Chapter 303: 160. Yet Another King -3 (Part One)

Translated by A Passing Wanderer

Edited by RED

Two days had passed by since the vampires launched their assault.

No, more correctly, today would be the third day.

Count Hans Jerurami was currently hiding in a room located inside the Imperial Palace.

The flames of war were still blazing fiercely outside. Despite the palace being far away from the outer walls, he could still hear the continuous stream of screams coming from there.

‘Just how long am I supposed to hide like this?’

Hans calculated all sorts of things in his head. By now, the news of the Army of Blood’s invasion should’ve reached Aslan. Although it depended on the prevailing weather conditions, this news should reach its intended recipient as quickly as possible by using communication crystals as well as messenger birds.

‘Alright, now let’s see. Let’s assume His Majesty the Holy King sets off immediately after receiving the news. If I consider the Bone Wyvern’s flight speed as well as the weather conditions, then calculate when he might get here, assuming he doesn’t take any detours or breaks… Tomorrow? Or maybe, tomorrow evening?’

Hans continued to mutter to himself while huddling under a desk.

The vampires tunnelled underground to reach the outskirts of the capital and launched their assault after waiting for four days by the mountain range. So, it’d be seven days after adding the three days of bitter fighting.

The undead bastards proved to be near-unstoppable and merciless after they were given enough time to finish their thorough preparations. Even now, the numbers of victims were climbing rapidly.

Right then, several loud bangs sounded out from the door after someone pounded on it. The noise was loud and sudden, and Hans shrank away in fright.

“Count Hans! Are you in?”

‘Sir Harman?!’

Yes, I can live!

Hans hurriedly shot up from his hiding spot and flung the door wide open.

Harman was panting heavily, as if he had been running through the Imperial Palace’s halls. More Paladins were standing silently behind him, while an old Priest was accompanying them all.

“Sir Harman! What has happened so far? Can we stop the vampire menace?”

“Before that, we need you to accompany us, sir.”

“Pardon?”

Harman reached out and grabbed Hans’s arm, before pulling him outside. The Paladins surrounded the confused Alchemist and escorted him.

Hans asked. “W-what is going on that you need me…?”

“We found traces of a vampire infiltrating the Imperial Palace.”

“…!”

“Also, this creature seems to be considerably skilled. Several members of the Golden Cross have been killed so far.”

An even more confused expression floated up on Hans’s face.

Why was he being told of this news?

While he was thinking about that, Hans got a feeling that the Paladins and Harman were guiding him underground.

‘Aha, so that’s what it was. We are evacuating.’

That was what Hans thought, but then Harman said something that betrayed his expectation. “I was informed that Your Lordship was entrusted with the redesign of the underground prison, Count Hans.”

Hans couldn’t help but tilt his head.

The place he redesigned? That could only be…

“Ah, yes. Well… uh, soon after His Highness the Seventh Imperial Prince ascended to the position of the Holy King, I was urgently summoned before His Imperial Majesty, yes.”

Hans recalled the words the Holy Emperor had said back then.

{I’ve been informed that you are the one my grandson trusts the most, beside Marquis Heraiz. And also, that you’re the number one in the continent in terms of alchemic technique.}

Hans back then could only chuckle wryly at that.

The number one in the continent? Indeed, Hans thought of himself as such, but hearing that directly from the Holy Emperor sure made him feel strange.

{That’s why I had an idea. There is something I’d like you to do for me. It’s a very simple matter, as well.}

That was when Hans was allowed inside the underground labyrinth that, other than a handful of people who included the Holy King and the Holy Emperor, none could ever hope to gain entrance to.

“Count Hans, sir. We do not know the layout of the interior. That’s why…”

“Wait a minute. You can’t be asking me to guide you down there, are you? Sir Harman?”

Harman sneaked a glance in Hans’s way, before nodding silently.

“How strong is the vampire infiltrating the palace, Sir Harman?”

“…We estimate it to be above Marquis in rank.”

Hans’s steps came to an immediate stop. “Oh my gods, do we even have enough combat strength to deal with a vampire of such calibre?!”

His shocked cry prompted the old Priest to step forward and take a slight bow. “My name is Cardinal Urael.”

Hans was stunned by the revelation of the latter’s status, which was incredibly high, then hurriedly bowed his head. Even then, a thought still popped up in his head and he simply had to ask away. “I beg your pardon, but… Have you ever hunted vampires before, Your Eminence?”

Cardinal Urael took his time before cautiously replying, “I have prior experience hunting a Baron-class.”

‘We are screwed. At this rate, I might meet my maker before my time!’

Hans rubbed his temples hard. But he didn’t need long to regain his reasoning, and began tilting his head a little. “Wait. If it’s that underground prison, then I don’t think there’s a reason for us to go down there.”

Harman and Cardinal Urael stared back at him with puzzled faces.

“Sure, that labyrinth was already like a deadly maze even before I remodelled it, and uh, I did install various traps down there. But well…” Hans recalled a few of the traps down there and continued speaking, “No vampire will escape from there unscathed. I created a special guardian and placed it there, you see.”

**

‘Dammit, just where is he?!’

Kirum utilised the physical attributes of a vampire to dash around inside the underground labyrinth.

His entire surroundings were seemingly made out of nothing but walls. There were small holes in them, and although faint, Kirum could sense divine power and energy belonging to some kind of Runes.

The longer he ran inside this labyrinth, the colder the chill running down Kirum’s spine grew.

‘These traps… they are not activating?’

It felt as if he was being lured in even deeper.

The members of the Imperial Family were clearly insane. If a vampire dared to infiltrate their home base, surely the normal thing to do would be to stop or chase the intruder away, yet he was being pulled in even deeper?

Not to forget, the Imperial Family had this nasty hobby of torturing vampires in the worst, most deplorable ways. Nothing was out of bounds for these despicable humans!

‘No, it’ll be fine. I’ve received the power of His Majesty the Vampire King, after all.’

Having become a Duke-class now, he boasted far more resilient life force than ever before. Even if he was killed here, his spare lives would surely come to his rescue.

It was at this very moment that Kirum picked up the familiar scent of blood. The smell of his kin was wafting through the air. That indicated that he had finally reached his destination.

Such thoughts entered Kirum’s mind, but when he turned around a corner…

“…What is that thing?”

For a moment there, he was overcome with delusion that his own breath was clogging up.

That was because he had discovered a liquid monster around five metres in height right in front of his nose. This bizarre monster had a humanoid silhouette, its limbs were extremely thick, and its body rippled and wavered like slime.

Its surface, meanwhile, was filled with bones and rotting flesh.

‘Oh my gods, isn’t that…?!’

All semblance of colour fled from Duke Kirum’s complexion.

This acrid metallic stench that stung his nose, and the demonic energy emitted by the ‘golem’ before him…

‘It’s a Bloody Golem!’

It was a guardian entity that Count Timong had tried to construct back in his northern lair.

Goosebumps broke out all over Kirum’s skin. His mind was trying to reject this reality, too.

Why was such a monster inside the labyrinth right below the Imperial Family’s palace?!

This guardian monster utilised demonic energy, and required a high degree of technique to construct, too.

The Bloody Golem that Count Timong had worked so hard to make into reality…

Even Count Timong couldn’t think of an object capable of maintaining the Golem’s body, and in the end, he had failed to produce this monster.

Kirum’s incredulous gaze landed on the crimson ‘rock’ deep within the Golem’s liquid-like body.

That was the heart of Mist Calf. Mana was writhing out violently from there. Mana and demonic energy were combined together to help this monstrosity move.

The damn Imperial bastards managed to complete this monster by adding the blood and flesh of vampires and lycans to that heart!

“They are all mad…!”

What kind of horrifying zealots were these people?!

They outwardly showed off clean-cut images of worshipping their gods, yet they didn’t hesitate to create something as horrifying as this.

These Imperials, they were…

“You sons of devils-!”

…all devils!

The Bloody Golem suddenly opened its mouth wide. Broken shards of rib bones spread open like rows of sharp fangs.

-Ku-eeeeeeeehk!-

The viscous monster rushed towards Kirum. Blood containing demonic energy spluttered and rose up, before extending like a whip to smash into the vampire hard.

Kirum hurriedly extended his own claws and tried to block the incoming strike. He heard the sound of bones being crushed coming from his arm.

It didn’t stop there; ‘bones’ protruded from the whip of blood shooting out from the Bloody Golem. They were actually the fangs of a lycan, and their sharp tips punctured straight into Kirum’s arm.

The vampire looked down at his own arm. Blood trickled out from all those puncture wounds, and the Bloody Golem was absorbing all the lost blood.

‘Dammit!’

Kirum was a vampire who specialised in infiltration and interrogation. He might possess specialised techniques for fleeing or violating someone, but truth be told, he was definitely not a combat type.

‘It’ll take too long to get rid of this Golem.’

Most importantly, the Paladins must’ve noticed things by now. If they showed up here, then that would make the matters much more complicated.

Kirum yanked his arm away and quickly retreated. He turned around and urgently fled from there.

The Bloody Golem chased after him; its body seemed to crumble all of a sudden, only for its outline to shift into that of a lion. Its hind legs kicked the ground with great strength to push the creature up into the air.

Its maw split wide open. Dozens of broken rib bones inside began spinning around as if it wanted to grind and devour its prey.

Kirum screamed in shock.

The Imperial Family! What a bunch of horrifying monsters they were!