"What's going on here? A ghost or something?"
The moment Ryan Cross noticed the strange phenomenon, a cold prickle crawled across his scalp. Years of instinct kicked in before logic had time to catch up, and an uneasy thought surfaced in the back of his mind. Something about this situation was fundamentally wrong.
How could a living person have no shadow?
That wasn't just unusual—it was impossible. The idea alone sounded like something out of a cheap horror story, yet the evidence was right in front of him. The elegant man standing beside him cast no shadow at all, even under the bright lighting of the hall.
Ryan's thoughts raced, and then suddenly another possibility flashed through his mind.
Wait.
That's not right.
A name surfaced almost immediately, pulled from fragments of Western folklore he remembered: vampire.
According to old legends, vampires were creatures without shadows. They also had no reflections in mirrors, because both shadows and reflections symbolized the presence of a soul. Vampires, being soulless undead, possessed neither.
Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly as the realization settled in.
Could the man standing next to me actually be a vampire?
He glanced again at the tall, aristocratic figure nearby. The man's appearance was unmistakably old-world, his clothing and posture carrying the air of classical nobility. The more Ryan examined him, the more the idea started to feel disturbingly plausible.
A quiet breath escaped Ryan's lips.
Well… if it's just a vampire, that's actually fine.
For ordinary people, vampires were terrifying supernatural monsters. In many stories they were unstoppable predators that lurked in the dark. But compared to the threats Ryan had already encountered, a vampire didn't rank very high on the danger scale.
Even without using his heat vision, Ryan was confident he could crush a vampire with nothing but brute strength.
Still, something didn't quite add up.
Vampires were supposed to fear sunlight, yet outside the building the sky was perfectly clear and bright. Daylight flooded the streets, and nothing about the environment suggested darkness or protection.
So why was this vampire casually walking around in broad daylight?
That meant only one thing.
This wasn't an ordinary vampire.
Ryan quickly sifted through what he knew about vampires while also considering the context of the Marvel world. There was really only one vampire powerful enough to ignore sunlight so casually.
Dracula.
The name carried weight even in a universe full of gods, mutants, and monsters.
Could the man beside him actually be Dracula?
If that was true, then everything suddenly made sense. The reason this mysterious figure had appeared here might be connected to the ring displayed in the glass case. After all, the system had already confirmed that the ring contained a special energy source.
There was a strong chance that the ring originally belonged to Dracula.
When Ryan connected all the clues together, the conclusion became increasingly convincing. The odds that the man beside him was Dracula were incredibly high.
And in fact, Ryan's guess was correct.
The person standing next to him was indeed Count Dracula.
Among vampires, Dracula occupied an extraordinary and almost mythical position. In many legends he was considered the progenitor of vampires themselves, though the Marvel setting treated him more as a second-generation ancestor rather than the true origin.
Even so, his power and influence were undeniable.
Ryan felt a flicker of amazement in his heart.
Dracula actually showed up in person.
This really was the Marvel universe, a place where every kind of strange power and chaotic entity could appear at any moment. But Ryan quickly forced himself to stay calm, pushing those thoughts aside before they distracted him.
He turned toward the elegant nobleman and spoke casually.
"I just glanced at it," Ryan said calmly. "I wouldn't say I'm particularly interested."
"Would you like to take a closer look?"
Dracula smiled politely. His demeanor was unhurried and refined, every movement radiating a calm elegance that made him look like a gentleman from another century.
If someone ignored his identity and judged only by his manners, speaking with Dracula would actually feel pleasant. His tone was warm and cultured, like a noble host entertaining a guest.
Unfortunately, Ryan already knew exactly who he was dealing with.
Behind that refined appearance was a legendary monster.
Even if Dracula ranked only as a second-generation vampire in Marvel lore, he was still a boss-level figure by any reasonable standard.
"Sure," Ryan replied with a nod. "Might as well take a look. The ring does seem pretty interesting."
His voice sounded relaxed, but internally he was already planning to leave as quickly as possible.
However, just as Ryan prepared to excuse himself with a few polite words, Dracula suddenly spoke again.
"You are lying."
His tone was calm and certain.
Ryan's guard instantly shot up.
Is this old monster really that perceptive?
He replayed his previous behavior in his mind, trying to determine whether he had revealed any obvious flaws. As far as he could tell, his performance had been perfectly normal.
There shouldn't have been anything suspicious.
"Sir, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean," Ryan said politely. "I have something else to attend to, so please excuse me."
He offered a courteous smile, deciding that the best strategy was simply to disengage. The more someone talked in front of a monster like Dracula, the easier it was to slip up.
Ryan turned and walked away without waiting for another response.
Dracula didn't try to stop him.
He simply stood there and watched as Ryan's figure gradually disappeared into the crowd. Only after Ryan was completely out of sight did Dracula slowly withdraw his gaze.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"It seems he really did recognize this ring," Dracula murmured softly. "How interesting."
His attention then shifted toward the display case in front of him. The expression on his face softened slightly, almost nostalgic.
It looked less like he was staring at an object and more like he was greeting an old friend.
"So many years have passed," he said quietly. "I never expected to see you again."
He reached forward and gently touched the glass covering the ring.
The reaction was immediate.
The ring suddenly began to glow.
A soft, radiant light burst from its surface, sparkling like a gemstone catching sunlight. The glow pulsed faintly, as if responding to an invisible call.
"Dracula's ring lit up?"
"What just happened?"
"Wait… that thing is actually a ring?"
The sudden change quickly drew the attention of nearby guests. People began gathering around the display case, staring in amazement while murmurs spread through the hall.
"That ring really isn't an ordinary item."
Ryan, standing not far away, also witnessed the scene. His suspicions were now completely confirmed.
Still, he couldn't help frowning slightly.
At this point it was almost certain that the man was Dracula, which meant the ring inside the display case most likely belonged to him. That raised a difficult question.
Was Ryan really going to take something that originally belonged to Dracula?
The thought made him hesitate.
Although the ring contained a valuable energy source that he had been interested in, it wasn't the only way to obtain origin points. Other opportunities would eventually appear.
Fighting a legendary figure like Dracula for just over two hundred energy units might not be the smartest decision.
Ryan fell into deep contemplation.
Meanwhile, the glowing ring continued attracting attention. More and more guests gathered around, whispering excitedly as they tried to understand what they were seeing.
Eventually Dracula seemed to decide that he had indulged his nostalgia long enough.
He slowly withdrew his hand.
Without his touch, the ring's glow faded almost immediately until it returned to its original dim state. Even so, the strange phenomenon had already captured everyone's curiosity.
To the surrounding guests, the situation seemed far too coincidental.
It looked as if the ring had only reacted because of that mysterious gentleman.
Naturally, all eyes turned toward Dracula.
Ryan's expression darkened slightly when he noticed this. Now that the ring had become the center of attention, the situation had become far more complicated.
Even if Dracula didn't intend to reclaim it, someone else might attempt to steal it later.
That possibility was very bad news for Ryan.
Of course, he doubted things would actually reach that point. From the current situation, Dracula clearly seemed to have come here specifically for the ring.
The only question was what Dracula planned to do next.
With everyone watching, any action he took would draw immediate attention.
Ryan waited quietly, his gaze fixed on the vampire.
Before long, he got his answer.
Under Ryan's watchful eyes, Dracula suddenly opened his mouth and exhaled a large cloud of white mist.
Instead of dispersing into the air, the mist spread outward rapidly. It expanded like the dense fog produced by dry ice on a theater stage, rolling across the floor in thick waves.
Within seconds, the mist flooded the entire hall.
It moved like a silent tide, engulfing every guest in its path.
Then people began collapsing.
One after another, bodies hit the floor.
Plop.
Plop.
Then the guests fell to the ground one after another.
.....
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