Daniel was just about to speak when a muffled grunt came from Blade through the communicator.
Immediately afterward, an unfamiliar voice cut in. "Hey, you must be the vampire slayer, right? I heard you've been running around with the Daywalker looking for me?"
Daniel raised a brow. "Deacon Frost?"
"That's right—me."
Frost admitted it without hesitation. "To be honest, you interest me. A mere human who managed to kill so many vampires… I can give you an opportunity. Join us. Become one of the great vampire race."
Daniel chuckled. "I'll need to think that over. How about this—you let me come to you, and we sit down and talk slowly."
"Hmph."
Frost snorted, his voice turning cold. "Since you won't cherish this chance, then wait patiently. The age of vampires is about to dawn. After tonight, every human will become our slave!"
With the standard villain monologue complete, he cut the connection.
Daniel looked at the map. Blade's green marker was moving rapidly.
He immediately took the elevator to the corresponding floor.
Ding!!
The elevator stopped. Outside stood a group of vampires armed with guns.
The moment the doors slid open, they opened fire, bullets clattering wildly against the elevator.
But as the doors fully opened, they discovered the elevator was empty—every bullet had hit nothing.
"Cease fire!"
The lead vampire signaled his men.
One vampire nodded, raised his assault rifle, and cautiously stepped into the elevator.
He scanned the space and, seeing no one, turned his head. "Captain, there's no—"
"Watch your back!"
The vampires outside widened their eyes, pointing behind him.
The vampire whipped around—Daniel dropped from the ceiling panel like an apparition, grinning at him.
"Had dinner yet? If not, here's some garlic."
Before the vampire could react, Daniel jammed a concentrated garlic-extract grenade—with the pin already pulled—straight into his mouth and kicked him out of the elevator.
A cloud of yellow vapor spewed out of the vampire's mouth, roasting him alive. Sprinkle a little cumin and he'd be ready to serve.
Come to think of it, vampires were recorded as edible creatures in the Shan Hai Jing—supposedly good for longevity.
"It's garlic extract! Run!"
Seeing the spreading yellow mist, the vampires scrambled away like they were fleeing a septic tank explosion.
Daniel seized the moment and raised his gun.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each bullet cut through the mist and punched clean holes into the vampires' skulls.
When the haze finally thinned, only the vampire captain remained.
Terrified by Daniel's ferocity, the captain dropped his rifle, clenched his fists, and took up a fighting stance.
"Put down the gun if you dare—fight me man to man."
"No."
Daniel answered instantly.
The vampire captain: "…"
This wasn't the script he imagined at all.
Bang! Bang!
Daniel shot out both his legs, then walked up and pressed the barrel against his forehead.
"Where is Frost taking Blade?"
"You think I'll tell you?" the captain sneered.
Bang!
Daniel shot him in the arm.
"From now on, every time you refuse to answer, I'll put another hole in you."
The silver-coated bullets burned his wounds, sending agony surging through his body.
"F— you—"
Bang!
"You—"
Bang!
"Fine! I'll talk! I'll—"
Bang!
"I was about to talk! Why did you shoot again!?" The vampire captain broke down completely.
"Sorry. Habit."
"…"
Afraid he'd get shot again, the captain hurried out, "The Temple of Eternal Night! They went to the Temple of Eternal Night! Frost needs the Daywalker alive to complete some kind of ritual!"
Blade's life didn't seem to be in immediate danger.
Daniel noticed Blade's map marker moving slightly. He lifted the captain by the collar. "Do you have a car?"
"Yes—yes!"
"Give me the keys."
Trembling, the captain handed over the keys to the car he'd just bought on loan.
Was this… armed robbery?
The Temple of Eternal Night sat in a remote, half-developed suburban zone marked as a construction site.
But anyone paying attention would notice the equipment wasn't actually operating. The place wasn't under construction at all—just a cover.
Daniel parked 200 meters away on a flat stretch of ground and took out binoculars.
A two-meter-high barbed-wire fence surrounded the site, and armed vampires patrolled back and forth. Whatever they were guarding inside, it was clearly important.
Daniel checked the map again—Blade was deep underground.
He pulled out a diamond pickaxe and began digging down.
Ten minutes later, the soil gave way and a vast underground chamber opened before him—clearly a centuries-old structure hidden beneath the surface.
Following Blade's position, Daniel reached a sealed chamber where several vampires were guarding a massive stone sarcophagus.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four quick shots from the Golden Desert Eagle reduced them to ash.
"Ah!!"
A shrill scream came from the shadows.
Daniel turned and spotted a dark-skinned female vampire.
Damn. When was this racial advantage going to get nerfed?
Bang!
One shot silenced her.
He moved to the sarcophagus, felt around, and quickly found a switch.
With a mechanical groan, the lid opened—revealing an unconscious Blade inside.
The situation looked grim. Two razor-sharp blades inside the coffin had slashed deep into his wrists, letting blood drip along carved channels into the structure below.
With the sarcophagus no longer supporting him, Blade collapsed to the floor.
"Blade. Wake up."
Daniel crouched and tapped his face, but Blade didn't respond.
His dark-but-pale complexion made it obvious—he was suffering from severe blood loss.
According to Blade, though he was half-vampire, he had never consumed fresh human blood. His regeneration was nowhere near a real vampire's.
If this continued, even his physique wouldn't save him.
Daniel pulled out the freshly acquired Fate Coin from his inventory, glanced at Blade's notoriously unlucky face, and put it back. Instead, he took out a red potion bottle.
[Item: Health Potion (Gradually restores HP over 15 seconds)]
Daniel forced Blade's mouth open and poured the potion in.
The effect was immediate.
The wounds on his wrists closed rapidly. His face regained a bit of color. His eyelids trembled—and slowly he woke up.
Seeing him regain consciousness, Daniel sighed. "We agreed to catch Frost together. How did you end up the one being caught?"
"There was an accident," Blade said hoarsely. "My mother… she wasn't dead. Frost turned her into a vampire long ago. She's been with him. They ambushed me together."
His emotions were a tangled mess.
His mother being alive should have been good news—even if she'd become a vampire.
But she ended up working with his greatest enemy.
Which meant Frost had effectively become his stepfather. And the two of them… well, everyone would have to sort out their titles according to seniority.
Grinding his teeth, Blade said, "I have to find her. I need to ask her why she would do this!"
Daniel looked at him with rare sympathy.
Your own mother betraying you for your stepdad, even stabbing you in the back and leaving you to die—anyone would break.
He patted Blade's shoulder. "Where is she? I'll help you find her."
Blade looked around, trying to remember. "Before I passed out… she was right next to me. Did you see a Black woman when you came in?"
"…"
Daniel glanced at the inconspicuous pile of ash in the corner.
He shook his head without hesitation. "Didn't see anyone. She must've left. But I'm sure you two will meet again someday."