Medieval Gacha Lord

Humphrey immediately looked troubled. "But this is truly too impolite! If others find out I actually invited an esteemed lady to witness such things, my family's honor will be shamed!"

Lothar felt a slight suspicion rise in his heart.

"If it's something that would bring shame to your family if women saw it, then it's probably best not to see it at all. To be honest, I'm not very interested."

"Wouldn't that be too discourteous? Since you insist, let's go see it together. I just hope you will absolutely not publicize this matter, otherwise, I'll be too ashamed to show my face." Humphrey's face showed a hint of embarrassment.

"Actually, it's nothing particularly indecent, just some Persian dancing girls from Ctesiphon. Their dance is alluring and varied, and it has a very blasphemous 'title,' called the Dance of the Celestial Demon. To be perfectly frank, even I often think it's a temptation of the devil, yet I always find myself unable to resist."

"Just a dance?" Lothar was somewhat puzzled. He had originally thought they were heading to an orgy; he truly didn't understand how a mere dance could be associated with "blasphemy." However, his curiosity was indeed piqued. 'No matter how exciting, it's probably just like the girl groups from my previous life.'

The group walked towards the depths of the castle. "Everyone, please follow me. This is the room I usually use to meet honored guests. I had three storerooms demolished to build it, so it's spacious enough. Fine wine and delicacies are already prepared, just awaiting your esteemed enjoyment."

Humphrey, smiling, pushed open the door. "Please, come in."

It was indeed very spacious here. In the center of the wide hall, over a dozen impeccably dressed servants, holding silver trays, stood before a long rectangular table. Lothar marveled inwardly at the wealth of Oultrejordain.

The moment he stepped through the doorway, the world spun, and the scene before his eyes transformed from a spacious hall into a narrow corridor. In the darkness, only a single oil lamp burned on the wall, illuminating a tiny area.

The lamplight shone on Humphrey's profile; the corners of his mouth curled up, slowly forming a savage smile. "Quite vigilant, aren't we? Separating you all was no easy feat."

Lothar took a deep breath, striving to calm himself. "A teleportation array?"

"Sir Humphrey, you went to such great lengths to 'invite' me in. What exactly do you intend to do?"

"Heh-heh, relax. My goal isn't to kill you, but merely to offer you as a sacrifice to the Great Revered God—and you, too, will receive the glory of fusing with the Revered God."

Humphrey's voice became increasingly shrill. His clothes, being too large, slipped to the floor. His neck and arms became slender and elongated, covered entirely in grey-green scales. "If you don't resist, I can even be a little gentler with you."

"A believer of a pagan god?" A hint of horror flickered in Lothar's eyes. He raised his hand, making the initial gesture for blood magic.

The arc of Humphrey's lips stretched further, until it revealed a mouthful of sharp, serrated fangs. "I know you are an extraordinary, but so am I—and, you have no weapon in hand. With what will you fight me?"

Humphrey's forelimbs extended sharp claws. His lizard-like body suddenly shot out from his clothes, lunging at Lothar. His speed was simply extreme, giving Lothar the feeling he was sparring with Hans after his promotion to five-star. It was a supernatural power he simply couldn't contend with.

"Blood Guards, heed my call!" Lothar roared. Two soldiers appeared out of thin air. They wore blood-red trench coats, their faces pale, fangs glinting at the corners of their mouths. The instant they appeared, they charged towards Humphrey.

The sound of violently beating hearts, in this enclosed corridor, was like war drums. Knowing the enemy was formidable, they, without any hesitation, simultaneously activated Bloodfall, forcibly pushing their attribute values to a level close to Humphrey's.

And Lothar immediately retreated without looking back. He didn't know where he had been teleported, but fleeing at the first opportunity was definitely the best choice, because the enemy's strength was too great; his staying would be of no help. The most urgent task now was to regroup with Banu and Fringilla immediately.

***

He didn't know how far he had run, but the two vampire soldiers died much faster than he had imagined.

As his Beast Intuition screamed a frantic warning, he abruptly halted. Humphrey, who should have been behind him, had once again appeared before him.

Though Humphrey's condition didn't look too good at the moment—his scales were riddled with pits as if corroded by strong acid, and one eye was completely blind—the expression on his face was still that same sickening smile.

"Baron Lothar, for two such loyal guards to die like that, it's truly too pitiful. So, I offered them to the Revered God as well. What a grand gift this is."

One could see the wounds on his body rapidly healing; even the corrosion marks on his scales were quickly disappearing.

"Stop resisting. Haven't you realized yet? This corridor is simply a closed loop. To trap you, I've already sealed the entrance. No one can find you. You can't escape." Humphrey advanced step by step, the terrifying pressure causing a trace of despair to well up in Lothar's heart.

Without Banu and Fringilla's protection, the forces available to him were simply too few; he didn't even have a usable sword. If the enemy were a noble, a human, anyone who could be reasoned with or negotiated with, it would be different. But his opponent was of all things, a fanatic driven by a pagan god. With such a monster, how could one possibly discuss pros and cons?

Lothar struggled to shake off the fear constantly welling up in his heart, but he still felt his hands and feet turn ice-cold, as if some terrifying, intangible presence were slowly consuming his life, bit by bit.

But just then, Lothar felt the Ring of the Gargoyle on his hand suddenly surge with an extremely terrifying blood magic power, like a monstrous tidal wave, pouring into his body.