Yu Deng stood at the center of the magic circle. Hearing the Vampire Prince's reassurance, he felt a little more at ease.
"Then you better keep your word."
How could Ronald refuse? While comforting the little vampire, he tried to step into the magic circle.
Unfortunately, despite being the most powerful being and the key to maintaining the castle's existence, it seemed he was being rejected by the circle.
At that moment, the vampire butler and the werewolf leader arrived as well—the barrier at the top floor had already been shattered by a violent force, and half of the wall had collapsed, leaving nothing to stop them.
Wen Luo flew in and immediately spotted Yu Deng's faint, illusory figure. His pupils constricted. "Young Master!"
Anders, equally panicked, shoved aside the obstructing vampires, rushing to Yu Deng's side in a frenzy, his tail drooping. "Baby, where are you going?"
Yu Deng glanced at Wen Luo, who had helped him resolve his overheating issue the previous night, at Anders, who had become his prey, and at his guide.
Why were they all acting as if this was some tragic farewell…
Yu Deng raised his chin slightly, throwing the same question at the two newcomers that he had just posed moments earlier. "If the previous versions of you had met me, would you have protected me?"
Wen Luo and Anders didn't quite understand the question but nodded firmly nonetheless.
With three assurances, the fear of facing the unknown lightened just a little.
A brilliant light flashed, and Yu Deng vanished entirely from their sight.
The delicate little crown he had been wearing fell with a clink, rolling a few times on the ground.
Ronald silently bent down to pick up the crown.
"Locked the baby away so we couldn't see him, and now the baby's gone entirely." The werewolf looked at the empty ground with a sense of loss, snorting coldly at the vampires.
Ronald said nothing.
Whatever the cause of the accident, he had indeed failed to protect his fledgling.
Terrifying power continued to ripple outward, and the mood of those present—these unruly dogs abandoned by their master—was terrible.
The three-headed dog arrived a step too late. Seeing Yu Deng gone, it barked anxiously, as if ready to drag some underworld companions from hell to search for him.
If the main system had a head, it would surely be buzzing right now.
The Vampire Prince carefully sensed the lingering magic for a moment before stating coldly, "It's a Time Reversal Array."
With that, the Vampire Prince went to the adjacent study to consult ancient texts. The other two also decided not to dwell on the situation, each searching for a way to bring the little vampire back.
---
On the other side, Yu Deng had already passed through the magic circle and arrived at what was called the "Old Illusion."
It had to be said, the transportation method of the magical world was far too turbulent. Yu Deng felt like he'd been shoved into a tumble dryer and spun through a quick cycle.
The past few minutes were among the longest and darkest moments of his life.
After landing, Yu Deng bent over with a pale face, feeling so uncomfortable he almost dry heaved. A mist of tears welled up in his eyes.
"Ugh…"
System 01 silently used a bottle of anti-motion sickness medicine on its host.
After a long moment, Yu Deng finally recovered a little from the dizziness and discomfort, giving him the chance to observe his surroundings.
He stood in a vast forest. It seemed to be the same dark forest he had seen when first entering the instance. Every tree was towering, with thick, sprawling branches and leaves that blotted out the sky, leaving him unable to see the road ahead.
Standing in the eerie, silent woods, Yu Deng trembled slightly, frightened by the unfamiliar and sinister environment.
Sniffling softly, he thought, So dark, so scary.
He tentatively took two steps forward and accidentally stepped on a dry branch, which snapped with a crisp cracking sound.
Yu Deng shuddered violently. "System…"
[I'm here. Don't be afraid, Host.]
Yu Deng's mind was so rattled that it took him a long time to remember he didn't have to walk—he could just fly.
Wait, what??
Yu Deng instinctively tried flapping his small wings, but nothing happened. Wide-eyed, he slowly realized that he might not be a vampire right now…?
Indeed, he didn't have vampire fangs or bat wings, and his whole body felt strangely faint and uncomfortable.
His body was even semi-transparent.
"System, where is this…? I feel kind of weird…" Yu Deng flexed his fingers, watching light pass through his palm, utterly bewildered. "Why am I not solid?"
System 01 was utterly charmed by its host's phrasing, feeling a sudden emotional depletion akin to its "blood bar running dry." After a pause, the system explained: [You've now arrived in the past timeline of the instance. Due to causal restrictions, you are temporarily in a semi-transparent state and invisible to most people.]
[Your physical condition is being assessed.]
Yu Deng let out an "Oh" in understanding. He stood still for a few seconds before activating the chat overlay of his livestream.
[It's been a full day of black screen!! I'm screaming! Not seeing my darling is making me cry pearls!]
[Classic move from Baby: whenever there's no one around, he opens the chat... Why are your eyes red, Baby? This loyal fan kisses you fiercely.]
[Baby, think about it—you've been ignoring us viewers for ages.]
[But Baby, what's going on with you? We can't see your current mission.]
"I've arrived at the Old Illusion," Yu Deng muttered, scratching his cheek. "It seems to be a past timeline?"
In the last instance, he'd also entered a past illusion. But that had only been an illusion, and he hadn't been able to change what had happened to the Cheng family. This time… if it's truly the past, does that mean he could make changes?
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Yu Deng decided to wait and see.
With the noisy chat as company, his courage grew a little, allowing him to think more clearly.
He didn't know exactly what he could do in the past, so his first step would be finding the castle. Hmm, most of the items he'd purchased were defensive or healing tools, not pathfinding ones... After pondering for a few seconds, Yu Deng used the paper talismans, Little Red and Little Green, which he'd acquired in the mansion instance.
With a soft rustle, two small paper figures appeared, curiously staring at their semi-transparent master. Boldly, they floated over and clung to him tightly.
"Little Red, Little Green." Yu Deng held one in each hand and greeted them.
The two paper figures had been idle for almost a week since being acquired, thinking they'd never get a chance to be useful. Now, finally summoned, Little Green managed a calm nod, while Little Red was already tearing up.
After a couple of emotional seconds, Little Red remembered it was a paper talisman that couldn't afford to cry, quickly stopping itself and waiting for instructions.
"Little Red, Little Green, I'm lost. Can you scout ahead for me? I need to find the castle." Yu Deng gave them clear instructions. "Oh, and if you encounter anyone suspicious on the way, let me know too."
The two paper figures enthusiastically floated off, eager to complete their master's task. Meanwhile, Yu Deng stayed put, taking the time to review the instance's storyline.
Hmm… in this past timeline, he might finally learn what had happened at the castle's banquet.
Before long, Little Red and Little Green returned, frantically gesturing at Yu Deng.
Yu Deng carefully tried to interpret the gestures but failed: "?" Uh-oh, the paper figures' body language was a bit abstract, and he couldn't understand it.
He and the paper figures stared at each other in confusion for a few seconds before Little Red decisively grabbed his sleeve and began leading him in a certain direction.
The forest was dimly lit, and Yu Deng moved forward cautiously, though he still stumbled over the gnarled tree roots on the ground several times.
After walking for about 500 meters, Yu Deng finally heard some noises—a small team of three men and one woman was discussing something not far ahead.
Yu Deng carefully moved in their direction, sneaking behind a large tree near the group. He peeked out stealthily, preparing to eavesdrop on what they were doing.
"Those non-humans are nothing but polluted, filthy creatures! Werewolves, vampires—whether they have tails or wings, they're no different from beasts."
"Shh, keep your voice down."
"All right, enough idle chatter. Listen up. This mission is critical and concerns everyone's safety." The leader handed out potions to the others. "You must use the holy artifact to seal that terrifying vampire."
After drinking the potions, their bodies began to show varying degrees of non-human traits. The leader continued speaking.
"Jack, your talent is unique. Before the operation begins, you'll be responsible for guarding the holy artifact."
"Yes, sir!"
Jack?
Hearing the familiar name, Yu Deng looked at the handsome blond young man standing on the far side. Then it clicked—wasn't Jack the name of that skeleton?
So the timeline he was in now must be the time Jack infiltrated the castle.
Yu Deng felt a bit dizzy as he pieced the plot together. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a vine wrapped around a small crow on the tree, staring at him with wide eyes.
Yu Deng wasn't frightened. Without thinking, he naturally reached out to untangle the vine from the crow's leg, even giving its sleek black feathers a gentle stroke.
The little crow looked at Yu Deng in confusion, tilted its head, nuzzled against him briefly, and then flapped its wings to fly away.
Ahead, the leader of the knight squad finished giving instructions, and the group set off toward the castle. Seeing this, Yu Deng quickly followed them.
These knights' stamina and physical prowess were on a completely different level compared to Yu Deng's. He practically had to jog to keep up with their pace.
Moving quickly, Yu Deng couldn't be as careful. Inevitably, he stepped on several dry branches, the snapping sounds particularly noticeable in the silent forest.
"Who's there?!" The knights immediately turned around, their eyes scanning for the source of the noise.
Yu Deng froze on the spot, urgently thinking of a way to respond, but then he realized something strange—the knights were looking all around, as if they couldn't see him standing right in front of them.
Huh? They can't see me?
The leader pulled out a magical artifact and scanned the area. After detecting nothing unusual, he waved for the group to continue moving forward.
One knight, Jack, lagged behind for a moment. He turned his head and looked directly at Yu Deng. Unlike the others, Jack could clearly see him.
Yu Deng was stunned for a few seconds before hastily raising a finger to his lips, signaling Jack to keep quiet.
Jack blinked, momentarily confused, but ultimately obeyed the sudden request from this unexpectedly beautiful boy, allowing him to follow quietly behind their group.
After all, someone who looked this good couldn't possibly have bad intentions, right? Jack reassured himself.
---
The journey through the dark forest was unbearably tedious. By the time Yu Deng finally caught sight of the castle's outline, he was so exhausted that he could barely walk.
[Apologies for the delay, Host. Your body diagnostic report is now complete.] System 01's voice sounded unusually heavy. [The power of the temporal regression has caused significant damage to your body. In Old Era Mode, you will remain in a weakened state, and the effects will continue to compound over time.]
So it was a continuous debuff of weakness? No wonder he felt so drained…
Yu Deng clutched the hem of his shirt, a bit at a loss. "W-what should I do…? S-System, I'm not going to die, am I?"
[You won't, but you might feel a bit uncomfortable.] The system's voice softened.
—Besides, with those men around, they'll surely protect the Host.
Yu Deng, feeling the increasing discomfort, listlessly replied, "Alright…"
［Baby's face is so pale, is he sick?］
［Judging by the status, it's showing continuous weakness. It's probably the price of temporal regression. Clearing a difficult stage like this always comes with conditions.］
［Wife must be feeling awful, my heart aches for him! Let's reward our wife generously!］
Following the knights disguised as non-humans, Yu Deng finally arrived at the castle.
At this point in time, the castle seemed to have been newly constructed, its walls pristine, and the interior brightly lit.
The knights handed over some sort of forged banquet invitation and, once inside the grand hall, quickly dispersed to act independently. In the blink of an eye, they were nowhere to be seen.
Yu Deng glanced around in confusion. Realizing he couldn't locate the knights, he had no choice but to act on his own.
In the center of the hall, Lady Claudia was hosting the banquet.
"Tonight, we celebrate our complete victory over the deceitful and treacherous humans. Lords and ladies, let the revelry begin!" The vampire smiled. "Moreover, I've received some intriguing news—that is, a human has infiltrated our banquet. Everyone, this should provide some entertainment for the next few days."
A non-human chimed in enthusiastically, "Once we catch them, we must throw them into the labyrinth! Let those humans taste the suffering we endured!"
"Exactly! Those damned Church mages dared to set up a labyrinth to torment us! We absolutely can't let them off lightly!"
Huddled in a corner, Yu Deng clung to a doorframe, observing the non-humans and trying to process the situation.
How did Lady Claudia know humans had infiltrated the banquet? Did a witch inform her?
And the labyrinth mechanic from the second day of the instance—it turns out it reflects the non-humans' own experiences from back then.
Deep in thought, Yu Deng was suddenly startled by a gentle voice behind him.
"Hello, my dear… little human."
Yu Deng shivered, turned around, and saw a familiar figure—a vampire. It was Wen Luo, the castle's steward. His features looked slightly more youthful now, but his demeanor was as calm and composed as ever.
Yu Deng sighed in relief. "Wen Luo, you scared me."
It was a natural and familiar tone, even tinged with an affectionate hint of complaint.
The black-haired steward slightly narrowed his emerald-green eyes, hiding the curiosity and uncontrollable intrigue within them.
How fascinating. He had never met this human before, and by all rights, he should be expelling the boy. Yet, he felt none of the disgust he typically harbored toward humans. On the contrary, he even felt a desire for closer interaction.
［Holy crap, the steward can see Baby too?!］
［Oh, oh, I get it! Is it only people who've had specific shared experiences with Baby in the future that can see him now?］
［Seems like it! Otherwise, the butterfly effect would be way too overwhelming.］
［As expected of a variant-level difficult instance. The challenge is way beyond C-level. I'm so worried that my clumsy wife won't find the key to clear it.］
［Don't worry, Baby's amazing! (blind faith.jpg)］
As Yu Deng relaxed slightly, he realized that his body had unknowingly become solid, no longer the semi-transparent form from earlier.
However, others still couldn't see him.
"Although I'm quite curious why no one else can see you," Wen Luo smiled at Yu Deng, "please be careful. Non-humans have all sorts of strange talents—what if they manage to find you?"
Yu Deng's face turned even paler. "Really…"
Unable to resist any longer, Wen Luo raised a hand and gently touched Yu Deng's cheek. "Do you need help?"
Yu Deng nodded and shook his head at the same time. "I just wanted to wander around… but I'm so tired."
After a moment of thought, Wen Luo led Yu Deng to a specially positioned empty room. From here, one could observe the happenings in the grand hall without being noticed by those inside.
Yu Deng found a chair and sat down, exhaling deeply. While resting, he overheard the impassioned discussions of the non-humans in the hall.
Listening for a while, Yu Deng finally pieced things together: this was the first year following the fierce campaign of sieges and retaliation.
As for the history of non-humans, Yu Deng had a general understanding.
—When beings like vampires and werewolves first emerged, there was considerable conflict with the knights and mages of the Church. The then-Pope mediated negotiations with the non-humans, leading to a temporary peace treaty. The leaders of the time, the werewolf chieftain—Anders' father—and the vampire prince, managed their respective groups and coexisted peacefully with humans for a period.
Several decades later, a new Pope arose within the Church. Harboring a deep hatred for non-humans and seeing them as a potential threat, he decided to eradicate them completely.
The Church issued an invitation under the pretext of fostering harmony, organizing a grand banquet. But it was all a trap.
Not only did the Church ambush the non-humans who attended the banquet, but they also took advantage of the gathering of non-human elites to slaughter the weaker ones who stayed behind—a horrifying massacre by all accounts.
The non-humans bore an intense hatred for this betrayal.
Over the next year, the enmity and conflicts between the two sides peaked, with battles erupting incessantly and mysterious powers surfacing. It was only recently, after the vampire prince slew the Pope, that this vengeance came to an end.
---
The grand hall was noisy and bustling. No one would have guessed that the castle steward had hidden a human right under their noses.
"You seem very interested in all this," Wen Luo remarked, observing Yu Deng as he listened intently to the voices outside.
"A little," Yu Deng replied, turning around. "I didn't expect the Pope to be so awful…"
Wen Luo lowered his gaze and agreed softly, "He was."
At that moment, the commotion in the hall came to an abrupt stop. Yu Deng peeked out and saw the vampire prince of centuries past making his entrance.
The young and strikingly handsome vampire wore a silver-white formal suit, exuding an aura of icy power that was impossible to ignore.
The noisy banquet hall fell silent for a brief moment before the chatter resumed. The vampire prince, however, did not linger in the hall. After saying a few succinct words, he left and headed directly toward Yu Deng's location.
One minute later, the vampire prince came face-to-face with the human hidden within the castle—Yu Deng.
"Did you bring him in?" The prince stood before Yu Deng, his calm crimson eyes glancing at the steward.
"In a way," Wen Luo admitted.
Yu Deng, seemingly unafraid of the prince, asked curiously, "How did you know I was here?"
"…"
Because this lovely human smelled absolutely delectable. A soft, sweet scent radiated from him, impossible to conceal—like an inviting dessert, openly announcing its presence. The prince couldn't resist being drawn in.
The young Ronald did not answer the question. Instead, he leaned slightly toward Yu Deng and, in an unprecedented move, issued a warning.
"Human, this place is dangerous."
Yu Deng looked puzzled, glancing between the prince and the steward. "But aren't you both here?"
Both vampires were briefly stunned by Yu Deng's natural familiarity and unguarded tone.
"Agnes," the vampire prince finally said, "go manage the banquet. Ensure those people don't cause too much trouble." He paused slightly before adding, "And check if that thing remains secure."
The young steward, with his dark hair and composed demeanor, understood the gravity of the task. After glancing at Yu Deng, he replied, "…Understood."
Once Wen Luo had left, Ronald lifted Yu Deng into his arms. In mere seconds, they were on the top floor.
"Ronald," Yu Deng murmured, tugging at the prince's sleeve with a pitiful expression. "I feel awful…"
The vampire prince was unfazed by being addressed by his name. Instead, he gravely pressed a hand to Yu Deng's forehead, carefully examining him, only to realize the severity of the situation.
A strange force within the young human's body was devouring his life force. If left unchecked, he wouldn't survive.
Within minutes, Yu Deng's discomfort intensified severalfold. Large tears rolled down his face as he instinctively clung to the prince, babbling incoherently. "Didn't you say you'd protect me…"
"…I can save you," Ronald said seriously, tilting Yu Deng's face and pressing his fingers against the soft skin of his neck. "But you will no longer be human. Can you accept that?"
Yu Deng didn't care about such details. He tilted his head back, urging impatiently, "Hurry… hurry and bite me."
To a vampire, Yu Deng's words were an open invitation.
Turn me, let us become the same.
The vampire prince, who had never sired anyone before, found himself entranced in an instant.
The silver-haired vampire gazed deeply at Yu Deng before his fangs pierced the fragile skin.
Pain engulfed Yu Deng in a flash.
The delicate, pretty boy froze, momentarily forgetting to cry. Only after a while did he resume shedding tears, weakly kicking his legs in the prince's arms.
"Don't be afraid. It will stop hurting soon," Ronald soothed, holding the tear-streaked boy close. "I don't even know your name yet, sweetheart."
Yu Deng instinctively answered, "Yu Deng… I'm Yu Deng…"
"Mm, Deng Deng, my darling."
Yu Deng didn't know how long the turning process lasted.
All he felt was his blood boiling—icy and scalding all at once. Intense, overwhelming emotions drowned him. The earlier weakness was gone, and even the pain of the bite gradually morphed into a peculiar pleasure.
As he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, a thought crossed Yu Deng's mind.
So in this instance, being turned wasn't part of the background lore—it was something I truly experienced.
The cause was him, and the effect was also him. From beginning to end, it was all him.
Sounds around him became faint and muffled, as though separated by a veil.
"You turned him into a vampire?" It seemed to be Wen Luo's voice.
"Mm. Otherwise, he would have died."
What followed was a long, heavy silence.
Yu Deng didn't see the regretful expression in Wen Luo's eyes as he stared at the newly turned vampire—his prince's first progeny.
Yu Deng felt as though he had taken a nap, but in reality, not much time had passed.
The pain was gone, but a subtler, more uncomfortable feeling lingered.
His vision blurred as he looked at the vampires before him. They were all people he could trust and rely on, especially his guide.
Curled up on the throne, the newly born little vampire struggled to lift his hand, reaching forward as if trying to grab someone—though it was unclear who.
Both the vampire prince and the steward lowered their heads simultaneously.
The little vampire raised his beautiful face, his eyes moist. With a soft, fragile voice that lingered sweetly at the end, he said to them:
"...I want a hug."