The entire banquet hall fell into stunned silence.
If the vampire butler's earlier comment was a subtle attempt at showing consideration and taking credit, then the werewolf leader's remark was a blatant attempt at putting someone down!
The three-headed dog was stunned. In its long life, it had never encountered such an arrogant provocation! It was utterly humiliating!
All three heads of the dog simultaneously growled in fury, itching to bite the men vying for attention.
Yu Deng's ears were immediately filled with the sound of barking, and his temples throbbed with a dull pain.
Wen Luo glanced at the stupid dog, and calmly reminded him, "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Cerberus, but you're disturbing the young master."
The words were a deadly blow, and the three-headed dog immediately stopped barking, its heads drooping in defeat. It turned to Yu Deng and playfully stuck out its tongue, trying to appease him.
Yu Deng absentmindedly patted the dog's head, then glanced around at the men, then back at the dog, still confused about the animosity between them.
"Alright, alright, no more arguing." Yu Deng sat high on Cerberus' back and addressed the group, "I'm getting down now."
Cerberus huffed and whimpered, unwilling to let the soft, sweet little vampire leave.
However, the men had been waiting for Yu Deng to say those words. Anders, taking advantage of his height, swiftly reached out and picked Yu Deng up, not allowing him to move a muscle.
Afterward, Anders showed no mercy and shoved the dog away. "Cerberus, the game's over. You can go home now."
As was customary, after playing, the dog would happily return to the underworld without hesitation.
But this time, Cerberus refused to leave. It plopped down on the ground and whimpered at Yu Deng, expressing its eager desire to stay and continue playing.
Yu Deng, oddly enough, understood its intent. "Alright then, you have to behave."
Cerberus wagged its tail furiously, nodding in agreement.
The rest of the banquet hall's guests: "…"
They stared in shock for several minutes, gradually transitioning from disbelief to numbness. Who had ever seen Cerberus act so much like a dog, especially a devoted one?
As for the other players, they had completely ruled out the possibility that Yu Deng was a player.
Who could have this much charm, surrounded by a group of fierce NPCs behaving like obedient dogs?
At this point, Yu Deng was gently set down, and Wen Luo pushed aside the werewolf leader to straighten his collar.
As soon as Yu Deng saw the butler, he remembered being tricked earlier and felt a bit wronged. "You said I could call on you whenever I got into trouble, but you didn't help at all," he complained.
Although Cerberus hadn't harmed him in the end, he had been quite scared at first.
"I'm sorry, it was my failure," Wen Luo said, his heart softening at the sight of the young master's plaintive expression. He apologized in a gentle tone and explained, "After the game started, I tried to find you, but there was a barrier in the hall that prevented me from helping you immediately."
Yu Deng blinked, taking a few seconds to process. "So, it can block out the outside interference?" he asked.
[Yes.]The system's voice responded to Yu Deng's confusion. [Some tasks, when initiated, create a barrier that isolates the area, ensuring fairness.]
"Oh..." Yu Deng understood now.
The other guests in the banquet hall finally recovered from their shock. Claudia, the witch, looked at Yu Deng and confirmed, "So, today's victor is the young master, right?"
The witch nodded. "Yes."
[Ding. Congratulations, player Yu Deng, for completing the side mission: Cerberus' Search Game. Points will be tallied after the dungeon ends.]
[Congratulations, player Yu Deng, for becoming the first place winner of tonight's game, earning the Hunter identity.]
[While in the Hunter identity, your attack power and speed will be greatly enhanced. This effect is immediate and lasts until dawn.]
Yu Deng blinked.
As the system's notifications ended, his body suddenly felt much lighter, filled with a new sense of strength.
He had entered the so-called Hunter state.
Other than his ranking changing, the game results for everyone else remained the same, corresponding to the order in which they were found.
The non-humans looked at the game rankings, then at the few particularly embarrassed participants, and began to form new speculations. One werewolf cast a malicious glance at the player who had been pretending to be the duke.
"By the way, Your Grace, you were the third one found and even got injured. You wouldn't be a human pretending to be a duke, would you?"
The duke, covering his arm where a chunk of flesh had been bitten off, looked terrible. "…Nonsense! I only said it looked hideous, and who knew it would get angry?"
He then quickly dragged another participant into the conversation, and before long, everyone began exchanging sarcastic comments.
Yu Deng, listening to the subtle back-and-forth, didn't understand the hidden meanings, so he decided to focus on contemplating his Hunter identity.
Should he choose a "sacrifice"? If so, who should he pick?
Although the rules claimed that the non-humans' offensive abilities would increase, Yu Deng didn't think he could bring himself to kill a player for this.
Besides, he wasn't even sure who the players were for certain.
"The young master seems troubled."
Yu Deng looked up. "A little. I'm thinking about who I should hunt tonight."
The other players, remembering the player who was torn apart by the last Hunter, immediately fell silent, their nerves on edge as they anxiously watched the victorious young vampire.
Unlike the others, Wen Luo stepped forward. "If you don't mind, I…"
Before he could finish, Anders interrupted him, raising his hand eagerly. "I smell great, come hunt me!"
Qin Jun silently stepped in front of Yu Deng, staring at him without a word.
The other players: "??"
It was an absurd yet strangely reasonable development.
As the players numbly watched what had turned into a horrific survival game, they couldn't help but be relieved by the fact that this young vampire's charm was so great, even attracting NPCs.
The expressions of the non-humans varied. The werewolf, who had won the last game night, looked at Yu Deng with a mixture of jealousy and greed, and remarked cryptically, "A young master like you, who's never seen blood, won't be able to fully utilize the Hunter role, even if you take it on."
Yu Deng glanced at the werewolf.
Without needing Yu Deng to speak, Anders sneered at the werewolf, "A useless being like you would only hope for a sacrifice."
Anders' werewolf minion, who knew how to play along, quickly added to the mockery.
Come on, this young vampire lord was so strikingly beautiful that it could make people overlook racial grudges. He was also the object of affection for their leader. This werewolf shouldn't drag his subordinates into his madness.
---
Yu Deng was escorted out of the noisy banquet hall. The three-headed dogs followed closely, sitting by the door, guarding the room.
The little bats and crows observed this large pack of dogs: "..." Hey, this was their job!
The three-headed dogs were grinning proudly, their earlier frustration finally soothed.
Yu Deng ignored the small creatures and headed straight to the bathroom. The butler had already prepared warm water for him. He stripped off his dusty clothes and comfortably sank into the water.
"Tongtong, what should I do? I can't bring myself to harm a player," Yu Deng said, troubled.
[Just follow your heart, Host. The dungeon does not require the hunter to kill.]
Yu Deng immediately felt relieved. He mentally went over the list of potential targets.
It was just those three men. Not only were they familiar to him, but they were also special mission targets.
After hesitating for a while, Yu Deng finally chose Anders, whom he hadn't tried completing a mission with yet.
Once decided, Yu Deng stood up from the water and casually glanced at the mirror in the bathroom.
Although the dungeon had altered his appearance at first, he still looked like himself.
The only noticeable difference was his eye color.
In this dungeon, Yu Deng's eyes were dark red, deepening in color when he used his power. Coupled with his small fangs and wings, it gave him a more non-human kind of cuteness.
Well, time to go hunt.
Yu Deng spread his small wings, flapping them a few times. With a boost in speed, he flew out of the window in just a few seconds.
The little creatures still bickering in the dark: "??" Wait, where did their big young master go?
Yu Deng had already arrived at Anders' room.
The werewolf appeared to have just finished washing up, his upper body bare, with moisture still on his muscles.
The werewolf leader looked at the sudden appearance of the little vampire, his ears perking up, and a smile on his face. "Good evening."
Yu Deng tilted his head. "Good evening?"
Only a hunter like Yu Deng would receive such a warm welcome from their prey.
Yu Deng slowly flew to stand before the werewolf, then said, "I'm here to hunt you."
Wait, hold on, if it's not about killing, what is the hunter supposed to do?
The inexperienced hunter stared at the large prey before him, deep in thought.
"It's my honor," Anders said, still feeling regretful about not having fed Yu Deng at the restaurant. He took the initiative to offer, "Hunter, would you like to try my blood?"
Yu Deng raised an eyebrow.
"You'll definitely like it," Anders coaxed the somewhat slow little vampire.
"Though there's some rivalry between werewolves and vampires, the blood of a creature as powerful as a werewolf is very nourishing for vampires."
Yu Deng thought back.
"Ah, I've already drunk Qin Jun's blood. It was quite nice, but not as magical as they say."
Anders hadn't bothered to learn about the competition's name. He froze for a moment, then realized Qin Jun was the rival besides the butler.
"…" Anders grit his teeth.
Even that kid had used his blood to please the little vampire. So, he was the only one who hadn't been bitten by the little vampire?
"He's not a top-tier werewolf bloodline," Anders ruthlessly criticized the rival. "Blood like mine, from a werewolf who can fully transform, is far more valuable."
"Is that so…"
Yu Deng tilted his head and rested it against Anders' neck, his nose slightly twitching.
The werewolf lowered his head in cooperation, his arm muscles tensing, before finally giving in and pulling the beautiful hunter into his embrace.
Yu Deng's fingers traced the werewolf's neck, pressing lightly on the blood vessels just beneath the skin.
It did indeed seem quite delicious.
Anders' Adam's apple bobbed, and he coaxed, "Try it. It's really good."
Yu Deng stared at him for a few seconds, then opened his mouth and bit down on the side of his neck.
Warm blood flowed out, and not a single drop was wasted as Yu Deng licked it all up.
The way Yu Deng drank the blood was far gentler than other vampires. He habitually sipped in small, careful gulps, his sharp fangs barely biting.
Anders felt the slight sting as his neck was lightly licked and bitten. His wolf tail was raised high, trembling with excitement.
Yu Deng had not fed yet tonight, so after drinking for a while, he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.
[Host, please drink in moderation.]
System 01 reminded him, and only then did Yu Deng slowly pull away.
Anders' voice was hoarse. "How's the taste? I wasn't lying to you, right?"
Yu Deng licked his lips and savored the taste for a few seconds before lazily saying, "It's really good."
He had now drunk the blood of three men. Each tasted different, but all were delicious.
Pleased by the compliment, Anders wagged his tail like a happy puppy and immediately scooped up Yu Deng, sitting him on the edge of the bed.
[Host, your power progress has reached 80%.]
Yu Deng was slow to catch on to what the system was saying. Wait? Why did the progress jump so much all of a sudden?
Since the progress bar was already this full, maybe it was time to try completing the werewolf's mission after all.
"An De," Yu Deng sat face-to-face with the werewolf on his lap and called his name, "Will you listen to me?"
Anders, not fully understanding why the little vampire suddenly brought this up, answered without hesitation, since it didn't require much thought.
"Of course, I'll listen to you."
Yu Deng waved his hand, "It's not just about listening. You have to submit to me, only listen to my orders, and cooperate with me on many things."
No need to think about it, right? If he agreed, wouldn't he get to stay with the little vampire?
Anders was so excited that he answered in a heartbeat, "Of course, no problem!"
Yu Deng was surprised by how quickly Anders agreed. So far, of the five special mission targets, Anders was the only one who didn't ask questions but agreed immediately.
Yu Deng praised, "You're much easier to talk to than the others."
Anders froze. "Huh?"
Others also had this privilege? Was it Qin Jun? Or the butler?
Yu Deng innocently met his gaze. "What's wrong?"
Anders, unable to hold back any longer, leaned down and kissed the little vampire's lips.
The man kissed with a bit of jealousy, rough and intense, his lips pressing against the soft flesh. The delicate hunter was soon caught off guard, his breath stolen, and in a few seconds, he began to tear up.
"...Mmm, An De!"
Days of suppressed longing poured out, and Anders held his beloved little vampire, kissing him for a long time before letting go.
Even after kissing, he didn't stop. He lowered his head, nipping at Yu Deng's collarbone and neck, leaving several marks that almost broke the skin.
Yu Deng's eyes were tinged with tears, his face flushed with a soft red across his cheeks and earlobes.
"Bad boy, you kissed me so roughly again..."
Yu Deng dazedly recovered after a while, still in a trance from the kiss.
He pressed against the werewolf's heated, muscular body, pushing him away with force. He shakily stood up and scolded with displeasure.
"I-I'm the hunter tonight! Prey shouldn't be rude to the hunter!"
Anders' gaze darkened, barely concealing the desire and urge to drag the vampire back to his den.
"Sorry, baby, I couldn't control myself."
Yu Deng didn't understand how he had been kissed again.
He was the hunter tonight!
Yu Deng stood up, looking down at the tall, fierce werewolf, and decided to do something to preserve the dignity of the hunter... and avoid being kissed again.
He thought for a moment, waved his hand, and retrieved a length of black rope.
Anders vaguely guessed Yu Deng's intentions, his breath halting, his eyes burning with intensity, as though they could pierce through him.
A few minutes later, the rope was tied around the werewolf's muscular, sun-kissed upper body, the firm muscles tightly bound, with the dark pants bulging in a particular area.
Of course, the bed was no longer allowed. The restrained werewolf kneeled on the carpet in front of Yu Deng.
Anders desperately suppressed all his thoughts, cooperating with Yu Deng's actions. The fragile rope was about to break but held firm.
Yu Deng finally tied the werewolf up after much effort. Looking at the werewolf now unable to fight back, he felt very clever.
He admired his work for a few seconds and noticed Anders showing his sharp, terrifying fangs. He reached out and poked the tip of the fangs.
"When werewolves reach this state, is there any way to prevent biting?"
Anders closed his eyes tightly with effort.
"...There is. If I don't want to hurt anyone, I use a bite guard."
However, most werewolves were brutal and uncaring. If they bit, they bit, not caring what others thought. So, hardly any werewolves used such things.
Yu Deng pondered what that was. "Do you have one?"
"In the drawer by the bed."
It wasn't something Anders carried; it was provided by the vampire castle for werewolves. Whether it was thoughtful or sarcastic was hard to say.
However, those vampires probably never imagined that the bite guard would actually come in handy for Yu Deng.
Yu Deng took out the metal bite guard, struggling a bit to put it on the werewolf's face.
Perfect. He had full control of the prey!
All that could be heard in the room was the werewolf's heavy breathing and the pounding of his heart.
"...I am now the most obedient prey and follower of my baby."
With the bite guard in place, the werewolf's voice was muffled and much deeper. "Can I know my baby's name now? I swear I won't tell anyone else, and I'll follow all your orders."
Yu Deng slightly lowered his head, his fingertips pressing against the werewolf's bite stopper, then tightened the rope around his muscular torso.
He thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, I'll allow you to know my name."
The werewolf lifted his head, gazing at the beautiful little vampire.
"Listen carefully, my name is Yu Deng." Yu Deng stood before the werewolf, whose upper body was bound. His voice still carried a hint of tears, but his commanding tone was both tender and naturally authoritative.
"Keep it in your heart and don't tell anyone else. Do you understand?"