Gazing at Observer Castle perched on the cliff's edge like a black eagle, Lucian didn't dare get too close. Without his polymorph mask, it would be all too easy for Prince Dracula to recognize him as the wizard he had noticed inside the Sphinx's tomb — and once that happened, suspicion would be inevitable.
Rhein had vanished in the southern desert of the Gustav Empire, and during the search they encountered a suspicious high-ranking mage carrying an item crafted by a Grand Archanist. If that same mage then showed up near Observer Castle, claiming the two incidents were unrelated would require Dracula's brain to have rotted and fossilized with the passage of time.
Lucian pulled out his pocket watch, confirmed the time once more, then cast a Bull's Strength spell on himself and a handful of other buff spells, drained what little potion he had left, and gripped "Pale Justice" firmly in his hand. Using its legendary-grade sensitivity to evil forces, he probed the movements around the castle. At the same time, he activated the monocle — if anything unexpected happened, Natasha would contact him immediately.
In truth, if Lucian hadn't sought Natasha's help, he could have managed on his own. But the choices of distance and timing would have been terribly tricky. Too far away, and his control spells would be useless, plus he'd have no way to gauge when he'd actually arrive at Observer Castle. Before he could even jump back via the Dark Night Plateau, Dracula might have already ruled out the possibility of Rhein's presence and sealed the entrance again. Too close, and Dracula would have almost no travel time — meaning Lucian might not even make it to the castle gates before Dracula made the round trip and caught the impostor wearing the polymorph mask.
"Five minutes should be enough for Viscount Hazes to report to Prince Dracula. After all, he's Dracula's descendant."
Lucian tucked the pocket watch back into the inner pocket of his mage's robe and began silently counting down. One of the reasons he'd chosen Viscount Hazes was precisely that he was one of Prince Dracula's favorite descendants — otherwise, there were several mid-tier vampires in the provinces near the northern fortress, so why pick him?
As for Natasha's safety, since she had already promised not to put herself in danger, Lucian chose to believe she wouldn't be reckless or impulsive. He harbored no doubts — it was a matter of mutual trust.
Time ticked by, second by second. When Lucian's internal count reached three minutes and fifty-six seconds, "Pale Justice" suddenly trembled faintly, as though it had encountered its most terrifying enemy.
Through it, Lucian sensed an extraordinarily evil force — faint but unmistakable — flash into being around Observer Castle on the cliff's edge. It seemed woven from supremely pure darkness and the power of death, intertwined together.
Holding his breath, staying perfectly still, Lucian began counting down.
"Ten, nine, eight…"
Observer Castle, forever shrouded in darkness, seemed to shed a thin layer of ash and take on a slightly more translucent appearance. A faint, almost invisible glow enveloped Lucian as he cast "Haste" on himself.
"…five, four, three…"
The night wind blew past. Apart from the faint rustling of the dark creatures that habitually lingered here, there was no other sound. Lucian pulled out a potion that enhanced flight speed and downed it.
"Two, one."
The moment he reached one, Lucian cast aside every fear, every worry, every hesitation, and shot toward Observer Castle like a cannonball.
Wind howled in his face. The dark forest below retreated in a blur. Many magical creatures turned their attention skyward in astonishment.
Now, the only way to seize this chance and secure his safety was to press forward without wavering.
Bursting through layer after layer of wind barriers, Lucian landed at the gates of Observer Castle before any of the creatures could react.
"Kleehami." The incantation he had been charging burst from his lips.
From the surrounding darkness, countless fist-sized bats with crimson eyes suddenly burst forth, surging toward Lucian at the gates.
Even after departing, Prince Dracula had not forgotten to leave behind bloodbat projections near Observer Castle.
For someone capable of rendering dream-entities semi-real, these were virtually identical to real bats — possessing formidable alertness, reconnaissance, and offensive capabilities!
As they swarmed, the densely packed bloodbats each emitted invisible sound waves that merged into a dizzying, vertigo-inducing pulsation.
"Welcome, honored guest." The alchemical life-form Mikhail's resonant voice boomed out as the gates opened unhurriedly, seemingly oblivious to the perilous scene unfolding before the castle.
Lucian gripped Pale Justice tightly, drawing on its ability to resist negative states such as rage, charm, and helplessness to withstand the soul-deep dizziness. He lunged toward the gates, which had opened just a crack.
Potions, spells, and magical items had boosted his strength and speed enormously, creating a vast disparity with his balance and reflexes. As a result, Lucian tumbled and scrambled his way through the gates in an ungainly heap.
Bat after bat slammed viciously at the edge of the doorway. Then Mikhail's deep voice rumbled:
"Enemy attack. Activating first-layer defense."
Lightning-like black arcs began crackling across the castle walls and gates. Every bloodbat that touched them disintegrated into dust. But the bloodbats were utterly fearless — wave after wave of attacks continued without pause.
Lucian scrambled to his feet, sheathed Pale Justice, dispelled the strength-enhancing magic on himself to restore his last shred of balance, and charged toward the main hall while chanting incantations at breakneck speed.