King of Beasts

Chapter 90: Crisis of Death

Level 51 Vampire Count.

The Other Shore.

Upon hearing this information, Lu Ran felt an immediate chill run down his spine.

He wasn’t sure what a Vampire Count was—perhaps it was an evolution path for some type of bat species.

But Lu Ran knew the name “The Other Shore” well.

The birthplace of necromancers.

An SSS-level international criminal organization wanted by the Beast Taming Alliance.

In that moment, Lu Ran’s heart rate seemed to skyrocket. He couldn’t comprehend why a monster from The Other Shore would come to Green Sea and target him.

Sure, he had dealt with a necromancer in Jinling, but hadn’t Manager Ying said that was just a low-tier member that wasn’t even important?

Moreover, hadn’t Manager Ying already erased his traces, internally claiming that it was the one who took care of the necromancer?

So why was he still being targeted by The Other Shore?

“Don’t bother trying to escape to Infinite City. I’ve already sealed off the surrounding space…”

A voice sounded, and Lu Ran felt a blur in front of his eyes as the figure appeared right in front of him. Before he could react, a sharp pain erupted from his abdomen, and the next instant, he was sent flying.

“Ugh—”

Lu Ran crashed into a tree. His night cloak was torn, and his abdomen had a gaping wound. Blood gushed from his mouth as he coughed.

The excruciating pain brought a panicked, fearful expression to Lu Ran’s face. For the first time, he felt a deadly threat.

“Ah—” Lu Ran groaned painfully.

“Roar!!” At this moment, the Sudden Death King, which had been in a daze for a long time, finally reacted. It charged toward the Vampire Count with its electrified shield, eyes full of rage. It seemed this was its first time attacking something other than small insects.

And it was attacking a creature dozens of levels higher.

The Vampire Count didn’t even glance at the Sudden Death King. Standing there elegantly, it casually reached out its hand. The shield was instantly pierced, and like Lu Ran, the Sudden Death King’s tough scales were as vulnerable as paper, revealing a bloody hole, blood oozing out continuously.

The previously ferocious expression of the Sudden Death King turned to one of panic and terror as it looked down at its abdomen.

“Awooo!!!!”

The next moment, another brilliant flash sliced through the air, targeting the Vampire Count. In this moment of crisis, General Ha, sensing Lu Ran’s dire situation from within the contract card, burst out on his own without waiting for Lu Ran to summon him. He materialized the Storm Sword, his gaze fierce as he swung at the Vampire Count.

“Woof woof woof!” he barked angrily.

But with a mere “hum,” General Ha seemed to be frozen mid-air. The Storm Sword, imbued with the Blizzard Sword Intent and ten times more powerful, was effortlessly blocked by a single raised finger from the Vampire Count.

“Get lost. You are not my target,” the Count said with a smile. With a flick of his finger, General Ha’s Storm Sword exploded, sending a gale force wind that hurled General Ha several meters away, slamming him into a large boulder.

Having dealt with both the Sudden Death King and General Ha, the Count continued to stride towards Lu Ran, who was slumped against a tree, clutching his wound.

Each step felt like a death knell to Lu Ran.

At this point, Lu Ran knew that using his identity card to teleport was unrealistic. The opponent’s attack, defense, and speed were all unimaginably powerful. Just as the Count had said, he was definitely a level 50 or above monster-class entity.

“Cough.” Lu Ran spat out another mouthful of blood, still clueless as to why he was being targeted.

Could it be that his high profile had made him a thorn in the side of some foreign forces?

He had even theorized about countries assassinating each other’s geniuses.

With a pale complexion, Lu Ran stared intensely at the so-called Vampire Count.

Simultaneously, he telepathically communicated to General Ha and the Sudden Death King, both of whom were still conscious nearby: “Run, escape quickly.”

It seemed the Count’s primary target was him, which might give General Ha and the Sudden Death King a chance to flee.

Lu Ran intended to buy time himself.

“Wait, wait a minute,” Lu Ran said weakly. “I want to know why you’re here to kill me. I don’t understand how I’ve offended The Other Shore.”

“Perhaps we can negotiate.”

“Oh, that?” The Vampire Count seemed quite willing to chat with Lu Ran, smiling as he replied, “You haven’t offended The Other Shore. But unfortunately, as a superpower user, you’ve made it onto a must-kill list. You’re an unavoidable target that must be eliminated.”

“I’m just following orders. If you want to blame something, blame your own talent.”

—

If you need further translation or assistance, just let me know!

Lu Ran suddenly raised his head. So it was his high profile that exposed him, specifically his identity as a superpower user.

Damn it.

Right now, Lu Ran desperately wanted to pound the ground, but his extremely weakened body made it impossible to move. If he had known this would be the outcome, he would have preferred not to be the King of Green Sea and stayed low-key.

“Wait.”

“I can pay you more than whatever they’re giving you.”

At this point, Lu Ran was willing to try anything that might save his life.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t about money…” The Vampire Count smiled. “If I fail my mission, I’ll lose my head as well.”

“I promise never to appear in the outside world or Infinite City again.”

“I will disappear completely.”

“Even so, what negotiating power does a rookie beastmaster like you have?” The Vampire Count remained unmoved. “The rare blood of a superpower user, even if it’s a bit low-level, should still be quite a feast…”

“I know where to find epic items!” Lu Ran shouted, unwilling to give up.

“Thanks for the offer, but no.” The Vampire Count remained indifferent, leaning in to bite Lu Ran’s neck.

At that moment, General Ha’s furious bark resounded again. He had retrieved his Sword of Wind and was charging madly at the Vampire Count. It seemed he had recovered from the earlier impact.

Beside him, the Sudden Death King, with a gaping hole in its abdomen, had already contemplated a hundred ways to die. It felt its body growing colder by the second. Though it wanted to escape as Lu Ran had suggested, seeing General Ha struggle to stand up and rush back to save Lu Ran made the Sudden Death King’s expression firm.

With its last bit of strength, it moved toward the Vampire Count to assist General Ha, regardless of whether it would make a difference.

“Idiots,” Lu Ran muttered as he saw the Vampire Count pause and turn to face the approaching General Ha and Sudden Death King.

“You two Level 10 weaklings—how could you possibly defeat this vampire? Why don’t you run? Go find help and avenge me! Why sacrifice yourselves?”

Just as Lu Ran had anticipated, the charging General Ha and Sudden Death King were utterly powerless against the Vampire Count. In an instant, they were both captured—General Ha by the neck, lifted into the air and struggling desperately, while the Sudden Death King’s head was grabbed and its entire body slammed into the ground, creating a small crater.

The Vampire Count held them both effortlessly in a bizarre posture of suppression. At this desperate moment, Lu Ran had no idea what to do. He pleaded, “Let us go. I will give you an epic item.”

The Vampire Count slowly released his grip, dusting off his hands, and his red eyes focused on Lu Ran.

“You’ve chosen two loyal pet beasts.”

“Even the one without a contract is willing to sacrifice its life for you.”

“Rest assured… I haven’t dealt them fatal blows. You should be grateful.”

“What do you really want?” Lu Ran was utterly baffled. The Count clearly had the power to kill them instantly but seemed to be holding back each time.

Lu Ran now pinned his last hope on the possibility that offering the Divine Deer’s Pendant might save his life, even though the odds were slim. He had no other options left.

“An epic item, the broken horn of the Divine Deer?”

“But once I kill you, I have ways to unseal your identity card and extract its resources,” the Vampire Count said, licking his lips.

Lu Ran’s heart trembled at these words. He hadn’t even taken out the Divine Deer’s Pendant, yet the Count seemed to know everything.

To what extent had he been exposed?

At that moment, Lu Ran felt a pang of complete despair. His face turned pale, likely from excessive blood loss.

“Roar!!!”

“Ugh!!!” General Ha and the Sudden Death King, still pinned to the ground by the mysterious force, retained some consciousness. They struggled madly, but to no avail.

“Woof!” General Ha bared his teeth, staring daggers at the Vampire Count, as if trying to etch his appearance into his memory.

If you need further adjustments or more translation, feel free to let me know!

Beside him, Lu Ran was panting, nearly giving up on resistance. He now only hoped that Dr. Gu would quickly discover his situation and avenge him, ensuring this vampire did not leave Xia Country unscathed.

“Hahahahaha.”

Yet, as Lu Ran awaited death, the vampire Count did not strike again. Instead, he suddenly covered his forehead and burst into laughter, saying, “Interesting, so interesting.”

He looked at Lu Ran, General Ha, and the Sudden Death King, displaying a crazed smile.

This scene further infuriated Lu Ran, General Ha, and the Sudden Death King. Damn it, if you’re going to kill us, just do it already. Why all this drama?

Lu Ran wasn’t afraid of death. Ever since he became an orphan, he had even contemplated suicide. If Fang Lan hadn’t appeared in time, he might have already reunited with his parents.

It was just unfortunate for General Ha and the Sudden Death King. They had a chance to escape.

“…Sorry, Young Master, for scaring you. My master instructed me to give you a bit of a fright during our first meeting to sharpen your vigilance. That’s why I had to act.” After laughing, the vampire Count’s expression shifted from madness to calm.

Under the bewildered gazes of Lu Ran, General Ha, and the Sudden Death King, he snapped his fingers, healing their injuries.

Young Master?! The voice seemed to carry some form of telepathy, which even General Ha and the Sudden Death King could understand. This revelation left them stunned, looking at Lu Ran in shock. What was going on?

The vampire Count spoke:

“Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Monroe, a level 51 vampire Count, the butler of Lu Qiancheng and Lu Yunxiu. What just happened was merely a little joke; please forgive me.” Monroe looked at the bewildered Lu Ran with a teasing smile.

“But I wasn’t lying about everything. I indeed come from The Other Shore, and you, Young Master, are indeed on an assassination list due to your identity as a superpower user. You must be extremely cautious from now on.”

Lu Ran: ??????

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Lu Ran’s mind was in turmoil, thinking he might have lost his sanity. But when he looked down, the bloody hole in his stomach had indeed vanished…

At this moment, Monroe smiled and took out a phone, playing a pre-recorded video.

“Son, if you’re watching this video, your father and I have already passed away… Listen carefully, what we’re about to tell you is of utmost importance… It concerns your safety and whether you can become the master of The Other Shore…”