If Vampire Count Hindlow was a god-tier existence, then his servants weren't just background mobs—they were near-divine lieutenants, each worthy of their own nightmare.
The prefix "godlike" wasn't for show.
It was the kind of title you saw in endgame raids, not questline introductions.
"If Hindlow's a god, then his minions are demi-gods…"
Dawei grimaced.That meant he was in deep.
This wasn't just chickens following the rooster. It was a full-on roost of fire-breathing phoenixes.
"Chickens and dogs ascending to heaven…" he muttered. "I'm about to get roasted just watching."
In the dim study of the Sage's hut, Dioise spoke slowly, words heavy with ancient memory.
"In the Count's castle—besides his blood-bound consort who slumbers beside him in the crystal hail—there is another.""An alchemist. A scientist. A creator."
Dawei paused mid-thought.
"…Wait. A scientist?"
That didn't click. Vampires? Sure. Curses? Expected. But a scientist?
It clashed hard with the aesthetic of moonlit thrones and Gothic cathedrals.
"Why's a vampire count running a research lab? Is he trying to patent immortality?"
Dioise nodded, as if reading his thoughts.
"Centuries ago, an aberrant emerged among humans. A man who sought the divine through science. His brilliance was unmatched—even I cannot claim to match his insights in alchemy. But instead of enlightenment, he chose creation."
Dawei's eyes narrowed.
The gears turned. Creating life—true artificial or magical life—was a domain that even gods tread carefully.
And yet…
"He struck a pact with Hindlow," Dioise continued."The Count granted him a drop of immortal blood—in exchange, the scientist promised to solve the vampire's greatest curse: the inability to reproduce."
Click.
It made sense now.
The werewolf virus, too, was part of the experiment—a synthetic strain, made from the Count's own cursed essence. That's why it was immortal. Why it spawned blood monsters under the Count's will. Why Montico, once infected, fell fully under Hindlow's control.
Everything led back to the lab.
Even the curse in Dawei's body.
"Creating life…" Dawei muttered. "That's not science. That's... godhood."
Dioise's face darkened.
"Even gods must obey the laws of creation. But this man—this scientist—he circumvented them."
Dawei rubbed his forehead. "So now I'm fighting a god, who employs a pseudo-god, who builds sub-gods out of cursed biology."
He stood in silence for a moment.
"Fantastic," he said flatly. "Just what every whiteboard player dreams of."
Still, he knew what came next.
Intelligence before action.
He left the hut, walked toward the source of the cursed Heihe River, and went into long-term stealth-mode observation. Hanging back, letting the system's autopilot handle the idle walking as he scarfed down two bowls of instant noodles in real time.
Finally, as the darkness thickened around him, he saw it.
A towering, shadow-drenched castle loomed beyond the Heihe, steeped in dread. Spires like claws. Stone blackened by time and malice. The architecture screamed medieval royal court, but it pulsed with something older.
System Prompt:You have discovered [Hindlow's Castle].New Lore Unlocked: Vampire Count Hindlow.
*Warning: Black Zone – High Risk Detected.
Dawei didn't flinch. He was used to it.
In the Cursed Forest, everything was above his pay grade.
But now he understood something new: the source of the Heihe River came from beneath the Count's fortress.
The entire castle was built above the cursed water—Hindlow's domain leaked into the world like slow poison.
No useful info could be gathered from the outside. The design was clear—if you want knowledge, you have to go in.
Problem was, going in meant dying. Instantly.
At least for normal players.
"Hindlow's field of perception is probably full-map tier.""Step too close, and you get snap-deleted."
Unless…
Dawei's eyes lit up.
"How did Montico escape?" he whispered. "Outside of the moonlit night, he was powerless. Just a guy. No magic. No transformation. And yet… he got out."
That meant something.
That meant there was a route.
And not just any route—one the Count couldn't sense.
He traced the logic.
"The Count's castle is also a research facility. Science creates waste. Waste needs outlets.""Montico liked water, right? Preferred to move near it. Always active near the Heihe…"
Dawei's fingers tapped rapidly against his leg.
"There has to be a waste channel—some kind of waterborne exit under the castle."
The idea clicked so perfectly, it hurt.
He dove into the cursed Heihe without another thought.
System Prompt:You have entered [Cursed Heihe River].Curse effect active – Player weakened.70% chance of instant death.
Dawei tensed. Here it came—death by black water—
System Prompt:[Werewolf Curse] has activated.All Dark Curse effects nullified.Beast-race passive activated:+5 Night Vision | +3 Underwater Vision | +3 Environment Awareness.*
He blinked.
"…What?"
His vision sharpened. The underwater shadows twisted with clarity.
The dark depths became readable. Traceable.
He wasn't being pulled apart by curses. He wasn't drowning.
He was adapting.
"So that's the trick," he whispered. "The curse… isn't just a shackle. It's a key."
He grinned."Montico didn't just curse me. He gave me the way in."