Chapter 16: Vampires

Vampires are supernatural creatures of human legend.

By consuming the blood of humans or other living beings, they are able to sustain their existence indefinitely.

The legend of the vampire originated from the folklore of the Balkan Peninsula and the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe.

In these tales, vampires were corpses of the deceased that rose from their graves to feast upon human blood.

However, over the past century, through continuous adaptations in novels, films, and pop culture, the global image of the vampire has gradually evolved into a category of fantasy creatures that must drink blood to maintain their vitality, operate at night, and possess supernatural powers.

Unlike dragons or sea monsters, they represent a fear much closer to humanity—as if they are a negation of civilizational history, the dark side of civilization itself.

Some victims die immediately after being drained, while others are assimilated into bloodthirsty ghouls, continuing to spread terror throughout the world.

Whether you believe it or not, they truly exist.

Most importantly, God would never create such a twisted species; they are a joke played upon us by the Devil.

I dare not write any further; these past few days, I have constantly heard sinister snickering coming from the attic.

Even though the wind is exceptionally strong tonight, I can still clearly hear the sound of their claws scratching against the window.

My God, I cannot let them find me; I must escape!

But where can I possibly run?

They have already caught me.

From the moment I began writing this book, my death was already predestined.

I can already hear the window being pounded violently, and that damn, polite, rhythmic knocking at the door!

(Recorded in the diary of a manor owner)

Berlin, after curfew.

A desperate, tuneless scream echoed through the dim alleyway.

A black-haired girl gripped an adult male’s neck fiercely.

Her slender palm could not even span the man’s neck, yet a monstrous strength—entirely at odds with her appearance—lifted the man, suspending him in mid-air.

Her other hand dug its sharp nails deep into the concrete wall.

Every vein was clearly visible beneath her pale skin, like threads that might snap at any moment.

Her delicate, tender face and lips were stretched to an incredible degree, a bizarre expression of either joy or sorrow appearing on her features.

“I… I’m sorry.”

The girl murmured, though it was unclear to whom she was apologizing.

The man being held aloft wore an expression of utter terror; he could feel his arteries being toyed with by the girl as if they were rubber bands.

His throat was crushed, making it difficult to breathe.

His brain felt as if it were being filled with toxic water, and as his consciousness blurred, he gradually lost the ability to think straight.

“Ugh… I can’t breathe!… Help… help me.”

“I’m sorry.”

As if responding to the man’s plea for help, the girl spoke with apology, though unlike before, this answer lacked its original hesitation.

The sound of another apology reached the man’s ears, and eyes sparkling like amethysts in the night sky appeared before him.

Why?

Why did she want to kill him?

I’ve clearly worked so hard for the magicians!

Why was there a glimmer of tears in such beautiful eyes?

But the man no longer had the time or energy to ponder this question; his vision had blurred completely.

Like meat on a chopping block or a roasted chicken, he had no way to escape.

Facing the visage of death slowly approaching him, the man felt despair—despair so profound it could perhaps no longer be called an emotion.

“I’m sorry!”

When the third apology reached his ears, the man felt a distinct difference.

The words had shifted from initial self-reproach to an instinctive excitement.

The purple gems were dyed red, and her originally slightly protruding canine teeth transformed into terrifying fangs that stabbed into his neck like razors.

Splattering blood dyed the entire alleyway the color of gore.

“Did you feel that wave of magic power the night before last?”

Li Ruoyi asked casually, looking through the car window at the neon-lit streets.

“It was subtle, but I could still feel it; it was a power identical to ours.”

Zigris hesitated for a moment before giving his answer.

“It woke me from my slumber like a resonance.”

“A dismemberment case occurred in an alleyway in the southern part of the city, right?”

Li Ruoyi flipped through the documents in his hand.

“Although Galena informed us of the threat in the city, we’ve spent several days searching, only to watch the killer commit the crime and escape with ease each time.”

“Yes, I arrived at the scene barely minutes after it happened the night before last, attempting to find a lead.”

“But due to the high concentration of the curse, I could only seal the area off temporarily.”

Zigris was clearly disappointed and continued with frustration.

“The victim’s neck was severely damaged before death; the arteries and veins were sliced open by something as sharp as a razor.”

“Since it’s during curfew, it’s not easy to detect the killer’s movements.”

“And the explanation for the general public?”

“It was publicly announced that a fantasy species had snuck into the city and attacked humans, while curfew management has been tightened.”

After hearing the swordsman’s report, Li Ruoyi slammed his fist onto the table.

The originally sturdy wooden table was instantly smashed to pieces, and the corners of his mouth pulled back in a grimace reflecting his inner rage and frustration.

“This is already the sixth person to die this week!”

“The specifics have been reported to the city guard, but since only ordinary citizens are dying, they feel there’s no need to take risks.”

“Those selfish fools—when would they ever care about the lives of mortals?”

Li Ruoyi suppressed his anger and turned his gaze back out the window.

“True, which is why it can only be left to us.”

In this moment, Zigris’s respect for Li Ruoyi grew even deeper.

Even if the youth before him were not a Human King or a descendant of an ancient hero, he would still be a sufficiently great human being.

His decision to follow this Sovereign King despite Amber’s opposition was absolutely correct.

On the path of witnessing this king’s growth, he only needed to be a silent supporter.

Suddenly, a frantic power swept through the entire vehicle.

The powerful force Li Ruoyi unleashed brought the moving car to a forced halt.

“Found them! Truly, one can search until their iron shoes are worn out and find nothing, only for the prize to be gained without any effort at all!”

Black light flowed from Li Ruoyi’s eyes.

His Eyes of Life and Death stared fixedly at a massive building not far away.

In the next instant, the overall structure of the building and exactly who was doing what were inputted into Li Ruoyi’s mind like recorded data.

The building before them was KaDeWe.

As one of Berlin’s earliest department stores, KaDeWe’s post-WWII reconstruction had restored its former glory, serving as a testament to Germany’s economic prosperity after the war.

As a jewel of the retail industry, KaDeWe has a history of over a hundred years.

As the largest department store in Europe, the KaDeWe of the past was considered a trendsetter for fashion.

Even today, in the Era of Destruction, it continues to serve its duty of circulating commodities.