Dekan Is Always on the Next Floor: Three-in-One

Late at night, in the city-state.

The light gray clouds were dense and heavy, making the moonlight appear dim.

Under the dim yellow light, the street looked desolate.

A cool breeze blew by, swirling up fallen leaves and sending them drifting across the ground.

The shops along the street had their doors tightly shut, occasionally creaking open.

There was only one person on the entire street.

This was a woman wearing a rather inexpensive dress; she walked unsteadily and appeared drunk.

She seemed to have lost her way home and gradually staggered towards the alley.

However, it was at a high place.

A figure was faintly visible in the dim light, with only a pair of scarlet eyes standing out.

It seemed to have its eyes fixed on its prey.

Then.

It moves so fast that it is almost invisible to the naked eye.

An unpleasant odor gradually filled the air.

The vampire pounced on the woman from a tricky angle, completely out of her sight, giving her no chance to react.

However, in that instant, a cold glint flashed in the woman's eyes as if she had suddenly become aware of something, and she lowered her body!

She used her agile movements to get behind the vampire, and with lightning speed, she plunged a short knife that had appeared out of nowhere into the vampire's back.

After that, she drew her dagger without hesitation.

Blood splattered on her, but she didn't care at all. She grabbed the vampire by the neck and slammed it to the ground.

Then the knife was plunged into its heart again.

Despite suffering two fatal wounds, the vampire showed no signs of exhaustion.

The blood that flowed out seemed to have a life of its own, returning to its body to help repair its injuries.

However, just as the vampire was struggling, a man appeared out of nowhere.

Several Spell Card appeared in his hand.

With repeated activations, the vampire was quickly stunned by electricity, and then a halo of light was unleashed to restrain it.

"Finally caught one."

Looking at the immobilized vampire, the man finally breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed.

"With it, we'll have a way to find that great Blood Race."

The woman drew her dagger and observed the vampire she had subdued.

Although it has clear vampire characteristics, its scent is very murky, making it seem unlike a pure vampire at all.

They must be members of a powerful Blood Race hiding within this city-state.

It is now late at night on the third day since the start of the Shadow World.

This female warrior and male mage duo were there to snipe Morion's sixth-tier elite Resurrection Church.

This morning they had just seen the notification that mission objective 3, "Prevent the resurgence of Marquis Roderick," had been unlocked.

In the afternoon, I saw the notification that the Marquis Roderick had been killed in action.

Even now, they still can't figure out what happened.

I just have a bad feeling about this Shadow World; there might be some shady dealings among the challengers.

According to their understanding, even Morion would find it difficult to accomplish such an extravagant feat.

Moreover, it's quite different from Morion's usual strategy.

So, after a brief discussion that afternoon, they all confirmed their next course of action in this Shadow World.

Don't cause trouble, abandon your targeting of Morion, and perfectly disguise yourself as an ordinary challenger.

Since there seems to be a powerful figure in the Shadow World this time, they are also pragmatic and might as well just honestly collect the rewards.

However, the final reward settlement in the Shadow World is related to the level of contribution.

If the contribution is very small, the reward will be correspondingly small.

Of course, even if you slack off, it's hard to get no rewards at all in a Shadow World.

At least they had never seen anything like it.

In the first three days of the investigation.

They discovered that a large Blood Race with unclear motives was suspected of lurking within the city-state.

After seeing the mission objective 3 publicly revealed by the Shadow World, they quickly deduced that the motive of this great Blood Race was to rescue the sealed Blood Race marquis.

The reason it is currently lying dormant must be because it is too weak and is recovering.

Strike while the iron is hot; now is undoubtedly the best time to defeat the Blood Race.

If they can make a significant contribution to mission objective 2, their final reward will certainly be substantial.

So their strategy tonight is a sting operation.

Female warriors disguise themselves as weak women and walk the streets to lure vampires who need to hunt them.

The male mage, meanwhile, remained hidden in the shadows, ready to provide support to the female warrior at any time.

And to conduct reconnaissance work, in case there are multiple powerful enemies.

And finally, they subdued the vampire.

As expected, the female warrior successfully lured the vampire.

They captured their target with remarkable ease.

The next step is simply to hand over this vampire, a minion of the Great Blood Race, to the Holy Rite Church or the lord.

The city-state will naturally launch a thorough investigation throughout the entire city.

Even if the head of this Blood Race isn't counted against them then.

They will also receive substantial rewards for making a crucial contribution.

"Tap tap tap."

Just as they were preparing to escort the family member to church, the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out from the street.

It seems their commotion attracted the attention of the night patrol of the knights.

Soon, the knights appeared at the intersection, looking at the mess in the alley.

"We are adventurers who have accepted a quest."

The female warrior and male mage quickly explained, and stepped aside so that the leading knight could see that what was on the ground was a vampire.

The knight captain breathed a sigh of relief after recognizing the vampire.

"Don't worry, we understand the situation. In fact, we discovered vampires lurking in the city-state at night yesterday, so we increased patrols tonight. We are very grateful to you for helping us defeat the vampires."

The knight captain dismounted, strode quickly to the two men, and spoke calmly.

"It's alright, we were just about to hand over the vampire, the rest is up to you."

The two Resurrection Cultist observed the knight patrol and, after confirming that they were a legitimate lord's direct force, felt relieved.

After a brief handover, just as the two were about to leave, the knight captain asked rather earnestly:

"Please wait a moment, both of you. If it's convenient for you, could you assist us in escorting this vampire? There are also some details our lord would like to ask you about."

The knight captain did not insist; he held the two highly skilled and righteous adventurers in high esteem.

"No problem."

The two exchanged a glance and quickly nodded in confirmation.

Even small acts of kindness can increase the perceived value of a contribution.

So the two followed the knights to the Lord's Mansion.

According to the Captain of the Knights's explanation, vampires have been suspected to have appeared at night in the city-state since yesterday.

Three citizens are also missing.

But it was ultimately just suspicion, lacking solid evidence, and no conclusion was reached in a day.

The Holy Rite Church's attitude was very ambiguous, offering no opinion or response.

The lord was extremely anxious about this and could only increase nighttime patrols.

The lord also instructed that any leads or information should be reported to him as soon as possible.

The knight captain was quite certain that these two were the people the lord was looking for.

Before long, they arrived at a magnificent and solemn old mansion.

Several towering, leafy trees stood around the mansion, blocking out the already thin moonlight and leaving only dappled spots of light on the walls, giving the entire mansion a mysterious and unpredictable aura.

Led by the knight captain, the two followed a winding path from the courtyard into the Lord's Mansion, and then went straight to the spacious reception room.

A dignified-looking middle-aged man was sitting on the sofa with a very serious expression on his face.

He is the lord of this city-state.

The patrol captain quickly took his leave at the lord's instruction.

Only a few guards and young maids were left in the large reception room, serving them drinks.

She then dragged her tray and stood behind the lord's sofa.

Although this maid looks like a teenage girl, she must be a combat maid with considerable strength to be able to protect the lord at close range.

"Thank you both very much. I didn't sleep a wink all night because a vampire was suspected to have appeared in the city-state. I can only sleep peacefully tonight after confirming that you have caught it. However, I would like to trouble you two to explain the details to me as much as possible."

The lord pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice full of weariness.

The two Resurrection Cultist quickly explained the whole story to the lord, including the clues they had found in the city-state.

They simply omitted the quest prompts from the Shadow World.

However, even if they told anyone about the existence of the Shadow World, no one would believe them.

The lord then had some further discussions with them.

The lord seemed particularly worried; he was very concerned about all information concerning vampires.

If a large Blood Race were to infiltrate his territory, he and his territory would face annihilation if he were not careful.

"My lord, do not worry, we will help you defeat the Blood Race."

"Okay, I understand. I will definitely intensify the search efforts in the town. If you need any assistance, please let me know, and I will do my best to cooperate."

"Good."

In the end, the lord was reassured and stood up very kindly to shake hands with the two men and thank them.

The two Resurrection Cultists were also very happy.

With the Lord's powerful assistance, the hunt for the Blood Race target 2 will be much easier.

They might even have a chance to find and eliminate the Great Blood Race at an unimaginable speed.

"Would you two like to rest at the Lord's Mansion tonight? I've had the servants prepare guest rooms for you in advance."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, my lord."

Just as the lord instructed the guards to escort them from the reception hall to their guest rooms...

I don't know from which moment it started.

"Puff."

When the female soldier realized what was happening, she found that her clothes were stained red with gushing blood.

This wasn't her blood; it was the blood from which the male mage beside her had his heart ripped open by a bloody hand that appeared out of nowhere.

Immediately afterwards, the male mage's body trembled violently, and the ground was instantly stained dark red, as if red ink had been spilled on a table.

The female warrior's entire body was filled with an intense sense of impending death, and she instinctively pulled away.

The Lord's Mansion's guards, who had been leading the way with expressions as blank as chess pieces, suddenly turned bloodshot and exuded a strong, pungent smell of blood.

Without a doubt, his true identity is that of a vampire's familiar!

Taking advantage of the close proximity, the vampire's familiar launched a sneak attack on the male mage.

The fragile male mage had already died in that sudden, unexpected sneak attack.

Then, several figures gathered around the reception room.

They were all sixth-tier vampire servants!

The female warrior then realized that the guards in the reception room had all been replaced by vampires!

Moreover, they perfectly disguised themselves as humans using some unknown means!

"Lord...?"

The female warrior's lips trembled, and her face turned deathly pale.

The sudden turn of events made her realize...

She may have been tricked into going to the enemy's lair.

Even the lords have problems!

What she and her companions thought was a sting operation might actually have been exactly what the other side had anticipated.

In fact, the vampire familiar they captured was the bait thrown out by the enemy.

They, on the other hand, are the fish that are being caught.

Under the terrified gaze of the female warrior.

The lord did not answer her, but simply stood up from the sofa.

Then he went around behind the sofa and knelt down on one knee in front of the maid who was waiting there.

"Lady Lisilina, my mission is complete. They have indeed become aware of your presence."

The lord spoke with unusual deference, much like a puppy trying to please its master.

"You've worked hard. Go back to being your lord."

The maid waved her hand dismissively, signaling the fragile lord to leave.

If the lord gets hurt in a fight later, it will be a real problem.

"You, you are the one who is...!"

The female warrior looked at the maid and said in a trembling voice.

"Ha ha."

The pretty maid, who had initially appeared to have a youthful charm, suddenly laughed mockingly.

"Foolish humans, did you think I wouldn't notice you while you were investigating me?"

Even though the maid still looked like a young girl, her voice remained clear and melodious.

But the maid's aura had become incredibly oppressive, staring at the female warrior as if she were looking down on an inferior race.

Beneath those blood-red ruby-like eyes lay a sea of blood, concealing countless acts of slaughter.

The cold, bloody atmosphere in the reception room sent shivers down the female warrior's spine.

She was gradually beginning to understand everything.

The person in front of me is not a maid at all.

Rather, it is.

The great Blood Race they've been searching for, lurking within the city-state!

The lord had already been controlled by Countess Lisilina!

The entire Lord's Mansion has now become a den of thieves for Blood Race, and the enemy's stronghold!

The enemy can also efficiently obtain all intelligence and information about the city-state.

Therefore, unless the challenger maintains an extremely high level of counter-surveillance awareness, the more they investigate, the more they will expose themselves.

Although the combat intensity in this sixth-order Shadow World is not that high.

But danger lurks everywhere.

One wrong step could lead to a desperate situation without you even realizing it.

Amid the female warrior's screams, her figure was quickly overwhelmed by the attacks of her kin, and she gradually lost her life.

"Although I don't know where I gave myself away that you small fry were targeting me, you're just delivering my food after all."

Countess Lisilina's face was filled with disdain.

She possesses a unique ability to manipulate minds, allowing her to control the minds of humans without turning them into her own.

She is also skilled at disguise, not only able to perfectly disguise herself as a human, but also to conceal the vampire aura around her.

Even the lord was unknowingly controlled by her after she infiltrated his Lord's Mansion, becoming her plaything.

She also replaced several guards in the mansion.

This became her safest hiding place, where she could also control the situation in the town through the lord's intervention.

Before long, the female warrior was subdued by the group of her entourage.

They carried the barely alive female warrior to the countess and presented her as an offering.

"Damn the Shadow World..."

The dying female warrior's voice was broken and intermittent; her face, stained with blood and tears, held only resentment and despair.

This city-state is finished.

Given a severe lack of intelligence.

No one could have predicted the countess's troublesome abilities and the latent advantages she had already achieved.

Unless someone can get the information out that "the lord has been taken over."

Otherwise, there is no hope of turning the tide.

As a follower of the Resurrection Cultist, she didn't care about failing in the Shadow World.

She was simply unwilling to accept it; she hadn't expected that the ultimate enemy in this Shadow World would be so cunning, turning around and hunting down challengers.

After her consciousness completely disappeared, Countess Lisilina leisurely began to absorb her nourishment.

This was her most enjoyable dinner time.

"Not bad, it would be even better if it were from a young girl's blood."

The countess licked her lips, the blood making her mouth appear exceptionally red, and wore a satisfied expression.

This city-state will soon be hers.

Even though her combat power has not yet fully recovered to the sixth-tier level.

But as long as she continues to quietly recover her strength, and is given another four days, she will be able to regain her full seventh-tier combat power.

Once you go to the town and rescue Marquis Roderick, everything will be over.

"Damn High Priest... Your sacrifices, everything you've done, are all futile struggles. Whether it's a small town or a city-state, it will all eventually become our hunting ground."

Countess Lisilina felt particularly angry whenever she thought of the town's High Priest who had fought so hard with her.

If it weren't for that priest's interference, she wouldn't have needed to hide like this.

For some reason, she felt anger rising in her heart, growing stronger and stronger.

It was as if my emotions had been inexplicably stirred up.

And along with the anger, she also felt a hunger stimulating her brain.

I just had some blood, and now I'm hungry again.

Moreover, this sudden surge of appetite felt very strange.

Countess Lisilina even considered ordering her retinue to hunt down the most beautiful girl she desired, at any cost, so that she could drink her blood.

She is an extremely cautious Blood Race.

Every step taken so far has been marked by steadiness.

Apart from sending one member of the family to lure away adventurers who were trying to use entrapment tactics, they dared not send any more family members out to easily arrest civilians.

We must remain low-key and patient until the marquisate is reinstated, otherwise all our previous efforts may be in vain.

But this restless desire within her was truly unbearable for her.

She decided to go find the lord.

No matter what method the lord had to devise, she needed to drink fresh blood as soon as possible, and it had to be the blood of a pure young girl.

Soon, Countess Lisilina, dressed as a maid, hurried to the door of the lord's bedroom on the second floor.

However, she hadn't opened the door yet.

The door was quickly pulled open from the inside.

At the same time, a brown-covered book suddenly slammed down from inside the door, hitting her on the head!

She quickly leaned back and lightly jumped to the wall in the corridor.

Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough.

They escaped the attack.

Otherwise, the Terror power behind that attack would have blown her head off.

She quickly called her family members to come upstairs and saw the situation in the lord's bedroom.

Suddenly, Countess Lisilina felt her brain go blank.

The scene inside the lord's bedroom was extremely eerie.

A girl wearing Whiteboard Mask stood at the door.

She was holding a Terror weapon in her hand. Although it looked like a book, Countess Lisilina's intuition told her that being hit by this book would have dire consequences.

The Blank Slate Girl was clearly keeping watch.

In the middle of the bedroom, the lord, who was sitting at the desk, had already fainted.

Next to the lord stood a man, wearing an equally strange mask on his face, with the character "" written on it in bright red paint.

The man in Red Middle helped the lord to a chair, holding a metal rope in his hand, preparing to tie the lord up tightly.

Meanwhile, by the window of the lord's room, another figure had pulled back the curtains a tiny gap, also keeping watch.

However, his job was to keep an eye on the situation downstairs at the Lord's Mansion.

At this moment, the figure standing by the window seemed to have also attracted the attention of Countess Lisilina.

He turned around, and his mask was made of green paint with the character "" printed on it.

Countess Lisilina's eye twitched.

These three guys, who looked suspicious, were clearly a well-established criminal gang.

Although she couldn't see the expressions on the faces of the three people behind their masks.

But she could sense that the three men hesitated noticeably after they spotted her, as if they were also surprised.

It seems that the three bandits' initial motives were quite simple; they just wanted to hijack the Lord's Mansion.

They never expected to encounter a vampire at the Lord's Mansion.

Although Countess Lisilina was still dressed as a maid, the smell of blood on her body and the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth were impossible to hide.

"Such a good thing?"

Inside the bedroom, the man in Red Middle temporarily stopped what he was doing, looked at the maid outside the door, and asked his two accomplices.

"Isn't that a coincidence?"

The man Fortune couldn't help but laugh.

"Can I keep hitting her?"

The Blank Slate Girl was also stroking the Murder Book in her hand, as if she wouldn't feel satisfied until she hit this vampire once.

The three of them stared intently at Countess Lisilina as if they had spotted prey.

Even though she couldn't meet the three men's gaze through the mask, the Countess felt a chill run down her spine.

These three guys are too much of a fan.

She had originally thought that this Lord's Mansion was a safe haven for her.

This would give her a significant advantage and prevent anyone from investigating her.

But she never anticipated that ruthless bandits would target the Lord's Mansion!

What kind of world is this?!

Do you think you can just raid Lord's Mansion like that?!