In his dream, the scent of blood was overwhelming. Yu Sen felt as though he had been soaking in a pool of blood for hundreds or thousands of years, with no daylight in sight. He raised his hand to his face, only to realize with horror that his body had become so transparent that it was about to disappear. Through his palm, he saw an endless sea of blood, and he was just a tiny speck of dust within it.

A wave of blood surged, flipping him over to the crimson seabed, where the suffocating feeling of drowning engulfed him.

…

He didn’t know how long had passed, or perhaps it was just ten minutes, but his groggy consciousness was jolted by a chilling cold.

Struggling to open his eyes, he saw two people confronting each other at the door.

The one with his back to him was Si Xuanyang, while the one standing outside, facing him, was the strange butler.

“I said, he’s not feeling well and can’t come downstairs to eat.” Si Xuanyang’s tone was firm.

The butler’s voice carried a sinister threat, repeatedly saying, “Every guest must come, or the master will be angry. You must come… you must come!”

Yu Sen glanced out the window. The orange glow on the horizon was gradually being replaced by a deep blue, and with the tree branches casting shadows, the room felt even gloomier.

He cleared his throat. “…Yang Yang, come here.”

Si Xuanyang quickly turned around and walked toward him. “You’re awake? How are you feeling?”

“Just the same,” Yu Sen was helped to sit up and asked softly, “What’s she doing here? What did you say to her?”

Si Xuanyang frowned, “She doesn’t allow anyone to miss dinner, but I wanted you to sleep a bit longer.”

“If I sleep too much now, how will I sleep tonight?” Yu Sen weighed the situation and immediately smiled at the butler, “Please excuse us for a moment. We’ll head downstairs as soon as we’re ready.”

The corners of the butler’s mouth twitched unnaturally, seemingly forming a strange smile, as she continued to repeat, “Everyone must come…” Then she stepped back, closed the door, and left.

Yu Sen sighed in relief. “Yang Yang, you’re really bold. You could have just woken me up. Do you even know if she’s human or a ghost? Be careful, or you might get dragged into a ghost marriage.”

Si Xuanyang didn’t respond, instead, he kept examining him. “Are you really okay? Still dizzy?”

He touched Yu Sen’s forehead again. “You’re still a bit warm. Are you dizzy?”

“I am!” Yu Sen joked, leaning closer with a grin. “Kiss me, and I won’t be dizzy anymore.”

Si Xuanyang chuckled. “Since when does that work? Which quack doctor said that?”

“I did, Professor Yu, neurologist! A renowned doctor!”

Si Xuanyang was silent for a moment before saying, “Si Nan said you majored in baking bread in college.”

“That’s nonsense! It’s called the Baking and Pastry Arts program! Not just baking bread! That idiot Si Nan! I’m going to kill him!” Yu Sen was fuming.

Si Xuanyang laughed softly, draped a coat over him, and nodded. “Let’s go, Master Baker.”

…

Dinner was still held at the long table, but the setting seemed noticeably more luxurious.

The room was dimly lit, with white candles burning on the candleholder. The tableware was delicate, the short-stemmed glasses refracted the candlelight like crystal, and the beef, though rare, looked like a premium cut.

However, many of the guests sitting on either side of the table were tense, sitting stiffly with their nerves on edge. Some of the less resilient ones were even sweating profusely, despite the cool temperature in the room.

Because they all knew that tonight might be their first encounter with the final boss of this game world.

When Yu Sen and Si Xuanyang came downstairs, they saw that only the seats closest to the head of the table were empty, with everyone else seated.

They had no choice.

With a helpless smirk, the two of them walked over and sat down. Next to them, Si Nan was wearing a distressed expression and whispered, “There was nothing we could do. Luo Yu and I were the third and fourth last to pick seats. You two were the last, and I never expected the others to grab seats so quickly.”

In a place like this, no one wanted to sit too close to the final boss. Being too close meant unknown dangers. Only Yu Sen and Si Xuanyang would dare to take their time and wait for the butler to ‘invite’ them down.

Yu Sen sighed, feeling helpless. How was he supposed to know that this ancient castle had set its sights on him? Although he had a fever, if those voices hadn’t come to him, he wouldn’t have fainted.

The high fever brought out a bit of sweat, and Yu Sen wiped his neck with his hand.

“Why is there a fragrance?” Si Nan muttered with a frown.

“What?”

“You smell like something, but it’s faint. I had to get close to notice it,” Si Nan sniffed around him. “Did you light an aromatherapy candle by the bed again before you came in?”

“I was in the hospital before I came to this world, how could I have lit any damn aromatherapy candles?” Yu Sen’s face darkened as he lowered his head to sniff himself, but he couldn’t detect any strange smell.

He swallowed hard: He really hoped he wouldn’t become a vampire’s main target because of his scent. That kind of bug would make him want to bash his head against a wall.

Sitting across from him, Si Xuanyang didn’t catch their conversation and shot a puzzled glance at Yu Sen, who shook his head slightly, remaining silent with a serious expression.

---

Everyone had arrived, and after a short while, the butler emerged from the hidden darkness, placing a crystal goblet at the head of the table before taking out a dark bottle and filling the goblet halfway.

Yu Sen’s body tensed. He exchanged a glance with Si Xuanyang, who was sitting closest to him, and it was clear that what was in the goblet was definitely not red wine.

It seemed to be… blood.

He thought of Zhao Qi, who had died that afternoon, and the blood that had mysteriously disappeared from Zhao Qi’s body. This seemed to be the answer.

At that moment, the sound of steady footsteps echoed from the darkness. The sharp ‘click-clack’ of leather shoes on the floor felt like they were stepping on everyone’s hearts, each step heightening their nerves and making their bodies tremble uncontrollably.

Yu Sen raised his eyelids, and the silhouette in the darkness became clearer as the person stepped into the light of the candles.

The figure had a head of silver hair that shone like moonlight.

This was the target of their mission. Several people on either side of the long table began to breathe heavily.

If they could burn him to death, they could return home!

But the situation was still unclear, and no one dared to act rashly.

When Yu Sen got a good look at the silver-haired vampire, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. He had guessed that the boss this time would be handsome, but he hadn’t expected him to be so stunning, with refined features and an air of nobility that was almost…

—Almost as good-looking as their own Yang Yang!

Yu Sen held his breath as the silver-haired vampire sat down at the head of the table, casually placing his long, jade-like fingers on the table, just two or three fist-widths away from Yu Sen’s hand.

He wanted to withdraw his hand, but at that moment, no one dared to move. If he made any sudden movements, it would be like a student cheating during an exam—easily caught by the teacher from the front of the classroom.

Especially since this student was sitting in the front row.

After a moment of hesitation, Yu Sen decided not to move his hand. He tried to relax his body and slow his breathing, but suddenly felt a piercing gaze on him.

Not again!

He screamed internally, wondering why everyone was targeting him.

Was he vampire bait or something!?

But he had to face it. Yu Sen moved his head slightly and met the teasing and playful gaze of the silver-haired vampire, who was as handsome as a god.

Yu Sen’s heart sank. Was this a confirmation that he was the right person?

He noticed the vampire’s nostrils flare slightly, followed by a familiar look of greed, desire, and aggression in the vampire’s eyes.

It felt like Yu Sen was about to be stripped naked and turned into someone’s meal. That wouldn’t do at all.

His mouth twitched as he contemplated going to the kitchen later to get some ginger and garlic to soak in a bath before bed.

So you’ve got a keen nose, huh? I’ll choke you with it!

…

Fortunately, that gaze didn’t linger too long. The vampire tapped the goblet with a spoon, causing everyone to flinch. Even those who hadn’t dared to look up now raised their heads.

The silver-haired vampire smiled slightly. “Lance apologizes for the delay. Please enjoy your meal.”

Yu Sen felt his hair stand on end from the vampire’s eerie tone. He paused as he looked at the bloody steak on his plate, but then picked up his knife and fork.

At least there were some side dishes, not much, but enough to fill him up a little.

As he ate, he glanced at Lance’s empty plate and then at the unusual drink—a goblet of human blood.

A teasing voice suddenly came from beside him: “Want a drink?”

Yu Sen’s grip on the knife tightened as he met Lance’s deep eyes, forcing a smile. “No, thanks.”

“Indeed, compared to you, his flavor is lacking,” Lance replied with a meaningful smile.

“…”

Yu Sen slowly exhaled, but just then, a hand suddenly reached over and took his plate away.

Si Xuanyang carefully cut away the bloody part of the steak on Yu Sen’s plate, then pushed his own side dishes and cream onto Yu Sen’s plate. After calmly completing all this, he slowly pushed the plate back.

“It’s fine now. Eat.”

The whole table was stunned.

This area had already been the center of attention. Even though no one dared to openly stare, everyone was sneaking glances in the same direction. This back-and-forth exchange had been witnessed by all.

When Yu Sen had said “No, thanks,” people had felt sympathy for him. After all, when the boss asks you something, you have to answer. It wasn’t his fault he was sitting so close and was the first to be targeted.

But what was with the person across from him?

Didn’t he see that the boss’s attention had already shifted to someone else? Instead of being relieved, he actually volunteered himself?

Flirting with someone the boss had already set his eyes on, right under the big boss’s nose?

Bold move!

Yu Sen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or be terrified. As he looked at the pile of mismatched fruit, vegetables, and beef on his plate, his heart melted into a puddle.