Chapter 276: Goodbye Roger

"Master Roger."

Lei En stood up happily.

He felt grateful toward the legendary demon hunter who had helped him when he was still an ordinary person, and had always regarded him as a good mentor and friend, one of the people he trusted most. Last year in Longshande, Roger left without saying goodbye; at the time he felt a bit regretful, thinking they wouldn't meet again for a long while.

"I heard from Zoltan that you might have come to Hohawen; I didn't expect you to actually be here," Lei En stepped forward and gave Roger a brief hug, very enthusiastically.

"I've been on Zhu Bile Mountain for the past six months," Roger said calmly.

His expression remained as usual, appearing somewhat cold, yet the corners of his mouth lifted slightly and there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Roger gave Lei En a careful look, nodded approvingly, and asked, "What level of strength are you at now?"

"High-rank Wizard, hehe…" Lei En said with a rather proud smile.

"Probably more than that?" Roger asked, a bit puzzled. "I heard you defeated a Legendary High-rank Death Knight in Weizelan, with a gap of over ten levels. How did you manage that?"

"At the time I received many enhancement buffs, my power surged, but it faded afterward. If I were to meet Eilon Rivennat again, I couldn't match him and would have to flee," Lei En answered honestly; without the Titan's power, a direct fight would be a dead end.

Roger's face brightened, "Even so, you must no longer be weaker than a Legendary Transcendent now."

"More or less," Lei En replied vaguely.

In reality, unless one is an unparalleled super genius like himself, whose strength far exceeds their own rank, an ordinary Legendary First-tier Transcendent has little chance to retaliate against him.

At full strength, a single hammer strike could shatter them!

Roger couldn't help but exclaim, "When I first met you you were still an ordinary person, and in less than a year you've already become a peer of legends."

"I know your talent is astonishing and your potential huge, but your progress is still too exaggerated,"

"In just one year you caught up with my over a hundred years of arduous cultivation..."

The legendary demon hunter felt mixed emotions, pleased with Lei En's growth yet also pressured, fearing elimination if he didn't keep improving. He patted Lei En's shoulder and suddenly asked, "What brings you to Zhu Bile Mountain?"

"I have business at the Saen Plateau, so I'm passing through here," Lei En replied.

"Hmm."

Roger didn't press for details; after a few seconds of thought, he said, "If you have time to stay on Zhu Bile Mountain for two days, I need your help."

"No problem."

Lei En readily agreed, without any hesitation.

In fact, Roger didn't need to say it; he also guessed that Roger had something to ask for help. He had just eliminated the Manfarab Mercenary Corps that afternoon; the news spread, and Roger boarded the airship that night. Such urgency couldn't be just a friendly reunion.

"Master Roger, what's the matter?"

Lei En asked while inviting Roger to sit at the table, and took out a fruit‑wine from his ring to offer.

"I plan to hunt a vampire count..." Roger began, but stopped abruptly when he saw several Myriad Spirit Cards scattered on the table.

His eyes filled with surprise, and he turned to ask, "Lei En, you also play cards now?"

"When I have free time, I play occasionally," Lei En said, reaching to tidy the cards—these were the leftover hands from his Yisu game, left on the table.

"Good, you've finally joined in," Roger's interest sparked instantly; he rubbed his hands and asked, "How's your card skill? Want to play a few rounds?"

Lei En was at a loss for words.

Wasn't he just about to talk about hunting the vampire count?

It sounded like Roger had been planning for a long time; it was important to him, so why the sudden switch to cards?

"That vampire matter..."

Lei En was cut off halfway, "It's not urgent; I've already figured out his details, he can't run away. How about a game of Myriad Spirit Cards first?"

As he spoke, Roger fished a large stack of cards from his waist pouch, eager, and said, "I've been on Zhu Bile Mountain for over half a year, sweeping the city's top card players. I was worried about lacking opponents; now it's time to show you real skill."

The cards fluttered through his hands one after another, like butterflies among flowers, dazzling the eyes.

In less than half a minute, Roger had prepared a full deck.

"Then let's play."

Lei En felt no fear; his card‑playing experience was now extensive, and because he wasn't short of money, he had collected many rare cards, no longer limited to the old commoner strategies.

Money, skill, and hacks.

Combined, these made him almost impossible to defeat at the table. The self‑proclaimed master card‑player, Demon Warlock Ding Laji, after losing hundreds of games and even his underwear, never dared to mention cards in his presence again.

After a few rounds,

Roger's expression grew very solemn, occasionally deep in thought, finally realizing he faced a well‑matched opponent.

Lei En also felt it was tricky; Roger truly lived up to the "Master" title, and he sensed he was at a slight disadvantage.

Both men became serious, focusing on the game.

They played Myriad Spirit Cards round after round until dawn slipped by; the morning sun streamed into the airship's cabin. Lei En stepped out, instructing the airship's mechanic‑captain not to rush departure, as the airship would stay at Zhu Bile Mountain for a few days.

Then he returned to continue the game.

Around mid‑morning, Lei En suddenly turned his head toward the doorway, dealt a card, and said, "Yisu, come in quickly."

Yisu's figure entered the room, a scent of perfume and alcohol wafting from him.

While pondering his next move, Roger sniffed, turned, and said, "Gri Lie's Heart Home Black Lily perfume—did you spend the night on Sasha's bed last night?"

Yisu lifted his hood, eyes surprised, "How did you know?"

"Hmm…" Roger's face showed that expression every man understands, and he laughed, "Sasha and I are old friends."

He stood up, extended his hand, and introduced himself, "Roger."

"Yisu."

Clap, the two hands clasped together, shaking a few times in sync; the demon hunter and the shadow assassin felt a kinship, a sense of kindred spirits.

Lei En watched silently; the two truly were "kindred souls," no wonder they felt like old friends at first sight.

After getting to know each other, the game continued.

Yisu also loved card games, sitting down with interest to watch; the three men gathered around the table for most of the day.

Until the afternoon, Lei En finally stopped.

We'd been playing cards since last night up to now, each of us winning and losing, ending in a tie, and he said, "Master Luo Jie's, let's call it a day for the card game; it's time to discuss serious matters."

"Fine, we'll play again next time."

Luo Jie's felt a bit reluctant; it's rare to meet such a strong opponent, and he had originally wanted to play for several days and nights to satisfy his craving for cards.

Lei En put away the myriad spirit cards and said, "Yisu is a shadow assassin; if you intend to hunt a vampire count, you can enlist him to act together, which gives you a better chance."

Luo Jie's nodded.

"Is there a vampire count in Zhu Biele Mountain City?" Yisu jumped in surprise.

Vampires are followers of the Lord of Chaos; these monsters, hidden among humans and hard to detect, have an extremely strict internal hierarchy.

The lowest rank is blood servant, which can transform into a true vampire and possess power that rivals transcendent beings.

Like transcendent beings, they evolve from primary‑stage vampires to Mid‑stage, then to high‑stage vampires, and finally enter the legendary tier.

Legendary vampires hold noble titles.

However, vampire titles differ from human nobility; they have only baron, count, and Duke, corresponding respectively to legendary primary‑stage, Mid‑stage, and high‑stage.

A vampire count's strength is equivalent to a legendary Mid‑stage transcendent being.

Rumor has it that there exists a vampire prince comparable to the Holy Soul level.

In fact, in most cases a vampire count's power exceeds that of a legendary Mid‑stage transcendent being; they possess great strength, speed, various bizarre tactics, and have mastered many bloodline spells, making them true spellcasters!

Bloodline spells originate from the Lord of Chaos; their casting principles form an independent system, vastly different from ordinary spells, making them hard to defend against.

Therefore, no vampire above the legendary tier is easy to provoke.

Moreover, they never act alone, because the strict hierarchy ensures each vampire noble commands a large number of lower‑ranked vampires as vassals.

The appearance of a vampire count implies that many vampires are nearby.

Luo Jie's nodded and said, "Zhu Biele Mountain City has a romantic atmosphere and lax defenses; over a hundred years ago many vampires began to lurk there. On the surface it appears bright and splendid, but hidden beneath are many filthy things, with countless vampires concealed. This city has become their largest nest in the Prime Material Plane."

"Based on my estimation, Zhu Biele Mountain has at least three vampire counts, and very likely also a vampire Duke."

Luo Jie's stroked his chin, pondering.

"With so many monsters, doesn't the Storm Queen intervene to clean them up?" Yisu said, somewhat incredulous.

"These vampires don't want to expose and ruin their habitat, so in Zhu Biele Mountain they act restrained and have never caused much commotion," Luo Jie's whispered. "Moreover, the Storm Queen seems to have been occupied with other matters in recent years."

He let out a cold laugh, "But this also has its advantages."

"Zhu Biele Mountain is the place most favored by Demonkin; with so many vampires, it provides young Demonkin opportunities to train and grow."

"In recent decades, various Demonkin schools have sent their youths to Zhu Biele Mountain for trials."

Lei En couldn't help but be astonished.

Demonkin now treat Zhu Biele Mountain as a grinding spot for leveling.

No wonder we saw several Demonkin entering the city yesterday, each swaggering down the street with twin swords on their backs, fearing that others couldn't guess their identity; they were probably using themselves as bait to lure vampires.

"Master Luo Jie's, what's the situation with that vampire count?" Lei En asked.

"Its outward identity is that of a winemaking merchant; its lair lies in a vineyard not far outside the city's southern suburbs. I began investigating it over a decade ago but haven't acted yet, waiting for a better opportunity."

Luo Jie's said with a hint of anticipation, "Slaying this vampire count and devouring its heart will let me break through my bottleneck into soul ascension, preparing for the fifth Soul Transformation."

"You're about to advance to legendary Mid‑stage?" Lei En's eyes lit up.

"Yes," Luo Jie's nodded slightly.

Demonkin can consume the organs of monsters to boost their strength; the more they eat, the faster they improve, so they never stop, constantly seeking monsters.

Lei En sincerely felt happy for Luo Jie's and vowed to definitely help with this task.

Yisu was also a bit envious; he was still far from legendary Mid‑stage.

He looked at Lei En; with this guy involved, plus Luo Jie's and himself, killing a vampire count should be no problem, so he asked, "How do you plan to act?"

"I've already prepared alchemical bombs, scrolls, and demon elixirs."

Luo Jie's, confident, said, "Choose the right moment and storm its lair directly; guard against its escape or any distress signal to other vampires—nothing else to worry about." He paused, then added, "Besides you, I've also enlisted two other helpers."

"Now I'll take you to meet them, so you can get acquainted."

"Alright," Lei En gladly agreed.

The more manpower, the better; the chance of success rises and danger drops, and the helpers Luo Jie's recruited will surely not be weak.

He thought it over and decided not to involve an Extreme Warrior in the hunt.

Lambo's spear poses almost no threat to a vampire count and would instead endanger an Extreme Warrior; even a legendary warrior like Xika Liusi, whose combat style is singular and lacks sufficient tactics, wouldn't be much help.

Moreover, the machine gun's report is too loud, hindering stealth and possibly attracting unnecessary trouble.

The three left the airship and entered the city.

Luo Jie's led the way over the mountain city, arriving at a hill on the city's southern side.

This is a wealthy district, with detached houses built along the hillside, hidden among the shade of trees; the streets are dotted with meticulously trimmed flower beds, and looking up one can see the Storm Queen's Aglaron Floating City.

At the end of a street atop the hill, Luo Jie's skillfully pushed open the large door and entered.

A delicate small garden unfolded before him; in the courtyard stood a lush large tree, beneath which were lounge chairs and a small round table bearing fruit pastries. The setting was comfortable and pleasant, with a faint fragrant breeze, indicating the owner was a woman.

Next to the garden stood a three‑story residence.

Hearing the sounds below, the wooden window on the third floor swung outward, revealing a beautiful face that cheerfully called, "Luo Jie's, you're back…"

She had long fire‑red hair tied into a knot at the back of her head, wore an exquisite void‑thread headband, and two delicate braids hung on either side of her cheeks. Her eyes were bright and lively; a few faint freckles dotted her face, which only added a playful charm rather than detracting from her beauty.

The red‑haired beauty wore a light‑green home‑style robe, yet it could not conceal her graceful figure.

Her gaze toward Luo Jie's was full of affection, like that of a lovestruck maiden.

Lei En sighed inwardly; Demonkin truly enjoy abundant romantic luck.

The Soul Eye discerned that this beautiful lady possessed great power; she is a legendary sorcerer who has fused fire and wind elemental bloodlines!

Before Luo Jie's could reply, another young man appeared beside the sorceress, standing side by side with her, seemingly very close.

"Uh…" Lei En was astonished, "What's going on?"

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(End of chapter)