Chapter 83 - “It’s been a while Master Mayer”

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As he turned away from the wall and placed the wanted posters in his pocket, he continued his journey onward as if nothing happened. In the cover of the night, he began his roam around Dawn District.

Stepping out of the alley with wanted posters, he stumbled into the one where most of the workshops were located. In this exact zone, the guilds were anchored down, overseeing the situation of their business from this place.

He saw some buildings that could be matched in size by the Sun's District, Hospital, and University.

"Those guilds aren't half bad to create such a city. It's always a pleasure seeing their architecture style."

Looking at those large buildings, he spotted a large placard writing "Guild of Bankers." and, like a diligent student noted in his head, things that his city might have missed.

The concept of banking was something he knew well, especially about how greedy the bankers of his first life were, a personality that might be found in this life bankers too.

Gradually moving away from the banks, he arrived in one of the district's main attractions, the pleasure district. To add flavor to this attraction, the boss of this zone even colored the alley and arranged the zone so that the predominant color was pink and red.

As he entered deeper into this alley, he saw a building looking similar to the building of bankers. However, this one, as for its name, was "Palace of Pleasure."

'I might have to stop going around here for a while. Being seen by too many people will start drawing questions. It's in their nature to question, and people pointing their fingers at me it's a bad sign.'

At the highest level of the "Palace of Pleasure," a lady seemed to look at the window with a bored expression drinking coffee. When she looked around the window, she spotted a tall young man with tied long hair who looked up to read the placard placed at the building's top. Seeing the young man, she just chuckled a bit and said to herself.

"Is he going or not. Why even stare so dumbly at my palace, handsome, if you don't enter."

As the boy made his way out the district, the lady in question, Felicia, gave a mysterious smile saying to herself. "Ara, it seems I've lost quite the rich client this time. Well, he will come back for sure, all of them are coming back."

Unknowing to Vlad that he was noticed by Felicia, he continued onward, walking this time toward the seaside. Here he saw the guild of shipwrights and how there were still some people working even at night.

He could see healthy young boys working around the ships' frame like ants, helping around the older craftsmen even at night. Nodding his head when seeing that the boys weren't forced like how most would force their slaves to work, he passed past them, only thinking in his mind,

'So the boys from those auctions landed in good hands here. Sigh, I still haven't got any news about Darrell Graham and his network of human traffickers. He should be next after Mayer, but for now he can still enjoy some of his old years."

Slowly moving out from this shipwright zone, he blended in another crowd before suddenly disappearing from the focus point of people, just as if he was a phantom not belonging to this world.

Wandering from street to street, he reached the most crowded place, around a tavern and where some shops that still had their doors opened for people were located. The people here had a cheerful atmosphere, from working people to even some wealthy-looking guys who seemed to hit on the ladies.

He passed past them but then, as he moved toward the less crowded zone, he heard an old tone seeming to target him.

"Young man, can you help me out with some money or food?"

Stopping for a brief moment from moving forward, he turned to look at who was the one asking for help. It was an old man with a big scar on his eye, but this didn't affect his dark-green eyes that seemed to lose some focus on them.

The beggar was wearing tattered and dirty clothes. He had long and unkempt white hair with a lot of dirt on it and a similarly dirty long white bear. Vlad could even see some small insects and pieces of dirt.

His face was also slightly bruised around the scarred eye. To add to the injury, the old man was filthy from top to finish.

'This old man, why do I have the feeling that he is familiar to me? It's clearly my first time seeing him, so why do I have this throb in my heart? It is most likely a coincidence.'

Sighing hard, he walked toward the old beggar and took a seat on the ground and ignored the stares of the ordinary people who looked weirdly at him.

"Old man, I can help you, but before that you have to tell me something. How did you get in such a state? You no longer have a place to call a home?"

"How could I get in such a mess you ask me lad? Just call it the scorn of the gods to abandon me alone in this world. I no longer have a family but a home I do have one." responded the old man with his deep old voice while looking at Vlad, who was seated beside him.

"Ohh, then why are you staying on the streets?"

"Because this is my home. The streets are my home."

Vlad looked a bit surprised at the old man's response, but he stood there and began talking with the old man to find how he could help him besides offering him a warm meal and money.

Taking his pocket watch from his dark coat, he checked to see how he stood with the time and found that he still had 1 hour before midnight.

"Old Tius. Do you want me to take you somewhere you can receive a great treatment, food and even a job?"

"Haha, what job could my rotten bones do? Are you jesting lad with me? Are you like those brats who hit me for no reason?"

Vlad shook his head and looked serious in his old eyes before replying yet again to him.

"Old man, I've been talking with you for 20 minutes. If I was going to mess with you why would I even bother with you? I'm serious, also I'll be honest with you. You look familiar to me, but I don't know why."

"Yes, I can see the coincidence, that face of yours is similar to mine. Well lad, what's this job you're offering me?"

"A teacher job inside the Sun District."

"Do I look like someone who could teach people? I'm just an old fool who lost everything, what could I teach other people? How to get on the streets and starve?"

"Heh, you'll sure find something to teach some kids. I'll come bring you with me once I finish some business that will take some hours. Here take this money, and buy yourself something to eat in the meantime. I hope I still found you around here old Tius."

Ended Vlad saying as he placed some money in the old man's dirty callused hands without any qualm.

"Lad, I'm really thankful for spending your time with me, and even for the money. But I don't know what to say about this job."

"Just think about it. You got 1 hour to think. If you want to dodge me you can just not show up around here, and I'll move on. I'm not a saint to look after all the beggars in this kingdom."

Raising on his feet and dusting off the black coat and suit, he began distancing and walking toward the residential area, leaving the old man to look with his green eyes at the banknotes of money he got.

Seeing Vlad out of his vision, the old man laughed all of a sudden, continuing by saying to himself.

"To think I would get in such a state just to survive and see the lights of the next day. That boy really is something, not even bothered by the scornful looks of the people. Sitting and talking with old me, as if I was worth something to him."

"Well, I'll think of the kids' offer. In the meantime let's get me something to eat since I've been starving this entire day."

Back to Vlad, he was already distanced himself from the tavern zone and finally could no longer hear the crowds of people.

Soon he entered an alley where the homes here were made of high quality stone. The message he could draw from this zone was one of prosperity, but only for the wealthy. The differences between living standards for the simple citizens and the wealthy was totally different.

Walking down this alley he couldn't see one foot of citizens here. Left and right he could see lavish mansions of different sizes which also had their own garden and recreation space. However, as he moved along this alley that was overseen by the mansions of the wealthy, he reached the last mansion. One thing that Vlad thought when seeing this mansion was "Extravagance"

The mansion was built with white stone that gave out a sense of nobility, a 3 stories high building large enough to accommodate the entire slum's people.

Getting closer to this mansion he stopped at the tall walls where he could see armed guards patrol around the perimeter of the mansion and it's gardens in groups of 3 people.

"Hmph, Mayer really has some guard of his own. However they look to be normal people only carrying their guns and other weapons."

As he ended saying that, he activated his devil powers on his eyes, where they slowly began losing their green color and then turn crimson. With this chance happening he now could see some details that his normal eyes couldn't do.

Each of the guards patrolling around Mayer's mansion were right there for him to see in the night. Like he was a bird of prey, he analyzed what path he could take toward the mansion while causing the least commotion.

Taking his time to check all the possible routes inside the mansion, he noticed along the way how some guards seemed to stop from patrolling while having bored expressions, they looked as if they were close to abandoning their post, while whining to themselves.

"Man, why did that fat retard choose to come back here and even bring us from Valent to guard him?"

"That's because the leader agreed to a contract with that fat retard. Just get used to Sagletius air, man, it's only been 2 days. Look, I even heard from some guys at the tavern that Sagletius has some nice attractions. Dawn District has the Palace of Pleasure and the other guilds, while Sun District has their grand bazaars with all short of interesting goods never to  be seen around."

"Sigh, this still doesn't compare with Valent. I hope we can get back home soon"

Not being bothered by the conversation the guards had, Vlad waited patiently from an opening of the wall. Followed by that, he noticed a short time that no guard would intersect, making a clear zone for him to quickly escalate the mansion.

"This chance only happens once 6 minutes, so I better time myself and not alert them. I don't want to deal with a running pig, especially one that could prove to be dangerous."

Having nothing better to do but wait, minutes passed and that moment arrived. When the guards began distancing from one another Vlad used his [Blood Enhancement] turning his body close to a superhuman.

His heart began beating excited as it pumped blood in his system and stimulated his tissues. After settling down his boost, he quickly jumped this 10 meter high wall with ease and found himself in the garden of the mansion.

Seconds after jumping and finding himself in the garden, his ears could hear the footsteps of the guards as if they were the ticking of his pocket watch. Also, their voices conflicted in his ears a bit, making him frown a bit because it conflicted with the footsteps he was trying to hear. But he gritted his teeth and focused on their footsteps as he passed the garden.

Not wasting much time, with his ghostly steps he passed the garden and arrived at the side of the mansion and when looking up at the building he could see that the second floor windows were left open while the room was still illuminated by lamps.

Looking even high on the third floor he could also spot a grand room with bigger windows, it was as clear as night about the fact that the grand room he noticed was the master room, Mayer's hogsty.

This room's windows were well ornate with glass frames, and it seemed to be greatly illuminated compared to the rooms that still were lit.

With a cold glint in his eyes, he jumped on the walls of the mansion and began climbing it up toward the opened room. Just as he was around the second floor the guards already took back their initial stations.

The winds of the night began blowing Vlad's black hat, but it was well secured on his hair with some hair pins to not leave his head from all the motion he took. Arriving close to the opened room, Vlad heard one of the guards ask his partner.

"Did you hear those sounds, or is just the winds blowing harder this night?"

"Probably the winds. Let's get back the patrol, we don't want the boss to find us slaking on the job."

Looking down on the guards from where he was climbing with cold eyes, he then used his strong senses to listen to who was inside the opened room. The movements of the steps, the scent and even slight sighs coming from the room, were enough signals to tell Vlad that in the room was a woman.

Preparing himself by placing his crimson mask on his face, he did a final climb and entered like a ghost inside the room, and before the young woman inside the room could even try to scream Vlad pinned her down on the ground with his arm holding her mouth.

"Shhh, beauty. Don't be afraid, I'm not here to hurt you, so stop struggling so hard. If you don't stop struggling I'll have to place you to sleep."

"Mmmmhhh, Mmghh." Tried to nod the young maid when staring at Vlad's sinister crimson mask.

Seeing that the young woman began calming down, he looked at her with his crimson eyes as he summoned some of his blood to grab some fabric from the room, and only said to the young maid.

"I'll have to put this in your mouth, so don't struggle. It's futile."

Taking the fabric in his hand he tied the young maid's mouth leaving her only to give some muffled sounds, displeased by Vlad's action, which made Vlad give an evil smile behind his mask.

Stroking the young maids face gently, he asked her something simple.

"Is Mayer upstairs? Just nod your head to answer."

As he asked this question, the maid tried to take her head from Vlad's caress, seeming displeased by his actions, but when the question was asked, her eyes turned a bit colder. No longer trying to evade Vlad's hand, she nodded her head.

"Ohh, do you have some enmity with Mayer? Interesting, did that pig force himself on you? Sigh, such a beautiful girl, did he get you?"

"MMMGH!?" The eyes of the girl were in total anger when Vlad asked that.

Feeling curious of what the young maid had to say, he took the fabric off her mouth, and the lower part of his mask covering his mouth disappeared in his skin.

"You, why did you do that. You almost made me pass out from entering inside in such a manner. Wait, don't place the fabric on my mouth. He didn't force himself on me, but he took one of the other girls inside his room. Probably he plans to take me too."

"And you just let him do as he wishes? Sigh. It is money?"

"Yes, my parents are sick, I still have 2 little brothers. So I have to support them. This job pays me well, but with the risk of having to face that pig, which I'll rather don't."

"Hmm, I see. Well your masters will change starting this night, so you no longer have to worry about that aspect. Now let me place this fabric, once the news that Mayer died, they will check on you and unfold this gag."

"Take care of yourself beauty, also you don't have to sell your body to get money. There's plenty of jobs in the Dawn and Sun District. Maybe you should also take your parents to Sun and have them checked at the hospital."

Preparing to put the gag on her mouth, she quickly asked him.

"You, don't just leave like that. What should I call you to repay you?"

"Repay me? Don't stress with such a burden. You can call me Blood."

Placing the gag on her mouth, he could see the shock on her face when he said his name. As he moved toward the door, the lower part of his head began to be filled by blood.

Yet he stood still for a minute to check the surroundings he was. The noises he picked from the mansion could be translated to how a radio would pick different frequencies, it was a rather annoying process for him to filter everything going on in the mansion.

Standing still with his eyes closed, he focused toward Mayer's voice.

In no time, he noticed the squeal-like voice belonging to a pig man. He was currently screaming in joy, while in his proximity there was another scream belonging to a woman who screamed in pain.

The sound wasn't far from him, just some other roams on the upper floor.

Opening his crimson eyes, slowly blood began dripping from his hands. Drop by drop, each of them began to morph into mosquitos that began taking off from the room and go move toward the upper floor.

Being connected to his blood, he could make out from the mosquitos eyes, the figures of 3 men seeming to guard the only room on the 3rd floor.

"Hey man, since when did mosquitoes appear in the autumn, isn't it strange?"

"Don't know, maybe it is not a mosquito? Just go kill it, it is only an insect."

Nodding his head one of the guards moved toward the insects who were flying around the hallway.

As the guard took his sword in his hand and prepared to slash the mosquitos, before he could react more and more mosquitos appeared flying around the hall.

Then when the guard attacked, the strike path he took was completely dodged. The mosquitos quickly regrouped and soon morphed into the head of a giant beast that bit the head of the unprepared man.

In seconds blood splashed on the floor, making the other 2 guards look shocked before they drew their swords.

But soon another anomaly happened as they prepared to sound the alarm. They felt their vision darken before dropping on the ground seeming to sleep.

Soon a person covered in dark smoke made his way out from a dark corner of the hall as if he walked directly here from the second floor.

"These guards are still alive and fighting the nightmare, impressive.  Sigh, let's not kill them since they did nothing to me or are they criminals."

Still covered in dark smoke and with his sinister crimson mask, he made his way inside Mayer's room.

"Get out you bastards, can't you see I'm enjoying myself here. Who gave you the order to enter. Now scram."

The atmosphere around Vlad turned even colder with the smoke being pushed by his body. The light of the oil lamps seemed to slowly be devoured by the dark energy released by Vlad's body.

Staring at the screaming naked pigman on top of what could be said to be a woman in her 20s, who struggled to get from the prison called his fat.

Mayer's face was as purple as possible, clearly trying his best to penetrate her with whatever tool he had at his disposal.

Not bothered to respond to his angry scream, he sent a powerful kick toward his back which sent him flying headfirst, hitting the wall of the room by passing the bed guards.

He gave a pig squeal like scream after being hit by Vlad's entire force. He seemed to be conscious even after hitting head first on the wall.

In a quick manner, he put the girl who could barely tell what was happening, out of her misery.

Shocked, the girl breathed out in relief when seeing that her Mayer got off her body. But not long when she saw that person covered in a dark smoke and the sinister crimson mask, she got scared instantly.

His eyes focused briefly on her naked body, before quickly knocking her out unconscious and not alerting anyone else.

With another witness out, Vlad appeared seconds later in front of Mayer, staring at him with an evil grin behind his mask while raising him from the ground, taking him by his fat throat.

"Old friend that's not how you talk with acquaintances. Haven't you learned your lesson in the past?"

As he said that, the room began being covered in blood, and in only some moments being turned into a blood world, sealing the unconscious maid, him and Mayer.

"You. That cursed voice. It's you little bastard. You finally came for me."

Mayer's emotional states shifted from a shock, anger and later to pain

Feeling the pain assaulting his head and throat, he heard Vlad's cold voice who resounded with an amplified manner in this blood world.

"Indeed it is me, master Mayer. It's truly been a while. I hope you missed me as much as I had been with you. Ohh, did I interrupt something here? You're upset I interrupted your fun?

No worries. The next place you'll go is a heaven for people like you. I even heard it has beautiful girls that would fuck with anyone, so you'll have the time of your life there."

"What do you want from me, you cursed bastard!?"

"Everything."