“Everything is under my control.”
“Next, we deal with these nuisances first.”
Li Xiuman looked toward the guards and the others.
In reality, he was just trying to change the subject.
After all, if Rorona kept asking about the plan, he would blow his cover as a master who actually knew absolutely nothing.
“Yes, Master.”
Rorona also tactfully went along with Li Xiuman's change of subject.
At this moment, Rorona was incredibly relieved.
Since Master had said everything was under his control, he only needed to trust him.
Master's wisdom was absolutely beyond his imagination.
Even Sister Jetis could only catch a glimpse of a fraction of Master's brilliance.
“Kill these bastards!”
Budale, spurred on by the intense pain, shrieked at the top of his lungs.
Pinned beneath Li Xiuman's foot, he had lost all of his previous composure and looked utterly pathetic.
Li Xiuman was also startled.
He had been so busy brainstorming and chatting that he had almost forgotten there was a person under his foot.
Receiving Budale's command, the surrounding ring of enemies lunged forward.
“How noisy.”
Li Xiuman stepped onto Budale's neck and stomped down hard.
With a sickening crack, Budale's neck snapped, and he left this filthy world forever.
The only proof of his departure was a notification window in Li Xiuman's vision.
[Killed Swordsman Lv. 27, EXP +3300]
“Number Zero, do it.”
Li Xiuman ordered.
Number Zero led a large force of Golems, surging out from the deeper darkness.
The surrounding guards and hunters were caught completely off guard, slaughtered in an instant.
Number Zero was especially lethal, slicing them in half one by one like splitting watermelons.
Massive amounts of blood splattered everywhere, dyeing the filthy sewer red.
“Attack alongside Master!”
Rorona also led the combat-ready vampires to join the fray.
With his wand in one hand and his Rib Sword in the other, Li Xiuman sent several rushing guards flying, then raised his wand high.
“Tier 2 Magic, Multiple Undead Reanimation!”
In the cold, filthy sewer, a pitch-black magic circle manifested like a demon's opening eye.
As the magic circle expanded, the dead corpses twisted and stood back up.
Their flesh rotted rapidly, emitting a foul stench.
They then spun around and lunged at their former companions.
It was not only a physical assault but a severe mental blow.
“Kill them all, leave none alive.”
As Li Xiuman spoke, he pulled back his hood.
The cold, dirty sewers, white bones, filth, and vampires.
Flesh and blood flew everywhere, and corpses twisted in decay.
A sticky sensation seemed to envelop everything, as if the very air had turned into a slurry of flesh and blood, clinging grease-slick to the skin.
“A demon! This is a demon! Run!”
“He's going to slaughter us all!”
“Get out of here! Or none of us will make it out alive!”
“...”
The last psychological defense of the guards collapsed completely.
What surprised Li Xiuman was this group of vampires.
Their combat strength was somewhat unexpected.
Facing the remnant forces whose wills had completely broken, they went on an absolute rampage, slaughtering everything in their path.
Pairs of ruby-red eyes seemed to genuinely glow in the dark, looking incredibly sinister.
The blood that splattered onto their skin vanished as if absorbed, making the vampires grow stronger and stronger as they slaughtered.
“...What's going on? Something isn't right.”
“These guys must be the strongest among all the vampires.”
Li Xiuman came up with a plausible explanation.
Once everyone was dead, the sewer floor was paved with a slurry of flesh and blood.
Looking at this scene, Li Xiuman realized something.
The sewer—this little piece of paradise—was probably no more.
His beloved sewer...
Number Zero stood neatly and obediently behind Li Xiuman with the other Golems.
Meanwhile, the vampires knelt on one knee before Li Xiuman.
“Master, Rorona almost caused a catastrophic failure this time. Please punish me.”
Rorona, kneeling at the very front, spoke.
“Master, this was not just Lord Rorona's fault.”
“We also failed to conduct proper investigation and take precautions, nearly ruining Master's grand plan. Please punish us as well!”
Just as Li Xiuman was about to speak, the other vampires quickly chimed in, eager to share the blame with Rorona.
What grand plan?! Seriously, can you guys make it clear? Honestly...
Li Xiuman pondered for a moment.
A punishment... what kind of punishment would be appropriate?
Li Xiuman really had no experience in this area...
“Rorona, I hope you remember what happened today.”
“I will not always be able to show up in time. In all matters, you must put the safety of yourself and your companions first.”
“Since this is your first offense, your punishment will be...”
“Investigate the White Feather Merchant Association.”
Li Xiuman's words did not confuse Rorona in the slightest.
After all, this was Master. Master telling him to do something as seemingly absurd as investigating their own organization must have some profound, hidden meaning.
Although Rorona did not quite grasp what that hidden meaning was right now,
keeping it in mind to ponder later was definitely the right choice.
Yet, was this really a punishment?
Was this not a way of grooming him, of encouraging him to decipher Master's deeper intents?
Master was truly gentle.
“Yes!”
Rorona complied.
“In that case, Master, could you tell me where you are staying in White Crystal City?”
“So that I may report to you at any time.”
Hearing Rorona's question, Li Xiuman looked toward the depths of the sewer.
Telling them that he lived in a sewer was... well, not a very good look.
He had to maintain his image.
In the end, Li Xiuman could only bite the bullet and name an inn.
After that, Li Xiuman parted ways with the vampires and left the sewer, incinerating the corpses completely so they washed away into oblivion with the filthy water.
After leaving the sewer, Li Xiuman had no choice but to swallow his heartache and make his way to the inn he had named.
Entering the inn, Li Xiuman walked up to the front desk.
“I'd like a room.”
“Nine silver coins.”
Li Xiuman sucked in a sharp breath.
He had miscalculated. He had named the wrong inn.
What a huge miscalculation.
Compared to this, that other place charging six silver coins suddenly seemed like quite a bargain.
Forcing down his heartache, Li Xiuman told the clerk, “No meals, no room service,” and slapped down nine large silver coins.
Having paid, he took his room key.
Was this... the price?
He entered the room. Fortunately, the room was decent enough, so at least his money hadn't been completely wasted.
The next day.
The crime scene in the sewers was, as expected, discovered and investigated.
With so many guards and people dead, compounded by the theft of noble property (the vampires), it quickly escalated into a major incident.
The vampires were put on wanted posters, and the sewers were put under surveillance, with guards and adventurers sent on regular patrols.
Just as Li Xiuman had anticipated, the sewer—this paradise for a skeleton—was no longer accessible.
November 2nd, clear weather. Day one after leaving the sewer. Missing it.
Rate on N.U.
