Alex narrowed his eyes as he took in the sheer scale of the vampire palace. The architecture was unlike anything he had seen before—an eerie fusion of gothic splendor and abyssal darkness, its towering spires piercing the void above like jagged fangs. The obsidian walls pulsed with unnatural energy as if the stones remembered the blood spilled within their halls.

[What now?] Sophie asked, and Alex, with his gaze controlled, replied after a moment. ‘I will lurk around, trying to search Lilia before my existence is found.’

With those words, Alex took a steady breath, activating Darkness Veil. His body flickered and faded into the shadows, his form now indistinguishable from the darkness that covered this palace.

Alex now understood why this place was built underground. It was a place for the vampires, and although the high-ranked ones could live freely under the sun, they still preferred being in shady areas like this.

This ruined city probably used to be a city of vampires a long time ago, implying that there used to be vampires in the demon realm.

After thinking about it for a while, Alex shook his head, ignoring those things. He moved swiftly, silent as death itself.

He already had a rough idea of where to go. Before arriving, the Imperial Vampire he had interrogated had provided valuable information about the palace’s structure.

If Lilia was here, there was only one place she could be—the lowest level of the palace, the Jail of Crimson Chains.

The path was not straightforward, of course. This place was built to be a labyrinth, and even with his knowledge, there was no telling what obstacles lay ahead. He stuck close to the walls, his movements precise as he navigated the grand hallways.

As he moved deeper, he passed grand chambers filled with ancient relics and murals depicting vampire kings of old. Some showed blood rituals, and others showed battles against creatures of the night.

But there was one, in particular, that caught his attention—a depiction of a vampire woman standing above a kneeling world. Her presence exuded dominion, her crimson eyes glowing even in the mural.

‘Lilia’s ambitions…’ Alex thought, but he didn’t stop to analyze. Time was of the essence.

That image was of the woman Lilia was chasing after. Alex didn’t know how she got to know that woman or where she heard about her, but the sole reason why Lilia came here was because of that woman’s legacy that was hidden somewhere in this palace.

Lilia hadn’t come here without any plan. She knew this was a place that only permitted entry to the vampires, yet she came.

[It is possible that her ancestors were related to this group of vampires that lived in the demon realm,] Sophie commented, causing Alex to nod.

‘It is possible,’ he said. Recalling the power of the succubus bloodline that Lilia had, he added, ‘Her powers do sometimes make her seem like a vampire.’

Things changed. Be it the fact that this ruin isn’t a demon trial ground but a vampire trial ground, or despite knowing that, Lilia came to this place.

But Alex didn’t care about those things. He had already expected changes from the moment he heard that the ruler of this place was Cecilia—although it was later found out to be Barbara.

So, ignoring everything, he went deeper, observing everything while memorizing the path to exit.

This palace wasn’t just an ordinary palace. This was a place for the young vampires to rest before they took the trial.

Alex knew that he wasn’t out of harm’s way. Even if he had entered this palace, he still didn’t have vampire blood, so there was a chance he might trigger a trap, so he treads forward with utmost caution.

‘I don’t want to cause a commotion before finding Lilia.’ This was what he was doing—trying not to cause a commotion.

But the deeper he went, the more he felt like he was being observed. He was using a darkness veil, yet he felt like someone was keeping track of his movements.

The foreboding energy radiated through the halls pressed against his very soul.

When he passed by long, empty corridors lined with statues—each one depicting a different vampire warrior—he felt their dim crimson eyes following his movement, though none of them seemed to be moving.

[Don’t jinx it!] Sophie exclaimed as she felt Alex was doing it again.

But it was already too late; the moment he stepped toward the exit of the hallway, his instincts screamed.

Woosh!

Alex immediately ducked as a razor-sharp claw swiped where his head had been mere moments ago.

The Gargoyle Sentinels had awoken. Their eyes glowed with eerie crimson light.

“…” Alex was speechless. ‘I jinked it?’ He thought to himself.

[Who else if not you?] Sophie’s voice replied to his question, making Alex sigh.

Alex could tell that even under Darkness Veil, they could sense him.

‘The good thing is that there’s no one else—’ Alex was relieved that there was no one close by, which lowered the chances of him being discovered, but Sophie, who heard his thoughts, quickly cut him off.

[Don’t! You’ll jinx it again!]

Alex didn’t even have time to be speechless anymore, as the gargoyles struck without hesitation.

Their clawed hands and bladed arms slashed through the air, seeking to tear him apart.

Alex, however, weaved through them with ease, his footwork light and precise as he avoided their attacks.

They were peak star formation realm beings, so he didn’t need to use his true powers. His sword, Verathian, hummed as he infused it with Lesser aura and countered with swift, calculated slashes.

The first gargoyle fell, its torso cleaved in half, but the others did not falter. If anything, it moved faster.

Alex clicked his tongue. ‘Wasting my time.’

In an instant, he twisted his body, using blinding footwork of his multipattern mixed martial art—the martial arts he had created along with rising star sword art—and moved at a speed that was too hard for the gargoyle to keep up.

He appeared right behind the gargoyle and stabbed his sword in its head. The sword went from the back of its head and poked out of its eyes.

In just a few seconds, Alex had taken care of both of the gargoyles, their bodies turning into black mist, letting Alex breathe a sigh of relief.

By the time the black mist disappeared into the air, Alex was already descending into the lower levels.

The stairway spiraled down endlessly, its torches burning with an eerie blue flame. The deeper he went, the colder the air became. It wasn’t just the temperature—this was something else entirely.

An oppressive force pressed against him, and his breathing became slightly uneven. He could tell he was getting close to his destination.

And finally, he reached the lowest part of the palace.

The Jail of Crimson Chains.

The imperial vampire had told him about this place. It was where intruders would feel their mana being suppressed and mana regeneration was slower.

It was vast—an enormous underground chamber lined with countless cells, each one sealed with enchanted bars. The air was thick with the stench of old blood and something far worse—something ancient.

Alex cautiously stepped forward, his senses sharp, his grip on Verathian tightening. He scanned the area, moving deeper into the prison, finally reaching the door to the hallway leading to the innermost part.

From what he was told, Lilia was here.

Pushing open the door, he stepped inside.

Creak.

But the moment he did, he saw them.

Standing at the very center of the chamber, in front of the grandest cell, were the vampires.

Dozens of them.

Their crimson eyes gleamed in the dim light, their expressions unreadable. Each one exuded an aura of immense power, their presence alone making the air feel heavier.

At the forefront stood Lucian, his black and red robes flowing as he tilted his head slightly, a knowing smirk on his face.

Even though Alex was still under Darkness Veil, Lucian’s gaze locked onto him. That guy couldn’t see him but knew he was there.

The door being opened was enough proof that he had entered the hallway.

Lucian chuckled, the sound echoing through the chamber.

“Do you plan to keep hiding?” he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.

Alex remained silent, but his grip on his sword tightened.

Lucian’s smirk widened, his fangs gleaming under the dim torchlight.

“You have come to the end of your path, intruder.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep