Chapter 120 - The Money-Blowing Necromancer

Vampire Castle (2)

Vampires were among the better-known monsters. Their defining trait was that the more fresh blood they drank, the stronger they became. Their regeneration also increased to insane levels. That bloodsucking ability made them notorious.

'In that sense, the undead are their natural enemies.'

The undead? Most had no blood. A few species did, but fittingly for corpses, it was rotten. Drinking it would actually do more harm than good. Minwoo was the only viable source of blood here.

'Well, I just have to keep dodging.'

Their most troublesome ability, bloodsucking, was effectively half sealed.

THUD.

They were approaching the castle to the heavy sound of Dolsoe's footsteps when it happened.

"Kyaaah!"

Suddenly, a group of dark figures charged from every direction. There were roughly ten of them. Vampires were attacking under cover of night, every blood-red gaze fixed on Minwoo.

When fighting a summoner, going straight for the summoner was standard practice. These vampires must have known that too.

The undead reacted just as swiftly.

[Dolsoe uses Taunt (A) on Idran!]

Dolsoe raised his shield to block the attack from above. One vampire's head snapped around, its sights now set on the golem.

'Here we go.'

Kim Minwoo extended his hand.

[Casting Land of Death (S)!]

Land of Death activated first.

[Curse of Aging (D) +9...]

Then the curse, amplified by the Ring of Ascension, swept over their bodies.

['Serina' has been cursed!]

['Albolton' has been cursed...]

[They possess powerful blood! The curse's effects and duration are greatly reduced...]

Every vampire had a name—a characteristic of truebloods. Even so, the curse worked, reducing their Speed and Defense by around 10%.

Merhen cast a spell at the slowed vampires.

[Merhen uses Underwater Prison (SS)!]

The group charging at Kim Minwoo was trapped in prisons of water that materialized in midair. Red blood gathered over their hands, forming claws.

RIP!

Masses of blood sliced through the water. Several vampires tore open their prisons and emerged, only to be greeted by Cedric's spear as though he had been waiting.

"Kill them all!"

[Cedric activates Dragon Strike (S)!]

Blood claws collided with the long spear.

BOOM!

The vampire staggered and was driven backward.

Cedric's stats had already risen with the release of his second seal. With Land of Death's stat bonuses and a skill on top of that, he wouldn't be easily pushed back.

Dullahans, specters, and skeletons swarmed from every direction, while the mages' curses blinded the vampires. A melee erupted all around.

Amid the chaos, two vampires forced their way through and charged at Kim Minwoo.

"Fire."

"Coo."

['Snowy' shares its attribute with its master!]

[You can now use the Fire attribute!]

[Fire attribute resistance increases by 10.2%!]

Snowy's attributes had improved considerably in the meantime, enough that even attributes other than ice were now useful.

['The Law of Victory' activates!]

[All stats increase by 50%!]

[All damage increases by 50%!]

The title granted a 10% increase for every hundred levels of difference. A 50% bonus meant the gap was at least five hundred levels.

'Their levels are pretty high.'

Not that it mattered much. Fire was a vampire's nemesis.

He swung his flame-wreathed sword.

[Using Death Spirit Sword Art (S)!]

[Consuming 3,000 Mana...]

Dozens of flaming sword-energy slashes struck their bodies. Small spurts of blood were sucked back inside them, as though playing in reverse.

Source of Blood. It was one of the truebloods' passive skills. Its effect was simple: even when they bled, the blood returned to their bodies. It made them something like lesser immortals.

'The way to counter it...'

Was to wound them badly enough to spill more blood than they could recover.

He swung his sword while dodging the vampires' attacks. After three minutes of vicious melee, the first vampire's head went flying.

At that moment, the headless vampire rose, its arms dangling.

"...!"

The vampire beside it recoiled in horror.

Even a trueblood couldn't survive decapitation. A high-ranking noble might, but the trueblood who had just died was only a commoner.

'Could it be?'

That ominous suspicion soon became reality. The now-undead vampire plunged its claws into its companion's body.

The battle began to turn decisively.

* * *

RUMBLE.

For the first time in decades, a coffin in the castle opened. A vampire lay inside, surrounded by sloshing blood.

"We greet Your Grace, the great Duke Timorn."

The gathered vampires bowed respectfully to the vampire who had opened his eyes in the coffin. He possessed power worthy of such reverence. He was a noble even among truebloods—and a duke, the highest noble rank at that.

"Why have you awakened me?"

Biting their lips, the vampires all dropped to their knees.

"... Please help us, Your Grace. A necromancer has invaded. He is an enemy beyond our ability to handle."

Interest stirred in the duke's eyes.

A vampire's power was determined by its blood. In other words, truebloods were strong from birth—strong enough to have left countless intruders as food for the crows since settling here.

If they still needed to seek him out...

The duke rose from his coffin.

He moved with a smooth, gliding motion, the remaining truebloods following reverently behind him.

As he proceeded, the duke narrowed his eyes at the sensation of vitality draining from his body.

'An irritating little trick.'

Of course, losing a little vitality was no major concern for someone of his caliber. It was merely annoying.

Before long, the devastated banquet hall came into view.

Blood splattered everywhere. Furnishings scattered in disarray. Countless undead, and a human standing calmly in their midst.

Timorn's eyes narrowed.

'A necromancer.'

A summoner who controlled the undead.

Some of those undead were even truebloods who had already been reduced to corpses. It appeared that the human had used a special ability to raise the vampires he had killed.

'I see roughly what's happened.'

A necromancer had invaded, and their efforts to stop him had only strengthened his forces.

The duke stepped forward. Instantly, a woman holding a parasol unleashed a spell.

CRACK!

An enormous bolt of lightning hurtled toward the duke. The truebloods trembled at the sight. Several of their companions had already died to that witch's magic.

Then blood surged up, enclosing the duke in a sphere.

HISS!

The lightning struck the blood and dissipated in an instant.

"You command some intriguing servants."

Timorn began staring intently at Kim Minwoo, his interest evident.

* * *

One vampire wore unmistakably antique finery. Everything about his presence was unusual. A group of vampires had trailed closely behind him from the moment he entered the banquet hall.

'That must be it.'

The reason this mission offered five hundred thousand points plus an extra reward—it seemed to be that vampire.

[The castle's boss, 'Duke Timorn,' appears!]

The message also confirmed that this was no ordinary opponent. A duke, no less.

Minwoo ordered Merhen to attack as a test. The magic that had shredded so many truebloods barely worked on the duke.

'High magic resistance.'

Well, he was a duke, after all. He would have lived for hundreds of years, so naturally his level would be high too.

Merhen's Magic Power had increased dramatically with the release of her second seal, but there was nothing to be done about the level gap.

Minwoo sent the truebloods raised by Land of Death at him to test his physical abilities. The undead vampires charged with their mouths gaping.

They had long since lost their racial abilities upon rising as undead, but their physical capabilities alone made them useful.

"Kyaaah!"

The duke frowned at the undead rushing him from every direction.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue and waved a hand. More than ten undead vampires were instantly split in half.

'... He's seriously strong.'

He was weaker than the Balkan Minwoo had encountered in the previous arrangement. The problem was that he wasn't alone. Nearly sixty truebloods had followed him in.

Having only just killed around forty, Minwoo now faced one hurdle after another.

'Good thing I brought the bombs.'

Without them, he would have had to be prepared to die attempting this mission.

"I shall grant you a glorious life."

The vampire's fangs gleamed sharply. Greed overflowed in the duke's eyes.

'Is he planning to turn me into a vampire?'

Vampires could turn those whose blood they drank into thralls. Of course, they couldn't create an unlimited number, so they chose their thralls carefully.

Apparently, he coveted Minwoo's abilities.

'Perfect.'

To make someone a thrall, he had to sink his fangs into their neck. Minwoo had needed to close the distance to use a Light Bomb anyway. Judging by the duke's greedy eyes, that wouldn't be a concern.

Sure enough, the duke began closing in. The truebloods also converged from every direction.

While the undead army engaged the truebloods, Minwoo charged the duke alongside Cedric and Dolsoe.

[Dolsoe uses Taunt (A) on Timorn!]

[The target's standing is too high! Taunt has no effect...]

Perhaps because the level gap was too large, Taunt didn't work.

WHOOSH!

Dolsoe swung his mace. The duke ducked effortlessly beneath it, and Cedric thrust his spear at him.

Shadow Spear combined with Dragon Strike—a powerful combo dealing fourteen times the damage.

The duke simply caught the spear in his hand.

Cedric opened his jaws wide and unleashed his breath attack. The duke opened his mouth as well. A bloody mist flowed out, swallowing the breath attack completely.

Kim Minwoo seized the opening and thrust.

['The Law of Victory' activates!]

[All stats increase by 80%...]

A monster over level one thousand.

The Death Spirit Sword sank shallowly into his waist. A few drops of blood trickled out, only to be absorbed back into his body.

The duke's head snapped around. Timorn looked at Minwoo with a chilling smile, desire blazing in his eyes.

"I want you."

He remained composed throughout, as though the possibility of defeat had never crossed his mind.

"Want a present?"

"...?"

The duke tilted his head at the unexpected remark. A small cluster of light appeared in Minwoo's hand—a Light Bomb taken from his inventory.

[Using Light Bomb!]

[Allies will not be harmed!]

"...!"

The duke's eyes flew wide.

An eerie sensation made his hair stand on end. He hurriedly formed a shield of blood, but it was useless against the light exploding right before his face.

"Aaargh!"

The light was bright enough to blind. The nearby truebloods were caught in it too, their bodies torn apart like ants swept up in a typhoon.

When the explosion faded, the duke, burned all over, coughed blood from his mouth.

"Ghaa..."

He was clearly gravely injured. Yet he hadn't died. Such was the extent of his power.

Rage filled his eyes after that utterly unexpected blow.

"... You bastard. I'll kill you."

"Oh, I've got another one."

"...?"

BOOM!

Another enormous explosion erupted. He had somehow weathered the first, but a second was too much even for him.

All the blood in his body evaporated, leaving him shriveled like a mummy.

When the light that had seemed endless finally faded, the duke was a wretched sight.

"Blood... Give me... blood..."

He desperately craved blood.

Unfortunately, that wish would never come true. Minwoo and his forces weren't weak enough to fall to a duke left utterly debilitated by the loss of all his blood.

Under the attacks of the undead swarming from every direction, his body crumbled like a cracker.

'Worth the points.'

To think just two bombs could take down a monster like that so decisively. They didn't cost five hundred thousand points apiece for nothing.

Kim Minwoo approached the duke.

"Goodbye."

The Death Spirit Sword severed his neck.

At that moment...

[The Death Spirit Sword absorbs its prey's blood!]

[A powerful foe! Absorption greatly increases! (4/10)]

'Huh?'

When he had killed the demonized Han Baekgil, the Death Spirit Sword's absorption count had been one. Now it had jumped straight to four.

'Is it like Balkan?'

Just as feeding Balkan blood had raised the value by two thousand at a time, this seemed to work on a similar mechanism. It was further proof of just how strong the duke had been.

The messages didn't end there.

[Title acquired: 'Executioner of the Vampire Duke'...]

[A new entry in The Beginning of a Legend – Part One...]

[All entries in Part One completed! (10/10)]

[As a reward, you acquire the title 'Part One Completer'!]

[The Beginning of a Legend – Part Two is created!]

Those were the title acquisition messages.

[Vampire Castle mission completed!]

[Rewards granted!]

[1. You acquire 500,000 points!]

[2. You receive a VVIP Shop Unlock Ticket!]

The hidden question-mark reward apparently turned out to be a VVIP Shop Unlock Ticket.