episode_0061

◎ Entering the designated area ‘Vampire Castle.’

Bam!-

Gate teleportation.

As I passed through the space, my senses sharpened, and when I looked ahead, the scenery had changed completely.

“Ruins?”

I surveyed my surroundings.

Dark.

Eerie and creepy atmosphere.

Collapsed stone walls.

Crumbled building debris.

It was all in ruins, and in the center, a castle on the verge of collapse stood.

Vampire Castle…

It looked more like a destroyed castle than anything else.

Bam!-

“Sigh… I guess I’ll never get used to this.”

“…What is this place? It’s supposed to be a survival challenge against vampires in the Vampire Castle, but it’s all in ruins?”

“Hmm. It’s a creepy place.”

“It’s unsettling.”

People appeared nearby in a flash of light.

Summoned individually, some formed parties, while others appeared together.

I realized immediately.

They were participants in the survival trial, just like me.

The problem is…

Is this the content of the trial?

━━━━━━

⊙ Survival Challenge!

┗ Administrator Kael

Trial Content – Survive for 3 days in a massive castle infested with vampires.

Vampires are on par with the participants, and the fewer survivors, the more bonus points can be obtained.

Hidden details will be explained by the administrator.

Rewards 1 – Trial points 40p.

Rewards 2 – Public merit 200p.

Failure – No specific consequences.

Rule 1 – Disposal upon leaving the area.

Rule 2 – +5p for vampire elimination.

Rule 3 – +1p for participant killing.

Rule 4 – Score deduction for participant killing.

━━━━

The summoning location seems random, and the goal is to survive against vampires appearing from somewhere.

However, there’s a rule that allows scoring for killing other participants, so hasty cooperation is not an option. It seemed like the participants were being encouraged to be wary of each other and to kill one another.

I immediately caught on.

The administrator is a despicable person.

According to the information from the discarded ones, the goals and nature of the trials vary depending on the administrator. It was advised to avoid trials that openly provoke participants to fight each other, like the one I’m in now.

Of course, there’s no problem.

With this body, there shouldn’t be any danger on the lower floors.

But…

Why does the administrator play with climbers?

What’s the meaning behind all this?

Why engage in such actions?

I looked around again.

People were being summoned at a distance.

There were already dozens of people around, so considering the size of the castle, there must have been at least hundreds, if not thousands, summoned.

“Um, this is my first trial… Is there anyone who wants to team up?”

“In this trial, do we just have to survive?”

“It’s a creepy atmosphere. I feel like I signed up for the wrong thing…”

“Hmm…”

There were various types of participants.

Those participating in the trial for the first time.

Those seeking a party.

Those trying to understand the trial.

Those already frightened.

Those wary of their surroundings.

They all seemed weak, probably because they were on the first floor.

I feel bad for comparing, but they seemed weaker than the human woman Sherrya I met in the Misty Forest.

“Attention!”

A voice echoed throughout the castle.

Looking up, I saw a man with silver hair and scars on his face smiling down at us.

He wasn’t floating in the sky but standing on a small disc-like object.

He spread his arms wide.

“Welcome, human participants of this trial. Your only task here is one thing. Survive. No matter what situation arises, survive!!”

He’s probably the administrator.

His name was written as Kael.

Alberto is the name, but the power I feel is stronger than Alberto’s.

He’s just a weak slave hunter.

[Oh! And let me tell you about the rule I didn’t explain. This is crucial, so listen carefully. The vampires appearing here are right here!!!…… randomly selected from among you participants!! Kahaha!!!!]

Ding!!!

◎︎ Your role has been assigned.

◎︎ You are a civilian. Survive from the vampires by any means necessary.

Amidst the administrator’s laughter.

A system message popped up.

Surprisingly, it was a fight where vampires were chosen from among the participants to kill each other.

This… isn’t the trial itself a lie?

I thought we were supposed to fight the vampires together.

No, was this the plan from the beginning?

No wonder the rules seemed strange.

Deliberately hiding the trial content and gathering people to kill each other.

“What, what is this!!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! We’re just supposed to fight among ourselves!!”

“Give us a different trial. I didn’t join here to kill anyone!!”

“I have no intention of participating in this nonsense.”

“Were we just pawns!!”

Naturally, people were outraged.

There were hardly any who knew what kind of tribe the administrator belonged to, mostly because they hadn’t experienced the trial.

The so-called Tower pioneers.

Somehow, the next situation seemed predictable.

They’ll probably deal with some examples.

[Trials cannot be reversed. So if you resist… there’s nothing I can do.]

A cubic shape appeared on the administrator’s hand.

Pow!!~

“Get rid of this dog-like trial right away…… What, what’s this light coming from my body?….”

As the light emanated from the cube, even the rebellious individuals were engulfed in a cluster of light.

Surprisingly, a gate-like energy was felt from the cubic shape held by the administrator.

“Wait!!-”

Pow!!-

In an instant, the man engulfed in the cluster of light disappeared.

There was nothing left there.

“What, where did he go?”

“What just happened?”

“Everyone quiet!! If you protest again, you’ll be sent to the garbage dump. If weaklings like you fall there, you’ll experience a very cruel fate, so if you’re curious, go ahead and jump around more.”

Instantly, silence fell.

People felt fear from the unknown.

It was natural for them to be scared by the disappearance of the person engulfed in the mysterious light next to them.

From the administrator’s perspective, it was quite an appropriate response.

No, it must have always been like this.

There shouldn’t be anyone left to rebel now.

But a garbage dump….

Is he really moving people around at will with just that cubic fragment?

The movement itself doesn’t seem to be from the power of that cube… come to think of it, the administrator’s voice felt like it was resonating directly in our heads from the cube. More precisely, it directly reached us like a system alert.

Could it be that he’s controlling the system?

And handling the power of the gate with that?

I’ll have to look into it later.

“Everyone seems to have calmed down. Then, I wish you all the best in surviving on your own for the remaining 3 days. That’s all.”

Ding!

◎︎ The trial ‘Survival Survival!’ has begun.

Swoosh~

Without saying anything more, the administrator disappeared, becoming transparent with a one-way vehicle.

It was a sudden and confusing explanation.

There are good administrators out there, but….

Even without looking, I can tell.

He’s a trash administrator.

“Darn it!!”

“How are we supposed to survive….”

“Who’s the vampire?”

“I, I am a civilian! Don’t look at me.”

As you can see, confusion.

The wary glances that had been contained began to spread with suspicion towards each other.

Even if you have formed a party, you would still feel uneasy if your party members are not trustworthy. If one of your party members is a vampire and you pretend not to know, or they could stab you in the back.

​

Swoosh.

​

People started dispersing one by one.

The participants were divided into several categories.

​

Those who moved towards the less crowded areas.

Those who wanted to converse with the people around them.

And even those who wanted to hide alone.

Since the castle was so vast, there were quite a few people who wanted to hide alone.

​

Thud.

​

I also headed towards a less populated area.

My goal was to quietly climb to the top floor. I have no intention of killing anyone.

​

I can just take it easy.

Let’s just enjoy the view.

​

*

​

It took about two hours.

Since the castle was not crowded, I roamed around the outskirts.

Most of them kept their distance, so I could roam around without any hindrance.

​

And then, in that moment.

​

“Don’t come any closer!!”

​

A young boy suddenly appeared.

I was just passing by, and he aimed a dagger at me.

​

Is this kid climbing to the top too?

No, there must be a reason why he has to climb.

​

Pity.

​

Swoosh.

“Ignored and passed by.

No need to engage in conversation.

There is no information to be gained from a regular climber.

The people on the first floor won’t know anything, and even if they do, it’s just regurgitating what they heard from the people in the elf village.

​

My goal is to climb to the top.

I have no time to spare for anything else.

​

“Phew….”

​

As I passed by, the little guy relaxed and put down his sword.

​

But….

​

One question came to mind.

There was a flaw in the administrator’s words.

If everyone doesn’t fight, they can all pass through peacefully.

Although there is a bonus for killing, it seems unlikely that the people on the first floor would become murderers targeting that. So, it is a plausible scenario.

​

But they wouldn’t have left such a flaw unaddressed… Are there more rules that were not mentioned?

​

Fortunately, I was soon able to resolve my doubts.

Because a vampire survivor appeared.

​

“Be careful!!”

​

The little guy behind me shouted.

At the same time, someone hiding in the rubble behind me jumped out and swung a sword at me.

​

“Die!!!”

Swish!!

​

I already knew.

I had been checking all around with the corner of my eye. Moreover, I could easily sense such a slow attack.

​

Therefore.

​

Thud.

​

I flicked two fingers behind my shoulder and grabbed the sword.

​

“What?….”

​

Thwack!!!

“Ouch!?….”

​

I lightly turned around and kicked his leg.

The guy slumped down in disappointment.

​

Thud.

​

“If you were trying to kill me, you should have been prepared to die too.”

​

“Ugh… no, please spare me!! I, I had no choice! If I didn’t kill you-”

​

Thwack!!!

Squelch….

I struck the ground with my staff.

Although physically weak, the lower floors are easy to handle.

​

“Be quiet and just answer my questions. Then I’ll let you go.”

​

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

He became polite.

I continued to ask without paying attention.

​

“Are you playing the role of a vampire?”

​

“Yes. That’s correct.”

​

“Do vampires have to kill someone?”

​

“Uh… if they don’t kill someone within 6 hours, their location and identity will be revealed to everyone….”

​

Location and identity disclosure.

It may not be a big deal, but it will definitely come with a lot of pressure from the vampire’s perspective.

Since killing a vampire gives +5 points, they will always be on edge, not knowing when or how they will be targeted.

​

“Is there anything else?”

​

“Oh, if you kill in vampire form, you earn +3 points. And there was also an explanation that if you pay 10 points, the vampire status will be lifted.”

​

“I get the gist. You can go now.”

​

“Excuse me?… Are you letting me go?”

​

“Or should I kill you?”

​

“Oh, no!!”

The man quickly left his seat.

Whether the guy succeeds in killing and survives, or ends up being killed, it doesn’t matter. Such incidents are common in the Tower, so paying attention to each one will only tire me out.

Swiftly, I turned my head.

“Wow….”

The little guy was staring at me blankly.

The problem was, there were three men running towards him from behind.

Suddenly, incidents were happening one after another.

“Prey spotted!!”

“Hey, this one’s mine this time!!”

“Hahaha!! These brats. They’re getting cocky.”

“Huh, what!?”

The newcomers had a malicious expression unlike the man from earlier. They seemed to have already committed murder, with bloodstains visible on their clothes.

At this rate, the little guy will die.

But he did warn me to be careful…so I should help him out a bit.

“Wind.”

Swish!!

Shing!!-

“Wha!?….”

“Kyaaah!!!”

Several sharp gusts of wind slashed at the man who was about to attack the little guy.

One had his throat slashed.

The other had his heart pierced.

I don’t particularly want to kill, but unlike the man from earlier, these guys seemed malicious. With no information to gain and it seeming like a hassle, I just killed them.

However.

Swish!!

“Hup!!…. What, what is this. A magician?”

The figure at the back managed to dodge the attack.

Then, frowning at the sight of his fallen comrade, he looked at me.

“Did you think you could ambush me…you. Were you the one who attacked just now?”

I took a moment to observe.

He seemed quite strong for a first-floor trial.

To put it bluntly, he felt more powerful than the early Floren.

Impressive, dodging the attack.

“Hey, do you know what level I am?”

The man, seemingly uninterested in his dead comrade, threatened me with his level.

The little guy had retreated without a word.

“Kid. Seems like you got scared.”

“Are you just going to keep talking?”

“Hah! If you want to die that badly!!”

Thud!!

The man charged at me.

To him, it was a full-speed attack, but to me, it seemed too slow.

“Hahaha!! A magician is nothing special. What are you going to do when I get close to you!!”

Now, the guy was right in front of me.

For him, I swung my staff down.

Crack!!

Boom!!!

“Ugh!!?!….”

The guy hit on the forehead fell to the ground.

Faster speed.

Stronger power.

Overwhelming stats.

The natural result.

His movements were much slower to me.

There was a gap between a slave hunter and an ordinary discarder like me.

“Ugh. What the heck….”

Luckily, he didn’t seem to have lost consciousness. He tried to get up, trembling.

I placed my foot on his head to stop him.

Tap.

“Ugh…wait, I made a mistake.”

He immediately surrendered.

Under the pressure of my foot on his head, he begged for forgiveness with his head against the ground.

“I, I acted out of line just now. Spare me and I’ll serve under you once-”

Crunch!!!

“……!!!”

I stomped hard to silence his unnecessary demands.

The flimsy guy’s head couldn’t even withstand such a simple attack and burst.

Clang!

◎︎ You have gained 5 points for killing the vampire.

◎︎ You have gained 2 points for killing the survivor.

◎︎ You have plundered 6 points of trial score.

◎︎ You have plundered 285p of contribution points.

The score had risen considerably.

One of them was a vampire.

Judging by the trial score, it seemed like they were a human hunting party created for that purpose.

“Ugh….”

Thud.

The little guy sat down in tears.

He seemed shocked by the fact that he almost died and the tragedy that just occurred.

“However, don’t just sit there, hide.”

“Ah, th-thank you for saving me.”

“Seems like you realize that I saved you. From now on, don’t worry about others, take care of yourself first.”

“Yes… um, could I… walk with you?”

The child pleaded desperately with determined eyes.

Judging that it was safe by my side.

I ignore the nuisance.

“Just amazing, right?!”

But the trial did not leave me alone.

Hmm~

The administrator sitting on a disc-shaped object appeared right above. It seemed like he had just observed the scene.

No, he was probably observing the man he just killed.

Seems to enjoy provocative things.

Unlucky.

“Never expected such a powerful climber!! Killing and trampling people without a care. Probably the strongest I’ve seen recently. Hahaha!! It’s going to be really fun now. Let’s focus and observe!”

The administrator exclaimed excitedly.

Is he talking to me?

Seems like he’s explaining something to someone…

The administrator then made incomprehensible sounds predicting my actions.

“Now, what will the capable rookie participant do? Will you kill the child behind you? And unleash a ruthless massacre with your immense power? Hahaha!! You were thinking the same as me.”

What is he talking about?

Why is he so convinced that I will commit murder?

The reason became clear soon.

Ding!!

◎︎ The role of the vampire slayer has been reassigned to you.

◎︎ You are now a vampire. Find and eliminate the survivors.

◎︎ If you do not kill for 6 hours, your location and identity will be revealed to everyone.

◎︎ You will earn 3 points for killing a survivor.

“…What is this.”

A message filled with malice.

Lifeless bodies lying around.

A trembling child nearby.

The administrator watching it all with enjoyment.

As if this sight was normal, the trial was forcing me to commit murder.

It was eagerly waiting for me to kill someone.