CHAPTER 307: VAMPIRE COUNT VARGOS [FINAL]

Every lesser vampire in the hall shrieked as their internal blood structures reacted violently. Many fell to their knees, clutching their chests as their regeneration was crippled.

"Bomb never misses!"

"Take that, bloodsuckers!"

"Shut up and capitalize," Sophie snapped, already controlling dozens of devouring vines at the vampires’ minions.

Gabriel didn’t delay. He leapt forward into the fading wave, resisting the residual bite of the Bomb’s edge, and brought his sword down on Vargos.

This time, there was no blood shield.

The blade bit deep into the Count’s shoulder, carving down his chest.

Vargos coughed blood, but his eyes were still sharp and full of vigor.

He grabbed the blade with a bare hand, fingers digging into the metal.

"You think... this is enough?" he hissed. "The Tower chose me. I am not so easily—"

Gabriel twisted his wrist.

Crimson Judgement glowed brightly as he poured mana into the blade, forcing the weapon’s latent pressure to spike.

Vargos’s grip shattered. His fingers snapped.

Gabriel ripped the sword free and kicked him square in the chest.

BANG!

The impact sent Vargos crashing into the throne.

Crack!

The chair split down the middle.

Off to the side, Anna had already destroyed two of the blood basins and was working on a third. Samantha’s skeletons hacked down weakened knights. Ragnarok tanked and crushed the remaining enemies, while the players and gunslingers finished off the rest.

Meanwhile, Bunny recorded everything with wide, gleaming eyes.

Vargos tried to stand.

Gabriel appeared in front of him again.

He drove the blade through the Count’s chest, angling downward Straight into the heart.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then Vargos convulsed.

His regeneration tried to work, but the lingering Bomb debuff and the direct heart strike conflicted. The blood inside his chest turned chaotic.

His eyes bulged, threatening to pop out of their sockets.

"No..." he growled angrily. "The cycle... must..."

His body swelled.

Gabriel calmly yanked the sword back and stepped away.

"Everyone disengage and step back," he ordered loudly.

They retreated instantly, abandoning whatever they were doing. The vampire looked confused for half a second—

Then Vargos exploded.

It wasn’t a normal explosion—more like his body turned to blood and burst outward in all directions. The wave hit the walls and ceiling, then evaporated like mist.

Where the Count had been, only a dark red crystal remained, slowly rising into the air.

A system message appeared.

[BLOOD TOWER – FLOOR 30 CLEARED!]

[Main Objective Completed: Vampire Count Vargos has been slain.]

There was a brief moment of silence, then excited voices from Broken Dawn rang out.

"WE DID IT! Floor 30 clear!"

"That was actually fun."

Samantha lowered her staff, panting. "Better than the Mutant, at least. This one died when he was supposed to."

Meanwhile, Sophie watched the floating crystal and spoke. "Leader?"

Gabriel was already moving toward it.

The crystal floated down as he approached, as if recognizing him.

He reached out and touched it.

[Ding! You have obtained: Count’s Blood Core]

[Count’s Blood Core]

[Description: A condensed core born from Vampire Count Vargos. Can be used as a high-tier crafting catalyst, a ritual component, or consumed via Extraction for a unique effect.]

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed as a familiar prompt followed.

[Do you wish to Extract Count’s Blood Core? Extraction Cost: 40 EP]

He considered it for a moment.

Then chose [Yes].

The purple screen appeared again.

[Please choose what to extract]

[+8 All Stats]

[Bloodline Insight (Vampire Noble)]

[Crimson Territory Map – Partial (Floors 30–35)]

He scanned the options.

’Stats are always useful,’ he thought. ’But limited. Bloodline Insight... not my path. It might offer skills... but my skill slots are currently full, so pass.’

His gaze landed on the last option.

’Map.’

Floor 30–35 mapping data—partial, but incredibly valuable. Routes, danger zones, resource spots, maybe even hidden objectives.

He glanced behind him like last time. Everyone was distracted, and with his back turned toward them, he quietly chose the last option.

[You have selected: Crimson Territory Map – Partial (Floors 30–35)]

The crystal fractured into glowing purple lines.

They spread outward, forming a three-dimensional overlay only he could see—sections of the Tower’s structure from Floor 30 up to 35. Not complete, but showing the main branches, boss locations, and several marked danger spots.

Gabriel’s past knowledge of the tower ended at Floor 20, but with the map, he had extended that far beyond.

With this, climbing the tower just became even easier.

Before leaving, a final message appeared before everyone’s retina.

[Floor 30 Exit Portals Unlocked.]

[You may proceed to Floor 31 or temporarily return to the Entrance Lobby.]

A crimson portal formed behind the throne, swirling quietly.

Gabriel turned and asked, "Anyone desperate to leave? If yes, you can return. If not, you can continue—but note, there’s no returning until we reach the last floor."

The option to exit back to the lobby (Floor Zero) always appeared after clearing a floor. That way, the Tower wasn’t a do-or-die affair.

Even after hearing Gabriel’s words, no one rushed to leave.

They exchanged glances.

Bunny glanced at her livestream chat and shook her head. "I’m not stopping anytime soon."

"We just hit the real part of the Tower. No way I’m stopping here," Ragnarok99 snorted.

Samantha smiled faintly. "Same here."

Sophie met Gabriel’s eyes. Behind her veil, the corner of her lips curved. "You already know my answer."

He nodded and then glanced at the rest. Determination filled their expressions.

"Alright then. Short break. Then we go up one more floor and reassess," he said. "We don’t rush blindly. We climb smart."

They took a few minutes to sit on the shattered throne steps and around fallen pillars, drinking potions and eating rations.

When everyone was ready, Gabriel rose. Without ceremony, he stepped into the crimson portal leading to Floor 31.

One by one, the others followed.

And the light swallowed them.

****

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