Chapter 101: Northwind Fortress Journal (Part 2)

  The noblewoman called "Alexia" looked Langli Baitiao up and down without any attempt to hide it.

  "Miss, although I know I’m handsome, could you restrain yourself a bit?"

  Langli Baitiao felt a chill; her gaze was like she was choosing ingredients, making him unfortable, and even his usual smooth banter came out awkwardly.

  Alexia’s crimson eyes suddenly gleamed.

  "Excellent."

  "What’s so excellent? My dazzling looks?"

  "Your life force is resilient. You are worthy to bee food for my father. This will be the greatest honor of your humble life." Her voice trembled with excitemeirely lost in her own world, barely aowledging Langli Baitiao.

  "Wait, I haven’t even—"

  "Take this human away."

  Alexia ordered coldly.

  Several guards stepped forward, opehe cage, and roughly lifted Langli Baitiao.

  "Easy, easy."

  "Don’t grab my neck!"

  "Brother, please, I walk on my own?"

  Langli Baitiao didn’t resist much but thought to himself, "Am I about to turn into a vampire? This could be iing!"

  Rather than despair, a sense of curiosity sparked within him.

  His soul of reckless abandon burned brighter than ever!

  Even if he dies, Langli Baitiao vowed to make a big show of it—anything less wouldn’t suit his style.

  Langli Baitiao walked down the corridor, escorted by the guards.

  He looked around, deeply impressed.

  "Damn."

  This "Vagrant Shelter" was much rger underground than he had imagined, extending endlessly downward. Hundreds of iron cages hung midair, filled with blood sves starving and ruled by bloodlust, likely numbering ihousands.

  He was first taken to a private room where the guards washed him from head to toe.

  Eventually, they escorted him to the end of a dim corridor.

  A heavy door slowly opened.

  In the er, flickering lights cast a dim, yellowish glow.

  In the vishly decorated, dark and ominous grand hall was an intricately carved stone coffin at the ter.

  Alexia lifted her skirt and bowed gracefully.

  "Father, here is your dinner for the evening."

  The stone coffin opened slowly, and Duke Brad La opened his crimson eyes, his lips curving into a slight smile.

  It seemed his mood was high tonight.

  Gazing at the captive Langli Baitiao, the pale duke leaned in, sniffing as if sav fine wine, and asked hoarsely,

  "I smell trickery on you. Why have you e here?"

  Langli Baitiao couldn’t help but shudder, "Damn, you old perv, if yoing to drink blood, just do it. I don’t provide other services."

  The duke chuckled softly, revealing sharp fangs.

  "You’re right. Ourn you into a vampire spawn, everything will be under my trol. This is the honor of your life; enjoy it!"

  Langli Baitiao retorted, "You creepy vampires really are full of yourselves."

  Unfazed by the human’s mockery, the duke smirked ptuously,

  "You mortals ot prehend a being of my immortality. I hail from turies past; my ins have long faded into darkness. I was once a great general under whose eagle’s wings all of Arembled, yet I chose a more twisted path."

  "And you shall serve as sustenany step toward true immortality."

  "So."

  "Tremble, fear, revere!"

  "When I rule this nd, your blood will boil within my immortal body."

  The duke caressed Langli Baitiao’s neck, relishing the moment.

  He wasn’t speaking to the “food” before him but rather painting his own dream of eternal life, where he alone was exalted.

  Unfazed by this vampire family’s tendency for theatrics, Langli Baitiao muttered, "Damn, why hasn’t this old geezer kicked the bucket already?"

  But he was held firmly by the guards, uo move.

  "I am eternal."

  The duke sneered before sinking his fangs into Langli Baitiao’s vulnerable neck.

  Veins bulged as his blood was greedily drained.

  An irreversible transformation began; his body visibly thinned, his skin turned deathly pale, and the light of life faded from his eyes, repced by a red gleam.

  "Excellent."

  "Throw this i wretto the dungeon."

  The duke, still unsatisfied, released him and wiped his mouth with a fine silk cloth.

  "Yes, my lord."

  The now-lightened Langli Baitiao was carried back to an iron cage, like the other "blood sves."

  But he felt no sorrow; instead, he looked at the information fshing on his panel with glee.

  [You have been attacked by Vampire Duke Brad La, transf you into a special tempte: Vampire Spawn.]

  [his transformation is irreversible.]

  [Trait Gained: “Born of Death”: Most victims of vampire attacks bee vampire spawn—a greedy creation filled with a vampire’s bloodlust and trolled by its creator.]

  [If a vampire allows its spawn to drink its own blood, the spawn bee a true vampire, free from trol. However, feires do this. Usually, spawn regain freedom only upon their creator’s death.]

  [Trait Gained: “Undead Essence”: You no longer require air or food.]

  [Trait Gained: “Regeion”: You recover from any injury unless struck by a weakness.]

  [Trait Gained: “Spider Walk”: You climb walls and hang from ceilings.]

  [Vampire Weaknesses Acquired: “Running Water,” “Staked Heart,” “Sunlight Sensitivity,” “Fear of Holy Symbols.” Enters with any of these may result in perma death.]

  "This tempte is amazing, bined with my Trickster css."

  "Perfect setup for a master of stealth."

  "Heh heh heh."

  He was already envisioning how he’d wreak havod loot the mines.

  "But first, I o get out of here. As for that disgusting old vampire, I’ll make him pay one day."

  Recalling the duke’s touch, a chill ran through Langli Baitiao.

  "Damn, is this perv a priest or something?"

  Muttering to himself, he pulled out his rogue tools from a hidden pocket and began pig the lock with practiced skill.

  "Creak, creak."

  The iron cage door shook, emitting a grating noise.

  When the guards returned on patrol, they found the cage empty.

  Langli Baitiao hung effortlessly from the ceiling, watg them with a smirk, thinking, "Bet you didn’t expect that—this is my escape route!"

  FAL