<h4>Chapter 161</h4>


    He had neatlybed ck hair. Dressed impably in a ck imperial-style uniform, he wore a refined smile on his handsome face.


    "The one behind looks like a spellcaster, Ian."


    "All vampires are spellcasters."


    "I know that, but he seems to mainly use spells."


    As Philip swallowed dryly, the conversation between Charlotte and Ian reached his ears. Both spoke in a calm tone.


    While Ian shrugged as if suggesting they wait and see, the vampire in the uniform bowed politely.


    "Wee to the Labyrinth Mansion, Sir Ian the Dragon yer, and yourpanions. I am Alfwyn, the head butler of the mansion. We have been preparing to receive our esteemed guests under themand of Her Majesty."


    "You wee guests by looking down on them?" As the group each steadied their stances, Ian asked in aposed voice.


    Alfwyn, with a faint smile, replied. "Please understand. We know you prioritize action over words, Sir Ian. It is an honor to greet you for the first time."


    "If we had taken a different path, would others have greeted us?"


    "Of course. We could not predict where you would go. Unfortunately, thanks to you, not many are left."


    “There’s no need to thank me.”


    Even with Ian''s provocation, Alfwyn''s smile remained unbroken.


    "Do not worry. Now that you are here, you will soon meet them all. Of course... some faces may be familiar."


    Charlotte growled lowly, likely thinking of the twins immediately.


    "Leave him to me, Ian. Please."


    As she spoke, Alfwyn ced a hand over his chest and added.


    "Before that, we will do our best to keep you entertained."


    <i>Swoosh.</i>


    A ck mist spread from the hand over his chest. Alfwyn''s smile deepened as he looked down at Ian.


    "We understand we can''t stop you on our own, but...."


    In the mist, a ck sword shape emerged. It was a deformed sword with arge crescent de in the middle, resembling arge hook or a scythe. Alfwyn, holding the sword beside his face, concluded.


    "Yourpanions may not be as fortunate."


    "Confident, aren''t you? And quite talkative."


    As the atmosphere grew tense, Ian spoke in a steady tone. By now, a faint red divine power was shimmering across his body.


    "Let''s see what you''ve got."


    As soon as he spoke, Ian shook his left hand without warning. Alfwyn deflected the flying throwing knife with a smile.


    "dly."


    <i>Whoosh! </i>


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Alfwyn dashed forward, a dark shadow trailing behind him. Despite the distance, it was an instant.


    Charlotte stepped forward, blocking Ian almost simultaneously.


    <i>ng!</i>


    The crescent sword and fang sword shed. As their gazes met,


    "Come down here, coward!" Philip shouted, pointing his sword at Nathan, who was still standing atop the vine wall.


    Nathan disyed a nervous smile on his lips.


    "Would youe down if you were me, boy? I will nevere down from here, so try to drag me down."


    He casually flicked his ebony staff. Arge rose that had been blooming at his feet fell and spun, flying toward him. The spinning petals quickly disintegrated, turning into a mass of blood. Nathan''s smile deepened.


    "If you can."


    <i>Bam—</i>


    At the same time, red thorns shot out from the blood mass. Philip instinctively raised his right arm. A golden barrier erupted, enveloping both him and Mev,rger and more vivid than usual.


    As the blood thorns burned away upon touching the barrier,


    <i>ng!</i>


    After exchanging a few blows in an instant, Charlotte knocked aside Alfwyn''s crescent sword and lunged at him. She extended her wed hand, aiming to grab his neck. Surprised by her strength, Alfwyn''s eyebrows shot up, but then his lips curled into a smirk.


    <i>Swish—</i>


    "...!"


    From beneath his shadow, a wavy dagger de shot up. A woman with pale skin emerged from his shadow, thrusting the dagger forward.


    Charlotte''s eyes widened in an instant.


    <i>Thud.</i>


    The woman''s head, pierced by a throwing knife, jerked back. Ian, charging forward, swung his sword and decapitated her. Charlotte, retracting her arm which had reflexively reached out, swung her right arm with all her might.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The fang sword shed across Alfwyn''s chest, clearly surprising him this time. He hurriedly retreated, scattering dark red blood. His back hit the vine wall, but he didn''t seem to care about the thorns protruding from it.


    <i>Thud—</i>


    The severed head of the woman hit the ground. Unable to scream due to the missing lower jaw, she could only blink her eyes, filled with bloody tears, with a knife still embedded in her forehead.


    As Ian stomped on and crushed the head, Philip''s shout came from behind.


    "Lord Ian! What should we do? That guy really doesn''t seem to want toe down!"


    Ian turned to look at Mev instead of answering. Mev, sensing Ian''s gaze from behind his visor, nodded to the side.


    "Impressive, Sir Ian. How did you know I wasn''t alone?" Alfwyn spoke. As he talked, the wound on his chest healed in an instant, and even his clothes restored themselves.


    Ian found that more fascinating and replied.


    "Well."


    Of course, it wasn''t just a hunch.


    Ian had known from the start that Alfwyn wasn''t alone. The quest windows that popped up during their conversation had revealed it.


    [Blood Sorcerer, and the Butlers and Maids.]


    Only the butler was visible, so he figured the maids must be hiding somewhere. The moment he noticed the unusually thick shadows, he was sure they were hiding within.


    "So, surprise attacks won''t work." Alfwyn, now back on the ground, spread his arms. His shadow widened, and from it, women dressed as maids emerged, each gripping wavy daggers.


    As soon as they steadied themselves, they lunged at Ian and Charlotte. More maids filled their ces.


    <i>Why are there so many of them?</i>


    As Ian thought that, Charlotte stepped forward. The nking sound of armor echoed as Mev joined.


    "We''ll handle this, Ian," Mev said as she passed by Ian. Charlotteunched herself at the maids as if she had been waiting.


    Ian nodded and turned around without hesitation. He approached Philip, who stood ready with his shield raised, prepared to unleash divine power at any moment.


    "You go too. Support them."


    "Yes, thank you, lord." Philip nodded resolutely and stepped back, not taking his eyes off Nathan on the vine wall until thest moment.


    "Kyah!"


    "Aaah!"


    The maids let out piercing screams as the battle began almost simultaneously. Nathan''s frown deepened as he looked down at Ian.


    "Damn it... Do you really think yourpanions can handle them all? Why are youing this way?"


    "Spellcasters should stick with spellcasters," Ian said, his eyes glowing with reddish magic.


    He appeared unconcerned with themotion around him, though he was actually keeping a close watch on the movements behind him. Nathan couldn''t know that.


    "Other mages would faint if they saw this. A magic swordsman? Where did a monster like youe from?"


    “And does a monster like you make sense?”


    With a re of red magic, fireballs formed around Ian and shot toward Nathan. Nathan swept his cloak dramatically. At the same time, the floating glob of blood beside him expanded into a bubble-like barrier, enveloping him.


    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>


    The fireballs exploded upon hitting therge blood drop, creating a thick red mist. None of the fireballs managed to prate the blood drop.


    "Ugh—" But Nathan''s face showed no relief as he lowered his cloak.


    <i>Whoosh—</i>


    With the sound of air being sliced, Ian, having leaped high, was now soaring toward Nathan. His jumping ability was so great that he nearly reached the top of the wall.


    "Damn—" Nathan urgently pped his cloak.


    At almost the same moment, Ian forcefully swung the arm he had pulled close to his body.


    <i>sh—</i>


    Nathan''s body slid sideways as if pulled by a string.


    With a loud crash, Ian''s swung sword sliced through the empty air and embedded itself in the upper part of the barrier. From the torn vine, bright red blood spurted out.


    "Damn it! The wall''s too low! Too low! Are you listening, you idiot?!" Nathan shouted in a booming voice, mixed with magical power.


    Immediately after, the sound of cracking and creaking began to spread loudly from the barrier. The vine barrier was growing taller.


    Ian, who broke the sharp thorns with his feet and stepped through the gaps, slightly furrowed his brow.


    <i>Is there someone controlling the garden?</i>


    At the same time, the de stuck in the wall was crumpled like paper and pulled in. Ian let go without hesitation and leaped toward Nathan again.


    <i>Woosh.</i>


    The swirling wind pushed his body once more into the air. The barrier was rising higher and higher, but he didn''t care.


    As he leaped, his raised hand brushed through his pocket dimension, and a new sword appeared. Bloodshot filled Nathan''s eyes.


    "You crazy monster... You''re no different from Karha!" Nathon urgently flung himself, his cloak fluttering as his body swiftly crossed the air.


    Ian, turning his head mid-air to follow his movement, clicked his tongue.


    <i>What a mosquito-like bastard.</i>


    <i>Crash!</i>


    In the midst of this, Ian struck his sword into the barrier, skillfully shing through the thorns and kicking them away to clear a space, then steadied his posture.


    He hung from the sword hilt, which would usually be a tiring position, but with the Blessing of Battle activated, it was nothing. Even though he was using divine power minimally, he was still much stronger than any average barbarian warrior.


    "Tsk...." Ian''s gaze, which had been following Nathan''s back as he flew across, finally dropped to the chaotic battle below.


    "Screech!" The maids rushing in from all directions with blood-curdling screams no longer had human forms. Their eyes were entirely bloodshot, and their teeth jutted out like shards of broken ss.


    Their dagger-clutching hands had w-like nails glinting, and their hair pped as if alive. Yet, Charlotte in the midst of it all did not retreat an inch.


    Having drawn her silver sword at some point, she fought fiercely without pause, like a beast. She didn''t hesitate to use not only her des but also her shoulders, elbows, and knees to strike.


    Despite this, any gaps that formed were immediately covered by the rising golden barrier. Phillip, who had raised his shield high, focused on defense at the edge, supporting Charlotte and Mev.


    <i>ng.</i>


    At that moment, Mev was the one confronting Alfwyn. She deftly parried and deflected the erratic trajectory of the crescent sword, never missing a beat. Meanwhile, she casually swung her slender sword, piercing a maid’s head or slicing their neck. Sometimes, she even used the hilt to strike, its silver decoration proving destructive enough against the vampires.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    In an instant, her sword pierced Alfwyn’s shoulder. Instead of retreating, Alfwyn pushed himself deeper into the de. Simultaneously, a thin arm wielding a wavy dagger emerged from his shadow.


    <i>Swish—</i>


    A shadowy mist formed on Alfwyn''s crescent sword, and a maid who had crept up unnoticed aimed for the gap in Mev’s armor.


    <i>Crash.</i>


    Ian''s sword struck the maid''s head as he rushed forward. Without stopping, Ian then charged toward Alfwyn, whose eyes widened in rm.


    "You''re just acting like a spellcaster."


    With those words, Ian’s iron fist smashed into one side of Alfwyn’s face.


    <i>Crack—</i>


    The beautiful face twisted horribly and was flung away. The force of the punch was so great that the de embedded in his shoulder tore through the flesh as he was sent flying. Ian didn’t even nce at him as he tumbled on the ground.


    "Don''t let your guard down." Without waiting for Mev''s response, he charged again, shing at any maids he encountered.


    <i>Crash! sh–-</i>


    A few maids rushed at him desperately, but they couldn''t stop Ian''s advance. His sword even broke under the strain. Ian tossed it aside without hesitation, using his fists to strike the maids as he passed.


    "Raaaah!" Charlotte roared, covering Ian’s back. The maids swarmed with screams that blurred the line between battle cries and cries of pain.


    <i>What a mess.</i>


    Despite his thoughts, Ian''s gaze was fixed on the barrier in the distance. He had to crane his neck to see the top now. Nathan had already created another blood prison.


    "...!"


    Their eyes met, and Nathan''s eyes widened as hepleted his spell. Thorns of blood shot out like rain from the blood prison.


    Ian gathered strength in his legs.


    <i>Boom. Swoosh!</i>


    The ground caved in as his body shot up, and simultaneously a blue force field red around him.


    <i>Crackle!</i>


    The rain of blood thorns battered the force field. Most of them missed him, but those that did were vaporized by the divine barrier that sprang up just in time.


    Yet, Nathan’s lips curled into a faint smile. It was because Ian’s trajectory wasn’t enough to reach him. As he prepared his next spell, Nathan spat out a taunt.


    "Instead of wasting your strength, why don’t you go and–-"


    With a sh of light, Nathon’s body bent forward like a shrimp.


    A silver-decorated dagger had suddenly embedded itself deep in his abdomen. It was the fairy’s dagger.


    "Urg, wha—?" Nathan groaned, his eyes widening. His gaze filled with Ian''s figure descending from the wall. In Ian''s outstretched hand, a massive greatsword appeared.


    Nathan finally understood Ian''s intent.


    Ian had never intended to reach the top. He just needed to get close enough to ensure his thrown dagger wouldn''t miss.


    <i>Shwoom—</i>


    A reddish light began to spread along the de, and the calm vanished from Nathan’s eyes. He desperately clutched the dagger in his abdomen. With a sizzle, the silver decoration on the hilt burned his grip. Gritting his teeth, Nathan tightened his grasp.


    "Come down here, bastard."


    Ian snarled, twisting his body in mid-air to bring his greatsword crashing down toward the approaching barrier.