Chapter 1 An Unexpected Turn of Events

Three in the afternoon, the weather took a sudden turn.

The sun-drenched sky of the morning was now shrouded in gathering thunderclouds.

The heavy, oppressive clouds seemed to bring the night forward, and save for the occasional lightning that ripped through the sky, there was hardly a trace of natural light to be seen.

In such weather, an ambulance appeared before the old house on Dark Creek Road.

After the vehicle came to a stop, five figures emerged one after another.

They were Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, a werewolf, a mummy, and a gill-man.

These five demons and monsters had one thing in common: they rarely spoke. Even Dracula, the most human-looking of them, was a man of few words.

Perhaps it was for this reason that the group always exuded an inexplicable, eerie atmosphere when they moved together…

"Hmm?" Dracula, reaching the door of the old house, noticed the damaged door panel, and his expression immediately darkened.

However, he said nothing, simply pushing the door open and stepping inside. His four henchmen followed their master's lead, filing in through the entrance.

The walls of the old house were adorned with many candelabra-shaped sconces, all unlit due to the lack of electricity.

But… the instant Dracula entered, every lamp in the house blazed to life.

"Hmm…" Dracula, using the light, glanced down at the footprints on the floor. After a moment of thought, he followed the tracks forward.

Moving through this old house without leaving a trace was difficult, as a thick layer of dust covered everything; even a rat would leave a trail of claw prints that would remain visible for some time.

"It seems… exorcists have been here," Dracula said, stopping before a statue by the wall at the far end of the house. "Two of them. One has very small feet… perhaps a dwarf. The other… there are two rows of footprints, he may have left already." He paused. "They headed straight here upon entering, and…"

As he spoke, Dracula reached out and tugged on the statue's right arm.

Rumble…

A second later, the sounds of stone and metal grinding together echoed from behind the statue, and a hidden door opened, revealing a secret passage leading downwards.

"And… they seemed to know where the secret door was. They pulled the switch and entered the 'chapel' directly," Dracula said, turning back to exchange a look with his four companions.

After an eerie silence, they seemed to reach some kind of consensus, and then they entered the secret door together.

The passage connected to a flight of stone steps, spiraling down.

The space beneath the "old house" was surprisingly large, perhaps even greater than its ground-level footprint. And the end of the stone steps… was none other than the chapel where Van Helsing and the others performed the ritual in the opening CG of the scenario.

"You've finally arrived."

As the monsters entered the chapel, a child's voice rang out.

Dracula looked up to see a child, no older than ten, wearing a miniature purple suit.

At that moment, Jue Ge sat on a rock, casually toying with the "Holy Amulet," and said to the monsters in a relaxed tone, "I was starting to lose my patience."

"You…" Upon seeing Feng Bujue's appearance clearly, Dracula's expression changed noticeably. "...are you an exorcist?"

"I could be…" Jue Ge gave an infuriating reply. "...or I could not be."

"It seems the twentieth century is even more insane than I imagined…" Dracula murmured, looking at the child before him. "Even children can become exorcists."

Although Feng Bujue did not answer the question directly, Dracula had already made a deduction. Based on his past experiences, ordinary children, or even adults, would either cry, scream, or perhaps even faint upon seeing him and his four companions…

However, Feng Bujue remained calm, even engaging in conversation. This… convinced Dracula that Jue Ge was indeed an exorcist.

"Whether I am an exorcist depends on your choice," Feng Bujue said. "If you don't cooperate, then I'll be the most ruthless, efficient, and merciless exorcist you've ever met." He paused for half a second, revealing a wicked smile. "But if you're willing to cooperate… then we're on the same side."

"On the same side?" Dracula was stunned. He took two seconds to gather his thoughts before continuing, "Do you know what you're saying, child?"

"Just because I look like a child doesn't mean I actually am one," Feng Bujue tilted his head, gesturing with his eyes to the figures behind Dracula. "If you could judge everything by appearances, does that mean you're a zookeeper or a circus trainer?"

"Aarrgghh!" The werewolf seemed to understand the sarcasm in his words, and immediately took a step forward, roaring at Jue Ge.

But Dracula immediately raised his arm to stop the werewolf. Regaining his composure, he scrutinized Jue Ge again before asking, "What kind of cooperation… are you talking about?"

"Simple," Feng Bujue replied. "I want to ask you to help me take out a few enemies." He stated his terms frankly. "After it's done, I promise… to destroy this Holy Amulet for you."

"What if I refuse?" Dracula said, subtly taking a few steps forward.

"Then I'll use the amulet to kill you all right now," Feng Bujue retorted arrogantly.

"Van Helsing couldn't do it… what makes you think a little brat like you…" Dracula said, closing the distance, now within five steps of Jue Ge.

"Van Helsing didn't have what I have," Feng Bujue interrupted, taking out the [Yi Da] from his knapsack.

His small hands expertly worked, securing the amulet inside the slingshot's leather pouch. Then, he raised his hand, aiming the [Yi Da] at Dracula.

"You… what… what is that thing?" Upon seeing the [Yi Da], Dracula recoiled as if he had seen a crucifix, instinctively raising his arms to shield his face, and taking several steps back.

This vampire Count, after all, was the leading antagonist of this scenario. Strength aside, he at least "knew his stuff"—he understood just how terrifying the weapon he was facing was.

"Excellent," Feng Bujue said, pleased with Dracula's reaction. He grinned. "It seems you know very well what will happen if I launch the amulet with this slingshot, which saves me a lot of explaining."

"Long story short… half an hour ago, I sent a minion to find Van Helsing's diary. And as you can see, I have the amulet right here." As he spoke, Jue Ge stood up, looking the Count directly in the eye. "Cooperate with me, Dracula. It's a win-win situation." Compared to the vampire, his expression and words seemed even more seductive. "The key elements of the 'Night of Resurrection'... are already in my grasp. You have no reason to refuse me… and no leverage."