Returning to this place felt strange, especially since I felt oddly comfortable in this abandoned castle. Walking down the familiar corridors, I couldn't help but look toward the towering walls that protected this castle.
However, my footsteps came to a halt when I saw the shattered part of the wall. It triggered the memory of the Vampire Lord approaching and how the moon turned blood red.
The man was quite powerful, especially since he could take on Pamela and Viktor and still walk out nearly unscathed. If I hadn't pulled that trick, I wouldn't have been able to kill that vampire.
"If someone of that caliber failed to protect this land… how am I supposed to do that?" I muttered under my breath, genuine worry etched across my face.
I knew too little, yet this world expected much more from me. It was mentally exhausting.
"Did you say something?" Blade's voice snapped me out of my daydream, reminding me I wasn't alone.
"No, it's nothing," I shook my head.
Blade didn't look convinced, but he didn't pry further, and we continued walking. Minutes later, we stopped in front of a massive door blocked with all kinds of furniture. It looked like they were trying to keep something out—and what made this even crazier was that this was the room where the Vampire Lord and his wife met their demise.
"What is this?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, observing Blade's facial expression, and all I could see was fear.
"We couldn't move their bodies. It was too heavy…" Blade's voice trailed off.
I noticed he was struggling to come up with an excuse—just to hide the fact that he was scared the two dead vampires would come back to life and end them.
But I couldn't blame him. He went from the comfort of a modern-day facility in our world to a haunted castle surrounded by an endless forest that had never seen sunlight.
Everything about this world was spooky. That was why I wasn't too surprised by his fear.
Grrrrrr!
My stomach made funny sounds, drawing Blade's attention. I facepalmed as I remembered I hadn't had a proper meal since I left this world because of the detention.
"We don't have food here. All they have is blood," Blade said while gazing intently at my belly.
My brows furrowed upon hearing this, but after giving it some thought, I realized it made sense. They were vampires, after all—so it was only expected.
Stored blood…
I rubbed my chin, a thoughtful expression etched onto my face as a single thought crossed through my mind a thousand times—yet only a second had passed.
What kind of blood was stored?
Was it animal? Human? Or something else?
If it wasn't animal, that meant there were other people within this territory. The thought of sharing this place with monsters or beings of another race made me uncomfortable.
"We were planning to head out and hunt before you came. Care to join us?" Blade's voice interrupted my thoughts for the second time.
I was beginning to find this very annoying.
"You guys can go ahead…" I shook my head. "I'll need some time to rest. If I rest well, we might be able to get out of here tomorrow." I lied perfectly once again, causing Blade's face to light up.
Nothing excited him more than the idea of leaving this place, so I was going to use that to my advantage. I needed time to understand the system shop and the entire territory. It would be nice to do that in silence, which was why I declined.
"Sure!"
As expected, a sheepish smile bloomed on Blade's face, and he quickly forgot his request.
"Feel free to rest well. Use any room of your choice!" he said enthusiastically. "I'll have Angel prepare something nice for you when we get back."
Watching his enthusiasm, I mentally revealed a sinister smile—but on the outside, I maintained calm indifference.
"I'll thank you in advance," I nodded with a friendly smile.
"I'll tell the rest right away!" Blade's smile kept stretching.
Without hesitation, he sprinted down the corridor, eventually vanishing from sight after taking a sharp left turn that led to the staircase going to the ground floor.
With the distraction gone, I snapped my finger, and the space in front of me churned and twisted unnaturally. With ten points in Intelligence, my memory was photographic—so I could remember what the room looked like exactly.
As the spatial tear ripped open, I stepped in—and in the next moment, I found myself in the room. In the same dark corner I'd hidden in before striking the Vampire Lord dead.
In the center of the room were the gray-skinned and stuffed bodies of the Vampire Lord and his lady. Right now, they looked more like statues than actual people.
Everything was still intact, just the way we left it. Even the bloody weapons used for interrogation were still on the table. My hands gently brushed over them while my eyes remained on the statue.
Ding!
[Gatekeeper Passive Unlocked: Dominion Claim] — All who die within your territory are offerings. A portion of their strength, skills, or abilities are converted into fragments of power.
"What?" I muttered in shock at the notification—but more poured out.
[Territory Soul-Binding active. The dead feed the throne. The throne feeds the Lord.]
At this point, blood-red cracks began spreading across the bodies of the dead vampires, and from them, two crimson puzzle pieces escaped, floating toward me.
I watched the puzzle pieces flow into me, and another notification rang in my head.
[New Skill Fragment Acquired: Blood Fragment +15]
Ding!
[New Achievement: True Gatekeeper] — Congratulations on becoming a true Gatekeeper.
[+1000 EXP]
[Gatekeeper Talent Store Unlocked!]
"What?" I blinked, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me.
Does this mean… killing someone here would grant me the chance to gain their skills?
[Yes] the system replied.
"This works on Limitless too?" I asked again.
[Yes]
Hearing this, my eyes lit up, and a sinister grin bloomed on my face.
Ding!
[INTRUDERS ARE EXITING YOUR TERRITORY!]
Another notification rang in my ear. With a snap of my finger, a spatial gate opened, leading to the corridor I'd just come from.
As soon as I stepped out of it, I saw Blade, Angel, and the rest of the team leaving through the broken part of the wall.
"They will die as soon as they return," I decided.