When Duanmu Huai roared and charged at the vampires, all those arrogant creatures froze in shock. Normally, with a vampire's reaction speed, dodging his attack would not have been difficult.
However, as they watched that terrifying, furious figure rushing at them, teeth bared as if he meant to swallow them whole, a surge of fear erupted from the depths of their souls. It was as if invisible chains bound their bodies in place, leaving them unable to even twitch. They could only watch as the Thunder Warhammer came crashing down, and then...
"Boom!!!"
Duanmu Huai's strike was so violent that the vampire before him had its skull smashed straight down into its torso, only to burst out through its rear. Its body was then split in half by the warhammer. Blood sprayed across Duanmu Huai's face as he turned to the vampire beside it. That one rolled its eyes back and collapsed limply to the ground—only to be cleaved in two by Duanmu Huai's hammer.
"Get out here, you brainless blood-sucking bastards!!"
His furious bellow echoed throughout the entire castle. Soon the gates burst open, and a troop of fully armed skeletal guards stormed out, swords and spears raised, brimming with murderous intent. Clearly, their master could not endure such insults and meant to make the intruder pay.
But when these undead, ignorant of fear, saw Duanmu Huai striding toward them drenched in blood with the warhammer in hand, a strange terror overtook them. The soul-flames in their sockets flickered like candles in the wind before suddenly extinguishing. One after another, their bound spirits tore free of necromantic control, screaming as they scattered into the air, leaving behind only piles of broken bones.
"Uwaaa..."
Following behind Duanmu Huai, Anne couldn't help gasping in awe. She had never seen someone so fearsome—just standing there, he could disperse the undead into nothingness. She had to admit, Duanmu Huai truly had extraordinary power in this regard.
Of course, whether she liked it was another matter entirely.
Soon the three of them forced their way through the castle's front gate and entered the courtyard—where, at last, someone blocked their path.
"Foolish mortals! How dare you trespass into the resting place of the great necromancer Nagash! Your insolence shall be punished! Now, prepare to die in screams of agony!"
Before Duanmu Huai stood a hulking Death Knight, wielding a greatsword. Its voice seethed with malice and wrath, its stance clearly declaring that no one would pass this point. If not for the helmet concealing its face, its words might have sounded more convincing.
"Look at me, you bastard!!"
Seeing this idiot with his head wrapped like a rice dumpling only made Duanmu Huai angrier. With a roar, he hefted his hammer and charged, colliding head-on with the Death Knight. The undead swung its greatsword, but Duanmu Huai's warhammer knocked it aside. He lunged forward, smashing his armored bulk into the knight's face and sending the arrogant undead crashing to the ground. Then he raised the warhammer high and brought it down hard.
"Bang!!"
The Thunder Warhammer crushed the Death Knight's head to pieces, shattering helm and skull alike. At the same time, the ground beneath Duanmu Huai gave way, and with a thunderous crash, both he and the Death Knight plummeted down.
"Cough, cough..."
Duanmu Huai hacked twice before climbing off the broken body of the Death Knight, which was still thrashing its hands to grab him. But he had no interest in wrestling with bones. He seized its arm, snapped it like a twig, stomped its waist, and wrenched its spine backward.
"Craaaack!!!"
In the next instant, the Death Knight's body shattered into worthless fragments. Only then did Duanmu Huai straighten and look around—only to meet a pair of moist, startled eyes.
"—!"
The figure shrank back under his gaze. Duanmu Huai then realized he was inside a dungeon. In the corner of a cell sat a tall, slender elven woman, staring wide-eyed at him.
Hmm... If he remembered correctly, Owen had mentioned that the vampire count Manfred had captured a bald archbishop and an elven princess, right?
"You're the elven princess they captured?"
Duanmu Huai asked, fixing his eyes on her. She nodded lightly. Indeed, just from appearance alone she matched the common image of an "elven princess"—slender, beautiful, long ears, waist-length silken hair, and a revealing outfit like a bikini.
"I am Alisara of Ulthuan, the Everchild. Greetings, uninvited warrior..."
"Hmm..."
Duanmu Huai walked up to Alisara, scrutinizing her closely. She trembled under his gaze but still stood, staring back at him motionless—like a princess in a fairy tale awaiting a knight's rescue.
But Duanmu Huai wasn't so easily fooled. He knew all too well how many tricks could disguise an enemy's true nature. And something about her capture seemed far too convenient. From what he recalled, elves in this world were kin to the pointy-eared "sprouts" in the galaxy, and those were notoriously troublesome. There was no reason this princess would be a helpless damsel.
Could this be a trap? Maybe. Yet, if she hadn't been cowed by his presence, perhaps she really was genuine. But then again... she had been in the hands of vampires.
With that thought, Duanmu Huai placed one large hand on her head and carefully checked her neck. No bite marks.
But that wasn't enough. This wasn't a novel or a movie—vampires didn't always bite the neck. He remembered an incident in the game where they rescued a noble's son. His neck was clean, so they sent him home—only for him to turn vampire days later and slaughter his whole family. His diary later revealed that he had been... intimate with the vampire, who bit him somewhere no one would check.
Yeah, somewhere... more private. And more convenient than the neck.
Obviously, the players hadn't stripped him down to check—nor would the system allow it.
So even without bite marks on the neck, there was no guarantee she was safe. Vampires were notorious tricksters, and this princess hadn't even been restrained or spellbound. For all he knew, she was already a thrall. Caution was essential.
Holding the elf princess with one hand, Duanmu Huai suddenly grabbed her flimsy bikini-like clothes with the other and yanked.
"Rip."
Her garments tore away instantly.
Hmm... reality really wasn't like the game—nothing was left to the imagination.
Bathed in sunlight, her pale skin shimmered faintly, smooth as flawless jade. But Duanmu Huai had no time for admiration. He scrutinized her thoroughly, even down to the soles of her feet. Only when he was certain she bore no bite marks anywhere did he release her.
Throughout the whole ordeal, the princess hadn't resisted. Whether from fear or some other reason, Duanmu Huai couldn't tell. But her body was tense, clearly unwilling. Well, who would be willing to be manhandled like a slaughtered pig?
Her cheeks flushed red, her breath unsteady, but she only stared at him without a word.
"Sorry. I just needed to make sure you hadn't been bitten."
Noticing her gaze, Duanmu Huai shrugged and handed back her torn clothes. She silently took them, dressed again, while he scanned the dungeon and asked,
"By the way, I heard a high priest was captured too. Where is he?"
"I am here..."
From the next cell came a withered, elderly voice. Duanmu Huai turned and saw a bald, emaciated old man covered in blood, slumped against the wall. When he spotted Duanmu Huai, he managed a bitter smile.
"I thought... you had forgotten me..."
(End of Chapter)