca lowered his gaze, adjusted his blood-streaked glasses, and when he looked up, his demeanor was as composed and gentle as before.

"Why are you here?"

His voice remained calm, as if nothing had transpired, as if someone else had strangled the Count just moments ago.

However, the few drops of blood on his cheek made his calm façade eerily unsettling.

"...Impressive." Jiefang Cheng muttered after a moment of stunned silence, truly impressed.

“……”

Jiefang Cheng approached, curiously circling to inspect Luca's back.

Just moments ago, thick mechanical tendrils had sprouted from there, but now, even Luca's clothing remained intact.

Sensing what Jiefang Cheng was searching for, the fabric on Luca's back expanded transparently, revealing a tendril emerging, hovering delicately in front of Jiefang Cheng.

Jiefang Cheng reached out, touching it, its texture bizarre.

This mechanical tendril appeared metallic, yet felt bone-like to the touch.

"…It's crafted from the bone wings of a vampire," Luca explained.

Vampires, as the dominant species of this world, possess lightweight yet robust wings, making them perfect for creating such mechanical tendrils.

However, these mechanical tendrils require fusion with the user's spine, and only those with formidable mental strength can survive the procedure.

From the inception of the experiments led by Luca, many volunteered for the modification. Yet, currently, he is the only one who can flawlessly control the mechanical tendrils.

Many, even if they survived the operation, found the real test to be the utilization of the tendrils.

These tendrils replaced the human spine, and using them felt like being torn apart from the inside. Though there's no pain, it's akin to fighting with one's own esophagus—a sensation the body instinctively rejects.

Any touch induces a tremor that feels as if it stems from the soul, let alone using the tendrils in combat.

Luca, the anomaly, with his plethora of peculiar knowledge, proposed the fantastical idea of "using the power of vampires against them." He quickly spearheaded the initial mechanical tendril experiment—with himself as the subject.

The experiment was a success.

Luca's mastery over the tendrils made many suspect that they weren't actually connected to his spine; otherwise, how could he be unaffected by the side effects?

But Luca knew better.

As the one who conceptualized the mechanical tendrils, his magical notions found few believers initially.

Given enough time, Luca could've stayed under the radar. He believed that even with a mere month, he could've identified more suitable test subjects.

With his guidance, that experiment would have surely succeeded.

But time was of the essence.

Although lacking concrete evidence, Luca could sense an imminent crisis within the world that demanded resolution.

Often, opportunities are fleeting; missing one could render the future irreversible.

Luca had no choice but to become the test subject.

To outsiders, the experiment seemed a grand success, but Luca knew that it was only 30% successful.

Those who followed benefited from his experience, achieving true success.

As for the side effects of the mechanical tendrils on a human body, Luca suffered the most severe.

His tendrils not only integrated with his spine but some uncontrollably extended into his brain.

The sensitivity of the tendrils could become overwhelming, demanding exponentially more energy and focus to control.

Luca managed to adapt to his tendrils with sheer will. Battles were nothing to him. However, the gentle touch from Jiefang Cheng seemed to resonate more intensely.

Oblivious to this, Jiefang Cheng was simply fascinated. He hadn't been exposed to high-tech wonders before, and the tendrils, with their cyberpunk metallic sheen, intrigued him.

Who could resist such an ultra-cool metallic marvel?

Thus, Jiefang Cheng touched them again.

The tentacles wrapped around his wrist as if they possessed their own consciousness, bringing with them a pleasantly cool sensation.

Xie Fangcheng laughed, "Impressive, Professor Zhang."

—— Professor Zhang.

The tentacles slightly intensified their grip, and for a moment, they clung to Xie Fangcheng's wrist like handcuffs.

Luca pushed up his glasses, his red eyes peering at him from behind the lenses.

Oddly enough, while Xie Fangcheng couldn't fully discern what he was thinking, he had a subtle feeling that Professor Zhang's mood wasn't great at that moment.

"What's wrong?" Xie Fangcheng asked, looking bewildered.

Luca looked at him, said nothing but simply shook his head, "Nothing."

Xie Fangcheng couldn't fathom his thoughts, and Luca didn't elaborate further.

His gaze shifted to the Count's corpse at his feet.

"I killed him, this shouldn't affect your 'clones', right?"

"No." Xie Fangcheng explained the conditions for clearing the 'clone' level, and Luca nodded in agreement.

"But what's going on with you?" Xie Fangcheng gestured, "Why are your eyes red? And what's the deal with that tentacle?"

Luca hesitated momentarily but didn't hide the truth.

"I'm a hybrid of human and vampire, but I don't possess the strength of a vampire. Only my eyes and teeth differ from a regular human; the rest is quite similar."

In fact, Luca hadn't told the whole story.

His bloodthirsty nature was inherited from the vampire genetics he bore. Even though he is essentially human and doesn't need blood for sustenance, the scent of human blood is highly tempting to him.

Especially from Xie Fangcheng, a familiar and inexplicably attractive scent that Luca found hard to resist.

When Xie Fangcheng inquired, Luca glossed over it.

The knowledge about his tentacles was vast, but clearly, Xie Fangcheng wouldn't be interested in the creation of tentacles.

So Luca only briefly mentioned it and continued, "Of course, there was a reason I took down the Count. I'm not one to kill without cause."

Xie Fangcheng, aware of this fact, was somewhat taken aback by Luca's explanation, "I know that."

"Because Zhang Dao'an is not a killer?" Luca queried.

Xie Fangcheng was even more puzzled, "Huh? Why would you say that? Aren't you Zhang Dao'an?"

Luca paused for a moment and finally nodded.

Indeed, in both reason and emotion, Luca was clear that there was a time in the past when he had interacted with the other as "Zhang Dao'an".

Whether it's Luca or Zhang Dao'an, they are essentially the same person with different names.

But no matter when... it's hard not to feel a tinge of envy towards this often-mentioned past self.

"It's nothing." Luca shifted the topic, "This pocket dimension is different from the previous ones. Humans and vampires are mortal enemies here."

It's actually quite easy to understand.

Even though vampires have a human appearance, they are not the same species; humans are their prey.

Do people empathize with cattle and sheep?

Vampires never considered humans to be of their kind. However, before the reign of the Four Princes, vampires adopted a pacifying policy towards humans. Even offspring born from the union of vampires and humans were treated decently.

After the Four Princes took power, for some unknown reason, the vampires began to reject this peace.

They aimed for total dominance, wishing to treat all humans like cattle and sheep—merely prey and slaves.

The war has raged on for many years. Vampires are powerful but few in number, while humans are weaker but vastly outnumber them.

The Church established a stronghold in the north. Within its domain, humans could still be regarded as people.

In areas ruled by vampires, however, humans were merely "animals."

"I'm a member of the Church, specifically assigned to eradicate vampires."

After Luca finished, Xie Fangcheng let out a surprised, "Ah!"

He hadn't expected that. While Professor Zhang might not be considered frail in his eyes—after all, in "Do Not Answer," Zhang Dao'an had some self-defense capabilities.

In this game, Professor Zhang from the previous world had guns, and now in this one, he's equipped with mechanical tentacles.

Based on his own abilities, he's by no means weak, but it depends on the comparison.

If you take Xie Fangcheng's abilities as a benchmark, ninety-nine percent of the players are novices.

Seeing that he might need to take action personally, Xie Fangcheng felt somewhat nostalgic.

When the two used to clear dungeons together in the past, Professor Zhang never needed to fight for himself. Now, he even has to act as an enforcer.

Of course, back then, Xie Fangcheng didn't need to think much. With Zhang Dao'an by his side, he only had to act when needed.

He genuinely misses those days of raiding dungeons together.

Xie Fangcheng let his mind wander.

Meanwhile, after Luca finished explaining, justifying his killing of the vampire, he asked, "You're leaving tomorrow?"

Xie Fangcheng snapped back to reality, "Yes."

After responding, a thought seemed to strike Xie Fangcheng, "Hold on a moment," he said.

With that, he lifted his skirt and dashed off quickly. Soon after, muffled sounds came from downstairs.

Xie Fangcheng quickly returned.

"Here!"

He held a pile of items in his hand, shoving them directly into Luca's grasp.

Luca glanced down; they were all players' items.

"I can't leave this castle in this instance. Otherwise, I could help you kill the vampire prince," Xie Fangcheng expressed regretfully. "Take these items; they might be of use here."

The items were, of course, sponsored by Liu He, who had previously promised them.

Liu He's injuries had just been healed by a restorative potion. The pain still lingered. Lying in bed, he felt fortunate to have narrowly escaped death and was contemplating how to sweet-talk Xie Fangcheng so he wouldn't take all his items.

As he pondered, the door suddenly got kicked open.

Xie Fangcheng stretched out his hand, demanding succinctly, "Items."

Liu He quickly forced a smile, "Brother Xie, I don't have any particularly good items on me right now. And there's still a day to go. If I give all my items away now, won't I die here tomorrow? But rest assured, I wouldn't dare to..."

"Thud."

Xie Fangcheng's foot came crashing down, smashing the bed beneath Liu He.

All the furnishings in the castle, even those provided for players, seemed sturdy.

Yet, with a single kick from Xie Fangcheng, the bed crumbled like tofu.

Impatiently, Xie Fangcheng said, "Enough talking. I'm in a hurry."

He'd rather spend that time chatting a bit more with Professor Zhang.

Seeing the reality of the situation, Liu He reluctantly began retrieving items from his system backpack.

He was crafty, however, withholding his most valuable items. What he did present seemed impressive at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they weren't particularly potent.

Xie Fangcheng anticipated this move. After a brief intimidation, Liu He begrudgingly handed over two more items, then firmly refused to give any more.

Xie Fangcheng couldn't seriously harm him. Deeming the collected items sufficient, he left with the loot.

Now, as he thrust them all into Luca's hands, Luca, with his astute perception, understood instantly.

Most of these items were auxiliary, with few for offense or defense. Many looked impressive, but a closer inspection of their descriptions revealed their mediocrity.

The person giving the items tried to deceive Xie Fangcheng.

Luca didn't particularly need these items; his mechanical tentacles were already an incredibly formidable asset.

Even though there's currently an imbalance of power between humans and vampires, the ultimate victors will undoubtedly be the humans.

This is because Luca has already begun the advancement of technology.

Indeed, this pocket dimension is suffused with spiritual energy. It's a common belief that when spiritual energy exists within a dimension, the development of technology tends to stagnate.

The explanation is straightforward: spiritual energy serves to empower individuals, offering rapid results.

However, the progression of technology benefits the entire population. For any world to cross the threshold of "modernization," it requires an extended period of developmental accumulation. Such advancements are slow, and initially, it's challenging to enhance individuals significantly.

In a world devoid of spiritual energy, humans have no choice but to pursue the path of technological evolution.

But when spiritual energy is present, nearly every dimension will prioritize its cultivation, sidelining technological growth.

Now, in Luca's world, humans are prepared to forgo spiritual energy entirely and fully embrace the pursuit of technological advancement.

With memories from Zhang Si Quan, Luca can drastically shorten this development process. Just as with the mechanical tentacles, humans will always find a new beacon of hope.

These items are useful, but they won't significantly alter the situation.

Regardless of their actual usefulness, presenting such a jumble of trinkets to deceive Xie Fangcheng...

Luca adjusted his glasses.

"Who provided these items?"

Xie Fangcheng explained, "Liu He, the Countess."

Luca nodded in acknowledgment.

Night had fallen deeply. After a brief chat, Luca glanced at the moon outside.

"It's getting late. You should rest. See you tomorrow."

Xie Fangcheng, in high spirits, smiled and nodded, "Indeed, see you tomorrow."

He happily retreated to his room.

Luca stood on the top-floor balcony. Soon after, a shadow flew in from outside the castle, retracting its expansive mechanical wings upon landing on the balcony.

The knight, clad in silvery armor, knelt on one knee, not daring to meet Luca's gaze.

This renowned Grand Knight Commander of the Church is second only to the Pope. No, "Pope" seemed more like a deliberately upheld title. While outsiders believed the Church operated solely based on the Pope's commands, in reality, any directive from the Pope first required his consent.

Yet, what made this Grand Knight Commander truly terrifying wasn't just his combat prowess...

"Ignore that corpse; we have no use for it."

After players like Xie Fangcheng clear the instance and leave, all traces of the Count will vanish.

Memories, castles, and corpses...

Probably only Lucas would remember.

"However... there are some things we can use," he noted.

Lucas remarked.

.

The next morning, Jiefang Cheng woke up early, feeling cheerful. As he opened his door, Liu He from the room opposite was doing the same.

Yesterday, Jiefang Cheng had demanded his items. Even though he damaged Liu He's bed, he never laid a hand on him.

And yet, Jiefang Cheng could see right through Liu He's little schemes.

The items he handed over seemed to pain him, but not to the point of causing any real injury.

Now, upon seeing him, Jiefang Cheng couldn't help but ask, "What happened to you?"

Liu He looked utterly deflated, visibly wearied and shriveled.

He seemed dazed, staring blankly at Jiefang Cheng with trembling lips.

The next moment, two clear tears streamed down from his eyes.

What the heck?!

Without another word, Jiefang Cheng pretended not to see and quickly made his escape.

Who would have thought? Were the items Jiefang Cheng took from him really that precious? Why did he look as though he was on his deathbed?

Jiefang Cheng had no idea what had happened. When he reached the ground floor hall, everyone else had already assembled.

The players were unaware of the Count's death, wondering why there was no breakfast provided.

As Jiefang Cheng confidently headed towards the kitchen for bread, the castle doors swung open.

Lucas, donned in a black suit with a white rose pinned to his chest, stood before Jiefang Cheng.

Holding a food box, he gracefully approached and placed it in front of Jiefang Cheng.

The two exchanged smiles. Jiefang Cheng didn't stand on ceremony, opening the box to enjoy the most delicious breakfast since they entered the game.

Players around them exchanged bewildered glances, their minds racing, trying to decipher what had just happened.

Only Liu He knew.

After all, he had just managed to console himself following his "robbery" by Jiefang Cheng, planning to huddle in a corner and pass the night, just barely making it through this darned game.

But as he was drifting off, his door was flung open once again.

Before Liu He could react, he was whisked away to the top floor.

At the top floor, he finds the Count, now drained of all blood.

Beside the Count, that NPC named "Luca" is watching him.

"'Countess'? Quite the title. But with the Count gone, there's no need for a Countess, is there?"

In the end, Liu He was stripped of all his items before they finally released him.

With the Count gone, is there any danger left in this instance?

...Ah, there might just be one.

Liu He trembles and discreetly moves further away from Jie Fangcheng.

But indeed, there's no real danger left.

Ding - Congratulations on completing the dungeon. The dungeon is currently being settled, please wait

Ding - Successful rating

[Your current rating is: S]

Ding - Your rating is the highest among players in this dungeon, and you will receive additional item rewards

Ding - Your dungeon is rated S and will receive additional item rewards

Ding - You and your companions have achieved a 100% clearance rate in this instance and received special rewards

Ding

It's another long series of notifications.

Rewards for clearing the instance can only be collected once you leave. However, rewards for achieving a 100% completion rate can be claimed right away.

The catch is that such items are unidentified, so their full potential remains locked.

Jie Fangcheng didn’t overthink it; he stuffed everything from his system backpack towards Luca.

Professor Zhang isn't exactly adept at combat... Even though he did strangle a vampire count alive last night, it seems there are many more powerful vampires in this world.

It's a shame; if only he could leave this castle.

If Jie Fangcheng could leave, he'd want to assist Professor Zhang by eliminating all the formidable vampires.

I wonder if he'll be in danger in the future.

As if reading his thoughts, Luca laughed.

"Don’t worry, I’m not that weak."

"It's not that... Sigh."

Jiefang Cheng let out a sigh.

If only they both were still players.

Lucas extended his hand, "I want you to have this."

"What?" Jiefang Cheng looked down to see a small mechanical tentacle, evidently snapped off from Lucas. He hesitated, "Ah, will this not affect you?"

Lucas shook his head, "It's fine."

Only then did Jiefang Cheng accept it.

Before leaving, Jiefang Cheng waved, "Goodbye, Prof..."

He paused, then with a bright smile added, "Lucas."