Going past the wailing woods, Genji and Bruce soon came upon a towering rocky hill that blocked out the little light from the moon. At the top of this hill was a cliff that stretched over the forest below, casting a permanent area of darkness. On the very edge of this drop-off, a faint silhouette of a medieval-style castle shone against the moonlit backdrop.
Snaking around the back of the hill was a rough path that allowed people to traverse this rugged terrain. Sharp rocks and other obstacles littered the winding path from years of neglect. For a normal person, this would have been a perilous route, but Genji wasn't a normal person.
Leaving Bruce behind, Genji entered stealth mode and scaled the hillside, using whatever steady footing he could find. If necessary, he would use his daggers to create temporary handholds on the cliff, making sure the spine faced downward to avoid his daggers gliding through the rocks like butter. They were sharp enough to do that and would have sent him tumbling downward instead of catching his weight.
After a few minutes of uneven climbing, Genji arrived in front of a stone castle. The bright moon of the night illuminated the surroundings, allowing Genji to fully appreciate the details of the walls. Seeing the countless geometric patterns on the exterior of the walls, Genji understood why the old hunter was so fascinated with this place.
In a world like this one, art had stagnated, leaving any remaining pieces a true wonder. Because of this fact, Genji guessed that this castle was from a prior era, built before such a dark era had encompassed this world.
The weathered stones and countless moss around the area also supported this theory. Of course, this guess was based on the assumption that vampires couldn't build and assemble such intricate designs.
Genji closed his eyes and sensed for any nearby presences. It was faint, but he could tell there were some vampires in this castle. Their numbers were unknown, as his perception couldn't cover such a large area, but it was a start.
Taking a step back, Genji broke into a sprint toward the castle walls. Just as he was about to collide with them, he jumped and harnessed his momentum to run up the wall.
As this upward force diminished, Genji grabbed onto a window opening and hopped inside. After a swift shuffle, Genji blended back into the darkness, leaving the surroundings undisturbed. The only evidence of his entrance was the approaching vampire who leisurely came to investigate the sound he had heard.
"Weird. I must have imagined—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Genji beheaded him, sending the head tumbling down the cliff. He did the same with the body and continued inward.
A faint thud came from below, drawing another bored vampire after a minute. Genji allowed this person to join his friend and meticulously ensured that no blood splashed on him. Vampires were very sensitive to the scent of blood, so unless he wanted to give himself away, he had to prevent that. His stealth had been thwarted once because of this, and he wasn't about to repeat that mistake.
After a few more kills, Genji stopped his assassinations. It was just not worth the risk of getting discovered. He slowly navigated around the castle, familiarizing himself with the layout.
From what he could tell so far, this was a coven of vampires, but nothing indicated they were behind the disappearances. However, Genji didn't give up, fully aware that the hunter had no reason to lie to him. The cleaner everything seemed now, the darker the secret that lay hidden.
Soon, Genji stepped into a large kitchen lined with stone ovens and other cooking appliances. Pots and pans hung on racks, while knives of rust adorned the countertops. At the edge of the cutting boards lay a thick block of black, decaying meat. So much time had passed that any order had faded, replaced with a thick layer of dust.
Everything about this place told Genji that this kitchen had been neglected. Countless years had passed since someone last set foot in here, further supporting his previous theory. If vampires cooked, why would they neglect the kitchen? If they didn't cook, why build a kitchen at all? The answer was that the vampires didn't build this but had repurposed it as their new home.
Genji backtracked and searched for an alternative route past the kitchen. It was best not to give away his presence by displacing the dust. After a while, Genji had fully explored the castle but found nothing.
Just as he was about to give up, he sensed a group of vampires around the corner. Curious, Genji followed them to a desolate corner of the castle. The group crouched down and pulled on a trapdoor, sending a loud creak echoing through the castle walls.
"That sound annoys me every time I hear it," one of them complained.
"That's how things are. Get used to it."
"But I don't understand why we put it here of all places. Things would be so much more convenient elsewhere."
"And risk everything? The count's not having any of that. It took so much to set up the plan so letting anything ruin it would greatly anger the count. Unless you want to be killed by him, I would follow the orders."
"I know. I'm just grumbling."
The group of vampires slowly descended the stairs, leaving the last person to close it. As the mechanism was shutting, Genji flashstepped over, sliding underneath the falling metal. A loud clang sounded next to his ears as Genji stared at the back of the descending vampires.
Genji counted the rhythm of their steps and blended in, following them from behind. While he might not make any sound because of his energy, it was always a good habit to practice. Plus these vampires mentioned a count and a plan so he wanted to see if he could pry more information from them.
As they descended, the temperature became chilly, and a mild scent of blood and other strong odors burned his nose. A light sob came from below, planting a suspicion in Genji's thoughts.
'Why does that sound like a girl's cry?'
And soon Genji got his answer. That was a girl's cry! Huddling at the corner of the dungeon was a girl who looked around 12. Around her, a group of women of various ages slumped against the wall as a thick, metal collar clamped them to it. Many of them had a dull face, numb to everything that was happening.
They were numb that they weren't bothered by the cold air that their tattered rags didn't protect them from. Everything was pure suffering for them, killing any will of defiance. Between their legs, streams of viscous suspicious fluids flowed out, further adding to the pile of grime and body waste in their cells.
'I guess I found where all the women went.'
The group of vampires seized up these scantily dressed women, deciding who would be their next meal and the target for other ventings. During this process, one of the vampires became irritated by the young girl's crying and settled on her.
'So annoying. How about I show you the consequences of that.'
As the vampire grabbed her by the arm, her sobbing became louder, which only further aroused the sadistic desire inside him. The vampire grabbed her by the hair, forcibly yanking her head aside to reveal her neck. Then he sunk his fangs into it, causing another wave of agony for the underaged child.
The girl struggled intensely in the vampire's arms, but his superior strength rendered her resistance futile. After a few seconds, the vampire pulled out his fangs with a satisfied grin. He put the convulsing child down and considered how else to vent his desires. After some time he settled on a choice and reached down to take off his pants.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
But before he could complete the action, he was distracted by a content sigh.
"Ahhh that hits the spot."
"I know right? Nothing beats having a meal whenever we're hungry," the vampire replied.
"Yeah. Is this the result of the count's plans?"
"You bet," he said, ready to continue.
"Hey before you start enjoying yourself any further, can you tell me what exactly is this plan?"
"Seriously? You don't even know the plan? Just how ignorant are you?"
"Ha ha, I haven't paid much attention to the details. I was always too embarrassed to ask when everyone else seemed to know it."
'So you choose to ask now?' The vampire thought to himself, further aggravated by how his fun was interrupted. 'Doesn't he know that he shouldn't interrupt someone when they're trying to enjoy themselves?'
"Fine! I'll tell you, but you better bug off afterward," the vampire replied snappily as he eyed the grimacing child with lust.
"I understand. I owe you one."
This made the vampire feel somewhat comforted by his troubles. At least he got something from it, right?
"The plan's simple, really. We are trying to turn that human settlement into a blood farm by slowly removing the hunters and conditioning the people to get used to the kidnappings. Once everything is set up, we won't have to go hungry again."
"Wow! That sounds amazing. Did the count really think of this?"
"What do you think? Count Dracula is considered the noble with the best prospects for a reason. With him leading us, we don't have to worry about the hunters anymore."
"The more I hear about him, the more amazing he sounds."
"That's what I've been telling you. Now bug off will you? I thought you said you would after I explained everything."
"Sorry, I got too caught up in the details. I'll stop bothering you now."
"You better!"
As the vampire was about to continue his wicked act, he noticed something was off about the whole exchange.
'Why is this guy so ignorant of this? Shouldn't everyone know that since it's common knowledge? And isn't it a little too quiet right now? When did everyone become so mild? Usually, their partners are very loud because of how wild they are. Plus isn't his voice unfamiliar? When did we get someone like that?'
These questions stood out to the vampire, compelling him to shift his focus from the child to his surroundings. Instantly, he realized the smell of blood was too strong to be from feeding. Pairing this with the other odd factors, he immediately realized there was something off about the person he was talking to.
"WHO ARE YOU!?!?" He screamed, whipping his head around.
Yet what greeted him was not the intruder, but a black flintlock pressed firmly against his head.
"Your death," Genji answered, pulling the trigger and blasting the head apart. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, covering the walls messily. Some of the brain matter landed on the girl, further intensifying the smell of iron in the dungeon.
"How stupid. What kind of idiot tells someone everything when they ask?" Genji mocked as he cleaned up the bodies. Then he walked back up the stairs, leaving the women behind. If the count was really as smart as the vampire said, he would be sending them to their deaths by freeing them now.
For now, his main priority was to kill Count Dracula. While he didn't know how many towns were in a similar situation, he couldn't afford to let the plan succeed. Doing so would mean he'd have to deal with even more elite vampires when he tried to kill a prince in the future.
After closing the trapdoor, Genji started wandering the halls again. This time, he was less lenient against the vampires, killing anyone he came across. Whenever he encountered a room, he would peek inside, trying to locate the Count.
After a while, the scent of blood around him became detectable despite his caution. Vampires screamed, alerting everyone in the castle who rushed towards Genji. Genji used Like A Feather to quickly dispatch these opponents, paying careful attention to destroy their heads if possible.
Luckily, his sharp daggers made this process much easier, filling the halls with blood. When the skill ended, Genji followed up Untraceable Movement to continue his massacre. It was only when the skill's duration ran low that he retreated into a random room. Taking out a few bottles of water, Genji washed himself slightly to diminish his bloody scent.
"I should probably prepare for situations like these in the future."
Genji then took out three bottles of rare rum and mixed them with some air-dispersing fumes, which he poured into the halls. A strong, fermented fragrance saturated the halls, distracting any potential pursuers. While it pained him to waste good alcohol like this, its strong scent was necessary to mask his own.
Genji entered stealth mode again and continued his quest to find the Count. After a while, the vampires wised up and began gathering in groups large enough to pose a serious threat to Genji. Unfortunately, by the time they made this change, they had already suffered significant losses. Genji carefully avoided them by navigating upside down on the ceilings and remained focused on exploring.
Soon, he entered a lavishly decorated room, more opulent than a king's bedroom. Seeing this, Genji knew he had found the correct room. For some reason, noble vampires always seemed to have a complex about displaying their wealth, making it easy to distinguish them. Genji closed his eyes to sense for any vampires and found himself staring at the balcony.
Walking over, he came upon a mature vampire with sleek black hair seated at a stone table. In his hand was a wine bottle filled with fermented blood, which he opened and poured into a glass. After swirling it around for a few seconds, he brought it up to take a sip.
[Count Dracula]
Health: 9,900/9,900
Blood Energy: 1,085/560
Con: 29
Str: 27
Dex: 28
Int: 28
Spc: 24
Skills:
- Mini-boss: +7,000 health
- Other Generic Vampire Skills
Compared to the previous count Genji had killed, Dracula had more overall stat points and blood energy that approached his bearing capacity. One could say he was on the cusp of attaining the next rank in power, making him a deadly foe. With each sip Dracula took, his blood energy increased, exerting immense pressure on Genji.
For some reason, Genji's instincts told him that he didn't want to witness what would happen when Dracula's blood energy reached its limit. Trusting this feeling, Genji flashstepped over, swinging his daggers to trisect Dracula's head and end this in one exchange.
Yet this attack failed. Whether it was due to Genji's bloody scent or Dracula's instincts, something prompted the vampire to dodge. Seeing this, Genji knew the attack had failed, but he refused to give up.
Dominance Aura: Special
Dominance Aura (Active): Choose a stat and conduct a judgment on a target. If your stat is higher, they will experience a mental impact and -1 in the chosen stat. Damage is determined by the difference between the stats. Cooldown of 1 hour.
This was a skill Genji had neglected since he entered the Spatial Battlefield. That's because even if the condition was fulfilled, the mental impact was negligible with his low stats. In a way, this skill was godly for bullying weaker opponents and useless against stronger ones.
The stat Genji chose to conduct a judgment on was his special stat, his highest compared to Dracula's lowest. With an eight-point difference, this mental impact was enough to temporarily paralyze Dracula's movements, allowing Genji to land the attack.
But like all vampires, things were never that easy. Before the sections of Dracula's head fell apart, his body acted on instinct, instantly consuming a large amount of blood energy to initiate hyper-regeneration and heal the wounds.
Then the body started glowing red, filling Genji's senses with danger. In a split-second decision, Genji activated Quantum Shield, protecting himself from the blood explosion soon after.
Genji pushed forward, trying to finish Dracula before he could recover, but Dracula ignited more blood energy. This time, the explosion was directed inward to launch himself off the balcony and into the forest below the cliff. Another nasty wound opened on his chest, but it was enough to get away from the assailant.
That's what Dracula thought until Genji jumped after him without hesitation. A black flintlock manifested in Genji's left hand to aim at the falling vampire. Dracula's eyes widened as a large ball of curses came at him. He rushed to twist his body to avoid a direct strike to his vitals but was instantly knocked back into position when a cross bolt jolted him in the other direction.
*BOOOOMMM*
The ball of curses exploded on contact and rushed into Dracula's body, weakening him and propelling him down faster. Genji stowed away his crossbow and drew his saber as he approached the ground. Then he activated Like A Feather, slowing down drastically and landing on the ground.
A heavily injured Dracula staggered as he tried to stabilize his shattered legs, but he was given no time when Genji flashstepped over with a dark glow surrounding him. This was Genji going all out in his normal state, not counting the trump cards with longer cooldowns.
[Jaguar] burst into shadow flames and glided through Dracula's arms. As Dracula's arm flew upwards, a strong kick shattered his knee, preventing any attempts to flee. The sensation of burning silver further weakened him, preventing him from using another blood explosion. If he tried, he would end up blowing himself up.
But Dracula ignited his remaining blood energy anyway. He knew that at the current rate of the battle, he would end up dead, so he might as well try to drag this hunter down with him.
This decisive decision, however, was denied when Genji shifted his saber above his head. Then, in one powerful swing, Genji bisected the vampire down the middle, causing the explosion to trigger early. Since Dracula didn't have time to charge up the attack, the damage fell within Solid Core's defenses, especially when the technique was boosted by his shadow core.
After the boost mist faded, Genji sheathed his weapons and took out a potion to heal his wounds. Although the battle was short, Genji had expended all his energy and a trump card. Only then was he able to finish the battle so quickly.
[You have slain: Count Dracula.]
[You have gained 9 max energy.]
[You have reached the limit of your bearing capacity.]
[You have obtained: Dracula's Cloak]
[Dracula's Cloak]
Rating: Rare
Defense: 17
Durability: 65/65
Requirements: 12 Int, 10 Dex
Effects:
1. Intelligent (passive): +1 Int
2. Lifesteal (passive): Heal up to 40% of your health per day from attacks