Black Forest

Marcus's body twisted in a strange way. He had to press his hands against the walls of the carriage to keep his balance. The blood in his veins felt as if it were heating up like molten lava, his head buzzed, and his mind was overwhelmed by a flood of disjointed thoughts.

A sharp pain invaded his bones and muscles, as though they were being destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly. Marcus was losing his mind from the pain, immersed in that torture that seemed to last an eternity.

Then, suddenly, everything stopped. The agony dissipated as quickly as it began, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief and pleasure. Marcus felt an almost supernatural strength flood his body. He felt like a superhero, certain that he could tear a man in half as easily as ripping a piece of paper.

He needed a few seconds to pull himself together. When he finally returned to his normal state, his eyes were drawn to Bartolomeu's decapitated body lying before him. It was a terrifying scene. Hard to believe he could be responsible for such brutality.

In truth, Marcus wasn't sure if it had been him. The memories of Bartolomeu's screams were still fresh in his mind, and fear gripped his heart—a fear of no longer being the person he once was.

Pushing aside his worries, Marcus began searching the carriage for anything useful. At first, he found nothing of value. But in a dark corner, a small box approximately 60 centimeters long caught his attention.

He opened it carefully and found inside a short, elegant sword with a red gem embedded in its guard. As soon as he touched the weapon, a familiar screen appeared in his field of vision:

Short Sword of the Baron

Vampiric Weapon

Classification: Blue Item

Ability:

The sword drains the blood of any being struck by it, transferring it to the user.Inflicts a bleeding effect on the target.Wounds caused by the sword worsen and fester if left untreated for up to one hour.

"Great! I didn't think there'd be something this good here!" Marcus celebrated his luck.

Blue items were of medium-high classification, rarely found in the game. Additionally, it was a vampiric weapon: he could absorb blood during combat without needing to bite his targets—an immense advantage for a vampire.

After thoroughly searching the carriage and finding nothing else useful, Marcus hurried to leave. It must have been around three in the morning, and he knew he couldn't stay there.

In the game, vampires were one of the most powerful races. They had absurd regeneration, high attack power, and the ability to multiply. However, they had one glaring weakness: the sun. Any vampire below the rank of Baron would die upon contact with sunlight.

With Bartolomeu's memories, Marcus knew the nearest inhabited location was at least a three-hour walk away. The only alternative was the Black Forest, about an hour to the north.

The Black Forest was magical, remaining perpetually dark regardless of how brightly the sun shone. It had been the destination of Bartolomeu's convoy before the attack.

Taking a deep breath and trusting Bartolomeu's memories, Marcus started running toward the forest. He was startled by his newfound speed, realizing that, if he were just a bit faster, he might even match a horse.

After some time, the dense forest appeared on the horizon. It was a tightly packed thicket, with a small dirt road cutting through the trees, creating a narrow path. As he entered, Marcus was surprised by how dark the forest was. The trees were so tall and dense that they completely blocked out the light.

Even though his vampiric vision allowed him to see in the dark, he couldn't shake the oppressive feeling the place gave him.

At the heart of the forest stood Bartolomeu's mansion. To reach it, Marcus would need to follow the dirt road for another five kilometers. He would have preferred to avoid the confrontation, but he knew he had no choice.

As he ventured deeper into the forest, he noticed yellow eyes watching him from the shadows. These eyes belonged to the night creatures that served Bartolomeu. Though they didn't yet see him as a threat, Marcus knew the situation could change if he didn't present himself at the mansion soon.

Finally, after a long walk, Marcus arrived at a clearing. At its center was a massive mansion, luxurious yet terrifyingly ominous, as if straight out of a horror movie.

Standing before the main door was a thin, pale man, his eyes seeming to pierce into Marcus's soul. He wore an old, gray suit and held a long cane in his hand.

The man stroked his mustache as he watched Marcus approach. When Marcus was about ten meters away, the man struck the cane against the wooden floor of the old mansion, producing a loud, sharp sound.

Suddenly, dozens of yellow eyes appeared in the darkness around the clearing, watching Marcus's every move.

The man gave a slight smile, and with a voice that was both sweet and dignified, he said:

"So… I'm curious. How does a dog like you dare to appear here without its master? Where is the Baron, you bastard?"