Chapter 102: Northwind Fortress Journal (Part 3)
Langli Baitiao clung to the ceiling of the dark dungeon, silently crawling, while blood slaves in the iron cages wailed miserably.
"AwoooâŠ"
"BloodâŠ"
"Give me blood!"
They had been in the dungeon for countless years, losing their sanity to bloodlust, reduced to beasts driven purely by instinct.
"Not a single one of them can speak properly."
Langli Baitiao looked at the blood slaves, sighing helplessly.
Suddenly, a raspy voice sounded.
"Newcomer, youâd better escape. Once the Duke awakens, thereâll be no way out."
"For now, at least you can enjoy this game of cat and mouse, savoring a fleeting moment of freedomâquite amusing, isnât it?"
Langli Baitiao turned toward the voiceâs source, spotting a man standing upright in a cage. He was pale but far more neatly dressed, though his clothes bore the marks of age and decay.
"Who are you?"
"Yeno Lackman."
"That surnameâŠ"
"Indeed, I am the Dukeâs offspring, formerly the Count of Herey Castle, and one of his 1,172 vampire spawn, imprisoned with the blood slaves for resisting his tyrannical rule." Even in captivity, his tone carried the familyâs characteristic pride.
Langli Baitiao retorted, "And why do you think I wonât escape?"
Yeno Lackman chuckled softly, "Heh."
Langli Baitiao lost his patience, "Damn, is everyone in your family messed up? Can anyone talk normally?"
Yenoâs raspy voice returned, "My fatherâs power is beyond your imagination. Every vampire spawn bears a slave mark imprinted in the depths of their soul. The Duke can control us all with a mere thought. When he ascends, you and I will become nothing more than boiling blood within him."
Langli Baitiao replied bluntly, "So why not just kill the old bastard?"
"Heh."
Another weary chuckle.
Langli Baitiao growled, "Whatâs so damn funny? You think Iâm joking? Iâve killed the Chicken God of Creekwood. One vampire geezer is nothing!"
Yeno shook his head lightly, "Iâve seen many like you. Over my centuries in this dungeon, countless have escaped their cages, seeking revenge, but they all met the same fateâbecoming mindless blood slaves. This is the Dukeâs eternal curse."
"So, run while you still have a little freedom left."
"I know my father well; he enjoys this game of cat and mouse."
"He loves to play the all-knowing, all-powerful being, watching his prey spiral into despair. He may even be watching you now."
Imagining the old vampire watching him, Langli Baitiao felt a shiver of revulsion.
"This old creep isnât actually some twisted voyeur, is he?"
Langli Baitiao shook his head to dispel the disturbing thought and said to the man in the cage, "And whatâs the point of your resistance, then? Destiny? You think youâre noble? If destiny were real, you wouldnât be stuck in this dog cage."
"What youâre saying only proves youâve grown more cowardly."
Yeno fell silent for a moment before replying, "Perhaps youâre right."
Sensing heâd gained the upper hand, Langli Baitiao pressed on, "So youâre no different from the ones you mock. Quit acting like some prophet. Youâre really asking for a beating."
He held up two fingers.
"Iâll give you two options. First, I break you out. Youâve been here over a hundred years, so you must know something useful. If not, youâre a total waste. I want you to help me loot this bastardâs hideout, and then we find a chance to kill this vampire geezer."
"Second, stay in this dog cage and whine, spouting nonsense about destiny until you end up a puddle of blood."
"Make your choice."
Though Yeno didnât understand all of Langli Baitiaoâs phrasing, he gathered that it wasnât exactly complimentary.
He stared at Langli Baitiaoâs unapologetic, indifferent face for a long moment.
This vampire spawn before him was unlike any heâd encountered. Most reacted with panic, despair, or fury after being turned, yet this one appeared entirely unbothered.
Yes, completely unbothered.
Every movement seemed to say, "If I die, I dieâso what?"
Even upon learning heâd been turned, he showed no fear but rather a fascination, eagerly testing his abilities.
Truly bizarre.
In centuries, Yeno had never seen anyone so peculiar.
Still silent, Yeno pondered deeply.
Finally, Langli Baitiao muttered, "Are you coming or not? Quit acting like youâre so dignified. If I didnât think you were somewhat useful, Iâd piss in your cage and leave. Get it togetherâare you a man or not?"
"Fine, Iâll go with you."
After a long pause, Yeno finally made his choice.
Perhaps this strange individual could indeed break the chains of fate.
"There we go. All that hesitationâI almost thought Iâd need a royal sedan to get you out."
Langli Baitiao grumbled softly as he picked the lock with practiced ease.
The iron door creaked open, and Yeno stepped out of his cage for the first time in a hundred years.
Langli Baitiao urged him, "Quick, is there a treasure room around here? Show me the goods, letâs rob this old creep blind."
Yeno: "âŠ"
Langli Baitiao grew impatient, "Well, is there or isnât there? Donât tell me youâve been here a century just spinning tales, unable to find your fatherâs stash. If thatâs the case, go sit back in your dog cageâI donât need dead weight dragging me down."
Somewhat speechless, Yeno, a noble, was experiencing this type of camaraderie for the first time but responded, "I do know the locations of a few of my fatherâs vaults, but theyâre heavily guarded. With just the two of us, our chancesâŠ"
He trailed off, realizing Langli Baitiao had vanished.
From a dark corner came a faint scuffling sound as Langli Baitiao, wrapped in a black cloak, clung to the wall like a cockroach, crawling and twisting.
"What are you staring at? Never seen a Trickster rogue?"
"Do you know what stealth is? Hurry up, lead the way. Donât worry about guards; weâre sneaking in to rob this old creepâs secret stash."
Yeno fell silent again.
After a momentâs hesitation, he let go of the last bit of noble pride and climbed up.
He resigned himself. If we fail, so be it.
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