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As the conversation wrapped up, Zhu Yue sped toward the vampire tribe's stronghold.
To be honest, she was a bit envious of how freely Riku and the others could chat like that. Sure, she could join the conversation sometimes, but talking face-to-face was totally different from being used as a ride while others chatted on her back.
Seriously, why didn't the dragonkin have a human transformation skill?
Zhu Yue sighed gloomily.
Amid the noise and chatter, Zhu Yue arrived at the location Riku had specified—a dark, shadowy valley. She hovered there and stopped.
"Lord Riku, you sure it's here?" Zhu Yue asked, her dragon eyes scanning the valley below, clearly unsure.
"Of course it is," Riku replied confidently, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Among all races, vampires are top-tier when it comes to hiding."
"Especially after feeding—they can even hide from the gods," he added with a smirk.
"True enough," Zhu Yue nodded thoughtfully.
"So, Master, how are we supposed to get them to come out?" Jibril asked with a mischievous smile. She looked like she was asking, but obviously had a plan already.
"Exactly the way you're thinking—scare them a little first," Riku said casually.
Inside the dark valley, the mountains had been hollowed out to create a castle-like structure within.
At that moment, quite a few vampires had already sensed the terrifying presence of several powerful spirit responses coming from the sky above.
It made all of them tense up with fear. If those auras had just passed by, it wouldn't be a big deal. But the fact that they were hovering above meant only one thing—the intruders were targeting them directly.
"Your Majesty, the beings above are very likely high-tier races. Flugel, maybe even Dragonia. We need to evacuate immediately," said a female vampire kneeling inside an ornate castle. She was addressing a young red-haired girl sitting on the throne—petite, cold-faced, dressed in a black dress.
The girl had pointed ears too, although slightly shorter than the forest elves—an obvious difference.
"I know. They've already found us. Trying to run now isn't realistic," the girl said coldly, her tone calm and commanding. "If we try to evacuate, they'll probably just wipe us out with one area-of-effect spell."
Even though it looked like their situation was bad—possibly being targeted by high-tier races—she remained unusually calm compared to the other vampires. That's what it meant to be a queen.
"But..." The vampire woman kneeling below hesitated, her face filled with panic and despair.
"Let's wait and see what they want. Even if they do attack… worst case, we'll use a blood sacrifice to summon our master," the girl said flatly.
"Our master… Got it." The vampire guard gave a heavy nod.
At that moment, Jibril's cheerful voice suddenly echoed from the sky, sending a shiver through the red-eyed vampire queen.
"To all the vampires hiding down there—our master said you've got one minute to show yourselves. If not, we'll just blow up your little den~"
"I'll go check it out. You guys prepare the ritual—get ready to summon," the vampire girl said calmly.
"Your Majesty, let us go instead. It's too dangerous," the guards around her immediately protested.
"Prepare the ritual," she ordered in a firm tone.
"Yes, ma'am." The vampires all trembled slightly at her command and bowed respectfully before retreating.
Then, with just two guards, the vampire girl turned into a black mist and vanished from the castle.
"Oh my, Master, looks like they were still hoping we'd leave—trying their luck by staying hidden," Jibril said with a sweet, teasing tone as she flew through the sky, already gathering spirit magic for a large-scale spell.
"Not necessarily," Riku said from his perch atop Zhu Yue's head, glancing down at the valley with a knowing look. "If they've got any brains, they'll send someone out to test the waters and buy time."
After all, the vampires' creator—the god of shadows, Gaglas—wasn't dead. They had ways of summoning him.
"Three vampires emerging," said Zhu Bi quietly, standing next to Riku. Her eyes glowed with data as she scanned the scene.
"Told you," Riku chuckled.
"In that case, I guess I'll spare them the magic blast," Jibril said with mock disappointment. It was obvious she'd been planning to go all out just a moment ago.
"Huh… a girl?" Riku muttered as he noticed the figures coming out of the valley, raising an eyebrow with a strange look on his face.
Is every race run by women or something? The beastkin were led by that little brat Fiya, the forest elves had True Crimson, Dragonia was usually managed by Zhu Yue because Conglong was always off doing something else… and now the vampires too?
"Flugel rogue unit Jibril… Dragonia… Ex-Machina… And that one… what race is he?" The red-haired vampire girl stared at Riku, her heart in turmoil.
She couldn't understand how so many hostile races were working together without killing each other. And the man at the center—clearly the leader, radiating overwhelming presence—she had no clue what race he belonged to.
A human? But how could a human possibly be this strong?
"What brings you all here?" she asked, hovering midair, her body cloaked in black mist and small bat wings flapping behind her. Her red, slit-pupil eyes were locked onto Riku.
Even when faced with beings she couldn't possibly fight—who could destroy her with a flick of their wrist—she showed no fear, staying calm and collected.
"Interesting," Riku thought, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes. As expected, in this chaotic world, anyone who leads a race isn't just some random nobody.
"Shouldn't you start by introducing yourself?" Riku said flatly.
Even though he wasn't actively releasing any pressure, his presence alone made the girl feel heavy, her body sinking slightly under the invisible weight.
After all, Riku had fought his way through countless powerful opponents. His aura had long since solidified into something formidable.
"I am Sonia, Queen of the Vampires," she said, eyes flickering slightly with shock, though she kept her composure and gave a polite curtsy.
"Sonia. Got it." Riku nodded.
"You can call me Riku," he added as he looked her in the eyes.
"Riku… May I ask, are you human?" Sonia asked carefully, maintaining perfect etiquette.
"Heh. What do you think?" Riku smiled faintly, answering with a question.
"I see," Sonia muttered, her pupils trembling. Her calm finally cracked a little.
"....."