Dracula??

Why did anyone want to summon demons?

It was because people had needs and desires. Whether it was for power or eternal youth, they often sought outside help for things beyond their own reach. Thus, Demon Summoning came into being.

Generally speaking, those who summoned demons were not good people. Anyone pure and kind would never think to seek a demon's help. Only those with dark hearts and evil natures would sell their souls to demons.

Lucius was exactly that kind of person. Even Roy, a demon himself, found him deeply repulsive.

But it had to be said that demons happened to need people like him as well, because making contracts with them was what allowed demons from other worlds to remain.

Roy wanted to stay in this world and have a look around, but he could not let Lucius have everything his way. So he could only trick Lucius into changing the terms of the deal. Roy now somewhat understood why devils in so many religious legends were always full of deceit and lies. It was not that devils were naturally like that—when faced with people whose greed knew no bounds, devils had no other choice!

Roy felt that Lucius ought to thank him. If Roy had not killed that Little Demon near the Abyss Gate and had instead chosen to answer this summoning, then what Lucius and the others summoned would likely have been that Little Demon. With the pitiful amount of blood and organs they had offered, their unwillingness to sell even their own souls, and their plan to offer only a little loyalty as sacrifice, they still dared to demand Eternal Life and dominion over the world. That Little Demon, which had even dared to bare its fangs at Roy, would probably have torn them apart in a fit of rage!

Make no mistake, even a Little Demon was far more powerful than an ordinary human. Killing Lucius and the others would take no effort at all. It was not uncommon for summoners to be devoured in return after summoning demons. Most demons were violent and chaotic by nature. When they discovered that they could not fulfill a contract, they would choose to kill the summoner directly and seize their souls, even if it meant being rejected and driven away by World Power. Therefore, rashly performing Demon Summoning without the strength to guard against demons was inherently extremely dangerous.

Only Roy would patiently let Lucius revise the contract.

In the abyssal Demon World, demons and devils were actually the same race. It was simply that some demons were more intelligent and knew how to use schemes rather than relying solely on violence to solve problems, making them seem somewhat more rational. Thus, humans called them devils. Strictly speaking, Roy could be called a devil as well.

Once Lucius's wish had been changed, the words on the Demon Contract naturally changed with it. The contract stated that Lucius would provide Roy with One Hundred Souls, with no restriction on their rank. In return, Roy would grant him a lifespan of one hundred years. Under Roy's manipulation, this contract did not impose any time limit. In other words, until Lucius brought him One Hundred Souls as stipulated, Roy could use this contract to resist World Power's rejection and remain here.

Roy had even played a little word game. The contract stated that Lucius would possess a lifespan of one hundred years, instead of receiving an additional one hundred years of lifespan. Given that Lucius was already in his forties, even if he truly fulfilled the agreement, Roy would only need to grant him around sixty more years of life in the end!

Lucius could see this Demon Contract, since it belonged to both parties. However, because a Demon Contract was a manifestation of the Abyss Gate's power, it was fundamentally biased toward demons. As a result, although Lucius could see the contract, he could not read the Demonic Text upon it and could only stare at it in confusion.

In the end, Roy extended a glinting, razor-sharp nail and pointed at a blank space on the contract, telling Lucius to sign his name there. Only then was the contract concluded.

Roy did not need to sign it, because his name had been displayed on the Demon Contract from the beginning. However, it was not his full Demon True Name, only the final syllable of it: "Osiris!"

The instant Lucius signed his name, the entire Demon Contract burst into roaring flames out of thin air and burned to ashes. This signified that the contract had officially taken effect, and the feeling of rejection surrounding Roy gradually began to fade.

What Lucius had experienced today had left him both tense and excited. Sweat and grease covered his bloated face, which actually looked somewhat flushed in the firelight. He stared fanatically at the burning Demon Contract and muttered in a low voice, "It really worked, it really worked! I signed a contract with a demon too... Now I finally don't have to fear that damned vampire anymore!"

Lucius had meant to mutter those words in his heart, but in his excitement, he spoke them aloud. Roy naturally heard him. Something stirred in his mind, and he lowered his head to ask, "From the sound of it, someone else also made a contract with a demon? And what is this vampire you mentioned?"

Lucius was startled by Roy's suddenly looming, ferocious face and unconsciously took two steps back before answering in panic, "Y-yes, my lord! I mean Dracula, Vampire Dracula! People in the town say that he was once the son of the Ancestor of Villeris Family. Four hundred years ago, he suddenly became a vampire. They say it was because he signed a contract with a demon that he gained Eternal Life and power."

Vampire Dracula??

Roy was stunned. What was going on??

Though alarmed and suspicious inside, Roy kept his expression unchanged and said in an amused tone, "Oh? So when you originally wished for Eternal Life, you actually wanted to become a vampire?"

"No, no!" Lucius hurriedly shook his head. "Vampires are nothing but Monsters. I do not want to become like that! It is better to trade souls for lifespan like this! I do not want to be hunted by the church..."

Roy heard another word: the church!

He had previously suspected that, after being summoned through the Abyss Gate, he had arrived in a world similar to Earth. After all, Lucius and the others looked exactly like humans from Earth. He had been deeply puzzled already, and now that he had heard keywords such as vampires, Dracula, and the church, his doubts only grew stronger.

So Roy tried to draw out more information. "You are all this afraid. Is that vampire still attacking you?"

"Yes, my lord!" Still shaken, Lucius pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his balding forehead. "In truth, for more than four hundred years, our town has constantly suffered from vampire attacks. But back then, there was only Dracula. Even if he drank human blood, it was not too much, so given the town's population, it was not a major problem. But in recent decades, Dracula has gained three Vampire Brides. Their attacks on the town have become increasingly frequent. Every day, many people die after having their blood drained, and the town's population has dwindled more and more. If this continues, the town will truly be finished..."

"Have you never considered fleeing?" Roy asked.

"It is impossible. Nearly everyone who tried to flee was killed by Dracula. He already treats the people of this town as livestock he has penned up. How could he possibly let us escape?" Lucius gave a bitter smile. "Besides, nearly everyone in town is poor. We do not have the money to flee elsewhere."

"But you mentioned the church!" Roy's doubts grew ever deeper, though he continued to ask, "Does the church simply allow vampires to run rampant?"

"Not exactly!" Lucius shook his head. "But after Dracula became a vampire, the Ancestor of Villeris Family was filled with remorse. Four hundred years ago, he went to the church. He could not bear to kill his own son, but he swore to God that his descendants would kill Dracula. Otherwise, the souls of his entire family would be unable to enter heaven. Because of that oath, the church tacitly allowed the Villeris Family to deal with Dracula, which was why they did not send anyone."

"But things are somewhat different now!" Lucius continued. "For four hundred years, members of the Villeris Family have continually tried to kill Dracula, only to die one after another at his hands. The family's once-large population has steadily dwindled. Now, Villeris has only its final two bloodlines left. Continuing like this, the Villeris Family will vanish completely. After learning of this, the church finally realized the severity of the situation and was willing to send someone!"

"Since the church has sent someone, you still dared to summon a demon at such a critical time?" Roy sneered. "Do you think you are not dying quickly enough?"

Roy was even beginning to suspect that Lucius might be trying to set up a demon!

"No, no! My lord, you misunderstand!" Lucius heard the implication in Roy's words and hurriedly explained in panic, "The church did send someone, but do you know who they sent? Van Helsing! He is another monster entirely! The people of this town do not want him to appear at all, because if he fails, Dracula will vent his anger on the entire town. The town will be utterly destroyed because of it! We have no other choice now, so we sought your power..."

This is the first world. By this point, everyone has probably guessed it, right?