Chapter 249: The House of Decarsus (1)

One of the formidable forces in the upper echelons is the ‘Vampire’.

Composed of six great families made from the pillar of pure-blood lineage.

Among them is the Decarsus Family, led by the progenitor, ‘Amulam de Decarsus’.

To put it simply: the strongest.

There is no being more fitting to be described by that word.

Zzzt! Zzzt!

The magic coursing through the skin.

The foundation of his intimidating presence must be the authority amassed over eons.

For a player who had only faced middle-tier monsters, this opponent was in a different league altogether.

‘In a one-on-one fight, my chances of winning are less than 3%…’

Jinhyuk moistened his lower lip with his tongue.

Such a monster could be here because of the numerous coins and sacred relics invested to bypass the system’s constraints.

Or perhaps, the price paid was even greater.

‘It also means that I must absolutely obtain Balmung.’

Jinhyuk scrutinized the target through ‘Eyes of Gluttony’.

[Amulam de Decarsus]

• Species: Vampire
• Age: ???
• Level: ???
• Strength: ???, Agility: ???, Stamina: ???, Magic: ???, Authority: ???
• Unique Ability: Bloodburst
• Skills: ‘Poison’ Lv???, ‘Blood Coagulation’ Lv??, ‘Red Moon’ Lv??, ‘Bloodhound’ Lv??, ‘???’, ‘Liquid Alchemy’ Lv??, ‘Quadruple Shield’ Lv49
• Traits: Amulam is the most cruel and cold-hearted among the six family heads. He will use any means necessary to achieve what he wants, making him a troublesome enemy.
• Detailed Description: Due to the insufficient level of the ‘Eyes of Gluttony’, detailed information about the target could not be retrieved.
• [Copying Conditions]
• Amulam prides himself on having the purest blood. He believes that anyone who drinks his blood will become a minion bound to obey him. Escape from the mental control of his minions, and you will be able to copy one of his unique abilities and skills.

Despite the vast difference in levels, some important details were still gleaned.

The most striking were the copying conditions.

Once again, the conditions were preposterous.

‘Escape from the mental control of such a monster…’

It was nothing short of being told to sip from a poisoned chalice.

The mental control of a being almost divine in the upper echelons was not something ‘endurable’.

Moreover, after Amulam released his magic power, multiple presences began to be felt.

“Giggle.”

“Are there only two humans with warm blood?”

“What a pity. A few sips and only bones and skin will remain.”

The playful laughter pierced the eardrums.

The blood relatives of Decarsus had arrived.

‘Alone would have been enough… they really came prepared.’

Jinhyuk swallowed a bitter smile.

There were at least ten, all pure-bloods like those he had met in the seventh layer.

However.

Even facing such a desperate situation, Jinhyuk maintained his composure.

His eyes calmly calculating something.

“You don’t seem too disturbed even after hearing my true name.”

“That’s because I knew you were coming.”

“Oh? You knew we were coming?”

“One of your subordinates foolishly stared at us during the ceremonial welcome. If you were going to scout, you should have sent someone smarter.”

What’s the use of hiding in a crowd?

You can’t hide that sly gaze.

“What!”

At Jinhyuk’s provocation, one of the blood relatives snapped.

Clearly embarrassed, his handsome face contorted angrily.

“You sure talk big for someone with an open mouth.”

“The taste of fresh blood must be right. That guy’s right arm is mine.”

“I’ll take the left leg.”

The rest of the blood relatives also got excited, showing their fangs.

Then.

“Stop.”

Amulam spoke up.

Suddenly, the surroundings became as quiet as a grave.

Even a slight discomfort seemed to settle the air of the entire underground like the deep sea.

Breathing became difficult, veins constricted.

Truly. It was an oppressively terrifying atmosphere.

“It seems… the response was a bit careless. But knowing that, what can you do about it?”

Amulam looked past Jinhyuk to Pesis and the spirits.

They might be exceptional, but that was only by human standards.

Not enough to be a match for a family head esteemed as the strongest among vampires.

“…”

When his gaze shifted to Goguma, there was a momentary flinch, but it was brief.

He knew that unless certain conditions were met, ancient beings couldn’t manifest in their true forms.

And even if, by chance, an ancient being did manifest, he couldn’t be sure of defeating Amulam.

However.

Despite this, Jinhyuk was smiling.

“It seems you haven’t quite understood. Even knowing you’d come and that we’re outmatched, the fact that I came here means…”

Think about it. Use that exalted brain of yours.

You might not realize it from always being in a position of overwhelming power.

“This is exactly the situation I wanted.”

Jinhyuk’s lips curled up.

Simultaneously.

[The relic ‘Traitor’s Bracelet’ has been activated!]

A dense sense of unease flowed out.

“This can’t be…!”

Amulam’s expression collapsed.

He had no choice but to be shocked.

The Traitor’s Bracelet was a relic they themselves had possessed.

And now it was activating among the vampires.

On the 11th floor existed the relic ‘Traitor’s Bracelet.’

It was one of the cursed relics intended to summon the Demon King, and the vampires had secured it to facilitate cooperation with the miners.

Now, the Traitor’s Bracelet held by the Decarsus family began to activate unexpectedly.

Gloop, gloop.

Black smoke rapidly filled the interior of the underground chamber.

“What kind of idiot activated the relic?!”

Amulam shouted, turning his head around.

There, trembling,

“Uh… I, I didn’t mean to… It was inevitable. No, it happened without me knowing…”

A vampire stood, paralyzed by regret and fear.

Ophelia.

She was the only vampire to have survived when they fought against Decarsus’s hounds in the seventh floor.

She had divulged everything, from the vampires’ interest in the empire to their objective of obtaining Balmung.

‘I didn’t mark her with the Soul Brand, but I nearly shattered her mind to a similar extent.’

Thanks to that, he had been able to carefully plan.

How to most effectively secure Balmung.

And how to possibly increase their chances against the most formidable family head.

All of it.

And those minor preparations now bore fruit.

[By the will of the possessor, ownership of the relic has been ‘forcibly transferred’ from Ophelia to Kang Jinhyuk.]

[The effects of the relic, ‘Betrayal’ and ‘Corruption,’ have been conferred.]

[Select a target. (Activation preparation time required: approximately 10 minutes.)]

The name ‘Traitor’ wasn’t given to the relic for no reason.

Its manner of ownership and effects differed from ordinary items.

Just like now.

Pzzzt! Pzzzt!

Jinhyuk looked at the skull bracelet that appeared on his wrist with satisfaction.

He had already thought about how to use the attribute effects.

All that remained was to endure until activation time.

At that moment.

“Ophelia! You dare betray me? You thought you could choose a human over us and survive?”

Amulam swung his claws mercilessly.

To tear the traitor to pieces instantly.

However, what his claws slashed through was not flesh and bone.

Crack!

A sculpture of ice in Ophelia’s shape shattered into pieces.

A dummy made of glacial sculpture.

Protected by a five-star barrier, it even gave a decent illusionary effect for a moment.

“A switch… when did this happen?”

“When you looked away for a moment. Normally, it would be impossible, but the shock made a slight gap in your magic. It seems the bracelet and Ophelia were quite shocking, huh? Even the family head showed a gap.”

“You took advantage of just that gap?”

“That was enough of an opening for me.”

No extraordinary acrobatics needed.

He wasn’t new to facing sovereign-level monsters.

“…I thought you were just a puppy, but you have some teeth, huh?”

Amulam’s gaze towards Jinhyuk changed slightly.

A look that begrudgingly recognized him as an enemy.

“But it’s a pity. Had you used that gap to attack me or eliminate my kin, your chances might have improved a bit. Why did you save Ophelia? With the Traitor’s Bracelet in hand, whether she lived or died shouldn’t matter to you.”

“I couldn’t just let someone who provided such crucial information die at your hands.”

“Really…?”

Even Ophelia was shocked, her eyes wide.

She hadn’t imagined that her former enemy would go so far to protect her.

“Such foolishly sentimental nature. Fine. Take the traitor with you. I was planning to wipe you all out anyway.”

Amulam raised his right hand.

That was the signal.

Thump!

Tap!

The Decarsus’s hounds moved with the light sound of feet hitting the ground.

Fast.

The vampires closed the distance instantly, drawing weapons that gleamed with a blood-red light.

The moment they were certain they would be annihilated if they didn’t respond,

“Tweat!”

Goguma commanded his summons.

“Got it.”

“Okay!”

“Clank!”

The spirits and T-Bone moved.

As if proving that the time spent in the insect maze wasn’t wasted.

Their skilled movements in taking positions even showed expertise.

[Undine & Sylphid have activated ‘Elemental Shield’.]

Water and wind merged, forming a pentagonal shield.

Thud!

Gloop!

Claws and blades were blocked by the shield.

“Damn it, the wind to my eyes. Argh!”

“What is this? Damn it!”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

The blades and claws continuously struck the shield, but only managed to slice through the harmless water and wind.

Physical attacks were futile against elemental magic.

And in the brief moment the vampires faltered,

Now from the ground, a crack formed, and a giant hand made of rock engulfed the vampires.

[Gnome has used ‘Land Fist’.]

With a tremendous roar, a dense cloud of dust billowed up.

But the attack didn’t stop there.

Whoosh!

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Salamander’s flames merged with Goguma’s breath, combining two distinct elemental energies into one, drying the air to the point of parching lips.

It was as if they were foreshadowing the ordeal about to unfold.

“You’re using Breath in such a confined space? Are you serious?”

“Our kids aren’t known for holding back.”

Jinhyuk smiled lightly.

Might as well test whose body is tougher now that it’s come to this.

And with that said.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

The condensed light streaked across the center of the tomb.

An immense heat and flash blinded everyone present.