“Every few nights, the Count emerges from the catacombs beneath the castle and wanders the countryside. He chooses a victim and drinks from their throat.” Cassia—who Count Aleph thought of as the tour guide to his castle—paused dramatically, and one of the party of intruders asked a question.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but if the Vampire Count comes out at night and drinks from people, uh, why don’t you just leave?”

“Cristian!” One of the other intruders elbowed the first speaker in the ribs. “You’re ruining the whole experience with your damn questions, man.”

“I just—you have to admit it doesn’t make sense, dude. We waited, we let her explain the situation with this place, and she says she’s taking us to where the Ruler is. But something’s fishy. This isn’t a video game, as much as you guys might like to pretend it’s Castlevania or something. It’s the System. Vampires exist, but they don’t behave like fictional characters. And if Dracula was real, the peasants would storm the castle or something. They wouldn’t wait and get some visiting foreigners to kill the monster—”

“Sir, if you don’t trust me, you can go ahead and kill me!” The guide lowered her head as if offering herself up for an executioner’s axe. “Just please slay the Vampire. For my friends and neighbors.”

The full group of intruders seemed to be stunned into silence for a moment. Then they were all talking over each other.

“Don’t be ridiculous—”

“Stop—”

“No—”

“—outrageous—”

“—could never—”

“—wouldn’t go that far…”

“—trust you.”

All of them tripping over themselves to reassure the guide that of course they weren’t going to kill her. That they believed her.

She raised her head, and Count Aleph imagined that her eyes dripped with tears as she spoke. No, he more than imagined. He could smell the salt water in the air. Like the salt in her blood. Intoxicating…

“Then I will lead you into the catacombs. My answer to your question is simple: the Vampire Count does not usually kill the targets of his sick lust. He is the Ruler here, so hardly anyone is foolish enough to fight him. Those who tried were killed quickly. The rest of us understood his rules quickly. Keep your head down, and the worst that can happen to you is losing a bit of blood. We couldn’t safely leave, either. The neighboring monsters are even worse than the Count. A race of giants on one side and wyverns on the other.” Her voice turned bitter. “Unlike the Count, they would not suffer humans even to live under their rule.”

“Then why betray him?” asked a woman’s voice that Count Aleph had not heard before now.

“That’s a good question,” agreed another voice, an unfamiliar male.

“It’s personal with me and the Count,” Cassia replied. Aleph could hear her gritting her teeth, and he imagined the look on her face. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that he pulled the image of her wearing such an expression from his memory banks. Ever since he became a vampire, his memory was nearly perfect. Like he was looking at images preserved under glass. Such emotion, he thought.

“I’m sorry,” said the voice of the skeptic from earlier. “Saying ‘it’s personal’ just isn’t quite good enough. How exactly is it personal?”

“Remember how I said that he usually does not kill the targets of his sick lust?”

There was silence for a moment. Aleph guessed the skeptic—Cristian, that was his name!—was nodding.

“Well,” Cassia continued, “he also normally moves on from a victim after a night or two. Finds new prey. But instead—” Aleph could smell her beginning to tear up again—“instead he’s targeting the same person again! It’s my sister, Saskia. She’s so sweet and innocent. Beautiful and young. I think the old legends about these creatures are true, and he wants to make her his bride. Saskia didn’t ask for this. She doesn’t want him. But wherever we move her, whatever we do to try and protect her, she only seems to get weaker. Lately, she flinches away from the touch of daylight. I don’t think she has much time left. So you see, I’m pretty desperate. Ready to try something stupid. Otherwise my sister might die or become a monster.”

“Good enough for me,” the other female voice said.

“Yeah,” Cristian agreed. “I agree that’s a good enough reason. Sorry for doubting you. Let’s try and get into those catacombs before sunset, then.” There was an edge of nervousness to his voice now.

Good. Pain and fear would make their blood just that little bit tastier.

They walked around for several minutes before Cassia took them to the entrance of the catacombs. Count Aleph was doing some math in his head. It was how he spent most of his time during the day. Thinking about the plethora of numbers the System had gifted him with. Status numbers. Levels and experience. Skills. The number of victims he had consumed over the course of his short life as a Vampire.

After I kill these ones, how long until I hit level forty? I’m at thirty-six now. Assuming the average Race level of this party is around fifteen…

Math problems had been Aleph’s hobby before the System, back when he was just a human named Alexandru. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about his nearly perfect memory post-System was that he no longer needed any aids to perform complex mathematics. No pencil, paper, abacus, calculator—nothing. He could keep all the numbers and ideas in his head, hold them in place in his mind.

The Vampire Count’s current long term math project was devising a formula to calculate how many victims he still needed before he reached level one hundred. There were still too many variables to make for an easy formulation—in particular, the way in which experience slowly decreased with repeated encounters against enemies of the same type at the same level was proving a difficult element to quantify—but Aleph was getting closer all the time.

As he was whiling away his time working on his formulae, the pipes carried the continued whispers of the adventuring party down to Aleph in his chamber.

“I don’t know, man,” Cristian was saying. “I still don’t quite buy it.”

“What are you worrying about?” asked a male voice. Aleph remembered this was the person who had tried to get Cristian to shut up earlier. “Jordan didn’t give us the signal for deception. And she has an actual Skill for that. You’re going based off of what, instinct?”

“You just don’t want to see it because you want to fuck Cassia, Matt. There are probably people who have Skills that counter Deception Resistance. This place is sketchy as hell!”

“Hey, don’t get confused, man,” Matt said arrogantly. “Just because Cassia is giving me the eye, it doesn’t compromise my judgment in the slightest. Remember, we were at the top of our Orientation. You, me, and Arben. We don’t have anything to worry about in some dank castle in the middle of nowhere. It’s only a matter of time—”

“It’s a fucking Ruler,” Cristian hissed. “We were at the top of our Orientation except for the Ruler there, who—”

“Keep your voice down, man,” Matt said.

“What, are you worried the bitch will hear us?” Cristian asked, exasperated—but his voice was almost a whisper, the volume back under control. It was even hard for Aleph to hear him, and the Count’s hearing was beyond superhuman ever since Race Evolution.

“Look, once we met up with the others, we got ourselves a well balanced crew, you have to admit that. You said yourself that you thought we could beat the Ruler in that valley now that we have Jordan, Alina, and Florin.”

“Yeah, but that—”

“Are the two of you all right?” one of the women asked.

She has a very pleasant voice, Aleph thought. She must not have spoken up much earlier, or I would have noticed that. Something of a shame that someone with such a pleasant voice has to die…

“We’re fine, Alina,” Matt said insistently. “Aren’t we, man?”

There must have been a nod, based on what came next.

“Okay,” Alina said. “You’re making the rest of us a little nervous, though. If there’s something you’re worried about, you’ll share with the group?”

“Of course,” Matt said, again speaking for himself and Cristian.

Cristian didn’t say anything to contradict him, and as far as Aleph could hear, the conversation seemed to die out as the adventurers proceeded into the catacombs.

The conflict between these people is interesting. Too bad for them they aren’t listening to the suspicious one. If they left now, they might be able to make it to the border safely before I caught up. Though that would come with its own perils…

As he heard them move through the catacombs, Aleph timed his moment carefully. There was a place in the floor they should be walking across where the stone was hollow…

He heard the louder sound of movement as they stepped on the hollow stone, and the Vampire Count immediately flicked the lever next to his seat.

“What’s that sound?” asked Cristian.

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That’s the catacomb entrance closing behind you.

“I don’t know. Maybe the monster is getting restless,” Matt said, trying to play Cristian’s question off with humor. But Aleph could hear a note of concern seep through in his tone.

“Maybe we should turn back,” the woman who must have been Jordan said.

“What are you saying?” said one of the men—not Cristian or Matt.

“We’ve come too far now,” said another male voice.

“Why would we leave?” Matt said stubbornly.

“I don’t think you all could actually make it out of the Count’s territory before nightfall if you left now,” Cassia accurately pointed out.

“Then we press on,” Cristian said. Aleph heard the sound of a weapon being drawn.

“Cristian, what are you doing?” Matt said, outraged.

“There’s something wrong with our guide,” Cristian replied. “I know none of you believe me, and I can’t explain it perfectly myself. But if anything happens to us—if we fall for a trap that you walked us into, or if there’s actually a hundred vampires down here instead of one, I want you to know that you’re going to die first. Before anything happens to any of my friends.”

“That’s just fine,” Cassia said, clearly speaking around a blade pressed to her throat. Her tone was reassuring, tinged with just the right note of fear. “Since I’m not lying, I’m not worried. Let’s just keep going.”

“This is really beyond the pale, man,” Matt grumbled. “After today, I don’t think we can work together. This paranoia wasn’t so bad in Orientation. But now—”

“My paranoia saved both our lives in Orientation,” Cristian said. “I—”

“Please, both of you,” Alina said, “stay calm. We need to move on. We’re losing daylight.”

“Your friend is right,” Cassia agreed, still gasping slightly around the steel held against her neck. “We should continue. There is still some way to go before we reach the Count’s chamber, if I recall correctly. If we do not arrive before sunset, your fight will be much more difficult.”

Then Aleph heard her lead them away. In the wrong direction.

A smile played across his lips. It was back to his formula creation efforts.

The group walked for almost an hour before the party skeptic spoke up again.

“How far is it now?” he asked, his voice tight.

“Cristian!” Jordan exclaimed.

The rich, salty sweet smell of blood drifted into Aleph’s nostrils, and he frowned.

People weren’t supposed to be bleeding yet.

And that smells like…

“I’m all right,” came Cassia’s trembling voice.

That little prick cut her. Probably cut her on the neck, if his blade was in the same place where he was holding it earlier. Doesn’t he know that she’s mine? That Cassia’s slender neck is only for me to drink from?

A quiet fury began building deep inside Aleph. Where before, he had intended to slaughter these visitors as a matter of simple necessity, now it was a bit more personal.

He checked the clock on the wall. Around forty minutes left until sunset.

He weighed his options. Go out and fight them now, and risk them possibly exposing him to sunlight—although he had sealed the entrance to the catacombs, the walls were only stone. Powerful attacks could and would break through them, and direct sunlight would be highly damaging.

Or he could wait and simply hope that Cassia continued her virtuoso performance as the innocent victim, the helpful tour guide.

“I’m sorry,” Cassia was saying. “I’ve only been in here a couple of times, and all before the System. My grandfather worked in the castle, giving tours, but he passed away years ago. I didn’t mean to take a wrong turn. We still have time, and I know I can find the room…”

Already, she was playing for time. Pleading, making promises, negotiating.

Aleph told himself to relax. His Cassia had this under control.

“Just put the dagger down, man,” Matt said. “I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“If you’re this freaked out, we can just leave this place,” Alina said.

Yes, his friends are on Cassia’s side too. He won’t be able to do a thing…

“I guess we can—” Cristian began speaking, seemingly calming down.

Then there was the sound of a scuffle. Cristian’s voice cried out in pain and then issued a low groan.

He started to lower his blade, and then someone disarmed him, the Count guessed. Maybe one of his friends—or Cassia—kneed him in the groin?

“Sorry, dude,” Matt said. “You’re just acting too erratically. Arden and I are going to keep one hand each on you until we’re out of here. Sorry, Cassia, I know you wanted our help, but I don’t think our group is as functional right now as I assumed we were.” He sounded disappointed.

“No, I understand,” Cassia said. “Thank you for—thank you for the rescue.” She let out a slow, ragged breath. “Let’s go, then.”

Aleph heard them retracing their steps. They moved as slowly as they had coming down that hallway. Perhaps slower, because Cristian’s male teammates were insisting on keeping a grip on him as they walked.

So there should be no way they can get out before sunset, Aleph thought.

He rose and pressed a panel on the wall. A passage opened that led from his chamber up to the main part of the castle. Rather than confront them in the catacombs where he lived, fighting them on the surface would be better. He had been lucky that the last several prey had been too weak to do much damage to his home. Better not to count on that for every encounter.

The enemies would only get stronger from here, as word of this castle and its resident spread.

Aleph made it to the surface and walked through the castle, keeping to the shadows as much as he could. As the sun sank below the horizon, he stood in a particularly deep, dark shadow and waited. Finally, just after it had disappeared from sight, he approached the entrance to the catacombs.

The Vampire Count could hear his prey now. Tired from hours of walking, still bickering a bit among themselves, disappointed that they had begun a retreat from the object of their quest—and just a little bit afraid of what the night held waiting for them. He could hear that undertone, though none of the adventurers were voicing the specific concern. They could tell by the increased depth of the shadows even in the catacombs that night had fallen.

Their chance to escape had disappeared with the sun. They could not know that, certainly not with any certainty, but Aleph was as sure of their demise as he was that the sun would rise the next morning.

He drew the curved, ruby-hilted sword from his side, and he smiled with grim satisfaction. Aleph loved it when things went to plan.

They began climbing the stairs, and Aleph heard their voices register alarm for the first time.

“Hey, how did this get closed? Who was the last one through here?”

Then Aleph pulled the doors open. The two closest figures—two males—had time to open their mouths wide, as if they were about to scream. Then the Vampire’s sword severed their heads just above the lower lips. Instead of screaming, they gurgled as crimson blood gushed forth.

I hope neither of those was Cristian. He had a slower death in mind for that man.

The bodies tumbled back down the stairs, and the first screams issued from one of the women—Alina, he could tell.

That girl has a truly wonderful set of pipes on her.

The Count didn’t slow down to appreciate the beautiful smell of human blood. He took in the damage and the group of people left.

Two down. The two who chose to walk up to the entrance were probably planning to brute force their way out. That might mean they were the strongest in the group. But there were four to go, plus Cassia.

The Count drew a dagger from his side and hurled it with superhuman Strength and precision. It flew at incredible speed and plunged into the chest of the woman in the adventurers’ party who was not screaming.

Judging from Alina’s clothing, she was a Healer, like Cassia. She probably wouldn’t have abilities that could harm Aleph, he judged. If she did, it would be that Purification Skill he’d seen once, but that required being in touch range.

Jordan, who had already been gathering Mana around her, crumbled to her knees, her fingers desperately clutching at the dagger through the middle of her breasts.

Aleph began chanting his own magic spell, gathering Shadow Mana.

Only three left, along with Cassia.

Two men and that Alina girl.

He took a step forward, prepared to descend into the catacombs after them, but one of the men was rushing up the stairs toward him, sword in hand.

“You monster! You killed my friends!”

Aleph would have rolled his eyes. He heard these outraged, defiant shouts almost as often as he heard men beg for their lives. At a certain point, it felt a bit silly.

The Count slashed down with his blade without stopping his chant. He and the human traded several blows.

He’s really not bad, Aleph thought distantly. As far as he was concerned, this fight was basically over. The closest that the human came to landing a swing of his sword on Aleph’s body was when the Count looked past him to check what was going on in the catacombs.

Cassia was down there using her healing powers on the woman whose chest Aleph had perforated. It was a good performance. Alina, the surviving female member of the band of adventurers, seemed to be too shellshocked to do anything. The man who wasn’t fighting Aleph stared down at his bleeding friends, transfixed.

Aleph hocked a glob of spit right into his opponent’s face.

As the man was jumping back and wiping his eyes, Aleph threw his other dagger and struck the off-guard male adventurer who remained in the catacombs right in the neck.

Then he reached out with Shadow Magic, his Mana having charged enough.

A great black hand sprang from the shadows, grabbed Cassia, and pulled her into the darkness.

“Cassia!” the swordsman who had engaged Aleph cried out.

He rushed at the Count, who easily parried his next several sword swings.

Your group might have legitimately been a threat, he thought, if you hadn’t been taken so completely by surprise.

“Give her back,” the swordsman growled. And Aleph recognized his voice.

“That’s a pity,” he said, speaking in a slow, deep baritone. “You must be Matt.”

I had hoped that Cristian would be the last man left alive.

As Matt’s eyes widened, Aleph threw a sucker punch that crumpled the front of his armor. Matt fell to his knees, clutching his abdomen and gasping for breath. His sword clattered to the ground, forgotten.

And the massive, shadowy hand reappeared beside Count Aleph. It opened to reveal Cassia, completely unharmed except for the little red line Cristian had cut into her throat earlier.

“Are you all right, my dear?” Aleph asked.

Cassia stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the Vampire’s chest.

“I’ll be fine, Aleph,” she said. She pulled his head down and kissed him roughly on the neck. “How did I do?”

“Oh, no one could have done better,” Aleph said.

To his amusement, Matt had a terrible look of shock on his face.

“You bitch,” he rasped, still short of breath. “You helped him kill them all!”

He rose, stepped forward, and seemed to realize he had nothing in his hands. He dove for the sword he’d left on the ground, and Aleph threw a kick that hit the man right under the chin.

Matt crumpled to the ground, instantly unconscious. Only Alina was still moving. The Count could hear her in the catacombs, haltingly fleeing further underground. There was no way the Healer would be able to escape alone. It was over.

“There, you see?” Aleph said. “We even took a couple of them alive.”