The vampire duke certainly wasn't going to let Gillian live; he had only cruelly toyed with her for a while, and now... he was tired of playing with her and was ready to kill her.
At that moment, a chill suddenly ran down his spine.
Sensing the threat, he instinctively threw away Gillian from his grasp and fled towards his lair without hesitation, only to be grabbed by the back of his neck by a long, pale hand.
"Long time no see, Antos."
Ulysses' deep voice was melodious and captivating to anyone else's ears, but to Antos, it was a death knell.
"What?! You're awake!"
Antos's face was filled with terror, and his voice was barely audible. He had followed Ulysses for a long time and knew how terrible he was and how cruel his methods were.
So from the moment he betrayed Olympus, he tried every means to prevent him from waking up.
Over the years, he had been trying to prevent the 'Blood of the Night' from returning to Thorn Castle, but he still couldn't stop it.
"Yes, I'm awake."
Ulysses looked at Antos's head with a leisurely air, thinking of countless ways to make it rot so badly that it couldn't be picked up anymore. His mood became more and more pleasant, and even his voice carried a hint of joy.
"What? Are you unhappy?"
There was no murderous intent in his words, but Antos was so frightened that his body went limp and he couldn't muster any will to resist.
This is the power of the progenitor of vampires; he has absolute suppression and dominance over other vampires, and no one can defy his orders.
Of course, it was precisely because of his extraordinary power that the vampires below him harbored rebellious thoughts towards him.
"No... I'm happy, of course I'm happy."
Antos's smile was more like a grimace, but he still answered Ulysses's question in a trembling voice.
Gillian, who had been thrown out, finally regained her breathing and gradually returned to consciousness.
In a hazy state, she heard Ulysses and Antos talking. Her strong will to survive made her forcefully suppress all the pain in her body and her subconscious reactions, pretending that she was a corpse.
Because she recognized the terrifying aura emanating from the man; he was the progenitor of vampires.
Even if the Blood Hunter Guild were completely wiped out, there was absolutely no way they could kill them.
No matter how stupid she was, or how much she hated vampires, she wouldn't do something that would just lead to her death. She might as well lie here and play dead, watching them fight like dogs.
It sounds like they have a grudge against each other.
Gillian thought to herself.
"Yeah?"
Ulysses's voice was unpredictable, and when it reached Gillian's ears, it was as cold as a venomous snake, lying close to her ear and flicking its tongue.
"It's...it's true."
Antos was almost in tears; even vampires are afraid of absolute death.
"Unfortunately, I don't like it when you're happy."
Upon hearing his reply, Ulysses suddenly laughed, uttering the words in a lazy tone, and then, as if he had lost interest, crushed Antos's spine with one hand.
A sickening cracking sound, accompanied by Antos's horrifying wail, instantly echoed through the night in Apata, but the streets remained quiet, without the slightest sound.
No one dared to come out.
Even Gillian, who was lying on the ground pretending to be dead, trembled almost imperceptibly for a moment.
This is what makes the progenitor of vampires so terrifying.
Ulysses was like an elegant nobleman enjoying a delicious afternoon tea, and Antos was his afternoon tea. The crimson power was originally a gift from the progenitor, and now he was simply taking it back.
Time passed second by second, and Antos's pleas for mercy grew fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared completely.
After a while, Ulysses had only a desiccated corpse left in his hand, which he casually threw on the ground.
After the old monster finished eating, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he squinted and scanned his surroundings, finally fixing his gaze on Gillian, who was lying there pretending to be dead.
The presence of a living person, even if someone pretends to be dead, makes it impossible for them to escape Ulysses's perception.
Gillian, who was being stared at, was also tense. She felt the gaze of the progenitor and knew that she had been exposed, but she had no way to resist and could only wait to die.
A devastating truth forced Gillian to abandon her pretense and slowly rise to her feet, struggling to look up at Ulysses.
Ulysses and the little girl locked eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in Ulysses's eyes.
He thought the human girl would keep pretending to be dead until he picked her up.
"I know you are the progenitor of vampires."
Gillian, struggling with her ravaged body from the battle with Antos and suppressing her fear of Ulysses, spoke in a trembling voice.
"oh?"
Ulysses raised an eyebrow and uttered a syllable that made no sense.
He looked the girl, who was clearly no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, up and down, with a hint of appreciation in his eyes.
Few humans dare to look him in the eye like that, let alone a child.
This reminded him of that audacious woman who dared to approach him and make a deal with him; humans are truly fascinating creatures.
"What do I have to do... for you to let me go?"
Gillian took a deep breath and looked at Ulysses with a resolute expression.
She didn't actually have much hope, but she still had her guild and many brothers and sisters. She didn't want to die, and she couldn't die. Even if there was only a sliver of hope, even if she had to plead with the vampires for mercy, she was willing to try.
Ulysses was slightly taken aback, because Gillian's expression and tone were so similar.
She looks so much like her.
“Tell me where Maggie is.”
Ulysses was in a good mood and had no further intention to kill the human girl. He decided to use this as a bargaining chip to spare her life.
He crossed his arms and looked at Gillian with interest, waiting for her answer.
Unexpectedly, Gillian's expression froze for a moment after hearing the question before she uttered five words in a strained tone.
"She is dead."
Gillian missed Maggie's funeral because she was too busy with guild quests.
After a person dies, they are quickly forgotten. I thought I would never hear Maggie's name again, but I never expected to be asked about it by the progenitor of vampires.
and.....
Her answer would likely be difficult to satisfy the progenitor of vampires; the suspicious vampire would certainly think she was lying.
After Gillian finished speaking, she was completely desperate.
Waiting to die.
To everyone's surprise, upon hearing the answer, the smile on Ulysses vanished instantly. He lowered his arms, didn't say another word to her, and turned to disappear from her sight.
Gillian was left sitting on the ground, completely bewildered, not knowing what had just happened.
"I've been spared... I've survived?"
She couldn't believe it.
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