Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 189 - Already at the Seat
“Belfago.” Wu Chen nodded to it, a gesture of greeting. The auras of the vampires clashed in the grand dining room, which resembled a palace of kings, thus confirming their respective power levels. Then, each politely withdrew their contact.

"It's getting late." He had nothing to say to it. "I'm really looking forward to tonight's banquet."

“Me too.” Belfago picked up a glass of wine from a waiter’s tray. It was crimson in color and had a strong aroma. Undoubtedly, it was a pure brew made with fresh ingredients and blood. He took a small sip, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. “Tonight’s banquet is different from usual. The lady will personally appear to bestow rewards upon the stars of the evening.”

Ramaya does not appear in public often.

In Wu Chen's memories of her identity, she would be present, but usually only remain behind the scarlet curtain, casually offering a few opening remarks before handing the entire banquet over to the vampires, letting them do as they pleased. Only on special occasions would she appear to issue commands or bestow rewards.

Those in power are often elusive; this is a common technique of governance.

Wu Chen then gave Belfago a smile that was only superficial. Reme, who was reluctant but could only passively obey under that special dress, left the front hall and went to the side.

The vampire's feast was noisier than expected.

On either side of the hall were numerous side lounges for resting, and many of these lounges already exuded the fresh smell of blood—the sounds emanating from a few rooms were enough to make one blush and their heart race. However, in many more halls, the faint sounds of sucking, tearing, and chewing could be heard.

The main course at vampire banquets has always been their mortal dance partners.

And now, the lives of many 'dance partners' have been prematurely consumed.

The stench of blood permeated the air.

The stench of blood lingered around Wu Chen's nose.

He casually found a seat where he wouldn't be disturbed and sat down. He felt the slightly viscous air and began to think.

—Something's not right.

Wu Chen thought—he reached out and brushed away a wisp of crimson aura that brushed past his eyes. The intense stench of blood wasn't pungent to his senses. The sounds of chewing and sucking were merely noise to him. And the screams and wails mixed in with the sounds of eating, driven by the personal interests of certain vampires, only made him raise an eyebrow slightly.

Is it because this is just a dream?

Or is it because of the influence of this vampire's outer shell?

Wu Chen's fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair. His keen senses reached out in all directions. In his observation, there were at least ten high-ranking vampires gathered in this hall. Among them were three, including Belfago, whose energy level was higher than Wu Chen's at this moment.

They are indeed a formidable group of enemies.

A direct confrontation would only lead to certain death.

but……

Why don't I have the thought of annihilating them all?

Wu Chen disliked vampires—back in the past, when he played games. Vampires and the snow elves who had fallen into descent into serpentism were the monsters he loathed most. Both were equally cruel, savage, and bloodthirsty. And as a human, he needed to release some of his empathy.

In the world of the Undead King, in the Aberle Hills, wasn't it for this very reason that he ravaged the demi-humans? But now... why?
—Am I a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong, a person who is easily swayed?

His thoughts raced, and he tried to muster a bit of killing intent and hostility, but he couldn't. He knew, of course, that a true man should know how to wait for the right opportunity. But even so, there should be a surge of anger within him, a fire burning inside.

“Hey, monster. When are you planning to make your move?” The girl’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head, and Réme’s blonde hair swayed slightly. There was no fear in her bright eyes, and her gaze as she looked into the side hall, at all the vampires, was filled with hatred and hostility. “Like them? Or do you have some strange fetish?”

Her voice wasn't loud, but it pierced through Wu Chen's ears with a unique force. He tightened his grip slightly with his fingertips, then released them. His gaze swept past her over the men and women who had been bewitched and were about to become vampire food at the banquet, but they appeared strange to him.

The human form vanished from his sight—what he saw were no longer independent living beings, but complete skeletons adorned with countless muscles, internal organs, lymph nodes, and filled with blood. And beyond the skeletons, there was a layer of skin, either thin or thick.

They are still alive.

They are merely walking materials. Humans are like this, and vampires are not much different—those dark nobles who raise their glasses and laugh and talk are actually nothing more than a mass of high-energy blood clinging to a withered body, and their greatest use is to burn them, blood and bone together, to ashes. The final remnants become highly effective alchemical resources.

They are all materials.

Humans and vampires are not that different.

A faint, dark inspiration silently welled up from the depths of his heart. Wu Chen realized that with just a few gestures and runes, he could easily make the skeletons of these living people struggle out of their bodies, and thus create the most basic skeleton soldiers in necromancy. Vampires were undoubtedly a type of undead creature, and with a little research, he could, like those summoners who controlled unclaimed elements, hold the power of life and death over low-level vampires.

That's really not that difficult.

All he had to do was try, and the rewards would inevitably come. Even if left unattended, his previously clueless necromancy skills would steadily improve, propelling him towards mastering this art of control.

So……

My finger stung slightly.

His thumbnail dug into the pad of his middle finger, and the slight stinging sensation brought Wu Chen back to his senses. The strange feeling faded silently, yet deep down, he still knew the truth.

The power of necromancy has grown stronger once again.

He silently shifted his gaze back to the girl in front of him.

"Why do you think that?" he asked.

“Because you look exactly like them,” she replied. “Though you seem kind, your eyes betray your true nature. You don’t see other people as your own kind, do you? Damn it… I wish a hero would descend from the sky and kill all you monsters!”

Her voice was slightly louder than before. Many of the nearby vampires couldn't help but glance at her. Of course, they did nothing, for deliberately maintaining hostility and self-will towards their dance partners was a common practice among the nobles of the night at their feasts.

Wu Chen glanced at them.

They all raised their glasses to Wu Chen, nodded, and then avoided his gaze—because in their eyes, Wu Chen was indeed a powerful vampire, and they couldn't find any trace of human scent on him that those disguised infiltrators could never wash away.

Wu Chen then pursed his lips.

She's right. If a human hero had truly appeared here, that hero would have already begun a massacre. And I, should be in that position.

He took a silent breath.

A hypothesis was confirmed in his mind.

The necromancer's amulet was still in his pocket, still inactive. The small amount of spilled magic shouldn't have affected him. But…

"A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan," he told himself.

He reflected on why he had come here and his goals.

Ultimately, it all boils down to the fact that Mil gave him a commission, forcibly throwing him into this deep, sealed dream realm. However, his true goal was simply to obtain the necromancer's amulet.

This goal has been achieved.

and so--

"What grand scheme do I have?"

(End of this chapter)