Chapter 147: Beneath the Crimson Moon

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Beneath the Crimson Moon

The following morning, Ronan left his cave before the crimson sun had fully risen.

He had spent most of the night reviewing everything he had learned about Bloodfall City. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the information provided by the vampire he had interrogated was insufficient.

Knowing the city’s layout was one thing.

Understanding how it operated was another.

If he wanted to capture Varkos alive, he needed to understand the vampire’s personality, his relationships with his subordinates, and, most importantly, the city’s defensive capabilities.

Charging into the city and fighting everyone would be the stupidest possible approach.

Ronan had already learned that lesson from his encounter with the Eight-Star King Realm demon.

He had no intention of repeating the same mistake.

"Let’s see what you’re hiding, Varkos."

He concealed his presence as much as possible and approached Bloodfall City from a different direction.

This time, he didn’t focus on the gates or the patrols.

Instead, he paid attention to the city’s inhabitants.

Vampires entered and exited the gates throughout the morning. Some carried weapons, others transported goods, while a few wore expensive clothing and traveled with armed escorts.

The city was considerably more active than Ronan had initially imagined.

Merchants shouted from their stalls. Blacksmiths worked inside enormous workshops, and strange creatures pulled heavily loaded carriages through the streets.

There were even establishments that appeared to serve as inns.

Ronan watched everything with growing interest.

’These vampires have built an entire society.’

He had known they possessed intelligence, but seeing their civilization firsthand gave him a different perspective.

They weren’t simply monsters gathered around a powerful leader.

They had businesses, occupations, social positions, and an established hierarchy.

And where there was civilization, there were inevitably conflicts.

Conflicts created opportunities.

Ronan’s lips curled upward.

He was beginning to like this place.

However, his expression soon turned serious.

Something about the city’s defenses bothered him.

He had noticed the formations covering the walls the previous day, but from his current position, he could see that they weren’t the only defensive measures in place.

Several stone pillars stood along the main roads leading toward the gates. Dark red crystals were embedded in their surfaces, pulsing faintly whenever a vampire passed nearby.

Ronan watched one of the crystals glow before returning to its original state.

’Detection formations?’

He observed several more vampires passing the pillars.

The crystals reacted differently to each individual, sometimes glowing faintly and sometimes remaining almost completely dark.

Ronan couldn’t determine exactly what they were detecting.

However, he wasn’t foolish enough to assume they were harmless decorations.

If the formations could detect unusual bloodlines or concealed identities, entering the city personally might expose him before he even reached Varkos.

And with the mark identifying him as the Ghoul Lord, that would be particularly troublesome.

He had already experienced what happened when vampires recognized his identity.

They attacked without hesitation.

Ronan clicked his tongue.

’I’ll need to investigate those pillars before considering an infiltration.’

He shifted his attention toward the city center.

That was when something unusual happened.

A large bell rang from somewhere inside Bloodfall City.

Its deep sound spread through the streets, and the previously bustling inhabitants began moving toward an enormous square near the inner district.

Even the merchants temporarily abandoned their stalls.

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

"What is this? A festival?"

He followed the movement from a distance, keeping himself concealed behind the surrounding buildings and rocky terrain.

Soon, he discovered the reason for the gathering.

An execution.

Several vampires were kneeling in the center of the square, their hands bound by dark chains. Armed guards surrounded them, while an elevated platform stood behind the prisoners.

A tall vampire wearing black armor stood on the platform.

His aura was considerably stronger than those of the surrounding guards, though it was still nowhere near the Peak King Realm presence Ronan had sensed from the castle.

An official, judging by his clothing, stepped forward and began reading a list of accusations.

The prisoners had allegedly stolen resources from the city’s treasury, murdered members of the ruling families, and attempted to escape after their crimes were discovered.

Ronan listened without much interest.

Such incidents were hardly surprising.

Wherever power and resources existed, there would always be someone attempting to seize them.

However, the execution became more interesting when the official announced the final accusation.

"Conspiracy against Lord Varkos!"

The crowd immediately erupted into murmurs.

The prisoners lowered their heads, and one of them suddenly began shouting.

"We never betrayed Lord Varkos! We were framed!"

The armored vampire struck him across the face.

"Silence!"

The prisoner spat blood onto the ground.

"You think killing us will hide the truth? The western territories are already moving! Once the other lords discover what you’ve done—"

A blade flashed.

His head rolled across the stone floor.

The square fell silent.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’The western territories?’

Before he could consider the statement further, the atmosphere changed.

A terrifying aura descended upon the square.

Every vampire present immediately lowered their heads.

Some dropped to one knee, while others trembled beneath the overwhelming pressure.

Even the armed guards stood motionless.

Ronan felt the aura from his concealed position.

It was the same presence he had sensed the previous day.

Peak King Realm.

A figure emerged from the enormous building overlooking the square.

He was a tall vampire dressed in black and crimson robes, with long dark hair falling behind his shoulders. His crimson eyes swept across the gathering with an indifferent expression.

Varkos.

The ruler of Bloodfall City had finally appeared.

Ronan watched him carefully.

Unlike Selvara, who had relied heavily on treasures during their battle, Varkos carried no obvious weapon. He simply stood before the crowd, and his overwhelming presence was enough to keep thousands of vampires silent.

That alone told Ronan something important.

Varkos didn’t merely possess strength.

He knew how to use it to maintain authority.

"Traitors," Varkos said calmly, his voice reaching every corner of the square. "Always eager to blame others when their own ambitions lead them to ruin."

His gaze swept over the prisoners.

"Bloodfall City has survived because its inhabitants understand one simple rule. Those who wish to enjoy its protection must obey its laws."

He raised one hand.

The armored vampire immediately bowed.

"Carry out the execution."

The remaining prisoners were killed moments later.

Varkos didn’t watch them die.

He simply turned around and returned to his castle, as though the entire affair had been nothing more than an insignificant interruption to his morning.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Ronan remained where he was, his expression thoughtful.

’Interesting.’

He had initially assumed Varkos maintained his authority primarily through strength.

That assumption wasn’t entirely wrong, but there was more to it.

The vampire controlled a city with thousands of inhabitants, multiple powerful subordinates, and a network of territories beyond its walls.

Such an organization couldn’t be maintained through brute force alone.

Varkos had to possess considerable intelligence, political awareness, or both.

That made him a more valuable target.

Unfortunately, it also made him more troublesome.

Ronan had originally intended to capture Varkos, interrogate him about Selvara, and take whatever useful traits he could obtain afterward.

Now, he was beginning to suspect that capturing the vampire would be considerably more complicated than simply overpowering him.

’I’ll need to find out what happened in the western territories.’

The prisoner’s final words had caught his attention.

The western territories were apparently experiencing some kind of conflict, and Varkos had executed individuals accused of conspiring against him.

Whether the accusations were genuine or fabricated remained unclear.

However, political instability was often more useful than a weakness in a city’s walls.

A ruler dealing with internal conflicts might have less attention available for an unexpected enemy.

Of course, Ronan wasn’t going to rely on that possibility without gathering more information.

He had already made enough careless assumptions in the past.

---

As the day progressed, Ronan moved farther away from the square and continued observing Bloodfall City.

He eventually discovered that the city had a separate district dedicated to visitors from other territories.

Unlike the residential districts, this area was heavily guarded. Several large buildings stood behind reinforced gates, and vampires wearing different insignias could be seen entering and leaving them.

Some carried documents.

Others traveled with armed escorts.

A few possessed auras that made even the local guards behave cautiously.

Ronan watched one such group enter a large building bearing the symbol of a crimson crescent.

He didn’t recognize the insignia.

However, he noticed that the guards at the entrance treated the newcomers with considerably more respect than they had shown ordinary visitors.

’Another powerful faction?’

He considered following them, but quickly abandoned the idea.

There were too many unknowns.

Without knowing their strength or purpose, approaching them would accomplish little beyond creating unnecessary risks.

Instead, he focused on the conversations of the vampires passing nearby.

Most of what he heard was unimportant.

Complaints about taxes, discussions about trade, rumors about conflicts between neighboring territories.

Then, just as he was about to leave, two vampires emerged from a nearby building.

"...I’m telling you, the western territories are becoming a mess," one of them muttered.

His companion glanced around before lowering his voice.

"Keep your voice down. Do you want the guards to hear you?"

"What? Everyone knows something happened. Several settlements have stopped sending their usual shipments, and Lord Varkos has already dispatched scouts."

"That doesn’t mean you should spread rumors."

The first vampire scoffed.

"Rumors? My cousin serves in the military. He told me that a Vampire Lord was recently attacked by an unidentified monster."

Ronan stopped moving.

A Vampire Lord?

The second vampire looked skeptical.

"An unidentified monster?"

"Apparently, it wasn’t an ordinary demon. The creature possessed a strange bloodline and was powerful enough to defeat several strong vampires. Some believe it was a ghoul."

Ronan’s expression remained unchanged.

However, his attention had sharpened considerably.

The first vampire continued speaking.

"I don’t know how much of it is true, but the story has already spread through several territories. Some people believe the creature is searching for powerful bloodlines."

His companion snorted.

"Then let it come here. Lord Varkos would crush such a creature."

The two vampires continued walking.

Ronan remained motionless until they disappeared into the crowd.

A strange bloodline.

An undead capable of defeating powerful vampires.

A Vampire Lord who had recently been attacked.

His lips slowly curved upward.

’Are they talking about me?..’

The Abyss contained countless powerful beings, and he wasn’t arrogant enough to assume every unusual event revolved around him.

Still, the timing was suspicious.

He had fought Selvara only recently. She had escaped after sustaining serious injuries, and he had no idea where she had gone afterward.

If word of her defeat had begun spreading through the surrounding territories, Bloodfall City might eventually receive more reliable information.

And if Varkos had already dispatched scouts, there was a chance he knew something Ronan didn’t.

That was enough to justify further investigation.

Ronan glanced toward the castle at the center of Bloodfall City.

His original plan remained unchanged.

He would find a way to approach Varkos, obtain information about Selvara, and capture the Vampire Lord if the opportunity presented itself.

But he would no longer treat Bloodfall City as merely a place filled with potential prey.

There were too many moving pieces.

And somewhere among them, there might be a clue that led him directly to Selvara.

Ronan withdrew from the outskirts before nightfall.

He had learned enough for one day.

Tomorrow, he would investigate the western territories and determine whether the rumors were connected to his enemy.

If they were, he might have found a shortcut to his next target.

If they weren’t...

Well, he would simply have to find another way.

Either way, Bloodfall City had become far more interesting than he had expected.

And Ronan had a feeling that his stay in the Abyss was about to become considerably more entertaining.