Gray hadn't seen that expression on Bennett's face in a long time.
This elderly vampire count rarely showed his emotions. Apart from thrashing around like a dead fish when he was electrocuted, he rarely paid attention to anything else.
So when Gray saw the look of utter horror on the old man's face, he knew that things were definitely not as simple as they seemed.
We've already completed most of the return journey, and we should be able to enter the control range of the Graycast Corridor in another week.
A huge group of Blood Corpse suddenly appeared here! What the hell is wrong with this damned Wilderness of Chaos?
Without time to think, Gray, already prepared, immediately slammed on the brakes and turned the rudder simultaneously.
Forget all that, I'm not putting up with this anymore!
Turning a heavy mobile fortress isn't easy, so Gray needs to slow down properly before turning to avoid overturning.
Meanwhile, the Blood Corpse in the distance were slowly accelerating, and the distance between the two sides was constantly closing.
Gray's driving skills in the small mobile fortress were superb; he managed to steer while almost at maximum speed to avoid rollover.
The tracks driven by the Blood Corpse left unusually clear ruts on the ground, uprooting the Aberration plants that were only as tall as moss and scattering them everywhere.
A gasp came from downstairs, and Gray quickly heard Nora's voice:
I just finished packing!
"Never mind that for now, let's find a place to settle down!"
Gray shouted back, momentarily forgetting about his wife, and turned to look at the horde of Blood Corpse that had begun their charge.
His intuition told him that something was off about these guys.
When Gray first saw this group of Blood Corpse, he assumed that an earl was nearby gathering them.
After all, as a merchant from the Graycast Corridor, Gray was adept at judging the size of gatherings of wild animals, Blood Corpse, or crowds from a distance.
Therefore, he could tell at a glance that those Blood Corpse were basically the limit that an earl could control.
But he quickly realized something was wrong.
Bennett appeared extremely panicked, and the Blood Corpse did not seem particularly weak at this twilight hour.
Logically, as long as sunlight exists, these guys should be weakened and shouldn't be so acutely aware of their own presence.
Besides that, what worried Gray the most was the sheer size of this group of Blood Corpse.
He saw the group of Blood Corpse after climbing over a small hill, and as he changed direction in his mobile fortress, he returned to the high ground on the other side of the hill.
He then saw more Blood Corpse that had been previously hidden by rocks and bushes.
Compared to the number he could see now, the number of Blood Corpse he saw at first glance was almost negligible!
Gray had a bad feeling about him and looked at Bennett beside him.
The chief engineer's panic was far too exaggerated; he shouldn't be in such a state if he couldn't control the Blood Corpse.
The Soul Returner had told him that when fishing for another vampire count, Luoli Adelaide (now called Luoli Soaring Clouds ), Bennett needed to pull the Blood Corpse out of range before manipulating them.
Gray was actually quite clear about Bennett's abilities.
A simple influence wouldn't require such a complex operation; even at this distance, it shouldn't be impossible to exert any influence, unless...
Why are you panicking? What happened?
Bennett looked at his human "master," opened his mouth to speak but didn't know where to begin.
Seeing that Gray gently placed his hand on the wheelchair, he indicated that he needed to organize his thoughts before giving his report.
After giving him a few breaths, Bennett said in a trembling voice:
"Something's not right over there..."
I was right after all!
Gray asked sharply:
"Are there other earls sealed underground?"
Bennett hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
Gray became increasingly certain of his guess:
"Could there be a marquis nearby?"
Bennett continued to shake his head and remain silent; something about Bennett expression was off.
"Could it be that a duke is sealed here?"
Vampire Dukes and Vampire Grand Dukes are two different concepts. The seven progenitors are called Grand Dukes, while the strongest members of their family who received a portion of their power are called Dukes.
Dukes are not present in all lineages; for example, the Antos Lineage does not have a duke.
As Bennett stated, Grand Duke Antos disliked his clans sharing his power, so he did not include this rank in his lineage.
Otherwise, given his identity as someone personally recruited and transformed by the progenitor, there was a chance that, after hundreds of years of growth, he would become a vampire duke who could almost share Authority with the Grand Duke.
Meeting Gray's expectant gaze, Bennett looked up and met his eyes, then the old vampire shook his head in despair.
He sighed softly:
"Just now... I heard someone speaking in my head."
His throat seemed to become dry in an instant:
"This is a power only the Grand Duke possesses... We're finished, we're doomed..."
After the Antasia completed its turn, Nora climbed back up the stairs on the side.
What happened?
Gray was momentarily speechless. He wanted to tell his wife the truth, but felt there was no need to cause unnecessary panic. After a brief moment of thought, he said in a slightly hoarse voice:
"I see the horde of Blood Corpse, not far away, well, they're behind us now."
"There must be an earl or marquis resurrected nearby; this road is impassable."
Nora looked behind the mobile fortress with a hint of curiosity. It was the first time she had seen Blood Corpse that had not yet been rendered harmless, and her expression inevitably changed.
The image of Gray's last encounter with the Blood Corpse flashed through her mind.
Although she didn't witness firsthand how her husband, now only half alive, struggled to survive, she had carefully examined the parts that had been replaced on Gray's body and could roughly understand the extent of his despair at the time.
The thought of that horrific scene inevitably filled Nora with fear as she left the Graycast Corridor for the first time in her life.
Looking at the vast, dark mass of Blood Corpse, Gray swallowed nervously.
Looking at Nora's expression, his memory returned to the trade that took place before winter.
Although he was rescued by Ed, Gray knew in his heart that the experience had become a psychological trauma for him.
As he watched the ever-growing horde of Blood Corpse, his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
Calm down, calm down!
Gray recalled how he had held on for so long until the rescue last time, when his will was on the verge of collapse and only a few people flashed through his mind:
His wife, his martial uncle, the Antasia he inherited from his master, and the Grand Foundry Master he had only met once.