Published at 25th of September 2026 7:35 am

Chapter 2046: Scheming Again

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The Vampire King was still inspecting the large runic formation in the heart of his castle when a raven suddenly flew into the chamber and perched upon his shoulder.

Hearing the creature’s words, a dark frown appeared on Jacob’s pale face.

For a moment, he said nothing.

His cold crimson eyes remained fixed on the runic formation, but the faint tightening of his jaw revealed the irritation building within him.

Four of his Generals had been killed.

In a single night.

Four powerful vampires who had served him for centuries had been slain by one Magus!

Jacob’s eyes turned colder than ever before. It was not grief that stirred within him. It was pure anger. And beneath that fury was something even more unpleasant...

Annoyance.

How could four of his Generals have been killed so easily?

Had they become complacent?

Had they underestimated their opponent?

Or had they simply been incompetent?

"Tsk."

Whatever the reason, their deaths were an embarrassment.

Jacob de Vile exhaled slowly as he shook his head. He turned toward the raven and said, "Summon the others."

Caw! Caw!

The raven immediately took flight.

Not long after, several shadows arrived in the chamber. One by one, they appeared behind the Vampire King and knelt on one knee, head lowered in deference.

The remaining Generals had gathered.

Eight figures stood beneath the open ceiling of the castle, their pale faces illuminated by the crimson light of the blood moon above. The enormous runic formation stretched across the floor before them, its countless symbols glowing faintly beneath the moonlight.

None of the eight dared to speak first. They simply waited. However, the fact that four of them weren’t present did not go unnoticed. Immediately, they had an idea as to why their King had summoned them.

Jacob stood at the center, his gaze sweeping across the remaining eight Generals.

"We have lost four Generals tonight," he said flatly. "To a single Magus."

His voice contained no anger whatsoever. Perhaps that was what made it all the more unsettling.

Jacob waited for a few moments before asking, "What do you propose we do about him?"

One of the Generals immediately raised his head and passionately said, "We should hunt him down and kill him before he becomes a greater nuisance!"

Another General sneered. "Four of us were defeated because they underestimated him. That does not mean he is stronger than all of us."

Jacob nodded slowly.

"Indeed, they underestimated him," he said. "The Magus is full of tricks. Invocation magic, alteration magic, and illusion magic. He has a firm grasp on all three disciplines. He is also a Paladin. But only at the Cavalier Rank."

A moment of silence ensued as the Generals digested this information. Some of them were secretly surprised. After all, a Magus usually specialized in one school — at most, two.

Generalists who studied more disciplines were usually not that competent. Definitely not competent enough to take down four vampires in a span of a few hours!

One of the Generals said, "Send several of us together, Your Grace. Even if he possesses some troublesome abilities, he cannot possibly withstand multiple of us attacking him simultaneously."

Another General scoffed.

"Why waste time discussing a single human? Find him and tear him apart!"

Their voices gradually filled the chamber. Some suggested an immediate hunt. Others suggested surrounding the Magus and overwhelming him with numbers.

A few openly mocked the four dead Generals, claiming that their deaths were the result of carelessness rather than any true strength on the Magus’s part.

Jacob silently listened.

His expression was stoic and unreadable.

In truth, his own thoughts were simple. He wished to send several more of his Generals and completely eradicate the threat. He didn’t care how many of his soldiers died. He just didn’t want a sudden variable to bother him, especially when he was so close to reuniting with the love of his life.

Also, there was no reason to allow a dangerous Magus to continue wandering through his territory after already killing four of his subordinates.

And then, Sandra spoke, her voice bright and melodious like that of a skylark.

"What if this is a ploy?"

The chamber gradually fell silent. Everyone’s attention shifted to the snow-white-haired vampire.

Sandra ignored the others and humbly looked at the Vampire King.

"What if this Magus is merely a distraction?"

Several Generals frowned. Not because they hadn’t considered this possibility, but because they found the notion absurd and disdainful.

Sandra continued:

"Your Grace, you are so close to your objective. I believe those adventurers are scheming again. Perhaps they want you to split your Generals, so that some of the adventurers can sneak in here and cause chaos."

For a few moments, there was silence in the vast chamber.

And then, one of the Generals let out a belly laugh. "Oh, Sandra. You truly think those insects are capable of orchestrating something like this?"

Another General sneered. "Four Generals are dead, and your first thought is that they are somehow part of an elaborate plan? How convenient!"

"Do not mistake cowardice for caution!" Another glared.

"Those adventurers have already lost too many people. They are desperate. That is all."

Their words came one after another, filled with blatant arrogance and irritation. Some laughed. Others sneered. One even shook his head as though Sandra had suggested something utterly ridiculous.

"They would have to be fools to attack this castle!" one exclaimed.

Sandra remained composed. She simply lowered her head and patiently waited. She did not respond to their mockery at all.

Jacob, however, glanced at her in silence.

He stood beneath the open ceiling, his face bathed in the eerie crimson radiance of the blood moon.

Noticing him not speak a word, the other Generals gradually fell silent as well. Suddenly, the silence in the chamber had become heavy and oppressive.

Jacob looked deeply at Sandra. Then his gaze swept across the remaining Generals, his expression darkening with every moment.

He said nothing at all. He simply stared at the Generals with contempt and disapproval.

At last, he turned around and glanced at the rectangular slab situated in the center of the runic formation. Sandra’s words still echoed inside his mind.

The silence seemed to stretch till eternity.

Somehow, his silence was far more unsettling than any command he could have given.

Share