Chapter 102: Vampire Siman
After receiving the new task, Su Yu left the princess' residence, mentally preparing for whatever lay ahead.
According to the mission requirements, he mounted Tima and headed toward the designated area—Green Valley Street.
The rewards for this quest looked promising, but Su Yu knew better than to assume it would be simple.
"The better the reward, the tougher the task," Su Yu thought, glancing around. "On the way, there might be surprises waiting for me. I'll need to stay alert."
Raising his guard, he cast [Lightning Shield], which crackled around him with silver arcs of energy, casting an otherworldly glow on the dark street. The scene reminded him of car headlights piercing through the night, adding a comforting layer of security.
But his peace was short-lived.
After advancing only a few hundred meters, he felt a chilling presence. From a darkened corner, a powerful, murderous aura began to permeate the air—a blood-soaked presence only a vampire could emit.
Startled, Tima reared up, neighing in terror, her hooves stomping restlessly. Sensing her panic, Su Yu quickly dismounted, gently stroking her neck to calm her down. Feeling the warmth of his hand, Tima gradually relaxed, nuzzling her head against his chest.
After soothing her, Su Yu stored her back into her [Horse Card] for safety. Then, he activated [Insight] and scanned the shadowed corner where the aura emanated.
The presence was overwhelming. Whoever—or whatever—it was, Su Yu felt a dangerous intent directly focused on him. "A high-level enemy," he surmised, frowning.
With the faint moonlight and the glow from his [Lightning Shield], Su Yu finally glimpsed the vampire lurking in the darkness.
Character: [Vampire Siman]
Level: 65 [Tier 4]
Class: Blood Mage
Preference: Torturing souls and drinking the blood of young men from their necks.
Reading through Sman's details, Su Yu's eyebrows shot up in distaste. "Well, that's... unusual."
The vampire was indeed male. In most cases, male vampires preferred young women as their prey for feeding. But this one? He preferred men.
"Yikes," Su Yu muttered, his face twisting in revulsion.
Yet, he knew running wouldn't be easy. With a Tier 4 vampire aiming for him, he couldn't just flee on foot. Instead, he took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and gave the vampire a casual smile. "So, what brings you to me?"
The vampire Siman stepped closer, savoring the thrill of hunting. Usually, he enjoyed seeing his prey's fearful and hopeless expressions as he approached; it made the blood all the sweeter. But Su Yu's calm demeanor threw him off, and he paused, puzzled.
"Why isn't this low-level mage scared?" Siman wondered. Was Su Yu simply ignorant, or did he have something up his sleeve?
Not wanting to waste time, Siman flashed a sinister grin. "I've come under orders to capture you. Face your fate!" he declared. With a dramatic sweep of his hand, he unleashed a cloud of black mist, enveloping a 20-meter radius.
**[Mist of Fear]**
This was one of Siman's signature spells, one he often used to pull his targets into a state of terror before tormenting them.
Su Yu immediately felt the oppressive weight of the mist as it settled in, but he held his ground, his expression unfazed. "I am the Great Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Tiga Bodhisattva of the Land of Light. The best way to conquer fear is to face it. I am the Great Cataclysm!" he intoned quickly, as if casting a spell.
In an instant, Su Yu's form began to shimmer before vanishing completely.
"Invisibility?" Siman frowned, recognizing the standard spell of magicians.
Concentrating, he summoned a blood-red aura, expanding it outward from his body in a 30-meter radius. But despite his best efforts, he couldn't sense Su Yu within the area.
"Impossible!" Siman gasped, alarmed. "How could a low-level mage evade me?"
Increasingly desperate, Siman scanned the surroundings, searching within a kilometer radius, but found nothing.
His face darkened. Capturing Su Yu was supposed to be a simple task; he'd even assured Duke Cypher that success was guaranteed. But now, with Su Yu nowhere to be found, he was at a loss.
"Could it have something to do with that strange incantation?" Siman muttered, rubbing his chin. "'The Land of Light, Great Mercy and Compassion, Tiga Bodhisattva...' I've never heard of a spell like that. Perhaps I'll study it with my colleagues later."
With that, Siman's form faded, dissolving into the shadows of the night.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Su Yu removed his helmet and sat up from his bed.
He hadn't used any spell to avoid [Vampire Siman]—he had simply gone offline.
Some players had previously discovered that against high-level NPC pursuers, logging out was a perfect escape. Especially in the early stages of the game, when NPCs were still adjusting to players' behaviors, this trick was almost foolproof.
Looking at the game timer, Su Yu saw he had just 11 minutes left for the day. Checking the clock, it was now 9:46 p.m.
"Alright, I'll log back in after two hours. That'll be one day in-game, enough time for that vampire to give up waiting around."
With two hours to spare, Su Yu decided to relax. He picked up his phone and ordered a late-night snack. While waiting, he did a few sets of push-ups and squats, feeling that regular physical exercise would help him better control his newfound strength from the psionic energy infusions.
After finishing his snack, Su Yu sat at his computer, browsing the latest news. The country was calm, and life seemed largely unchanged for ordinary people.
However, he noticed a significant increase in advertisements for "Evolution." Various platforms were now filled with promotional articles about the game:
**"Shocking! CCTV host Wang Bing can't escape the pull of 'Evolution'!"**
**"Incredible! Student Squirrel from Jiangnan University drops out to join 'Evolution'—with his parents' support!"**
**"Breaking News! 'Evolution' helmets now available in installment payments—interest-free for a limited time!"**
**"Major Announcement: 'Evolution' receives critical support from gaming authorities…"**
**"Celebrity News: Top mechanic Xiao Han of 'Stars' moves to 'Evolution'…"**
It was clear that the push for "Evolution" was in full swing, even replacing common ads like those for melatonin.
"It seems the government is backing this in secret too," Su Yu mused, satisfied. "Hopefully, they ramp up helmet production soon so more talented players can enter the game. Humanity's future might just depend on it."
After browsing for a while, Su Yu pulled out his phone and texted Xue Wenli, asking if there were any local supernatural incidents.
Her reply was almost immediate: "There's a mysterious death of a male teacher at Yulin Middle School, close to you. You could check it out."
(End of chapter)