Chapter 44: Game Over, as the Price of My Death

"Children!"

In the spacious and immaculate storage warehouse, the old man sat at the head of the table, holding a tall goblet of blood and taking a sip.

"Gurgle..." The assimilated "children" drank the fresh blood, their vampire instincts driving them.

Though it was an abandoned factory warehouse, it had been transformed into a festive and warm place with white lights, red carpets, a banquet, and the presence of the "children"—if the food wasn't blood.

The old man wore a kind and affectionate smile, responding to the filial acts of the "children" while enjoying a delicious dinner. As a once-lonely elderly person, he once again felt warmth.

The feast continued...

"Gurgle!" The "children" realized the blood was running out.

"No worries, there's more." The old man smiled and snapped his fingers. "Lambs, come here."

With the sound of his aged voice, the back door of the warehouse opened, and one after another, the lambs orderly walked in—men and women, all food reserves for the old man.

These lambs were all infected by the old man's vampiric abilities. During the day, they were ordinary individuals with their own lives, but at night, they sleepwalked their way here to contribute their blood.

Unaware that they had become lambs, and with Seventeen Bureau having no knowledge of what was happening here, the scale of the blood feast grew larger and larger.

"Gurgle..." The children craved more blood, their dark veins convulsing in anticipation.

Thump, thump, thump... The old man lightly tapped the table, silently urging the lambs.

First was a housewife who picked up a fruit knife from the long table and made a small cut on her wrist. The fresh blood flowed into the children's cups.

Drip, drip... The scent of blood filled the air, arousing the children's appetites.

Bloodletting couldn't go too far, as it risked weakening multiple individuals, potentially alerting Seventeen Bureau. So, each lamb only contributed a suitable amount of blood.

After fulfilling their duty, the housewife stumbled and put down the fruit knife. Her wrist wound slowly healed, and she walked away like a zombie, instinctively waiting by the side.

Next was a Tai Chi master, who was older in age. As soon as he cut his wrist, the children rejected him, finding his taste unpleasant. He was eliminated to the side.

"Picky eaters." The old man raised an eyebrow, lecturing the children like a parent. "In the past, you would have starved to death."

The children tilted their heads, indicating that they understood but didn't think they were wrong.

The third was a young socialite, full of vitality...

The fourth...

...

...

In the midst of the lively blood feast, the old man suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared directly at the warehouse door. His aura restrained, he remained silent, not uttering a word.

The once boisterous atmosphere fell into a prolonged silence. The vast warehouse was quiet as a pin could drop, and the lambs trembled with each breath.

After a while, the old man finally reached the limit of his patience. With a deep voice, he questioned:

"Who's outside?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the warehouse door burst open, filling the space with fresh air and revealing two figures amidst the scattered lights.

Himizuki furrowed her eyebrows, straightened her disheveled hair that had been tousled by the wind, and scanned the room with a cold and sharp gaze.

"Sneaking around behind Seventeen Bureau... quite audacious, old man," she sneered.

Alister, on the other hand, remained silent, calmly observing the power disparity between the enemy and themselves, calculating the possibilities of overcoming this game event within the range of E-rank abilities.

"You are..." The old man's widened eyes suddenly recognized the A-rank symbol of Himizuki's Hishigata Group.

But before he could finish his sentence, the old man instinctively tried to escape. However, he immediately stopped his movements...

—There was no way to escape from an A-rank player.

So, the reason they haven't attacked and killed me until now is...

The old man reevaluated the two individuals who only displayed E-rank presence, and suddenly, he understood. He understood why he was still alive until now.

"Detecting that you have become the target of a game event, special rules have been imposed."

"Unique Rule: In the face of inevitable death, give your all and become the winner of this game event."

"Rewards will be settled based on player performance, and failure will not affect settlement."

"Your life will continue in a different form within the sequential game..."

"It seems I have become the target of your game," the old man said.

"The failure condition of the opponent: Demonstrating strength beyond the scope of E-rank."

"The failure condition of the opponent: Being killed by you."

The old man raised his hand, and blood, without a master, burst into red thorns, under his control. The children also opened their crimson vertical pupils, their eyes turning black.

So...

"Game over, as the price of my death, wretched Seventeen Bureau."

The old man inserted the needle of the syringe into his neck and pushed the plunger, causing the crimson liquid to rapidly diminish.

In the next moment, the accumulated internal injuries that plagued the old man for many years were suddenly resolved. Blood spread and grew everywhere, and the presence of a D-rank player burst forth at its peak!

The value interface that had been locked due to a curse showed a visible increase in stamina, rapidly reaching its maximum limit.

"Player has obtained the status—Stamina Recovery."

"Player has obtained the status—Minor Boost in All Attributes."

Facing certain death, at the very least, he had to become the winner of this game event.