After a night of deep slumber, Jessy slowly began to awaken.
The cold floor was uncomfortable, and Fars clearly believed that being overly gentle would negatively impact his future training efforts. Besides, Jessy was already a level five or six archer, so sleeping on a cold floor shouldn't harm her.
Her hands and body were tightly bound with ropes, and Jessy realized that her situation was likely dire. Struggling to open her still weary eyes, she found herself surrounded by darkness. Although Jessy had good vision, in this place deliberately designed for dark creatures to rest, she could only make out vague shapes. It was evident that since she was lying on a cold floor rather than the soft earth of a forest, she must be inside a building.
Faint memories of the previous night flooded back to her—the appearance of the man lurking in the shadows. After that, she had collapsed. Her current predicament was grim; she was undoubtedly captured. The thought of her teammates and Carter brought tears to her eyes, especially at the possibility that Carter might have met with misfortune. Unfortunately, Fars had not given her the chance to weep; not only had he bound her tightly to prevent any thoughts of escape, but he had also stuffed a piece of cloth in her mouth, which he had torn from her own clothing.
The Qihar Mountains, being in the south, had a generally warm climate, and most people wore little clothing, except for those who valued status or, like mages, were always clad in robes. To facilitate movement, Jessy had dressed simply, wearing only a small leather skirt that left her long legs exposed to the air. Her upper body was covered by a cloth armor, but it had been torn in several places during her escape the previous night, leaving her somewhat exposed. Fars's rough handling had further revealed her delicate skin.
Unable to move or even make a sound, Jessy felt increasingly humiliated. She continuously attempted to wriggle free from the ropes binding her. The prolonged confinement had already restricted her blood flow, and after a day of intense battle, her stamina was severely depleted. Although she had regained some energy from her sleep, being without food for a day and night left her too weak to break free. After several futile attempts, Jessy finally gave up, realizing that it was a waste of her remaining strength. Being captured rather than killed was, at least, a small mercy.
She suspected she was still near the Qihar Mountains, but she had no idea how long she had been unconscious, as the surrounding environment was completely dark, making it impossible to distinguish between day and night. However, Jessy was certain that the time from her fainting to waking up was less than a day; it was unlikely that the man could have taken her far from the mountains in such a short time. Therefore, she must be in his lair.
The thought of the man she had only seen once filled Jessy with dread. This cruel and cunning individual had taken advantage of their battle with the magical beasts to ensnare her. Why hadn't he killed her? Jessy could guess that women were generally spared in conflicts, especially beautiful ones. She was confident in her own attractiveness. Since her captor was a man, his intentions were clear—he was undoubtedly lusting after her.
The more she thought about it, the angrier Jessy became. They had not fallen to the magical beasts but had instead been betrayed by a human. Although humans often fought among themselves for profit, they typically wouldn't attack an adventuring party engaged in hunting magical beasts. Each registered adventuring party was documented, and as long as no one was silenced, news would reach the Adventurers' Guild. If the identity of the ambusher was confirmed, the guild would issue a bounty for them. At this point, Jessy was still unaware that Fars was a vampire and not a normal human. She couldn't comprehend why he would be so ruthless towards his own kind.
Fars lay quietly on his large bed, making no sound, while Jessy, on the floor, remained oblivious to the fact that her enemy was just across the room. Fars certainly couldn't enter a deep meditation without being aware of his surroundings. While he meditated, he discreetly observed Jessy's movements.
As soon as Jessy woke up, Fars was aware of it, but he had no intention of acting immediately. Completely subduing a woman was no easy task. For now, Fars aimed to create a sense of helplessness for her, even stripping her of the ability to call for help, forcing her to turn inward.
People often show their weakness in darkness, and when trapped in a predicament, they can become paralyzed by fear. When one realizes the preciousness of life yet feels powerless to grasp it, their spirit begins to crumble.
Fars knew he had to give Jessy some personal space to sort through her thoughts. Only when she genuinely desired to survive and surrendered to her current situation would this little beauty truly obey him. At least, without an opportunity for revenge, she would comply with his commands.
Having killed her companions the previous night, Jessy would undoubtedly suspect that it was Fars who had done it, even if she hadn't seen him strike the final blow. Thus, Fars would have to bear the weight of that blood debt. He didn't expect Jessy to be completely devoted to him; for now, he only needed her to obey. What would happen next could only be determined step by step.
In fact, Fars had another, simpler method at his disposal—his failed charm ability. He wasn't foolish; although this secret technique had yet to show its power, his blood control ability was already so formidable that this technique surely wouldn't be ineffective. The charm spell clearly didn't work on the less intelligent magical beasts, but Fars had never tried it on a human. Jessy was undoubtedly a good test subject; if it succeeded, it would greatly aid his training plans.
As someone who wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue, Fars found it surprisingly easy to refrain from taking immediate action against Jessy. In his previous life, if he hadn't seen a woman in years and had a beautiful captive before him, he would have acted like a beast without hesitation. Was his interest in women diminished since becoming a vampire? He hadn't heard of any rumors about vampires being celibate. Confusion aside, Fars had no doubts about his abilities; this former playboy was quite confident in that regard.
To truly win a woman's heart, a man must employ various means to charm her, and ultimately, he must conquer her in bed. Even in the decadent circles of nobility, if one could conquer a noblewoman in bed, she would be utterly devoted.
Jessy was in torment, and so was Fars. Just as he had planned, Jessy now had to endure physical suffering while grappling with inner fear. Jessy was no naive girl; she understood a great deal. Yet, she couldn't face what lay ahead with composure. At that moment, Jessy was a helpless, weak woman—cold floor, tight ropes, overwhelming hatred, and the terror of darkness—all of it constantly assaulted her fragile nerves.
In such a situation, Jessy even thought that if she could faint, it might be a relief. However, the gnawing hunger tormented her; after a night of sleep, her spirits were surprisingly high. Deep down, Jessy began to hope that the man would arrive soon.
Fars's unusual patience undoubtedly added to his chances of success. However, he feared that if this little beauty truly broke down mentally, it would be pointless.
Daylight had nearly passed, and Fars finally concluded his meditation. Having successfully advanced, his magical power surged. With his current strength, Fars felt confident that he could face the now-dead Carter in a direct confrontation and have a good chance of winning. Thanks to yesterday's events, the phoenix egg had become more active, and the magical array in his sea of consciousness was operating surprisingly quickly.
The sound of Fars rising was abrupt in the darkness, causing Jessy, who had been tortured by the silence, to tense up immediately. To accommodate this little beauty, Fars summoned a dark flame to illuminate the room. This flame, born of darkness, emitted a cold aura while dispelling the surrounding shadows.
Jessy finally saw the ambusher from the previous night again. Fars, draped only in a black robe he had taken from Allen, had his pale platinum hair casually cascading over his shoulders, and a dark flame flickered above his pale fingers. Fars's appearance was casual, and he hadn't bothered to tidy himself up; after all, he was just dealing with a captive, not preparing to meet a princess.
While Fars thought he looked relaxed, Jessy perceived it quite differently. The already handsome Fars, combined with an indescribable air of nonchalance and the noble aura bestowed upon him by his bloodline, left Jessy momentarily stunned. Realizing that her thoughts were inappropriate, Jessy quickly snapped back to reality, glaring at Fars with intense anger.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Fars de Hill, and from now on, I am your master."
Ignoring Jessy's furious glare, Fars bluntly transformed her from a captive into his slave.