Chapter 27: Everyone’s a Villain

Don't misunderstand—Solomon wasn't some hero eager to deliver justice. Those people were already dead, and delayed justice was meaningless. He was simply after certain information he needed.

You see, while vampires are classified as undead, they can still reproduce. They can do so through natural means, just like humans, or through the ritual known as Embrace, transforming humans into new vampires.

The Embrace is a blood pact, a magical contract that cannot be broken. This contract is passed down through generations of vampires, carried in their blood.

Barnabas Collins' identity was particularly unique. He was transformed into a vampire directly through the magic of the Darkhold. Perhaps even Barnabas himself didn't realize just how high his status was. Many years ago, the so-called "pureblood" and "half-blood" vampires who ruled over Detroit bowed their heads to him. His mentor had once laughed at those vampires, who summoned the so-called "Blood God," calling them a joke to Solomon.

Not that Solomon would ever see those vampires—Blade had wiped them all out.

Barnabas was still quite young (for a vampire) and hadn't accumulated much power yet. If he had, Solomon wouldn't have dared to approach him. Solomon simply wanted to know if Barnabas had reproduced like rats, so he could figure out how many vampires were lurking in the small town.

"I admit, the incident at the construction site on Highway 9—that was me. I had just been dug up and was terribly thirsty," Barnabas said, his voice carrying a thick Southern England accent. He gingerly picked up a printed sheet of paper and held it at arm's length, examining it closely. "Oh, and this one too—a group of hippies. Their blood was awful, ruined by those horrible drugs."

"Is that all?" Solomon kept his smile, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the Collins family sitting across from him was growing restless. Carolyn was becoming sullen again, and David was slowly inching backward. The atmosphere was becoming tense, though Solomon seemed blissfully unaware. He continued, "I want to confirm something, Mr. Barnabas—have you ever turned a human?"

"You're asking about the Embrace? Only one!" The vampire shook his head vigorously. "By the way, I don't believe I've asked your name, sir."

"Damonet."

"Alright, Mr. Damonet," the vampire crossed his hands over his heart. "I once considered turning Elizabeth into a vampire, but she refused. Liz enjoys aging. As for Victoria... she didn't escape Angelique's clutches. After Angelique killed her, I turned her, bringing her back to life. If that is a crime, I am willing to bear it."

"So, there are two vampires here then." Solomon stood up, pushing the remaining papers toward Barnabas. "And the rest of these... were committed by your wife, Victoria?"

"No, no, no." Barnabas quickly pushed the papers back. He wasn't offended by Solomon's use of the word "wife." He shook his head firmly in denial. "Victoria would never do such a thing. The Collins family now invests in hospitals, and we've switched to drinking blood bags from there. In fact, we are as confused as you are. I only turned Victoria into a vampire... and we've had to spend large sums of money to cover things up, just so no one would suspect the Collins family. But we didn't do those things."

"Could there be other vampires in the area?" Solomon paced slowly around the living room, naturally putting some distance between himself and the Collins family. "Please, Mr. Barnabas, think carefully—are you absolutely sure you haven't turned anyone else? The bite marks on those bodies don't lie. And by your account, I doubt Angelique would have turned anyone else—she was quite... passionate."

The vampire paced the room, tapping his cane on the marble floor while muttering to himself. But no matter how hard he thought, he was certain he had only turned Victoria. In fact, the Collins family had investigated those incidents multiple times through the police, but they found nothing. In the end, to protect the family's reputation, Barnabas had to use his mind-control powers to stop further police investigations.

However, the Collins family had discovered a clue pointing to another vampire.

"No, I'm certain," Barnabas finally stopped pacing. Elizabeth kept signaling to him with her eyes, and after a quick glance, the vampire swallowed whatever he had been about to say and changed his tone. "But I can help you investigate this matter further."

"Excellent." Solomon nodded. "Please prepare the items I requested. I will return tomorrow to retrieve them."

After Solomon was led out of the hall by Willy, Elizabeth stood up with David's help. "You don't actually believe that wizard, do you? He claims to represent some 'Mage's Hermitage'... I'm worried he'll bring more people here."

"Of course not, my dear Liz." The vampire blinked, a sly glint in his eyes. Despite his youth—being buried in a coffin during his prime—Barnabas had once been the head of a large family, and he wasn't naive enough to trust a stranger's proposal so easily. Besides, whether he liked it or not, the negative energy that filled him would always lead his thoughts down darker, more sinister paths. That's the nature of black magic—it corrupts.

"Now that Victoria and I have eternal youth, why would I ever want to be human again? Though I do regret not being able to enjoy human food anymore."

"What about the other vampire?" Elizabeth frowned. "This could expose the Collins family."

"Don't worry, Liz. I have a lead." Barnabas replied. "Do you remember Julia Hoffman?"

---

Suddenly, a circular arc of fiery sparks appeared in the middle of Collinwood Manor's hall, startling the Collins family. Poor Willy was still at the front gate, waiting for Solomon's arrival, but at that moment, Solomon had already stepped into the hall through a portal.

"My dear Mr. Damonet," Barnabas greeted him, stepping forward. He curiously peered past Solomon, but saw nothing beyond the orange sparks. He lowered his gaze back to Solomon. "I'm sorry we couldn't properly host you yesterday, but I've prepared everything you asked for."

Elizabeth's eyes gleamed. Although Barnabas had once demonstrated some magic to her, aside from his mind control, it was all minor tricks. But seeing Solomon casually open a portal in the middle of their hall forced her to reassess him. The true head of the Collins family quickly adjusted her attitude, quietly deciding to change the plan she and Barnabas had made the previous day.

Originally, the Collins family had intended for Solomon to eliminate the other vampire in Collinsport. Barnabas' performance had been convincing enough to deceive most people. He had shown genuine guilt over his blood-drinking (which was real) and a longing to become human again (which was fake).

Then, when Solomon tried to help Barnabas become human again, they planned to kill him unexpectedly, erasing any trace of the Collins family's dark past. They would deal with the Mage's Hermitage later. But the moment Solomon appeared, the Collins family realized they had already attracted trouble, and now they had no choice but to play it by ear.

Elizabeth inwardly cursed—Angelique had caused trouble for the Collins family even in death.

Now, Elizabeth believed Solomon possessed some unknown magical power. Barnabas' magic was ineffective against him, and their plan to kill Solomon had lost its greatest asset. She no longer believed guns would work against a wizard either; she had once shot Angelique Bouchard with a shotgun, and it had done little good.

She even suspected that Solomon's flashy entrance was a display of power meant to intimidate them. It was as if he were saying, "I know where you are, and I can come here anytime. You can't run."

In truth, Solomon had no intention of lifting Barnabas' curse—it was beyond his abilities. He hadn't studied the parts of the Vishanti Book that dealt with lifting vampire curses, and even if such magic existed, it would likely only kill the vampire. Vampire dust was a rare and valuable spell component, and if the opportunity presented itself, Solomon wouldn't mind adding some to his collection. Vampire spines and fingers were also excellent materials.

When facing an ancient vampire who hadn't fully mastered his powers, Solomon figured that, at the very least, he could run if a fight broke out.

If Solomon had been the same shut-in he once was, he wouldn't have entertained such thoughts. But as mentioned before, he might have been influenced by the memories of those necromancers and dark magic masters. Having gained some of their knowledge along with the Stigmata, he was now slightly... unhinged.

But no one had noticed yet, not even the Sorcerer Supreme—after all, what normal person would be interested in a terrifying place like the Dark Dimension?

"Thank you very much, Mr. Barnabas." Solomon didn't shake the vampire's hand but instead gave him a respectful mage's salute.

Barnabas raised his hand slightly, then lowered it again. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he gestured toward the grand staircase leading to the second floor. "What you need is upstairs. Please, follow me."

"Of course," Solomon replied with a smile. His eyes gleamed with interest—not just for the magical books, but also... for the vampire.