《Unlimited Investment: Evolving A Skeleton Warrior Into A Giant Abyss Dragon》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fang Ping opened his eyes in a daze and reached out to touch the light switch beside him. His fingers quickly touched something slippery and cold. As for the light switch, he could not find it. When he opened his eyes, his surroundings were pitch-black. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve already slept. Why isn¡¯t it dawn yet? What time is it?¡± However, after a while, Fang Ping began to search for his phone. However, when his hand reached under his body, he was completely stunned. It was also smooth and cold. Clearly, he was not lying on a bed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The dark and unfamiliar space made Fang Ping panic instantly. He began to explore the surroundings randomly. However, when he looked up, there was a thud. There was something up there! Fang Ping raised his arms forcefully. Indeed, there seemed to be a board covering the top of his head. Pushing the board open a crack, a dim light finally shone in from outside. After the board was completely removed, Fang Ping looked around. His brain instantly fell into a deadlock? Who am I? Where am I? Only then did he realize that his body had been lying in a coffin. The outside world of the coffin was desolate. The black and gray land and the sky were filled with the aura of death, making one¡¯s mood extremely depressed. Then, Fang Ping lowered his head to look at his hands and body. It was not a human body, but the body of a skeleton! The dense white bones brought a huge visual and mental impact to Fang Ping. He was so frightened that he almost fainted again. Fortunately, Fang Ping was a web novel enthusiast to begin with. During the process of reading novels, he had also seen all kinds of strange settings. After forcing himself to calm down and think for a moment, Fang Ping said in surprise. ¡°Have I¡­ transmigrated? So the settings in the novel are actually true! ¡°Other than Earth, there are really other dimensions and worlds! ¡°But why do other people have all kinds of cheat codes when they transmigrate? Moreover, even if they become another race, they will at least be very powerful. ¡°Why is it that when it¡¯s my turn to transmigrate, I end up becoming a weak little skeleton?!¡± At this moment, Fang Ping had already determined the race this body belonged to. Skeleton and undead creatures were often the weakest race in any world. He was not even qualified to be cannon fodder! ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Fang Ping roared, his heart filled with despair. Why did he have to transform into a Skeleton¡­ At this moment, Fang Ping no longer had the joy of transmigrating. He simply lay flat back in his coffin, prepared to lie like this until death arrived. Perhaps this was only a dream. As long as he died, he could immediately wake up and return to Earth! At this moment, a crisp sound made Fang Ping sit up again. He was extremely familiar with this voice! Ding¡­ detected that the host is a transmigrator from another world. The wireless investment system is binding. ¡® ¡°Please wait patiently.¡± ¡°System binding successful. Welcome to the system!¡± Hearing the voice that suddenly appeared in his mind, Fang Ping was instantly overjoyed. ¡°It¡¯s the system, the thing that brings good fortune to a transmigrator!¡± ¡°It is finally here!¡± The system of a transmigrator often had various powerful functions. Even if one was a loser after transmigrating, they could still successfully make a comeback. After a while, Fang Ping regained his composure. At this moment, the despair in his heart had completely dissipated. Fang Ping leaned against the coffin and asked in his mind. ¡°Introduce me to the use of your infinite investment system.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± ¡°The function of this system is as the name says. It only has one function, and that is to invest! ¡°The investment target can be anyone of any race. As long as the other party has been systematically identified as someone with investment potential, the host can obtain the corresponding reward after investing. ¡°The higher the other party¡¯s potential level, the better the reward you will obtain. ¡°The potential is divided into a total of five levels, from low to high. The corresponding color in the system notification is white, blue, purple, black, and red. ¡°The host can determine the other party¡¯s level based on the color marked by the system on the investment target. From there, you can decide if you want to invest.¡± ¡°System announcement, as long as you encounter someone with investment potential, the system will automatically remind you if you want to invest and make sure that you don¡¯t miss out on any potential investments! ¡°Lastly, let me remind you that other than the reward given by the system, you might also obtain an unexpected reward!¡± ¡°Investment? An unexpected reward?¡± After the system¡¯s introduction ended, Fang Ping recalled what the system had said just now. It sounded like this investment system was still very simple and crude. As long as he kept investing, he could increase his strength through the rewards he obtained. If he wanted to level up faster, he had to find an investment partner with extraordinary potential! If he could find the race at the top of the food chain in this world to invest in, such as the legendary dragon race, wouldn¡¯t he be able to reach the top with a single investment? Other than the rewards the system would definitely give him, Fang Ping was also curious about the additional gains mentioned by the system just now. At this moment, the system¡¯s voice sounded again. Ding¡­ detected that the host has bound to the system for the first time and has obtained a newbie gift bag. It has been distributed to the host¡¯s system warehouse and can be extracted by yourself. ¡® ¡°There¡¯s also the newbie gift bag! ¡°As expected of my system, it¡¯s so considerate! ¡°System, I want to extract the gift bag immediately!¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± A light flashed, and Fang Ping discovered a small box in his palm. After opening the box, Fang Ping saw a drop of bright red blood mixed with gold blood floating in the middle of the box. ¡°Congratulations, host. The content of this gift bag is the bloodline essence of the ancestor of any race! ¡°In its initial form, this drop of bloodline essence does not have any racial bias. The host can choose to use this drop of bloodline essence to come into contact with any race individual before transforming!¡± After hearing this, Fang Ping¡¯s eyes widened. He stared in disbelief at the inconspicuous drop of bloodline essence in the box. ¡°Transform into any race?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that as long as I find a powerful race to transform, I can immediately obtain powerful strength?!¡± Fang Ping¡¯s heart was filled with fighting spirit. He decided to set off immediately and leave this forsaken land. It was obvious that there were no experts in this godforsaken place. He could not waste this precious bloodline essence casually! Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before leaving the coffin, Fang Ping had to determine in advance where he was and which direction he wanted to go. ¡°System, do you have a map or something like that here?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a screen that looked like a holographic projection appeared in front of Fang Ping. On the screen was a huge map with a red dot on it. Clearly, this was Fang Ping¡¯s current location. At the same time, the system¡¯s voice sounded in Fang Ping¡¯s mind. ¡°Welcome to the world of magic and battle aura!¡± ¡°This world has countless creatures and races. Creatures of different races and individuals have different talents. ¡°However, if you want to unleash the abilities of these talents, you need magic and battle aura. ¡°The newbie introduction of the system has ended. Host, please explore the other content yourself.¡± Magic and battle aura! Hearing these two terms, an image instantly appeared in Fang Ping¡¯s mind. On the left was a group of mages displaying their various abilities and bombarding the other party with various powerful skills that were enough to move mountains and fill the sea. On the right was a group of warriors wrapped in various combat auras. They relied on their combat aura to attack fiercely! ¡°I have to become the strongest existence in the world!¡± Fang Ping made up his mind. Soon, he found the city closest to him on the map. According to the information labeled on the system, this city seemed to belong to the vampires. ¡°Vampire? It¡¯s not a bad choice. Although the lowest level vampires are very weak, if I can encounter the vampires from the royal family, it¡¯s still worth transforming!¡± Fang Ping immediately decided to go to this city to try his luck and learn more about this world through this city. The journey was about 200 kilometers. This distance was fleeting for some powerful creatures. Unfortunately, Fang Ping was only a weak little skeleton and could only rely on his legs to travel a long distance. However, although he was a little skeleton and was very weak, he ran abnormally quickly. In less than half a day, Fang Ping had already arrived less than 50 kilometers away from the vampire city. He expected to arrive at his destination by today. At this moment, Fang Ping suddenly heard the roars of a demon beast in the distance and the sound of weapons colliding. However, the sounds of fighting stopped not long after. The people who participated in the battle just now were clearly doomed. ¡°I¡¯m only a weak skeleton soldier. It¡¯s better not to get involved in this matter. I don¡¯t have the ability to save anyone!¡± Fang Ping thought to himself and prepared to take a detour to avoid the area where the demon beast was. However, at this moment, Fang Ping suddenly felt the ancestor bloodline essence stored in the system space begin to stir faintly. It was as if he had encountered a rare good thing! ¡°Hmm? Could it be that the person fighting the demon beast has a powerful bloodline talent?¡± Fang Ping immediately fell into a dilemma. Should he help or not? If he went, he might die before he could succeed. However, if he did not go, he might miss a good opportunity to evolve! In the end, Fang Ping gritted his teeth and made a decision. ¡°Damn it, isn¡¯t it just a small demon beast?! Although I only have the body of a skeleton soldier, I have the intelligence of a human!¡± From afar, there was indeed a human figure lying on the ground in front of this demon beast, on the verge of death. The demon beast was huge and was clearly not something Fang Ping could deal with. ¡°I can¡¯t attack forcefully. That would be suicide. Looks like I can only use my wits!¡± After thinking for a moment, Fang Ping only thought of the only thing he could use! He would still rely on the essence of the ancestor bloodline! However, this time, Fang Ping directly took out the drop of bloodline essence from the box and raised it high in his hand. His body was hiding in a place where the demon beast could not see. At the same time, he was still in the wind. A breeze blew the aura contained in the bloodline essence into the distance. Just as the demon beast was about to extend its claws to harvest its prey¡¯s lives, its body suddenly paused. It looked around and suddenly looked warily and fearfully in Fang Ping¡¯s direction. ¡°Don¡¯t get close, don¡¯t get close!¡± Fang Ping prayed nervously in his heart. His plan was basically to put up a front. However, as long as the demon beasts came to take a look, it would all be exposed. Fortunately, Lady Luck was on Fang Ping¡¯s side. The levels of the different creatures in this world were clearly separated. That demon beast almost did not hesitate much. After thinking that it might have encountered an even stronger existence, it decisively gave up on its prey and escaped from Fang Ping¡¯s vision. ¡°Phew, fortunately, this demon beast doesn¡¯t seem to be very smart. ¡°I hope that unlucky guy is still alive.¡± Because he was worried that the demon beasts would make a comeback, Fang Ping quickly ran to the spot where the demon beasts had been standing just now. In the end, after taking one glance at the victim, he could not take his eyes off the other party. ¡°So cute!¡± Fang Ping could not help but exclaim. Although her petite and cute body was slightly damaged, her fair skin was still gorgeous. Her chubby and cute face was slightly pale but still aroused one¡¯s protectiveness. This was until Fang Ping saw the girl¡¯s bared fangs, which seemed to be somewhat incompatible with the girl¡¯s cute face. ¡°Vampire?¡± Fang Ping did not expect to encounter a vampire clansman before he even arrived at the vampire city. At this moment, the restless bloodline essence in Fang Ping¡¯s body almost jumped out by itself. Fang Ping did not hesitate anymore and directly placed the bloodline essence on the little girl¡¯s forehead according to the system¡¯s guidance. A blood color wrapped around the essence surface, and the golden light inside the essence instantly shone brightly. Boundless and pure bloodline energy floated in the air with the aura of the ancient era. Just as Fang Ping completed the bloodline essence transformation, a weak cry for help sounded in his ear. ¡°Help me!¡± Sensing that the dangerous aura had already disappeared, the vampire girl woke up. ¡°My name is Fang Ping. If you want me to save you, tell me what¡¯s going on first!¡± Fang Ping could not bear to leave such a cute girl in the lurch, but he still had to ask what needed to be asked. After a while, Fang Ping was shocked when he heard the little girl¡¯s introduction. The other party was actually a princess of the vampire royal family called Kallen. Because her bloodline was too mediocre, she was ostracized and targeted by the royal family. In fact, when she came out to train, she could only have one guard accompany her. Just now, Kallen and her guard had been attacked by a demon beast. When that guard saw that he could not defeat the demon beast, he actually directly chose to abandon Kallen and escape. Fortunately, Fang Ping had appeared in time and saved her. However, at this moment, Kallen¡¯s body was already extremely weak and she was on the verge of death. She did not even know if she could last until she returned to the city. Ding¡­ system notification: Detected that the other party has level three investment potential. After successfully investing, you will receive generous rewards. ¡® ¡°Host, please decide if you want to invest this time!¡± Hearing the system¡¯s voice, the way Fang Ping looked at Kallen instantly changed. Kallen tugged at her clothes nervously and begged. ¡°Don¡¯t bully me. I¡­ I¡¯m only seventeen this year! I¡¯m not tasty!¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fang Ping was stunned. He could only point at himself in confusion. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Kallen nodded gently, looking wary. Fang Ping was so angry that he laughed. ¡°You, you actually treated your savior like this! Do I look like a monster to you?¡± Unexpectedly, Kallen was still rubbing the other party¡¯s nose in. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t you a skeleton¡­¡± Fang Ping almost turned around and left. If not for the investment reward given by the system, he believed that he would not have hesitated at all! ¡°System, which is better? The ancestor blood essence of a vampire or a level three investment reward?¡± Fang Ping decided to consider and choose the best solution. ¡°The system rewards are drawn from the reward pools of the various levels. The system can¡¯t determine the final outcome. ¡°However, the system has detected that the host has the ancestor bloodline essence of the vampire race. This is a reminder. ¡°As a member of the Skeleton Race, the host is an undead creature and can¡¯t use the bloodline essence of the vampires.¡± Hearing this, Fang Ping exploded. ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance that there¡¯s bloodline essence I can¡¯t absorb? ¡°Are you deliberately trying to mess with me?!¡± Fang Ping danced around angrily. Kallen, on the other hand, was becoming more and more worried about her safety. ¡°I¡¯ll invest. Isn¡¯t it just a bloodline essence? I don¡¯t care!¡± After saying that, Fang Ping directly arrived in front of Kallen and stretched out his hand to grab her. ¡°Ah, you, what are you doing? I already said that I¡¯m very thin and I¡¯m not tasty! ¡°Don¡¯t bully me! ¡°Wu¡­¡± Kallen¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. She covered her mouth in fear. ¡°You, what did you stuff into my mouth?!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she began to feel some unprecedented changes in her body. The injuries on his body quickly recovered, and the thin royal bloodline in her body instantly became rich and pure. The blood in her body gradually turned golden. Kallen was stunned and asked again. ¡°What exactly did you feed me? What¡¯s going on?¡± Fang Ping looked at the little princess in front of him with a pained expression and said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just activated your bloodline energy. Don¡¯t worry. ¡°Now that your body is fine, I still have something to do. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Fang Ping did not want to expose the secret of the system. It was impossible to explain where the ancestor bloodline essence came from. Kallen suddenly tugged at the corner of Fang Ping¡¯s shirt. Fang Ping had just turned around when he felt a cold and soft touch cover his lips. Although the other party was inexperienced, it was sincere enough. Their lips parted. Before Fang Ping could speak, Kallen immediately assumed the posture of giving an oath. ¡°You saved my life. Although you¡¯re unwilling to tell me what you fed me just now, I know that it must be an extremely precious item. ¡°I can feel the changes in my body. I definitely won¡¯t let all your efforts go to waste! ¡°Now, as a member of the vampire royal family, I swear under the witness of Ancestor Lilith¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to follow Mr. Fang Ping for the rest of my life. I have nothing to repay you with. I can only devote my life to you. I¡¯m willing to receive Lady Lilith¡¯s blessing and not let you down for the rest of my life!¡± Hearing this last sentence, Fang Ping was stunned. He hurriedly said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be like this. I didn¡¯t save you for you to repay to begin with. Forget about marrying me.¡± After being rejected by her benefactor, Kallen said pitifully. ¡°Benefactor, are you despising me? Indeed, benefactors don¡¯t like unappetizing small girls like me. Wuwuwu!¡± The little princess wiped her tears sadly. She really wanted to develop quickly now. Just like the big sisters in his family, she wanted to have the right to be proud. Fang Ping hurriedly explained. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. You¡¯re very beautiful and cute.¡± Hearing this, Kallen immediately grabbed Fang Ping¡¯s arm and said. ¡°Then take me in! I¡¯ll definitely become like those big sisters in the future!¡± Fang Ping broke free from Kallen and faced her. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about your figure, but your age!¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re only seventeen, right? You¡¯re really too young. I¡¯m already in my twenties. I¡¯m more like your brother. How can I be with you? ¡°Don¡¯t think about this anymore. I don¡¯t want to become a monster!¡± Seeing Fang Ping¡¯s determination, Kallen lowered her head slightly in loneliness. Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something and her beautiful big eyes immediately lit up. Soon, she took out an exquisite small box. Kallen handed the box to Fang Ping and said. ¡°Benefactor, this box contains a divine medicine of our vampire race. Even the royal family doesn¡¯t have much divine medicine themselves. ¡°Every member of the royal family can at most obtain one pill. This medicine can revive the dead and can be considered a life-saving divine artifact. ¡°Since you¡¯ve refused my repayment of marrying you, accept this medicine! This way, I¡¯ll feel better!¡± This time, Fang Ping did not decline. He received the box and opened it. A dense medicinal fragrance refreshed the heart. Kallen¡¯s words were clearly not exaggerated. However, Fang Ping was somewhat puzzled. ¡°If you have such good medicine, why didn¡¯t you take it yourself? You almost died just now! Kallen explained, ¡°Because my injuries were too serious just now and the royal bloodline in my body is almost exhausted, this medicine can only prolong my life but can¡¯t resolve the problem of my bloodline. ¡°But you¡¯ve created a miracle!¡± Fang Ping nodded and accepted this explanation. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to the nearby vampire city later. Why don¡¯t we go together?¡± Hearing this, Kallen immediately hugged Fang Ping¡¯s arm excitedly. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go together!¡± Fang Ping remembered that he had yet to receive the reward for successfully investing and continued. ¡°However, I have some personal matters to deal with now. Wait here for me and don¡¯t move around casually. I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡± After parting ways with the little princess for the time being, Fang Ping found a remote place and said excitedly. ¡°Receive the system reward!¡± ¡°Congratulations, Master, on successfully obtaining a level three investment reward.¡± ¡°Reward content: Bloodline level increased, aptitude increased, strength level broke through the new upper limit. ¡°The Soul Devouring Spell has been unlocked at the same time! ¡°Ding¡­ detected that Master has reached a new level. ¡°Congratulations on obtaining the Skeleton Cavalry Bloodline, Master!¡± ¡°You are steadily progressing to becoming the strongest person in this world. Master, please work harder. The wireless investment system will protect you!¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After successfully evolving, Fang Ping clearly felt that the strength of his body had become stronger. Compared to before, his strength had increased by at least five times! At the same time, the system also added a new function to the character level panel. On it, he could check his current level and the skill information he had. ¡°I¡¯ve reached level ten? No wonder the system said that I successfully broke through.¡± ¡°Looks like the level three investment this time was still very worth it. It increased my level by ten levels in an instant. The difficulty of leveling up should increase in the future.¡± ¡°I really want to see what the effect of a level five investment is!¡± Then, Fang Ping¡¯s gaze landed on the icon of the Soul Devouring Spell skill. After reading the skill introduction, Fang Ping immediately understood the effect of this skill. It was probably a skill that could increase his strength by devouring the souls of other undead creatures! ¡°This skill is a little ridiculous. Doesn¡¯t that mean I can rely on this skill to become infinitely stronger?¡± Unfortunately, this was a wasteland. Fang Ping did not find any undead creatures for him to absorb. After meeting up with the little princess again, the two of them headed to the vampire city in the distance. With the identity of the little princess¡¯s royal family, Fang Ping followed her into this city without any obstruction. The atmosphere in the city was completely different from the endless wilderness outside. This place was exceptionally lively. The pedestrians on the street were also of different races, but they could coexist peacefully. ¡°Private fights are not allowed in this city other than the arena. Once the patrol team captures the people involved, they will be severely punished and expelled from the city.¡± The little princess introduced the city to Fang Ping as she walked. Many passers-by looked at Fang Ping and Kallen curiously. They did not know Kallen. She was only an unpopular fringe member of the vampire royal family. However, Kallen¡¯s gorgeous clothes and exquisite face undoubtedly showed her extraordinary identity. How could such a rich young lady have an ordinary skeleton soldier beside her? Moreover, since when were skeleton soldiers qualified to enter the city? Fang Ping ignored those curious or disdainful gazes and finally arrived at the center of the city with Kallen. A huge palace appeared in his vision. Only then did Fang Ping realize that this city was the imperial city of the vampires. ¡°Stop right there!¡± However, the two of them were stopped at the entrance of the palace. Kallen immediately rebuked angrily. ¡°How dare you? I¡¯m Princess Kallen. Hurry up and move aside!¡± Facing the princess¡¯s reprimand, the guard seemed fearless and even said in a mocking tone. ¡°Hehe, Princess Kallen, I naturally won¡¯t stop you from entering the palace yourself, but I can¡¯t allow the skeleton beside you to enter.¡± Kallen was completely furious. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to move aside? I¡¯ve never heard of such a rule. Moreover, watch your mouth. Fang Ping is my benefactor. I won¡¯t allow you to insult him!¡± The guard was immediately stunned when he heard this and smiled at his companion beside him. ¡°Heh, did you hear that? Princess Kallen said that the skeleton soldier beside her is her benefactor.¡± ¡°This is really the funniest joke I¡¯ve ever heard in my life!¡± The two guards laughed as if no one was around, not planning to make way at all. However, in the next second, the guards¡¯ laughter immediately disappeared. A terrifying bloodline pressure suddenly appeared in front of them. To be able to become imperial guards, these people more or less had a trace of the royal bloodline. Usually, no one dared to provoke them in the city. However, now, they seemed to have become creatures at the bottom of the food chain and were trembling in front of Kallen¡¯s ancestor aura. As the essence of the ancestor bloodline was gradually absorbed, Kallen¡¯s bloodline was undergoing a complete transformation. The royal bloodline was transforming into the ancestral bloodline! That was the noblest bloodline of the entire vampire race! Finally, the two guards could not take it anymore and directly knelt. In their hearts, only the thought of worshiping the other party was left. Shua! Several figures suddenly flew into the sky and quickly approached the palace door. ¡°The ancestor bloodline! It is actually the ancestor bloodline!¡± One of them had white hair and was the Grand Elder of the royal family. He had suddenly sensed something just now, so he came to check. When he finally confirmed that the aura emitted from Kallen¡¯s body was really the lost ancestral bloodline, he immediately shouted. ¡°Someone, welcome Princess Kallen back to the palace!¡± The Great Elder looked at the two trembling guards beside him and gave a look to a royal expert beside him. The other party immediately understood. The news of Princess Kallen, who had always been disliked, suddenly obtaining the bloodline of the ancestor quickly spread throughout the entire royal family. The vampires had always respected bloodline because the purity of their bloodline also represented the height a vampire could reach in the future. High level vampires had always been rare. Every such vampire had terrifying power and authority. Kallen had been ostracized previously because her royal bloodline was not dense enough. Now, she was enjoying the highest treatment of the royal family! ¡°It¡¯s actually true. When I heard the news just now, I thought it was a rumor!¡± ¡°This is too unbelievable. Wasn¡¯t Princess Kallen long confirmed to have the bloodline of the last royal family?¡± ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s a problem with the appraisal, or is it the legendary awakening?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. I heard that in history, many mighty figures awakened their bloodlines during training and reached the peak. Princess Kallen might also be in the same situation!¡± The members of the royal family discussed passionately. As soon as the news spread, it even caused a strong commotion in the entire vampire race. Although Fang Ping was only an inconspicuous little skeleton, under Princess Kallen¡¯s repeated emphasis, people also acknowledged his identity as a princess guard. However, no one believed that Fang Ping was Kallen¡¯s benefactor. Even so, Fang Ping still received the highest courtesy from the vampires and received a large number of rewards. ¡°Kallen, it seems that you¡¯re very popular now. ¡°This time, you¡¯ve obtained the ancestral bloodline. There should be many things and changes waiting for you. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Coincidentally, this is my first time in this city. I¡¯ll go out and take a look first.¡± Hearing Fang Ping¡¯s words, Kallan said somewhat reluctantly. ¡°Yes, then you have to be careful. If you encounter any difficulties, come to the palace to find me!¡± Fang Ping nodded and left the palace. He began to stroll aimlessly along the streets in the city. As he walked, he discovered that he had actually arrived outside the arena. ¡°Is the arena the only place in the city where you can fight?¡± ¡°Is it similar to the arena in ancient Rome? Interesting.¡± Fang Ping, who was quite interested, immediately decided to enter the arena to broaden his horizons and see how the natives of this world fought. Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The arena was noisy. When Fang Ping entered, a new battle had just begun. Through the staff¡¯s introduction, Fang Ping realized that this was a very cruel place. The arena held deathmatches. There were also two types of people participating in the competition. One was a free man, and the other was a slave. The latter¡¯s life was completely in the hands of his master. There were even professional schools that specialized in nurturing slaves to participate in the arena battles. Once these slaves¡¯ strength decreased, their master would begin to let them participate in the deathmatch to squeeze out their last value! In a deathmatch, only the victor could survive! ¡°The competition begins!¡± As the referee gave the order, the two participants in the arena began the competition. This was a deathmatch. Fang Ping sat in the audience and watched the battle in the arena. The participants were from two different races. One was a tauren, and the other was a necromancer. The tauren was filled with a majestic combat aura. He clenched the big axe in his hand and rushed towards the necromancer opposite him. He did not want to give the other party a chance to chant and use his skills to quickly end the battle. The necromancer did not panic at all. As he quickly moved his feet to increase the distance, he began to chant an incantation. Raising the staff in his hand, the dark elements in the space began to condense, and he was preparing a skill. This was the first time Fang Ping had seen the combat style of this world¡¯s creatures. Just as the system had said, there were two types of power: battle aura and magic. This battle finally ended with the victory of the necromancer. Although the tauren had found an opportunity to approach the necromancer¡¯s body midway through the competition, the latter had actually mastered a skill similar to short-distance teleportation. This skill also completely announced the death sentence of the Tauren. When a heavy soldier could not touch a mage, it was impossible for him to win. The Undead Death Ray that descended from the sky completely enveloped the Tauren¡¯s entire body. In just a few seconds, only a pile of white bones was left where the Tauren was. After the competition ended, Fang Ping wanted to take the opportunity to walk around the arena before the next competition began. He clenched his fists as the scene of the battle kept echoing in his mind. Without a doubt, any one of the two people fighting in the arena could easily kill him. ¡°I¡¯m still too weak. I have to think of a way to quickly become stronger! Only then can I have enough ability to protect myself in this world!¡± Unknowingly, Fang Ping had arrived at the center of the arena where the battle had just taken place. As he walked, Fang Ping¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡°Hmm?¡± He looked in the direction where the tauren had fallen. Although the tauren¡¯s corpse had already been pulled away, a transparent phantom was actually floating where the corpse was just now. On a closer look, it was the bull-headed man from before. ¡°Is this the soul left behind by the tauren after his death? Looks like he¡¯s very unwilling to accept his defeat, which is why he¡¯s trapped here!¡± At the same time, Fang Ping discovered that his heart was instinctively restless. He subconsciously raised his hand and aimed it at the tauren¡¯s soul first. ¡°Soul Devouring Spell, activate! Let me help you relieve your pain!¡± Fang Ping muttered in his heart, and a black light appeared in his palm. With a whoosh, the tauren¡¯s soul had already been sucked into Fang Ping¡¯s body. His soul transformed into pure energy to strengthen Fang Ping¡¯s body. Opening the system interface, the experience bar progress from level ten to level eleven increased by about ten percent! Although the increase was very small compared to the system reward, Fang Ping was instantly overjoyed. ¡°So the Soul Devouring Spell doesn¡¯t only devour the souls of undead creatures. I can even absorb the remains left behind by ordinary creatures!¡± Thinking of this, Fang Ping decided to stay and watch a few more competitions to strive to encounter a few more deathmatches. Perhaps he could rely on the Soul Devouring Spell to advance to level 11 today! After leaving the arena, Fang Ping walked to the backstage lounge of the arena. He originally wanted to try his luck here and see if he could encounter that undead mage just now. However, the other party seemed to have already left the arena. There was only a giant covered in wounds in the lounge. His appearance was tragic. Fang Ping asked the staff outside the door and learned that this giant had just finished a deathmatch. It was a competition held in another venue. In the end, the staff shook his head regretfully. ¡°That guy has fought several matches here. Although he persisted the first few times, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to last with his injuries this time!¡± Although Fang Ping pitied this giant a little, he did not intend to interfere. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, life was the least valuable. Even if he wanted to care about these things, he did not have the ability. However, just as Fang Ping was about to leave the lounge, his gaze swept past the giant and immediately returned. A weak blue light was enveloping the giant¡¯s body. ¡°It¡¯s a system notification! Level two investment potential!¡± Fang Ping immediately understood the meaning of the blue light. ¡°Detected the existence of a level two investment potential target. Mission: Help the target survive. ¡°You can obtain a large number of rewards after completing the mission. Host, please decide if you want to invest this time.¡± If Fang Ping had not encountered Kallen previously, he might have hesitated. But now, he had made a decision without hesitation. ¡°I invest!¡± The giant who was facing death was filled with despair. He knew his physical condition very well. He could no longer withstand the serious injuries this time. At most, he would die under the torture of the injuries in three days. ¡°Hey, do you need my help? I might have a way to let you survive!¡± Fang Ping¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in his ear. The giant immediately looked over. However, when he discovered that the person who spoke was only a low level undead creature, his eyes were filled with disappointment. If it were any other time, he might have already attacked Fang Ping for teasing him. ¡°Get lost. If you don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯ll send you on your way to reincarnation!¡± Fang Ping did not care about the giant¡¯s attitude. Instead, he directly took out the medicinal box Kallen had given him previously. The moment he opened the box and smelled the medicinal fragrance, the giant¡¯s huge body suddenly trembled. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at the box in Fang Ping¡¯s hand. ¡°This, this is¡­ This is the life-saving divine medicine of the vampire royal family!¡± ¡°How could you have such a thing?!¡± ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re from the royal family?¡± Thinking of this, the giant endured the intense pain in his body and trembled as he bowed to Fang Ping! The giant said in fear and trepidation, ¡°Please forgive me for offending you just now.¡± ¡°Now, do you still think I¡¯m a scammer?¡± Fang Ping said calmly. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Eat this medicine and you can live.¡± With that said, Fang Ping handed the royal sacred medicine in his hand to the giant in front of him. The latter still looked terrified and did not dare to look at Fang Ping at all until Fang Ping forced this medicine into his hand. The giant¡¯s reverence for the vampire royal family was finally suppressed by his tenacious desire to survive. He did not have the time to consider if Fang Ping had any ulterior motives and swallowed the medicine in one gulp. Then, he sat cross-legged on the ground and began to circulate the battle aura in his body, circulating the medicine to his limbs and bones to repair the damage in his body. About ten minutes later, the giant opened his closed eyes, his eyes bright. The dense death aura from before was no longer in his eyes. Instead, they were filled with the strength of life. Moreover, the skin on his entire body had also become rosy and elastic. His fatal injuries had clearly almost recovered. The giant knelt in front of Fang Ping excitedly and said in an absolutely sincere tone. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Lord. Thank you for your generosity. I will definitely repay you in the future! I will never forget your kindness!¡± Fang Ping waved his hand to get him to do it again. Then, he began to ask curiously about the giant¡¯s background. Moreover, why did he end up in the vampire¡¯s imperial city and even went to the arena to be severely injured? The giant said bitterly. ¡°Lord, my name is Giant Strength. I¡¯m the son of the Giant Race¡¯s patriarch. In the future, I¡¯ll succeed the patriarch. ¡°Unfortunately, a few years ago, internal strife broke out in the Giant Race. My father was killed by my uncle and his men! ¡°From then on, I also lost my identity as the heir. My uncle even found a human trafficker and sold me to the vampires¡¯ territory. ¡°It took me a while to get here.¡± At this point, Giant Strength had already clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred. Fang Ping also felt very miserable about the other party¡¯s experience. He patted the other party¡¯s shoulder gently to comfort him. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be blessed after surviving this calamity! I believe you¡¯ll definitely be able to take back everything you lost in the past!¡± With Fang Ping¡¯s encouragement, the giant also nodded with fighting spirit. Fang Ping cupped his hands respectfully and said. ¡°Lord, thank you for your help. You were the one who gave me a second life and opportunity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I have to take back everything I lost in the past. When I take back everything in the Giant Race, I¡¯ll definitely bring the entire clan to follow your lead!¡± Fang Ping and Giant Strength chatted for a while, mainly about some information about this world. For example, what powerful races were there in this world and what abilities the strongest people here had. These were all things that Fang Ping was very curious about. They could also help him set his goal. Before the two of them parted, in order to repay Fang Ping for saving his life, Giant Strength directly gave him all his wealth. Giant Strength had been a very popular warrior in the arena for a long time. Every time there was a competition involving him, the tickets would be sold out. Therefore, he had also saved up a lot of money. After Fang Ping accepted this money, he was no longer the poor guy who had just arrived. His wealth and strength could even compare to the middle class in this city. After the huge force left, Fang Ping could not wait to find a private room in the lounge to receive the system reward. ¡°System, the investment this time should have been completed. Where¡¯s my reward?¡± Fang Ping confirmed that no one was eavesdropping outside the private room and summoned the system. Ding¡­ [Congratulations, Master. Investment successful. Physique increased. You have obtained an invincible talent.] As soon as the voice finished speaking, a golden light suddenly appeared above Fang Ping¡¯s head. Fang Ping did not have time to react at all. The huge golden light tilted crazily from above and instantly covered Fang Ping¡¯s entire body. These golden lights were everywhere and carried a huge and pure energy. It was as if the light was baptizing Fang Ping, washing the bones in his body. It removed the impurities and stains from his bones. Wherever the golden light passed, it would leave behind some dim golden luster. The surface of his bones was even more dazzling. Fang Ping could clearly sense that his physique was increasing. Reaching out to touch his bones, Fang Ping discovered that the hardness of his bones was astonishing. This was a new evolution. A huge amount of energy washed every corner of Fang Ping¡¯s body. After a while, the golden light above his head finally stopped. Fang Ping¡¯s eyes flickered with excitement. Looking at one of his arms, the bone was no longer dark. The color had clearly become much lighter. Moreover, with the help of the light, some dark golden light could be seen constantly circulating on the surface of his bones. Without a doubt, Fang Ping had evolved again! ¡°According to the information provided by the system, if I further divide based on the strength level of the skeleton race¡­ ¡°I¡¯m already equivalent to a skeleton lord. I wonder when I can advance to the next level?¡± Other than the increase in his bloodline, Fang Ping¡¯s level had also increased a lot. His combat strength was completely incomparable to before. Not only had Fang Ping¡¯s strength increased, but now he also had more money on him. After leaving the arena, Fang Ping naturally thought of arranging a residence for himself in this city. He could not go to the palace to ask Kallen for help every time, right? Fang Ping¡¯s heart belonged to humans after all. He really could not bring himself to do this. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s buy a house. The remaining money should be enough for me to live here for a long time!¡± This was the second time since Fang Ping had obtained the system that he had a longing and faith in the future in this completely unfamiliar foreign world. However, while Fang Ping was looking for a house, he did not notice a few sneaky figures following not far behind him. This was because the bulging pockets on his body were really too tempting in the eyes of these people! After some trouble, Fang Ping paid for a house at the exchange. This suite was located a certain distance from the city center. Fang Ping had always liked a quiet atmosphere, so the house was relatively remote. Just as Fang Ping was about to find his house and arrive at an empty alley nearby¡­ Suddenly, the light in the alley dimmed. Fang Ping stopped, his eyes filled with a dangerous light. In front of him, the intersection of the alley was already blocked by two tall figures. It was obvious that his escape route had definitely been cut off. The person in front of him said in a high and mighty tone. ¡°Kid, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time in this city?¡± ¡°Take out all the valuable things on you. This is the protection fee you have to pay to live here!¡± ¡°As long as you do as I say obediently, I¡¯ll ensure your safety.¡± As they spoke, these people began to approach Fang Ping¡¯s body. The atmosphere instantly became tense. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fang Ping lifted the cloak on his head and looked coldly at the few people opposite him. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± After seeing Fang Ping¡¯s face clearly, the four people blocking the way immediately laughed loudly. ¡°Skeleton? Haha, I thought it was some big shot after hearing such ruthless words. So it¡¯s just a little skeleton?¡± ¡°Since when can low level creatures like skeletons enter the city to live? Looks like you don¡¯t know your place at all!¡± ¡°Why are you wasting your breath on this guy? How can a skeleton have so much money and even afford a house? Let¡¯s attack together. Even if we kill him, no one will care about the life and death of a skeleton!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, two of the four bandits rushed forward, prepared to snatch Fang Ping¡¯s belongings. These people¡¯s attacks were all aimed at the vital parts of Fang Ping¡¯s body. Not only did they want to rob him of his wealth, but they also wanted to kill him! However, the current Fang Ping was no longer the unarmed Skeleton he had been when he first arrived in this world. The dark golden bones covered under the robe were enough to resist the sharp edge of a weapon. Facing these bandits with ordinary strength, Fang Ping did not feel any pressure at all. Clang! The moment the two sabers slashed over, Fang Ping raised his arm and directly blocked the two people¡¯s attacks, emitting a crisp sound. Moreover, the violent vibration produced by the saber even made the two bandits somewhat unable to grip the hilt in their hands tightly. The two of them looked at each other and nodded gently. Then, they changed their attack direction and began to attack Fang Ping from behind. The weakness of the skeleton race was very obvious¡ªthe head! As long as they chopped off the other party¡¯s head and extinguished the soul flame inside, the other party would completely die. Unlike other creatures, they did not even have the chance to reincarnate! The two sabers slashed at Fang Ping¡¯s neck from two directions. Then, Fang Ping did something the two of them had never imagined. He actually directly used his head to block one of the sabers and directly grabbed the blade of the other saber with one hand. The sharp blade emitted a thin layer of combat qi. It wanted to cut off Fang Ping¡¯s palm, but it was useless. On the other side, the bandit¡¯s saber did not even leave a mark on Fang Ping¡¯s head. Fine cracks even appeared on the blade! ¡°How is this possible? How can this skeleton¡¯s bones be so hard?!¡± ¡°Not good, he¡¯s not a low level skeleton. Could he be a very rare skeleton expert?¡± The expressions of the bandits finally changed drastically. Although skeletons were low level creatures, there were still experts in all races. These guys were only at the bottom level of the vampire race and their combat strength was not powerful. Fang Ping¡¯s hand that was holding the blade suddenly retracted, and he actually directly snatched the saber. He held the hilt of the saber back-handedly. Pfft! He slashed the other party¡¯s throat and penetrated his abdomen. The bandit spat out blood and slowly fell to the ground. Seeing that the situation was bad, the other three wanted to escape. Of course, Fang Ping would not let them off. With a leap, he chased after two of them. He slashed at each of them and severed their heads. The last person was about to run out of the alley when a long saber flew from behind and pierced his body. In the last moment of his life, his eyes finally revealed a trace of regret. In Fang Ping¡¯s vision, four soul bodies floated out of the four of them. ¡°Soul Devouring Spell!¡± Activate! The terrifying cry of a soul sounded from the alley. After a while, this place returned to normal and there were no traces of a corpse. Fang Ping had never been merciful when dealing with these evil people. Although he had not been in this world for long, he had seen and heard everything in the arena previously. It had caused Fang Ping to understand that this was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. Showing mercy would only cause him more trouble. After arriving at the house he had bought, Fang Ping finally could finally sleep soundly. The next day, Fang Ping arrived at the street at noon, planning to continue touring the city in this alternate world. After all, this was the imperial city of vampires. It was the largest and most prosperous city within a thousand miles. Here, he could obtain a lot of information that could not be obtained elsewhere. Because most of the people living in this city were undead creatures, be it the lowest level skeletons or the highest level vampires, they were all afraid of the sun. Every afternoon to evening, the sun was at its strongest. At this moment, the people who went out would put on large black cloaks that covered every part of their bodies tightly. Even the strongest prince among vampires would still die if they encountered sunlight! This was the law of nature! In the afternoon, Fang Ping suddenly encountered a battle on the street. Both parties were from the vampire race. Looking at them from afar, it seemed like there were two people in black cloaks fighting each other. At this moment, the easiest way to win was to destroy the other party¡¯s cloak! By exposing the other party¡¯s body to the sunlight, they could kill the other party. One of them was clearly at a disadvantage when Fang Ping arrived. The cloak on his body had even become tattered, looking like he could come into contact with the sunlight at any moment and die tragically on the spot. Fang Ping was originally just mingling in the crowd to watch the commotion. However, suddenly, a purple light pillar appeared on the weaker party. ¡°The purple light? That guy actually has a level three investment potential?¡± ¡°Detected the existence of a level three investment potential target. Mission: Protect the life of the target!¡± The system notification sounded in Fang Ping¡¯s mind. He had already tasted all the benefits from the system and immediately agreed to help without hesitation. The party about to win suddenly saw a stranger walking towards them from the crowd. He frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°Friend, this is a personal grudge between us. Please don¡¯t interfere.¡± It was impossible to tell if this person was a man or a woman from his voice. Fang Ping thought to himself, ¡®How am I being nosy? This is all business!¡¯ Without a word, Fang Ping took out the long saber he had snatched from those powerful people yesterday. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re courting death!¡± The man did not waste his breath and did not care about his subordinates beside him. He was prepared to deal with Fang Ping first. However, after fighting for a while, he was completely shocked. ¡°Who are you? Why is your body so hard?! Are you not from the Vampire Race?¡± Fang Ping said indifferently, ¡°Let him off. I have to save this person today.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to stop here, then I¡¯m willing to give you this.¡± With that said, he threw a full money bag over. The black man grabbed the money bag and opened it to check. After hesitating for a moment, he finally put away the weapon in his hand. His tone was still cold as he said, ¡°This person provoked a big shot he shouldn¡¯t have. Even if you save him today¡­ ¡°He¡¯ll die sooner or later!¡± Fang Ping shrugged indifferently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. I have my ways. Since you accepted my money¡­¡± Before Fang Ping could finish, the man in black turned around and left. Fang Ping heaved a sigh of relief. He was not sure if he could defeat the man in black. The strength of the man in black was completely different from the group of bandits last night. Due to the crowd around him, Fang Ping grabbed the severely injured man on the ground and quickly left the scene. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After treating the man briefly, he gradually woke up. ¡°Where am I? Who, who are you?!¡± The man suddenly noticed Fang Ping beside him and said warily. He looked like he was about to pass his middle age, and his temples were starting to turn gray. Although the lifespan of vampires was usually very long, the stronger the vampire, the longer they would live. However, in the end, they would still age. Fang Ping said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m the person who saved your life. Is this how you talk to your savior?¡± The man was stunned when he heard this. He really could not believe that this little skeleton in front of him could save his life. He actually dared to fight the vampires in a vampire city? ¡°Sorry, I just didn¡¯t react for a moment. I¡¯m very grateful that you saved me. My name is Manstein. Everyone calls me Count Manstein.¡± With that said, Manstein stretched out his hand in friendship. Fang Ping shook his hand gently and asked in confusion. ¡°Why did that person want to kill you? Who did you offend? He¡¯s a count after all.¡± The vampires were divided into levels according to their strength. Strength was the only way to evaluate them! There were a total of six levels: prince, duke, marquis, count, viscount, baron! The hierarchy was strict. If one was not powerful enough, it was definitely impossible for low level vampires to obtain a higher noble title. Above the prince was the vampire ancestor. Since ancient times, there had only been one, Lilith! However, this ancestor only existed in legends now. In fact, there was no longer a prince expert in the current vampire race! Due to unknown historical reasons, no one knew why a powerful and long-lived prince would completely disappear from this world. Hearing Fang Ping¡¯s question, Manstein revealed a bitter smile. ¡°Alas, I offended a marquis because I had some conflict with his son.¡± ¡°It was all thanks to this marquis that I was able to become a count back then. Who knew that we would actually become enemies now?¡± ¡°I was severely injured in another assassination and wanted to seek medical treatment in the city. I didn¡¯t expect someone to chase after me in broad daylight in the city!¡± ¡°If not for you, I might have already died.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. If I still have a chance to return to my territory alive, I¡¯ll repay you well!¡± Fang Ping shook his head indifferently. What he cared about was not the other party¡¯s repayment. Compared to the rewards given by the system, the benefits they could give were not worth mentioning. ¡°Rest here for a while and recover. If you feel that it¡¯s about time, just leave.¡± With that, Fang Ping walked into the back room. ¡°Ding! Congratulations, Master, for successfully investing. You have obtained one of the ancient undead manuals. If you successfully cultivate this manual, you will be able to break free from the shackles of undead creatures. ¡°[Not afraid of the sun!]¡± Fang Ping was stunned when he heard the last five words. His breathing quickened, and his chest heaved violently. Even his body could not help but tremble slightly. Not afraid of the sun! Could such an ability really exist for undead creatures? When Fang Ping was in the city today, he had specially observed that everyone had to block the sunlight as long as they walked under it. Even some experts with powerful auras did not dare to expose even an inch of their skin. ¡°System, take out the secret manual immediately. I want to start cultivating now!¡± With a flash of golden light, Fang Ping clearly felt a layer of spatial fluctuation around him. Then, a secret manual made of sheepskin scroll appeared in Fang Ping¡¯s palm. He immediately sat cross-legged and began to read the contents of the sheepskin scroll, cultivating according to the requirements. Fang Ping quickly entered a state of self-absorption. He did not even know when Manstein had left. Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. In the silent room, Fang Ping suddenly opened his eyes. The Soul Fire that was originally slightly exuberant expanded again. Moreover, a scorching heat emitted from the Soul Fire! It was like the flames of the sun, with a feeling of extreme Yang! Fang Ping looked at his palm. Boom. A brilliant golden flame floated above his palm and burned silently. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Fang Ping¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, but he was extremely excited. He couldn¡¯t wait to open the window and let the sunlight shine into the house. In a place where no one would see him, Fang Ping took off his black robe. His entire body was bathed in sunlight. This was the first time he felt the warmth of the sun since he came to this world! This long-lost feeling almost moved Fang Ping to tears. After all, if he had a choice, he would rather not have transmigrated at all. Who would want to be a skeleton with only bones left? After lying in the sun for an entire afternoon, Fang Ping had enjoyed enough. He put on his black robe again and returned to his normal appearance. ¡°Although I have the ability to resist sunlight, this ability is too heaven-defying. ¡°I¡¯m afraid no undead creature in this world has such an ability. ¡°I¡¯m still too weak. Once I¡¯m exposed, I¡¯ll definitely attract endless pursuit and jealousy. ¡°It¡¯s better to keep a low profile and develop wretchedly!¡± Sitting in the living room and pondering for a moment, Fang Ping quickly decided to hide this ability. When he was outside, he had to appear no different from others! As the saying goes, a man¡¯s wealth is his own ruin! This principle was absolutely valid even in the alternate world! Just like that, Fang Ping continued to live peacefully in the city. With the money the giant gave him, he could manage for a long time without having to work. When he had nothing to do, he would cultivate at home. Moreover, Fang Ping could now cultivate under the sun, absorbing the Yang qi in the sunlight to strengthen himself! After a while, Fang Ping suddenly received a letter with the royal seal on it. ¡°A letter from Kallen? She invited me to the palace. Looks like this girl is starting to be valued in the royal family.¡± After reading the contents of the letter, Fang Ping revealed a gratified smile. He had decided to save Kallen back then because of the system. However, after interacting with her a few times, he had a good impression of this cute little vampire princess. This time, Kallen wanted to use her growing power in the royal family to repay Fang Ping¡¯s kindness back then. Now that she had invited him to enter the palace, it was because she wanted to arrange an errand for him. Of course, Fang Ping would not reject Kallen¡¯s good intentions. Besides, he was indeed a little bored staying alone. The next morning, Fang Ping arrived at the palace. However, he did not see Kallen. Instead, he saw a palace butler. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here to arrange work for you on behalf of Princess Kallen.¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°You¡¯ve come at the right time. This is a time of need. ¡°Your mission is to collect rent from Porto Town a hundred miles away. ¡°That place used to belong to a count, but he seemed to have encountered some trouble recently, so he entrusted the rental work to the royal family. ¡°After the rent collection is complete, the royal family will take a commission directly from the rent. You will also receive a generous reward. ¡°This is a good job. You have to cherish it and complete it seriously.¡± The butler told Fang Ping what he should do step by step, reminding him earnestly. Fang Ping nodded lightly and asked. ¡°What¡¯s the rate?¡± The butler continued, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. The rent collection criteria are divided into minors, adults, and elderly. ¡°You can decide for yourself. At the same time, there are also differences between men and women. The rent for women can be reduced by 20% compared to men. ¡°The rent is 200 milliliters, 400 milliliters, and 300 milliliters.¡± Although the criteria sounded a little strange, it was understandable. But what was wrong with the unit? Wasn¡¯t the money used here gold coins? Why was it calculated by milliliters? ¡°Milliliters? Can gold coins be measured in liquid units?¡± Fang Ping could not help but ask. Upon hearing this, the butler immediately laughed. ¡°Oh, sorry. I almost forgot you¡¯re not a vampire.¡± ¡°Of course, vampires don¡¯t collect money from rent, but blood! ¡°We gave those humans the land to live on and protected their safety. Naturally, they have to pay a price.¡± The butler said nonchalantly. His tone made Fang Ping¡¯s scalp tingle. This was the first time he felt the status of humans in this world. Fang Ping had a human spirit, even if he was a skeleton now. However, he still could not accept that humans in this world were actually just food raised by other races? Fang Ping resisted this job from the bottom of his heart, but this was arranged by Kallen, so he could not reject it directly. So he asked, ¡°If this job is a good job, how come nobody else wants it? ¡°And from what you just said, are you short of manpower?¡± The butler nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s precisely because no one is working that we hire outsiders to do things. ¡°Plus, you had Her Highness as your guarantor. That is why you are able to get this job. ¡°As for why there¡¯s no manpower, haven¡¯t you heard? Because of the war!¡± After that, the butler briefly told Fang Ping about the challenges facing the Vampire Kingdom. It turned out that the borders of the Orc Kingdom and the Vampire Kingdom were connected. Moreover, the orcs were a warlike race. On the other hand, the vampires also needed to constantly expand their land and raise more humans to supply resources. Therefore, wars broke out all year round in the history of the two countries, fighting from ancient times until now. The longest battle lasted for a thousand years! Blood flowed like a river, dyeing the ground and sky red! In history, there were strong and weak countries. Both countries had gained the upper hand before and the tide was always shifting. And at this time, the Vampire Kingdom was at a disadvantage. ¡°The pressure on the frontlines is great. They must often recruit soldiers at home and send them to the frontlines to withstand the pressure.¡± Not long ago, the front line of the vampire army was attacked fiercely by the orcs and was almost unable to withstand it. Therefore, many experts in the country were sent to the front line. Even some imperial guards and royal guards in the Imperial City were sent to the front line, which resulted in a lack of manpower. After hearing this, Fang Ping realized that he could not seem to find a suitable reason to reject this job. He could only accept it. Moreover, he actually wanted to see what kind of state the humans in this world were living in. If possible, he might be able to help them. Even if he was weak, doing this could at least comfort his heart. The butler could tell that Fang Ping was a newbie. He even told him very considerately how to collect rent. Soon, the butler brought over a set of rent collection tools. ¡°Using a tool to suck blood?¡± The butler smiled. ¡°Of course, biting with one¡¯s teeth is something only a barbarian would do.¡± ¡°Now that we have developed efficient tools, not only is it safer, but it also causes fewer wounds to the human body.¡± ¡°It can allow them to heal as soon as possible and recover their bodies as soon as possible.¡± With that, the butler even did a simulation of how to collect rent. Fang Ping watched as the bright red liquid in the bag flowed down the tube into the bag beside him. Fang Ping could not bear to look at it. This was too cruel. But it was obvious that the vampires didn¡¯t think so. Fang Ping tried his best to adjust his mentality and convince himself to control the human part of himself. Carrying his tools, Fang Ping drove the carriage that the butler had arranged for him the next afternoon to Porto Town. Vampires were usually the most active at night, so most of the rent collection work started at night. Although Fang Ping was not afraid of the sun, in order to keep a low profile, he still chose to wait until the sun set before working. While it was still early, Fang Ping arrived at a tall hill beside the town. From here, he could see the entire town. There was no one here, and no one would discover Fang Ping¡¯s secret. On the hillside facing the sun, Fang Ping took off his cloak and bathed his entire body in the sunlight, enjoying the afterglow of the setting sun. The golden light fell on Fang Ping¡¯s bones, coating his body with a layer of gold. As the breeze blew, Fang Ping seemed to have regained his sense of humanity. He was no longer the same cold undead creature from before. The sun finally set, and the buildings in the town began to gradually light up with candlelight. The children playing on the streets also ran home. At night, the entire town was filled with a dead silence. Every house was closed. The humans living here were clearly afraid of the night and the undead creatures that moved at night. Driving the carriage on the deserted street, Fang Ping was pulled back to reality. This was an alternate world. Humans were the weakest existence here! Fang Ping took a deep breath, grabbed his tools from the car, and walked toward the house closest to him. He began to collect rent for the day. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After knocking on the door, a family of three appeared in front of Fang Ping. The three of them looked unhealthily pale, and the child¡¯s face was only slightly flushed. When the mistress saw Fang Ping appear, she immediately pleaded. ¡°Sir, my child is still young. Can we not count him?¡± ¡°The two of us can give you more, but please let the child go.¡± Faced with the requests of his kind, Fang Ping immediately felt compassion. He could not refuse such a request because he was also a human in the past. However, it was not entirely up to him to decide how much rent he wanted to collect. If he counted the amount and it was later discovered to be too little, it would be difficult for Fang Ping to explain. Seeing Fang Ping¡¯s troubled expression, the mistress immediately pulled her family to kneel in front of Fang Ping. ¡°Please be magnanimous!¡± Finally, Fang Ping said reluctantly. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll only collect rent from the two of you, but you have to compensate for the child¡¯s share too. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± Upon hearing this, the mistress thanked him profusely. She even actively offered her arm for Fang Ping to draw blood. Subsequently, Fang Ping placed a check mark at the back of the house on the registration form, indicating that the other party had paid the rent in full. There was only one person in the second family, and he was an old man living alone. As the old man was still a few years away from the rent reduction standard, Fang Ping had to collect rent from him. However, with his first experience, Fang Ping seemed to be more at ease with this job. He deliberately drew less blood from the old man and recorded how much blood was left. When he came across strong young people later, he would think of a way to make up for it! The process of collecting rent was very smooth. The humans living here had obviously been domesticated long ago and did not have any mentality of resisting. After all, this was the territory of the vampires. With the strength of humans, they could not cause any trouble. Fang Ping had always helped when he could. If he really could not, he would think of another way. He tried his best not to cause any deaths while collecting rent. He also tried his best to make things easier for these humans. Although he could not do much, he had used up all his meager strength. The collection of rent continued until the next morning. There was only one street left to end the day¡¯s work. However, it was at this moment that Fang Ping encountered a small problem. After knocking on the courtyard door, the door still remained unopened after a long time. Fang Ping had already knocked several times, but there was no response. ¡°Open the door immediately. You should know the consequences of refusing to pay the rent! ¡°My patience is limited. I¡¯ll say it one last time. Open the door immediately!¡± Fang Ping¡¯s tone became much harsher, and he was ready to break in. Finally, the door opened. Fang Ping was shocked when he saw the people in the courtyard. This was because these people looked too weak. Moreover, there was no color of blood on their faces! It was as if all the blood in their bodies had been sucked dry! Fang Ping could not sense any fluctuations of vitality from them either. At this moment, Fang Ping suddenly recalled some of the situations he had encountered during the process of collecting rent. He finally realized that something was wrong! During the day, Fang Ping had met a few families. Their faces were as pale as ordinary people. Furthermore, Fang Ping could see what looked like needle marks on their bodies! However, at that time, Fang Ping did not think too much about it. Perhaps it was just a needle mark left on their bodies during treatment. However, the situation of this family could no longer be explained with common sense. The butler in the palace had told Fang Ping that although the vampires regarded humans as a source of food, years of rule have long produced a very scientific system of rent collection. Between the two rent collections, it would give humans enough time to recuperate and not affect their lives. It was also impossible for vampires to collect rent multiple times in a short period of time and force these people to death. ¡°What happened? Why did you become like this?¡± Fang Ping approached a thin woman and asked. The woman looked at Fang Ping in horror. ¡°My lord, several people broke into my house yesterday during the day in the name of collecting rent. ¡°I felt that the other party¡¯s identity was suspicious. I asked him to show me something that could prove his identity, but that person ignored my request and forcefully drew our blood. ¡°If you still want to collect rent from us, we will die. Please forgive us! We will remember your kindness!¡± The situation was already very obvious. Someone was pretending to be a staff member and collecting rent from the people in this town! And it was forced! Of course, Fang Ping would not sit back and do nothing when something like this happened while he was working. ¡°Tell me what happened, who pretended to be a rent collector and forcefully collected the rent, and where they went. ¡°If you can provide effective clues, perhaps I still have a way to get back the rent that was stolen from you yesterday. In this way, it will also spare you from this calamity.¡± Seeing the hope of survival, the family immediately began to recall the situation yesterday. Finally, Fang Ping got the information he needed. One of the pieces of information surprised him. Previously, the palace butler had told Fang Ping that this town belonged to a count. The other party had entrusted the rental work to the royal family. And that count was actually Manstein! That would explain everything. Manstein was chased by his enemies and escaped from his territory after suffering serious injuries. Before this, he had entrusted the royal family to collect rent for him and he would give a portion of the rent to the royal family as remuneration. As for those who illegally collected rent from the town, their identities were already clear. So it was Count Manstein¡¯s sworn enemy, Count Bruno¡¯s subordinate! Since they could not capture Count Manstein, they could only seek revenge in other ways. Although it was illegal for them to do so, Count Bruno had a powerful background. His family was a branch of the royal family! As a direct descendant, Count Bruno¡¯s bloodline was even purer than Princess Kallen¡¯s! That was why Bruno allowed his men to do such illegal things without fear! Should he risk offending Count Bruno to help Count Manstein? After all, the two of them had only met once. Fang Ping could completely ignore this matter. But at this moment, a white light suddenly appeared on this family. Was it the system? Did these people have any investment potential? Or was it because of the connection between the town of Porto and Count Manstein? Fang Ping did not think for too long. Since he had triggered the system, he would invest in all of them! The rewards given by the system would never be a loss! Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fang Ping gave up on collecting rent from that family. Those people were not pretending to be pitiful. What they said was the truth. With their current physical condition, if he forcefully collected the rent, they would definitely die! Therefore, catching the thief and taking back the stolen goods from the thief was the best solution! Fang Ping went off to chase after the thief, following the clues provided by that family. In a small house at the edge of the town¡­ The house was filled with the strong smell of blood and the stench of corpses. In a corner of the room, a large number of corpses piled up like a mountain. A rough estimate was that there were at least dozens of corpses. On the other side were a few vampires in armor. One of them was holding a set of blood extraction tools and was crazily extracting blood from the person in his hand. The pile of corpses beside him had clearly died from excessive blood loss. These vampires had no pity on their faces, as if they were not holding a living person in their hands, but a tool for blood production. At this moment, a vampire looked at the large number of corpses beside him and said worriedly. ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t we going too far? So many people have died. If Manstein finds out, he will definitely fly into a rage!¡± Upon hearing this, the vampire man in gorgeous armor said calmly, ¡°Hehe, why are you afraid of that old thing? Don¡¯t you know? We don¡¯t even know if that trash Manstein is dead or alive. ¡°He even abandoned his territory to escape. Even if he finds out about this, what can he do to us? ¡°Could it be that he dares to come to Count Bruno¡¯s castle to denounce us? He doesn¡¯t have the guts!¡± When the captain said that, the vampires nodded in agreement and relaxed. Finally, other than the few of them, everyone else in the room had died. All the humans they had captured previously were dead. ¡°Let¡¯s go and do another job. We just have to go back before dawn.¡± Just as they were about to continue moving and expand the results of tonight¡¯s battle, a faint voice suddenly came from behind them. ¡°You sewer rats only know how to do such insidious and despicable things. And now you think you can just leave?¡± Hearing this, the vampires immediately turned around, but they did not see anyone. ¡°Who¡¯s talking? Why are you hiding? Come out if you dare!¡± ¡°Did you hear that? Our boss asked you to come out. Are you sneaking around because you don¡¯t have the guts?¡± Poof. The voice of a vampire soldier suddenly stopped, and then a fine line of blood appeared on his neck. With his head separated from his body, the cut was as smooth as a mirror. Even his eyes were still open. A few seconds later, several of the Vampire Captain¡¯s subordinates died tragically. At this moment, a person in a black robe finally appeared not far from the captain. Fang Ping lifted the cloak on his head and looked coldly at the vampire opposite him. The captain was stunned for a moment when he saw Fang Ping¡¯s skull. Then, he suddenly started laughing out loud. ¡°I thought it was that old man Manstein. I didn¡¯t expect it to be just a little skeleton. ¡°Do you really think that just because you¡¯ve dealt with a few of my subordinates, you¡¯re now capable of acting arrogant and despotic in front of me?¡± ¡°You lowly undead creature!¡± Fang Ping said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s easy for me to deal with scum like you.¡± ¡°Hehe, overestimating yourself! Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll show you the power of my vampire race! ¡°I¡¯ll let you know the difference between a low-level creature like you and a noble vampire!¡± The captain¡¯s aura was no weaker than Fang Ping¡¯s. He took the initiative to attack Fang Ping. Fang Ping recognized the captain¡¯s weapon at a glance. It should be an enchanted demon artifact, but it was only the lowest grade. Fang Ping had a mocking look on his face. He did not dodge or evade his opponent¡¯s attack. He stood rooted to the ground, as if he was frightened and at a loss. ¡°Haha, the battle has just started and you¡¯re already so scared? ¡°How boring. Let me end your pain quickly! ¡°Die, Skeleton!¡± The captain slashed Fang Ping¡¯s body again and again. Sparks flew everywhere, as if metal was colliding violently. Although the captain seemed to have the absolute upper hand, he quickly realized that something was wrong. He had clearly launched a large number of attacks, but he had not left any wounds on Fang Ping¡¯s body! The bones that seemed to be slightly dark gold were incomparably hard, and their strength was comparable to ordinary demon artifacts. After a round of attacks, the captain stopped panting and looked at Fang Ping in disbelief. ¡°This is impossible. How can a small skeleton soldier like you have such a powerful body!¡± Fang Ping grabbed a piece of cloth from his cloak and wiped it on his arm. The mark the captain left with much difficulty from before disappeared without a trace. ¡°I¡¯ve already given you enough chances. Next, it¡¯s my turn.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Ping¡¯s figure disappeared on the spot. The captain looked around frantically, but he could not find where Fang Ping was. Suddenly, a shadow appeared on the right side of the captain. As his right hand felt a violent vibration, the captain felt a sharp pain in his thumb and index finger. The weapon left his hand and fell into Fang Ping¡¯s. The captain was about to resist when the knife he was previously holding was already at his neck. With a light stroke, Fang Ping could end his life. Fang Ping said coldly. ¡°You lost.¡± The captain¡¯s throat moved up and down as he spoke in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare kill me. I work for Count Bruno. I don¡¯t care what kind of relationship you have with Count Manstein. ¡°If you offend Count Bruno, even Count Manstein won¡¯t be able to protect you. I advise you to consider it carefully! ¡°If you let me go now, I can pretend that nothing happened today!¡± Knowing that he could not beat Fang Ping, the captain immediately brought up his backer. However, Fang Ping did not buy it at all. He did not kill the captain directly either. Instead, he began to read the Vampire Kingdom¡¯s law on illegal rent collection in front of him. ¡°According to the laws of the kingdom, anyone pretending to be a rent collector and illegally collects rent from someone else¡¯s territory will be sentenced to death! ¡°Destruction of property, death!¡± Fang Ping listed the captain¡¯s multiple crimes in a row. Each of them was a death sentence! Looking at Fang Ping¡¯s expressionless face, the captain realized that bringing up his backer was completely useless. He finally began to feel afraid. He knelt in front of Fang Ping and begged. ¡°I was wrong. Please spare me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll forget everything that happened today. I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡± Faced with the captain¡¯s pleas for mercy, Fang Ping continued to look at him coldly. Then, he spat out four words. ¡°You deserve to die!¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No matter how he looked at it, Fang Ping would never forgive this vampire in front of him. Even without the so-called laws of the Vampire Kingdom, just this guy¡¯s crime of killing a large number of humans through cruel means was enough for Fang Ping to kill him at all costs! Moreover, Fang Ping planned to use the cruelest method to carry out his punishment! Fang Ping first crippled the captain to ensure that he had no chance of resisting. Then, he grabbed the captain¡¯s head tightly and pulled his body up from the ground. Their eyes met. The captain¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. His life was now completely in Fang Ping¡¯s hands. ¡°Soul Devouring Spell!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a purple light instantly enveloped the captain¡¯s entire body. The captain let out a blood-curdling scream as his entire body twitched crazily as if he had been electrocuted. It was obvious that he was enduring unbearable pain. This was the first time Fang Ping had directly used the Soul Devouring Spell on a living person! This method was extremely cruel because it would directly absorb the other party¡¯s soul when the other party was in a vulnerable state! Moreover, it directly shattered the soul in the other party¡¯s body and then completely absorbed it! This pain was even more intense than having ten thousand arrows piercing through one¡¯s heart. If there was a ranking of the various cruel methods in this world, the Soul Devouring Spell would definitely be ranked at the top. Fang Ping had never done such a thing before. However, today¡¯s incident had infuriated Fang Ping. He had to make Bruno¡¯s men pay with their blood! Only then could the souls of those victims rest in peace! The screams coming from this house woke many residents in the town from their sleep. However, after panicking, they quickly realized what had happened. Then people spontaneously stepped out into the street and walked in the direction of the screams. At this moment, everyone had completely forgotten their fear of the night. They only wanted to see what the hero who had avenged them and their family looked like! After a while, the captain¡¯s eyes were lifeless. He had become a corpse, and even his soul had been completely destroyed. After that, Fang Ping used a fire to completely ignite the entire house, thinking to himself. ¡°Rest in peace. I hope you won¡¯t be born into this cruel world in your next life!¡± In the courtyard of this house, Fang Ping found a horse carriage. There were several blood extraction devices in the carriage, and the carriage was filled with vessels carrying blood. Fang Ping finally heaved a sigh of relief. Now, his work could be completed successfully. With this blood, he no longer needed to collect rent from the remaining families! Fang Ping was about to leave when he led the carriage to the street outside. With the help of the morning light, Fang Ping suddenly saw a dense crowd of people standing on the road not far away. Seeing Fang Ping walk out of the house alone, these people knelt down in unison. They started to worship him with a grateful and pious expression without stopping. Fang Ping was rather touched. Today¡¯s incident could be considered a redemption for his humanity. Otherwise, he was really worried that he would really end up becoming a skeleton if he ignored this matter today. When that happened, would it mean that he had really become an undead creature? At that time, he would have completely abandoned his former identity as a human. He would have abandoned his principles and bottom line as a human. ¡°Everyone, get up. I don¡¯t expect you to repay me for what happened today. ¡°But I hope you can promise me one thing!¡± Hearing this, everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they listened attentively to Fang Ping¡¯s words. Fang Ping smiled and continued. ¡°You guys must keep it a secret for me!¡± Such a simple request made everyone laugh uncontrollably. After that, Fang Ping left under the gazes of hundreds of residents in the town. When he killed the captain, the voice of the investment system had already sounded in his mind. Since this was only a white grade investment, there were no particularly precious rewards. There were no precious tools or powerful weapons, but the large amount of experience points given by the system was still very useful. It could help Fang Ping level up quickly and have greater strength to protect himself. Just as Fang Ping was returning to the city, the news of what had happened in Porto Town had already reached Count Bruno¡¯s castle. ¡°What? Someone attacked our blood collection team? Has the situation been confirmed?¡± ¡°Could someone have stolen the rent?¡± Count Bruno immediately asked when he heard the news. The depositor shook his head and said in an affirmative tone. ¡°Lord Count, our blood collection team has been strictly selected and trained. They are absolutely loyal to you. It¡¯s impossible for them to betray you! ¡°So I can be sure that someone must have attacked them and snatched the blood that should have belonged to us!¡± Count Bruno was furious. He slammed his palm on the table beside him, shattering it into pieces. He said in a low voice, ¡°Send someone to investigate this matter immediately and find out who is so bold as to attack my blood collection team! ¡°Report to me as soon as you find any clues. I¡¯ll make him regret what he did!¡± The butler bowed his head and said, ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± What happened in Porto made everyone in Count Bruno¡¯s castle move quickly. Some people went to the town to investigate this matter, while others began to investigate suspicious candidates. One of them, a vampire with the strength of a viscount, had locked onto Count Manstein! He had followed Count Bruno for many years and was well aware of the grievances and feuds between Count Bruno and Count Manstein. In his opinion, Count Manstein was undoubtedly the most likely person to commit this crime! The moment he heard the count¡¯s order, he gathered his subordinates and headed to Count Manstein¡¯s castle. Before long, the group of uninvited guests arrived outside the castle. They completely ignored the guards at the gate and directly beat them to death before breaking into the castle. Fang Ping, who was absorbing the experience rewarded by the system and leveling up, had no idea what was happening hundreds of miles away. Nor could he have imagined the catastrophe he had wrought on the people of Count Manstein¡¯s castle last night. ¡°What are you doing? Stop right now! ¡°This is Count Manstein¡¯s castle. What you¡¯re doing is against the laws of the kingdom and a crime!¡± Just as Count Bruno¡¯s men entered the castle garden and wreaked havoc, an old butler stood up and blocked their way with a group of servants. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Halt, this is Count Manstein¡¯s castle. You intruders, retreat immediately!¡± Although the old butler was old and his strength was no longer as strong as before, in order to protect the dignity of the Count of Manstein, he still stood forward without hesitation. ¡°Hehe, invaders? Manstein became a count because of Marquis Bruno¡¯s kindness. What right do you have to stop us? ¡°And I now seriously suspect that the attackers who attacked Count Bruno¡¯s men a few days ago were Count Manstein¡¯s men. ¡°Old thing, if you know what¡¯s good for you, hurry up and stay where you are. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me and my brothers for being ruthless!¡± Viktor, the team leader, was the first to suspect Manstein. As soon as he finished speaking, the group of subordinates behind Viktor immediately rushed forward aggressively, looking ready to attack at any time. The old butler looked at the other party solemnly. He already knew that today¡¯s matter would not end peacefully. ¡°Why do you suspect Count Manstein? You just said someone attacked Count Bruno¡¯s men? What¡¯s going on? ¡°Even if you want to search our castle, you have to at least let me know what happened, right?¡± Then, Viktor told him what had happened in Porto that day. Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he realized that the old butler¡¯s expression was a little off. The old butler looked like he was holding back his laughter. Finally, the old butler could no longer control his emotions. ¡°Haha, you really deserve it!¡± ¡°Old thing, what are you talking about?! Are you courting death?!¡± After understanding what had happened, the old butler felt extremely happy. Count Manstein was hunted down and even forced to leave his territory because of Count Bruno. The old butler had accompanied Manstein for many years, so he naturally did not have a good impression of Count Bruno and his subordinates. He couldn¡¯t wait for the other party to be unlucky and suffer retribution! ¡°I say, those people deserve it! They deserve to die! ¡°This is karma. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re doing well now, it will last forever. Sooner or later, you¡¯ll suffer the same retribution!¡± Viktor could no longer control his anger and roared. ¡°Attack! Kill this old thing and everyone in the castle!¡± ¡°Take the heads back and report to Count Bruno. The murderer must be among these people!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The old butler had already gathered the servants in the castle and picked up any weapons they could find to protect the castle. ¡°The Count has given us a place to live and everything. Now, it¡¯s time to defend the Count¡¯s glory with our lives!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± The battle between the two sides broke out completely. The old butler took the lead and stopped Viktor. At first, the two of them fought to a draw. Although the old butler and Viktor were both viscounts, the old butler was old and his strength had deteriorated. Moreover, his continuous combat ability was inferior to Viktor¡¯s. Slowly, the old butler began to be unable to withstand the other party¡¯s indiscriminate attacks and showed signs of weakness. Viktor kept leaving wounds on the old butler¡¯s body with his weapon. He said arrogantly, ¡°Old fellow, do you regret it now? ¡°Weren¡¯t you very arrogant just now and not taking Count Bruno seriously at all?¡± The old butler spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re just someone else¡¯s dog. Even if you kill me today, I¡¯ll never respect someone like you! ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Poof. The sharp sword pierced through his heart. The color on the old butler¡¯s face was fading rapidly. He had lost all his strength. At the last moment of his life, the old butler used all his remaining strength to send a message asking for help. In a completely different direction from the battlefield, a servant who did not participate in the battle received this message. He hesitated at first, but quickly chose to leave the castle and head for the Imperial City to find Count Manstein. Before this battle began, the old butler was already determined to die. That was why he made this arrangement. With the death of the old butler, the servants of the castle could no longer resist the crazy Viktor and his men. The evenly matched battle quickly turned into a one-sided massacre. The servants were losing their lives one by one and hiding in the depths of the castle, praying for the arrival of a savior. On the other side, Fang Ping had just finished absorbing all the experience points awarded by the system and raised his level again. Now, with his strength, he could easily crush vampires below the rank of Count. ¡°Fang Ping, are you home? I need to talk to you urgently!¡± Just as Fang Ping was thinking about where to test his strength, someone knocked on the door. From the sound of it, it seemed to be Count Manstein? He opened it and saw that it was indeed him. Curious, Fang Ping welcomed him in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you look so flustered? Did something happen?¡± Count Manstein took a sip of water and calmed himself down. ¡°My castle, my castle was attacked by Count Bruno¡¯s men. The people there are probably dead now! ¡°Originally, with my strength, those lackeys of Bruno would not dare to come to the castle to provoke me. But now that I¡¯m seriously injured, my strength is far inferior to what it was when I was at my peak.¡± ¡°I might not even be able to beat a viscount. That¡¯s why I came to you. ¡°Fang Ping, help me one more time. I know you¡¯ve been hiding your strength. With your ability, it¡¯s very easy for you to defeat Bruno¡¯s men. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help me, I¡¯m willing to share my territory with you after everything calms down!¡± Manstein¡¯s tone was very sincere. He actually used his territory as a bargaining chip. It was obvious that he was at his wits¡¯ end. Fang Ping asked a few more questions. After understanding the cause of the matter, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Bruno¡¯s men were attacked. Was that why he sent someone to take revenge on Count Manstein? Was it because of the incident at Porto Town?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t this because of what he had done that morning? Fang Ping knew very well that Count Manstein had become his scapegoat. The other party just did not know it. Under such circumstances, of course, Fang Ping could not reject Manstein¡¯s request. After all, this matter started because of him. It was only right for him to help! Hence, Fang Ping nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, leave the rest to me. ¡°But I can¡¯t guarantee how many people will survive in that castle of yours.¡± Manstein was grateful to hear that. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s already a blessing in disguise that you¡¯re willing to help me. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that my injuries are too serious and I can¡¯t go with you. Otherwise, I would definitely kill those bastards myself!¡± Time was tight. Fang Ping did not stay in the city for long. He immediately set off for Count Manstein¡¯s castle. Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Captain, our people have completely controlled all the exits of the castle. There¡¯s no way the people in the castle can escape!¡± In Manstein Castle, a lackey came up to Viktor, his tone cruel. Viktor smiled. ¡°Very good. Since these people want to show their backbone, we¡¯ll give them a chance! ¡°Tell the brothers to slow down the killing. Today, I want to let the people here experience what hell looks like in advance!¡± As soon as Viktor finished speaking, he suddenly heard the sound of rushing wind. Then, a man¡¯s voice sounded in his ear. ¡°I think I¡¯ll let you experience what hell feels like, you damned scum!¡± Viktor turned and looked around. No one was there. ¡°Who? I advise you to mind your own business. This is a personal feud between Count Bruno and Count Manstein. ¡°If you leave now, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear what you said just now.¡± Fang Ping sneered. ¡°Hehe, pretend that you didn¡¯t hear what I just said? You have to pay for what you¡¯ve done, understand?¡± Viktor laughed in anger. ¡°Who¡¯s going to make me? You? A guy who doesn¡¯t dare show his face? ¡°Are you even worthy of being my opponent?¡± Suddenly, a black figure appeared behind Viktor, wanting to ambush him. Viktor¡¯s back was clearly facing the black figure, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. His tone was filled with disdain. ¡°You want to launch a sneak attack when you don¡¯t even have much to show for? Die!¡± Without any warning, Viktor gripped the demon artifact in his hand and stabbed at the figure behind him. If he was hit, even a count would be seriously injured. However, the feeling of the weapon piercing into the enemy¡¯s body never came. Instead, he completely missed, as if the attack had hit the air. Viktor¡¯s expression changed drastically. He turned around and saw Fang Ping¡¯s face clearly. ¡°You¡¯re not a vampire. You¡¯re¡­ a skeleton?¡± Viktor wasn¡¯t the only one. His subordinates, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, were also stunned. Since when did the Skeleton Race have such a powerful expert? Fang Ping raised his right arm and grabbed Viktor¡¯s neck at lightning speed. As he was too fast, Viktor could not react at all. Viktor grabbed Fang Ping¡¯s palm with both hands, wanting to pry his fingers open and break free from Fang Ping¡¯s control. However, no matter how hard he tried, the palm with the black-gold bones did not move at all. His weapon had passed through the gap between Fang Ping¡¯s bones just now, so it did not cause any damage to Fang Ping. ¡°Remember what I just said? ¡°I¡¯m going to give scum like you a taste of hell.¡± Viktor wanted to say more. The next moment, the Soul Fire in Fang Ping¡¯s eyes suddenly burned fiercely. A strange energy fluctuation instantly enveloped his entire body. Viktor felt as if his soul was being pulled away from his body. At the same time, there seemed to be thousands of sharp swords constantly piercing his soul. The immense pain made Viktor immediately scream. Viktor¡¯s lackeys did not dare to go forward because their boss¡¯s reaction made it seem too scary. They did not want to experience Viktor¡¯s pain. Viktor¡¯s screams lasted for two minutes before he gradually weakened. Finally, after Viktor¡¯s soul had completely dissipated, Fang Ping released his right hand. Viktor¡¯s body was lifeless. He fell to the ground like a trash bag. Soul Devouring Spell! Facing such a villain, Fang Ping used the Soul Devouring Spell for the second time. Coincidentally, the two times he used the Soul Devouring Spell on a living person, the other party were both Count Bruno¡¯s men. Fang Ping became more and more curious. How bad was Count Bruno to be able to nurture so many disgusting subordinates? With Viktor dead, his subordinates had no intention of fighting Fang Ping. They scattered and were defeated. Of course, Fang Ping would not let them leave so easily. When he first entered the castle and saw the corpses all over the ground, Fang Ping¡¯s killing intent had already been set. ¡°None of you will leave today.¡± Fang Ping increased his speed to the maximum. He captured Viktor¡¯s subordinates one by one and executed them on the spot. Finally, all the intruders were killed by Fang Ping on the spot. The servants who had been hiding in the castle finally walked out. Fang Ping was not surprised to learn that the castle¡¯s old butler had died in battle. ¡°Since the butler is gone, choose a new butler amongst yourselves. ¡°Also, Count Manstein is in good health now. Guard his castle well and don¡¯t worry about this matter.¡± Hearing Fang Ping¡¯s words, the surviving servants thanked him one after another. At this moment, the system¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in Fang Ping¡¯s mind. ¡°Ding! Congratulations Master for triggering the hidden mission¡ªHelping others to the end!¡± ¡°Congratulations on obtaining the reward, Master. A six-star enchanted warhammer. May you become stronger and stronger!¡± This news gave Fang Ping a fright, then he was ecstatic. There was actually a hidden reward? It seemed that there was more than one investment reward that could be obtained from a single person. If he continued to provide critical help to the other party after investing, he could obtain more benefits! Wasn¡¯t this basically a series of missions? The reward was even a six-star warhammer! And it was enchanted! The highest-grade weapon that the vampires possessed was only a nine-star demon artifact! A six-star warhammer was already considered a high-level weapon! It was definitely priceless in the black market and could not be bought with money! The pleasant surprise of the six-star warhammer immediately gave Fang Ping a new idea. Not only could he eliminate the root of the problem, but he could also experience the power of a six-star warhammer! ¡°Now that the vampires are in a tight situation at the front line, even the royal family has been transferred to the front line. Count Bruno¡¯s castle should be the same. ¡°This way, his castle¡¯s defenses will be empty. Now that I have a six-star warhammer, I can firmly defeat a count. ¡°Why don¡¯t we end this grudge today! ¡°Otherwise, Manstein will face endless reprisals and pursuit.¡± Just as the system had said, he would help others to the end. Fang Ping had gained too many benefits by helping Count Manstein. He did not mind taking the initiative to help the other party resolve the hidden dangers. Now that the matters at Count Manstein¡¯s castle were basically settled, Fang Ping bade farewell to everyone and set off for Count Bruno¡¯s territory. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Count Bruno¡¯s castle. The two guards chatted as they stood guard. ¡°I wonder which unlucky fellows will suffer the wrath of Count Bruno. Haha, what a pitiful bunch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our Count Bruno is backed by the entire Bruno family. Those ordinary nobles, even if they are marquises, have to tuck their tails between their legs when they see Count Bruno!¡± ¡°I heard that fellow Viktor took some men to trouble Count Manstein? Do you know anything about this?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I heard that he set off a few hours ago. I don¡¯t think there are many living people left in Manstein¡¯s castle now, right?¡± ¡°Haha, the possibility is very high. I¡¯m a little envious of Viktor. Unfortunately, I have to be on duty at the door today. Otherwise, I would definitely go with him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel sorry. I¡¯ll send you to meet him now.¡± A strange man¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in their ears. The two guards were stunned. Fang Ping did not give them any time to react. Their heads exploded like two big watermelons. The power of a six-star warhammer was terrifying. The people in the castle did not expect anyone to dare to attack Count Bruno¡¯s headquarters. In addition, as Fang Ping had expected, many experts had been transferred to the front line, so the defense here was very empty. Fang Ping held the six-star warhammer in his hand and fought his way to Count Bruno¡¯s castle. Seeing Fang Ping¡¯s appearance, Bruno was both furious and shocked. ¡°Who are you and why did you attack my castle? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least give your name before you do something like this?¡± Bruno was indeed the son of a noble family. Even though the enemy was already in front of him, he still maintained the elegance of a noble. Fang Ping said calmly, ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m the guy who wants your life! ¡°Your subordinates burn, kill, and plunder everywhere. As their master, you don¡¯t restrain them and instead encourage their actions. ¡°So now, you have to pay for these things.¡± Bruno snickered at that. ¡°What nonsense. I¡¯m from the royal family. It¡¯s not up to you to judge how I treat lowly people. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t tell me you really think you can be my opponent after defeating my subordinates? ¡°When did the Skeleton Race become so arrogant?¡± Fang Ping had already lifted the hood of his cloak when he entered the castle. Of course, Bruno could recognize his race. ¡°So what if you¡¯re from the Skeleton Race? I can still take your life!¡± In the face of Fang Ping¡¯s arrogance, Bruno did not take him seriously at all. ¡°The Skeleton Race is one of the lowest races in this world. They¡¯re not even as useful as those humans. ¡°Since you¡¯re at the bottom of the world, no matter how strong you are, you¡¯ll never be able to compare to the noble vampire race. ¡°What¡¯s more, I¡¯m a member of the royal family. I¡¯m really conflicted now. After all, killing you would dirty my hands!¡± ¡°Hehe, looks like you¡¯re very proud of your royal status?¡± ¡°I really want to test if your bones are as stubborn as yours. Are you really a noble or are you just ignoble?¡± The battle was about to begin. Bruno was a Count-level expert. Compared to Fang Ping¡¯s previous opponents, his strength was completely different. Therefore, Fang Ping did not drag things out like before. Instead, he used all his energy to fight. Even though he was an undead creature, he still had a fatal weakness. Once his Soul Fire was damaged, he would be severely injured and might even die. Fang Ping did not think that just because he had transmigrated once, he would be able to transmigrate again after he died this time. He only had one life. Every battle had to be treated as the last battle. Fang Ping fully utilized the advantage of his physical strength. He did not need to dodge at all when they attacked each other. He could withstand Bruno¡¯s attack with his body! At the same time, he used the six-star warhammer in his hand to unleash a powerful destructive power to exchange injuries with Bruno! This was definitely a good deal! In just a few minutes, the two of them had exchanged dozens of blows. After another collision, the two of them separated. Bruno gradually put away the contempt in his eyes and became serious. ¡°You¡¯re extraordinary. You¡¯re the most powerful skeleton I¡¯ve ever seen! ¡°Your bones seem to be a little too hard. ¡°But this is also good. After I kill you, I might be able to use your corpse to refine a powerful demon artifact!¡± Fang Ping snorted. ¡°That depends on whether you¡¯re still alive after all this!¡± Bruno did not continue to speak. Instead, he stood motionless, as if he was holding back some big move. Suddenly, Fang Ping felt an energy vortex appear with Bruno as the center. Countless energies with extreme Yin and extreme cold power gathered over, gradually forming a spatial gate. Behind this gate seemed to lead to another dimension. A deathly aura spread out from behind the gate. Bruno struggled to keep the gate open and spoke in a superior tone. ¡°This is my strongest move, the Undead Calamity Army. No one below the marquis level has ever survived this move. ¡°You should feel honored to die under this skill!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, skeleton arms began to pass through the gate. They were skeleton soldiers. Then, all kinds of high-level undead creatures began to walk out. This was really an undead army! The aura of death emitted by this army was enough to make any living creature feel fear. Coincidentally, Fang Ping was an undead creature to begin with, so he was able to counter this skill. He was not afraid of the undead army at all. He raised the six-star warhammer in his hand and rushed in. Every time Fang Ping attacked, he would take the lives of a large group of undead creatures. The attack power of this warhammer was too terrifying. Even if the other party was a slightly higher-level undead creature, they still weren¡¯t able to resist. As long as the other party came into contact with the surface of the warhammer, all the bones in their body would be completely shattered, and their soul fire would also be completely annihilated. Unfortunately, there were too many undead creatures that were being summoned by this gate. Fang Ping¡¯s killing speed could not keep up with the influx of enemies. Fang Ping could not break through the defense line formed by the undead creatures at all, so he could not threaten Bruno, who was keep[ing the gate open. Finally, a large number of undead creatures surrounded Fang Ping. Like a mountain of bones, Fang Ping¡¯s body was pinned down, unable to move. As Bruno could not sense Fang Ping¡¯s aura, a victorious smile began to spread across his face. ¡°Hehe, a lowly skeleton dares to challenge the noble vampire royal family? Ridiculous!¡± Just as Bruno was about to enjoy the victory, a purple light suddenly passed through the mountain of bones formed by the undead creatures and was released through the gap. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Soon, the mountain of undead creatures pressing down on Fang Ping was riddled with holes. Seeing that the situation was not good, Count Bruno wanted to summon more undead creatures to suppress Fang Ping. But it was too late! The next moment, a terrifying suction force was released with Fang Ping as the center. The soul flames in the bodies of countless undead creatures were immediately drawn out the moment they felt the attraction. Some undead creatures with weaker abilities and fragile souls had already been completely crushed by the huge energy when their souls were in the air. Countless souls screamed in the castle. They did not expect to encounter their nemesis the moment they arrived in this new world. Finally, the undead creatures that were pressing down on Fang Ping¡¯s body lost their strength one by one and fell to the ground like walking corpses. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. The mountain of undead creatures suddenly exploded. Fang Ping was still standing there unscathed. The undead creature¡¯s attack just now actually did not cause him any damage. Moreover, Fang Ping¡¯s condition had already recovered to his peak! To Fang Ping, who possessed the Soul Devouring Spell, this amount of soul power was simply a feast, and it was even a buffet that was provided in an unlimited amount! Actually, even Fang Ping did not expect Count Bruno¡¯s sure-kill skill to be summoning undead creatures. Initially, Fang Ping had been prepared for a fierce battle, but in the end, Bruno had brought his own downfall. ¡°How is that possible? How can you be unharmed after being attacked by so many undead creatures?! ¡°Your strength is at most on par with mine. How did you manage to resolve my move? ¡°What was that light just now? You must have other helpers!¡± Bruno suddenly questioned loudly. He looked at Fang Ping in disbelief. Fang Ping smiled with interest. ¡°Haha, you have the nerve to call your skill the Undead Disaster Army with just the undead you summoned? ¡°I think it¡¯s more like an undead cannon fodder army.¡± ¡°You want to trap me to death with this little trick? Dream on!¡± Fang Ping¡¯s sarcasm infuriated Bruno so much that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Bruno knew that he had lost the battle. The Undead Calamity Army had exhausted too much of his strength. Now that Fang Ping had resolved it so easily and had not used up too much of his strength, it was impossible for him to defeat Fang Ping. Therefore, Bruno continued to pretend to be angry as he conversed with Fang Ping to attract his attention. Suddenly, Fang Ping frowned slightly. He sensed that something had changed in Bruno, not far away. ¡°Go.¡± Fang Ping used the six-star warhammer as a throwing weapon and threw it at Bruno¡¯s body. But Bruno¡¯s body instantly shattered and he did not resist at all. ¡°A clone? Hehe, no wonder you suddenly chatted with me so enthusiastically. So you¡¯ve already planned to run away? ¡°But with your current strength, do you really think you can escape from my palm?¡± Fang Ping slowly closed his eyes. Terrifying soul power instantly surged in all directions. In an instant, it covered the entire castle. In the air hundreds of meters away from him, Fang Ping sensed a figure moving rapidly. The next moment, Fang Ping¡¯s body disappeared from the spot. Bruno, who was in the air, knew that his clone could not fool Fang Ping for too long. He had already pushed his speed to the limit. Looking back in the direction of the castle, Fang Ping did not seem to have caught up. Bruno breathed a little easier and said fiercely. ¡°Hehe, what an idiot. As expected of a low-level race. ¡°You have brute force but no intelligence compatible with it. When I find my father, I¡¯ll ask him to use the power of the family to consign you to eternal damnation!¡± Unexpectedly, just as Bruno finished speaking, Fang Ping¡¯s voice came from in front of him. ¡°Who are you trying to consign to eternal damnation?¡± Blue was so shocked that he could not stop in time. He slammed his face into Fang Ping¡¯s six-star warhammer. There was a loud bang. Bruno was knocked down from the sky by Fang Ping and smashed into the ground, leaving a huge pit. Fang Ping landed slowly and looked down at the heavily injured Bruno in the pit. He raised the six-star warhammer in his hand expressionlessly. When this hammer fell, Bruno would definitely die! Unexpectedly, at this moment, Bruno, who had always claimed to be a noble vampire royal, climbed out of the deep pit. He was kneeling in front of Fang Ping! He kowtowed desperately and begged for mercy. ¡°Grandpa Skeleton, Lord Skeleton, I admit defeat. I apologize to you. Please spare me this time! ¡°I promise I won¡¯t repay kindness with ingratitude. Besides, I¡¯m a member of the vampire royal family. I can give you a lot of benefits in return! ¡°Whether you want women, territory, population, or treasures, I¡¯m willing to give them to you as long as you ask. I only beg you to spare me! ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I provoked you recklessly. Please!¡± Even Fang Ping was stunned by Bruno¡¯s behavior. Wasn¡¯t this guy a noble member of the royal family? Weren¡¯t they supposed to maintain elegant vampire noble etiquette? As vampire nobles, weren¡¯t they supposed to choose death over surrender? Why had this guy ended up in such a state? ¡°Hehe, so the so-called royal nobles are actually ignoble fellows. ¡°Bruno, you¡¯ve really opened my eyes!¡± This time, facing Fang Ping¡¯s mockery, Bruno kept his head lowered, not daring to retort. However, he had underestimated Fang Ping¡¯s determination to eliminate the root of the problem. ¡°You know too many of my secrets. If I let you live, it will definitely bring me a lot of trouble. ¡°Since you let your subordinates cause riot everywhere, you should have already prepared yourself to suffer retribution and die a gruesome death, right?¡± Hearing this, Bruno immediately understood Fang Ping¡¯s determination. Before he died, he said in a resentful tone. ¡°Fang Ping, you¡¯ll die a horrible death! ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can get away with it just because you killed me. Sooner or later, you will be hunted down by the royal family and live in fear for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Hehe, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Go in peace.¡± With a hammer, Bruno¡¯s body was instantly smashed into pieces. At the same time, Fang Ping activated the Soul Devouring Spell. In an instant, he controlled Bruno¡¯s fleeing soul body and killed him completely. After completing this task, Fang Ping did not stay long in the castle, nor did he plan to slaughter everyone in the castle. Unlike Bruno, he was not a savage. Naturally, he would not hurt the innocent. Then, Fang Ping quickly fled far away, leaving Count Bruno¡¯s territory. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The news of Count Bruno¡¯s death quickly spread. This kind of thing could not be kept as a secret. ¡°Have you heard that Count Bruno was killed? We don¡¯t even know who the murderer is!¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? Damn¡­ The person who killed him is such a hero. It¡¯s really satisfying to see him get rid of evil for the people!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Bruno has relied on his family background to commit evil deeds everywhere. No one has ever been able to restrain him. This is satisfying!¡± Not only the people living around Bruno¡¯s territory, but even the residents far away in the Imperial City clapped and cheered when they heard this. Bruno had been too arrogant and despotic in the past, and had long aroused public anger. No one felt sad for his death. They had even been looking forward to this day. On the other hand, Fang Ping, who had personally completed this matter, did not show off too much after returning to the Imperial City. He did not even tell Count Manstein about this. He kept it to himself. Keeping a low profile, developing slowly, and hiding his achievements and fame was Fang Ping¡¯s goal in this world. In the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed. During this period, Fang Ping¡¯s life returned to peace. Every day, other than cultivating, he would learn about the information of this world to prevent himself from encountering completely unfamiliar opponents in the future. Fang Ping felt that it was a pity that he had never met a suitable investment target. The system had never appeared once. At this moment, news of the frontline battlefield reached the Imperial City. The moment they received the news, the entire city was in an uproar. According to the news, the vampire army at the front line had been completely defeated by the orc army. They even fled hundreds of miles back. Countless of them died on the way. Meanwhile, the orc army advanced triumphantly and successfully entered the interior of the Vampire Kingdom. From the border all the way to more than 50 cities, wherever they passed, there was burning, killing, and looting, and blood flowed like a river. It was not until a duke expert rushed to the front line in the past few days that he finally stopped the orc army with his powerful personal strength. But even so, the vampires had suffered too much in this war. As a result, everyone in the city was worried that they would suddenly be transferred to the front line one day. War was a meat grinder. Even a marquis could not guarantee that he would survive the battlefield. Due to the defeat at the frontline, the situation in the city became exceptionally tense. There were even some people who were panicking. This news made Fang Ping feel a sense of urgency. Currently, his strength could already defeat a count, but he was still too weak. The most powerful expert in this world was a Duke! ¡°I have to think of a way to increase my strength. My current strength is still too weak!¡± If he wanted to increase his strength as quickly as possible in a short period of time, the best way was naturally to consume heavenly treasures or buy powerful weapons. Hence, after asking around, Fang Ping learned that a large-scale auction would be held in this city soon. After paying a considerable entrance fee, Fang Ping got an admission ticket and prepared to try his luck at the auction. The night before the auction began, an unexpected guest came to Fang Ping¡¯s house. ¡°Manstein? Why are you suddenly looking for me? Where have you been recently? Is there anything I can help you with?¡± The two of them had become very good friends a long time ago. Even without the investment system, Fang Ping was still willing to take the initiative to help Manstein out of a tough spot. ¡°Haha, can¡¯t I look for you for no reason?¡± Manstein smiled and suddenly whispered into Fang Ping¡¯s ear. ¡°You were the one who killed Count Bruno in his castle two months ago, weren¡¯t you?¡± Hearing this, Fang Ping was shocked. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. When have I ever done such a thing?!¡± Manstein immediately understood. ¡°I know, I know!¡± Fang Ping glared at him angrily. What if someone heard him through the wall! Then, Manstein suddenly took out a money bag. Inside were not gold coins, but purple gold coins! One purple gold coin was equivalent to a hundred gold coins! There were about a few hundred purple gold coins in this bag, which was equivalent to tens of thousands of gold coins! The average income of most people in the city was only a few gold coins a year! This was undoubtedly a huge sum of money. ¡°What are you doing? I don¡¯t lack money now.¡± Fang Ping immediately rejected Manstein¡¯s offer. The sum was too great for him to receive. Manstein said with a serious expression. ¡°Fang Ping, I know everything you¡¯ve done for me. Although you¡¯ve never told me, I trust my own judgment. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t appeared, I might have lost my life. ¡°So what¡¯s the big deal? ¡°There will be an auction in two days. You should be planning to go to the auction to buy something good, right?¡± Fang Ping was shocked. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Haha, if I said that I guessed it, would you believe me?¡± ¡°Take it. This is a token of my sincerity. Besides, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t have any selfish motives. If you become stronger, I¡¯ll be able to look for you more confidently when I¡¯m in trouble in the future!¡± After Manstein¡¯s insistence and persuasion, Fang Ping finally accepted the money bag. This huge sum of money instantly increased Fang Ping¡¯s current funds by ten times. The auction officially began the next afternoon. Fang Ping entered the venue with his pockets full. As expected of the Vampire Imperial City¡¯s auction, there were all kinds of good things and top-notch magic treasures. There were even people auctioning off the blood essence of nobles that could help vampires advance! He even saw the blood essence of a marquis here! How crazy! And this drop of blood essence was sold for a sky-high price of 50,000 gold coins at the auction! Although he had seen enough of the excitement, Fang Ping still felt a little regretful. He did not come here to watch the show, but to buy some good things for himself to increase his strength. However, the auction was already halfway through, and there was still nothing suitable for Fang Ping to use. This was all related to Fang Ping¡¯s identity as a member of the Skeleton Race! Most of the items auctioned here could not be used by the Skeleton Race at all. Many items required blood verification! But how could a skeleton have any blood? ¡°I am simply being targeted by the heavens! No wonder it¡¯s rare for experts to appear in the Skeleton Race. Cultivation is a problem. It depends on talent!¡± Just when Fang Ping was disappointed with the auction and thought that he might return empty-handed today. The auctioneer¡¯s voice sounded on the auction stage, and a red egg appeared in everyone¡¯s sight at the same time. On the surface of the egg, there was a purple light indicated by the system! ¡°The next item is something special we prepared for this auction. ¡°Our appraiser is unable to determine what kind of demon beast this egg belongs to, so he¡¯s taking a gamble. Let¡¯s start auctioning this egg now. ¡°The starting price is 100 gold coins!¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fang Ping even thought he was seeing things. It was thought that the purple light might have been caused by the lights on the auction stage. But the voice in his head would not lie! ¡°Level three investment potential target detected. No specific mission. Master, please handle it yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a target with a level three investment potential! What exactly is this egg? Why does it have such huge potential?¡± Fang Ping was already starting to get excited. He believed that the system¡¯s judgment would not be wrong. Ever since he came to this world, the system had not made any mistakes! Therefore, there was no doubt that this egg represented some huge opportunity! ¡°No specific mission? Then let¡¯s get this egg first. The starting price is only 100 gold coins? ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be too many bidders.¡± At this moment, the auction for this egg had already begun. Just as Fang Ping had predicted, the tycoons and big shots present were completely uninterested in this egg of unknown origin. They preferred high-grade demon artifacts or the blood essence of high-grade vampires. These things could really help them increase their strength. But this egg¡­ Were they going to spend a few hundred gold coins to buy it and cook it? It was not like rich people¡¯s money grew on trees. However, there were still some people who were bidding out of interest or gambling mentality. Of course, these people¡¯s wealth could not be compared to the big shots who had bid previously. ¡°500 gold coins going once, 500 gold coins going twice. Does anyone else still want to make a bid?¡± Five minutes later, the price slowly rose to 500 gold coins, and only one or two people were still persevering. Seeing that the auctioneer was about to smash the hammer, Fang Ping suddenly raised his sign and shouted. ¡°1000 gold coins!¡± As soon as he said this, everyone¡¯s attention was immediately attracted. Everyone wanted to see which idiot had spent so much money to buy an egg to bring home to cook. ¡°Tsk tsk, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen this person before. Is he a nouveau riche from the countryside?¡± ¡°How rich. Now, I even kind of want to know what this egg tastes like.¡± ¡°Haha, then buy it. You¡¯ve already spent tens of thousands of gold coins on that drop of blood essence just now. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a thousand.¡± ¡°You should buy it. I don¡¯t want to be the victim.¡± ¡°1000 gold coins going once, 1000 gold coins going twice, 1000 gold coins going thrice, deal!¡± The moment the hammer fell, Fang Ping finally heaved a sigh of relief. Fang Ping did not put much effort into the subsequent auctions. After obtaining the mysterious egg that had the system¡¯s approval, his gains from this auction were already guaranteed. Before the auction ended, the disinterested Fang Ping left early and went backstage. After paying 1000 gold coins, the staff handed the egg to Fang Ping. At the same time, they also gave him a high-level VIP card. The words ¡°come again¡± were written on it. Fang Ping could not wait to leave the auction and rush home. Because the moment he obtained the egg, the system notification had already appeared in his mind. ¡°Ding! [Congratulations, Master. The investment is successful. The reward for this investment is a drop of divine beast ancestor blood essence. Please use it appropriately.] Fang Ping was not surprised by this reward. The system¡¯s rewards often matched with his needs in reality, which had never changed. ¡°Looks like the origin of this egg is really not simple. I really don¡¯t know what it will become after hatching.¡± As soon as he got home, Fang Ping could not wait to take out the divine beast ancestor blood essence from the system space and drop it on the eggshell without hesitation. The blood essence slowly seeped in and disappeared from his vision. The blood essence quickly took effect. The surface of the eggshell began to gradually emit a fiery red light, and a scorching aura surged over. If it were an ordinary undead creature, they would probably feel uncomfortable from the heat wave. However, Fang Ping only felt that his body was warm and comfortable. Finally, late at night, fine cracks appeared on the surface of the eggshell. With a crack, the eggshell split in half. A chubby, round falcon with scarlet feathers appeared in Fang Ping¡¯s field of vision. The little guy saw Fang Ping the moment he came out. Then, it flapped its wings and flew to Fang Ping¡¯s palm clumsily, chirping. ¡°It¡¯s a bird.¡± The falcon seemed to understand Fang Ping¡¯s meaning. It shook its head, expressing its dissatisfaction with the term bird. Fang Ping reached out and rubbed the little guy¡¯s head gently. ¡°You¡¯ve been chubby since birth. Why don¡¯t I give you a nickname first? I¡¯ll call you Roly Poly.¡± ¡°From now on, you have your own name! Roly Poly!¡± As expected of a beast that had absorbed the blood essence of the divine beast ancestor, Roly Poly was sentient from birth. After understanding Fang Ping¡¯s words, Roly Poly flapped its wings and walked around Fang Ping¡¯s palm to express its joy. Fang Ping was also very fond of this new partner who had suddenly appeared. He had been alone since coming to this world. Although he had met Kallen and Manstein, his situation with these two people was a little special. They often did not see each other and would spend half a month without meeting with one another. Fang Ping usually lived alone at home. It was too boring. Now, he finally had someone to chat with. At the same time, Fang Ping was looking forward to the surprises that Roly Poly would bring him in the future. After all, it was absorbing the blood essence of the divine beast ancestor. Fang Ping believed that if he was not mistaken, this little guy might evolve into a phoenix in the future! In other words, the king of all birds! In the entire divine beast circle, it was also the top existence! Half a month after Fang Ping obtained Roly Poly, Count Manstein suddenly came to Fang Ping¡¯s house again. However, this time, he was not here to reminisce with Fang Ping, but to say goodbye. ¡°Fang Ping, the war at the front line is tight. Counts like us, who have a more remote status, are now also being sent to the battlefield.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to come back after I leave. I came over in advance to greet you. ¡°If you¡¯re free, you can help me take care of the servants in my castle. If you need money, you can go straight to the castle to get it. ¡°If I don¡¯t come back, this castle and territory will belong to you. I¡¯ve already written my will in advance and placed it in my bedroom in the castle.¡± Manstein handed everything over to Fang Ping, one by one, as if he was a dying parent going over his will. Fang Ping could feel that Manstein was reluctant to leave, but the other party was definitely not afraid of death. Instead, he couldn¡¯t bear to part with the servants in the castle. The old butler¡¯s death was a huge blow to him. That was why he did not want the remaining people in the castle to be bullied by others like the old butler. That was why he had come to ask Fang Ping for help. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Manstein. Just go to the front line. You will definitely return safely!¡± Neither of them expected that the next time they met would be a year later. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There were only 23 hours a day in the alternate world, so every day passed very quickly. During Manstein¡¯s absence, Fang Ping visited the other party¡¯s castle frequently to visit the servants there as promised. The surviving servants were also looking forward to the Lord¡¯s return and were loyal to Manstein. Fang Ping continued to cultivate diligently. Finally, a year after Manstein left, he successfully broke through to Level 30! He had finally leveled up from Skeleton Cavalry and had become a Skeleton Lord. In the entire history of the Skeleton Race, experts of the Skeleton Lord level had only appeared a few times. Because the talent of the Skeleton Race was too weak, there might only be a Skeleton Lord every few thousand years. Most importantly, during the process of breaking through to Level 30, Fang Ping did not rely on the rewards given by the investment system. This was because he seemed to have used up all his good luck a year ago. During this period of time, he had not met any investment target above level two. He had only encountered a few white grade investments, and the rewards he received were mostly experience points. Therefore, Fang Ping had relied entirely on his own strength to achieve this breakthrough. After successfully breaking through, Fang Ping opened his eyes. His Soul Fire suddenly converged a little. A look of surprise flashed across Fang Ping¡¯s eyes. He suddenly realized that the world in his eyes seemed to be different from before! There were many silver threads in the air that he had never seen before. Moreover, these threads extended infinitely into the distance, as if they formed the most basic spatial structure of the world. Fang Ping raised his right hand and touched these silver threads in the air with his fingers. A wave of spatial energy fluctuation spread out. Fang Ping was shocked. ¡°Is this spatial ability?¡± According to his understanding of the vampire race, only marquises and experts above could have spatial ability! This meant that Fang Ping now had the ability to rival a vampire marquis expert! Moreover, with spatial ability, once he encountered fatal danger, he would have more means to escape! Humans only had one life. Fang Ping did not want to die tragically in some corner of the world one day. Three days after his breakthrough, Fang Ping suddenly received news that Count Manstein had returned from the front line. At the same time, there was bad news. Manstein was seriously injured in the war and was on the verge of death. If he was not treated in time, he would not live for more than a few days! It was also because of this reason that he could retreat from the front line. Fang Ping arrived at Manstein¡¯s castle one day after receiving the news. The castle was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and the atmosphere was very depressing and sad. The servants in the castle would never have thought that after waiting expectantly for a year, Count Manstein would finally return. But when he returned, Count Manstein was basically a corpse. ¡°Mr. Fang Ping, the count is in his bedroom. If you want to see him, go ahead.¡± ¡°The count has been muttering your name ever since he returned. He must be very happy now that you¡¯ve come to visit him.¡± The new butler that took on the role a year ago personally led Fang Ping to the bedroom door. When he pushed the door open and entered, a rotten aura immediately enveloped Fang Ping¡¯s entire body. Just as Fang Ping had heard, Manstein really did not have many days left to live. He did not understand why Manstein had become like this. He had been determined by the system to be an investment target. Shouldn¡¯t the targets be lucky and be able to soar in the future to create profits for him? Fang Ping had always thought that as long as the investment system took a fancy to him, there was a high chance that the other party would not encounter a fatal problem. However, the situation this time was beyond Fang Ping¡¯s expectations. Manstein was currently lying on the bed. Perhaps sensing Fang Ping¡¯s aura, he looked over with difficulty. A forced smile appeared on his face. ¡°Fang Ping, I¡¯m really sorry for letting you see me like this. ¡°Originally, I wanted to make a contribution on the battlefield and return after becoming a marquis. I didn¡¯t expect to fail. I¡¯m really useless! I¡¯m sorry for all the hard work you¡¯ve done for me. I let your efforts go to waste!¡± Manstein said apologetically. Fang Ping held his hand and said calmly, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯ve never forced me to do anything. Besides, putting aside our relationship, there are many things I simply can¡¯t bear. I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. ¡°What plans do you have now? You can say whatever you want to do. I¡¯ll complete it with you!¡± Manstein looked touched by this. He coughed twice and struggled to sit up in bed. After thinking for a moment, Manstein said slowly. ¡°Actually, my current situation might not be hopeless. There¡¯s another possibility that can save my life. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s simply too difficult to achieve this goal.¡± Fang Ping asked immediately. ¡°What way? How would you know if you don¡¯t try?¡± Manstein laughed bitterly. ¡°If I can find Marquis Bruno and obtain his blood essence to help me break through to the next level, I might be able to recover my body with the help of the increase in my bloodline energy during the breakthrough. ¡°Although I can¡¯t recover, at least I won¡¯t have to worry about dying¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve already become a cripple, and I have a huge conflict with Marquis Bruno¡¯s son. The marquis won¡¯t be willing to help me.¡± Fang Ping would not think so much. He was not willing to let go of any chance to help Manstein survive. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll accompany you to find Marquis Bruno. As I said just now, as long as there¡¯s a trace of hope, don¡¯t give up. ¡°You¡¯ve already become like this. Is there a reason for you not to try?¡± Fang Ping¡¯s words successfully convinced Count Manstein. He finally perked up. After packing up, the two of them immediately set off for Marquis Bruno¡¯s territory. However, when they arrived at the castle, they were rejected. It was not until Count Manstein lowered his pride and begged the guards of the castle that he was finally allowed to enter. ¡°Marquis, I am Manstein¡­¡± Manstein told him about how he went to the front line and was seriously injured. In the end, he asked the marquis to give him a drop of blood essence to save his life. Manstein said this with some expectations. After all, he and Marquis Bruno had known each other before. Perhaps the marquis would choose to save his life out of consideration for their old friendship. As the saying went, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. After listening to Manstein, Marquis Bruno did not agree to his request. Instead, he looked at Manstein with disdain. ¡°Haha, Manstein, you really disappoint me. ¡°Tell me, what right do you have to make me pay for your blood essence now? ¡°You, a dying person, still have the cheek to ask me for blood essence? Get lost quickly. I don¡¯t have the mood to listen to you complain now. ¡°Don¡¯t appear in front of me again. I don¡¯t want to see you again! ¡°See him out!¡± Chapter 20 - Kallen Is Actually His Daughter! Chapter 20 Kallen Is Actually His Daughter! After being rejected by his former supporter, Manstein suffered a huge mental blow. He did not expect Marquis Bruno to be so heartless as to chase him out without even giving him a chance to continue begging. However, Fang Ping, who was beside Manstein, roughly knew what was going on with Marquis¡¯s choice. The other party probably suspected that Count Bruno¡¯s death was related to the people in Manstein Castle. When the two returned to the Count¡¯s castle, Manstein was completely disheartened. As soon as he returned, he locked himself in his bedroom, looking like he was waiting for death. No matter how Fang Ping tried to persuade him, Count Manstein could no longer pull himself together. Unexpectedly, Fang Ping suddenly received a system notification. ¡°Ding! Level three investment potential detected. Mission target: Do your best to save Count Manstein.¡± Fang Ping was very surprised and puzzled when he received this notification. What was going on? Why was the system so insistent on investing in Count Manstein? The other party was about to die but the system was unwilling to let him give up on Manstein. Fang Ping could not figure it out. But no matter what, this was a good thing. Fang Ping himself could not give up on rescuing Manstein. Now that he had the system¡¯s mission, he could even gain some benefits. After thinking for a moment, the only way Fang Ping could think of to save Count Manstein was the royal sacred medicine of the vampires! Back then, the pressure of the Giant Tribe was also heavily injured and on the verge of death. Then, they were saved by the royal sacred medicine. After confirming his target, Fang Ping immediately rushed back to the Imperial City and went straight to the Imperial Palace to seek Kallen¡¯s help. Kallen was the only member of the royal family Fang Ping knew. Moreover, this kind of royal sacred medicine could only be obtained from Kallen. Upon seeing Kallen, Fang Ping immediately explained his intentions. At this moment, he was still a little nervous, worried that Kallen would reject him. In the past year, he had not met Kallen many times. Kallen¡¯s status in the race was getting higher and higher, so it was inevitable that her personality would change. Fang Ping was not naive enough to think that the current Kallen had not changed at all. She was definitely different from that little princess he had saved in the wild. Unexpectedly, Kallen readily agreed to Fang Ping¡¯s request. Moreover, it did not take long for her to bring the medicine over. Fang Ping was very grateful for this. ¡°Kallen, thank you for your help. I¡¯ll remember this forever!¡± Kallen smiled. ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t have to be so polite with me. If it weren¡¯t for you back then, I might have died in the stomach of a demon beast.¡± ¡°Hurry up and save him!¡± Fang Ping nodded. He had no time to rest at all. He rushed back to Count Manstein¡¯s castle without stopping. At this moment, Manstein had already entered a coma due to his injuries and the exhaustion of his stamina from rushing back and forth to Marquis Manstein¡¯s castle. His life was in danger. Fang Ping¡¯s previous estimation had been too optimistic. He could not live for more than a few days! He might not even see the sun tomorrow! Fang Ping quickly fed Manstein the royal sacred medicine in his hand. Then, he waited nervously for the drug to take effect and fell asleep unknowingly. At noon the next day, Fang Ping felt something. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the bed beside him. He saw Manstein¡¯s eyes wide open, looking at him in surprise. Manstein was so excited that he couldn¡¯t control his emotions. ¡°Fang Ping, what¡¯s going on? Has my body recovered? I¡¯m not dead! ¡°I thought I was definitely going to die yesterday. What did you do to help me?¡± Fang Ping smiled. He did not tell Manstein about the royal sacred medicine. He only said that he had found a divine doctor who had healed his injuries. ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯ve saved my life more than once. I don¡¯t know how to repay you!¡± ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony with me. No matter what, I won¡¯t watch you die in front of me. ¡°How¡¯s your body feeling now?¡± Manstein waved his hand. ¡°This is amazing! I feel like I¡¯ve been reborn!¡± As he spoke, Manstein was moved to tears. He truly regarded Fang Ping as his confidant. Although the two of them did not belong to the same race, Manstein would not care about this at all. To him, Fang Ping was not only his savior, but also his friend and confidant. ¡°Fang Ping, you¡¯ve done so much for me. I¡¯m willing to tell you everything about me, including the secrets that I¡¯ve been hiding in my heart for many years! ¡°Furthermore, after this incident, I¡¯m worried that if I don¡¯t tell these secrets to someone quickly, I¡¯ll really bring them to my grave!¡± What Manstein said next completely shocked Fang Ping. He finally began to understand. Why did the system favor such a vampire count so much? Over and over again, it was determined that Manstein had investment potential, and it was always level two or level three investment potential! ¡°Fang Ping, you must have wondered why I haven¡¯t had a partner after living for so long, right? ¡°Actually, I once had a lover, and she was a member of the royal family. ¡°Although we both knew that our love was not allowed in the eyes of the royal family, because we were truly in love, we hid the secret together. ¡°We even gave birth to a cute daughter together. I named her Kallen!¡± Hearing the last two words, Fang Ping¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously asked, ¡°Kallen? Could it be that Princess Kallen?¡± Manstein seemed very surprised by Fang Ping¡¯s reaction. ¡°Yes, the princess of the royal family. Have you heard of Kallen? She seems to be doing well. That¡¯s a relief.¡± At this moment, Fang Ping¡¯s emotions were extremely complicated. He never expected that the girl he saved back then was actually Manstein¡¯s daughter. He had even saved Manstein twice. He was really fated with this father and daughter. With that, Fang Ping understood why Kallen, as one of the direct members of the royal family, had an unusually thin royal bloodline. As a result, she was ostracized by other descendants of the royal family. Her father was not a member of the royal family, so her bloodline was naturally thin! Chapter 21 - Father and Daughter Meet Chapter 21 Father and Daughter Meet ¡°But our love didn¡¯t last forever. Paper can¡¯t hold fire. ¡°Our relationship was discovered when Kallen was six years old. And before that, Kallen had been living in the palace as the daughter of a marquis. ¡°The only fortunate thing is that the person who discovered our affair was the marquis. When he found out about all this, he didn¡¯t execute me hysterically, let alone punish my lover. ¡°He did only one thing. It was also the cruelest thing for us. That was to separate me and my lover. ¡°Moreover, he warned me never to tell Kallen that I was her biological father. Ever since then, I¡¯ve been living in a castle in my territory. Kallen might have long forgotten her childhood memories.¡± After saying all of this, Manstein had long become tearful. It could be seen how painful and cruel it was for him to be forced to leave his wife and daughter back then. Fang Ping was also touched by their love story. It turned out that Manstein had such a love story in the past. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how handsome and exquisite this old man in front of him was in the past. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I hope I can let Manstein and Kallen meet again. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be too regretful.¡± Fang Ping silently made up his mind to help. The two of them chatted for a while more before Fang Ping bade farewell to Manstein and returned to his house in the city. ¡°Receive the investment reward.¡± This time, Fang Ping had successfully helped Manstein survive, and it was even a purple investment mission. He could not wait to know what reward the system would give him after this investment mission was completed. Ding¡­ congratulations on completing this investment mission. The reward this time is Primordial Wings! ¡® Fang Ping was stunned when he heard the last two words. What was this thing? Suddenly, Fang Ping felt a numbing sensation on his back, accompanied by waves of pain. It was as if countless ants were biting his back, making him feel very uncomfortable. ¡°What¡¯s going on? System, this won¡¯t hurt me, right?¡± Fang Ping could not help but complain. Although the pain in his back was unbearable, Fang Ping could not do anything. This was because the commotion happening on his back was clearly caused by the system. This feeling lasted for nearly half an hour. Fang Ping felt as if he had just been fished out of a pool and was drenched in sweat. However, with a thought from Fang Ping, a huge shadow suddenly appeared on the wall of the bedroom. Fang Ping turned to look beside him. The huge white wings gave him a huge visual shock. ¡°I have wings? I can fly now?¡± As a human in his previous life and a skeleton race in this world, Fang Ping had never thought that he would be able to soar freely in the sky. Moreover, he had his own wings! After the vampires cultivated to a certain level, they could also have their own wings. Moreover, as their level increased, the number of wings would also continue to grow. If they reached the duke level, vampires could have a total of six pairs of wings, making them look like six-winged angels. Therefore, wings were often also a symbol of strength! Although the mission reward given by the system this time did not directly increase Fang Ping¡¯s level or combat strength¡­ However, Fang Ping did not feel that he had lost out at all. Wings were very useful. Not only were they good for battle, having wings could also resolve many troubles. For example, flying in the sky was undoubtedly much faster than traveling on the ground. For the following days, Fang Ping would go out of the city every night and find an empty place to practice flying. These wings were very useful. Other than appearing somewhat incompatible with his pitch-black skeleton body, they were perfect in other aspects! Other than this, Fang Ping was also constantly paying attention to Kallen¡¯s movements. He had not forgotten the decision he had made last time in Manstein¡¯s Castle. He wanted to help this father and daughter, who had been separated for more than ten years, meet again! About half a month later, Fang Ping finally had this opportunity! ¡°Boss, there will be a gathering for the nobles tomorrow night. According to the news I received, Princess Kallen will also participate in this gathering. ¡°It¡¯s at eight in the evening.¡± The person who spoke was a well-informed person Fang Ping had found in the city. Fang Ping casually stuffed a few gold coins to him. Then, Fang Ping immediately left the city and spread his wings in the open space outside. He soared into the sky and headed for Manstein Castle. When Fang Ping told Manstein his plan, the latter seemed to hesitate. ¡°Fang Ping, why don¡¯t we forget about it? I appreciate your kindness, but in my current state, it¡¯s better not to disturb Kallen¡¯s life.¡± After more than ten years of separation, Manstein missed his daughter very much. However, he was also worried that his selfish desires would affect his daughter¡¯s current life. As a father, Manstein¡¯s love was undoubtedly hidden. deep and He was willing to give up everything for his daughter, even if he might live a regretful life. Fang Ping spent a lot of effort to finally convince Manstein. Moreover, after Fang Ping promised not to tell Kallen his true identity, Manstein finally agreed. That night, Fang Ping arrived outside a castle according to the location given by the informant. This gathering for the nobles started here. However, because Manstein and Fang Ping looked relatively unfamiliar, especially since Fang Ping was a skeleton, The two of them had just arrived at the door when they were stopped. Manstein immediately wanted to retreat. Fortunately, Fang Ping knew Princess Kallen, so he ordered the guard to let them in. The gathering venue was very lively and noisy. Ever since Princess Kallen¡¯s bloodline had increased, her reputation in the upper-class society had soared. Now, she had already become the dream girl of many noble young masters. This time, after hearing that Princess Kallen was also going to participate in this gathering, the popularity of this gathering instantly exploded. Many noble descendants far away from this castle even fought to the death and rushed over from thousands of miles away. They did all of this just to see Princess Kallen¡¯s beautiful face. Fang Ping and Manstein strolled slowly in the hall of the gathering in their gowns. In the end, he chose a relatively remote place and sat down. This was also Manstein¡¯s request. He was worried that someone at the scene would recognize him. That would be troublesome. After waiting for a while, a commotion suddenly sounded from the door. Many nobles immediately looked over. Without asking, they knew that Princess Kallen had definitely appeared. Manstein also put down his wine glass. His eyes were filled with an unprecedented light as he looked in the direction of the entrance with anticipation. Finally, Princess Kallen, who was wearing a long noble dress, appeared in front of everyone and quickly became the focus of the entire venue. Because Manstein was too excited, his breathing became hurried. He did not expect to see his daughter again in his lifetime! Chapter 22 - Father and Daughter Finally Meet Chapter 22 Father and Daughter Finally Meet Looking at his daughter in the distance, Manstein could not take the initiative to reveal his true identity and acknowledge his daughter. However, Manstein was already gratified and satisfied to see her again in his lifetime. ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t expect time to pass so quickly. I remember that the last time I saw her, she was only as tall as my thigh. She kept babbling all day.¡± ¡°Now, she¡¯s already become a graceful young maiden.¡± Manstein said with a blissful smile. ¡°She¡¯ll definitely have a better life in the future.¡± ¡°Haha, thank you for your blessings.¡± The two of them sat in the distance and watched as Kallen walked in the center of everyone¡¯s gazes with ease. Wherever she went, she would make the place she was at the most dazzling place of this gathering. At this moment, a young noble in gorgeous clothes suddenly appeared in front of Kallen. He knelt on one knee and stretched out his right hand. ¡°Honorable Princess Kallen, my name is Leon. I¡¯ve long admired you and have finally obtained this opportunity today. Can you dance with me?¡± Leon¡¯s father was a vampire marquis. Although he did not belong to the royal family, his status as a marquis was already noble enough. Moreover, Leon had displayed astonishing cultivation talent since he was young. Now that he had already become a count at a young age, he was very famous in the entire vampire race. Many people even thought that Leon might be the first person outside the royal family to become a duke expert! Other than Kallen, Leon had the highest status in this gathering. Therefore, as soon as he stood up, he immediately attracted the flattery and jeering of countless young nobles. Many male nobles immediately began to beat their chests and stamp their feet. Like many others, Leon also wanted to woo Kallen. They definitely had no chance! However, in the face of Leon¡¯s invitation, Kallen was not tempted at all. She did not like to participate in such a noble gathering to begin with. Moreover, she had once been despised. Unlike the other noble girls, Kallen knew very well what kind of people these so-called noble young masters were. She was not interested in such rich playboys at all. Therefore, Kallen said seriously. ¡°Young Master Leon, I appreciate your kindness, but I¡¯m sorry, I have to reject your invitation.¡± ¡°I have no intention of dancing today. We¡¯ll talk about it in the future.¡± After being rejected by the girl in public, Leon¡¯s face immediately turned ashen. He was a playboy to begin with and had succeeded with countless girls. No one had ever rejected him. However, today, Kallen had embarrassed him in front of so many people. However, Leon still suppressed the dissatisfaction and anger in his heart and stood up with a fake smile. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a pity. Goodbye!¡± Leon left the center of everyone¡¯s vision and returned to the booth he had been in previously. A group of ¡°good brothers¡± immediately surrounded him. They all accused Kallen of not knowing what was good for her. ¡°This Kallen is really too much. She actually dares to reject our Young Master Leon¡¯s invitation!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our young master is really blind to have taken a fancy to such a woman!¡± ¡°Hehe, this woman is still pretending to be innocent here. She might already be in a mess in private. This kind of woman is not worthy of Young Master¡¯s attention!¡± Leon looked at Kallen in the crowd with anger. Hearing his lackeys¡¯ words, he finally felt better. At this moment, Kallen did not know what was wrong. Her gaze seemed to be attracted by something and she suddenly looked at a dim corner of the gathering hall. Something seemed to be attracting her there. With curiosity in her heart, Kallen walked in that direction. At this moment, Manstein had already begun to become nervous and even seemed somewhat at a loss. ¡°Fang Ping, what¡¯s going on? Why is Kallen walking in our direction? Could it be that she recognized me?! What should we do now?!¡± Fang Ping did not expect this situation either and comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be a problem. Moreover, she was still young when you left. She probably won¡¯t be able to recognize you. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Finally, Kallen arrived in front of Fang Ping and Manstein. She was somewhat surprised that Fang Ping had also appeared at this gathering. What puzzled her even more was the old man beside Fang Ping. For some reason, she felt that this person looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before! Manstein¡¯s body was incomparably stiff at this moment and he could not say a word. ¡°Fang Ping, I didn¡¯t expect you to also come to this gathering. You didn¡¯t even tell me in advance. Otherwise, I would have asked you to come with me.¡± Kallen greeted Fang Ping first. At this moment, Manstein was somewhat puzzled. ¡°You two know each other?¡± He originally thought that Fang Ping had only heard of Kallen¡¯s name. He did not expect the two of them to not only know each other, but was even somewhat familiar with each other. Fang Ping nodded. ¡°Yes, we had some small interactions previously and can be considered good friends.¡± Hearing this, Manstein was slightly relieved. He was somewhat worried that if the two of them knew each other, his identity would be exposed. At this moment, Kallen¡¯s gaze landed on Manstein, who began to tense. Suddenly, Kallen spoke. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s your name? Since you came with Fang Ping, you¡¯re also my friend.¡± Manstein stammered out his name. Kallen then stretched out her fair right hand, and Manstein began to struggle. It was not until Fang Ping gave him a reassuring look that he held his daughter¡¯s hand. At this moment, Manstein was so excited that he almost cried. ¡°Mr. Manstein, why do you look so emotional? Have you suddenly thought of something?¡± Kallen asked curiously. However, at this moment, Manstein was already unable to speak. Fang Ping quickly explained. ¡°Haha, perhaps it¡¯s because you look very similar to his daughter, but he hasn¡¯t seen his daughter in a long time. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so excited.¡± Kallen expressed her understanding. At this moment, Fang Ping told Kallen that he had a story to tell her. Then, Fang Ping told Kallen about Manstein¡¯s real experience in the past. He also added some modifications and changes. This sad and touching love story instantly touched the girl¡¯s emotional heart. Even many noble young men and women present were deeply touched. ¡°Wuwu, this story is so tearful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That man who was forced to not acknowledge his daughter is really too pitiful!¡± ¡°If I can meet such a man, I¡¯ll definitely spend the rest of my life with him!¡± ¡°With such a wife, what else can I ask for?!¡± Everyone discussed with their companions beside her. Kallen was also so touched that a tear flowed from the corner of her eye. Chapter 23 - Can I Dance With You? Chapter 23 Can I Dance With You? After a while, Kallen finally calmed down. At this moment, she suddenly made an invitation that shocked everyone present. ¡°Fang Ping, thank you for bringing me such a good story. In return, can I ask you to dance with me?¡± Kallen looked at Fang Ping with a burning gaze. Other than Fang Ping¡¯s gratitude, there seemed to be some other emotions in the depths of her eyes. Fang Ping was her savior to begin with. The two of them could be considered old friends. Moreover, Fang Ping had displayed such talent at this moment. Although the two of them belonged to different races. Kallen¡¯s feelings for Fang Ping had already begun to gradually surpass the boundary of friendship! Moreover, love existed between the different races in this world. It was just that this kind of love was relatively rare. ¡°Heavens, could I have heard wrongly? Princess Kallen invited that guy to dance again, and that guy is a skeleton?¡± ¡°Wuwu, I¡¯m really useless. I can¡¯t even compare to a skeleton!¡± ¡°It¡¯s as if she¡¯s a flower stuck in cow dung. Why did Princess Kallen make such a decision? My heart aches!¡± Compared to the regret of ordinary people, Leon, who had just been rejected by Kallen in public, was completely crazy. Kallen¡¯s actions were no different from a ruthless slap to his face. After rejecting him, she invited some skeleton to dance? His eyes were red and filled with anger. The chair handle in his hand had already been completely shattered by him. ¡°Damn woman, you pretended to be innocent in front of me just now. Now, you¡¯re taking the initiative to invite a skeleton to dance. Hehe, very good!¡± At this moment, a lackey beside Leon leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. Leon gradually revealed a sinister smile and nodded gently. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡± The lackey smiled. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s just a skeleton. It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s my duty to help Young Master Leon!¡± On the other hand, Fang Ping naturally would not reject Kallen¡¯s invitation. He could sense Kallen¡¯s sincerity towards him and was afraid of hurting her feelings. A dance song began. At some point, the people who were originally dancing on the dance floor had already stopped. Their gazes landed on Fang Ping and Kallen in the middle of the dance floor. Some were envious, some were jealous, and some were puzzled. Moreover, Fang Ping¡¯s dance steps were very unfamiliar. It was obvious that he did not attend gatherings often. However, Kallen did not despise Fang Ping for being inexperienced. Instead, she kept guiding Fang Ping to keep up with her rhythm. The two of them gradually forgot about it and enjoyed dancing together. In the distance, Manstein looked at the two of them dancing and revealed a gratified expression. At some point, his eyes were already filled with the happiness of a father-in-law. Although Fang Ping was from the Skeleton Race, if his daughter could be with Fang Ping in the future, he could die without regrets. When the song finally ended, Kallen was still somewhat unsatisfied and wanted to invite Fang Ping to dance again. However, Fang Ping had rejected him this time. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m still not very familiar with dancing. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll hurt your feet if we dance again. ¡°In any case, there¡¯s still a lot of time. We can do it another day, right?¡± Hearing Fang Ping¡¯s words, Kallen was overjoyed. Especially when Fang Ping said that there was still a lot of time, the young girl immediately began to imagine. She imagined what might happen to her and Fang Ping in the future. The more she thought about it, the more she looked forward to it. Her heart was filled with happiness. Because Kallen and Fang Ping had only met by chance at the ball, the two of them did not stay together forever. After eating something casually and chatting for a while, Fang Ping returned to Manstein¡¯s side. He suddenly realized that Manstein seemed to be somewhat tired, so he asked with concern, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, we can go back now. How about that?¡± Manstein¡¯s expression was slightly abnormal, as if he was too tired. He nodded gently. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go back. I¡¯m already very satisfied with today¡¯s gains. Haha, thank you, Fang Ping!¡± The two of them left the ball together and returned to the castle in Manstein. Just as the two of them left, Leon kept staring at their backs. Then, there was one less person beside Leon. It was the lackey who had taken the initiative to volunteer to help him just now. After returning to the castle, Manstein bade Fang Ping a simple farewell and returned to his room to rest. Fang Ping also prepared to return to the Imperial City. However, on the way back, Fang Ping kept thinking of the expression on Manstein¡¯s face when they returned. He kept feeling that something was wrong with Manstein, but he could not tell what was wrong. The uneasiness in his heart became more and more intense, producing an ominous feeling. Finally, Fang Ping could not suppress the curiosity and desire in his heart and immediately returned to Manstein Castle. After returning, Fang Ping did not say anything and directly headed to Manstein¡¯s bedroom. The butler could not stop him at all. After opening the bedroom door, Fang Ping¡¯s body instantly froze at the door. He stared at the bed in the room. A bulging figure on the bed was none other than Manstein. He seemed to have already fallen asleep. ¡°Mr. Fang Ping, Count Manstein has already fallen asleep. It¡¯s best not to disturb him.¡± The butler, who had just caught up, persuaded Fang Ping earnestly. Manstein had long instructed the butler to let Fang Ping enter and leave the castle at will, so the butler was not qualified to order Fang Ping around. However, Fang Ping did not listen to the butler¡¯s persuasion. Instead, he said with a solemn tone, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. I want to go in and take a look.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if Manstein is angry, he won¡¯t blame you.¡¯ The butler stood helplessly and waited. Fang Ping arrived in front of the bed and lifted the curtain. He placed his hand in front of Manstein¡¯s nose. The other party was not breathing. Fang Ping finally understood what the ominous feeling in his heart was. Moreover, he did not understand. He had clearly already given Manstein the royal sacred medicine. The other party¡¯s body had indeed recovered. Why had it become like this now? In fact, when the two of them had just returned from that gathering not long ago, Manstein¡¯s complexion was clearly normal. At this moment, there seemed to be only one reason for this phenomenon! Perhaps Manstein¡¯s body had already entered a state of exhaustion after being severely injured on the battlefield. The royal sacred medicine could only save him for a while, but it could not save him forever. For Manstein¡¯s life to last for so many days, it was already a miracle. Moreover, with the help of the royal sacred medicine, he was able to maintain his life. Now that his body¡¯s potential had finally been exhausted, coupled with the fact that he had seen his daughter again, he had resolved the last trace of obsession in his heart. Finally, the string of his life completely snapped and he died. Chapter 24 - Roly Poly Returns, First Victory! Chapter 24 Roly Poly Returns, First Victory! Fang Ping¡¯s expression was sorrowful. Manstein could be considered his best friend. The two of them could also be considered friends despite their age difference. He did not expect his second friend to leave him so quickly. At this moment, there was only one thing Fang Ping could not understand. That was the evaluation of the investment system. Manstein was clearly going to die, but why did the investment system still want him to save the other party? Was this considered an investment? If it were anyone else, they would have to put in a lot of effort and pay a huge price to obtain the royal sacred medicine. In the end, the target died in a few days? How was this an investment? Moreover, Fang Ping clearly remembered that the mission of saving Manstein was marked with purple investment potential! Fang Ping could not figure it out no matter how hard he thought about it. For the time being, he could only put this question aside. With Manstein dead, the matter of his funeral still needed to be dealt with quickly. However, just as Fang Ping told the butler this bad news, his gaze suddenly became incomparably sharp. He immediately said to the butler beside him, ¡°Find a safe place to stay first. There are more reckless and dirty things in the castle!¡± The butler seemed to have understood something. After reminding Fang Ping to be careful, he quickly left. Fang Ping specially came to an empty space outside the castle to prevent the battle from destroying the castle later. Just as he stood in the middle of the empty space, the sound of wind breaking came from behind. A dagger was ruthlessly stabbed into the spot where Fang Ping had been standing just now. The person attacking did not expect Fang Ping to realize his existence and even dodge this attack. The attacker retreated after a single attack and stood not far away, staring fixedly at Fang Ping. Fang Ping turned around and saw the attacker¡¯s face clearly. He vaguely recalled that this guy seemed to be someone beside Leon. ¡°Why did you come to kill me?¡± Fang Ping asked despite knowing the answer. The attacker sneered and said, ¡°Hehe, is there a need to ask? You offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have and interacted with a woman that doesn¡¯t belong to you. You naturally deserve to die!¡± Fang Ping revealed an innocent expression. ¡°I only danced with Kallen? Moreover, I¡¯ve never heard of Kallen being someone else¡¯s woman. Where is this coming from?¡± The attacker said matter-of-factly, ¡°Anyone Young Master Leon likes is his woman! I won¡¯t waste my breath on you. I advise you not to struggle too much. I might even be able to give you pain. ¡°Perhaps after you die, I¡¯ll even use the reward Young Master Leon gave me to give you a dignified funeral.¡± Fang Ping spread his hands helplessly. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s not up to you!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the attacker attacked Fang Ping again, more fiercely than before. Fang Ping did not show any mercy either. He was furious that the other party wanted to take his life for such a small matter. Moreover, Manstein was Fang Ping¡¯s good friend and his benefactor. Now that the other party had died, Fang Ping was already filled with anger. At this moment, someone suddenly came to cause trouble. This person had simply bumped into Fang Ping¡¯s gun! However, just as Fang Ping was about to fight, a loud cry sounded from afar. A wind-breaking sound came. A fiery red figure appeared in front of Fang Ping and blocked the attacker¡¯s attack. This seemed to be a bird-type demon beast? Fang Ping was stunned for a moment. At first, he did not recognize this guy. However, Fang Ping quickly sensed a familiar aura from this red firebird. Fang Ping asked tentatively, ¡°Roly Poly?¡± Hearing this cry, the red firebird suddenly let out an excited cry and flapped its wings twice, looking happy. It seemed to be because Fang Ping had recognized it. ¡°It¡¯s really you, Roly Poly. You¡¯ve really changed a lot. I almost couldn¡¯t recognize you.¡± Fang Ping looked at Roly Poly in front of him in surprise. It was no longer the little guy who had just broken out of its shell more than a year ago. After spreading its two wings, Roly Poly could even completely envelop Fang Ping. Roly Poly suddenly called out twice, and Fang Ping surprisingly understood its words. ¡°Are you going to help me teach that guy a lesson?¡± Roly Poly nodded. Fang Ping smiled slightly, like an old father watching his child finally grow up. He nodded and said, ¡°Haha, since you¡¯re so confident, I¡¯ll hand this guy to you.¡± ¡°Be careful!¡± Fang Ping retreated more than ten meters and paid attention to Roly Poly¡¯s battle with some interest. He also wanted to see what combat strength Roly Poly had after completely absorbing the blood essence of the ancestor. Roly Poly had absorbed the blood essence of the bird ancestor, the phoenix. After absorbing it for so long, it had clearly undergone a huge transformation. Although it did not look particularly similar to the Phoenix in Fang Ping¡¯s impression, it had already begun to evolve in that direction. Fang Ping was increasingly looking forward to the surprises Roly Poly could bring him in the future. After this little guy completely evolved, perhaps it could really become a true phoenix? The attacker suddenly discovered that his opponent had changed. However, he did not stop attacking. His every move was aimed at the other party¡¯s vital points and he even wanted to directly cut Roly Poly¡¯s neck. However, Roly Poly had clearly not spent the past year in vain. Moreover, its strength was no longer the same as before. The battle had been one-sided from the beginning. The attacker¡¯s attack could not break through Roly Poly¡¯s defense at all. Moreover, once Roly Poly entered a combat state, its entire body would burn with raging flames. These were not simple flames. It was a true fire with an extremely high temperature! Moreover, once it touched the enemy, these flames were extremely difficult to extinguish. They would not stop until the entire body of the person infected was burned to ashes! The battle only lasted for a few minutes. When Roly Poly realized that the other party was not his match, it began to play with the attacker. It kept torturing his opponent like a cat playing with a mouse, finally making the attacker die in endless pain. His body was completely burned to ashes, not even a trace of ashes was left. After the battle ended, Roly Poly retracted the flames burning on its body and returned to Fang Ping. It kept howling, as if it was asking for credit. Fang Ping smiled and reached out to rub the little guy¡¯s furry head. Roly Poly immediately spun around in front of Fang Ping excitedly. Even though they had not seen each other for more than a year, the relationship between the man and the beast was still closer than before. Seeing his demon beast companion again temporarily dispelled the negative feelings Manstein¡¯s death had brought to Fang Ping. However, this did not mean that Fang Ping did not care about the trouble Leon had caused him. Wasn¡¯t it just a dance with Kallen? Was there a need to send someone to kill him? How narrow-minded and extremely self-centered was the other party? If he let such a person live, who knew how many innocent girls he would harm! ¡°Roly Poly, let¡¯s go and fight the bad guys!¡± Fang Ping immediately decided to bring Roly Poly along to take revenge on Leon. He had to get rid of the roots! Chapter 25 - Another Ignoble Royalty? Chapter 25 Another Ignoble Royalty? Just as Fang Ping was bringing Roly Poly to seek revenge on Leon, on the other side, the ball was still not over. This ball was supposed to last until the latter half of the night before the people attending the ball gradually left. However, because Kallen had left early, the people who were still at the ball were somewhat uninterested. It was like watching a celebrity concert. In the end, the celebrity left early, so the remaining people naturally would not stay. In a room a wall away from the ball hall, Leon was surrounded by a group of young girls. He was holding a wine glass filled with bright red wine. His other hand groped the girl beside him without restraint. From time to time, the girl¡¯s delicate laughter would ring in his ears. Moreover, these girls were dressed very skimpily. Any man would feel their blood boil when they saw such a scene. He looked at the time displayed on the wall clock and smiled faintly. ¡°That fool who dared to provoke Kallen at the ball should have already gone to hell. ¡°Hehe, how dare you touch my woman? Why don¡¯t you consider your own strength!¡± A girl beside him said coquettishly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Only someone with a noble status like Young Master Leon can have Princess Kallen. The other men are a group of smelly losers compared to you! ¡°You¡¯re simply the dream lover of all girls!¡± As she spoke, the girl¡¯s body was already tightly pressed against Leon. Leon smiled in satisfaction and tightened his grip. The girl pouted coquettishly and her body directly collapsed into Leon¡¯s arms, revealing her skin. Accompanied by good wine and beautiful women, coupled with the fact that Fang Ping, who had been an eyesore previously, had probably been dealt with by his subordinates, Leon was in a good mood. He directly threw the wine glass in his hand to the ground, grabbed the arms of the two girls beside him, and pulled hard. The two of them entered Leon¡¯s arms. The whole atmosphere was very amorous. Under the effect of the alcohol, Leon¡¯s breathing began to gradually become hot. Moreover, he had just been rejected by Kallen at the ball and had long held back his anger. At this moment, he had skin contact with these young girls, and the temperature of his body was quickly rising. He had to vent all his anger! He flipped over and pressed the two of them under him. In Leon¡¯s eyes, the girl in front of him seemed to have become the Kallen he wished for. Now that the beauty of his imagination had appeared in front of him, Leon could no longer resist the most primitive urge in his body. However, Leon, who was already completely controlled by his beastly desire, did not notice that a black-cloaked figure had already quietly sneaked into the room. Because Roly Poly¡¯s appearance was too ostentatious, and its current size could not be effectively hidden¡­ Therefore, Fang Ping got Roly Poly to stay outside and wait for orders. If he encountered any trouble, he would get it to come and support him. Fang Ping¡¯s strength was already very powerful. Although Leon was also a count expert, he was still far inferior to Fang Ping. Coupled with the fact that he was focused on the women at this moment, it was impossible for him to discover Fang Ping¡¯s existence. Leon tore off the few remaining pieces of cloth on the girl and was about to vent all his desires. He suddenly discovered that the girl under him had become cold and her eyes were filled with fear. She stared fixedly at the spot behind him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you that afraid of me?¡± Leon did not react at first. However, at this moment, the girl was already completely speechless. At this moment, a familiar cold voice suddenly sounded from behind Leon. ¡°Hehe, looks like you¡¯re having a good time? ¡°Why don¡¯t I make it more fun for you? I can also let you play in the netherworld. How about that? ¡°You might even be able to meet those people you killed in the past again?¡± Hearing this, Leon suddenly turned around and took out a dagger from somewhere, slashing at Fang Ping¡¯s throat in a flash. However, Fang Ping had long expected this. He would never let his guard down against any opponent. Therefore, at this moment, he was maintaining absolute vigilance. After the sneak attack failed, Leon grabbed the bodies of the two girls under him and pushed them in Fang Ping¡¯s direction, taking the opportunity to distance himself from Fang Ping. Fang Ping quietly supported the girls. ¡°All of you, go to the corner and wait, lest we hurt the innocent.¡± All the girls in the room quickly shrank together with frightened expressions and sized up the two of them in the room with terrified gazes. ¡°So you¡¯re not dead. Hehe, looks like my subordinate failed. That idiot even promised me that he would torture you to death. He¡¯s really useless. You¡¯re really lucky!¡± Leon looked at Fang Ping with a dark expression. Fang Ping smiled. ¡°Haha, so that¡¯s what he told you? Looks like your subordinates aren¡¯t that impressive. ¡°However, it¡¯s useless to say this. You won¡¯t be able to see the sun tomorrow.¡± Facing the arrogant Fang Ping, Leon sneered. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know how to boast? Come if you have the ability!¡± In the next moment, Fang Ping did not waste his breath on him anymore. His body suddenly disappeared from his spot. Moreover, at the same time, a terrifying suction force came from all directions. This suction force was extremely strange. It did not directly affect Leon¡¯s body, but seemed suck his soul out of his body. Soul Devouring Spell! It was still the same trick Fang Ping always to used! Although this was the first skill Fang Ping obtained, it was still the most useful! Not only could it be used to deal with undead creatures with half the effort, but it was also the best punishment for enemies! At this moment, Leon¡¯s expression had already changed drastically. He did not expect Fang Ping¡¯s strength to be so terrifying! Since when did the Skeleton Race have such powerful experts? Moreover, this skeleton¡¯s abilities were extremely strange. As an undead creature, it could actually directly attack his soul? ¡°Who are you? Let go of me quickly!¡± Leon tried his best to break free from Fang Ping¡¯s control, but there was an absolute difference in strength between the two of them. It was like an insurmountable chasm. Fang Ping¡¯s figure suddenly appeared behind Leon, his hand already holding the six-star warhammer tightly. He suddenly hammered Leon¡¯s back. Pfft! Blood spewed out of Leon¡¯s mouth non-stop. His body was directly sent flying and smashed fiercely into the distant wall. At this moment, his aura had already become extremely dispirited, and he only had less than 10% of his strength left. Leon finally understood that he had messed with the wrong person this time! In order to survive, Leon immediately gave up on the idea of resisting Fang Ping. He crawled up from the ground with all his strength and knelt on the ground to beg Fang Ping for mercy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong previously. I shouldn¡¯t have taken revenge on you for such a small matter! ¡°I hope you can spare me this time. I promise I won¡¯t harass Princess Kallen again in the future! I definitely won¡¯t tell anyone about what happened today!¡± Chapter 26 - Retribution Chapter 26 Retribution Fang Ping looked at Leon, who was kneeling on the ground, with interest. He wondered why these vampire nobles were so similar. Usually, these vampires thought that their bloodline was noble and that they were the most respected life forms in the world. Especially in the Vampire Kingdom, vampires did not care about the creatures of other races at all. Vampires were the most respected. However, these vampires did not have any backbone at all. Once they faced a life-and-death crisis, they would completely give up all their pride as nobles. They would rather kneel in front of their opponent and beg for their forgiveness. ¡°Sigh, you vampires are really a group of ignoble people. It¡¯s the same for you and that idiot called Bruno previously.¡± Hearing this, Leon was instantly shocked and said in disbelief. ¡°What, you killed Count Bruno?¡± The assassination of Bruno caused a commotion in the entire vampire society. Moreover, Bruno was a member of the royal family and had a noble status. He also bullied the commoners everywhere and usually had countless eyes on him. At this moment, Leon simply regretted it ten thousand times! Why did he have to provoke such a ruthless person! The other party even dared to kill Count Bruno, who was a member of the royal family. How could he compare to royalty? Thinking of this, in order to survive, Leon continued to apologize to Fang Ping and beg for mercy, hoping that he could survive. At this moment, Fang Ping had not stopped the Soul Devouring Spell from taking effect. Fang Ping could already absorb a portion of Leon¡¯s soul power. Because of this, Fang Ping actually heard the voice in Leon¡¯s heart. This voice was sucked into Fang Ping along with Leon¡¯s soul. ¡°This despicable guy, I¡¯ll let you be smug for a while this time. After you leave, I¡¯ll immediately find the royal family to capture you and torture you to death. ¡°If the royal family finds out that you killed Count Bruno, hehe, your outcome will be ten thousand times worse than mine! ¡°You¡¯re dead meat!¡± Hearing this, Fang Ping was stunned for a moment. He looked at Leon in front of him. strangely. The latter did not expect Fang Ping to have already heard his thoughts. He even kept kowtowing and confessing. Fang Ping suddenly had a bad idea. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for me to spare you this once. If you¡¯re willing to take off all your clothes and bark a hundred times in front of that group of girls, I might consider it. ¡°Moreover, if you lick the ground in front of these girls clean, I¡¯ll immediately let you go. How about that?¡± Such a humiliating request immediately made Leon clench his fists, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He even acted domineering among the nobles of high society. He had never suffered such humiliation! However, in order to survive, Leon gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. Don¡¯t go back on your word!¡± Fang Ping smiled. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not an ignoble noble like you!¡± Leon arrived in front of the girls, and many girls wanted to retreat in fear. However, there was a wall behind them. Their bodies were already pressed against the wall. Then, Leon began to kowtow. Fang Ping even got Leon to count himself. ¡°If I find out that you counted wrongly, I¡¯ll start all over again!¡± After a while, Leon¡¯s forehead had already been injured from all the kowtowing. ¡°Lick the ground clean.¡± Leon gritted his teeth and lay on the ground, sticking out his tongue, his heart filled with endless humiliation. Finally, Leon finished all of this. His desire for revenge had also reached its peak. Little did he know that Fang Ping had long seen through all his psychological activities. He returned to Fang Ping. ¡°I¡¯ve already done as you asked. Now can you¡­ || Before he could finish speaking, Leon¡¯s eyes immediately widened as he looked at his chest in disbelief. A sharp dagger pierced through his heart from behind. Blood was flowing down the tip of the dagger to the ground. ¡°Why? What? Are you going back on your word?!¡± Leon¡¯s life force was quickly flowing away. He questioned Fang Ping angrily and in despair. Fang Ping sneered. ¡°Hehe, do you think I don¡¯t know your plan? ¡°I even told you about killing Count Bruno. Do you really think I¡¯ll let you go? ¡°Am I supposed to let you go so you can tell these things to the royal family and let them hunt me down? So that you can take revenge?¡± Leon looked at Fang Ping with unfocused eyes. These were all the true thoughts in his heart. He could not figure out how Fang Ping knew. ¡°You¡­ are¡­ a demon! You¡¯ll definitely die a horrible death. Sooner or later, you¡¯ll have to come to hell to accompany me!¡± In the last moment of his life, Leon cursed Fang Ping with hatred. However, Fang Ping did not care at all. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, regardless of whether I go to hell in the end, go down and atone for the bad things you¡¯ve done in your life first.¡± With that said, Fang Ping suddenly pulled out his dagger. A large amount of blood spewed out, and Leon¡¯s face turned pale. His last breath of life had also completely disappeared. A rising noble count had died in Fang Ping¡¯s hands just like that. This was already the second vampire noble he had killed! However, Fang Ping did not regret it at all, even if these secrets might be exposed in the future and cause him to die. Fang Ping was not afraid of all of this. He believed that if the pursuit finally arrived one day, he would already have the strength to deal with all of this! In this world, the strong were respected and the law of the jungle was enforced to the extreme. The weak could only be slaughtered by the strong and could not fight back. After killing Leon, Fang Ping briefly used the Spell on the group of girls in Soul Devouring the corner. This was a magical effect Fang Ping had just learned. By extracting a portion of the target¡¯s soul, he could remove some of the memories. Then, by returning the soul to the target, he could erase the other party¡¯s memory and not cause much damage to the other party. About half an hour passed after Fang Ping left the scene. The subordinates guarding outside the room finally sensed that something was wrong. In the past, when Leon was busy with the girls, the commotion in the room would be very loud. Moreover, Leon liked to torture people. Logically speaking, it was impossible for him to be so quiet. The two subordinates looked at each other and nodded gently. ¡°Young Master, please excuse us!¡± The two of them pushed open the door and entered. Then, their eyes were filled with fear. The carpet in the middle of the room was dyed with blood. Leon¡¯s corpse was already completely cold. Chapter 27 - Mansteins Final Chapter 27 Manstein¡¯s Final Repayment Leon¡¯s death stopped the ongoing ball abruptly. After countless nobles received this news, they scrambled to leave the ball, afraid that they would be misunderstood and become murderers. The ball finally ended, and not long after, the news of Leon¡¯s death spread. A middle-aged man¡¯s furious roar suddenly sounded from a vampire noble¡¯s castle hundreds of kilometers away. This man¡¯s name was Jed and he was Leon¡¯s father. They also belonged to the Jeston family. Leon¡¯s full name was actually Leon Jeston. Although Leon and Jed did not obtain the status of royalty because of their meager royal bloodline, the elders of the family were true members of the royal family. It was also because of this background that Leon dared to do evil everywhere as an ordinary count! Coupled with his excellent talent, it was very likely for him to officially become a member of the royal family in the future! No one expected this rising family star to suddenly die. Every royal noble of the vampires had a family ancestral hall. Every direct descendant would obtain a memorial tablet in this family ancestral hall. Although Leon was a distant descendant, he had already made an exception and obtained a position that belonged to him. On every memorial tablet was a Jed token that represented every living family member. These Jed tokens had already been deeply bound to the life of the owner and had completed the bloodline connection. Once the owner died, these Jed tokens enshrined in the family ancestral hall would completely shatter, representing their death. Not long ago, Jed suddenly learned that his precious son¡¯s Jed token had actually shattered! There had never been any mistakes with this kind of Jed token in the history of the vampires, so there was no doubt that Leon was already dead. The furious Jed rushed over after hearing the news and lost her temper in the castle. ¡°Who is it? Who exactly harmed my son?! ¡°Leon, I will definitely avenge you. Capture the murderer who killed you and let him suffer a fate worse than death forever! ¡°I¡¯ll make him regret being born in this world!¡± In order to avenge his son as soon as possible, Jed arrived at the place where his ancestor usually cultivated in seclusion with anger. For a royal family like the Jeston family, there was always a strongest ancestor with the highest seniority. Moreover, now, every branch of the royal family only had one ancestor. These people were the stabilizing force of the family. As long as the ancestor was still around, no one could shake the status of these families in the vampire race! Jed knelt at the entrance of the ancestor and said with tears in his eyes. ¡°Ancestor, your grandson has been killed! ¡°He¡¯s my only son. You usually dote on him the most, but now, he¡¯s dead. ¡°I implore you to come out of seclusion and avenge my son and capture the murderer!¡± With a loud bang, the door exploded, and a figure with three huge wings appeared in front of Jed. ¡°Jed, what did you say? My grandson was killed?¡± ¡°Who was it? Who was so heartless to kill him?! Why did my good grandson suffer such bad luck?! ¡°Jed, don¡¯t worry. I watched Leon grow up. He¡¯s the best young man I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°He was supposed to inherit the glory of our Jeston family. I definitely won¡¯t sit back and do nothing about this. ¡°Send someone to investigate this matter immediately. Report to me immediately if there are any clues. I¡¯ll personally go and capture the murderer! ¡°I¡¯ll make the murderer pay a thousand times the price to repay this blood debt!¡± Hearing the ancestor¡¯s words, Jed was overjoyed. ¡°Ancestor is wise!¡± At the same time, Fang Ping had already returned to the city and returned to his house. As soon as he opened the door, Fang Ping saw a letter on the floor at the door. Who had put the letter in? Moreover, it was when he had not returned. Curious, Fang Ping opened the envelope and was instantly stunned when he saw the name. This letter was actually written to him by Manstein? However, he was already dead now. In other words, Manstein had long expected his outcome. Perhaps he had found an opportunity to leave this letter here in advance before attending the ball with Fang Ping! Fang Ping had once given Manstein the key to his house and told him that if he was hunted and had nowhere to go, he could come to his place to temporarily hide. Then, it could be explained why this letter appeared in his house. Fang Ping did not even have the time to change out of his blood-scented cloak. He directly sat at the door and began to read the contents of the letter. The more he looked, the more shocked he became. He finally understood why the investment system had asked him to save Manstein¡¯s life again and again. Even though Manstein was about to die, the investment system still determined that it had purple investment potential! This letter was the answer to all of this! ¡°Fang Ping, thank you for saving my life countless times and helping me! ¡°Other than the dead old butler, you¡¯re the best friend I¡¯ve ever known in my life! ¡°Last time, I told you some secrets about me. Kallen is my daughter. Actually, other than this secret, there has always been another bigger secret in my heart. ¡°I¡¯ve never told anyone this secret. Not even Kallen. ¡°I originally thought that this secret would probably be brought to the coffin by me and never see the light of day. ¡°But now I¡¯ve changed my mind. I know I¡¯m already going to die, so I wrote this letter before it was too late. ¡°When you see this, I should have already gone to see Ancestor Lilith. Don¡¯t feel sad for me. This is all predestined! ¡°Decades ago, before I met Kallen¡¯s mother, I accidentally found an ancient ruin in a wilderness exploration. ¡®According to my knowledge, after some investigation, I think this ruin is very likely the graveyard of a duke or even a prince in ancient times! ¡°It¡¯s obvious what treasures and secrets are hidden inside. ¡°Have you ever wondered why the vampire race no longer has a prince expert in this era? Moreover, no new duke expert has been born in the past few hundred years! ¡°Why? Logically speaking, the lives of princes should almost be as long as the heavens. Where did they all go? ¡°Perhaps the answer will be revealed when you open this ancient ruin! ¡°Back then, because I was not powerful enough, I did not rashly open this ruin. Later, I did not have the chance to return to that place. ¡°If you see this letter, go and find Kallen. Before leaving the palace, I left the key with her. Now, go and take this key from her. But do this without affecting her current life. ¡°Open the ancient ruins! ¡°This is the last repayment I can give you!¡± Chapter 28 - Ancient Ruins, Almighty Tomb! Chapter 28 Ancient Ruins, Almighty Tomb! After reading the contents of the letter, Fang Ping had a rough understanding. This ancient ruin existed in an incomparably distant place from the Imperial City. Moreover, only a specific key could open the door to the ruin. This key was with Princess Kallen! Fang Ping was naturally filled with curiosity and desire for this ruin. The mausoleum of a prince expert? Fang Ping had transmigrated from Earth and had read countless online novels. Often, countless earth-shattering treasures or divine weapons from this era would be hidden in the tombs of these ancient experts! Once he could obtain these good things, even a dog could soar into the sky and become a top expert in the world! Of course, Fang Ping would not let go of this good opportunity. However, Fang Ping still had a mission to complete, which was to obtain the key from Kallen! It was somewhat difficult to not let the other party know the secrets of Manstein and the ancient ruins. Moreover, this was Manstein¡¯s will before his death. Of course, Fang Ping could not violate his last wish and reveal all these secrets. ¡°What should I do? Could it be that I have to snatch the key? ¡°No, I can¡¯t hurt Kallen. If Kallen was a stranger, it would be fine. Fang Ping would probably not hesitate at all to snatch the item and be done with it. However, the key was that he and Kallen were good friends. Kallen and Manstein were father and daughter. Fang Ping could not do anything to hurt her. ¡°Why don¡¯t I think of a way to get close to her first and find an opportunity to get the key!¡± After a while, Fang Ping finally made up his mind. If he continued to approach Kallen and increase their relationship, he would definitely have a chance to obtain the key. In order to open the ancient ruins as soon as possible and increase his strength, Fang Ping rested at home for a night and headed to the palace the next morning. He wanted to apply for a position in the palace. It was best if he could come into contact with Kallen frequently. Only then could he increase the relationship between the two of them more effectively. ¡°You want to find a job in the palace¡­ There has never been a case of the Skeleton Race working in the royal family. This¡­ is somewhat difficult.¡± Although the palace butler had a good relationship with Fang Ping and the two of them had worked together in the past, Fang Ping was not a member of the vampire race after all. It was unprecedented for an outsider to work in an important place like the palace. However, after Fang Ping¡¯s repeated pleading, the butler was still willing to help Fang Ping this one time. ¡°I¡¯ve always admired Princess Kallen. I only hope to have a chance to get close to her. I definitely don¡¯t have any bad thoughts. ¡°Please fulfill my wish.¡± Fang Ping asked sincerely. The butler thought for a moment and said. ¡°By the way, I remember that a palace bartender resigned some time ago. You¡¯ve also lived here for a few years. You should know how fanatical our vampires are about wine. ¡°If you have the skill to mix alcohol and your proficiency is passable, you might be able to obtain this position. ¡°Recently, the soldiers in front have been short of manpower in various industries. The reason why the last bartender resigned was because he went to the battlefield. Sigh.¡± Hearing this, Fang Ping immediately agreed. In his previous life, although he was not a professional bartender, he had also worked part-time in a bar as a student. It was not a problem for him to complete some simple mixing! Moreover, this was the only opportunity for him to enter the palace to work. Of course, Fang Ping would not give up easily. If it really did not work out, he could make other choices! From then on, Fang Ping became the palace bartender of the vampires. He would start work every afternoon until he got off work the next day when the sun came just to get an opportunity to see Kallen. However, more than a month passed in the blink of an eye. Fang Ping became very troubled. He had been diligently mixing wine here for a month and had almost seen all the big and small figures in the palace. However, he had never seen Kallen! Kallen seemed to have suddenly disappeared from this world and never appeared in front of him again. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Could it be that Kallen¡¯s hobbies are different from other vampires? Isn¡¯t she quite fond of drinking? She even drank a few glasses with me at the ball last time!¡± Fang Ping could not figure out what the problem was. At this rate, he would not have a chance to come into contact with Kallen at all. If he went to look for Kallen directly and frequently, it would seem as if he was deliberately trying to get close to her. It would easily backfire! If this continued, he really did not know when he would be able to obtain the key to the ancient secret realm! However, Fang Ping was helpless. He could only ask around for news about Kallen. A few days later, Fang Ping heard a piece of news from a well-informed person. ¡°What, Kallen has her own exclusive bartender? When did this happen? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡± Hearing Fang Ping¡¯s words, the other party said as if he was looking at a fool, ¡°Are you stupid? Everyone knows Princess Kallen¡¯s current status in the royal family. Many people think that Kallen might become the first empress of the vampires and might even become the first prince expert in thousands of years! ¡°Now, the various resources of the palace are biased towards Princess Kallen unconditionally. She can have whatever she wants. It¡¯s just an exclusive bartender. It¡¯s not a problem at all!¡± Fang Ping stood in front of the bar in a daze. He suddenly felt that the ancient ruins were actually so far away from him. However, as the saying went, things would work out eventually. Just as Fang Ping was about to completely give up on the ancient ruins, Kallen¡¯s figure appeared in the public bar in the palace for the first time. ¡°Heavens, is it really Princess Kallen? Doesn¡¯t she have her own exclusive bartender? Why is she still in such a place?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps she¡¯s tired of drinking from the same bartender and wants to change her taste!¡± ¡°Princess Kallen is really too beautiful. If I can marry a woman like her, I¡¯d rather cut my life short by ten years!¡± ¡°Wake up, stop dreaming. With Princess Kallen¡¯s current status, how many men in our entire vampire race are worthy of her?¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity that Count Leon was harmed. Otherwise, he should have a chance!¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t let the princess hear you. She doesn¡¯t seem to like Count Leon very much. Last time, she even publicly rejected Leon¡¯s invitation at the ball!¡± As soon as Kallen appeared, she immediately became the center of attention. Chapter 29 - Fathers Precious Token Chapter 29 Father¡¯s Precious Token Kallen quickly noticed Fang Ping, who was working, and was very surprised. ¡°Hey, why are you here too? Moreover, you¡¯re wearing the staff¡¯s clothes?¡± Fang Ping smiled and said. ¡°Because I¡¯m the bartender here? Beautiful Miss Kallen, do you want to try out my wine?¡± Of course, Kallen would not reject Fang Ping¡¯s suggestion. She immediately sat down at the bar. Fang Ping immediately began mixing drinks, displaying all his best skills. At this moment, Fang Ping suddenly noticed that Kallen seemed to be wearing a pendant around her neck. Moreover, this pendant seemed to be extremely similar to the pendant Manstein had drawn in the letter previously. It was very likely the key that could open the ancient ruins that Manstein had mentioned! He did not expect that the key was actually a pendant. Moreover, Kallen had it with her at all times! As Fang Ping mixed the wine, he thought about how to make Kallen hand the key to him willingly. He kept optimizing his mixing formula and made better wine to Kallen¡¯s satisfaction. ¡°Oh, your culinary skills are much better than most bartenders. My previous private bartender is simply incomparable to you!¡± Kallen drank a few glasses of wine in a row and praised sincerely. Fang Ping smiled and said, ¡°You flatter me. Actually, I don¡¯t know much.¡± Fang Ping¡¯s exquisite skills naturally obtained Kallen¡¯s recognition. Coupled with the fact that the two of them were friends, Kallen suddenly made an unexpected suggestion. ¡°Fang Ping, there¡¯s actually a reason why I came here to drink this time. I had a bartender previously, but I¡¯m already tired of the wine he makes. ¡°That¡¯s why you came here to find a new bartender. I see that you¡¯re also doing this job. Why don¡¯t you consider becoming my private bartender?¡± It was unknown if it was because of the alcohol or something else, but at this moment, Kallen¡¯s face was red and she smelled of alcohol when she spoke. In fact, the girl¡¯s thoughts were very complicated. In order to obtain the key, Fang Ping wanted to be closer to Kallen. On the other hand, Kallen had also been missing Fang Ping. Ever since she danced at the ball that time, Kallen had often thought of the dance that day after returning. There was also the talent Fang Ping had displayed. She believed that Fang Ping was different from the other guys. He was special. Sometimes, when she slept, Kallen would even dream of the scene of the dance floor that day and dance with Fang Ping again. This time, Kallen had also made this suggestion on a whim, wanting to take this opportunity to let Fang Ping spend more time with her. Although Fang Ping did not sense Kallen¡¯s intentions, he still agreed immediately. This was simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This way, he would have more time to communicate with Kallen in the future. He would also have more chances to obtain the ancient ruin key on Kallen. With Kallen¡¯s help, Fang Ping successfully changed his position. Although the private bartender from before was very unwilling, he could only become an ordinary royal bartender and take over Fang Ping¡¯s previous position. Life became calm again. Moreover, after Fang Ping became a private bartender, he had more freedom. Kallen would not force Fang Ping to do anything. Fang Ping did not even need to inform her. He could come to work whenever he wanted. On this day, when Kallen came to drink with Fang Ping, she suddenly saw the latter busying himself at the table with a mysterious expression. She immediately leaned over and asked curiously. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Fang Ping said mysteriously, ¡°I suddenly thought of a new formula yesterday that can produce better wine!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kallen was extremely surprised. ¡°Of course. If my prediction is not wrong, the wine made with this new formula will be at least ten times better than before! Moreover, it will be harder for you to get drunk!¡± Hearing this, Kallen was immediately excited. Like most vampires, she liked to drink. Moreover, because of the special physique of the vampires, it was already very difficult for them to get drunk. Many vampires would drink a lot at the gathering and would even drink until dawn before becoming drunk. ¡°Then quickly get this wine out. I want to be the first to taste it!¡± Kallen was already somewhat impatient. Little did she know that her anticipation was exactly what Fang Ping wanted. Fang Ping shook his head, appearing somewhat unwilling. ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯ve thought about the formula for this wine for a long time. This formula is very precious and can¡¯t be drunk casually.¡± ¡°Unless you exchange something equally precious with me¡­ If you do that, I¡¯ll make it for you!¡± Hearing this, Kallen immediately fell into deep thought. ¡°Then how about I give you some treasures? The kind that¡¯s helpful for cultivation. Or you can directly follow me to the warehouse to choose! ¡°You can have anything you want!¡± Fang Ping still shook his head. ¡°No, I have to choose for myself. Moreover, the things I want can¡¯t be found in the warehouse.¡± ¡°Then what do you want? Just say it. I¡¯ll give it to you, alright?¡± Fang Ping could not help but want to laugh. The young lady was easily hooked! Fang Ping suddenly put down the tool in his hand, his gaze landing on the pendant around Kallen¡¯s neck. ¡°I want this!¡± At the same time, Fang Ping pointed. Kallen was stunned at first, then she immediately understood what Fang Ping wanted. Initially, Fang Ping thought that this was just a necklace and that Kallen would not be too conflicted. Unexpectedly, Kallen actually shook her head hard and said with incomparable determination. ¡°No, this definitely won¡¯t do. You can have anything else you want, but not this!¡± Fang Ping was puzzled. ¡°Why? This looks like an ordinary necklace.¡± Kallen¡¯s voice suddenly became somewhat sad. ¡°This necklace is different. This is the only thing my father left for me.¡± ¡°Because I was too young at that time, my impression of my father has already become very blurry. ¡°However, the only thing I¡¯m absolutely sure of is that this necklace is the token my father left for me! ¡°So change it to something else. This definitely won¡¯t do!¡± Fang Ping was instantly shocked when he heard this. Kallen actually still remembered the origin of this necklace? However, this also explained why she kept this necklace close to her. With this reason, Fang Ping naturally would not force Kallen to give him the necklace. Moreover, he had even taken the initiative to express his willingness to treat Kallen to a drink with his new formula. After suddenly obtaining the wine, Kallen finally recovered from the sadness of mentioning her father. Fang Ping pretended that nothing had happened and continued to fulfill his duty. Chapter 30 - Roly Poly Is About to Evolve! Chapter 30 Roly Poly Is About to Evolve! The fact that he did not insist on asking for the key did not mean that Fang Ping had lost interest in the ancient ruins. He just did not want his selfish desires to hurt Kallen¡¯s feelings. Moreover, Kallen was the target of the investment system and had already brought huge benefits to Fang Ping. He was not the type of person to kick someone to the curb when they¡¯ve outlived their usefulness. Coupled with the fact that the two of them were still very good friends, Fang Ping finally gave up on this plan and found another opportunity to obtain the necklace key. Days passed, but Fang Ping still did not find the opportunity to obtain the key. However, at some point, when he was mixing drinks for Kallen, the investment system would jump out from time to time. A layer of white light covered Kallen¡¯s body. This represented the lowest level of investment potential! With the incident with the ancient ruins at Manstein previously, Fang Ping firmly believed in the investment system¡¯s judgment. Even if the other party could not be seen to have any investment potential in the short term, as long as he persisted, he would definitely obtain huge benefits. Every time Fang Ping finished mixing the drinks, as long as he completed the white investment mission, he would obtain a certain amount of system rewards. Sometimes, these rewards would contain some small treasures that were helpful for cultivation. Most of the time, it was experience points. Although it was not especially much, with Fang Ping¡¯s current strength, after absorbing these experience points, the increase in his strength was still very obvious. Just like that, a year of peace passed. Fang Ping and Kallen had long become good friends who told each other everything. Their relationship was probably above that of friends but below that of lovers. Although they had not taken it to the next level, both sides could clearly sense the other party¡¯s affection for each other. Even if they belonged to different races, Fang Ping¡¯s strength had also been constantly increasing during this period of time. A year later, he was already close to the peak of the Skeleton Lord! He was advancing to the next level. At this moment, the peaceful days finally ended. Ever since a duke expert of the vampires personally attacked and repelled the orcs¡¯ attack, both sides had stopped fighting for a while. The two sides returned to their own lines to recuperate, but they did not retreat. The war between the two countries had existed almost continuously thousands of years ago, so they had long formed a feud and would not stop fighting at all. Now, after a year of recuperation, the war had begun again! Moreover, the vampires had become more invested in this war! The main goal was to wash away the humiliation of his previous failure! They had been defeated more than 50 times in a row by the orcs. This was the most painful failure in the past 300 years. Therefore, the vampires had given up on internal competition this time and were united against the outside world! The vampire royal family was divided into a total of seven branches that jointly controlled the highest authority in the kingdom. Even though vampires and orcs fought all year round, these seven branches still had a lot of internal fighting, hoping that their branch would have more power. However, this time, the seven royal branches had joined forces for the first time and were about to form an extremely powerful alliance army to take revenge on the orcs! Just as the vampires gathered the alliance army and prepared to launch a revenge battle¡­ Fang Ping¡¯s demon beast friend, Roly Poly, had once again reached the edge of evolution. However, because Roly Poly¡¯s bloodline talent was relatively poor, the risk was extremely high if it wanted to completely evolve into a phoenix. It was even possible for it to die during its evolution. ¡°Roly Poly, do you have to do this? Actually, I don¡¯t have such high expectations of you. It¡¯s fine as long as you have the ability to protect yourself. ¡°I¡¯ll do the fighting.¡± After Fang Ping learned that Roly Poly was going to travel far to seek an evolutionary land, he could not bear to say it. ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± Roly Poly shook its little head hard and flapped its wings a few times. Fang Ping immediately understood what it meant. Roly Poly¡¯s conviction was incomparably firm as it rejected Fang Ping¡¯s suggestion. It did not want to drag Fang Ping down, nor did it want to only seek Fang Ping¡¯s protection at all times. It wanted to become a demon beast expert and fight alongside Fang Ping! Fang Ping rubbed Roly Poly¡¯s head in relief. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve already decided, I can only support you! ¡°However, no matter what, you have to prioritize your life. If you can¡¯t handle it, come back. No matter what you become, I won¡¯t despise you!¡± Hearing this, Roly Poly called out happily. A few minutes later, a fiery red figure quickly disappeared into the sky like a bolt of lightning. Because it was too fast, not many people in the city noticed Roly Poly¡¯s existence. Fang Ping stood in front of the window and looked in the direction Roly Poly left, praying silently for it. ¡°You have to return safely!¡± The vampire alliance army was being formed, and undercurrents began to surge in the Imperial City. Every day, a large number of soldiers were constantly patrolling the streets. Because the war was about to begin again, the atmosphere became extremely tense and even somewhat oppressive. On this day, Kallen came to drink with Fang Ping as usual. However, after seeing this little princess today, Fang Ping realized that the other party seemed to be in a bad mood. It was as if she was feeling depressed about something. Moreover, when Fang Ping asked Kallen what wine she wanted to drink, she still appeared to be unhappy and did not speak at all. Helpless, Fang Ping could only mix the drinks according to his previous understanding of Kallen. At the same time, he asked with great concern, ¡°Kallen, what¡¯s wrong with you today? You usually look quite happy when you come to drink with me. Why are you so unhappy today? ¡°Did you encounter something bad?¡± Hearing this question, Kallen did not know what to say. Moreover, her face seemed to be somewhat red, but she had clearly not drunk. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me if you want to take things too hard. I¡¯ll always be on your side.¡± Fang Ping said rather sincerely. At the same time, he placed a glass of freshly mixed wine on the table. Kallen finished the wine in one gulp and hesitated for a long time. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol that she revealed what she had been conflicted about. This was also the first time Kallen had truly revealed her thoughts to Fang Ping. Moreover, it was about the relationship between the two of them! ¡°Fang Ping, your current strength is already very powerful. Have you ever thought of finding some special methods to turn yourself into a creature of another race?¡± As soon as she said this, Fang Ping understood what Kallen meant. This girl clearly hoped that he could become a member of the vampire race. This way, there would no longer be a racial barrier between the two of them. However, Fang Ping did not know how to answer this question. finding some special methods to turn yourself into a creature of another race?¡± As soon as she said this, Fang Ping understood what Kallen meant. This girl clearly hoped that he could become a member of the vampire race. This way, there would no longer be a racial barrier between the two of them. However, Fang Ping did not know how to answer this question. He was not sure if he could become a vampire in the future, or at the very least, a human. After all, the appearance of humans was extremely similar to vampires. Chapter 31 - Kallen Confiding to Fang Ping, Im Willing to Wait for You Chapter 31 Kallen Confiding to Fang Ping, I¡¯m Willing to Wait for You Seeing that Fang Ping was silent, Kallen continued to tell him her thoughts unilaterally. It turned out that throughout the years of interaction, Kallen had long treated Fang Ping as her own kind and had completely ignored his identity as a skeleton. However, as their relationship gradually heated up, Kallen could still comfort herself in the beginning. As long as the two of them were still good friends, she was already very satisfied. However, now, Kallen could not keep lying to herself Their races were ultimately different. She hoped that Fang Ping could become a vampire or a human. This way, they could be together officially! In the past, Kallen had had similar emotional impulses many times, wanting to tell Fang Ping these thoughts in her heart. However, she had never been able to muster the courage until today. The wish she had held on for a long time finally turned into enough courage, prompting Kallen to come to Fang Ping. She also said everything in her heart. Although Kallen was relatively vague and did not directly express Fang Ping¡¯s liking and love, what she said was already basically a confession. ¡°Fang Ping, what should I do now? If possible, I¡¯m even willing to become a member of the Skeleton Race. ¡°But I know that¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s the same between us. ¡°Now, even if my status in the family has increased a lot compared to before, it¡¯s impossible for our relationship to be recognized by others. ¡°I really want¡­ I really want you to become a vampire too. It doesn¡¯t matter even if you¡¯re a weak human. ¡°Why were you born into the world as a member of the Skeleton Race?! Why can¡¯t you be a vampire?! ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. I just feel very painful now.¡± As she spoke, Kallen drank glass after glass of the fine wine Fang Ping had concocted for her and gradually became drunk. With the enhancement of this state, Kallen had long shed two lines of tears and could not help but sob softly. Fang Ping was clearly right in front of her, but there was a thick racial barrier between the two of them! Fang Ping¡¯s heart ached for Kallen¡¯s current state. Fang Ping was already very surprised that she could say so much today. Because in her impression, Kallen had never been a good person to express her feelings. In order to comfort Kallen, Fang Ping could only try his best to be tactful. However, he also ould not expose the fact that he had an investment system. ¡°Actually, I still have a chance of becoming a vampire in the future and escaping my identity as a skeleton.¡± As soon as he said this, Kallen immediately stopped crying. Her gaze instantly locked onto Fang Ping. ¡°Are you serious? Do you really have a way to become a vampire?¡± Fang Ping nodded. ¡°Yes, but it might still take a long time to achieve this goal. Moreover, my strength is not enough to support me in changing my race. ¡°Perhaps when I become stronger in the future, coupled with some strange methods that will always exist in this world, I can really become a member of the vampire race!¡± Then, Fang Ping tried his best to provide examples to prove to Kallen that he had the potential to transform into a human. Finally, Kallen returned to her usual appearance and no longer dwelled on the problem of the Skeleton Race and the Vampire Race. Kallen was finally relieved. She was willing to give Fang Ping enough time to wait for that day to arrive! Perhaps at that time, their relationship would really break through the last barrier and they will be together. At the same time, in Marquis Jed¡¯s castle. Although his son had already died for more than a year, he had not given up investigating the truth of his son¡¯s death. Today, he had found his second son, Jerry, hoping that Jerry could replace the investigators who had already disappointed him. He continued to investigate the real reason for the death of Jerry¡¯s brother, his eldest son, Leon. Jerry was overjoyed when he was informed to take over this matter. In the past, Jerry¡¯s brother was just too dazzling and overshadowed Jerry. After all, Leon had become a count at a young age. Moreover, Jerry was a second son and had never been valued in the family. Even Jed rarely cared about him, causing Jerry to always feel like an outsider. Although he was a direct descendant of the family, no one thought highly of him. Everyone thought that Leon was the future heir of the family. Therefore, Jerry quickly rushed to his father¡¯s castle this time, hoping to obtain his father¡¯s attention through this matter and obtain the qualifications to become the inheritor of the family. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to investigate the cause of Brother¡¯s death! ¡°Brother has always been my role model. His death also made me feel extremely painful. Therefore, no matter what, I¡¯ll investigate everything thoroughly! ¡°Not only for you, but also to give the family an explanation.¡± Facing his second son, who was full of fighting spirit, Jed smiled in relief. Although he had lost his eldest son, his second son, Jerry, was at least satisfactory and comforting. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll order the family to support your investigation. Just do as you please. ¡°If you can successfully complete this mission in the end, I¡¯ll speak up for you in front of the ancestor.¡± This last sentence was all Jerry needed to hear! Jerry immediately received the order and left to investigate the cause of his brother¡¯s death. After flipping through the investigation records of the past year, Jerry took another path. Instead of investigating the identity of the people attending the ball, he chose another method. Jerry knew a demon beast that was very sensitive to magic power. Just like how dogs could smell, this demon beast could record very thin magic characteristics and track the whereabouts of this magic power. However, such a demon beast did not exist in the Vampire Kingdom, so the previous investigators had never thought of using this method. However, Jerry had always been a peripheral figure in the family. He did not inherit the family¡¯s missions and responsibilities and had always traveled around. After going to many places, he immediately thought of this demon beast when he received the mission. He immediately sent someone to the nearby countries to buy this demon beast. A few days later, the demon beast was sent to the castle. ¡°Lord Jerry, is this the demon beast you want? ¡°Can this beast really remember the scent of magic like a dog?¡± One of Jerry¡¯s trusted aides, Dale, did not believe in the ability of this demon beast. Jerry smiled confidently and said, ¡°Haha, underestimate it! ¡°In the country I¡¯ve been to, this kind of don¡¯t demon beast is the best tool to investigate murder cases. With it, the murderer of my brother will definitely have nowhere to hide! ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll set off and investigate the scene!¡± Chapter 32 - Clues to Leons Death Chapter 32 Clues to Leon¡¯s Death Before long, Jerry and his subordinates arrived at the venue of the ball with the demon beasts. Because of Leon¡¯s noble status, this murder case was especially important. Therefore, ever since the ball ended that day, no one had touched this place. It had always been in the same state since that night. Even the crime scene was not cleaned up. Many traces of blood at the scene were even preserved. ¡°Go and find the magic aura that doesn¡¯t belong to my brother!¡± Jerry ordered the demon beast to investigate. Before long, the demon beast stopped beside the bed. Jerry understood that it meant that he had found a clue. Through the special mental communication method, Jerry quickly understood the meaning of the demon beast. This demon beast had indeed lived up to Jerry¡¯s expectations and had already found the demon aura of the murderer. Moreover, although more than a year had passed, because this place had always been perfectly preserved, all the traces left behind by the murderer were still there. Although these traces were extremely hidden, they were all exposed in front of such a demon beast. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see where this murderer went in the end!¡± Then, everyone immediately set off. With the demon beast scouting in front, Jerry brought his men and followed behind. After a few hours, the outline of a city finally appeared in front of everyone. The moment he saw this city, Jerry was stunned. ¡°Why here? Marquis Carl¡¯s territory?¡± Marquis Carl was Kallen¡¯s father and was also the current head of a royal family. This city was the hereditary territory of the Kallen family for generations. Every branch of the seven royal families had a large territory. Moreover, the resources produced by the territory could support a large number of experts. This was also the reason why these seven royal bloodlines could last forever! ¡°Lord Jerry, the clues have stopped here. Moreover, it¡¯s impossible for us to bring this demon beast into this city. What should we do now? ¡°However, if we stop here, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t confirm that the murderer who killed Lord Leon is really hiding in this city!¡± Dale frowned and said. Unexpectedly, Jerry suddenly sneered and said in an affirmative tone. ¡°Hehe, we only have this clue now, but this clue points to Marquis Carl¡¯s territory. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any other way to investigate the truth if we give up on this clue?¡± Dale was silent. He knew what Jerry had said was true. Jerry continued, ¡°In my opinion, there¡¯s at least a 95% chance that the person who killed my brother is someone in this city. It¡¯s even very likely that he¡¯s a member of Marquis Carl¡¯s family!¡± Dale was immediately shocked. He hurriedly reminded, ¡°Lord Jerry, Marquis Carl is the head of a branch of the royal family. Aren¡¯t you a littlea€|¡¯ ¡°What? So what if I directly say that he¡¯s the murderer? Someone has to pay the price for my brother¡¯s death. I have to answer to my father! ¡°Only in this way can I prove myself and have the possibility of becoming the inheritor for the family! ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that the seven branches of the royal family have their own thoughts. If not for the fact that the kingdom lost to the orcs last time, it would be impossible for them to form an alliance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, how could I not know my father¡¯s thoughts? He said he wants an investigation but he only just wants to find a scapegoat to atone for his crimes to our family!¡± Dale thought for a moment and said. ¡°Then what should we do now? Leave the demon beast outside and enter the city to search for the murderer? ¡°We still brought quite a lot of people. Even if we¡¯re stopped by the guards at the city gate, it¡¯s impossible for them to stop us.¡± Hearing this, Jerry immediately rejected his subordinate¡¯s suggestion. He shook his head and said, ¡°No, no matter what, this is Marquis Carl¡¯s territory. ¡°I¡¯m only a count. If I bump into Marquis Carl, I¡¯ll probably have to bear the consequences. ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how my brother died. Without absolute confidence, I won¡¯t risk my life. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve investigated enough. Let¡¯s go back and think about it at length. ¡°Father has already clearly told me that the ancestor is also willing to personally take action for this matter. With such a powerful backup, why not make use of it?¡± At this moment, Fang Ping still did not know that Marquis Jed had not given up on investigating the murder of his son. Moreover, his second son, Jerry, had even found a portion of the clues! Now, Fang Ping¡¯s strength had advanced again, and he had already reached the half-step Skeleton King level! As long as he broke through again and took this step forward, Fang Ping¡¯s strength would be comparable to a duke expert of the vampire race! In this era where there were no princes, the strength of a duke was already the top strength in this world! What made Fang Ping excited was the pair of wings he had obtained through the investment system previously. It actually evolved as his strength kept breaking through! It was as if these wings really belonged to his original body. The higher his strength, the more outstanding the ability of the wings! This was undoubtedly an encouragement for Fang Ping. He could not wait to obtain a stronger flying ability. a€| Three days later, one morning, Fang Ping had just bade farewell to Kallen and was about to go home to rest when he suddenly realized that he seemed to have taken the wrong path. He walked onto a path he had never been on before and did not know where this path led. When Fang Ping realized this, he no longer knew where he was in the palace. The palace buildings of the Vampire Imperial City were very complicated. Moreover, after thousands of years of continuous modification and expansion, the interior was like a maze. Even an old fellow who had lived here for hundreds of years might not be able to remember the places every path led to. It was even more impossible for Fang Ping. Because there were many places in the palace that the staff could not enter, Fang Ping immediately wanted to find a familiar path to leave after realizing that he had taken the wrong path. However, after a while, Fang Ping realized that he seemed to be walking further and further away. He had completely fallen into the huge maze of the palace. Although Fang Ping could now begin to control spatial ability and perform spatial teleportation for a certain distance, there were too many people in the palace. Fang Ping was worried that if he was teleported to a place with people and was seen, his strength would be completely exposed. Therefore, Fang Ping did not dare to use his spatial ability. He could only constantly explore to try to find the right path. After a while, Fang Ping suddenly felt the surrounding air become moist. Not only did he not walk out of the palace, but he also seemed to have walked into an underground palace. At this moment, he did not know what shocking secret was hidden in this underground palace! Chapter 33 - Fallen Duke, Ancestor of the Kallen Family Chapter 33 Fallen Duke, Ancestor of the Kallen Family Out of curiosity, Fang Ping entered this underground palace. He had already worked here for a long time, but he had never heard of there being such a huge underground palace hidden under the palace. What was this place used for? In order to avoid being discovered, Fang Ping deliberately walked very slowly. At the same time, he tried his best to keep his footsteps light. The light here was very dim. Only the candlelight burning on the wall could provide some light. Although Fang Ping was already very careful, when he reached the depths of the underground palace, his footsteps still stopped. Fang Ping suddenly sensed that a pair of in the depths of the underground palace seemed to have discovered his intrusion. eyes Although he had yet to determine where Fang Ping was, there was no doubt that these eyes should belong to the guardian of this underground palace. Soon, heavy footsteps sounded from afar. At this moment, there was only one path for Fang Ping to take. If he walked slowly, he would be caught. If he walked quickly, his footsteps would also attract the other party¡¯s attention. At this moment, Fang Ping¡¯s gaze landed behind an iron door at the side. This iron door was completely sealed, and he could not see what was hidden behind it. Fang Ping gritted his teeth and finally made a decision. This was the first time he had used his spatial ability. In the next moment, Fang Ping¡¯s figure disappeared from his spot. A few seconds later, an old figure appeared where Fang Ping had been standing. His turbid eyes looked around but did not discover anyone. ¡°Did I see wrongly?¡± The old man muttered to himself before turning to leave. At the same time, Fang Ping finally heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that this underground palace should be a very important place and people were not allowed to casually enter. Moreover, it was very likely that the secret of the vampires was hidden here, so it was impossible for ordinary people to know the existence of this underground palace. Just as Fang Ping relaxed a little and was about to go out, he suddenly noticed a huge black body beside him. The existence of this body shocked Fang Ping. Moreover, there were six huge wings on this body! Fang Ping tried to touch this body, but he did not receive any feedback. ¡°A corpse?¡± Fang Ping said in confusion. He snapped his fingers, and a cluster of flames appeared on Fang Ping¡¯s fingertips. After a while, Fang Ping released many flames to various places in this secret room, illuminating the room. Only then did Fang Ping see the full appearance of the corpse he had just touched. He immediately gasped. A huge body that Fang Ping had never seen before was lying in the middle of the secret room, although this corpse had been dead for an unknown period of time. However, Fang Ping could still sense the strength of the deceased from this corpse! ¡°Duke expert?¡± Now that Fang Ping¡¯s level was at the peak of the Skeleton Lord, his strength was probably equivalent to a marquis expert. Only after Fang Ping advanced to the Skeleton King level could he be considered to have the strength of a duke. However, the strength of different dukes still varied a lot. Many powerful senior dukes could even defeat ten ordinary dukes alone. The dead vampire duke in this secret room clearly belonged to the former! Moreover, Fang Ping guessed that the other party¡¯s strength had probably already reached the peak of the duke level when he was alive! As long as he took another step forward, he would be able to obtain the peak strength of this world, the prince level! ¡°But why did he die? Although the lifespan of a duke is also limited, it¡¯s not a problem for him to live for more than ten thousand years. Did he die of old age or did he die for some other reason?¡± Fang Ping was very curious about this. No wonder this underground palace was so mysterious. It actually hid such a huge secret. It seemed that this was the place where some vampire experts stayed when they went into seclusion. Fang Ping walked around the secret room twice, wanting to find some clues about the duke¡¯s corpse on the ground. After a while, he finally gained something. He saw a few dense lines of words on a wall that seemed to have been scraped out with his nails. There were about a hundred words that recorded the last thoughts of this duke expert before he died. ¡°I¡¯m Castellan, the duke of the vampire royal family! ¡°I originally thought that with my talent, it would be easy for me to reach the prince level. Who would have thought that the gap between a duke and a prince is something that ordinary people can cross? ¡°I¡¯m unwilling to die here in the end. I¡¯m unwilling!¡± As he wrote, the duke¡¯s words became more and more messy, as if they contained the madness before his death and the resistance to fate. According to the information Fang Ping had learned, vampires often faced the risk of failure when breaking through. Moreover, once they failed, the stronger the vampire, the more likely it was for them to suffer a threat to their lives! In particular, if a marquis wanted to advance to the duke level, the death rate would be as high as 80%! As for the death rate after a duke advanced to a prince, it was very likely to be infinitely close to 100%! Therefore, this line of words should have been engraved by this Duke Castellan before he failed to advance. Unfortunately, Castellan seemed to have been dead for a long time, and no one in the vampire race had ever discovered that he was dead! After all, it was not surprising for many vampire experts to enter seclusion for hundreds or even thousands of years. After reading the few lines on the wall, Fang Ping also learned about something else. That was, this Duke Castellan was actually the ancestor of Kallen! The royal family had a total of seven branches, and each branch had an ancestor¡­ ¡°In that case, Kallen and her family probably don¡¯t know that their ancestor has already died, right?¡± Fang Ping immediately realized how important this matter was! The ancestors of every royal branch were the stabilizing force of the entire family and were also the strongest combat strength. It was precisely because the seven royal branches had an ancestor that their strength was similar and kept each other in check. Therefore, for thousands of years, there had always been intense competition among the seven branches. There would even be occasional bloodshed. However, these conflicts had never escalated into civil war, nor had any branch of the royal family been destroyed by other families. However, if the ancestor of a certain family died, it would be hard to say! ¡°This news must be kept a secret. No one can know!¡± ¡°Otherwise, Kallen¡¯s current status might be completely stripped!¡± Fang Ping made a decision in his heart. Since he had accidentally entered this underground palace today, he would pretend that this had never happened. Just as Fang Ping was about to leave the underground palace and find a way to return to the ground¡­ A purple light actually enveloped Duke Castellan¡¯s corpse. Ding¡­ This is a reminder that Master has encountered a purple investment potential target. Master, please decide if you want to invest in it!¡¯ Chapter 34 - Nine-Star Defensive Demon Weapon! Absolute Chapter 34 Nine-Star Defensive Demon Weapon! Absolute Defense! ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with this investment system? The other party is already dead, but I can still invest? This is too ridiculous!¡± This was the first time Fang Ping had encountered a situation where he could invest in a dead person. What did this mean? Could it be that this dead person could still come back to life after he invested? How was that possible? ¡°Or does this mean that I¡¯m not actually investing in Castella? Instead, I¡¯m investing in the entire family behind him? ¡°That seems to be the only reasonable explanation.¡± At this moment, Fang Ping was stunned. He could not figure out the logic behind the investment system¡¯s choice of investment targets at all. However, although he was puzzled by this, the opportunity was right in front of him. Of course, Fang Ping would not reject such a system reward. ¡°Investment mission, bury Duke Castellan.¡± This mission was simply too simple! Fang Ping had walked around the secret room a few times just now and had already confirmed that the secret room¡¯s location should be the lowest level of the underground palace. Therefore, there were no other floors below. He could completely dig a huge pit and buried Castellan. Fang Ping pushed Castellan¡¯s corpse to one side of the secret room and began digging on the other side. After a while, the sweating Fang Ping finally stopped what he was doing. A huge pit several meters deep and dozens of square meters wide had already appeared in the secret room. Then, he pushed Castellan¡¯s corpse in and buried the soil back. Fang Ping still admired this duke expert who had failed to break through and died. After all, it was already very courageous for him to bear the death of a failed breakthrough. Thinking from another perspective, if he were to reach this height one day¡­ Would he really choose to break through without absolute confidence? There was a high chance that he would still maintain his current level and only break through after having absolute confidence in the future, right? ¡°Rest in peace. Your family has now given birth to a new genius. Sooner or later, she will inherit your mantle!¡± Fang Ping put his palms together and said a few prayers for Duke Castellan. Then, the system reward was triggered. Ding¡­ congratulations on completing this purple investment mission. The reward for this mission is a nine-star defensive demon artifact! And a large amount of experience points! ¡°The reward has been distributed to Master¡¯s system storage space. You can receive it at any time!¡± After the system finished speaking, Fang Ping instantly wondered if he had heard wrongly. A nine-star defensive demon artifact? Nine stars? This was the highest level demon artifact in the world! He had only dug a hole and obtained such a good thing? At this moment, Fang Ping felt as if he was dreaming. That was a nine-star demon artifact! Although it was not an attack demon artifact and he was a little disappointed, getting a defensive equipment was definitely not a loss! With his current strength, if he put on this equipment, he could probably even fight a duke! Even if he could not defeat the other party, would be very difficult for the other party to kill him! Overjoyed, Fang Ping immediately left the secret room. Moreover, in order to prevent himself from it being discovered by the guardian of the underground palace again, Fang Ping took the risk and used his spatial ability to teleport directly, leaving the underground palace. This time, his luck was better and he was not teleported to a place with people. Then, Fang Ping left the palace as if no one was around and quickly returned to the house he had bought in the Imperial City. He could not wait to take out the system reward and admire it. After returning home, Fang Ping immediately gave the system an order. ¡°Take out the nine-star defensive demon artifact.¡± With a flash of light, a silver-white necklace appeared in Fang Ping¡¯s hand. Seeing this necklace, Fang Ping was stunned for a moment, thinking that he had seen wrongly. ¡°System, could it be that you took the wrong thing? Is this necklace the nine-star defensive demon artifact you mentioned?¡± After hearing Fang Ping¡¯s question, the system immediately responded. ¡°Yes, Master. You only need to wear this necklace around your neck. Once the enemy¡¯s attack exceeds the limit of your body, the necklace will be automatically triggered to help you resist this attack¡± ¡°Moreover, if you take the initiative to inject strength into the necklace, you can also directly activate the protective function of the necklace and defend yourself! ¡°This necklace has absolute defense. Any attack can be blocked, but there¡¯s a limit to how many times it can be used. Its absolute defense can only be used once! ¡°After using up the number of times, the necklace will lose this ability, but it will still have a normal defensive function! The system introduction ended. Absolute defense? Did it mean that he could block any attack? As expected of a nine-star demon artifact! Unfortunately, he could only use this function once. However, even if he lost this function, this demon artifact was at least at the seven-star level! After obtaining such a treasure, Fang Ping¡¯s mood instantly improved. Then, he extracted all the experience points rewarded by the system and began to absorb them to increase his strength. A month quickly passed since his last trip to the underground palace. His peaceful life was also completely broken at this moment! A few months ago, the vampires had already been preparing for the allied army to launch a new war to take revenge on the orcs. Today, the alliance army was finally formed! Countless vampires joined the alliance army and headed to the front line. This was already the strongest strength the Vampire Kingdom could bring out now! Moreover, other than ordinary experts, the strongest power of this alliance was none other than the four dukes! The seven royal branches had a total of seven dukes. This time, in order to take revenge on the orcs, they had directly mobilized four of them! This was something that had never happened in the past thousand years! After Fang Ping learned that the army had already set off for the front line, he immediately decided to follow this army to the front line! Fang Ping would not join the vampire army. The reason why he did this was mainly to try his luck on the battlefield! The battlefield was a life-and-death environment that was very cruel. It was naturally easier to trigger the mission of the investment system! Ever since he saw Duke Castellan¡¯s corpse in the underground palace last time, Fang Ping had a deeper feeling of the difference between him and the top experts. He urgently wanted to break through to the Skeleton King level. Only then could he be considered to have the most powerful strength in the world. Only then would he be able to protect himself when he encountered danger in the future. Although the battlefield was dangerous and cruel, there were also opportunities. Fang Ping was willing to give it a try. If he could encounter red level investment potential on the battlefield, he might be able to break through to the Skeleton King level as soon as possible! It was very risky, but the benefits were enough for Fang Ping to take the risk! Chapter 35 - Carls Worry, War Outbreak Chapter 35 Carl¡¯s Worry, War Outbreak The vampire alliance army was heading to the front line. On the way, two men were chatting in a luxurious carriage. One of the older men seemed somewhat worried. He seemed to be worried about something. His name was Carl. He was Kallen¡¯s father and the head of the Castellan family. The other man was his brother, Carter. He looked at his brother in confusion, not knowing what Carl was worried about. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong with you? You seemed to be in a bad mood when we set off. Are you worried about the outcome of this war? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We mobilized four dukes at once. With the strength of the orcs, they¡¯re not our match at all. ¡°This time, we will definitely be able to wash away the humiliation from last time and completely take revenge on the orcs! ¡°We¡¯ll take back all the land we lost!¡± Carter comforted. However, when he heard this, Carl shook his head. ¡°Of course I know that we can win. I¡¯ve never doubted that.¡± ¡°Then what exactly¡­¡± Before Carter could finish, Carl continued. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the ancestor!¡± ¡°Ancestor?¡± Carter became even more puzzled. ¡°So what? Isn¡¯t he unable to go to the front line because of his closed-door cultivation? This is nothing, right? In any case, four dukes are enough!¡± Carl shook his head and seemed very worried. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve never told anyone. Do you know? More than a month ago, I went to the place where our ancestor was in seclusion to invite him out and personally lead the army to fight the orcs. ¡°However, no matter what method I used, I did not receive any response from the ancestor. Even if he wanted to reject my request, why didn¡¯t the ancestor say anything? ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on with the ancestor¡­¡± Hearing this, Carter also fell into deep thought. ¡°Then Brother, do you mean that it¡¯s very likely that the ancestor has already¡­ No way, how could such a thing happen?! The ancestor is a peak Duke expert¡­¡± At this point, Carl immediately stopped his brother¡¯s guess. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know about this. Let¡¯s stop talking about it. You know what the ancestor means to our family. Be careful of others eavesdropping! ¡°You can leave first. I still have to consider this matter carefully. It¡¯s time to consider the future of our family!¡± With that said, Carl got his brother to leave immediately. As soon as Carter walked out of Carl¡¯s carriage, his eyes quickly turned cold. Moreover, the respect he had for Carl in the car just now was completely gone. There was even some disdain! ¡°Hehe, idiot, you only realized that something might have happened to our ancestor now? ¡°It was really the stupidest decision of the ancestor back then to let you become the family head!¡± Three days later, the allied army of the vampires finally arrived at the front line. This was originally the territory of the vampires, but the orcs had fought their way in after their previous failure. This hinterland had instead become the frontline of the war. The orcs had clearly long learned of the news of the vampire alliance, so they had long prepared the overall situation. The two sides spread out their formation on the vast plains between the cities and fell into a confrontation! They did this so that they wouldn¡¯t alert the enemy. It was also to preserve the highest combat strength of the vampires. Therefore, at the beginning of the war, the vampires did not directly send four duke experts to participate. If these four experts joined the battle as soon as they arrived, the orcs probably would not have collided head-on with the vampires at all and would have directly retreated. Only by luring the orc army out first and sending four duke experts to attack the enemy could they cause the greatest casualties to the orc army! The war finally began. Orc soldiers and countless vampire warriors rushed towards each other. The two sides entangled on the vast plain and kept causing casualties to the other party with the weapons in their hands. ¡°Charge, for the glory of the vampires!¡± ¡°Take back the land that belongs to us!¡± ¡°Let those stupid low level orcs taste our power!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± The vampire general roared and instantly stabbed the sword in his hand into the body of an orc. Blood spewed out, giving this general a stronger fighting spirit. The orc warriors were not afraid at all. They had already obtained victory in the previous war, so their morale was even stronger than the vampires! Every orc soldier believed that they could still obtain victory in today¡¯s battle! They believed that it would all go as planned! As the war gradually progressed, the casualties of both sides quickly increased. War was like a meat grinder. No matter how many soldiers were thrown in, war could swallow them and suck the lives of these soldiers away. The leader of the orcs was a Tauren chieftain whose strength was equivalent to a duke expert of the vampire race. At first, this Tauren chieftain thought that this battle would be the same as the last time. It would be a one-sided massacre and a crushing victory. However, as the battle gradually progressed, he suddenly discovered that the fighting spirit of the vampires today was abnormally high. It was as if they did not know what death was at all and were slashing crazily on the battlefield. Many vampire soldiers would even rather lose their lives just to take the life of an orc soldier. This combat style that was not afraid of death made the orcs suffer a huge loss. Moreover, the orcs had always had fewer people than the vampires, causing the orcs to be unable to withstand such unlimited casualties. At this moment, the number of deaths of the orc army had already exceeded this Tauren chieftain¡¯s expectations before the battle. He could not allow his people to continue to be sacrificed like this. ¡°Roar, bastards of the vampire race, let me end your lives!¡± The Tauren chieftain roared and directly joined the battle on the plain. Because he was the strongest person here, he could make a difference. After all, in this world, the higher one¡¯s strength and level, the higher their combat strength compared to people with weaker levels. Therefore, as soon as this orc chieftain joined the battle, the scales of victory immediately began to tilt towards the orcs. Even though the marquis experts in the vampire army quickly reacted and gathered their strength to fight the orc chieftain, they were still suppressed until they could not breathe. The combat strength of the orc chieftain was really too terrifying. If this continued, the vampires would probably suffer defeat again today. However, at this moment, four terrifying pressures suddenly appeared behind the vampire army. The four dukes had appeared! Chapter 36 - Black Mission, Saving the Tauren Elder! Chapter 36 Black Mission, Saving the Tauren Elder! ¡°Haha, a small orc dares to offend the dignity of our vampire race? Ridiculous!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in seclusion for thousands of years and have never personally taken action. Looks like you orcs have already forgotten about me!¡± ¡°How dare you offend my vampire race? There¡¯s only one outcome: death!¡± The four dukes attacked at the same time, emitting a pressure that caused the world to change color. Just now, the sky was clear. Every vampire soldier had to wear a cloak to prevent the sunlight from coming into contact with them to fight. However, the four dukes only waved their hands, and large dark clouds instantly completely blocked the sunlight. It made the world dark. The combat strength of every vampire soldier in this environment increased! They no longer needed to wear cloaks to restrict their movements and could put all their combat strength into the battle! ¡°Four dukes?¡± The big minotaur chieftain immediately widened his eyes and looked at the four powerful figures in the distance in disbelief. The reason why he dared to bring the orc army to attack the territory of the vampires was because he knew that the vampires had never been truly united. In the past, at most one or two dukes of the vampire race would participate in the front line battle. The remaining dukes had to guard the rear to prevent other families from taking advantage of the situation to launch a sneak attack. Therefore, on the frontline battlefield, the vampires and the orcs fought back and forth. However, in fact, if the vampires were really united, the strength of the orcs was far inferior to the vampires. A duke raised his right hand and pointed at the sky. Black and purple lightning instantly descended from the sky. Every lightning that landed on the ground would take the lives of hundreds of orc soldiers. In just a few seconds, the orcs had already lost tens of thousands of soldiers. The other three duke experts also began to use their various divine powers. Every one of them would cause huge losses to the orc army! With just the four of them, they had suppressed the entire orc army, not giving them any room to breathe. At this moment, the Tauren chieftain had already realized that today¡¯s battle was completely a trap set by the vampires! They first showed weakness to lure him into taking the initiative to attack with the army. Then, the four duke experts would harvest the battlefield! The Tauren chieftain¡¯s eyes gradually filled with a bright red color. He looked at the people who had died under the dukes and his breathing became rapid. The horn sounded, but this time, the horn meant for everyone to retreat! There was no way to continue this battle. That would only increase the casualties! Only by preserving enough vital strength could he make a comeback one day and successfully take revenge. However, the four duke experts of the vampires were clearly unwilling to let go of a good opportunity to slaughter the orc army. Even though the orcs had already begun to retreat, the vampires still chased after them and caused huge casualties to the orcs. Under such circumstances, even though the other party had a total of four duke experts, the Tauren chieftain still took the initiative to stand up and fight four people alone. ¡°Let my people go. If you want to fight, I¡¯ll accompany you!¡± The Tauren chieftain held a huge axe. This was an eight-star demon artifact. Its power was extremely terrifying and could open mountains with a single slash! Looking at the Tauren chieftain in front of them, the four dukes revealed disdain. The four of them attacked at the same time. The strength of the Tauren chieftain was equivalent to a duke expert of the vampire race. At this moment, he instantly fell into an absolute disadvantage against four and resisted the opponent¡¯s attack with great difficulty. In just a few rounds, a large number of injuries appeared on the Tauren chieftain¡¯s body. He had even suffered internal injuries. Under such circumstances, he could not find any chance to turn the tables. However, at this moment, the orc army had yet to retreat to a safe area. The Tauren chieftain could not retreat at all. If he retreated, the attacks of the four vampire dukes would all land on the army. No matter what, he had to grit his teeth and persevere, giving his people time to retreat! Just as the orc army was defeated and the Tauren chieftain was fighting four dukes alone, Fang Ping was observing the battle situation in the distance from a small mountain a few kilometers away from the battlefield. As the terrain here was relatively high, Fang Ping could be said to have seen the entire battle just now. This was the first time Fang Ping had seen. such a huge-scale war. Moreover, this was also the first time he had seen a duke level expert since coming to this world! That terrifying pressure that was like the might of the heavens made Fang Ping feel very small, as if he was an ant. If he had encountered these four dukes and fought them, even with this nine-star demon artifact, he might lose his life if he was not careful! This was the absolute difference in strength between a marquis and a duke. It was not something a nine-star demon artifact could make up for! Fang Ping had been hiding not far from the battlefield the entire time, his gaze constantly sweeping across various places on the battlefield. He hoped that the system light would light up when a soldier or officer was in danger. However, the system notification had not appeared even once, making Fang Ping slightly disappointed. Could it be that his judgment was wrong? Was the investment system really random? Fang Ping could not help but wonder if his choice in the beginning was right. At this moment, the Tauren chieftain was already completely at a disadvantage and seemed to be fatally injured at any moment. The combined combat strength of the four dukes was really too powerful. It was not something he could resist alone! The Tauren chieftain might face the risk of dying in battle if he continued fighting. At this moment, a pitch-black light suddenly enveloped the Ox chieftain. Fang Ping discovered the existence of this light immediately. It was impossible for him not to notice it. This was because the Tauren chieftain was extremely huge and was fighting the four dukes in the sky. Black Investment Light! Level four investment potential! This was already the second highest level of investment potential given by the system! Without a doubt, as long as he could complete the investment mission, he would definitely be able to obtain a lot of benefits from the mission reward! The purple investment last time had already given him a nine-star demon artifact. What was the reward this time? Ding¡­ reminds Master that a level four investment potential target has appeared in front of you. Master, please choose whether to complete this investment mission. ¡°Help the Ox chieftain survive!¡± As soon as the system finished speaking, Fang Ping¡¯s figure had already disappeared from his spot. Although this mission was somewhat difficult, Fang Ping would not let go of this good opportunity no matter what. Moreover, at this moment, he had a nine-star defensive demon artifact! It happened to be useful in this mission! Chapter 37 - The First Display of Power of a Nine-Star Demon Weapon Chapter 37 The First Display of Power of a Nine-Star Demon Weapon As the Great Tauren chieftain was already in a very dangerous situation, Fang Ping did not have much time left. Facing the pursuit of the four dukes, the Tauren chieftain was in a sorry state, and the injuries on his body were quickly increasing. In at most five minutes, he would completely collapse and welcome death. Therefore, Fang Ping decided to risk being discovered by the four dukes. He wanted to approach the minotaur chieftain as quickly as possible. However, of course, Fang Ping would not rush forward in a daze. Instead, he first used the Soul Devouring Spell to interfere with the four Dukes before quietly sneaking to the chieftain¡¯s side. Fang Ping only needed to complete one thing to save the chieftain¡¯s life, and that was to deliver his nine-star demon artifact into the other party¡¯s hands! With the powerful defense provided by the nine-star demon artifact and the Absolute Defense skill, it was not especially difficult for the Tauren chieftain to escape unscathed. ¡°Soul Devouring Spell!¡± The four dukes who were chasing after the Tauren chieftain suddenly felt a strange energy envelop their bodies. Then, they suddenly discovered that they were actually unable to effectively control their bodies, as if their souls and bodies had separated. If someone weaker than Fang Ping were to withstand the Soul Devouring Spell, their soul would probably have already been pulled out. However, these four dukes were much stronger than Fang Ping. Moreover, their mentality was also stronger. The effect of Fang Ping¡¯s Soul Devouring Spell was very limited, but it was already enough for Fang Ping¡¯s expected goal and was able to interfere with the pursuit of the four Dukes. The Tauren chieftain was somewhat puzzled by this. They were about to catch up, so why did the four of them suddenly stop? However, he did not think too much and continued to escape into the distance as quickly as possible. As long as he could return to the position that the orc army had long prepared, even a duke expert would definitely not dare to take the risk. Although the duke had the strongest strength in the world, he was definitely not invincible. Once they fell into the enemy formation and faced the siege of countless enemies, there was also a possibility that the duke experts would exhaust their strength and die. Just as the Tauren chieftain continued to escape, a spatial energy fluctuation suddenly appeared beside him. Then, he saw a skeleton arrive in front of him. The Tauren chieftain instinctively wanted to defend, but he heard Fang Ping¡¯s voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I¡¯m here to help you. I was the one who helped you interfere with the four of them and bought you time. ¡°This necklace is a nine-star demon artifact and it has a chance to give you absolute defense. When triggered, even a prince can¡¯t break the defense of the necklace. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll give you this necklace for the time being. It should be enough to protect you when you return to the territory of the orcs.¡± Hearing this, the Tauren chieftain asked in confusion. ¡°Who are you? Why are you helping me like this?¡± ¡°This is a nine-star demon artifact!¡± Fang Ping smiled. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many reasons. I just happened to pass by and didn¡¯t want to see a leader who was willing to sacrifice himself for his people to die like this. ¡°I can¡¯t delay the four dukes for much longer. If you want to live, don¡¯t waste any more time and quickly return to the orc territory. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again then!¡± After saying all this, Fang Ping activated his spatial ability again and used spatial teleportation to instantly leave the Tauren chieftain¡¯s side. At this moment, Fang Ping¡¯s Soul Devouring Spell was also completely exhausted. The four dukes regained control of their bodies. They were furious and thought that all of this was a trick of the Tauren chieftain. They became even more irritable and rushed forward to continue chasing after the Tauren chieftain. They swore to kill him here! However, the current Tauren chieftain already had the nine-star demon artifact Fang Ping had given him. Although he could not resist the four Dukes, relying on this demon artifact¡¯s powerful defense, he still blocked the enemy¡¯s attacks time and time again. Other than consuming too much strength, he was not fatally injured. Finally, the Tauren chieftain, who had narrowly escaped death, finally retreated into the army¡¯s line. At this moment, the orc army had already returned to their original position. Although they had suffered heavy casualties in this battle, they still retained most of their strength. Looking at the Tauren chieftain who had returned to the army¡¯s protection, the few dukes seemed very regretful and unwilling. ¡°What¡¯s going on? When did he have the ability to resist our attacks?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s also the effect we felt previously? It didn¡¯t feel like the ability of an orc!¡± ¡°Forget it, We¡¯ll let him live for the time being. We¡¯ve already achieved our goal this time. Not only have we taken back the lost land from before, but we¡¯ve also washed away the humiliation of our previous failure.¡± ¡°Yes, in that case, this war will end here! Our soldiers are also tired!¡± Finally, the vampire army began to retreat. The armies of both sides were completely separated. This battle temporarily ended with the complete victory of the vampire army. At this moment, Fang Ping, who was in the distance, heaved a sigh of relief when he saw both sides stop fighting. Just now, he had already received a system notification that the investment mission had been completed. However, there was still one last step to obtain the system reward. That was to see the Tauren chieftain again. It seemed that this was the only way to determine if the other party had really survived. Then, the system would distribute the rewards. Fang Ping was very speechless about this. It was already stated that the mission was completed, but it still required him to do this. At this moment, the sky had already gradually darkened. Fang Ping had also arrived at the camp of the orc army. With Fang Ping¡¯s strength, he would naturally not be discovered if he wanted to enter the camp. Soon, he saw the Tauren chieftain healing in the tent in the center of the camp. As soon as he saw Fang Ping appear, the Tauren chieftain immediately put everything in his hand aside and knelt on one knee in front of Fang Ping. ¡°Thank you for saving me. If not for your help, I would probably have already died in the hands of those despicable vampires!¡± The orc chieftain, Fang Ping, was extremely grateful! He was the only great chieftain in the entire orc race who was equivalent to a duke. If he died, the orc race would really be finished! They might even face the danger of being wiped out! After all, the blood feud between the orcs and the vampires was irreconcilable. The vampires would definitely not let go of this good opportunity to destroy the orcs. Fang Ping¡¯s help today had not only saved his life, but also the entire orc race! Fang Ping smiled and said. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Fang Ping¡¯s generosity once again won the respect and gratitude of the Tauren chieftain. ¡°Us orcs will always remember your help. Moreover, now, you have also obtained the permanent friendship of the orcs!¡± Chapter 38 - Transformation Pill, Possibility of Becoming a Human? Chapter 38 Transformation Pill, Possibility of Becoming a Human? Fang Ping did not particularly care about the friendship of the orcs. He was willing to help today because of the system. It did not take long for Fang Ping to find an excuse to bid farewell to the chieftain of the orcs. Then, he found an empty place and prepared to receive the system reward. Ding¡­ congratulations on completing this level four investment mission. Mission reward: Transformation Pill! ¡® Hearing the last two words, Fang Ping was shocked and could not help but ask, ¡°System, is the transformation pill you¡¯re talking about the same as the thing I¡¯m thinking of? Can it help me transform into a human?¡± ¡°Congratulations on guessing correctly, Master. Any race can consume the Transformation Pill.¡± ¡°Master, as long as your strength can reach the peak of the skeleton race, you can successfully transform into a human after eating this pill!¡± ¡°The Transformation Pill is very precious. Master, please preserve it well!¡± After the system finished speaking, Fang Ping could not help but feel excited. Transform into a human? Wasn¡¯t this the wish he had always wanted to fulfill?! Although Fang Ping had already adapted to the identity and body of the Skeleton Race after coming to this world, he had still been a human for more than twenty years in the past. Now that he had suddenly turned into a black and dry skeleton, it was very difficult to accept, be it in terms of aesthetics or psychology. Moreover, the reason why the current Fang Ping and Kallen could not really get together was also because their races were different. If Fang Ping really transformed into a human one day, even if he was not a vampire, he could still be with Kallen! At most, he would just let Kallen bite him and turn him into a vampire! Fang Ping accepted the Transformation Pill rewarded by the system ecstatically and kept it very carefully. This was his only hope of becoming a human. Nothing could happen to it. Then, Fang Ping left the orcs¡¯ territory and returned to the vampire army¡¯s camp. With his tyrannical strength and superb disguise ability, Fang Ping was not discovered by the vampire soldiers at all. Moreover, at this moment, the vampires seemed to be holding a celebration feast to celebrate their victory on the battlefield today. There weren¡¯t any restricted areas in the entire camp, so naturally, no one would investigate Fang Ping¡¯s identity. The camp was filled with joy and celebration. In this battle, not only did the vampires recover the land they had lost previously, but they also severely injured the orc army. Even the Tauren chieftain of the orc race almost died under the hands of the four dukes. This made every vampire soldier feel proud. Ever since they lost the last battle, they had been under too much pressure. Today, they had finally taken revenge. They naturally had to celebrate and vent their anger. However, Fang Ping, who was walking in the camp, sensed that something was wrong. Although there were not many soldiers patrolling outside the camp, weren¡¯t there too many patrol teams inside the camp? Moreover, Fang Ping did not see any high level vampires in the crowd. Logically speaking, now should be the time for them to enjoy themselves with the common folk. Where had these vampire higher-ups gone? What were they doing during this celebration? At the same time, in a tent in the camp¡­ Kallen¡¯s father, Carl, and his brother, Carter, were drinking inside to celebrate their victory. At this moment, a soldier suddenly ran in from outside. ¡°Reporting to the family master, Marquis Jed has invited you to the celebration banquet!¡± Carl did not think much of this news. In today¡¯s battle, the ancestor of the Jeston family that Jed was in had also participated in the battle. He was one of the four duke experts. Therefore, it was very reasonable for the Jeston family to host the celebration banquet of the vampires tonight. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there in a while.¡± The soldier turned to leave. Carl tidied up briefly and dressed in a neat formal suit. He went to the celebration party with his brother, Carter. At this moment, Carl did not realize that this celebration banquet was actually a trap! Through the lively crowd, Carl nodded at everyone who greeted him. His face was also filled with smiles. However, Carl did not notice that his brother Carter¡¯s expression seemed to be somewhat strange. It was as if there was a sickly smile on his face. Soon, Carl arrived outside the Jeston family¡¯s tent. He opened the tent and was about to take a step in when Carl saw the scene inside the tent. There was no atmosphere like a celebration banquet here, nor was there any delicious food. There were only three people in the tent! The ancestor Duke Jeston, Marquis Jed, and Count Jerry were all here. The three generations of the Jeston family were all here. Carl immediately realized that something was wrong, but at this moment, he knew that he could no longer retreat. Duke Jeston had deliberately tricked him here with ill intentions. It was impossible for him to escape in front of the duke. At this moment, Jed said with a strange smile, ¡°Carl, what are you waiting for? Come in quickly? Do you want the ancestor to personally invite you in?¡± Hearing this, Carl revealed a bitter smile and walked into the tent stiffly. He knew that after today¡¯s complete victory, the crazy competition and even annexation among the vampires was finally about to begin! He originally thought that this vicious internal competition might arrive later. At the very least, it would not begin until the army returned to the Imperial City. Therefore, he had come here without much preparation today. Who knew that Duke Jeston was actually so impatient to attack his family! The only hope left in Carl¡¯s heart was if Duke Jeston could not come up with a reasonable reason to attack him, the other families probably would not just sit back and do nothing! After all, annexing each other between families was not very beneficial to the vampires. Instead, it would consume their strength for nothing. However, Carl was still thinking too simply. Moreover, he did not know that Duke Jeston had long thought of all the reasons. Jed was the first to speak up against Carl. ¡°Carl, my son, Leon, died at a ball more than a year ago. You should have heard about this, right?¡± Carl nodded. ¡°Of course I know, but what does this have to do with me? You¡¯re not going to tell me that I did this, are you?¡± Unexpectedly, Jed actually nodded and said. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°According to my son Jerry¡¯s investigation, the first place the murderer went after leaving the ball was your family¡¯s territory! ¡°Therefore, I have reason to suspect that this is a conspiracy against our Jeston family! ¡°You want our Jeston family to have no successor!¡± Chapter 39 - Ambush, Fighting Between Brothers Chapter 39 Ambush, Fighting Between Brothers Of course, it was impossible for Carl to admit such a thing. Moreover, this matter had nothing to do with him at all. This was clearly the Jeston family deliberately trying to frame him. ¡°Are you joking with me? Why would I want your family to have no successors? Moreover, you¡¯re even claiming that I used such despicable methods to deal with a child? ¡°Jed, don¡¯t think of me as someone with a dirty mind like you. I disdain doing such a thing!¡± Jed was mocked by Carl and had a displeased expression. In the end, he took a step back and returned the right to speak to his ancestor. He had never planned to let Carl directly bear the responsibility for this matter. However, as long as the ancestor was around, no matter what Carl said, it would not change the final outcome. After all, the ancestor of the Carl family had yet to come out of seclusion. Now, whichever family with the duke was the family that was invincible and had absolute say! ¡°Carl, it¡¯s useless no matter what you say. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already appeared here today, you have to give my grandson an explanation.¡± Duke Jeston¡¯s words made Carl¡¯s expression become filled with anger. The other party was planning to force him to die. However, Duke Jeston did not directly attack. Instead, he suddenly changed the topic and said. ¡°But I¡¯m not an unreasonable person. Your family killed my grandson. Only one of us died. ¡°Therefore, only one of you can survive today. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to decide who will survive in the end. How about that? This is already my greatest mercy!¡± Duke Jeston¡¯s tone was teasing, like a cat playing with a mouse, ready to watch the two brothers, Carl and Carter, kill each other. Of course, Carl would not suffer such humiliation. To be able to become the family head, he was not a person who was willing to grovel. He was very confident in his strength. Even when facing a duke expert, he did not think that he was completely helpless! ¡°Carter, the two of us are both at the peak of the Marquis level. In this situation, we have no way out. ¡°Only by fighting together and killing our way out can the two of us survive! ¡°We can¡¯t become scapegoats! ¡°We¡¯ll fight together and leave here alive! As long as we return to the family and find the ancestor, there will be a reversal in today¡¯s matter!¡± Hearing his brother¡¯s words, Carter nodded heavily, as if he was prepared to fight. Carl was rather gratified. Although his brother was unwilling to listen to him many times, the other party was still very rational in the face of serious matters. ¡°Get ready, let¡¯s attack together!¡± Carl roared and was about to fight side by side with his brother. Suddenly, Carl felt a cramp in his abdomen. His eyes instantly widened as he looked at his stomach. A dagger had pierced through his body at some point and had created a hole in his body from behind. Blood was flowing out from the wound. Carl looked at his brother in disbelief and said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Why?¡± Carl did not expect his favorite brother to ambush him at this moment! At this moment, Carter¡¯s expression had already gradually become crazy, his eyes filled with madness. Carter smiled and said, ¡°Hehe, why? For me to survive! ¡°Moreover, I want to take back everything you took from me!¡± Carl asked in confusion, ¡°Everything I took from you? When did I snatch anything that belonged to you? What nonsense are you talking about?! ¡°Have you been brainwashed by the Jeston family? Tell me!¡± Carl could not accept this fact. Carter continued. ¡°You didn¡¯t snatch anything from me? Hehe, my good brother, you¡¯ve been the star of the family since you were young. ¡°You¡¯ve enjoyed the resources of the family and the treatment of being the center of attention! ¡°Even though no one has ever considered me for the position of the family head¡­ Has anyone ever considered my feelings? ¡°I¡¯m clearly not inferior to you at all. I even believe that I can do better than you, but no one is willing to look at me! ¡°The position of family head should have been mine to begin with! As long as you die, I can get my wish! ¡°Therefore, Brother, please die in peace today. The family will become stronger and more prosperous in my hands!¡± With that said, Carter suddenly pulled out the dagger in his hand. Then, blood surged out from Carl¡¯s abdomen. He sealed the bloodline near the wound in time and temporarily stopped the blood. However, he was already severely injured. All of this was actually caused by the biological brother he had always trusted! Just as the two brothers turned against each other, Jed and Duke Jeston watched the performance not far away with interest. Jed smiled. ¡°How exciting. I didn¡¯t expect to see such an interesting performance. Hehe, interesting!¡± ¡°However, according to the current situation, Carl shouldn¡¯t be able to last long.¡± Hearing this, Duke Jeston shook his head and did not agree. ¡°Then you¡¯re thinking too simply of Carl. He won¡¯t die so easily! It¡¯s hard to say who will win between the two brothers!¡± ¡°Oh? Is the ancestor that optimistic about Carl?¡± ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t tell me you really think it¡¯s that simple to become the head of a family? Just watch carefully.¡± As Carter vented all the resentment he had accumulated for many years towards Carl, the two brothers completely fell out. Moreover, Carter¡¯s sneak attack on Carl was definitely a betrayal that could not be tolerated and forgiven! Carl temporarily adjusted his state and said angrily. ¡°Carter, since you¡¯ve always been so unconvinced of me, I¡¯ll let you know today why I can become the family head but you can¡¯t!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Carl¡¯s body quickly rushed into the sky. With the strength of a marquis expert, fighting on the ground would be very limited for Carl. Only the vast sky was the best arena! Carter also followed. The sudden change shocked the people in the vampire army camp. They did not know what had happened. Could it be a special performance for today¡¯s celebration banquet? Of course, many people from the Carl family still recognized the two people in the sky. ¡°Eh, it seems to be Patriarch Carl and Marquis Carter in the sky. What¡¯s going on with them? Why are they flying into the sky?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They seem to have come out of Duke Jeston¡¯s tent. Could something have happened?¡± ¡°No way. The war has just ended and the internal strife in the race is about to begin?¡± The sudden change clouded the entire celebration banquet. Under such circumstances, no one from the other five families came forward to say anything, as if it already meant that they had long colluded with Duke Jeston! Chapter 40 - Slaying the Traitor, The End of the Carl Family Chapter 40 Slaying the Traitor, The End of the Carl Family Carl and Carter faced off in the sky. Suddenly, Carl¡¯s body disappeared from his spot. Carter was instantly vigilant and focused on his back. As expected, Carl appeared behind him and suddenly punched Carter in the back. Carter smiled proudly. ¡°Hehe, Brother, is this all you¡¯ve got? I long expected you to¡­¡± Before Carter could finish, a strong wind suddenly hammered his chest from ahead. With a bang, Carter was instantly dealt a heavy blow. After this first attack, one of his ribs was directly broken. The figure that appeared behind him just now was actually a clone! From the beginning to the end, Carter had not been able to find his brother! Moreover, Carl did not seem to want to give Carter a chance to breathe at all. Another punch landed on the left side of Carter¡¯s body, almost breaking one of his wings. The wings of the vampires were very important body organs and symbolized the strength of this vampire. Once the wings were damaged, it directly meant that the strength of the two would be completely different. At this moment, Carter was already somewhat unable to resist Carl¡¯s attack. It was not until he really became enemies with his brother that he realized how powerful his brother, who had always smiled at him and never seemed serious, was. Only then did he realize how naive and stupid he had been for being dissatisfied and even disdainful of his brother. Punch after punch, Carl¡¯s every attack not only impacted Carter physically, but it also affected Carter psychologically. It kept destroying the confidence he had always had! Finally, after an unknown period of time, Carter¡¯s last wing was completely torn apart by Carl. A large amount of blood scattered from the sky to the ground, shocking countless people watching from the ground. At this moment, even a fool knew that the battle in the sky was clearly not an act. The internal strife of the vampires had already begun! Carl¡¯s family was the first target to be sacrificed! At this moment, Carter, who had lost all his wings, had already fallen into a severely injured or even near-death state. His face was incomparably red and swollen, and he had lost his original handsome appearance. In order to survive, Carter finally gave up the pride and dignity in his heart. He began to beg his brother to show mercy. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry. I was blinded by jealousy previously¡­ That was why I did that stupid thing just now. ¡°Now that I really know my mistake, I apologize to you. Please forgive me this time! ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have done this! You¡¯re the best family head!¡± Facing Carter¡¯s begging and apology, Carl did not choose to comfort his brother and forgive the other party¡¯s mistake like he did in the past. This was because the nature of what Carter had done this time was really too evil. Moreover, it had already severely hurt his feelings and crossed the line. This was not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of principle! Carl said hoarsely. ¡°Carter, I¡¯ve forgiven you every time you make a mistake in the past because you¡¯re my younger brother. I was even willing to tolerate everything about you because I believed that you¡¯ll continue to grow and mature. ¡°But now, I realize that I was wrong. You took everything I did for you for granted. You probably even thought that I was feeling guilty towards and was compensating you for your loss! ¡°And today, you¡¯re standing opposite me. Now, you¡¯re no longer my brother but my enemy. ¡°You should know the attitude and methods our family¡¯s ancestral teachings should have towards the enemy, right?¡± Hearing this, Carter¡¯s expression instantly changed drastically. He shouted. ¡°No, Brother, don¡¯t do this. How can I be your enemy? I¡¯m your younger brother! ¡°Brother, think about what the ancestor will do if he finds out about this. He will definitely make you let me off this time! ¡°Let me go. I really know my mistake!¡± No matter how Carter begged, Carl was already completely disappointed in him. Carl slowly raised his right hand. Carter saw this action and understood his brother¡¯s choice. The begging expression on his face instantly disappeared without a trace, and he returned to his previous hatred and ruthlessness. Picking up the weapon in his hand, Carter gathered all the strength in his body and attacked his brother again. Carl¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment. He did not expect to be right this time. It was already difficult for Carter to change his nature. At this moment, the other party was still lying to him! Slash. Carter¡¯s body was instantly split into two as a saber beam flashed. His corpse scattered from the sky with a large amount of blood, dyeing a large area red. Everyone in the Carl family looked at everything that was happening in the sky in shock and disbelief as they looked at Carter¡¯s corpse on the ground in the distance. They did not understand why such a thing would happen! The army had clearly defeated the orcs not long ago. Why were they killing each other so quickly?! Moreover, the ones killing each other were actually the family head and his brother! ¡°Heavens, why did you do this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s all over. Our family is completely finished!¡± ¡°Who did this? Why did the family head attack his brother?!¡± After a while, Carl¡¯s figure descended from the sky and returned to Duke Jeston¡¯s tent. As soon as he entered, applause sounded in his ear. Duke Jeston looked at Carl with satisfaction and praised. ¡°As expected of the outstanding figure of the younger generation back then. Comparing the current heads of the seven families, your strength should be able to rank in the top two! ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re only a marquis in the end. Hehe, how does it feel to kill your brother personally? Isn¡¯t it very exciting?¡± Facing Duke Jeston¡¯s mockery, Carl did not say anything. He only said indifferently. ¡°Alright, now that only one of us is still alive, you should have fulfilled your wish, right? Then I¡¯ll leave first!¡± With that said, Carl was about to leave when Jed immediately appeared in front of him and blocked his way. Carl¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°What else do you want? Do you want to kill both of us?¡±! ¡°Then why did you do something unnecessary just now and make us kill each other?¡± Duke Jeston smiled and shook his head at this. ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t say that I wanted the two of you to die. Moreover, my original words were that only one of you can survive.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re still alive, I would be keeping my promise!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Carl¡¯s face turned incomparably pale. He subconsciously wanted to escape. However, he suddenly discovered that his body was already unable to move. In front of the duke, a marquis like him was like an ant!