POTLS - Chapter 19: The Castle

The explosions from [Daybreak Executioner] had become Paul's favorite sound.

Monsters fell like wheat before his sword strokes. Just days ago, he'd worried about their numbers. Now he had enough confidence to face any horde.

That was for the common fodder, at least.

Elites still required more effort. He had the strength but circumstances wouldn't let him demonstrate it fully.

In just one morning, he'd run into two more survivor teams. From the beginning until now, the number had grown large enough to be considered strange. Something unusual must be happening outside—things weren't following their normal patterns.

The increased number of people entering wasn't the problem. What irritated Paul was them stealing monster waves that should have been his.

The team he'd encountered most recently had threatened him outright. Fortunately, they only targeted monsters rather than humans like the encounter from earlier that morning.

It seemed everyone's goal was the Lords that would appear in the four regions of Crimson Moon Estate.

The ancient castle at the center of the map naturally belonged to the leader, the strongest boss. Humans had given him an elegant name, Count Dracula, based on Earth's stories.

Though it wasn't clear whether this world had any connection to Earth, Count Dracula's appearance matched descriptions from novels and films. A slender, elongated figure with a classic pale face. Dressed in a black cloak adorned with crimson ornaments at the collar and hem. Every step exuded the authority of an ancient noble. His fangs remained hidden, unlike other vampires. When encountered, Count Dracula appeared remarkably composed, so calm that one might think he merely wished to converse. But what emerged from his mouth were only curses that drained the fighting spirit of anyone facing him.

That's what Paul had read in shared posts on online forums. He believed these descriptions accurately reflected the map's boss after cross-checking from multiple sources. The PDI also had a detailed article about Count Dracula with analyzed behaviors. Contrary to expectations of discovering some pattern, PDI's assessment revealed:

Count Dracula possessed numerous skills and tricks. Each time this dangerous monster attacked, he displayed unpredictable variations. Defeating Count Dracula required meticulous preparation, powerful skill synergy supporting each other without leaving any opening. Solo attempts were strongly discouraged.

In statistical terms, Count Dracula was the least defeated boss among F-Rank maps. He was almost exclusively defeated by E-Rankers. One team, whose name PDI had concealed, actually overcame Count Dracula while still at F-Rank. Inside information revealed that these four formidable individuals had now become A-Rankers, pillars supporting humanity's survival.

And Paul was now targeting Count Dracula. Or more accurately, he planned to poach this monster by participating in the battle against it.

Though Crimson Moon Estate featured such a powerful boss, it remained popular among survivors because Count Dracula was passive. He would remain in one place and harm no one unless disturbed. The same was true for the four Lords in the four directions. That's why the sixth night was the most dangerous for everyone. On the seventh day and night, one simply needed to hide.

Yet Paul was aiming for this place with its high death rate and low survival chances.

There was no other choice—he had to reach E-Rank. Besides protecting himself from Crouching Tiger and ensuring survival in future runs, he worried about the person he'd killed yesterday.

If that man had merely used a token to rank up, that would be manageable. But if he truly was an E-Ranker farming an F-Rank portal, Paul was in serious trouble. Combat strength outside the portal, even without skills, would be problematic with superior stats. An E-Rank survivor's physical capabilities already far exceeded normal humans. Paul might not be able to defeat such an enemy even with confidence in his street fighting abilities.

Decision made, Paul spent the afternoon taking advantage of any monster groups he could find.

As the sun began to set, he checked his status panel.

//

[Status]

Name: Paul Steele

Age: 23

Species: Human

Occupation: Breach Survivor

Rank: F

Level: 28 [1470 EXP needed for next level]

Lives Remaining: 1

[Base Stats]

Under the effect of Rank Transcendence Token

Strength: 8 => 12

Constitution: 7 => 11

Dexterity: 8 => 12

Intelligence: 6 => 10

Wisdom: 6 => 10

Luck: 5 => 9

[Resources]

Mana: 100/100 (Intelligence × 10)

Stamina: 160/160 (Base 50 + Constitution × 10)

[Active Skills]

Daybreak Executioner (evolution of Silver Strike) (Level MAX)

Blood Barrier (Level 4)

Crimson Echo (Level 3)

Lunar Flare (Level 2)

Immortal Defiance (evolution of Last Stand) (Level 3)

[Passive Skills]

Blade Mastery (Level 3)

Blood Resonance (Level 2)

Shattered Memory (Level 2)

[Special Note]

Current Location: F-Rank Portal, Crimson Moon Estate, 7th Night.

Objective: Survive for 7 days (12 hours and 37 minutes left).

//

With the deadline approaching, the system displayed a countdown timer. This helped survivors with ambitious goals plan more effectively.

Paul would be one of those individuals for the first time. And he hoped it wouldn't be the last.

After eating and resting properly, Paul began moving toward the center, heading straight for the castle.

Along the way, he encountered teams moving with clear directions of their own—heading north, south, east, or west. Here and there he met individuals just wandering around, seeking peaceful places to pass the final hours.

Paul's mood grew heavy remembering his former teammates. If only they could have reached this stage together.

His pace quickened, clearing a few monster groups along the way. With the currently sky-high experience requirements, Shadow Hounds and Ghouls contributed little now. Their danger from the early days had diminished to almost nothing.

The most viable direction would probably be killing people. But Paul didn't want that. Simply put, he didn't want to become anyone's target. So he shouldn't impose that on others.

He was someone who would fight back if attacked, not a cold-blooded killer. Sometimes in quiet moments of reflection, he partly wished he could be that way.

This new society suited such people well. It wasn't uncommon for the strongest survivors to be those considered masters of ruthlessness when facing human lives.

An approach not related to fellow humans' lives would be choosing Lords rather than Count Dracula. Until now, that had always been his highest goal. Even David had only dreamed that far.

However, the current situation was difficult. Doing so would mean direct competition with many others. Paul could be killed before even touching one of these Lords. Even without competition, he couldn't be certain of victory. Solo play had its advantages, but also many disadvantages. In the previous run, given the circumstances, he boldly assessed that even if he just finished fighting a Lord then fled, the system would still rate him highly.

But in this run, where Lords had depreciated to the point of being viewed as prey, that was difficult.

Lost in thought, Paul reached the castle's domain.

Arriving for the first time, he was overwhelmed by its magnificence.

Like a drawing of black ink against the sunset sky, the castle appeared with an eerie, gloomy beauty. Sharp watchtowers pierced straight into the clouds. Blood-stained bridges connected one building to another. Windows with black mirrors and dust-covered curtains. In the four corners stood gargoyle statues with ugly, grimacing faces.

The main building was already lit, casting weak rays of light outward, signaling to outsiders that Count Dracula was inviting.

Black bat wings flew chaotically everywhere, accompanied by chilling shrieks.

The closer one got to the entrance, the more one felt an invisible pressure weighing on body and soul.

Paul, with his concerns, observed from a distance, not yet approaching.

A creaking sound echoed as the plank bridge over the moat automatically lowered. The arched gate of the castle opened wide for all.

For those seeking death, Paul thought.

Currently, two teams—one with four people, one with five—stood outside. They exchanged glances and nodded, entering together.

The cries of bats in the sky grew louder, more intense, like screams welcoming visitors.

Above the corners, the gargoyle statues let out low sounds of stone grinding against stone. Their heads snapped toward the humans. Their eyes glowed red, granted life.

Stone crumbled as they spread their wings, hovering in the air, circling around. They flew down, neither fast nor slow, showing none of the frenzy of monsters outside the castle, contrary to the fierce features of their faces.

When they descended close enough, they smiled at the humans.

The master welcomed challengers, but that didn't mean anyone could enter and disturb him. These creatures were the test.

Paul took a deep breath, a cold chill running from his neck to his feet.

Above him, a curious Gargoyle was also assessing him.

Clearly, he too was considered a challenger to Count Dracula tonight.