The faint, metallic stench of blood wafting from the hidden alcove instantly made the already chilling air inside the library feel suffocating. Liu Feiyang crouched down, his slender fingers brushing against the dark brown stain on the stone floor. It was dried and encrusted, yet it left behind an undeniable, gruesome trail.
"This blood..." Zhang Liyin took a half-step back, her face draining of color once more. "Could it belong to another player who snuck in here before us?"
"No," Feiyang rejected, his voice flat and perfectly steady. "If it were a player killed by an enforcer, their body would have instantly dissolved into gray light particles like No. 7. They would never leave a thick blood trail like this on the floor. Whoever was dragged inside belongs to this castle."
He stood up and turned to meticulously examine the stone relief of the weeping young woman on the wall. A pair of small, square recesses where the eyes should be measured roughly two inches across—a shape that looked strangely familiar.
**[ System Data Download Complete ]**
**[ You have received Summary Data: Secret Record of the Liu Family's Bloodline Pact ]**
The system screen flashed a clear, translucent blue. The information Feiyang had requested ten minutes ago materialized before him. He scanned the text rapidly to save precious time.
*'...The Liu family did not betray the royal family. Instead, the ancient bloodline of the family serves as the sacred anchor used to suppress the demonic power beneath the castle. If the last bloodline of the Liu family is decapitated upon the altar, the anchor will shatter, and the dimensional gate will open completely. The key to resealing it lies solely within the gemmed eyes of the Saint Theresa relief, preserved by the head of the family...'*
"Gemmed eyes..." Feiyang muttered to himself, his gaze immediately shifting back to the hollow slots in the weeping carving. "So this thing is the sealing mechanism, not an entrance to a treasure room."
"Feiyang! This is bad!" Liyin, who was keeping watch behind him, called out in a hushed, panicked tone as she pointed at her system screen. "The player notification window... No. 2 and No. 5's statuses have changed to 'Deceased'! Right now, there's only the two of us and one other player left!"
The system's announcement of their fellow players' deaths echoed in their minds almost simultaneously. Amidst the dead silence of the library, the heavy, hair-raising sound of something else began to echo from the corridor outside.
It wasn't the clanking iron armor of the knight they had encountered before, nor was it the heavy thud of Prince Edward's combat boots.
It was the sound of razor-sharp talons scraping against the stone floor... *screeech... screeech...* slow, deliberate, and heavy.
**[ Warning: Time 05:30 AM. 'The Night Hunter' has begun patrolling the Deep Precincts. ]**
**[ The effect of the Dark Royal Crest is beginning to decay: Camouflage level reduced to 50%. ]**
"It's coming this way," Feiyang took a deep breath, his sharp gaze entirely devoid of fear. He knew full well that without those two gems, forcing their way into the hidden alcove would be nothing less than walking into an early grave.
He gripped the Dark Royal Crest tightly in his hand. The black energy that had previously cloaked their bodies was growing thin, turning almost invisible. Their options were dwindling rapidly, and the first light of a new day was less than half an hour away.
"The sound is getting closer, Feiyang..." Liyin whispered, stepping backward until her spine hit the edge of the massive wooden desk. Her fingers gripped the fabric of his sleeve so tightly her knuckles turned bone-white.
*Click... Screeech...*
The sound of long, razor-sharp talons scraping against the oak doorframe at the front of the library served as a grim reminder that a new hunter had arrived. In Feiyang's mind, the deep violet warning from his Danger Sense skill pulsed so rapidly it bordered on pitch-black, violently assaulting his nerves.
Feiyang's mind raced, processing all the information in an instant. The Dark Royal Crest only provided half its original camouflage now, and there was absolutely no time to search other parts of the castle for the two gems before six in the morning. However, as his eyes flicked to the final condition on the system screen—*'The gems are preserved by the head of the family...'*—a sudden realization struck him.
The current head of the Liu family in this avatar body... was himself.
"Liyin, get back," Feiyang commanded sharply.
He strode back to the massive desk at the center of the library, slamming his fist against the thick wood to locate a hidden compartment. His Danger Sense wasn't warning him of a trap on the desk; it was pinpointing the location of an object radiating a dense concentration of energy. His slender fingers felt a small wooden latch beneath the bottom drawer, and he pressed down hard.
*Click...*
The center surface of the desk split open into a small rectangular slot, revealing a fiery-red velvet box nestled inside. Feiyang snapped the box open immediately. A warm, brilliant orange glow reflected off two square-cut gems, illuminating his face.
**[ You have received a Quest Item: Eyes of Saint Theresa (Left and Right) ]**
"You found them!" Liyin gasped with newfound hope. However, her joy lasted less than a second as the colossal oak doors at the front of the library were violently slammed open by a monstrous force.
*BANG!*
A gargantuan silhouette slowly crawled into the library. The creature stood far taller than an average human, its pale gray skin stretched taut against its skeletal frame. Its face completely lacked eyes, featuring only a maw that split open all the way to its ears, packed with razor-sharp fangs. Talons nearly a foot long dragged against the stone floor, kicking up sparks.
It was 'The Night Hunter.'
The Dark Royal Crest in Feiyang's hand began to emit a faint, static crackle. Their camouflage levels plummeted as the monster snapped its head toward them, sniffing the air. It instantly sensed their presence, even if it couldn't see them clearly yet.
"Run to the relief!" Feiyang shouted to Liyin, lunging forward into a sprint toward the deepest, darkest corner of the library.
The monster unleashed a high-pitched screech that nearly ruptured their eardrums before lunging after them with terrifying speed. Its talons tore through the surrounding wooden bookshelves, sending splinters and ancient tomes flying across the floor.
Feiyang reached the hidden alcove in the absolute final second. Without a shred of hesitation, he thrust both hands—each clutching an orange gem—directly toward the eyes of the weeping young woman, snapping them into the square slots with perfect precision.
*Rumble...*
The stone wall around the relief shifted with a deafening groan. The ancient mechanism came alive, flaring with a brilliant golden light that dispelled the dark energy around them. Simultaneously, a heavy stone trapdoor began to slide down from above to seal the alcove shut.
But before the door could close completely, a pale gray talon ripped through the narrowing gap, slashing violently toward Feiyang.
*TEAR!*
The fabric of his red dress was shredded to pieces, accompanied by a spray of fresh blood splashing across the stone floor of the alcove.
**[ Warning: You have sustained severe physical damage. Life Points decreased by 20 points. ]**
**[ Your remaining Life Points: 66 points. ]**
The force of the blow sent Feiyang crashing onto the floor inside the hidden chamber. Behind him, the heavy stone door slammed shut with a solid thud, cutting off the monster's frenzied roars and plunging the secret tunnel into absolute darkness and silence.