Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Vampire Queen

“Huh? Lantis actually didn’t ask again! What on earth is going on?” Li Ren appeared calm as he sat atop the lord’s throne in the city castle, but inside his mind was in turmoil.

Below, Lantis was the very picture of poised leadership, but she would not spare him a single glance.

In this tense atmosphere, Shadow scarcely dared to breathe, fearful of provoking one of these lethal figures. Ever the weakest among them, he could only silently, anxiously, and diligently focus on his work.

“Ahem, er, Shadow, during the more than half a month we were away, how much has our soul count increased?” Li Ren, unable to sit still any longer, wanted to ease the tension by conversing with Lantis, but every time he opened his mouth, a shiver ran through him at her calm, distant demeanor.

“The Queen’s aura grows more formidable by the day—never before have I seen such presence!” Li Ren was sweating coldly inside, recalling all too clearly the words he’d heard from Lantis: “Li Ren! You bastard!”

Fortunately, Shadow was not silenced by the Queen’s crushing presence. “At present, our soul reserves in Fallen Cloud City amount to around thirty million.”

“What, that many already?” Li Ren’s attention was immediately drawn to the figure.

“Yes, my lord. And thanks to taxes and other sources, our mission hall exchanges have continued uninterrupted—though for now, only gold coins can be redeemed.”

“Well, that’s quite good. Thirty million... what should we do with it?” Li Ren mused inwardly.

“I know! How about we summon another Lantis?” Li Ren clapped his hands together as if struck by inspiration—only to regret the words the instant they left his lips.

Shadow was momentarily stunned.

The atmosphere in the hall grew even stranger.

“Big Sister Lantis,” Li Ren called softly.

“Big Sister Lantis, Queen Lantis, please spare me. I really was wrong.” Realizing he’d walked straight into the lion’s den, Li Ren could only grit his teeth and face the music.

Lantis raised her head and shot him a sidelong glance. “Speak. Where were you wrong?”

“Eh?”

“Hmm?”

“Oh, right! I was wrong. I shouldn’t have used you as a unit of measure.”

“Hmm?”

“No, no, that’s not it. It’s—uh—Shadow said that.” Li Ren, seeing the faint glimmer of anger in Lantis’s pale blue eyes, panicked and just began to babble nonsense.

From the bottom of his heart, he dreaded seeing Lantis truly angry. Once she was truly upset, he had no hope of placating her, and the resulting atmosphere was always unbearably awkward.

“My lord! You’re slandering me again! After all my hard work, all my trembling effort and diligence, is this how I’m repaid?” Shadow cried out in indignation.

He threw up his hands and, with a loud thud, flopped onto his chair, making it clear he wasn’t going to work anymore.

“Uh?” Li Ren stared at Shadow in astonishment. “What’s gotten into him? Did he take the wrong medicine today?”

He looked blankly at his two undoubtedly powerful allies. Now, he truly felt isolated.

“Hmph! Get back to work! And stop with your little schemes—I may not see what he’s up to, but do you think I’m blind?” Lantis barked at Shadow.

Shadow immediately sprang to his feet and, without a word, went to busy himself with his unfinished tasks.

But now, the trace of anger had vanished from Lantis’s eyes. Though Shadow had his back turned, he allowed himself a subtle smile. “The Queen’s temper never lasts long—just a bit of fuss and it’s gone.”

At that moment, Li Ren understood Shadow’s true intentions and felt sincere gratitude for his brave sacrifice. He could only wonder if Shadow realized the depth of his appreciation.

“Hmph! I’ll let you off for now, but don’t you think you can always get away with these tricks. One day, you’ll—hmph!” Lantis shot Li Ren a threatening glance.

Li Ren smiled awkwardly, but took no real heed of her threats. It was obvious she was only teasing.

“So, shall we be off?” Li Ren asked with a smile.

Lantis reached up to smooth her slightly tousled hair and then stood.

Shadow had long since set aside his work. The three of them, each possessing the proper authority, were enveloped in a flash of white light—and in the next instant, found themselves in the center of the Death Wishing Grounds.

As one of Fallen Cloud City’s most important sites, the Death Wishing Grounds adjoined the barracks. Skeletal guards stood shoulder to shoulder along the entrance, making it near impossible for anyone to glimpse what was taking place inside.

Of course, Shadow’s orders to these creatures were clear: Any unauthorized approach—kill without mercy.

After a few players had served as object lessons, most grumbled but had grown used to the restriction.

Standing within the Death Wishing Grounds, Li Ren glanced over the records and saw that the soul count continued to climb with every passing moment. Though the pace was no longer breakneck, it was still steadily increasing.

He selected: Highest-level Summon!

Ten million souls instantly began to vanish at a dizzying rate, as a massive wave of dark energy gathered in the center of the wishing grounds.

Black mist—a boundless, evil force—erupted violently from the Death Wishing Grounds. The players still in Fallen Cloud City felt a wave of sinister power sweep over them, leaving them uncomfortable, even if only for a moment. Yet it was enough to be noticed by many.

But the veteran players of Fallen Cloud City only felt reassured: the city was about to grow stronger, of that they were certain.

The black mist came and went quickly. When it dispersed, there stood a woman clad in a black evening gown, her smooth thighs sheathed in fine, sheer stockings, her fiery red hair tumbling in waves across her chest, and her delicate lips painted a vivid crimson that stirred the imagination.

Not to mention her stunning figure—Li Ren once again felt ashamed of himself.

Her pale skin carried an alluring, almost sickly beauty, while her graceful bearing spoke of rare and noble birth.

“At your service, my master.” Her voice was sweet, tinged with a languid softness, and as she bent gracefully before Li Ren, the movement seemed to reveal, as if by accident, the alluring curves of her chest.

“Oh! My god!” Li Ren screamed inwardly. What in the world was going on?

He could already sense how dangerously thorny this beauty was—and that she was accompanied by someone even more formidable.

As expected, at the sight of this newcomer, Queen Lantis’s whole aura shifted. It was hard to describe exactly what changed, but something was definitely different.

Li Ren knew well enough to sense such changes.

From this day forth, there would be no peace in Fallen Cloud City, Li Ren thought with bitter resignation.