Midnight struck. Lights in the imperial capital’s homes flickered out one by one.

“Ahhh… I’m not drunk yet… Quick… bring another barrel! I can still down a whole barrel of prune wine—believe me!”

“Yes, yes. I believe you, I believe you… Mind your step, take care now…”

The tavern waiter’s beaming smile vanished the moment he shut the door on the last stumbling drunk.

“Ugh… Seriously. Every day, this hassle… These guys… Is this how my whole life’s gonna be? Ughhh~”

“Brat! Keep the door open one second longer, and I’ll make sure your life ends right here!”

A burly, bearded middle-aged man smacked the youth’s head with a frying pan. Rubbing his scalp, the young waiter shut the door with a huff. *Hmph. When I own a tavern someday, I’ll boss around my waiters just like that.*

Pitch darkness swallowed the streets. Without lamplight, moon and starlight barely revealed shapes five meters ahead—beyond that, only blurred silhouettes of buildings. But for Pipe Captain, an Undead, and Greenland, a witchcraft puppet, night was no obstacle. Both possessed innate night vision.

Pipe had swapped back into his crimson coat and black boots. These granted a unique skill: **Netherstride**. Activating it shifted him into the Phantom Plane—a realm whispered to belong to kings. Even face-to-face, enemies couldn’t touch him. The Pipe Captain standing before them existed in a parallel space. Unless an attack could tear through dimensional barriers, it couldn’t harm him. He was nearly immune to physical blows… though spatial magic could still wound him.

They darted across rooftops at blinding speed. Greenland’s hair, usually covering half her face, was pinned back by a clip. Revealed was a mechanical horror: a metal-masked cheek, an unblinking mechanical eye, its pupil flickering with shifting glyphs. She scanned surroundings while analyzing data. Pipe activated Life Sense. Together, no god—or anything less—could approach undetected. Living targets betrayed themselves to Pipe’s sense; the lifeless or magically hidden fell to Greenland’s **True Sight Eye**.

That eye pierced invisibility, tracked trajectories, scanned air vibrations, and projected data onto her vision. Approaching her undetected was near-impossible. Only overwhelming speed could kill her before she reacted. Only one being possessed that power: her master, the skeletal pirate captain striding beside her—Death Lord, Pipe Captain.

A Netherblade master. His speed and explosive power defied human imagination. Enhanced by shadowy boots granting Netherstride and velocity boosts—treasures among treasures.

*—Master is so cool… So strong… Yet still this cautious. To serve such a master is bliss… But when can I give him my first time? I’m a genderless puppet… How do I even…? What do I do?!—*

Her mind raced with these thoughts while staying alert. Finally, she surrendered. *Whatever Master desires… I’ll obey!*

They shot forward in a straight line, dodging patrols with impossible agility. The high tower loomed ahead—the Magic Academy’s spire from daytime. Pipe signaled. They dropped into shadow.

From his vest, Pipe drew a golden compass. Exquisitely crafted, its rim bore intricate runes. Instead of a needle, a serpent-bodied goddess cradled a water jug at its center.

“Golden Compass, reveal the path ahead…”

Inner rings of runes spun like a cipher lock, settling into a unique twelve-ring formation. A faint beam shot from the goddess’s jug, projecting a translucent blue blueprint of the tower. Red dots pulsed within its depths.

“This shows the tower’s interior. Red dots mark valuable treasures.”

“Master’s Golden Compass… Amazing! I’ve never seen it used… Such a precious artifact.”

“Hmm… See how the top floor’s structure blurs? Proof of immense magical energy. That’s our target. We might even encounter a god-like entity. For safety…” Pipe pulled a star-shaped badge from his snuffbox, keeping one and handing another to Greenland. He then produced a pile of trinkets. “Crush these for temporary defenses: Lightning Talisman against lethal strikes. Frost Talisman against slowing magic. Flame Talisman against burn damage. Light Talisman against weakening spells. Earth Talisman against binding. Evasion Talisman. Blunt/Slash/Pierce Resist Talismans. Projectile Dampener. Haste Talisman. Might Talisman. Shield Wall Talisman. Triple Death-Defier Talisman. Scan Enhancer. Trap Nullifier… And this—Netherstep Talisman for brief dimensional escape. Lastly… this scroll. Take **Freedom Wind**. If we face an unbeatable foe, activate talismans, teleport out, and flee with Freedom Wind. Understood?”

Greenland accepted the mountain of talismans, overwhelmed.

“Yes! But… such precious items, saved from years at sea… wasted on a servant like me… Master, I—”

“Hmph. What use are treasures gathering dust? Use them now, earn more later. *You* are my true treasures. Prepare to infiltrate.”

“Yes!”

—

No guards surrounded the magic tower. Suspicious. Pipe and Greenland soared on **Freedom Wind**. Pipe donned a mask from his snuffbox.

“See it now, Greenland?”

“It’s not energy… My apologies, Master. It’s… spider silk.”

“Not spider silk.”

Pipe recalled lore: these near-invisible threads encasing the tower were secreted by a Slime—a creature that could stretch its body into undetectable strands, weaving nets even mosquitoes couldn’t breach. A single touch let the Slime track its prey… but detached threads dissolved without their host.

“A powerful Slime… Hmph. But it won’t stop me.”

He pulled a lump of putty from his snuffbox, splitting it with Greenland.

“Like this.”

Pipe pressed the putty to his hand. It writhed, spreading into a transparent film that coated his entire body. He walked through the threads untouched—the film mimicked their substance perfectly. Greenland followed suit.

“**Deceit Putty**. A rare item that nullifies Slime wards.”

Greenland returned her half, reshaped into putty.

“Master, let’s enter. This place feels dangerous. I’m at maximum alert!”

“Move carefully.”

—

“I’m such a fool… such a fool… Count Dracula… how could he be like that… How…?”

Mary huddled in her room’s corner, clutching a wine bottle, tears streaming.

“Liar! He tricked me… tricked everyone!… Bastard!… Bastard!!”

She hurled the bottle. Wine splattered the floor. She collapsed, sobbing into the wood.

*Knock knock knock.*

Mary wiped her eyes carelessly and staggered to the door.

“Mmph… Mary? What’s wrong? Why the strong wine smell? Have you been drinking?”

Duke Keane stood at the threshold, startled by her reeking breath.

“Brother Keane?… Brother~! I’m fine~ Come… drink with me! Let’s drink together, okay?”

“Of course… but what happened?”

Keane was taken aback. She’d always called him “Lord Keen” or “Duke Kein” before. *Brother*? It wasn’t wrong… but as her brother, he should care for her. *No one’s ever called me that before…* Worrying, he let her drag him inside.

“Stop drinking. What’s wrong?”

He took the bottle away.

“Count Dracula… he… he’s a liar! He tricked me…”

“Dracula? What did he do?”

Mary spilled everything between wrenching sobs.

“I see… But that was Dracula’s private matter. Even if you saw someone you admired in a bad light… is this really necessary?”

“…That liar. I loved him… and he’s exactly what I hate most… a fraud… a fraud…”

Mary tried to stand but stumbled. Keane caught her just in time.

“Wahhh… I loved him so much…”

She pounded his arm, weeping uncontrollably.

The alcohol hit her like a little girl sobbing over a shattered favorite toy.

"There, there... don’t cry... Look, there must be a reason. Count Dracula isn’t that kind of person. He must have had his reasons..."

"A reason? What reason?... I heard it myself..."

Mary’s drunken outburst drained her completely. Drowsiness washed over her, and she collapsed limply into Keane’s arms.

*Sigh... How did things come to this?*

Keane laid Mary on the bed, tucked her in, and stepped outside. He flagged down a passing maid to watch over her, then strode straight to Dracula’s door—only to find Faglas waiting there.

"Lord Keane... My master is occupied. He cannot receive visitors at this moment."

"I see..."

Keane opened his mouth to insist it was urgent—when muffled moans drifted from inside the room. Dracula’s voice followed, thick with lust.

"Ohhh~ Ahahaha~~~ Master... Give me more... More... Ravage me as you please... Yes~ Just like that... Ah~~~~"

"Hmph. You wretched creature... Who’d have guessed you’d unravel so easily? Come here. Kneel. Now take it... Yes. Does my *it* taste good? Use your tongue properly... Fool..."

Faglas sighed helplessly and shrugged.

"You see... disturbing my master now is impossible. If it’s urgent, Lord Keane, tell me. I’ll relay it later. Based on past estimates... he’ll likely need another two hours."

"Ah... Never mind. Thank you. I’ll speak with him tomorrow."

Duke Keane waved awkwardly, face flushed crimson, and fled. *Dracula... He really was... doing that with Greenland. In my own home... Gods. I never imagined he’d be like this... But perhaps this is useful. So he has desires too. I can exploit that...*

Inside Dracula’s room, two mouth-only recording puppets took turns mimicking Greenland and Dracula’s voices, performing an intensely passionate radio drama.

---

"This is the final layer, Master..."

"Hmph... Let’s enter. Only this door remains at the summit. We have no choice. Proceed."

Pipe, masked and leading the way, pressed his palms against the exquisitely carved door. A low *hum* vibrated through the air—the door rippled like water beneath his touch.

"An illusion? No!"

A sudden weightlessness seized him as he crossed the threshold. Bright light flooded his vision. It wasn’t an illusion—it was a teleportation array. He stood on a high platform beneath the star-gazing ‘cannon’ he’d seen by day: an astronomical telescope. Greenland materialized beside him.

"Teleported straight to the top... Hmph..."

In the distance, Rudingernan leaned on his staff beside the ‘cannon’. Seated below it, a tiny figure stared in shock at Pipe and Greenland’s sudden appearance.

"I never expected intruders to breach this place... let alone reach here. First meeting, thieves. What are your names?"

The small silhouette stepped forward, its blue-lit eyes glinting in the gloom. A soft, childlike voice spoke.

"I am Pipe. A pirate. This is my subordinate, Greenland."

A psychic ripple washed over them from the figure—but Pipe and Greenland remained utterly unaffected.

"Fascinating. Neither of you are human... to resist my mental control so easily."

The figure emerged fully from the shadows: a doll-like girl of about twelve, with long ink-green hair and delicate dragon horns curling from her temples. Her pale face, slender eyes, petite nose, and tiny mouth made her seem like a crafted porcelain doll. She wore a robe adorned with emerald dragon-scale patterns.

"A dragon... I never imagined a dragon guarded this tower’s peak. So Rudingernan was your illusion, young dragoness?"

"Correct! Any last words, thief? Or should I say... Captain Pipe?"

Strange lights flickered in the girl’s eyes—a telltale sign of gathering energy.

"One question: Are you a Lost Chaos Dragon?"

"What!? You know my true name—*(a draconic name spoken here)*—You... But that won’t save you..."

Her emerald hair lengthened wildly. A powerful aura slammed against the chamber’s spatial barriers—reinforced by an immense barrier that contained the energy without alerting the outside world. Scales erupted across her face. Her hands twisted into claws. Her body stretched taller, her feet morphing into talons.

"Taste the despair of true fear, pitiful mortals..."

Pipe calmly pulled a tiny golden fish from his bottomless snuff bottle and dangled it before her.

The dragon-girl froze. The fierce light in her eyes dimmed... then vanished. Her form shrank back to that of a little girl.

"Mmph... Trying to bribe me? This is the Golden Fish from the River Styx... imbued with soul energy... a delicacy reserved solely for the Nether Black Dragon Clan... Mmph... Fine. I’ll grant you terms. No—give me two, and I’ll let you go."

"Five. And you swear fealty to me."

Pipe’s voice was ice.

"Impossible! Unless you—*(her demand to see his power died unspoken)*—"

Darkness erupted from Pipe, swallowing all light. Hellish wails filled the space, thick with the scent of decay. To the dragon-girl’s widened eyes, the hollow sockets of his skeletal frame glowed with eerie blue-green light. A primal terror—*impossible for a dragon to feel*—shook her soul.

"You’re... a Nether Envoy? No! Lord of Death? Could you truly be... a Death God?!"

"Monarch of the Netherworld. Swear fealty. I cannot kill a dragon, nor enslave your kind. But you cannot kill me either—I embody death itself. I am unkillable."

The dragon-girl knelt, one knee to the floor.

"*(Her full draconic name spoken here)* pledges fealty to the great Monarch of the Netherworld... by the oath of dragonkind."

"I accept your vow. And it is my custom to gift new followers... a token of loyalty’s reward."

Pipe tossed ten golden fish carelessly into the air.

"HEAVENS!!"

Jumper snatched them mid-leap, cradling them greedily while drooling shamelessly.

"You are truly a merciful master~~!"

"Your name is too long. Henceforth, you serve me as ‘Jumper’. You also have a distant relative under my command—Bouncer. A Sea King Dragon. You’ll meet her soon."

"Yes! Then let me be your pet too! Jumper pledges herself to her lord!!"

*What on earth just happened?* Pipe thought, bewildered. *Came to scout a magic tower, ended up taming another dragon pet. Well... not bad.*

"Master... congratulations on gaining such a powerful companion."

"Hmph. It’s time we returned."

"Master! Will Jumper come with you?!"

Jumper bounded over, eyes shining with worship and desperate hope. (*Golden Fish every day! Amazing!*) But Pipe’s next words made her face crumple. Tears welled in her eyes.

"No. Stay here. I’ll send you orders later."

"But... the fish... Ah! How can I serve my lord if I’m not by his side?! (*Boring humans can rot. I want fish.*)

"Hold your place as my inside agent. I’m executing a grand scheme. Obey me well... and Golden Fish will be your reward."

"Yes! Jumper will strive! Farewell, my lord!!"

Jumper bowed deeply, the fish already tucked away. Pipe gave a satisfied nod and left with Greenland, returning to Duke Keane’s manor.