Chapter 124: The Prince of Nocturnia

On Virandal stood the Nocturnia Vampire Kingdom, a vast realm ruled by ancient vampire bloodlines.

It was a land where sunlight was nothing more than an ancient memory.

The sky above Nocturnia remained shrouded in an endless blanket of darkness. Thick, black clouds stretched across the heavens, concealing whatever light might have existed beyond them. There was no sunrise to welcome the morning, no golden sunlight to warm the earth, and no beautiful sunset to mark the end of the day.

Instead, a massive crimson moon occasionally emerged from behind the clouds, casting a faint red glow over the kingdom.

Even during what other races would have considered daytime, the streets remained illuminated by magical lanterns and strange crystals embedded in buildings. Their dim, blood-red light gave the entire city an eerie appearance.

Towering structures rose from the ground, their sharp spires reaching towards the dark heavens. Ancient buildings made from black stone stood alongside enormous mansions belonging to wealthy vampire nobles. Narrow streets twisted between them, while bridges connected buildings suspended above deep ravines.

The entire city seemed to have been built for creatures that belonged to the night.

It was a place where darkness was not feared.

It was home.

The streets were crowded with vampires of different ranks and bloodlines. Some wore expensive robes and elegant dresses, while others carried weapons and displayed their powerful auras without restraint.

However, vampires were not the only inhabitants of this kingdom.

Among the countless figures moving through the streets were humans and elves.

Unlike the vampires, they wore worn-out clothes and carried heavy loads on their backs. Iron chains were fastened around their necks, with several of them connected to the same chain. Vampire guards walked beside them, holding the chains as they forced the slaves to transport goods and perform exhausting labour.

Most of the slaves were humans, although a considerable number of elves could also be seen among them.

Some lowered their heads in fear whenever a vampire approached. Others looked exhausted, their bodies covered in bruises and old wounds.

In Nocturnia, their lives had little value.

They were nothing more than property belonging to the vampire nobles.

At the very centre of the kingdom stood an enormous castle.

Ebonveil Castle.

It was the ancestral residence of the Nocturne royal bloodline and one of the most heavily guarded locations in the entire kingdom.

Its enormous black walls were built from an ancient material that resembled obsidian. Towering spires extended high into the sky, each ending in a sharp, pointed structure. Gargoyle-like statues decorated the rooftops, while enormous stone bats spread their wings above the castle gates.

A massive iron gate stood at the entrance, decorated with the crest of the Nocturne family—a crimson moon surrounded by a pair of black wings.

Beyond the gate, a wide courtyard stretched towards the main building. Dark fountains flowed with crimson-coloured water, and statues of ancient vampire kings stood on either side of the pathway.

The castle looked less like a residence and more like a fortress built to withstand an endless war.

Inside, countless vampire servants moved through the corridors, while heavily armed guards stood at every important entrance.

Deep within the castle was an enormous chamber decorated with luxurious furniture, expensive paintings, rare artefacts, and priceless treasures collected by the royal family over generations.

Golden decorations covered the walls, while magnificent chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

Despite the luxurious surroundings, the atmosphere inside the chamber was suffocating.

Three individuals were kneeling before a vampire standing near the enormous window.

He had pale skin, sharp facial features, and long silver hair that fell neatly over his shoulders. His crimson eyes carried an unmistakable sense of superiority, while his expensive black attire was decorated with intricate golden patterns.

He was Vladimir Nocturne, the prince of the Nocturnia Vampire Kingdom.

He was the son of the reigning vampire queen, and his position within the royal family gave him authority over countless nobles and military commanders.

At that moment, Vladimir stood with his hands behind his back, gazing through the enormous window towards the endless darkness outside.

One of the three kneeling servants slowly raised his head.

"My lord, I have gathered some valuable intelligence from the Silverheart Kingdom."

Vladimir did not turn around.

"Speak."

The servant immediately continued.

"There is a human who has been visiting Queen Morwenna quite frequently. According to the information I collected, their relationship appears to be unusually close. There are even rumours spreading among the people that the two of them are secretly involved with each other."

For a brief moment, Vladimir remained silent.

Then, the corners of his lips slowly curled upwards.

"Finally..."

He let out a quiet chuckle.

"That arrogant elf has found herself a man?"

Vladimir turned his gaze slightly towards the crimson moon visible through the window.

"How surprising. I always heard that she loved her late husband so deeply that she intended to spend the rest of her life cherishing his memories. Yet, it seems even someone like her cannot escape desire."

His smile widened.

"So much for eternal love. In the end, everyone has their own greed and lust."

The servant kept his head lowered, waiting for his lord to finish.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, my lord. There is another important detail concerning that human."

Vladimir finally turned his head.

"What is it?"

"His cultivation is only at the Awakening Stage. However, based on the information we obtained, he does not appear to originate from our world."

Vladimir’s expression changed slightly.

"Not from our world?"

"Yes, my lord."

The servant swallowed before continuing.

"We believe he comes from the same world where our allies and several of our people are currently residing."

Vladimir’s crimson eyes narrowed.

The servant hesitated briefly before revealing the next piece of information.

"Furthermore... he possesses the ability to open a portal whenever he wishes. He can travel between the two worlds without relying on a dungeon gate."

For the first time, Vladimir’s expression showed genuine surprise.

But the servant was not finished.

"He has also brought several people from that world into the Silverheart Palace. According to our intelligence, those individuals are his wives."

The chamber fell silent.

Vladimir slowly turned away from the window.

"Repeat that."

The servant lowered his head even further.

"He can open a portal between the two worlds, my lord. And he has already transported several people from his world into the Silverheart Kingdom."

Vladimir stared at him.

A moment later, his eyes widened slightly.

"A portal...?"

His voice became quieter.

"Are you telling me that he can open a portal whenever he wants?"

"That is what our intelligence suggests, my lord."

Vladimir’s expression gradually changed from surprise to excitement.

For years, he had been searching for a reliable way to travel between worlds.

The dungeon gates were the only known means of reaching that distant world. Even then, travelling through them was dangerous, and returning required locating and using the corresponding gate.

There were countless restrictions.

The process was troublesome, unpredictable, and extremely difficult to control.

Yet now, someone had appeared who could open a personal portal whenever he wished.

A portal that could transport people between worlds without depending on a dungeon.

Vladimir’s mind immediately began working.

How is that possible?

He had spent years searching for a way to achieve something similar. He had gathered information, investigated ancient records, and invested considerable resources into discovering the secrets behind dimensional travel.

But all he had found were dungeon gates.

And now, a human at the Awakening Stage possessed the very ability he had been desperately searching for.

A slow smile appeared on Vladimir’s face.

"Hahaha..."

His laughter gradually filled the chamber.

The two servants kneeling beside the informant exchanged brief glances but immediately lowered their heads again.

Vladimir walked towards the servant who had delivered the information.

"You have done exceptionally well."

The servant immediately bowed.

"Thank you for your praise, my lord."

"I will make sure you receive an appropriate reward for bringing me such valuable information."

"Thank you, my lord!"

Vladimir raised one hand and gently tapped the servant’s shoulder.

"Now, I have another task for you."

The servant straightened his back.

"Please give your orders, my lord."

"Take a few skilled vampires with you. Find that human and capture him."

Vladimir’s smile disappeared, replaced by a cold expression.

"Do not underestimate him simply because his cultivation is only at the Awakening Stage. I want him alive. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Once you have captured him, use the transportation core to bring him directly here."

Vladimir pointed towards a small object resting on a nearby table.

It was a black spherical device, roughly the size of a human fist. Several thin white lines ran across its surface, forming an unusual pattern that glowed faintly.

It was one of the special transportation cores developed for long-distance transfers.

"Activate it only after securing the target. I don’t want any unnecessary complications."

The servant bowed deeply.

"I understand, my lord. I will personally ensure that the mission succeeds."

"Good. Now go."

The servant slowly stood up.

A faint magical aura surrounded his body. His appearance began to change, his facial features shifting while his ears gradually became pointed.

Within moments, he had transformed into an elf.

After completing the transformation, he glanced towards Vladimir and bowed one final time.

Then, without making another sound, he disappeared into the darkness beyond the chamber.

Vladimir watched the empty doorway for a few seconds.

Finally, he turned towards the window again.

A bright smile spread across his face.

"So, I have finally found a way to reach that world..."

He imagined the possibilities.

If he could obtain the secret behind that man’s portal ability, travelling between worlds would no longer be a problem. He could establish a direct connection, transport his people, and accomplish things that had previously seemed impossible.

He could finally share this wonderful news with the others.

The thought made his smile grow even wider.

However, that pleasant expression did not last long.

His eyes slowly shifted towards the remaining two servants who were still kneeling on the floor.

The smile vanished.

His face darkened, and an unpleasant aura began spreading through the chamber.

The two servants immediately stiffened.

Sweat rolled down their foreheads.

They knew that expression.

And they knew exactly what would happen next.

"Now..."

Vladimir’s voice was dangerously calm.

"Let’s discuss your little failure."

Before either of them could respond, he suddenly disappeared from his position.

BAM!

A violent impact echoed through the chamber.

One of the servants, Leonard Valen, was struck directly in the face. His body flew backwards and slammed into the stone wall with tremendous force.

A web of cracks spread across the surface behind him.

Leonard dropped to the floor, clutching his face as pain shot through his body.

Before he could even recover, Vladimir grabbed the other servant by the throat and lifted him effortlessly.

It was Dr. Adrine.

His face immediately lost all colour as Vladimir’s fingers tightened around his neck.

"L-Lord Vladimir..."

His voice came out in a strained whisper.

"We... we are sorry."

Vladimir stared at him with cold crimson eyes.

"Sorry?"

His grip tightened.

"You have the courage to offer me an apology after wasting all the resources I entrusted to you?"

Dr. Adrine struggled to breathe.

"We didn’t expect the mission to fail, my lord. We had no idea that the hunters would discover the secret dimension and enter it."

Vladimir’s expression became even uglier.

He suddenly threw Dr. Adrine onto the floor.

THUD!

The doctor coughed violently, struggling to catch his breath.

Vladimir stepped forward and looked down at both servants.

"I provided you with everything you needed. Money, manpower, rare materials, and countless other resources. Yet you still managed to ruin everything!"

His voice grew louder with every word.

"You lost the valuable resources stored inside the secret dimension. The supply of human blood has suddenly stopped. The werewolf gang has been wiped out, and Kaine has also been killed by a human!"

He clenched his fists.

"How is this possible? Why is everything going wrong at the same time?"

Neither servant dared to answer.

Vladimir took another step forward.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to cross dimensions using dungeon gates? Do you know how much effort and how many resources we have spent establishing connections with that world?"

His voice thundered through the chamber.

"And now, because of your incompetence, everything has been destroyed!"

Leonard slowly pushed himself away from the wall.

His face was swollen, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Despite the pain, he forced himself to stand straight.

He clenched his teeth before speaking.

"My lord..."

Vladimir shifted his gaze towards him.

"What?"

Leonard lowered his head slightly.

"Everything was proceeding according to our original plan. We had already secured the necessary arrangements, and the mission was supposed to succeed."

He paused briefly, his expression filled with resentment.

"But one woman and her husband interfered. They were supported by several other allies. Because of them, we lost everything."

Vladimir’s eyes narrowed.

"One woman?"

"Yes, my lord."

Leonard clenched his fists.

"She was the one who ruined our plans. If she hadn’t interfered, the secret dimension would never have fallen into the hunters’ hands, and our resources would still be safe."

Vladimir stared at him for several seconds.

Then he asked in a cold voice.

"Who is this woman?"

Leonard’s jaw tightened.

He slowly raised his head and answered through gritted teeth.

"Her name is..."

He paused for a moment.

"Victoria Hale."

The moment that name entered his ears, Vladimir’s expression changed.

His crimson eyes narrowed, and the atmosphere inside the chamber suddenly became even heavier.

"Victoria Hale...?"

Vladimir repeated the name quietly.

The smile on his face vanished instantly.

His crimson eyes widened, and his expression froze as though he had just heard something utterly impossible.

For several seconds, he remained motionless, staring at Leonard.

Then his fingers slowly tightened.

"That... can’t be..."

His voice came out as a faint whisper.

The next moment, his expression darkened, and an unsettling glint appeared in his crimson eyes.

"Victoria...?"