"Jayden, gather the team and prepare to head to the capital."
"The capital? Are you serious?"
"The Mugan Seven Palaces has been renewed. We need to report this to the Subjugation Command."
"False reports are a serious crime. You know that, Captain. If we’re wrong, we’ll all end up on the chopping block."

Sergei didn’t need Jayden to explain. He understood the risks just as well.
After all, even he wasn’t entirely convinced based on the exploration team’s account alone.

"If it’s true, we won’t have to worry about money for the foreseeable future. This is the Mugan Seven Palaces, Jayden. The reward for reporting it is a fortune in itself."
"But nothing’s more valuable than our lives, Captain."
"I understand your concern. Don’t worry. We’ll perform cross-verifications. As long as we’re thorough, there’s no risk of ending up on the guillotine."

Before Jayden could protest further, Sergei turned his gaze to the exploration leader.

The man flinched under Sergei’s sharp eyes.

"How many people know about this?"
"...Quite a few, actually."
"What about other subjugation teams?"
"None, as far as I know."
"Good."

Clink!

A coin flicked from Sergei’s fingers spun on the table before coming to a rest.

The exploration leader’s hand darted out, snatching it up quickly.

"A... gold coin?"

His astonished gaze turned to Sergei, who pressed a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.

The exploration leader nodded emphatically and mimicked the motion, sealing his lips tight.

"If you guide us to the location, there’s another one waiting for you."

There was no room for hesitation. The exploration leader nodded fervently.

Shortly after, Sergei and his team dragged their drunken members out of the tavern.

Despite their intoxicated state, Sergei’s words sobered them immediately.

"The dungeon is one that even an unarmed exploration team managed to escape. If we prepare properly, we can make it out alive, too. Remember, our mission is to confirm the facts and return alive. Leave anything that could hinder your escape at the village hall. Our focus is survival—nothing else."

Even so, entering what might be the Mugan Seven Palaces was no small feat.

The team had extensive dungeon experience. They had even cleared the 30th-ranked dungeon alongside the Imperial Subjugation Force.

But the Mugan Seven Palaces? That was a completely different league.

The silence among the team was likely born of fear. Sergei understood; even he hesitated.

But his voice rang out, loud and commanding, cutting through the tension.

"I am the captain of this subjugation team. Your lives are my responsibility. Just as you’ve trusted me until now, can you trust me once more?"

"Is that even a question, Captain?"

One of the team members chuckled dryly.

"Every single one of us owes you our lives. If you say you’ll take responsibility, who here wouldn’t follow? Right, everyone?"
"That’s right, sir!"
"You said the goal is survival, right? If it means living, we’re all in."
"If the reward’s as big as they say, I could finally buy a house. I was planning to propose to my childhood friend when I returned home."
"You idiot, with that kind of reward, you can buy a house and a gold ring. Slip that ring on her finger, and she’ll be yours in no time."

Sergei allowed himself a small smile.

Despite their fear, they were clearly trying to lighten the mood to shake it off.

As always, they chose to trust him and follow his lead.

"Your lives are my responsibility. None of you will die."

***

They were still bickering, caught up in deciding who should live and who should die.

How could they fail to grasp the situation when their comrade was on the verge of death? If they kept this up, she’d be dead soon enough.

Fed up with the melodrama, I approached Isabella.

"Don’t you dare lay a hand on my sister!"

The brother’s protective instincts flared, but beyond his outburst, he made no attempt to stop me.

What was he expecting? That I’d just walk away if he told me not to?

Now, how exactly was I supposed to evolve her?

In the game, you just clicked a button, but here? I had no clue.

Most of the time, people describe evolution as shedding one's former self.

Taking a guess, I placed my hand on Isabella’s forehead and said, "Shed your former self, Isabella."

[Evolving the vampire Isabella.]

[All conditions met. 100% success rate.]

Huh, it worked.

It seemed evolution activated through physical contact and uttering a command with intent.

After the notification disappeared, the deep wound on Isabella’s side began to heal rapidly.

Her injuries vanished, and small horns sprouted on her head where there had been none before.

Her pale complexion was replaced with a healthy flush, and even her fangs grew noticeably longer.

Among vampires, strength is often measured by the size of their horns and fangs, so this was an expected result.

What I hadn’t anticipated was the transformation of her hair color—from silver to crimson.

[MAX Evolution!! Isabella’s evolution has succeeded at 200%!]

"Amazing... Crimson hair?"

In vampire society, crimson hair was exceedingly rare, belonging to less than the top 1% of their kind.

This was because crimson hair marked the lineage of True Ancestor Vampires.

I could guess what had happened.

Isabella must’ve carried the bloodline of a True Ancestor, but for some reason, that lineage had been diluted.

As a result, she was on the brink of death without ever fully awakening her latent potential.

[Lv. 48]

She’s stronger than me now?

Her level tripled with a single evolution. I’d never seen anything like it.

Was this luck? Or a massive blunder?

After all, she wasn’t entirely on my side.

Isabella’s eyes fluttered open.

"...Huh? It doesn’t hurt anymore?"

She sat up and glanced around.

The other vampires, who had been anxiously watching us, burst into tears.

"Sister!"
"Chieftain!"
"What... what’s going on? Why am I alive?"

They clung to her, crying and wailing for what felt like an eternity.

Once they finally calmed down, all eyes turned to me.

The vampires bowed deeply, quick to recognize that I was responsible for saving her.

"Thank you. You saved our sister."
"How could we ever repay this debt?"

One of them must’ve explained things to Isabella, as she soon joined them.

Rather than bowing, she practically slammed her head to the ground.

"Thank you so much. You’re terrifying, but so kind."

Did she really have to add that last part?

I liked receiving gratitude, but this was getting excessive.

The vampires’ level indicators turned a deep green, signifying extreme friendliness.

After a brief pause to consider how to respond, I finally spoke.

"I saw a seed of potential and simply helped it bloom."

Not bad.

Spoken with the weight of a Death Knight, it had the right dramatic flair.

Every man needs a touch of coolness now and then, right? Or maybe I was just stuck in my edgy phase.

"Potential?"

Isabella blinked at me, then seemed to realize something.

Her trembling hand reached up to touch her head, tracing the outline of her horns before moving to her elongated fangs.

"My hair! It’s red!"

Her widened eyes met mine, full of questions.

Even if the results were good, her curiosity was understandable.

How was I supposed to explain this?

"I used a fraction of my power. That’s all you need to know."
"...I see."

She didn’t seem fully convinced, but thankfully, she didn’t press further.

What caught my attention was the subtle smile creeping onto her face.

She clearly understood the significance of crimson hair.

She must’ve been overwhelmed with joy, realizing her long-dreamed goal had been achieved.

"For you to grant such a blessing to someone you’ve never even met... you must be truly merciful, my lord."

As a former knight, my title of "lord" must’ve carried over into undeath.

I couldn’t help but wonder what had driven the vampires to such desperate circumstances.

When I asked, their answer came quickly, though the explanation was lengthy enough that I had to cut it short.

"So, in the end, you got caught up in a territorial conflict?"

I hadn’t expected them to be attacked by other monsters, not a human subjugation team.

That meant this forest had a significant monster population, which was surprising given the nearby village.

Something about the situation felt off, but it wasn’t my problem.

"No point dwelling on it," I thought.

I’d be leaving this place soon—probably heading somewhere humans rarely ventured.

"We owe you a great debt. Isn’t there any way we can repay you?"

A Level 48 True Ancestor Vampire offering her unwavering support?

While I appreciated the sentiment, I didn’t have any requests.

What worried me more was the possibility of a subjugation team showing up during this delay.

"Hm? I sense six humans approaching."

Of course. My bad feeling had to come true.

"From the sound of their weapons, it’s a subjugation team."

This couldn’t get any worse.

A subjugation team meant an unavoidable battle.

With my appearance, negotiation was impossible—they’d attack the moment they saw me.

As I glanced at Isabella and her group, an idea struck me.

"You said you wanted to repay your debt."
"Yes, of course."
"Handle the intruders for me."

I stopped short of saying, Don’t kill them.

Against armed humans with unknown motives and strength, showing mercy was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

Isabella surveyed the group before nodding.

"So, you are the dungeon’s master after all, my lord."

Why does everyone keep calling this place a dungeon? And me, a boss?

There was no time to argue.

"It’s fortunate I can repay you so soon. I’ll take care of this quickly."

With newfound confidence, Isabella led the vampires as they vanished into the darkness.

If nothing else, I was relieved Isabella was taking charge.

As a True Ancestor Vampire, she alone could easily annihilate most subjugation teams.

Still, I couldn’t help but hope they wouldn’t make too much of a bloody mess.

I didn’t want to see humans die gruesome deaths, no matter the circumstances.

...

‘Why is this taking so long?’

What should’ve been a swift encounter was dragging on.

There were no screams—only the clash of weapons and the occasional cry of pain.

The odd part was that the screams were female.

Subjugation teams rarely included women, while half of the vampire group was female.

Something was clearly wrong.

Curious, I crept forward to assess the situation.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

Contrary to expectations, the vampires were losing.

Even Isabella, my trump card, was barely holding her own. At this rate, they’d all be dead soon.

[Lv. 52]

The man leading the subjugation team had a Level 52 indicator.

That explained everything.

He was near S-rank, with skills to match.

His comrades were around Level 30—not as formidable, but still dangerous fighters.

‘We can’t win.’

Even if I joined in, it wouldn’t change the outcome.

Running was impossible. The way forward was blocked, and the cave behind me was a dead end.

If the vampires fell, I’d be next.

‘What the hell do I do?’

The leader’s sword gleamed faintly with energy.

Why was he wielding aura, a skill reserved for knights?

I gulped.

The image of my head flying off his blade flashed vividly in my mind.

At that moment, a status window appeared.

[Well-Forged Advanced Bastard Sword (A)]
[Durability: 90]
[Enhancement Success Rate: 8%]
[※ Warning! Failure will result in automatic destruction!]
[Cooldown resets upon failure.]
[Would you like to enhance the Well-Forged Advanced Bastard Sword?]
[YES/NO]

"Huh."

Wait. Could I enhance other people’s weapons too?

And if failure reset the cooldown...

‘Does that mean I can destroy all their weapons by failing on purpose?’