Chapter 758
Simon’s group left the beach and entered the city center. The day was growing dark, and lights flickered on across the buildings. The night gambling dens had opened, and the area buzzed with noise.
“By the way, Dick, what’s this place you think it is?”
At Simon’s question, Dick shrugged.
“I overheard something earlier while doing business. They said there was a huge fight in the plaza. Some giant guy was swinging his arms, and the roads flipped over, and the walls of buildings split apart or something like that.”
Maelyn responded bluntly.
“And what does that stupid story have to do with Kami?”
“Come on, think about the letters Kami exchanged with us. She said she was trying to find a way to shake off her father, right? Do you really think she could’ve come here alone, after actually ditching that lovesick Vampire Lord?”
Somehow, it made sense.
Simon and Maelyn nodded, and Dick folded his arms smugly.
“Not missing small hints like this, piecing them together into clues—that’s real skill!”
“Mind if I smack that mouth of yours just once?”
While Dick and Maelyn bickered, Simon stopped walking.
‘Here it is.’
The central plaza.
The walls of the buildings were actually split apart. Simon put his hand into one of the cracks and touched it. It was sharp and smooth, as if cut by a blade, but it wasn’t straight, it had strange curves.
‘Claw marks.’
Simon then examined the ground. The plaza fountain had overflowed, spreading water around, and muddy footprints were everywhere.
Among the chaotic scatter of tracks, Simon found footprints leading outward.
The strides were long, and the footprints were broad.
“This way.”
Simon gestured.
The three moved quickly down an alley, and before long—
—$@$?
—!^#!%!
A noisy commotion reached their ears, along with a familiar voice. Simon instantly ran toward the sound.
“Kwahaha! You dare cast lecherous eyes on my daughter? I’ll gouge those eyeballs out!”
“Dad!”
The closer they got, the clearer the voices became.
Raising Darkness, Simon leapt across several building walls in one bound and landed on the ground.
There, a man who looked like a tourist sat frozen with terror, trembling. In front of him stood a massive figure wrapped head-to-toe in a cloak.
The legs looked thin beneath the cloak, but the higher one’s gaze rose, the bulkier the body became, with shoulders broad like a plain. A neck thick as a pillar, crimson eyes, and sharp fangs.
Kamibarez’s father, the current Vampire Lord.
Dietrich Von Ursula.
And clinging to him, whining as she tried to stop him, was a girl with light-violet hair tied into twin tails, undoubtedly Kamibarez.
Dietrich and Kami noticed Simon.
“Oh! And who do we have here.”
The twisted grimace on Dietrich’s face melted into a grin. Kami’s expression, tense with anger, suddenly brightened as she waved enthusiastically.
“Simon~ over here!”
“Hello, Kami.”
While Simon drew their attention, the tourist scrambled to his feet and bolted down the alley. Dietrich seemed uninterested in chasing such small fry.
Dick and Maelyn arrived right after. Seeing the three, Dietrich burst into hearty laughter.
“Ah, you lot! First time since that vacation ceremony!”
He was their friend’s father.
The three bent at a sharp right angle, greeting him politely.
“Hello!”
“Yes, yes! Hahahaha!”
Dietrich was still as boisterous as ever.
And just as Simon lifted his head, Dietrich had suddenly closed the distance, gripping Simon’s shoulder.
“While delinquent punks wander around ogling my daughter, what were you doing all this time?”
“Huh?”
“I clearly told you before, to take care of her. Seems you only half-listened to my instructions.”
“Daaaad!”
Blushing furiously, Kami pounded Dietrich’s side with her fists. He chuckled and patted Simon’s shoulder lightly before turning his head.
“And you, Maelyn Villene of the Ivory Tower!”
“Hello, Kami’s father! Have you been well?”
Maelyn clasped her hands and smiled sweetly. Dietrich laughed.
“Proper manners! Daniella of the Ivory Tower raised her daughter well!”
“You flatter me.”
“And you, rascal! Still the same, I see!”
Dick pointed to his own face.
“M-me? Why am I the rascal, sir?”
“I’ve never liked merchants by nature. But since my daughter once benefited from your petty tricks, I’ll spare you!”
“Yes sir, I’ll honor you as my lifesaver!”
Dick replied cheerfully.
Dietrich stroked his chin, then turned back to Simon.
“Now then, Simon Follentia.”
“Yes.”
Dietrich’s pupils gleamed.
“Shall we see how much you’ve changed?”
Meeting his gaze, Simon’s pupils dilated. Suddenly his heart pounded, battle spirit surging.
Fzzzzzt!
Dietrich’s body dissolved into a swarm of bats and flew forward. Stunned, Simon spun like lightning and raised his leg.
Boooom!
A thunderous roundhouse kick shot toward Dietrich’s face as he reappeared behind him.
“As expected.”
Dietrich easily caught Simon’s leg with his fingertips.
“Your senses are sharper. You’ve gained power and speed, and you’ve cut down on unnecessary movements. Good!”
Simon’s eyes reddened as he raised his arm. Subspace opened, and skeletons poured out. Dick and Maelyn jumped back in shock.
“Kwahaha!”
Boom!
Stomping the ground with excitement, Dietrich sent all the skeletons collapsing at once. Simon staggered from the shock, dropping to one knee.
Then, a massive arm burst from Dietrich’s cloak. Calmly, Simon pressed three fingers together and made a lifting motion.
<Bone Net>
The fallen skeletons’ bones wove into a net, wrapping Dietrich’s arm and slightly diverting its course with sheer force.
Simon tilted his shoulder and bent his head, narrowly dodging the attack.
“Smart—not to block, but to twist the trajectory!”
‘Open Gate!’
Shrrrkkk!
Behind him, Overlord’s five blade-like tentacles erupted. Rising to his feet, Simon swung his left arm back.
The remaining bones swarmed over his arm, bulking it up grotesquely.
<Bone Armor – Heavy Armor Type>
“Good! Come at me!”
Dietrich pulled out his other arm from under his cloak.
Their two massive arms were about to clash at the center when—
“Stoooop!”
Kamibarez leapt in.
Her pupils flared crimson as she unleashed the blood of Ursula. Curling her body, she then whipped her arms powerfully outward.
A blazing crimson gale roared, forcing back both Dietrich’s and Simon’s arms at once.
“Woooow.”
Dick let out an exclamation.
“W-whoa, Kami’s scary when she’s mad.”
Maelyn rubbed her wrist as she muttered.
Smack!
Landing on the ground, Kamibarez rushed straight into Simon. Simon was still dazed, preparing his next attack on Dietrich.
Kami threw herself at him, clinging tightly, and whispered.
“Cancellation.”
Simon froze.
The light returned to his pupils just as he was about to summon the Royal Guard. Blinking in confusion, he muttered,
“W-why…?”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Simon! My dad had cursed you!”
Kami bowed her head repeatedly in apology, then shot a sharp glare at Dietrich.
Dietrich flinched slightly.
“I told you so many times not to lay a hand on my friends!”
“N-no, I was just testing whether that boy was worthy of protecting you…!”
Clenching both fists behind her, Kami shouted with all her strength.
“I really hate you, Dad!”
Hate you—hate you—hate you—
The words echoed in Dietrich’s head.
The doting father, struck by the harsh blow of his beloved daughter, finally lost his fighting spirit and collapsed weakly to the ground.
“Now’s the chance! Let’s go, Simon!”
“K-Kami?”
Kami grabbed Simon’s wrist and ran. Dick and Maelyn glanced back and forth before following him.
“Pardon us first, Vampire Lord!”
“Goodbye!”
Being pulled along, Simon looked back.
Dietrich, who had seemed slumped in defeat, now grinned faintly. He pointed two fingers to his eyes, then gestured toward Simon.
‘Don’t worry.’
Mouthing the words, Simon turned and followed her.
* * *
Despite the various incidents, the four of them had safely regrouped in the end.
Kami apologized over and over, while Simon waved his hands, insisting he was really fine.
It had only been a minor mishap.
“I booked us a neat little place to stay. This way!”
Dick pointed ahead as he led them.
It was a fairly large outdoor lodge on the edge of the city. Other cabins nearby also glowed with lights and chatter, suggesting plenty of guests.
The four wasted no time preparing.
They lit a bonfire right outside the lodge and hung skewers of pork to roast. Dick had brought all the ingredients, even wine.
Within an hour, everything was set. The four raised their glasses.
“To surviving the first semester! And to the day we become Keyzen’s third-years!”
“Cheers!”
The four laughed and chattered noisily.
There was so much to talk about after so long. Exchanging letters was one thing, but meeting in person was completely different.
“I’m so, so excited about visiting Professor Hongpeng’s place!”
Kami flapped her tiny bat wings in excitement. Dick was already rambling about all the activities they could try on the grasslands.
He pulled out a travel pamphlet, run by adventurers and locals.
“Look! Crossing the Muddy River on a hippo! That’s why Professor Hongpeng’s class has hippos!”
“Visiting the Crocodile Forest sounds fun too! I heard grassland crocodiles climb trees!”
“I want to try sleeping in a nomadic tribe’s lodging.”
While the three each shared what they wanted to do, Dick wagged his finger.
“You guys don’t know the real fun.”
“?”
“The most fun and rewarding thing is this!”
He pointed at the back of the pamphlet.
“Ancient Civilization Excavation?”
“Exactly!”
Excited, Dick slapped the table with both palms.
“They say another ancient civilization once existed on the continent, buried somewhere in the grasslands! Tons of ruins have been found already! If we excavate one and sell it, the money…”
“There he goes again—money, money.”
Maelyn rested her chin on her hand with a bored look.
Dick grinned at her.
“One of the stone tablets excavated had ancient rune letters! It might even be related to that Arcane Civilization your Ivory Tower is obsessed with!”
“You slap ‘arcane’ on everything. Do you think Arcane Civilization is trash? I don’t buy such baseless mysteries.”
“I’m telling you, it’s real!”
Dick suddenly jumped to his feet.
“They said it was a terrifying yet powerful civilization! Famously performed human sacrifices! And a priest revived from death is trying to resurrect it, his grudge so strong even after death…”
“Yeah, not interested.”
Maelyn replied flatly. Kami looked worried.
“Dick, are you okay? You sound a bit drunk.”
“Ugh.”
Dick clutched his forehead and slumped back down. Simon tilted his head.
“So? What happened to that priest’s spirit?”
“Knew it! My best friend would care!”
Dick chuckled as he continued the story. Maelyn shot Simon a resentful glare, but Simon genuinely enjoyed listening.
* * *
“Ugh, I’m stuffed.”
“Man, I barely drank, but I’m tipsy already.”
Meanwhile, in the opposite lodge, another party had ended.
They also looked about Simon’s age—teenagers, yawning and tidying up.
“I told you not to overdrink. We need to be in good condition for the grasslands tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
As they cleaned, one boy turned his head.
There was another group, unusually rowdy and full of energy.
“Those guys are lively.”
“Wait.”
The boy squinted, narrowing his eyes.
“Don’t they look familiar?”
“That flashy blue-haired girl—she’s vice president Maelyn! And next to her…”
Clack.
Just then, the lodge door opened, and a man appeared, yawning lazily.
“What’s all the fuss? Who is it?”
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