A full moon rose above the skies of Lunatic, illuminating the city with moonlight as bright as sunlight. Various races, alongside vampires, were gathered in Rubens Plaza, Lunatic’s central plaza.
“Mmm, how much longer do we have to wait?”
“It should be open soon.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve visited my hometown.”
“I will become a high-ranking aristocrat’s Canis this time, for sure!”
“It would be great if I became acquainted with an aristocrat.”
As the emotions of various individuals with different thoughts melded into one, thousands of black bats flew toward the center of the plaza. They swarmed a single point like a tornado, taking the form of a woman. She had messy black hair that contrasted with her pale skin, red eyes, and lips, and wore a tattered black cloak.
“Ehehe,” the crazy-looking woman giggled. “Hey, everyone. I am Scite, and I have been appointed this year to open the dungeon. Nice to meet you all, ehehe!”
Scite waved her hand, her nails manicured black. She seemed to want to look elegant and graceful, but her stiff movements only made her look like a shaking, rotten branch.
“Scite?”
“Scite Amor! She’s a World Ranker!”
“Whoaaa! Amor of Instinct!”
“The Bat Marchioness!”
The people gathered in the plaza cheered at the sudden appearance of the vampire World Ranker. Scite twirled in place, enjoying the attention.
“Ehehehe! You’re all fired up, aren’t you? Good. Enjoy the festival frenzy in Blood Castle for the next half a month, regardless of race or identity!” Scite said as she outstretched her arm.
A beautiful ruby bat appeared from nowhere and dropped old dentures that looked as if they had come from a mummy, on her hand. The dentures subtly shook and opened, then a giant octagonal pillar flew out from inside.
[Entrance of Dungeon: Progenitor’s Sanctuary, discovered.]
[Dimension: Consanguineus - Blood Castle.]
[Time: Past.]
[Enter?]
The entrance to Blood Castle had been opened at last.
Scite giggled and said, “Ehehehe! Enter in a single-file line. Supplies required for the festival first!”
Tens of thousands of carriages resembling container trailers began to move.
“Ehehe! I suggest the handsome men visit the Palace of Instinct. Who knows? Luck might be on your side,” Scite said as she swiped her red lips, turning into bats and disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.
The Night of the Full Moon had commenced.
***
“Are you sure this is all right?” asked the nervous Suleiman, a slender Arab man.
“How should I know?” answered Roger Cross, a short black man, as he shrugged.
“These sons of bitches... They’re undoubtedly members of Clan Blood Cross, whom the intelligence division has been hunting down for years,” whispered Carly, a red-haired woman, once she approached the two men.
They had infiltrated the group of Blood Cross clansmen, numbering in the hundreds, to enter Blood Castle. Five wooden carriages stood out like a sore thumb among over a hundred golden carriages.
“Hey, say something, Ma Sang-Sik. Is SS always this reckless?” Suleiman asked.
Sang-Sik fiddled with his cheap Zippo lighter and answered, “I would say he’s more bold than reckless. He has been like this since his days on Earth.”
Seong-Hwi had orchestrated Kang Hyun-Tae’s death to look like a suicide to avenge Shin So-Eun, then sent So-Eun’s hairband to her husband, Seo Dong-Hyun, as if to report the result.
How could he have had that kind of mindset since Earth? Sang-Sik wondered.
Thinking back on it now, Seong-Hwi had acted as if he were in the Mirror World when he killed Hyun-Tae. Sang-Sik raised his head, looking at the group at the front—more specifically, at the man with a black hood over his head, walking alongside a tiger beastfolk as they chatted.
“Set your doubts aside. The Union ordered us to support SS as best as we can, and SS entrusted this mission to us,” said the blonde woman, Etxeberria, as she approached the group.
The large white Russian man, Ilia Volok, who had been silent until now, remarked, “I trust SS. He has not yet done a single thing that harmed humanity, and the same goes for this plan.”
He looked around the Blood Cross clansmen around them and continued, “He gave us the golden opportunity to disguise ourselves as Blood Cross clansmen and infiltrate Blood Castle’s cask storage.”
The intelligence division members’ eyes shone. Rumors of there being a cask storage in Blood Castle were like a folk tale, but no one had ever found out the truth. Hence, not even the Sēmen had been able to charge Consanguineus for their crimes. The vampires had likely set their base of operations in a dungeon to take advantage of the reclusiveness.
“Alright. This should be fun.”
“It’s an absolute jackpot for us, who risk our lives for the tiniest pieces of information.”
“Let’s get to work.”
***
[Entering Dungeon: Progenitor’s Sanctuary.]
[Dimension: Consanguineus - Blood Castle.]
[Time: Past.]
...
[Lord’s Resurrection (Dungeon Quest)
Rank: S+
Description: Resurrect the Vampire Lord, Mulleus Rubens Sanguineus, and drive away the chaos scurvy plaguing Blood Castle.]
...
[Outbreak (Dungeon Quest)
Rank: S
Description: Either kill the 108 resident survivors in Blood Castle, or spread the chaos scurvy to turn them into Vampyrs.]
Akasha Messages appeared before everyone who entered Blood Castle. One was a discovery-and-resurrection quest, while the other was a subjugation-and-infection quest. One was ranked S+, while the other was ranked S.
However, no one cared about the quests because Blood Castle was already under the complete control of Consanguineus. It was not that they couldn’t close the dungeon—they were not closing it on purpose. Although it couldn’t be maintained forever, considering the nature of dungeons, it could be maintained for a long time with the right care, just like Subterra.
“Whoa! So, this is Blood Castle!”
“Amazing!”
“It’s like hundreds of Cologne Cathedrals!”
Spires of vertically linear castles stretched endlessly toward the sky. The red moonlight reflected from the Gothic buildings’ grey walls.
“Supplies for the Jaspa bloodline, this way!”
“Suppliers contracted with the Torre bloodline, come this way!”
“Carriages for the Seetzen bloodline shall follow me!”
The vampires who had been residing in Blood Castle guided the supplies pouring into the dungeon entrance. The castles belonging to the Seven Purebloods had the most carriages going to them.
“Is this everything for the Rabies bloodline?”
“Everything from Black Shadow is here!”
“Same for Moonlight!”
“Same for Blood Cross.”
The suppliers contracted with the Rabies bloodline answered one after another, and Wang Chen, who was disguised as Peter Geraghty, acted accordingly.
“We must move hastily. The Seven Purebloods’ opening ceremonies begin on the first day, so our preparations are of utmost priority. The party will begin in six hours,” the vampire of the Rabies bloodline said. He then ordered his Cani, “You’re in charge of guiding the luxury goods. You, the garments. You, the foodstuffs.”
He then turned to Wang Chen with a smile and said, “As for the most important item, the wine... follow me.”
The man turned around and walked. Wang Chen gestured to the Blood Cross clansmen, who pulled the carriages to follow him.
Seong-Hwi poked Tigrinus’s flank and asked, “So? Do you smell them?”
“Growl, stop asking for unreasonable requests. How could I pinpoint them in this sea of people?” Tigrinus answered as he shook his head.
“Then take your time.”
“What?”
“I’m certain members of Sol have infiltrated Blood Castle as well. Anyone is free to enter and exit the dungeon within these fifteen days, after all.”
Tigrinus annoyedly wagged his tail as he said, “Grrr. So, you’re asking me to look for those damn wolves? I hate those guys.”
“I’ll be counting on you. They’re your fellow beastfolk, aren’t they?”
“Just because we’re beastfolk doesn’t mean we’re all close. Unity isn’t really in our dictionary.”
“But you all cooperate under the name of Barbaria, don’t you? You have a better chance at finding them than I do.”
Tae-Jin, who had been watching Seong-Hwi try to persuade Tigrinus, added, “That kind of mission is hard for Tig. He’s rather antisocial, and I think he has sinusitis or something. His nose has been rather congested lately.”
Tigrinus growled as his tail shot up, and his ears twitched.
“Hmm, is that so? I didn’t expect you to be this incapable. Wang Chen volunteered to be a dummy with his life on the line, but I can’t believe a grown-up tiger can’t even track a bunch of wolves,” Seong-Hwi remarked pitifully.
Tigrinus’s whiskers trembled, then he shouted, “Growl! I’ll find them and bring them right to you! Just you wait!”
Tigrinus sprinted with all four legs, instantly disappearing.
Hector watched Tigrinus getting further as he mumbled, “Are you sure that was okay?”
Tae-Jin laughed as he answered, “Wahaha! Tig is a bit of a grumbler, so he needs some motivation now and then.”
“How shockingly simple.”
“That aside, what are you trying to do by making contact with Sol now? The plan begins today, doesn’t it?”
Seong-Hwi smiled and answered, “Nothing in particular. I just had a feeling that establishing a connection might benefit us somehow.”
He then turned to Wang Chen, who was making requests to a vampire.
“Please store these five carriages separately. They contain the finest wine. We could only secure this much because it was so rare, but it should be enough to fill the VIPs’ glasses. Oh, and please ask Viscount Motusch Rabies to...”
The plan was going smoothly. The fuses were set, and all that remained was to light them.
I’ll nuke you all! Seong-Hwi thought.
Just then, his hoodie pocket wriggled.
Pwoo! This is my spot! Get out!
“Waaaaahhh! Second Knight! This kid is trying to push me out!”
“Bear with it, both of you. Just six more hours,” Seong-Hwi said as he patted his hoodie pocket.
He looked up at the night sky. His eyes, gleaming with bloodlust, seemed redder than those of vampires because of the red moonlight.
***
“Ahhh~!”
“Ahhhhh~!”
Male baritone voices, the combination of a bass’s depth and tranquility and a tenor’s splendor, echoed throughout the party hall.
“Ohhh~!”
“Ohhhhh~!”
Above them were female mezzo-soprano voices, between soprano and contralto, adding to the baritone voices to fill the party hall with deep and calm harmony. The voices were coming from a choir of humans on the right side of the party hall, named Harmony in Heaven. Each singing member’s expressions were filled with anxiety.
“Hmm, are they supposed to be good?”
“Kekek, how should I know? We’re the Rabies bloodline, not the Melos bloodline.”
“The Phantom Duchess called our party last year one of inelegant barbarians.”
“Duchess Erzsebet Melos did?”
“Her remark must have triggered Marquis Demens.”
“Can we eat them?”
“Don’t. Didn’t you hear Viscount Motusch say that this year’s opening ceremony will be the greatest one yet?”
This was the party hall of the Palace of Madness, where aristocrats of the Rabies bloodline, one of the Seven Purebloods, were gathered. Hundreds of aristocrats were enduring their thirst, waiting for Marquis Demens Rabies to begin his opening remarks.
They were all either members of the Rabies bloodline or its derivative bloodlines. Some resided in Blood Castle, while others owned territories in the Mirror World.
“Hehe, this is the first Night of the Full Moon since Marquis Demens has become a World Ranker.”
“What better night to enjoy than this?!”
“Gahaha, it won’t be long until there are three dukedoms!”
“Those goddamn Amor bastards won’t be able to run their stinky mouths any longer!”
“The Rabies bloodline is Lord Mulleus’s true direct descendants! Ahaha!”
Every aristocrat ecstatically waited for their leader. Consanguineus had one king, two dukedoms, and four marquisdoms. The king was naturally Haema Sanguis, the Ninth Fiend, the eighteenth-ranked in the world, and the leader of the Sanguis of Sovereignty bloodline.
The two dukedoms were Berto Motus of the Motus of Violence bloodline and Erzsebet Melos of the Melos of Tedium bloodline. The four marquisdoms were Scite Amor of the Amor of Instinct bloodline, Grawamen Dirae of the Dirae of Burial bloodline, Semita Sigillum of the Sigillum of Betrayal bloodline, and Demens Rabies of the Rabies of Madness bloodline.
Three of them were not World Rankers: Demens Rabies, Semita Sigillum, and Grawamen Dirae. Demens was then added to the world ranking, freeing the Rabies bloodline from the indirect disrespect from the other bloodlines.
Just then, two men standing at attention on each side of the party hall’s arched entrance blew their trumpets. They simultaneously shouted, “Stand ready for the arrival of Marquis Demens Rabies, the direct descendant of Lord Mulleus Rubens Sanguineus, and the mighty aristocrat of the night who inherited the madness of the great twin moons!”
The party hall door slowly opened, and a middle-aged man with his hands behind his back walked in. He had a tattoo of two overlapping crescent moons on his pale left cheek. His pointy ears, sharp fangs, and slicked-back white hair gave off a strong-willed impression. His eyes were redder than blood, and his dark purple cloak had the same purple emblem as the tattoo on his cheek.
Demens Rabies walked down the red carpet laid out along the center of the hall, and the vampires on each side of the carpet stomped their feet as a form of respect. The stomping sound was meant to stimulate one’s madness, and everyone in the party hall smiled bizarrely.
Demens arrived at the platform and turned around, his cloak fluttering. He outstretched his arms as he let his star, Blood of Madness, rise above the skies of Blood Castle.
“Urggghhh!”
“Ahhhhh!”
Demens’s unfathomably high caliber engulfed everyone like a tsunami, filling the hall with screams of terror or ecstasy.
“Demens! Rabies!”
“Demens! Rabies!”
“Demens! Rabies!”
Waves of Blood Force and mana mixed under the thunderous cheers. A few vampires burst into tears of joy, and other vampires even got on their knees and prostrated as if worshiping a god. Demens smiled, enjoying the vampires’ reactions. He then clenched his fists, instantly silencing the hall.
“It has been a while, my brothers and sisters. I am happy that I get to spend this year’s festival alongside you with good news,” Demens said, his subtly shaking voice carrying an unsettling mana that shook the hearts of those who listened. “Now, let us begin the festival! Today marks the day that the blood of the Rabies bloodline becomes thicker!”
Cheers filled the hall again. Most of the Harmony in Heaven choir members on the right of the party hall had lost consciousness, but not the humans who were standing by as they held wagons carrying casks in a corner of the hall. The humans dressed as employees were enduring the vampires’ aura. They wore black dress pants and dress shoes, a white dress shirt, and a black vest—they were Seong-Hwi and his party, disguised as Blood Cross clansmen.
Among them, Seong-Hwi, hiding behind Wang Chen disguised as Peter Geraghty, intently observed Demens Rabies as he licked his lips.
He’s powerful, but... I should be able to kill him!
Seong-Hwi could sense Desire urging him to let it shine, but he was not a reckless warrior. He was a cunning hunter who knew the art of patience.
I will grasp... the perfect opportunity!
***
Those who know how to wait are given it all at the right time[1].
Norman Vincent Peale
1. Another quote that I couldn’t find the original of. ☜
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter