Chapter 619: Punishment

With Ethan out of the house, Nina was living the dream—barely any work to do and full access to his PlayStation 5. Life couldn’t get any sweeter.

She was deep into the game, fingers flying across the controller, her skills sharp and precise. The action was intense, and for a moment, she was completely lost in it.

“Damn, you’re killing it,” a voice suddenly murmured right next to her ear.

“Yeah, this is just basic stuff for me…” Nina replied without thinking, already gearing up to brag a little.

But then it hit her—something was off. Her hands froze mid-game, and she slowly turned her head.

Standing beside her, seemingly out of nowhere, was a tall figure in a crisp white shirt, his profile strikingly handsome.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Ethan said casually.

Nina shot up like a spring, fumbling to shut off the game. She scrambled to hide the half-eaten bag of chips and the can of soda she’d been nursing.

“B-boss?! When did you get back?”

“Just now.”

“Uh… I, uh…” Nina’s face was a mess of panic and guilt. “I finished all my work first, I swear. Then I just played a little to unwind.”

“It’s fine,” Ethan said, clearly unbothered. His eyes swept the room. Everything looked clean and tidy, just like he’d left it.

Well, almost everything. Nina herself looked a little… rounder than before.

“You’ve evolved,” he said.

“Huh? Evolved into what?” Nina blinked, confused.

“A couch potato,” Ethan replied, then turned and headed toward the bathroom without another word.

Nina stood there, stunned. She looked down at her soft, pudgy belly and muttered to herself, “Maybe it’s time to go on a diet…”

…

After his shower, Ethan changed into a fresh white shirt and sank into the plush couch, taking in the familiar comfort of home.

God, it felt good to be back.

All he’d ever wanted was to live quietly, undisturbed by the chaos of the outside world. That simple dream had driven him to conquer the entire North American continent.

Now, finally, he could relax.

He poured himself a glass of “juice,” took a slow sip, then pulled out an S-tier crystal core—an ultra-rare gem of pure energy—and popped it into his mouth.

As it dissolved, a warm surge of power spread through his body, soothing every nerve and muscle. It was like soaking in a hot spring made of pure vitality.

“Damn, nothing beats a top-grade crystal core…” Ethan murmured to himself. Too bad they were so rare—there were only a handful left in the entire world.

And each one had its own unique sensation.

Ding ding ding!

His phone buzzed with a new message. He glanced at the screen—it was from Mia.

“How’s the new katana?”

“Works great,” he replied without much thought.

A moment later, another message popped up:

“How’d the fight go? You didn’t bring back anything weird again, did you?”

“Nope.”

“Good,” Mia responded. She was just checking in—better safe than sorry. After all, Ethan had a habit of dragging home “souvenirs.”

Like those spiders and Devourer Ants from Angeles National Forest—both extremely dangerous to humans.

Ethan paused, then typed back:

“But… The Crimson Count might be on his way. And that alien creature? It won’t be long before it shows up too.”

Mia: “…”

…

Beneath the pitch-black night sky, the vast ocean stretched endlessly like a yawning abyss.

A massive island floated silently on the surface, surrounded by crashing waves that slammed into jagged rocks, sending white spray high into the air with a thunderous roar.

At the edge of the island’s cliffs stood a towering, ancient castle—its silhouette like a slumbering beast, exuding a suffocating sense of power and dread.

Inside the castle, a man lounged in a pool of blood, soaking as if in a luxurious bath.

His eyes were half-closed, his expression one of deep satisfaction.

The blood in the pool rippled gently, glowing with a sinister crimson sheen under the flickering candlelight. The whole scene radiated an eerie, almost otherworldly beauty.

After a moment, the sound of footsteps echoed through the chamber—sharp, deliberate.

A woman emerged from the shadows, her posture respectful, head slightly bowed.

“Dad,” she said softly.

The Crimson Count opened his eyes. Calm. Deep. Unreadable.

“Malcolm is dead?” he asked.

Sophia nodded. “Yes. Things went sideways during the battle. First, we were hit hard by Genesis Biotech’s mech army. Then, out of nowhere, a hundred thousand-strong Japanese Zombie Horde showed up. If not for that, we might’ve stood a chance against the so-called strongest Zombie King in America.”

The Crimson Count didn’t seem interested in the details. “Then why are you still alive?”

“I…” Sophia faltered, her eyes darting.

“I know. A loser’s words are just excuses,” she said quickly. “I only survived because I read the battlefield well and got lucky.”

“This fight was brutal. Our Zombie Horde was completely outmatched. No matter how well I commanded, there was no turning the tide.”

“Dad—You can’t make something out of nothing. But if you still think I deserve punishment, I’ll accept it.”

The Crimson Count listened in silence, not interrupting.

All the schemes in the world meant nothing in the face of overwhelming power. And by Sophia’s account, they’d simply been outgunned. No shame in that—just reality.

“Fine,” he said at last, his voice low and steady. “Then you’ll be punished.”

Sophia’s eyes widened. A chill ran down her spine.

His punishments were infamous—excruciating beyond belief. For vampires, whose regenerative abilities made death nearly impossible, pain was a long, drawn-out affair.

“H-how… how do you plan to punish me?”

“I want you to redeem yourself,” The Crimson Count said, rising slowly from the blood pool.

Thick, glistening rivulets of crimson slid down his sculpted body, tracing strange, mesmerizing patterns across his skin.

“We can’t let that Zombie King in Los Angeles grow any stronger. While there’s still a gap between us, we’ll strike with everything we’ve got and wipe him out completely.”

“Ah…”

Sophia’s gaze lingered on his powerful frame, but her mind was racing.

She understood exactly what he meant. After the battle in Canada, that American Zombie King had absorbed a ton of high-grade crystal cores. He was becoming a real threat.

The Crimson Count wanted to crush him before he reached his full potential.

Sophia’s heart leapt. This “punishment” was actually a golden opportunity.

“Understood, Dad. I won’t let you down this time.”

“Good. Go gather your brothers and sisters. We’re moving out.”

“We?” Sophia blinked, surprised—then it hit her.

He was coming too.

Her adoptive father, The Crimson Count himself, was going to take the field.

Sophia’s blood surged with excitement. If he was getting involved personally… then maybe, just maybe, this time they’d finally end that so-called strongest Zombie King once and for all.

“Yes, sir! I’ll go now!”

She turned and rushed off, practically bursting with urgency as she went to alert the rest of The Crimson Count’s adopted children.

Meanwhile, The Crimson Count stepped out of the blood pool, slipping into a deep red robe.

He looked up through the skylight above, staring into the endless black sky.

“It’s been a long time… since I fought with my own hands.”

…

Here’s a redemption code for everyone: