plumnovel #190 - Click, click
#190 - Click, click
The cloud-like curtain trembled violently, as if a tornado was wrapped in white silk gauze, rapidly approaching Horn.
Horn took a step back with his right foot, holding the sword sheath in one hand and the sword hilt in the other, raising Bloodcloud to block in front of him as the brass claws reached out.
The claws made of brass and iron struck the sword sheath, emitting a crisp buzzing sound.
But Horn was not the same as before; these past few months, he had been through countless battles and seen much, calming down after a moment of panic.
Releasing the sword sheath, he directly drew Bloodcloud, kicking the humanoid creature with a vital kick.
The bald 'vampire' reacted swiftly, discarding the sword sheath while quickly dodging to the side, narrowly avoiding Bloodcloud's red glow.
Even though he wasn't hit by Bloodcloud, he still clutched the spot that had just been illuminated by the red light, retreating repeatedly.
Tiny blood spots were emerging from his skin, and the expression on the humanoid creature's face immediately became suspicious and uncertain. He touched the blood spots, actually hesitating in place.
But Horn wouldn't talk about stopping there, and wouldn't talk about martial ethics with such heretical demons: "You goat of the sun, everyone attack together and catch him."
"Hyaaah!"
Before Horn could finish speaking, Pasrik had already circled out from behind the curtain, holding a hard salted fish in his hand, jumping high from the stage.
First, a flash of light burst from his hand, and the monster let out a miserable scream in the flash, while Pasrik heavily slammed the salted fish on the humanoid monster's forehead.
The humanoid creature was knocked backward, but he only rolled twice before standing up dizzily, his nose completely crushed in the roll.
Not having time to capture him, Pasrik stepped forward with a sweeping leg, knocking him to the ground, fiercely punching his temple three times, and then pressing his knee on its neck.
Standing not far from Pasrik, Horn could clearly hear the sound of the humanoid creature's ribs being broken.
After this commotion, the humanoid creature went directly into shock. Horn quickly called for people to tie him up, to prevent him from being beaten to death by Pasrik's three punches.
To be honest, a wizard's battle should look like a wizard's.
This Great Wizard Pasrik's battles, spells only played a harassing role, often picking up a warhammer to crack heads.
After settling the humanoid creature, Horn stepped forward to observe carefully.
He looked to be in his fifties or sixties, pale white all over, with pointed ears and two fangs protruding from under his lips, vividly resembling a vampire from a Witcher legend.
Only when he got closer did Horn see clearly that his nose had been cruelly gouged out, and his eyes as well. Therefore, his eyes and nose were made of wood, painted with pigments, which made Horn think he was a puppet.
His tongue and hands were also cut off at the root, apparently also chopped off by others, no wonder he needed a pair of brass mechanical claws.
"Is this a vampire?" Horn turned sideways, pointing a finger at the humanoid creature on the ground, and asked Pasrik.
Pasrik used the salted fish to lift its lips: "These aren't vampire fangs, just a blood slave."
"This isn't even a vampire?"
"Vampires are often no different from ordinary nobles, just a little paler in skin. Their fangs are retractable, but blood slaves are not.
In the Blood Court, blood slaves mostly serve as tax farmers or stewards, helping vampire lords collect taxes and manage their territories. The vampires in the public's impression are actually these blood slaves."
Pasrik used the salted fish to pull open his collar, revealing the brand representing the blood slave:
"Look, a blood slave brand. Generally speaking, blood slaves won't leave their masters too far. There must be a vampire here."
Horn didn't listen carefully to the second half of Pasrik's words; he just picked up the blood slave's brass claws, turning them over and over, playing with them.
This small claw was surprisingly well-made, just like the puppets on the mechanical stage just now.
It was fixed to the arm with leather straps and iron bars, and fine threads of unknown material connected the finger claws, allowing them to grip with muscle exertion.
Horn didn't believe at all that this was made by the eyeless and handless blood slave.
"Has the entire palace been searched? Is nothing else missing?" Horn asked, placing the brass claws on the workbench to the side.
Victor raised his head, confirming with the soldiers on the second-floor corridor one by one, before saying to Horn: "Your Majesty, everything has been checked, no one has been found, all dangers have been eliminated... uh, except for that one just now."
"Krispa, can your badge locate him?" Pointing to the tongueless blood slave on the ground, Horn asked helplessly, "He can't speak, we can't interrogate anything."
"I'm not a divination wizard." Pasrik spun the salted fish in his hand. "I'm more specialized in shaping spells, natural history, and alchemy. I really don't know anything else."
"Okay." Horn stepped back into the hall. "Then let's go take a look at that spire."
"Your Majesty, we can't open the iron door of that tower." Following Horn, Victor said awkwardly, "Its windows are very high. We sent people to climb it just now. Its windows are sealed with iron bars, without tools and necessary ropes... Your Majesty?"
Victor stopped halfway, but found Horn in a daze, even turning his body, as if listening intently to something.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"
"Did you hear any strange noises? Like a ticking sound, a bit like a clock ticking." Smiling apologetically at Victor, Horn asked Jana and Victor in a low voice.
"No." Jana had a bewildered expression.
Pasrik's face was solemn. He thought for a while before saying: "Horn, based on my experience, I have some guesses about your situation, but please don't be afraid."
"I am the Holy Grandson, I won't be afraid, please speak."
"I suspect you have a mental illness." Pasrik said seriously, "Let me take a look."
Horn was speechless at the time, a real jerk, really jerk.
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Too lazy to analyze whether Pasrik's words were a joke or the truth, he said directly and unhappily: "Okay, okay, I know."
Pasrik's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible: "A witch's magic will oppress the soul, causing emotional instability and rage. You have the magic equivalent of five or six witches..."
Ignoring Pasrik's grumbling, Horn said to the surrounding soldiers: "Send some people to survey the surrounding terrain, and then send people to row boats to find some professional tools, and then find a better place nearby to build fortifications.
I suspect the vampire is sleeping in the spire. We can't get in for now, we can only wait for it to come out. Pasrik, you go to the spire and see if you can open the door during the day. Jana, you go with him, think of a way to melt the iron bars on the window and climb in.
Be careful, if there is a risk of falling, wait for the tools to arrive."
Arranging for the two to go to the spire to study how to raid the vampire, Horn sat down at the workbench and fiddled with the parts on the table.
Although he had been refreshed with the knowledge of this world's strangeness many times, Horn couldn't help but feel shocked when he saw these mechanical theaters.
This ingenious structure doesn't seem like a product of this era.
Can a person's craftsmanship really build such a theater?
Maybe, but it is estimated that half of his life will be spent on it. The only purpose of building this is probably to amuse the nobles.
"Click, click."
The clicking sound rang in his ears again. Horn frowned, ignored it, and continued to look down at the parts.
Many of these parts are handmade, with clear traces of grinding and filing.
Horn reached out and stroked the rough table. At the corner of the workbench, two "凹"-shaped iron blocks stood opposite each other, and a chain wrapped around a gear, connecting the manual rocker and the iron block.
This should be a primitive cutting lathe. Many of the parts should be on this...
"Click, click... Click, click..."
"Damn it, Victor, come here, are you sure the danger has been eliminated?"
"Sure, we searched the entire palace, except that the blood slave was too deceptive, everything else has been checked."
"Okay, call some soldiers and follow me."
Standing up, Horn called a few soldiers as guards and walked towards the source of the sound.
"I want to see what's going on."