I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 701: [Blood Moon War] [42] Infiltrating Valachia

Valachia.

After what felt like an endless week of travel, I finally reached it.

The Capital of the Tepes Empire stretched out before me, its skies shrouded in a heavy, perpetual dusk that seemed to bleed straight into the soul. Getting inside hadn’t been difficult; slipping past walls was child’s play with Amaya by my side. A single leap and we were in. But stepping within those cursed walls was only the beginning—the real challenge started here.

Everywhere I turned, I was surrounded by Vampires.

I kept myself hidden beneath a heavy cloak, hood pulled low, and wrapped myself in the shadows of the Raven Arts to blur my presence. It wasn’t perfect. At any moment, a stray glance or a sharpened sense could unmask me. And if that happened... well, I didn’t need to imagine what would come next.

Amaya, on the other hand, walked beside me as if this city was nothing more than a stroll through a garden. Her expression calm, her stride lazy. She didn’t need to be concerned about being hunted down unless one of the Witch’s high-ranking officers appeared to recognize her.

The atmosphere of Valachia itself was... strange.

The streets bustled, but not naturally. On one side, there were people acting like everything was perfectly normal — smiling, buying food, speaking of the weather as if they weren’t living under a nightmare. But there was another group, their faces pale and wary, eyes darting around every corner. Those were the ones untouched by the Witch’s spell, the ones who knew this wasn’t how life was supposed to be.

My gaze inevitably lifted to the castle looming in the distance.

Alicia and Levina were likely inside... but getting there without drawing attention? Nearly impossible. Even if I tried to walk up casually, suspicion would fall on me long before I reached the gates.

No. Stealth was the only way. At the very least, I needed to slip in and get Levina out before anything else.

Beyond the castle, my eyes caught on the crimson tower rising like a skeletal finger toward the sky. Its upper half had been shattered, crumbling stone silhouetted against the dark clouds. It was battered, wounded, almost as if some battle had scarred it. For a moment, I let my thoughts drift toward it—

No. Focus.

I shook the distraction from my head and searched for an opening, a path, anything to help me move forward. That was when Amaya tugged at my sleeve.

”Edward.”

”What?”

”I need blood.”

I sighed, giving her a side glance. ”Alicia will give you some once we recover her.”

”Then let’s recover her now,” Amaya said casually.

”Yeah, sure. But the second I move openly, they’ll notice me. And if they notice me, Levina and Alicia both become perfect hostages,” I said.. ”I need a diversion.”

And then I saw it.

A group of chained prisoners being dragged down the street — humans and elves mostly, beaten and shackled, their expressions hollow. Even children shuffled among them, their small wrists bound in iron, their eyes wide with silent fear. My vision darkened. My hand tightened at my side. My body was already stepping forward when Amaya’s grip closed around my arm.

”Alicia and Levina,” she reminded me.

”Right...” I forced myself back, swallowing the anger.

My people would come first. Always.

”I know a way to give you your diversion,” Amaya said suddenly.

My head snapped toward her. ”Huh? Really?”

She nodded. ”But I’ll need blood.”

I groaned. ”Always comes back to me giving you blood, huh?”

But Amaya shook her head slowly. ”Not yours. Bring me three people, and I’ll give you the diversion you want.”

”Fine...” I sighed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her behind the cover of a half-collapsed building. ”Stay here. Don’t move.”

I slipped back into the streets, scanning the crowds. It didn’t take long to find three — a group of men strolling lazily, away from the denser throngs. Perfect. I followed at a distance, waiting for them to step into an alley where the crowd thinned. Then I prepared Sloth. The moment it seeped from my hands, their bodies wavered, their steps faltered, and in seconds they crumpled to the ground in a dreamless sleep.

One by one, I grabbed them by their cloaks and dragged their unconscious forms back toward Amaya.

But when I returned... my eyes widened.

She wasn’t waiting.

She was feeding.

Her fangs were already buried deep in the neck of a knight, his body slack, pale, lifeless. By the time I reached her, he was nothing more than a hollow corpse drained of blood. Amaya let him fall to the ground, licking the last crimson traces from her lips as she looked at me.

I blinked, dumbfounded, staring at the knight’s drained husk and then at the three unconscious men I had dragged across half the city.

”...Why the hell did you tell me to bring these three if you could just get blood on your own?” I asked her.

”For the diversion,” Amaya said lightly. She crouched, grabbed one of the unconscious knights by the hair, and lifted his head as though he weighed nothing.

Her crimson eyes glowed.

A chill crept down my spine.

”Obey me,” she whispered.

The knight’s eyelids fluttered open sluggishly even though I used Sloth on him. He looked dazed, confused—until Amaya pricked her finger with one sharp nail. A bead of scarlet welled up, glistening unnaturally, and then dropped onto his lips.

The effect was instant.

His eyes flew wide, glowing red, and his body convulsed violently. Veins bulged under his skin, his jaw unhinged in an inhuman shriek as he writhed against her grip.

Without a flicker of hesitation, Amaya repeated the same ritual with the other two knights.

Within moments, the three of them were thrashing grotesquely, their bodies bulging as if something monstrous pushed against their skin from the inside. Then, with a burst of strength, they leapt — one toward the northern rooftops, another vanishing into a crowded street, and the last hurling himself toward the city square.

A heartbeat later, explosions tore through Valachia. Flames licked the air. Screams echoed. Panic spread.

”Since when the hell can you do that?” I asked dumbfounded.

Amaya flicked her crimson-stained finger away as if it was nothing. ”Since now.” Her lips curled in distaste. ”His blood was disgusting, Darling.”

I grimaced. ”Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t tell you to drink him dry.”

Still, I leaned past the corner of the wall, peeking toward the chaos. Knights were running, civilians scattering, alarms ringing through the streets. But what struck me was how... routine it all seemed. Nobody looked too shocked. Almost like this wasn’t the first time knights had suddenly gone berserk.

”Perfect,” I muttered. ”Let’s move.”

We darted into the shifting tide of chaos. The once-patrolled streets were now fractured by fire and noise, and with vampires and guards rushing toward the disturbances, we were just shadows in the current.

By the time we reached the castle walls, the outer chaos still hadn’t settled. We ducked behind another building to scout. The courtyard was crawling with knights, and the gates were sealed tight, two guards planted firmly at the front. Scaling the walls would’ve been suicide — the second we showed ourselves, they’d be on us.

I cursed under my breath, already running through half-baked plans, when Amaya tilted her head, eyes narrowing.

The next second, her gaze burned crimson.

The two guards at the gates stiffened. Without hesitation, they turned on their heels, pushed the gates open, and walked away like puppets on strings.

My mouth fell open. ”...What the hell?”

Her power felt heavier here, denser — like she was pulling from something beyond herself. Did the Blood Moon spell amplify her this much? Because this wasn’t just strength. This was Godlike.

Still, I wasn’t about to complain.

We slipped inside, careful at first, but within minutes I realized careful wasn’t even necessary. Every knight who so much as looked our way froze mid-step, caught in Amaya’s gaze like insects in amber. They didn’t speak, didn’t move—just stood there in silence until we were gone.

It was a cheat code. That’s what it was. And I’d be an idiot not to use it.

I pushed forward, heart pounding. Somewhere inside this labyrinth, Levina was waiting. Thankfully, because she was born from my blood, I could sense her faintly through the Raven Arts—like a flickering thread tugging at my chest.

We moved fast. Faster than I thought possible. I let Amaya deal with anyone in the corridors, her crimson eyes freezing them mid-motion, while I zeroed in on Levina’s presence. It grew sharper the closer I got, until I was nearly sprinting through the halls, ignoring everything else.

At last, I reached a wooden door as I gasped for breath.

Please tell me she is okay.

Without hesitation, I shoved it open.

And there she was.

Levina lay on the bed, breathing softly, her chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. Her face was peaceful though she had dried tears on her cheeks. Relief washed through me seeing her fine.

I crossed the room quickly. At her side, I reached out, brushing a strand of her blond hair away from her cheek. .

”It’s fine now, Vina,” I whispered, smiling faintly. My palm cupped her head/ ”I’m here.”

I leaned forward, arms ready to lift her into my embrace—

”Senior.”

”...!”

I froze.

Every nerve in my body screamed warning as I slowly turned. Something dangerous pressed down on me like bloodlust but in a whole another level.

At the far side of the room stood a figure. Crimson eyes glowed like too pool of dark blood, a head tilted unnaturally to the side. Long, flowing wavy hair the color of fresh blood framed a pale face.

My throat closed. ”W–What—”

Her red lips curled up.

-SPURT!

One instant she was across the room, the next she was in front of me. Her hand pierced my chest like a spear. The shock stole the breath from my lungs. Pain exploded through me, raw and blinding.

I tried to speak—but the world tilted, spinning away into darkness.

And then everything went black.