Free Web NovelStep by step, she descended the staircase.
Leaving behind the opulent hall crowded with vampires, Vieya vanished into the spiral staircase that wound down into the darkness.
Unlike the brightly lit castles of humans, a vampire’s fortress was shrouded mostly in shadow.
The gold-engraved railings glittered with embedded jewels, and every time Vieya brushed past them, an inexplicable urge flickered through her mind—to pry a few loose and take them along.
“......”
Wait. That’s not right.
Since when did I get so greedy...?
Shaking the stray thought away, Vieya quickened her pace, refusing to glance again at the tempting gemstones glimmering in the dim.
She reached the sixth floor.
“Strange. Why isn’t anyone here... Where did Sally and the others go? That little vampire said they hadn’t started the ritual yet, that the blood-bags were still ‘vigorously alive,’ didn’t she?”
After checking the sixth floor and finding no trace of anyone, Vieya moved downward.
The fifth floor.
Suddenly—
A familiar voice reached her ears.
Vieya halted and scanned the area as she stepped off the stairs.
Unlike the beehive-like isolation cells of the sixth floor, the fifth floor was wide and open, lined with rows of stone statues—so much so that she almost thought she had stepped into a cathedral of the convent again.
Except here, the statues were of generations of Vampire Queens, while those in the convent were of the Thirteen Apostles of the God of Light.
Twelve crystal chandeliers hung from the dome, casting a dim dusk-colored glow—the only source of light on this level.
Scarlet velvet draperies cascaded down from the thirty-meter-high arch, and the voice came from beneath those curtains.
Elizabeth twirled her wrist, and the small “blood-bags” standing nearby hurried to refill her silver cup with brownish-red honey-blood tea. She took a satisfied sip and said,
“I’m not the kind of adult who likes to preach, but someone has to do it. And I’m not some gentle, kind-hearted big sister either—but let’s just say... I’m the kind of g—uh, person who likes to snack once in a while!”
“I know none of you want to stay here. You want to go back to your parents, to burn this place to ashes, and bury the memories deep in the past.”
“But unfortunately, everyone who’s been bitten by a vampire...!”
The hall went silent.
Vieya poked Elizabeth’s waist. “What are you even talking about?”
“Ah!”
“You—cough, Teacher, when did you come back? You didn’t run into trouble, did you?”
Elizabeth’s expression stiffened before she sighed and changed the subject. “It’s just that ever since I was bitten, my body’s been heating up. So I was reminding these poor kids to be careful. Their resistance isn’t as good as mine.”
Vieya frowned. “Really. I’ll take a look at you later. But—where’s the cat?”
“She’s checking the lower three floors for survivors. I’m responsible for the fourth, fifth, and sixth.”
As Elizabeth explained, she glanced down at her tiny teacher, who barely stood a meter and a half tall.
Biting back a laugh, she kept her tone serious. “We agreed to meet on this floor. She should be here soon.”
Vieya relaxed and turned the questioning back on her student. “Are you sure you’ve recovered? You’re not afraid of overexerting yourself? I told you to act together!”
Elizabeth shook her head. “It’s fine. Maybe the Queen’s bite had some unexpected effect. My recovery’s been much faster than I thought.”
Then, looking slightly uneasy, she added, “But I might’ve really caught something... If I start craving blood later, what do I do?”
“Teacher...” Elizabeth suddenly grabbed her hand, her expression crumbling from cheer to worry in a heartbeat. “If I don’t drink blood, will I lose control?”
“I don’t know.”
Vieya tried to pull her hand back but didn’t succeed. She sighed. “I’ll figure something out. If not, I’ll ask Lilian to take a look at you.”
“You’re so nice.” Elizabeth smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Vieya then reintroduced herself to the group of children. Her skillful disguises left Sally and the others in awe. During their brief conversation, she learned that after Vieya had left yesterday, Sally had gathered the remaining survivors together.
That was why Elizabeth had been able to find everyone so quickly.
Helcat wasn’t slow either. Within half an hour, she returned with a group of frail, ragged people.
“Meow, just seeing these dirty little things makes me feel better already.”
Those from the lower three floors were in much worse shape than Sally’s group.
Most suffered from various illnesses caused by the filth and poor air, and their stomachs were sunken with hunger, faces pale and lifeless.
There weren’t many people per floor, but once gathered, the crowd was large enough to be troublesome.
“So... little Teacher,” Elizabeth said, lowering her head slightly to meet Vieya’s eyes, “how do you plan to get all these people out?”
“I got a general idea of the fortress’s structure from that little vampire. It’s like a buried egg—the yolk and white are the castle and its empty chambers, and the shell is a protective layer separating it from the surrounding soil.”
Vieya paused, then continued,
“So all I need to do is poke a hole in the shell to make a tunnel to the surface.”
What kind of insane plan is that... you might as well just blow up my castle!
“Little Teacher, there’s actually a better way,” Elizabeth said helplessly after a moment. “I remember the path they used to bring me here. If we follow that same route, we can reach the exit directly.”
“That way, we won’t have to waste time or energy digging a new passage, and we can save our strength in case something happens.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Why would I lie to you?”
“Then I’ll trust you.”
Vieya placed a hand on her hip and smiled. “Don’t disappoint me, then.”
...
At the same time—
Having received the Queen’s command, the vampire girl broke free of her restraints, walked back into the hall, and addressed the assembled blood kin.
“Everyone, by Her Majesty’s decree—we are about to face a great battle. Against the humans on the surface. This will be a war where we stake our lives.”
“But,” she added, “you all have the right to choose. Those who wish to stay and fight, follow me. Those who wish to leave—the Queen will not stop you. When the intruders reach the surface, each of you may act as you will.”
The hall erupted instantly.
“War with the humans?! But this is inside human territory! They’ll have endless reinforcements, and we’ll be on our own!”
“How could the Queen decide this... isn’t this suicide?!” freewēbnoveℓ.com
Their reaction was far more explosive than she’d expected.
None of them wanted to abandon this hard-won territory—their paradise, their Eden of pleasure and comfort.
Laisa bit her lip. She couldn’t understand either.
Was this castle—this base they’d spent years building—truly just a disposable amusement to the Queen?
Strangely, she suddenly began to miss her father and mother.
Right now, they felt like the only people in the world who would never abandon her.
...
Rumble... Rumble...
Wave after wave of tremors rippled up from underground. Countless townsfolk rushed from their homes, faces pale with dread.
They all knew what had been happening lately—and how resolute the Church and the Demon-Hunting Order were in their crusade to exterminate vampires.
Cavalry thundered through the streets on horseback, shouting through amplifying runes:
“All human residents, evacuate the districts immediately! Gather in the central square for Holy # Nоvеlight # Church inspection!”
“Those who pass the inspection will receive a reward of one hundred gold coins!”
Rumble!
Lightning split the sky. Rain poured down in sheets.
The numb, terrified townspeople cried as they were herded toward the square.
In its center stood rows of white-robed priests, chanting from their sacred tomes.
On the massive platform above, dozens of crucifixes loomed—each one nailed with a body.
At a glance, the crowd recognized them.
“Lord Beck? Administrator Akm...”
Gasps and shrieks spread. The ones crucified were well-known—prominent figures, nobles who had once shown kindness to the people.
But now, they were branded heretics. Speared through hands and feet, nailed to crosses, awaiting judgment.
The Inquisitor unrolled a parchment, standing tall on the platform. Rain lashed down as his voice boomed like thunder over the crowd.
“Foolish people! Cast aside your fear and your pity! These are no longer our kin—they are demons who drank our lifeblood!”
“The cries of the missing children—do you still remember them?!”
“The despair of parents who lost their sons and daughters—can you feel their grief?!”
He raised his arms, shouting through the storm,
“They are the enemy! Monsters who deserve the Holy Flame! Apostates who have forsaken humanity itself!”
“Burn them!”
“Burn them!”
The chant spread through the crowd.
Some were the very parents of the missing children. Their eyes burned crimson with rage as they waved their arms, screaming.
The torrential rain could not douse their fury.
They wanted fire—wanted it now.
They raged.
They roared.
They cried out together—
“Burn them!”
Lightning illuminated their faces—twisted, feral, almost demonic.
