[Vol. 7] Chapter 99: The Third Party
In any case, now that the manor's door has been 'opened,' no matter how much everyone wants to complain, they can only focus on the more critical matters at hand.
Their top priority was to search this seemingly abandoned yet eerily unsettling estate for any valuable clues and, most importantly, a way to enter the [Shadow Realm]. The mysterious space that Marcelo and the other Church of Truth members had mentioned.
To ensure efficiency and safety, Enrique divided the group into three teams, each led by a legendary-ranked adventurer. One team would handle the second floor, another would explore the ground floor, and the last would investigate the basement.
Since teamwork was crucial, Violet naturally chose to stick with Le Qiaoqiao and Hongyan, who were already familiar with her. This way, while they searched the estate, the thief girl could also keep an eye out for hidden rooms. After all, that was her specialty.
With their roles assigned, the adventurers split up and began their systematic investigation.
At first glance, the estate seemed to be a winery. There were cellars not just beneath the main building but also densely packed in the backyard. However, as they delved deeper, they quickly noticed something strange.
"What the heck? There are so many wine jars here… but they’re all empty?!"
Down in the storage room, Le Qiaoqiao rummaged through jar after jar, only to find each one completely devoid of wine. Just as she was about to turn to Violet and complain, she noticed something odd.
Violet wasn’t paying attention to the jars at all. Instead, she was staring intently at a seemingly empty corner of the room. Her silver-blue eyes gleamed faintly, as if she were seeing something beyond normal space.
Curious, Le Qiaoqiao called out.
"Boss? Did you find something good?"
Hearing her voice, Violet finally turned back, smiling slightly before shaking her head in an ambiguous manner.
"Oh… nothing important. Did you two find anything useful?"
"Ugh, why are you being all mysterious… As you can see, there’s nothing here! We've searched seven or eight of these basements already, and it's just empty jars, more empty jars, and even more empty jars! Ugh, seriously… What, were they planning to use these to pickle vegetables or something?!"
Just then, Hongyan walked over from the other side of the room. Her hand rested subtly on her sword hilt as she leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice, just loud enough for the three of them to hear.
"Miss Violet… do you feel it? That prickling sensation, like something is watching us from the shadows?"
"Huh?!"
Le Qiaoqiao nearly jumped out of her skin. She instinctively took a few steps back, eyeing the surrounding jars with newfound wariness. Lowering her voice, she whispered urgently.
"H-hey, don’t mess with me like that, Hongyan… I don’t see anything! You're not saying there’s some kind of… a haunted jar ghost or something?!"
Violet, however, ignored her joke. She simply smiled calmly and said,
"We made such a huge commotion when we entered. If there was anything in this manor with half-decent hearing, they would’ve noticed us by now. So, it’s no surprise we’re being watched. The only question is… are they friend or foe?"
Hongyan blinked in surprise.
"Wait… so you meant to break down the door like that? Are you saying there’s a third party here? But if they’re not from the Church of Truth, then who else would be meddling in this?"
"Heh, no need to rush. They’ll reveal themselves soon enough. As for whose side they’re on…"
"BOOOOM!!!!"
Before Violet could even finish her sentence, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted from above, shaking the entire manor with a force just as terrifying as her earlier door-breaking stunt!
"It's coming from the second floor! Miss Violet…!"
"Let's go. We'll figure it out once we're there."
Leaving the basement, the three of them rushed toward the source of the explosion. Soon, they arrived at the main hall on the first floor, where the cause of the commotion became clear.
The ceiling above had been blasted open by some kind of violent force, leaving a gaping hole with rubble scattered all over the floor. And in the middle of it all, a young woman with long, dark red hair and unnaturally flawless pale skin stood, locked in combat with Sophie and her team, [Tree Wall], [Tree Branch], and [Tree Monkey].
She wielded a massive battle-axe, larger than her own body, yet she swung it with effortless ease as if it were no heavier than a feather. Despite fighting against three opponents at once, she showed no signs of being at a disadvantage.
In fact, thanks to some unnatural, almost reckless techniques, she had nearly struck [Tree Branch] or [Tree Monkey] multiple times with her terrifying axe. If not for Sophie’s quick reactions, using her wooden shield to block each time, they would have already been taken down.
Even so, [Tree Branch], dressed in his usual scholar’s attire, was already badly wounded. Blood was trickling from several cuts on his body, and his left arm hung limply at an unnatural angle, clearly having been severely injured in the first wave of attacks.
"What the hell is going on?! Tsk… A vampire?"
Just as Violet and her group arrived, Enrique, who had been searching the first floor, also rushed in with Qionghua and another squad member. They all immediately drew their weapons, ready to engage.
However, the moment [Tree Bow] got a clear look at the red-haired girl, he sharply inhaled and froze, looking visibly shaken.
Because without a doubt. That woman was a vampire.
It was obvious from several details. Her distinctive dark red hair, the pair of bat-shaped black membrane wings on the waist for auxiliary movement, and the way she fought. Even in combat, her every motion carried an air of classical aristocratic grace, almost like she was dancing.
Vampires belonged to the Mythical Races. Though, strictly speaking, only those of high enough noble rank were truly worthy of that title. Their once-glorious race had long since declined, and it was now rare to see them appear on the continent.
However, as the saying went, "A starved camel is still bigger than a horse." Even a weakened Mythical Race still held an overwhelming advantage over ordinary beings.
And from her strength alone, it was clear. This vampire girl was no low-ranking noble.
"Captain! Now isn’t the time to hesitate. She’s attacking us!"
The final member of the legendary adventurer squad, [Tree], was a sword-and-shield warrior known as [Tree Rampart]. His role in the team was to support [Tree Wall], acting as a flexible mid-guard who could switch between offense and defense.
While not quite at legendary rank, he possessed special talents that made him almost as effective in group battles. He wore full heavy armor, resembling an elite foot soldier, and never removed any part of his gear. Not even his helmet, even when resting. Because of that, Violet had no idea what he actually looked like. Judging by his deep, steady voice, though, he was likely a middle-aged man.
Due to their positioning, Enrique and his team were separated from Violet and her group by the ongoing battle, stuck on opposite sides of the hall. Hearing [Tree Rampart] urging him, the treefolk man gritted his teeth and forced himself to put aside his wariness of the vampire. Raising his blade-bow, he locked onto the fast-moving girl.
"She’s probably a Duke-level vampire… Miss Violet and her team are here too. I’ll fire an arrow to suppress her. Once I do, move in and assist Sophie in restraining her. But listen carefully, you absolutely cannot severely injure or kill her."
"Vampires are extremely protective of their own, but their higher-ups are generally reasonable. There’s a high chance other vampires are nearby. We need to leave room for negotiation."
But just as he finished speaking. A low, aged chuckle suddenly echoed beside him, carrying a tone of calm wisdom, as if it had seen through the ups and downs of the world itself.
"Heh… You know quite a bit about our kind, kid. You must hold quite the status in the Lingmu tribe, don’t you?"
"!?"