Chapter 63

*ROOOOAR!*

With a confident roar, Gideon regained his courage. Alec then followed the direction the bats had flown.

If the vampire had been a ghost, Alec could have used his magic to detect its location. However, vampires were living creatures, which made it impossible.

As Alec climbed the large, dark stone staircase, unseen creatures scurried away, leaving behind trails of red HP bars on the other side of the wall. Gideon snarled and charged ahead, slashing through them with his claws. The sound of squeaking filled the air as the creatures’ HP bars rapidly dropped to zero.

Because Gideon could pass through walls, there was no point in the creatures hiding.

With the path clear, Alec continued up the stairs. His footsteps echoed loudly through the vast, dust-covered halls. Even under all the dirt and darkness, Alec could tell how grand this castle was. With chandeliers, carpets, and flowers, it could be transformed into a magnificent place.

As he reached the second floor, the flapping of bats grew louder, and soon Alec stood before a hallway filled with bats hanging from the walls. There were too many to count—it felt more like a cave or a zoo than a castle.

“This isn’t just cleaning; it’s a full-on renovation job,” Alec thought.

Gideon roared again, pouncing on the bats clinging to the ceiling. The air was filled with the sounds of his roars and the bats’ desperate flapping as they scattered. Red HP bars quickly vanished as the bats dissolved into dust.

Alec hurried down the corridor, chasing after the remaining bats. But as he began ascending the next staircase, he suddenly stopped.

‘Wait. Don’t vampires hate sunlight?’

He reconsidered his plan. It didn’t make sense to keep going up. Vampires would avoid sunlight, so the boss was likely hiding somewhere lower.

Alec glanced out through a cracked window, confirming that daylight was creeping in. Checking the remaining time on the quest, he quickly turned around and called to Gideon.

“Gideon, you head up and find the boss’s room. I’m going down.”

*Growl.*

From that moment, Alec split his focus, watching through Gideon’s eyes as his familiar searched the upper floors, while he descended into the depths of the castle.

*Rustle.*

[Skill: Beginner Husband’s Tickle.]

Alec unleashed a powerful skill, causing electric-like energy to burst forth and obliterate the HP bars in his path, while the remains of fallen creatures disintegrated into dust.

As he descended the grand staircase leading to the underground, a vast hall opened up before him. The scale of the castle was truly immense, and even the stairs to the basement felt imposing. His skill continued to zap away any bats that approached, illuminating his surroundings without the need for light.

Crossing the hall, Alec suddenly felt a *click* beneath his foot. He looked down to see one of the floor tiles had sunk slightly into the ground.

*Clunk, rumble.*

The mosaic-tiled floor began to rotate, revealing a hidden space in the middle of the hall. A staircase descended further below. Alec hesitated for a moment before heading down the stairs. As he did, the tile he had stepped on reset, and the floor began to close once again.

Now in near-total darkness, Alec activated his skill, sending a bright glow throughout the corridor. It was eerily quiet—no bats, no signs of life. He had a gut feeling that this was the path to the boss’s chamber. The silence carried a tense energy, the kind that always preceded a boss battle.

He descended the last few steps and made his way down a narrow hallway, which led to a wide, circular chamber. The room was entirely made of stone—floor, walls, and ceiling—and in its center was a long, hexagonal coffin.

*Ding!*

[You have entered the final boss’s chamber!]

[Quest Boss: Count Cassdain Glenberry, Vampire of Wiltsbrook Castle]

[Male, Age: ???]

[Description: Cassdain was once the lord of Wiltsbrook Castle, a young and capable ruler respected by his people. However, he was bitten by a pet bat and transformed into a vampire. For nearly a century, he feasted on the blood of his subjects before being sealed in the castle’s basement by a knight who died from exhaustion.]

[Characteristics: Only consumes human blood. Has a refined sense of smell for blood, allowing him to distinguish individuals by scent.]

[Weapons: Fangs and sharp claws, hidden until needed.]

[Combat Power: 50]

Alec circled the stone coffin, inspecting it for a lock or opening mechanism. To finish the quest, he needed to kill Cassdain, but there was no visible way to open the coffin. After a moment’s thought, he stepped back, preparing to break it open.

If he could destroy the coffin and the vampire inside in one hit, the battle might end instantly. Unfortunately, Alec wasn’t strong enough for that—yet.

[Skill: Beginner Husband’s Tickle.]

A surge of bright, lightning-like energy shot from Alec’s hand, wrapping around the coffin. With a crackling sound, the solid stone shattered like ice, the coffin’s lid and body crumbling to pieces.

Alec swallowed hard. He had no idea what kind of appearance the vampire would have after centuries of imprisonment. If he could turn Cassdain into a summon, the vampire’s knowledge and abilities could prove invaluable. Alec was slated to become the lord of this castle and would have to manage the northern territories—a task he had no experience with. Cassdain could be useful.

*Hooooh.*

Suddenly, the eerie sound of someone drawing their first breath in centuries echoed through the chamber. The sound alone sent a chill down Alec’s spine.

*Ding!*

[Count Cassdain Glenberry has awakened from his seal!]

“Hooooh, haaaah…”

The vampire’s amplified breathing filled the room, each inhale and exhale heavy with the weight of the centuries he had been dormant.

Alec’s heart pounded as he realized he was now locked in a chamber with a very real, very dangerous vampire. Cassdain’s body slowly rose from the shattered remains of the coffin, and Alec found himself staring directly into the vampire’s cold, blue eyes.

Cassdain was eerily beautiful, with silver hair that shimmered like moonlight and skin pale as snow. His face was sharp and cold, his blue eyes empty yet exuding a terrifying, frozen intensity. His dry lips exhaled visible breaths of icy air.

Despite being hundreds of years old, Cassdain looked to be in his twenties, the age he had been sealed.

Twenty minutes remained on the quest timer, and above Cassdain’s head, Alec saw the vampire’s HP bar: 17,000.

The scent of Alec’s blood reached Cassdain, and a glint of hunger and malice flared in the vampire’s eyes. In an instant, that look transformed into pure killing intent.

Before Alec could fully process what was happening, Cassdain moved as quickly as Alec did when using his speed skill, lunging at him with incredible speed.

“I smell the blood of an enemy.”

The vampire’s voice was a cold, sinister whisper, like blood-red letters scrawled across the air. In the blink of an eye, the ragged edges of Cassdain’s tattered cloak were right in front of Alec.

*Swoosh.*

Reacting quickly, Alec summoned his magic, forming a blade of glowing blue energy in his hand. Just as Cassdain was about to sink his fangs into Alec’s neck, Alec grabbed the vampire by the throat and pushed him back with all his might. His left arm bulged with sudden strength as he flung Cassdain away.

*BOOM!*

Alec struck Cassdain with one hand, sending him flying.

In the corner where Cassdain collided, the wall caved in, and debris crumbled down.

Cassdain’s level was 50.

It wasn’t a level that Alec, a mere level 5, could easily overwhelm, but Alec’s mana was at the 3rd circle.

“So, you’re a descendant of Myers, who sealed me away. I’ll kill you.”

The menacing, cracked voice echoed eerily through the cave once again.

Cassdain, possibly due to being a vampire, seemed to have the ability to speak without moving his lips.

Whoosh!

Cassdain’s eerie claws slashed through the air, just inches from Alec’s eyes.

[Skill: Beginner Husband’s Tickle.]

In an instant, lightning crackled viciously around Cassdain. Meanwhile, Alec swiftly moved behind him as if teleporting.

A descendant of Myers.

For him to figure it out so quickly.

It seemed that the Holy Knight who sealed Cassdain away was indeed Alec’s ancestor, but rather than killing him, it appeared he only managed to seal him.

Could Alec’s mana be a form of holy energy?

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