Chapter 97: The Coffin of Darkness

After pacing angrily around the room a couple of times, Marquis Osyka quickly made up his mind to meet the bishop who had come seeking an audience. Everyone in Yao City understood why the bishop had come. With his foundation now shaken, the bishop had suffered injuries and seen his church destroyed, leaving him in a dire situation. As a long-time ally of the bishop, Osyka knew that turning his back on him now would tarnish his own reputation. A person in a high position must maintain a necessary demeanor. Moreover, the bishop had worked hard for him; it was just unfortunate that the enemy had proven too formidable. Although the bishop was injured, he was still a figure of authority in the church. Offering him kindness now would be more effective than the flattery he had received over the past two years.

The bishop had already been invited to the parlor, attended by servants. His severed arm had been bandaged, and the blood cleaned up. As a skilled healer, he had managed the injury quite well. When Osyka strode in, the bishop attempted to stand as a sign of respect, but the concerned marquis stopped him.

"Your Excellency, how is your injury? I just heard the news; please forgive me for not being able to assist you in time."

At the mention of his injury, the bishop could no longer maintain a facade of calm. He sighed deeply, feeling utterly helpless. He knew all too well how far he had fallen; he had no right to complain about the lack of timely rescue. Even during the ambush by the vampires, he had never expected things would turn out this way.

"My lord, you are too kind. Let's not dwell on my misfortunes. I am now like a stray dog. What good does it do to talk about it? However, as I fled back to Yao City, that old fool Galisi took the opportunity to chase after the vampire, and it seems he was accompanied by a formidable man."

"Galisi the mage went personally? Hmph, that old man watched you get ambushed by the vampires without lifting a finger, and now he goes to reap the rewards. And another one?" Osyka pondered for a moment before tentatively suggesting, "Could it be Gu Fu? The loyal dog of the city lord?"

In recent years, Gu Fu had rarely intervened, preferring to stay hidden within the city lord's residence. The bishop had heard his name but had never seen him, so it was understandable that he couldn't recognize him. However, among the few powerful figures in Yao City, Gu Fu was the most likely to join the fray at such a critical moment.

The two fell silent, realizing that a mage and an eighth-level swordsman pursuing a nearly exhausted vampire could very well lead to them claiming the credit for the kill. Many in the city were waiting to see the bishop's humiliation, and the thought of this made Osyka furrow his brow, unsure of how to proceed.

Meanwhile, Fars, who was desperately trying to shake off his pursuers, found himself in a predicament. The remaining magical energy within him was insufficient for the battle that lay ahead. If his pursuers were mere lackeys, he might have dared to stop and clean up before fleeing. But behind him were a genuine mage and a swordsman. It was clear that they were among those who had been watching him in the city.

Even in this dire situation, Fars was not yet in despair. At his current speed, it would take time for them to catch up; the distance of several miles was not something that could be closed in an instant. However, with the sky gradually brightening, the situation would inevitably become more unfavorable, which made Fars uneasy.

How could he shake off these two? Fars pondered. Just then, Danys suddenly chirped, alerting him to something ahead. Fars knew that in terms of perception and vision, he could not match Danys. After flying higher, he noticed an ancient, dilapidated castle looming in the distance.

A castle! This could serve as a temporary refuge. A structure of that size would certainly have ample space inside, and the two pursuers might hesitate to charge in recklessly. It would also provide shelter from the direct sunlight. If he could utilize the terrain well, there might even be an opportunity for a surprise attack.

Fars's movements were closely monitored by his pursuers. Galisi the mage wasted no time in following him down. As they approached the castle, Galisi exchanged glances with Gu Fu, who had arrived first, hesitating over whether to enter. If they chose not to enter, they would give the vampire time to recover. But if they did enter, they risked falling into a trap.

This castle was the former residence of the old count that Fars had just dealt with, and it still bore the lingering scent of vampires. Both Galisi and Gu Fu, having lived in Yao City for many years, were aware of this place. Fars's escape route seemed to lead directly here. Could there be allies waiting inside? If not, why would he choose this place to flee, risking being caught like a fish in a barrel? This uncertainty kept the two of them outside the castle, unable to make a decision.

Recognizing the lingering aura of the old count, Fars felt fortunate to have escaped here. Since this had once been a vampire stronghold, the two outside would undoubtedly be wary, buying him some time to recover. The castle was sizable, and it likely housed many vampires. After searching for a while, Fars found the old count's quarters.

A coffin? Fars was surprised to see a massive coffin in the otherwise empty bedroom. Since becoming a vampire, he had never slept in a coffin before. It was said that doing so aided a vampire's cultivation, and at this moment, Fars truly needed to take the opportunity to restore his magical energy and spirit. As for how long he could remain undisturbed here, that depended on the attitude of those outside. If they charged in, he would have no choice but to flee. For now, any delay would be beneficial.

The coffin was large, but the space inside was not overly wide. Fars lay back inside, and to his surprise, Danys snuggled up to him, seemingly unbothered by the prospect of sleeping in a coffin. Once the lid was closed, he was enveloped in darkness. He felt a cool, comforting darkness wrap around him, seeping into his body.

Lying there, Fars could clearly sense that the magic array in his mind was operating more quickly, especially the dark runes that had just stirred to life. He hadn't expected the effects of this coffin to be so pronounced. Could it be made of Netherwood?

Netherwood was an extremely precious dark material, the most suitable wood for crafting coffins. It only grew in the Twilight Forest in the east. The Twilight Forest was the domain of the Dark Council, home to six prince-level vampires who resided there year-round. These were the six permanent council members, each serving a term of one hundred years, all of whom were bloodline princes. Such a place was not easily accessible to anyone.

Moreover, the harvesting of Netherwood was strictly regulated; not just anyone could chop it down. Only bloodline nobles who had been promoted to count or higher were permitted to harvest a piece of Netherwood. By the rules, a count-level vampire could only obtain a piece that was a hundred years old, while a marquis could take one that was five hundred years old, and a duke could choose one that was over a thousand years old. As for the princes, they could select any tree they wished from the forest.

This created an unspoken system, or rather, a standard. It required vampires to respect their ranks; only those of the corresponding level could use coffins made from Netherwood of the appropriate age. If a vampire were to overstep this boundary and be discovered, they would face the Dark Council's punishment. The crime might not be severe, but it could still result in a hundred years of imprisonment.

Fars was unsure what age of Netherwood this coffin was made from, but given its size and effectiveness, it was likely made from wood that was nearly a thousand years old. This was something only a duke-level vampire could use. The count who had died at his hands had clearly been quite bold. It seemed that the vampire population here was sparse, making it difficult for any incidents to reach the Dark Council. Not utilizing such a precious treasure would be foolish.

As for how he had acquired it, Fars didn't care; such a fine item had fallen into his hands. Fortunately, his spatial ring was large enough to accommodate it after some tidying up.

Before he had even restored half of his magical energy, he heard movement outside. It seemed that his two pursuers could no longer contain themselves and had finally entered. Reluctantly rising from the coffin, Fars quickly stowed away the duke-level coffin made of Netherwood.

While lying inside, Fars had already devised a plan for how to shake off his pursuers. It was impossible to defeat them in a direct confrontation; even at his peak, dealing with one of them would be challenging, let alone facing both at once. To successfully escape, he would need to rely on the terrain. The lifeblood of the Inlay Principality, the Inlay River, was the escape route he had prepared for himself.

Underwater, the aging mage would have no advantage, and the Inlay River was wide and deep, making it difficult for external spells to affect the riverbed. As for the swordsman, it was uncertain how well he could swim, but Fars, who had mastered the underwater breathing technique, would certainly have the upper hand. Moreover, the swordsman was missing an arm. In water, movement relied heavily on limbs to push against the current, and his physical limitation would significantly hinder his speed.

It wouldn't be prudent to say this plan was foolproof; the outcome depended partly on meticulous planning and partly on luck. No one could guarantee that unexpected events wouldn't arise along the way.

In addition to the pressure from the two pursuers entering the castle, Fars also felt considerable internal pressure. While in Yao City, he had sensed his bloodline swelling, nearing a breakthrough, but he had suppressed it due to the timing. Prolonged suppression was detrimental to his body, especially after having absorbed the blood essence from the bishop's severed arm and the old count's two hundred years of accumulated vitality. The burden on his body was increasing, and Fars was acutely aware of this, having expended considerable mental energy in this regard. To eliminate this lingering issue, finding a safe place to advance was the only way forward.