Chapter 183 Disguised As A Butler, And Serana!



They walked up the mountain.

"Why aren't we flying anyway?" Frederic asked.

Damian rolled his eyes. "I know your old bones are cracking, but if we fly, then everyone will know we're here, and that's not the point of a stealthy operation, right?"

The initial plan was to not enter the castle, only watch the surrounding area, looking for clues about how many vampires were there, how powerful they were, and so on.

But that was what Lance was expecting. Lance didn't know that Damian had someone important to him locked inside the castle, and to get that person back, he would have to go inside!

"Is it me, or does this forest look way too silent?" Frederic said.

The path up to the mountain was made of cobblestone, but the area around it was all forest. It was dense, and seeing how it was early in the morning, the birds should be singing.

But Damian saw no animals, and heard nothing. It was like the place was a dead forest! How? It looked normal to him.

"Now that you mention it... Pay attention to anything strange."

Despite the strangeness in the air, none of them stopped, continuing up the cobblestone path toward the castle, which soon entered their sight!

The castle was surrounded by walls, and there was one tower higher than the wall itself. Damian guessed that was used for watching purposes.

The entire castle was made of cobblestone, a darker color that gave it a gothic vibe. The few trees inside the castle's courtyard were also dead trees.

"Should we try to enter?" Frederic asked.

Damian, Frederic, and Raikono were hiding behind bushes and trees, watching the castle from afar.

"Not like this. You see how high the castle is and the tower? Someone is probably on the windows watching to see if anyone gets closer to the area."

The nearby city knew that the castle was home to vampires, and probably other people knew too, yet the castle was still there, and the vampires were still alive.

That meant they weren't slacking off, so someone was certainly watching to ensure the place was safe, but that did not mean the area was impenetrable!

"We have to find another way in without letting them see us. You two have any ideas?" Damian asked.

The problem was that the area around the castle was flat! Damian and the others were hiding behind trees that were far from the castle.

So if they tried to sneak in any form, the vampires would still see them.

"A part of this castle is near the cliff, right? Like that Dracula you talked about. So we can go there and fly to sneak in! I think that area is most likely to have less security as it is not everyone who can fly," Frederic said.

That's it. It was an idea Damian approved, and to be fair, it looked like the only possible way they had to enter. So that's where they went, circling around the castle, always ensuring to hide behind bushes and trees.

The cliff area was on the opposite side of the castle, and it took them a while to reach it. They could not go too fast, or else their presence would be noticed.

They stopped walking when they reached a point where only flying was possible to continue forward. It was a skill that few people had, and the funny part was that all three of them—Damian, Frederic, and Raikono—could do it!

Well, Frederic had to be helped by Damian using his telekinesis, but he could fly by himself if he still had his dragon powers.

The best part about that area of the castle was that if someone was in the watchtower, they would not be able to see them!

Also, the number of windows on the back part of the castle was reduced to almost none.

'This is where the sun hits harder, so it makes sense that it has less windows,' Damian thought.

There was only one window in the back area. Damian flew over to it, using the power of his invisibility cloak to get a better look. What he saw through the window was a storage area with many crates and sacks.

'Do they have humans living here too? This is food.'

Damian returned to where Frederic and Raikono were, but said nothing. What if someone heard him? He only made a sign for them to follow him to the window and see what was there.

What they wanted to accomplish by spying through the window was to see if there was anyone on the other side who might see them. There was not, so they opened the window as silently as possible, and went inside.

It was dark, with little to no light, and the entire room was filled with wooden crates, sacks, and other objects.

Damian focused on his hearing, and relaxed after ensuring no one was there.

"There are humans here," he whispered. "Maybe slaves they use to feed, or other workers? Anyway, we must find Serana, and probably kill all the vampires here."

Frederic was feeling a little apprehensive inside enemy lines. "Are we sure we can take down all the vampires?"

Raikono was the one who calmed him. "Relax. Damian is not weak, and neither am I. Vampires aren't known to be powerful creatures. Only the vampires in the lower floors of the dungeon are. Remember, we are on the tenth floor."

That was what gave Damian confidence before going there in the first place. It was only the tenth floor, and the creatures there, like the vampires, should not be that powerful.

There was still a chance, though, as Raikono had said. Damian hoped his luck was decent, or else the situation could turn the other way.

"What is our plan?" Raikono asked.

Damian had been thinking about it the entire way, and after seeing the items inside the storage room, which belonged to humans, he was sure.

"I bet the vampires are sleeping now, and that's why they have humans here, to protect the castle during the day. But if none of the humans tried to run, then there are other creatures or more powerful humans taking care of that," Damian said.

"So we have to be careful while inside, but it is not like the humans here will have the supernatural senses of a vampire. Maybe we can sneak in and get a surprise attack going?"

There were not many options available to them. Combat was almost inevitable, and if a fight broke out, all the vampires would know they were there, leading to a full brawl.

What they could try was to attack some of the enemies stealthily, trying to diminish their numbers before the real fight started.

"Let's move, quietly. Frederic, take this," Damian said, handing the invisibility cloak to him.

Out of the three, Frederic was the only one who could not fight. The invisibility cloak had to go to him. If things went bad, Frederic would have means to escape without dying.

They slowly pushed open the storage room door, trying to make as little noise as possible. What they saw after opening it was a corridor. It was quite spacious with a red rug on it, and many chandeliers.

It had the looks and the vibe of a vampire castle, especially with the old paintings on the walls, giving it an ancient feeling. But to be a vampire castle, one had to see vampires, and at first glance, there were none.

But it did not take long for them to spot humans! Damian peeked inside a room, and saw a butler cleaning the place, sweeping the floor with a broom.

The man looked friendly, but Damian could not risk it. He snuck up behind the man, knocking him out with a single blow to the head. After that, he closed the door and thought about his possibilities.

"What should we do now? He will wake up eventually, and we will have to contain him!" Frederic said.

Damian had an ability that could copy the aura of another person, and its appearance as well. That would be his best ally in such a mission.

"What? Are you confident in taking his identity? We can hold him inside the storage room, tie him up and put a cloth on his mouth," Frederic said.

They had no plans before entering there, hoping to just pass unnoticed, but the sight of the butler gave them one! It would be risky, and the vampires or the other humans could realize Damian was not the real butler, but it was worth the shot!

Damian took the butler's clothes, and copied his aura and complete appearance, looking exactly like him! The only thing that would make them realize Damian was a fake was the butler's chores.

"We will stay in the storage room, and flee through the window if anything bad happens. Go find your friend, and meet us here," Frederic said.

With Raikono there, it was easy for them to escape if things went wrong.

"Wait, let me see the butler's memories before leaving."

Damian learned everything the butler knew, and the butler had seen Serana's face once!

'She is really here!'