Clinging to the ceiling of the gloomy dungeon, Langlibaitiao crept forward silently, writhing along as wrenching wails echoed from the blood thralls inside the iron cages.
"Aaargh..."
"Blood..."
"Give me blood..."
They had been trapped in this dungeon for who knew how many years, having long since lost their sanity to the craving for blood and degenerating into beasts ruled by instinct.
"Not a single one here speaks human," Langlibaitiao muttered helplessly, watching the thralls.
Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang out.
"Newcomer, you should run. Once the Duke awakens, you will not escape."
"At least for now, you can play this little game of cat and mouse and steal a brief taste of freedom. Quite amusing, isn't it?"
Langlibaitiao looked toward the source of the voice. A man stood upright inside one of the cages. His face was just as pale, but his attire was far more orderly, though his robes bore the unmistakable toll of time and had begun to rot.
"Who are you?"
"Yeno Lakeman."
"That surname..."
"Indeed. I am the Duke's scion, former Count of Castle Helei, and one of his one thousand one hundred and seventy-two vampire spawn. Because I rebelled against his tyrannical rule, I was thrown into this dungeon alongside these blood thralls." Even behind bars, his voice carried the distinct arrogance of his bloodline.
Langlibaitiao countered, "What makes you think I can't escape?"
Yeno Lakeman chuckled softly. "Heh."
Langlibaitiao had run out of patience. "Does everyone in your damn family have a screw loose? Is there anyone who speaks like a normal person?"
Yeno's hoarse voice sounded again. "My father's power is far beyond your imagination. All vampire spawn have a brand of enslavement etched deep within their souls. With mere will, the Duke can effortlessly dominate every spawn. And when he ascends, you and I will both dissolve into the boiling sea of blood within him."
Langlibaitiao replied bluntly, "Then wouldn't killing that old geezer fix everything?"
"Heh..."
Another helpless chuckle.
Langlibaitiao snapped angrily, "What the hell are you laughing at? You think this is funny? I even dared to butcher the chicken god of Riverwood—what's one bloodsucking old fossil to me?"
Yeno shook his head gently. "I have seen far too many people like you. Over the century I have spent in this dungeon, I watched countless prisoners break out of their cages, plotting revenge. In the end, none escaped their predetermined fate, and every one of them devolved into mindless blood thralls. Such is the Duke's eternal curse."
"So run. While you still possess that fleeting shred of freedom."
"I know my father well. He relishes this game of cat and mouse."
"He delights in playing the omniscient, omnipotent overseer, watching his prey plunge inch by inch into despair. For all you know... his eyes are upon you right now."
At the thought that the old fossil might be watching him, a wave of disgust washed over Langlibaitiao.
*Don't tell me... this old geezer is actually into dudes?*
Shaking his head to banish the horrific thought, Langlibaitiao sneered at the man in the cage, "Then why the hell did you bother rebelling in the first place? 'Predetermined fate' my ass. You think you're so noble? If it were predetermined, you wouldn't be rotting in this dog cage."
"Everything you just told me only proves you've turned into a coward."
Yeno fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Perhaps you are right."
Seeing that he had gained the upper hand, Langlibaitiao pressed his verbal assault. "So you're no different from the people you mock. Stop acting like some profound prophet all day—it's annoying as hell."
He held up two fingers.
"I'll give you two choices. First, I bust you out. You've been here for over a century, so there's no way you don't know anything; if you really don't, you're just pure, unadulterated dead weight. I want you to lead me through this bastard's lair so we can loot it blind, and then find an opening to slaughter that old fossil.
"Second, stay in this dog cage, whining and posturing, spouting your bullshit fatalism to every newcomer until you melt into a puddle of period blood.
"Take your pick."
Although Yeno didn't understand some of his slang, the tone made it clear that none of it was flattering.
He went quiet for a long while, staring at Langlibaitiao's punchable, utterly indifferent face.
The vampire spawn before him was completely unlike anyone he had ever encountered. After being turned into vampires, others had been panicked, suicidal with despair, or consumed by rage. None had ever displayed such... sheer carelessness.
Yes, total indifference.
Every single movement of his body seemed to say, *If I die, I die. What of it?*
Even upon learning he had been turned into a vampire spawn, he hadn't shown the slightest panic; instead, he had treated it as a novelty, eagerly testing out his newfound abilities.
It was bizarre.
In a hundred years, Yeno had never met anyone this strange.
Yeno Lakeman remained silent, deep in thought.
Langlibaitiao finally couldn't help muttering, "Are you coming or not? Drop the sullen face. If it weren't for the fact that you might be useful, I would've pissed into your cage and bounced. Dilly-dallying like this—are you a man or what?"
"Very well. I will go with you."
After long deliberation, Yeno made his choice.
Perhaps this extraordinary individual really could shatter this wretched fate.
"Was that so hard? Dawdling around like you expected me to carry you out in an eight-man palanquin," Langlibaitiao grumbled as he deftly picked the lock.
The iron door swung open, and Yeno stepped out of the cage for the first time in a century.
Langlibaitiao urged, "Hurry. Is there a vault or treasure room around here? Lead the way so we can rob this old freak blind! I'll make sure he learns what it means to be stripped down to his skivvies!"
Yeno: "..."
Annoyed, Langlibaitiao pressed, "Well? Is there one or not? Don't tell me you spent an entire century spinning tales here without even figuring out where your old man hides his stash. If that's the case, get back into your dog cage and crouch down. I don't need a total waste of space dragging me down."
Yeno was at a loss for words. An aristocrat by birth, this was the first time he had ever dealt with someone of this sort. Still, he replied, "I do know the locations of several of my father's vaults. However, they are heavily guarded. With our meager strength, we might not be able to—"
Mid-sentence, he realized Langlibaitiao had vanished.
A rustling noise came from the dark corner of the wall. Wrapped in his black cloak, Langlibaitiao was clinging to the masonry like a giant cockroach, writhing and scuttling along.
"What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen an Arcane Trickster before?"
"Do you even know what stealth means? Hurry up and get up here to lead the way! Forget the guards—we're sneaking straight in and looting every last coin of that old fossil's stash!"
Yeno fell silent once again.
After a moment's hesitation, he abandoned the final shred of his aristocratic pride and began to climb.
Chapter 101