30 The Coun (2/2)

He was right behind a massive mansion lit up entirely with torches and lanterns. A thick garden surrounded him, and surrounding the garden were high walls, concealing the hole from the outside world.

And right around the hole were ten figures clad in black armor, various weapons in their hands.

Li landed amid them, a shower of grass and leaves pushing up from his impact, and the armored men formed a ring around him, their armor clanking as they lowered crimson-infused spears and swords towards him. He patted some grass off from his knees and dragged his boots across the ground, wiping off some muck.

”Apologies for the smell,” said Li. He scanned the ring of warriors around him. They were vampires, all of them, their pale faces and red eyes glowing in the dark, and their armor was the Bloodborn Set, forged with cursed obsidian and lined with bloodstone. A decent set – solid for the midgame and meant for level 50s. ”But I do have to say you vampires were the ones that insisted on crawling around in the sewage.”

”Stop this insanity!” rung a hoarse but powerful voice. The owner of the voice stepped forwards from the mansion. He was unnaturally tall, dressed in a slim-fitting black doublet and silken red breeches. He was obviously a vampire, his complexion pale and his eyes red as ever, but unlike the others, a third eye, completely red like a pearl of blood, lay on his forehead, the marker of a higher vampire who should be level 70.

He had the refined features of a noble. Sharp jaw, sharp cheekbones, sharp nose, sharp eyes – and a razor-sharp demeanor too, it seemed, from the precision of his steps and the strength of his stare.

”We do not treat fellow higher beings like this,” he said as he walked down the steps of his back porch. He gave Li a half bow from quite a distance away, evidently still wary of him. ”I apologize for the rudeness my associates have put you through. It sullies the Alarie name, and as a count, I promise to treat you with the dignity you deserve.”

Li watched as the vampires around him moved away, their weapons withdrawing in synchronized, methodical and drilled precision.

”Was your idea of sending a vampire to my farm also just a little bit of 'rudeness'?” said Li.

Count Alarie shook his head, his fangs growing as displeasure made its presence known upon his face. ”Not at all. He was but a messenger.”

”A messenger knocking at midnight, armed with a knife and in his vampiric form? That doesn't sound suspicious to you?”

”Yes, he was a messenger meant to threaten, but all he was to do was urge you to stray away from pursuing a herbalist's license. He would not have attempted any bodily harm; the knife and vampiric appearance are all for intimidation's sake. True violence - that is not our way.”

”Funny, because I recall four thugs trying to beat me away from a license, and later, two vampires that wanted to execute me for the same reason.”

Alarie sighed. ”Ah, it is difficult working with human street criminals, you must understand. Sometimes, they give in to their baser instincts of violence and discrimination. And the twins? I had no choice to send them when you killed our messenger. Blood must be repaid with blood when it comes to our kind, but you have more than shown you are not some mere human, and so let us say the dimensions of our contact have shifted rather drastically.”

Li took a step forward, and one of the knights raised his spear, thrusting it dangerously close to Li's face.

Li grabbed the spearhead and crushed it in his fist. He opened his hand and the crumbled remains of the cursed obsidian scattered in the wind.

”I will say this only oncemore,” said Alarie to the men. ”Stand down.”

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The vampire warriors nodded and withdrew even further. The one with the destroyed spear visibly shook in his armor.

”The fact doesn't change that you still invaded my home and threatened my livelihood.” Li took another step forwards, and the ground seemed to rumble beneath him, quaking at his focused killing intent. ”You will have to give me an incredibly good reason as to why I shouldn't reduce you to so tiny a smear on the grass that you'll never regenerate.”

Alarie trembled, but he still stood tall, maintaining his composure. ”Indeed, I supposed you would not be placated so easily, but I do wish to tell you that I can more than give you recompense for the inconvenience I have brought upon you. I possess information that would be of great use to you.”

”Such as?”

”Firstly, I know that you are an Outworlder.”