Magic Engine

After Headmaster Danton finally located the secret mechanism, accompanied by the mechanical clanking of gears, Luo Wei felt the ground beneath his feet tremble slightly.

Then, to the astonishment of the several "young ones," the entire floor of the room began descending slowly.

Luo Wei looked up at the ceiling growing increasingly distant, then down into the seemingly bottomless darkness below, realizing it was an elevator—a magical elevator.

What intrigued him more, however, was how the elevator kept descending for what felt like an eternity, as if there was no end to it.

"Headmaster, just how deep does this go?" Evelyn asked in amazement, staring at Danton. "Did you dig all the way into the heart of the mountain?"

"Not that exaggerated," Danton shook his head. Seeing everyone's astonished expressions, he suddenly smiled mysteriously. "This is nothing. Wait till we reach the bottom—there's something even more interesting down there."

From the headmaster's expression, Luo Wei sensed a hint of pride. Indeed, designing such a massive magical construct could be considered the masterpiece of one's career.

But at the same time, his suspicions about Duke's motives for commissioning Danton to design this facility grew stronger.

"Headmaster..." Luo Wei quietly pulled Danton aside. "I recall you mentioning that these magical facilities began construction ten years ago, supposedly to prepare for a potential catastrophe that might befall the Abraham family."

"That's right," Danton nodded. "Back then, His Majesty had already started cracking down on the supernatural beings. The vampires of the northern territories were all on edge, even considering a return to the City of Cain. Why do you ask?"

Luo Wei frowned, lost in thought. The more he considered it, the more this magical facility seemed less like a defense against external enemies and more like a safeguard against the elder vampires within the family itself.

When he glanced back at Danton's expression, Luo Wei's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Though the headmaster had been through quite an ordeal earlier, he remained remarkably composed. Thinking back, he had been this way since the banquet hall—calmer than even the two great nobles, Sword and Shield, as if he had known all along that he would be fine.

"Headmaster, are you keeping something from me?" Luo Wei suddenly asked. "Did you already know about what would happen today?"

"Of course not," Danton replied, looking baffled. "If I had known, I would never have accepted that man's invitation, no matter what..."

He rubbed his aching, nearly broken limbs. "This whole ordeal has nearly killed me... If I make it back alive, I'm definitely applying for retirement this year..."

"Oh..." Luo Wei studied him carefully, sensing that his reaction didn't seem feigned.

Of course, it was also possible that the old fox was just an exceptional actor. Suppressing his thoughts, Luo Wei posed another question.

"Before the Duke died, did he secretly tell you anything? Because I feel like your presence here, as the person most familiar with the castle's mechanisms, isn't a coincidence."

"Well..." Danton pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Before tonight's banquet, we only met once. He warned me not to go out at night, as there might be danger."

Evelyn quietly stepped closer. "He told us the same thing."

"If that's the case..." Luo Wei suddenly considered another possibility.

"The Duke knew he would die, so he left a contingency plan? Hoping that you, Headmaster, could help the human guests escape?"

He continued his train of thought. If he excluded himself and the uninvited witch, the situation became much clearer.

Most of the Abraham family elders hailed from the main lineage of the City of Cain. Rather than pledging loyalty to the human kingdom, they were more inclined toward the vampire capital—the City of Cain.

In truth, the strict governance of the previous patriarch had left them deeply dissatisfied. However, the late General Abraham had been fiercely loyal to Antius—so much so that, from various accounts, the two were practically inseparable, like the best of friends...

Moreover, the previous patriarch's power was immense, enough to keep the family firmly under control, leaving the elders no room for rebellious thoughts.

But the current patriarch was different. The Duke's strength fell short of the Vampire Prince level, and his lifespan was limited to a mere thousand years. The elder vampires had likely grown impatient, eager to overthrow "that brat."

"Though my father was of a younger generation, he was actually from the same era as Antius..." Evelyn murmured. "Perhaps... Father truly cared about the legacy he and Uncle built together. He didn’t want to collude with the Church and betray the Empire."

"For a vampire to act this way is almost unimaginable," Danton remarked with a chuckle. "Personally, I think there's another explanation."

Both of them turned to him. Danton's smile carried a hint of smugness. "When I was renovating the castle for him, I could tell—he was utterly awestruck by our magnificent Magical Industry. He believed the world now belonged to humanity."

As they whispered among themselves, the "elevator" finally reached its destination. Danton surveyed the surroundings before striding confidently toward the control panel, densely packed with intricate gears.

"To activate the castle's magical mechanisms, one more thing is needed," he said, glancing at the vampires behind him. "I require the blood of the Abraham family's direct lineage to activate the console. Which of you will step forward?"

"Headmaster, your mechanisms are quite advanced—even bloodline-locked..." Luo Wei muttered, turning to Evelyn beside him.

Evelyn moved to step forward, but unexpectedly, the elder vampire Joe led Monica ahead of her.

"I am of the direct lineage. Mine will suffice," Monica said calmly. Following Danton's instructions, she made a cut on her arm, letting her crimson blood flow steadily into the prepared groove on the console.

Luo Wei and Evelyn exchanged a glance, their expressions subtly shifting.

They immediately stepped forward. Luo Wei frowned, watching intently as the blood slowly filled the groove, forming an intricate, circular pattern—a magical rune.

Then, the rune suddenly glowed, and with a resounding clatter, the entire control room—along with the hidden magical structures beneath the castle—came to life. In that instant, an eerie blue light illuminated everyone's faces.

This place was indeed as fascinating as Danton had promised—so much so that Luo Wei found it almost sci-fi. Floating holographic images surrounded them, displaying scenes from various parts of the castle.

There was the parlor where the Duke had died, the now mostly empty banquet hall, and even a dimly lit chamber in the castle's highest tower. There, atop an altar, the human guests were bound hand and foot, while the elder vampires prepared for a grand ritual—a mass conversion into Vampire Slaves.

"Are the images of every room in the castle displayed here?" Emily asked, both amazed and excited. "This is incredible! Can I come here to play often in the future?"

Joe, who had remained expressionless until now, patted her head. "Of course not. From now on, only the family head will have such privileges."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Monica, who was silently tending to her wound.

Monica didn’t look at him, her expression unreadable.

Headmaster Danton, observing the reactions of those present, smirked triumphantly. "Victor’s expression back then wasn’t much better than yours. And it wasn’t just the visuals—we can hear everything from that place too."

Soon, the sounds from the ritual site in the ancient castle’s tower began to reach them.

"These human leaders are so weak, utterly useless... Hah, to think we’ve been subjugated by them for so long..."

"Why are they all men? I want a female Vampire Slave!"

"Men aren’t necessarily bad..." an elderly female vampire’s voice chimed in disdainfully. "But these ones are all so ugly and old. Since we can only keep one Vampire Slave, I miss my old one—young, handsome, and so robust..."

Amidst the chaotic chatter, the vampires began making their selections.

"Hey, where’s that guy named Danton? Did he run off?"

"Wait, seriously? You’re into that? Danton’s face is all wrinkled—he looks older than you!"

"No, no, I remember he had a young apprentice with him. That one was quite to my taste..."

"That one was indeed good, but I think he escaped?"

"I want him too! Should we try to track him down?"

......

Hearing these voices, Evelyn glanced sideways at Luo Wei.

"You’re quite popular..."

Luo Wei gave an awkward smile. "I’d rather be your Vampire Slave, Professor..."

Meanwhile, Helena stared coldly at the scene unfolding before them, her mind filled with violent thoughts of slaughtering every vampire who dared covet her brother.