Villain Ch 73. Hunted by The Readers
With a sharp click of his tongue, Allen summoned his Demonic Lance, the dark energy coalescing around his outstretched hand. The lances glid forward, leaving trails of inky blackness in their wake as they sliced through the air.
The Ghost hissed and lunged at Allen, its ethereal claws slashing through the darkness. But he was too quick for it. He dodged and weaved, his lances whistling as he struck out at the Ghost.
The lances sank into the Ghost’s spectral form, causing it to shriek and writhe in pain. It was not enough to destroy it completely, but enough to make him teleport away.
Allen was about to charge forward and make a run for the portal, but he suddenly felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He sensed the presence of something dangerous behind him, even though he didn’t turn around to look.
‘Shadow Walk!’ He used his skill.
The sound of the claws slicing through the air reached his ears, and Allen’s body quickly turned into black smoke. His heart was pounding with fear as he watched Dracula’s attack miss him by inches. He didn’t have time to celebrate his narrow escape.
Reappeared, Allen found himself standing right in front of the portal. He didn’t hesitate, his body moving on pure instinct as he darted forward and leaped through the portal. Just as he disappeared into the swirling vortex, he turned around and saw Dracula standing there, snarling in anger.
As Allen disappeared into the portal, his gaze was on what he had left behind. Dracula and his minions were staring at him, their eyes glowing with rage and hunger. The other monsters, the Ghouls and the Headless Horses howled and stamped their feet in anger.
He couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down his spine as he watched the monsters howling and trying to enter the portal. Dracula’s red eyes gleamed with malevolent intent. The vampire lord was clearly furious at having been bested, and his minions were snarling and hissing in frustration. Portals were only meant for players, and the monsters could not cross over. .
The loading screen appeared. Once it disappeared, he found himself standing at the gate of the Cursed Crypts. Zoe and Vivian were waiting for him there, looking worried.
He was immediately greeted by the concerned faces of his companions. Their worried expressions were etched deeply on their faces as if they had been waiting for him for hours.
“What took you so long? Did something happen?” Vivian asked in a worried tone, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.
Allen took a deep breath before responding, “A Ghost got in my way, and because of that, Dracula almost got me,” he admitted, exhaling slowly as he spoke. The close encounter had left him feeling slightly rattled.
Zoe frowned, her eyes glinting with concern. “Good thing you were able to escape,” she said reassuringly, her voice laced with a hint of relief.
“Yeah. It was a close call,” Allen replied, still feeling the adrenaline rush from the near-miss with Dracula. “Anyway, it’s way past lunchtime. I’m famished, and I need to write one or two chapters,” he announced, “I also need to update my story, or my readers will hunt me down,” he added jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.
Vivian turned to him with a curious gleam in her eye. Her heart raced with excitement as she heard his tantalizing words. “Your readers will hunt you down? Are they that scary?” she exclaimed in disbelief.
A sly smile crept up on Allen’s lips as he chuckled in response to Vivian’s reaction. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. “I was only joking, Vivian,” he said, trying to ease her fears. “They won’t go as far as hunting me down. Maybe it’s only as far as haunting me down,” he explained, his voice softening.
Vivian’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Haunt you down? What do you mean?” she queried.
With a sly twinkle in his eye, Allen elaborated. “You know, via Discourd,” he clarified, drawing out each word for emphasis. “Especially since I put a cliffhanger in the last chapter,” he admitted, his tone carrying a hint of mischief.
Zoe, who had been quietly listening in, nodded in agreement. “I’ve heard of some pretty intense fan bases out there. They take their stories very seriously,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
A shiver ran down Vivian’s spine as she imagined the thought of being haunted by an army of devoted fans. But on top of all, she couldn’t imagine if some of them were girls. “I see,” she muttered, trying to hide her nervousness.
Allen bid them farewell with a casual wave of his hand. “Right, see you later then,” he said, his voice filled with anticipation. “I’ll be back online once my work is done,” he promised, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
After that, he removed his VR headset, and a moment of disorientation swept over him, his eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the sudden change in lighting. A slight dizziness lingered, a side effect of the prolonged immersion in the virtual reality experience.
With a long exhale, Allen’s body relaxed as he leaned back in his gaming chair, the fabric of the seat cushioning his weight, allowing his muscles to relax. His mind slowly adjusted back to reality. He let out a long exhale.
The last encounter with Dracula had been particularly intense, and Allen couldn’t deny the thrill it had given him. As his mind replayed the encounter, he could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest. The adrenaline rush had left him feeling invigorated, yet slightly drained.
“Fear…” he muttered to himself, his voice low and gravelly. “I haven’t felt this kind of thrill from a game in a long time,” he mused, the corners of his lips turning up in amusement. “Well…”
With a sense of satisfaction, he placed his VR headset down on the table and rose to his feet, stretching his muscles as he did so. As he stood there, feeling the pull of his muscles and the tension in his joints.
“Time to make a nice lunch,” he continued.