Chapter 52: A Phantom's Arrival

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Vlad who was walking down the alleys of Jade Town, could feel the wind and breeze of the sea and the night, a sensation that since his first life made him feel secure because a vast majority of people were asleep at night, yet he was active, planning his strategies, schemes, and wars.

What's more, this night was truly pitch black thanks to the clouds covering the moon, another source of light for the townspeople, dim as it was, but it could help some who had sight.

On the other hand, for Vlad, it was as if the Heaven's gifted him an easy access to victory.

Passing by the streets of the city, Titania could see some lights on the houses of the well-off people, thanks to the oil lamps or candles.

Yet, once he reached out from the central part of the city, into the periphery, closer to the City's Market. Titania could hear Vlad increase the frequency of his tongue clicks, beginning to activate his echolocation abilities to guide himself in darkness, barely using her help to advance forward.

On their way, Titania couldn't help but ask Vlad something which bothered her, being related to what Vlad planned to do that night.

"Wouldn't the people deem you as a killer, a criminal for taking the lives of those bandits? They also have families, maybe parents to return to, children to take care of. Wouldn't you make another Mariegold, another Diana?"

"Let's not kill them, and have some faith that they wouldn't bother old Grabert and the kids."

"No. I have slim faith in human nature, especially those who take pleasure in hurting the weak." responded Vlad in a cold manner, while Titania continued to work a way that no one was killed tonight.

"Come on Vlad, don't be stubborn. I am sure there will be innocent people involved there."

And she tried again and again, until Vlad stopped suddenly from walking, and mentioned in a cold, ruthless tone.

"Stop spinning words in my head, Titania. Even if I make some kids orphans after killing their bastard parents, it is their fault they chose banditry instead of working a decent job."

"But, they are also lives. I know you want to protect those kids from any possible harm in their future. However, it's not alright."

"... Has anyone told you that you can be annoying at times?"

"... No?"

"Then I will do the honors. You are annoying me with your worries and rhetoric. You try to balance two worlds, one where innocent kids live and have no fault in being abandoned by their parents or losing their parents, and those of adults who choose on their own volition to become criminals."

"..."

"This is a show of weakness. A Monarch would usually choose to stomp out the embers before they become a blaze."

"But you aren't a king … In fact, I think you are acting based on your emotions for what happened in the morning." commented Titania, when she heard Vlad's remark.

"Think what you wish, little Fairy, I am done explaining myself to you, but I will still tell you this for the last time. This isn't an act based on emotions, instead is just a natural conclusion I've reached."

"Like any farmer, I need to remove any possible pests so my crop will grow healthy and strong. The same analogy can be applied for those four orphans."

Titania stopped from her remarks, and processed the information, and she couldn't help but agree in her mind that in that ruthless and cold Inner World that Vlad's mind resides in, he has logic. By removing the "pests" there will no longer be any problems for the orphans when it comes to getting bullied.

'I think it's me who is naive. Believing that anyone has a chance at living, but … Based on what I've seen with my eyes, there are bad humans and good humans.'

Thinking about her own mistakes in thinking, as Vlad was continuing his journey toward a place situated in the periphery of the city, she couldn't help but ask him from where she was standing on his shoulder.

"Can you answer me a question… honestly?"

"Mhm?"

"Do bandits and various criminals deserve a second chance? I myself would offer them this chance, because I feel any human deserves a second chance to correct their mistakes."

"..."

Vlad remained silent for a while, and Titania could only listen to his calm breathing and the wind of the night, until she heard him reply calmly, void of emotions.

"Your thinking process isn't wrong. However, based on my experience with human nature which I am confident to say it's beyond any normal human, there are 2 types of criminals. Those who do it out of desperation to feed themselves and their families, and those who do it because in their mental world, they view it as trivial, dominating another human life."

"I see, but would you still give them a chance without knowing which category they are in?"

"If I want to protect something and without having any possible threats for the future, I would kill all criminals at hand. And in the case, for example like in Calmaria, I didn't have a particular person I wanted to protect, so I chose the second option of giving criminals a second chance."

Titania's facial expression changed a bit, as she was receiving information which helped her learn more about humans, and what various options will lead towards.

"Now I understand your thinking process."

"Hah, you are nowhere near understanding my thinking process little Fairy. You are just like those kids, who still have to learn so much about the world."

"Hmph, once I get my memories back I will for sure teach you a lesson by acting so arrogantly with me. Even telling me I am annoying, the gall."

Titania began nagging Vlad, but with a different subject instead the one regarding the bandits, as she was making sure to build the expectations when she would regain her memories.

On the other hand, Vlad simply closed his ears to the woman's nagging, not being the first or the last time he would do this, and for the whole duration of him walking toward a zone, he knew he would find some bandits, and before entering into a building, he told the young woman with a cold tone.

"Another thing, Titania, that you have to remember. Nothing is fair in the world. Those people would be killed by someone else, if not by myself."

Entering the door which wasn't locked, there were two girls wearing sexy clothes and having make-up, and once their eyes dropped on their new guest, they couldn't help but be impressed by Vlad's handsome appearance, his chiseled body.

"Handsome, are you looking for our services?" asked one of the sexy ladies who stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Vlad's strong body, and before she knew her face was grabbed by the black-haired man.

"Mrrr. From where did you know I like it rough."

"I came to meet the boss of this brothel."

"He isn't here. Where was it that fool said he wanted to go? Poulina, do you remember where he said he would go with the boys?"

"The Harbor girl. You can't even remember so little, has dick got into your brains."

The young woman placed her slender hands on Vlad's pants moving directly for his dick checking his size, which left her with a wide smile, and making a feline sound, she said to him.

"What's the hurry, master? I have one of the best rooms available only for the two of us."

"Sure, little slut. I will pay you generously if you manage to satisfy me." said Vlad as he moved his hand to grab the ass of the young woman, gripping a bit harder to feel her meat and fat.

"Ahhhh, follow me."

The girl moaned in pleasure, and grabbing hold of Vlad's arm, she took him to the second floor of the brothel house, and on their way, she said to Vlad with a sexual tone. "I want you to make me cry in pleasure just like those girls being done by those six, lousy bastards who got butthurt."

"Six Lousy Bastards?"

"Yea, there's one who almost got his head ripped off by some bastard. But, this isn't important, my love. It's only the two of us, making love."

Vlad opened his abyssal eyes, and as the girl entered first in the larger room smelling of expensive perfume, he followed along, and in a crossroad moment, he was thinking if he should fuck this woman to relieve some of his pent-up sexual carvings, but since Titania was hiding inside his long hair, he only clicked his tongue.

It was a quick decision, which resulted in Vlad extending his arm, swiftly strangling the girl, and releasing her only when she was out of oxygen.

"When I get to Sorbet and find the key, I will have to relax a bit."

Then he followed by entering all of the rooms, being welcomed by the smell of sweat, vagina, of dick, and sperm, and he knocked unconscious everyone but the bandits who reacted as if they saw their biggest enemy.

Picking them like they were mushrooms, and getting them into the bigger room where the young lady who got strangled began waking up, she was welcomed by Vlad returning while dragging a large black chain where 6 naked guys were captured.

"KYYAAA! DON'T HURT ME! I am only a worker in this brothel and nothing more. Don't associate me with Fanul. For all I care, they can die for what they have done to so many innocent girls who didn't deserve to be sullied by those men."

"WHORE! YOU'LL PAY FOR SAYING SUCH WORDS TO US!"

"YOU'LL BE THE ONE DYING NOT ME YOU SCUM! AT LEAST I AM A WHORE WHO LOVES DICK THAN A RAT WHO TAKES ADVANTAGE OF WEAK PEOPLE!"

"Interesting, a little slut actually being honest with herself. That's rare even in the higher society." commented Vlad, who kicked one of the bandits deep in the stomach.

"Tell me where your base of operation is and I will make sure you don't die a painful death."

"You will kill us? Bah, just release us and we will not follow revenge."

Vlad released a big evil grin, saying with some sarcasm. "I knew you would be stupid enough to not see your fate. Let me show you."

Then holding the black chain in his hand, Vlad thought about adding some iron spikes, and seconds later the black chain began morphing adding the spikes which stabbed deep inside the bandits flesh, resulting in them screaming in pain and agony.

"Sign, go on, sing more for me."

"Stop it! Make it stop! We will tell you everything."

.

.

After some more minutes, Vlad, who released his black chain that trapped the 6 bandits, watched while clicking his tongue, feeling and hearing the movements of their muscles, as they began tensing their bodies, readying to strike back.

"Mistake. You should just act like a dead dog, instead of showing teeth, growling."

A kilij morphed from the chain, and right in front of the harlot, she saw the heads of all of those bandits fly in the air, raising all of her hairs in the air, beginning to tremble as if she had a seizure.

That trembling increased by a thousandfold, when she felt Vlad touch her face.

"I have a little sister to take care of. I will not tell anyone about you killing those guys."

"Ohh, but I really don't care about your little sister, or you telling me that I killed those rats."

"I am innocent."

"I know, for this I will leave it as that. Mhmm, something comes to my mind with regard to the bandits. If you are shrewd enough, I can give you a big chance that will never come in your life."

"Anything, master. Tell me what to do and I will do it." said the young woman, wrapping her arms around her curvaceous body to stop her trembling, to not upset Vlad seeing her tremble.

"Go to the Harbor and tell that Fanul guy that his base was taken under enemy control."

"Y-You… But … Fanul is a dangerous guy! I don't know what conflict you have with him, but I've seen him kill people so casually. He is a crazy guy."

Caressing the girl's face, who, as if getting attracted by the soft and warm touch, that had a particular manner of stroking, stopped trembling, relaxing her tense body.

"So am I. What is your name, little girl?"

"Eleine, master." responded the young woman, with her voice quivering a bit.

"Do as I tell you. Also, make your way to their base.  I can give you the chance to clean them up of any possession worth something, money, jewelry, and so on.

"This… I don't know, master. Won't they hurt me if they suspect something?"

"Harlot, why should you fear getting suspected? Do you fear that actually, some dumb idiot would suspect you? Just tell them that I killed everyone here and that you managed to hide, and once I "left" you rushed to them."

"Why are you doing this? You really don't have any bad blood with the Gang?"

"I like to remove most of the embers before leaving my camps, besides I doubt there will be a problem for you. Just take over the business of prostitution if you enjoy this type of work, it will give you a secure source of income compared to working under some idiot."

"I-I will think about it, master."

"Good, now the last thing before I get going. If you actually find a decent sum, share it with the rest of the girls who were forced to become prostitutes. But it's up to you."

"I will. I will." said Eleine, trying to please Vlad, and not get killed.

She saw the black-haired man whose appearance looked devilish turn around, and like a mirage disappear from her eyes, but his cold, detached voice was enough to reawake that sense of terror in her mind.

"Don't forget what I told you. Move already, you'll not want to get suspected by some brutes guided by emotions."

.

Vlad wandered off toward the location of the bandit's headquarters, the desolate manor outside of the city perimeter, and to recharge some of the lost energy he spent on the echolocation ability, he took out his long hairpin that tied down his hair, shifting back into his black cane.

Minutes passed and Titania could see getting closer to her eyes a larger house that looked to be abandoned, with signs of decay and vandalism.

"Vlad, I can see 5 people around the house."

"Understood."

*Tap* "Scrap metal, it's feeding time. So you don't mention that I am a weakling who doesn't want to nourish you."

*BUZZ*

The cane created a low pitch sound that only Vlad could hear, making his expressionless face shift into a small malefic smile.

As if he was starting to summon the spirits of the dead in this desolate place using his dark tune with his deep voice, he didn't care at all about being discovered by those bandits as he viewed them no less than ants.

"Guys, can you hear that tune? It's coming from the entrance of the manor." called out a bandit, attracting the attention of the rest of bandits stationed in different spots, but relatively close to one another.

"Yeah, it feels like a humming song."

"What crazy fuck is in the mood of singing nowdays? Huh, quite the creepy tastes in music I can tell. Ker check out who is the creepy fuck singing for no reason."

"Me?? Why me?"

"You are the one standing right in front of the gate. That's why. Stop complaining, it must be one of those fools who got drunk returning home."

Vlad, who could hear the discussion of those bandits from a distance as if he was next to them, continued his small disturbing smile, giving Titania's some small goosebumps as he reached a deeper tune of his melody.

"What do you think, scrap metal? Will I be able to do that movement technique the little child was using?"

*BUZZ*

The sound released by the cane increased a bit in pitch which made Titania turn her eyes on the weapon, as if she heard the sound.

"We are on the same page with something. That my abilities and power are growing constantly each day. Titania, hold tight."

She didn't know the reason as to why, but nevertheless, she went to grab his long hair, and without even knowing, she felt a strong wind hit her face while an invisible force was pushing her off Vlad's body.

'Phantom Steps'

The bandit woke up finding a man with long black hair and eyes who made him froze from the fear he was feeling. Yet what he didn't notice was the man's swinging movement where a large saber that seemed heavy was going for his head.

"Pathetic."

Vlad utilized successfully a version of the "Soru" that he came up with after analyzing the smaller details of the technique when sparring against Atkhan, and shortening up the requirements for using the technique, he made it so he only required 5 instant kicks to the ground which took him a second to push himself in a direction of his choosing.

"How is Ker, found anything?" asked one of the bandits who thought his buddy in arms got far toward the gate, not that the darkness from outside was of any help.

"He found … "

Called out a cold voice in the direction of the bandits, before they too woke up with a man whose skin was as white as a ghost while the hair and eyes made him seem as if he was taken out from some horror stories. While swinging his Kilij to the one asking for the first unfortunate guy to die.

"Peace in the afterlife."

Decapitating another bandit who acted like a lighthouse for the blind man who guided himself based on his ears and sense of smell, and also his newfound power, echolocation.

Like a bat who found his insects, Vlad started clicking his tongue and disappearing from his initial spot, utilizing once again his 'Phantom Steps' which for the untrained eyes what he did was akin to teleportation.

Doing a quick job of the first five bandits who didn't even understand what happened to them before having their heads leave their bodies.

Stopping from utilizing his intense, high-paced movement technique which drained his stamina, he walked slowly toward the main door of the manor, breathing in deeply this air filled with death and depravity.

"It seems my initial thoughts were correct. I am dealing with a small group of bandits who think of themselves bigger than they actually are. Sigh, and I was expecting at least to kill a hundred people to get some of my rust off those bones of mine."

Passing by the reception hall of the manor that give off the feeling of nobility, he doesn't waste his time searching for anyone as his Echolocation and senses paint a picture of emptiness with regard to the house.

Arriving at the second floor, as he ignored the first floor, he walked down a long hallway, where in the end was a large opened door.

"Are you sure it is safe, Vlad?" asked Titania a bit worried by how easily Vlad was advancing in this mansion.

"Relax, young lady. There's nothing to fear, since you are in the safest place you could wish to be."

Saying that, he steps inside the larger room, which made him scoff a bit as he clicked his tongue, revealing in his mind something akin to his Audience Room, where only missing was the arches to his Fortress and the high throne.

"The room has a lot of chairs and a large table …"

"Mhm, I know." responded Vlad, as his echolocation was great in making out the images of the objects which bounced back the soundwave.

He finished his journey for this part of the night by taking a seat on the high chair belonging to Fanul, and in addition, as he made himself comfortable he placed a leg on the table which released a strong sound of his boots, followed by the second one.

"This is nostalgic. It reminds me of the past." murmured Vlad, as he remembered in those moments the time he could relax as Prince of the Wallachia Principality, while having to deal with all sorts of people from Boyars, to Merchants, Craftsman and Peasants.

"The dream?" asked Titania, who was aware that Vlad was having weird dreams about someone who looked the same as him, but whose world was different from his own, truly a weird dream for the young woman, but she could understand him because she too would have premonitions and different sensations of uncertainty.

"Yes, those dreams I have are too real and at times scary. But, nonetheless, I feel as the one I watch, it's another me. For example right now, I saw myself standing in something similar like this chair, but larger and brimming with prestige and splendor.

"Vlad … what was that technique you used to teleport yourself? If you didn't warn me, I would have dropped to the ground."

"It's something I picked up from the little monkey. An intricate method of channeling one's body abilities into specific targets, from speed to strength."

"Ohhh, can you teach me?"

"Maybe … later. Besides, why would you need the 'Phantom Step' if you aren't the fighter type? Instead you are more of a support type."

"Because I think it's cool to be able to move so fast that people would believe you are teleporting … or appearing in front of them like a ghost. Ahhh, you chose a nice name for the technique."

"Pleased to hear you like it. But for now, let's keep it quiet so I can pick up when those bandits will visit me."

Saying that, he closed his black eyes, and began thinking about something else unrelated about the bandits, as if their fate was sealed. Instead, he was pondering about the next part of his journey which would take him to the Sorbet Kingdom, a place where the weather is harsh, and the winter season reigns supreme for the most part of the year.

'Sorbet Kingdom … The location where Yehimal Mountain calls home. A mountain whose summit was never touched since the time of the Great King Atlas … Bah, how hard could it be climbing on that mountain and reaching the summit.'

'With my current abilities, it must be just like Galena.'

'Then, after I get my hands on the key when I reach the Mountain Summit … I should begin searching for information about where the location of the second key must be. If I get nothing in Sorbet, my next target that can bore fruit is Baterilla Island.'