Free Web NovelA light shadow leapt from the massive crystal chandelier hanging above.
The girl wore a white coat, its hem billowing in the air as she descended.
She held no weapon, yet her cold gaze sliced through the crowd below like a blade, sharp enough to make hearts seize.
Laisa instinctively blurted out the name—“Xiao Wei?”
Even with her hair color changed, that familiar figure and those unforgettable emerald eyes brought all her memories rushing back at once.
Clack!
Vieya landed lightly on her feet. She lifted her head and swept her eyes across the room.
The moment their gazes met, the vampires around her drew back. Not one of them dared to approach.
“What do you want, coming back here?” Without the queen present, even Laisa’s tone had lost much of its former confidence. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Still, she stood at the front of the gathered vampires, the weakest one among them, shielding them with her small frame.
To the others, that stance made her a symbol of fearlessness and devout loyalty.
Vieya, however, paid her no attention. She brushed past and walked straight toward the control chamber behind them, her goal unmistakable.
“You’re trying to disable the castle’s autonomous defenses, aren’t you?” Laisa called out. Seeing the other’s pace slow slightly, she hurried to add, “But you should know—the defenses of our fortress aren’t concentrated in one place.”
“If you’re thinking of unlocking them so your two companions can escape, forget it. Without a vampire to guide you, even if you find all seven control switches, you still can’t open the gates that only our kind can enter.”
Catching her breath, she went on, “And if you just destroy everything blindly, the defenses will remain active until their magic is exhausted!”
“I know you’re not afraid of those defenses—but your companions are, right?”
With that, Laisa found her confidence again. She was certain the other woman wouldn’t risk her friends’ lives.
The vampires exchanged uneasy looks. They all knew how brutal those defenses were—less than a one-percent survival rate for any creature below Tier Six that tried to charge through.
This might be only the Demon Queen’s temporary palace, but it was also the first bastion meant for the demons’ counterattack into human territory. Its defensive and countermeasure systems were top-grade.
Still, Laisa’s words carried a lie. In addition to the seven dispersed switches, there was a master control switch—but it was linked to the fortress’s self-destruct button. The Queen herself had reinforced its detonation power.
If it exploded inside the castle, it could obliterate all of Fengxiang Town in a single breath.
Even high-ranked beings might barely survive the shockwave, but ordinary humans and most buildings would be annihilated. The vampires wouldn’t have time to flee the blast radius either.
Before a temperature of tens of millions of degrees, even their miraculous regeneration would mean nothing—vaporized in an instant, dead before thought could even form.
If you asked whether they feared death—most would answer yes.
Laisa swallowed hard. She didn’t fear pain, but death... that was different.
“So, can you help me unlock the defenses of this fortress?” Vieya turned her head to ask.
Even though they were still enemies, she said it in the tone of asking a friend for a favor.
No sane person would talk like that.
Laisa suddenly realized—Xiao Wei wasn’t as flawless as she’d imagined.
But this kind of madness suited her; it made her feel real.
“What’s with that look...” Vieya frowned, sensing insult, and said with forced patience, “Anyway, since your queen isn’t here, I’ll ask you all—will you choose loyalty, or wisdom?”
Loyalty meant death.
Wisdom meant knowing when to yield.
“Just who do you think you are, lowly human, trying to order us noble vampires around?!” one vampire suddenly roared at her.
“Stop dreaming, filthy human brat!”
He lunged, clawed hand slicing through the air, cheered on by his kin.
“Kill that wretched human! Let her become our blood pack!”
“Go, Lord Blackcloud!”
“Lord Blackcloud fought alongside the Queen herself! If he’s stepping in, this fight’s already won!”
Excitement rippled through the hall—then another vampire dashed forward, his palm transforming into a blade of blood aimed at Vieya’s back.
A pincer attack from both sides!
“Lord Whitesoil’s joining too! Amazing! That arrogant human is finished!”
“She’s so small—what if there’s not enough blood for everyone to share later?”
“—!”
Laisa froze in horror. “Are you insane?! The Queen ordered you not to touch her!”
And besides—weren’t they just running to their own deaths?!
“Who cares, the Queen’s not here! Laisa, just stand aside and watch your seniors put on a show!”
A show? More like a disgrace!
The little vampire stomped her foot angrily, wanting to intervene—but both of those “seniors” were over Tier Seven. Even the aftermath of their blows could fling her clear across the hall.
So she could only watch as the two “veterans” were knocked flat in an instant, kicked back into the crowd of vampires like rag dolls.
What did it mean to be the strongest?
The difference was obvious.
If only I were the one she kicked... thought Laisa dreamily as she stared at the fallen elders. But for now—
“This can’t be real...”
“Both of them... lost?!”
“Is Heaven abandoning our race?!”
Without the Queen’s authority to hold them together, the vampires—barely two years under her command—immediately fell into chaos. Some wanted to fight to the end to preserve their pride; others only wanted to flee.
“B-Boss Blood! You’re the highest rank here besides the Queen! What do we do? Give us a plan!”
“A plan?”
The so-called Blood Boss glared fiercely at Vieya—but the instant he met her emerald eyes, his head snapped down again, his heart pounding in terror.
This human girl’s blood was not safe to drink. Probably only the Queen herself could handle it...
He rubbed his chin like a sculpted Thinker and said slowly,
“In my opinion, we should take a long-term view. As humans say—‘If the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.’ We must learn from our enemies in order to defeat them...”
“S-So... what does that mean?” The vampires didn’t really understand his lofty phrasing but found it impressive anyway.
“It means... we should be the wise ones.”
...
Click, click.
The red lights on each floor of the fortress gradually dimmed. The defenses were deactivated.
Vieya exhaled in relief. Good—now things would be simple.
All that was left was for the black cat and her student to gather the survivors,
then interrogate the vampires for directions out.
“The others said that apart from the Queen, only you know how to open the fortress exit?” Vieya asked.
“I do,” said Laisa brightly.
“Then can you—”
“Tell you? Are you out of your mind? Why would I tell you how to leave? Unless you step on me with your foot...”
“......”
Vieya paused, frowning. “Are you sick?”
“Mm-hmm. The sickness was beaten into me by you...” Laisa crouched down in front of her and murmured, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you feel good too...”
“......”
Vieya gave a cold snort. She tore a strip of cloth and tied the little vampire up, binding her to a support pillar and stuffing the leftover cloth into her mouth.
Laisa: “?”
“I’ll come back to grant your wish in nine hours. Until then, stay tied up and don’t move.”
Vieya tossed the words over her shoulder, then strode out of the hall.
Outside the doorway, a whole crowd of vampires stood in silence.
She didn’t say a word to them, simply walked straight out through the gates.
Inside, bound to the pillar, Laisa stared blankly after her.
She won’t even hit me anymore...?
Lowering her head to look at her trussed-up body, she realized Vieya had even wrapped her in a carpet before tying her down—just to avoid touching her directly.
That was... too much.
And besides, her “nine hours” promise was obviously a lie. Nine hours was plenty of time for the Hero and her companions to escape this defenseless fortress a hundred times over.
Slowly, Laisa’s body began to melt into liquid form, preparing to slip free of the bindings—
But then, a voice echoed in her mind.
The Queen’s voice.
“Let them go.”
