After Taken as a Prisoner of War, the Vampire Queen Turned Me Into a Vampire and Made Me Her Daughter-Chapter 258: Effective and Direct

A raging fire consumed the memories of the past, its scorching breath searing her cheeks. The inferno of the villa frequently haunted her thoughts — A nightmare and curse she could never escape.

She curled up, wailing and pleading for help, but her pleas were met with only silence. Her usually amiable relatives wore expressions of cold indifference during the funeral, as if the person in the coffin were a stranger, not one of their own blood. The world around her felt drained of all warmth, reduced to a cold, grey hue.

The memory faded, and she found herself back in the pitch-black ruins of the once-burning building, where faint echoes of footsteps drifted through the darkness.

She curled up tight underneath the blankets, her head buried, the confined space offering her a faint, negligible sense of safety.

The steps drew closer, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.

She trembled uncontrollably with fear, her eyes squeezed shut as she pretended to be asleep.

But the shadow stood motionless, merely looming over her in silence. And then…

*Poke, poke, poke*

‘Eep!’

*Poke, poke, poke*

‘P-Please, no more! I’m begging you!’

With a single, swift movement, the shadow flung the blankets aside. Leaning in close, ‘it’ spoke in a deep, devilish whisper.

“Rise and shine, Missy. The sun’s already burning your buns.”

‘Mhm?’

The shadow’s face suddenly morphed into a winged, cross-shaped helmet.

Lin poked her drowsy head out from under the blanket as glaring sunlight poured in through the window.

It was already noon.

“You put on quite the show in your sleep.” Ji Bai remarked. Clad in full armor, he sat on a stool with his arms crossed, his gaze shifting toward her as she stirred.

“…?” Still drifting in her hazy dreams, the girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and tilted her head. Her scarlet eyes seemed to lack their usual luster.

“It’s time to leave.” He stood up, unwilling to remain in this cursed place where nightmares lurked any longer. The house carried an inexplicable eeriness. If not for the sake of courtesy, he would have left without a word and slipped out the back to avoid old Bohlmann altogether.

The door to the adjacent room opened easily as Ji Bai stepped inside, giving Lin some privacy to change her clothes.

“It’s not locked? That doesn’t quite match the cautious crossdresser I know.”

Its arrangement was identical to its counterpart. Gordon’s bag was still present, but the messy bedding lay empty – there was no trace of him.

He looked in the bathroom, only to find no one there. Even the clothes from the nightstand were gone.

‘Could he already be up? Maybe he went out for a walk. Or perhaps…’

Ji Bai grasped the sheet between his fingers. The fabric felt sticky, as if damp with sweat.

Earlier that morning, he had woken up at his usual time and went through his morning ablutions at first light. No sounds came from the next room. In fact, the silence there was so profound, it made him feel uneasy.

If Gordon left during that timespan, there was no way he would have missed it, as the walls were so poorly soundproofed that even the slightest movements—turning over, getting up, using the toilet—were unmistakable.

That could only mean one thing: The sorcerer must have left before he had woken up.

‘What could he possibly be up to that early?’

After some rustling sounds next door, a wide-awake Lin stepped into the room with her belongings packed.

Taking in the scene before her, she instantly understood what had happened.

“I’ll go check with the old guy,” Ji Bai said, taking his bag from her.

In the spacious hall, a tall, thin elderly man paced restlessly with a teacup in hand. His expression was calm, yet his movements betrayed his unease.

“Excuse me, Mr. Bohlmann.”

The old man, Bohlmann, was startled slightly as he turned around. “First, you’re walking around without making a sound, and now you’re shouting for me — what do you want?”

He appeared visibly agitated, his face an unsightly purplish hue, as though something was weighing on his mind.

“Sorry to disturb you sir, I was wondering if you’ve seen my blue-haired companion earlier this morning?”

“Oh, that guy who pounds on doors like a wild animal?” The elderly owner seemed to catch on to something, as his deeply wrinkled face furrowed at the brows.

“Yes, did you happen to see which way he went?”

“No… When did you last see him?”

“It’s been quite some time. I’m not entirely sure, but I believe he might have left sometime before dawn.”

“…” Hearing that, the old man swayed and plopped down on a nearby sofa, clutching his teacup with a worried expression.

“Are you sure you haven’t seen him at all, sir?” Ji Bai asked, a hint of doubt in his voice as he followed suit, sitting down beside Bohlmann.

“I didn’t, but…” He trailed off, as if grappling with some unspoken burden. At that moment, he seemed to age considerably.

“…I believe he might have gone to the second floor in the middle of the night.” He replied, as though broaching a forbidden topic.

“Thanks. I’ll bring him back.” Ji Bai said, his one-track mind immediately spurring him into action.

“What in the world are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Get back here and sit down this instant!” Bohlmann yelled, stopping him in his tracks.

“What are you talking about??”

Noticing the helmeted man’s confused reaction, the elderly man let out a heavy sigh. He took a sip of his hot tea, as if trying to dispel the chill that had clung to him.

“Do you remember what I said about the second and third floor being strictly off-limits?” He slowly spoke after a moment’s pause.

“Yes I do. I suppose there’s something important up there? If that’s the case, I sincerely apologize on his behalf.”

“Save your apologies! I’m afraid your companion’s life now hangs in the balance.” Bohlmann muttered enigmatically as he set his teacup down on the side table and got up.

“Hangs in the balance? What do you mean by that? Please explain yourself, Mr. Bohlmann.” Ji Bai felt a sense of foreboding in the air.

“You’re not from around here. You’ve no idea what happened in the northern suburbs.” His face suddenly changed, as if he had recalled something horrifying.

“A few decades ago, an unexplained fire ravaged this place, claiming many lives. The suburbs’ distance from town, combined with the fact that it broke out in the dead of night, meant that help didn’t arrive until dawn. By then, the inferno had already run its course, leaving nothing but ruins behind.”

“So, this apartment building is one of the few that remained from back then?”

“Well, I bought and rebuilt it afterwards. At that time, the second and third floor had been gutted to their frames; only the ground floor was relatively intact.” As he spoke, the old man lowered his hat.

“I originally planned to turn it into a hostel, but once midnight fell, strange things began to happen.” Bohlmann spoke with such enthusiasm and vivid detail that Ji Bai unconsciously found himself drawn into the story.

“First, the residents reported hearing someone pacing the hallways at night. Then, they would all have the same dream which lasted for a full week, sometimes even a month.”

“In their dreams, a hunched old man would always stand just outside their door, peering in before slowly, inexorably approaching. They would jolt awake to find their locked door slightly ajar. Those brave enough to investigate would vanish without a trace the following day, never to be seen again.” He spoke, his voice grave and solemn.

“People disappeared? Surely the Chivalric Order would have sent knights to investigate, right?” Ji Bai asked, voicing his doubts.

“They did, all right, but this place was nothing but trouble. Even their reconstruction project kept hitting dead ends. Despite knowing something sinister was at play here, they merely went through the motions of an investigation. In the end, nothing was found and the matter was quietly dropped.”

“What about the second and third floor? …Did something happen up there?”

“I’m not sure. I heard it used to be a lumber factory. A family of four owned the place and made a living selling woodwork. When the fire broke out, the second and third floors, where they kept the dried timber, went up in flames like a tinderbox. No one survived.”

“Rumor has it that this was no accident, but a long premeditated plot. The conspirators, they say, lost control of the flames in the end, causing the inferno to consume the entire suburb. The former owners died with such deep grievances that their spirits never left – even now, at midnight, they wander those floors, just like they did in life.”

“And like them, the others who perished in the tragedy seemed unaware of their own fate, rising from their slumber each night to repeat the earthly routines of their past lives.”

“What’s stopping me from going up there and finding him now?” To Ji Bai, gods and ghosts were merely different kinds of beings, perhaps of a higher order. If necessary, he would not hesitate to use his sword to ‘reason’ with them.

“And what good would it do to go there now? Even if a vengeful spirit haunts the place, it’ll only show up after midnight. During the daylight, this building’s just like any other.” Bohlmann rolled his eyes at him in irritation.

“We have to wait until dark? Why can’t we do this now?” The logic of that eluded him, but then again, supernatural beings were hardly bound by rationality.

“If you want to find your friend, the only way is to wait until nightfall. Only when that ‘door’ opens, will you have a chance…” The old man spoke, explaining to the armored man, yet it sounded like he was muttering to himself.

“Tell me what to do.”

“It has to be after midnight. That’s the only way.” He muttered to himself, heading into a room at the far end of the winding corridor.

“Did you hear that?” Ji Bai opened the door and saw Lin leaning against the corner of the wall.

“Mhm, need a hand?”

“It’s fine, I’ll take care of it.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to have a pair of extra hands.”

“You know, those words would carry more weight if you weren’t curled up in the corner right now.”

“…”

“If you’re scared, you can stay inside and watch the bags.” He sighed.

‘They say you raise a worm for a thousand days, only to use it in that one crucial moment—so why is this parasite letting me down now?’

He had two teammates: One was missing and needed rescuing, while the other was so overcome with fear she nearly wet herself before stepping onto the battlefield.

They were beyond hopeless. Since they were holding him back, he would just have to handle it on his own.

“Bang.” A strong gust of wind from the window slammed the door shut.

Ji Bai was about to leave the room when he paused, as if noticing something. He bent down and fiddled with the lock.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” He got up nonchalantly and brushed the dust off his hands.

…………

“Tick, tick, tick…” The second hand of the wall clock moved steadily, until it aligned with the other two at the top.

Midnight had arrived.

“It’s time to go.” Ji Bai signaled to Bohlmann, who clutched his lantern with visible unease.

“Mhm…” The old man’s face was ashen as he swallowed uneasily.

“Perhaps it’s best if you take care of it yourself…”

“I’m looking for my companion. And I need a guide who’s familiar with this place. Please don’t decline, Sir — You’re the only one who can help.” The armored man methodically checked his armor and belt, ensuring everything he needed was in place.

“Since he disappeared in your establishment, who else could I turn to but you? Rest assured. Whether it’s vengeful spirits or thieves with ill intent, no harm will come to you. Since I’m asking you to be my guide, I’ll naturally take full responsibility for your safety.

“Very well, if you insist, Sir Knight.” Bohlmann said, his pent-up frustrations escaping in a long, weary sigh.

He was baffled by Ji Bai’s sudden insistence on bringing him along. Would he not just be a liability, a distraction for the knight if they ran into trouble? Or did the warrior have some other plan in mind?

“Let’s go, Mr. Bohlmann. You know these grounds well – please lead the way.”

“Cough, cough. I’ve only ventured to the second floor during the daytime. I wouldn’t say I’m all that familiar with it.” The old man could sense the armored knight’s unwavering determination pressing down on him. He figured even if he flat-out refused, he would still be dragged along to lead the way no matter what.

‘Some knights sink lower than evil spirits these days.’ He thought bitterly.

The dim candlelight illuminated a small area of the second-floor landing, where Ji Bai quickly noticed something out of place.

The corner wall was covered in doodles of eyes, noses, and mouths — the kind of prank only a child would pull.

“Did you draw all this?”

“Of course not! Do I look like I have nothing better to do?” Bohlmann snapped, clearly annoyed by his strong-arming tactics earlier.

“How do you suggest we proceed? Should I conduct a room-by-room search?” His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword as he examined the second floor in the faint glow. Its layout was nearly identical to the one below.

“How would I know…”

“Thump, thump, thump…”

“Who’s there??” Ji Bai unsheathed [Silver Throne], pointing it cautiously at the corner of the stairwell. The sound of the footsteps seemed to be coming from somewhere below.

A flash of silver flickered in the darkness as Lin slowly came into view wearing an awkward, hesitant look on her face.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to watch the bags?” His brows furrowed as he slid his sword back into its scabbard.

“I-I think it’s safer if we stick together — to avoid being picked off one by one.” She said with an earnest expression. If her legs were not trembling uncontrollably, he might have believed her otherwise impeccable logic.

“Stay close, and don’t get lost.” He could not be bothered to figure out what this female vampire was planning.

If he did not know any better, he would have dismissed the idea of a vampire being afraid of ghosts as nothing more than a bad joke.

Still, that had its perks — At least now, he had someone to cover his back.

However, the thought vanished the moment he saw Lin’s poker face crumble, startled by the eerie graffiti on the wall.

“Did a ghost… leave this here?”

“Who knows?” Ji Bai shrugged and took the lead with the old man, Bohlmann, holding the lantern at his side.

He opened the door to the first room and noticed something wrapped up on the bed.

Using his sword, he lifted the covering to reveal a crudely made yet unsettlingly eerie, life-sized puppet made out of wood.

“Nnn…” With her hand clamped over her mouth and her legs pressed tightly together, the vampire let out a soft, kitten-like whimper.

“Nothing but showy tricks and ridiculous mind games,” Ji Bai scoffed, flipping the puppet over to see an unfamiliar name carved into the back of its head.

Whether the culprit was human or ghost, he had always favored the most direct and efficient approach.

“Crack!” His longsword plunged straight through both the puppet and bed frame.

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