In the darkness, Liu Lei sat gracefully on the sofa, the moonlight streaming through the window and bathing him in its soft glow. He stretched his body, savoring the tranquility of the moonlit night. The old man opposite him also stretched lazily, and a skeletal servant brought over a glass of red wine. Liu Lei took the glass, swirled it, and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. "A fine wine!" he remarked. The old man chuckled with pride, "The advantage of our kind is this—living long allows us to possess more." A fleeting shadow of melancholy passed through his eyes, but it quickly gave way to his usual vitality. With sudden seriousness, he asked, "Do you know why I studied necromancy?"
Liu Lei was momentarily taken aback, but before he could respond, the old man continued, "I know that even in the dark world, necromancers are shunned, but when I chose this path, it was with one goal in mind—to find the secret of immortality!"
The old man took a sip of wine and fixed his gaze on Liu Lei. "You've seen these 'people' here, haven't you? The highest of them are 'demon-blooded,' only one step below the highest rank of necromancy, the 'Grim Reaper's Servants.' For three hundred years, I have gone from a humble mage to a mentor, and my research has made great strides. Look at them—quick movements, expressive faces, even their eyeballs can move. Walking through the streets, no one would suspect they are nothing more than the dead. Yet, they have no souls! No soul! Without a soul, they cannot be considered human. My quest for eternal life has reached its limit; I can go no further!"
The old man's voice trembled with frustration. "What has my three hundred years of labor been for? I was so close to success, yet I am now at an impasse! Where are their souls?" Liu Lei's thoughts stirred as a vague memory of China's ghost legends flickered in his mind, but he quickly dismissed it—after all, the West also had its share of spirits. It seemed the old man had failed to merge the two.
The old man's intense gaze gradually softened as he looked at Liu Lei. "My body is failing me," he continued, "and it won't be long before I need to exchange it once again. You are aware of the risks of the 'soul transference' spell—I've used it once, but this time, I fear it may not succeed. I want to pass on my research to you, so that if I die, you can carry on my work."
"Why me?" Liu Lei asked.
"Because you possess great power—more than I ever did. Only those with immense strength can avoid being eliminated, and only they can complete the experiment. Furthermore, you are from China, a land rich in ancient, mysterious knowledge. I believe you may know something that could aid my research."
A twinge of sadness filled Liu Lei's heart. Who would willingly become a necromancer in the pursuit of immortality? Only a madman would. When all the joys of life fade, immortality becomes nothing more than a curse. Liu Lei understood this well—his school days, running a company, were merely distractions to pass the time. But how could he bring himself to voice such thoughts to this man who had spent three centuries in relentless pursuit of his goal? He couldn't, so he simply replied, "Alright, I accept."
For the next six months, Liu Lei resided in the old man's mansion, diligently undergoing his intensive studies and experiments. The old man had ample materials and state-of-the-art equipment—Liu Lei couldn't help but smile, recognizing his own clumsy use of adjectives. *Ample materials* and *state-of-the-art equipment*—could those truly apply in a necromancer's lab? But the old man had indeed gathered a wealth of modern technology for analysis and testing, setting him apart from other dark mages. His achievements were unparalleled because of this unique approach. Liu Lei, born as the King of Zombies with the innate ability to control corpses, took to necromancy with ease, making swift progress. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to absorb the old man's three centuries of research in just six months. The materials for the experiments came from the man in the black coat, a notorious assassin ranked third in New York's criminal underworld. Unknowingly, someone had hired him to kill the old man, but the poor assassin's ill-fated fate led him to be spotted by patrolling minions. Wounded by a knife but still managing to escape, he thought he had evaded death. However, the old man would never allow such valuable experimental material to escape. The assassin's fate was sealed.
After six months, the old man and his undead servants left New York for parts unknown, a fact Liu Lei did not question. He knew that every creature of the dark had its own secrets, and those living in the shadows would understand each other's need for privacy.
Although Liu Lei had not returned to his apartment in half a year, his habit of avoiding neighbors meant that no one found it strange. He unlocked the door, returning to his long-emptied home. To be honest, he felt more attached to the "If" bar than to this place. After six months without its red wine, he found himself longing for it. It was all the old man's fault—his relentless tutoring had not once allowed him to step outside! Liu Lei cast a "Dust Cleansing Spell" to tidy up the dusty apartment and locked the door behind him. With a wry smile, he made his way to the bar, wondering if the owner might have assumed he had skipped town without paying his tab.
He spent the night at the bar until half-past midnight, his vampire senses slightly dulled by the alcohol, before stumbling out onto the street for a leisurely stroll. Luckily, New York was a city that never slept, and even in the dead of night, the streets were bustling. He walked down a street lined with neon lights, where a few petty criminals attempted to sell him something. Flower shops along the street were already unloading fresh blooms from trucks. Liu Lei wondered why they were restocking so early—this was not their usual time. In the distance, police sirens blared, and he could just make out the beams of searchlights from helicopters. No one seemed overly alarmed, though—they all sensed that this time, the situation was serious, given the helicopters circling above.
Liu Lei's mood was soured by the noise. Irritated, he veered into an alleyway and leapt to the top of a building. He intended to see what was causing such a stir among the American police.
Beneath the moonlight, a figure darted among the towering skyscrapers, agile as a monkey in the forest, swift as a hunting leopard. The buildings beneath him seemed like mere steps, while the police cars and helicopters lagged behind, unable to catch him.
"A high-level werewolf?" Liu Lei murmured to himself. "What's going on? Is the dark world having a gathering in New York? First, it's the old necromancer, now a werewolf being chased by the police like a wild animal. Looks like New York's peaceful days are over. Ah, well, as a fellow of the dark world, I suppose I'll lend him a hand."
Del, the werewolf, was in a foul mood. As a high-level werewolf, he found himself running from these lowly creatures behind him. If it weren't for the leader's strict orders not to harm ordinary humans, he would have long since turned around and crushed those annoying officers. The most aggravating part was the helicopters above—if they weren't there, he would have easily outrun the police. As Del ran, he cursed, but then, ahead of him, a figure appeared—a human, and he was smiling!
Del's rage flared. He howled, launching himself forward with a powerful thrust of his hind legs, aiming to tear the human apart. But what followed was not the scene he expected. Instead, he saw a hand—growing larger by the second—and then his ears rang, and everything went black.
Liu Lei flicked his hand, muttering in annoyance, "What a volatile creature. Can't the werewolves learn some manners? It's a different era now, yet they still act so barbaric. Oh, this guy's skull is pretty hard..." He paid no mind to the fact that the werewolf had mistaken him for a normal human, attacking him due to his hidden aura. With a casual flick of his fingers, Liu Lei shattered the helicopter's searchlights. He then picked up the unconscious werewolf and leapt into the darkness. Had Del been awake, he would have been shocked—the helicopter was at least fifty meters away, and Liu Lei had shattered the searchlight with ease. Even their leader would have had difficulty matching that precision.