What the hell?
A ghost?
Alex's scalp tingled the moment he saw that eerie sight. An involuntary thought flashed through his mind.
How could a living person not cast a shadow?
Was this a joke?
…Wait a second.
No, that's not it.
A different name suddenly popped into his head: vampire.
He vaguely recalled that in folklore, vampires were said to have no shadow—and no reflection in mirrors either.
Because both shadows and reflections are said to represent the soul. And vampires… they're soulless creatures.
Could the man beside him be… a vampire?
Alex glanced at the man's classic, almost aristocratic attire, and the theory felt more and more plausible.
Phew.
He let out a quiet breath of relief.
If it's just a vampire, that's fine!
Sure, vampires are scary to ordinary people—maybe even considered supernatural—but in front of Alex, they're really nothing special.
Even without resorting to his heat vision, he could crush a vampire to death purely with brute force.
However…
Vampires are supposed to fear sunlight. Yet right now, it's broad daylight, and this one doesn't seem bothered at all.
That can only mean… this guy's no ordinary vampire. He must be something exceptional.
And if Alex put together everything he knew about vampires—especially within the context of the Marvel Universe—only one name came to mind: Dracula.
Could the man standing beside him be the Count Dracula?
It would explain why he was here. After all, this place did have Dracula's ring on display.
And the system had just confirmed it was a special energy source, which pretty much validated the ring's authenticity.
Adding up all these clues, Alex was now fairly certain—there was a very high chance this man really was Dracula.
And he was right.
The man beside him was indeed Count Dracula himself—the legendary vampire who held a unique and unparalleled status in vampire history.
Although… in Marvel lore, he's not exactly the first vampire—more like a second-generation progenitor. But still, no less terrifying.
Seriously? Even Dracula's showing up now?
Alex couldn't help but click his tongue internally.
Yup. That's the Marvel world for you—full of monsters, myths, and madness.
He quickly shook off the flood of random thoughts in his mind, keeping a calm expression as he turned to Dracula and said, "I was just looking. Not particularly interested."
"Just looking?"
Dracula gave a slight chuckle. He really did look like a gentleman—calm, articulate, refined—even exuding a kind of aristocratic charm.
Honestly, if you ignored who he was, talking to someone like this actually felt… pleasant.
But knowing he was Dracula?
Yeah, Alex was on full alert.
Even if he wasn't the original vampire, he was still a top-tier powerhouse.
"Yeah, just browsing. The ring looked interesting," Alex replied smoothly, nodding like he meant it.
He was about to say a few more polite words and make a swift exit, when Dracula suddenly fixed his gaze on him and said with absolute certainty:
"You're lying."
Alex's heart skipped a beat.
Damn, this old monster's really that sharp?
He was pretty sure he hadn't slipped up. His performance wasn't that fake… was it?
"Sir, I'm not sure what you mean. I have other matters to attend to—if you'll excuse me."
No point in dragging this out—Alex gave a polite smile and turned to leave.
Dracula made no move to stop him, just calmly watched as Alex walked away.
Only when Alex had melted into the crowd did Dracula finally withdraw his gaze.
He murmured to himself with a touch of amusement, "Looks like he really did recognize the ring. Interesting."
Then his attention returned to the ring inside the display case. A rare warmth surfaced in his eyes, like he was gazing at an old friend.
"So many years… and yet I never thought I'd see you again," he whispered gently.
He raised a hand, hovering it just above the glass, as if to caress the ring without touching it.
And then… the ring began to glow—faintly, like a gemstone catching the light.
"Dracula's ring is glowing?"
"What's going on?"
"I thought it was just a normal ring?"
The strange phenomenon quickly drew the attention of nearby guests. Curious onlookers gathered around, murmuring in surprise.
"That ring's definitely not an ordinary artifact."
Alex, watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes.
Just as I thought.
But he couldn't help frowning slightly.
Now that he was almost certain this man was Dracula, and the ring in the case was indeed his possession… what now?
Was Alex really going to try and snatch something that originally belonged to Dracula?
Sure, the ring was a special energy source he'd had his eye on—but it wasn't the only way to get Origin Points.
Was it really worth going head-to-head with a legend like Dracula for a mere 200+ points?
Alex didn't think so.
At the very least, it was something that needed careful planning.
As he pondered, the crowd around the display only grew larger. The glowing ring had become the center of attention.
Dracula, still standing there, finally pulled his hand back.
And just like that, the glow on the ring faded.
But that made the crowd even more suspicious.
The timing was just too perfect. It looked exactly like the man had triggered the glow somehow.
Now, all eyes turned toward Dracula.
Alex groaned inwardly.
Great. Now the ring's on everyone's radar. Even if Dracula doesn't plan to take it himself, this is going to turn into a mess.
And realistically speaking, Alex doubted Dracula would just leave it. The guy clearly came here for the ring.
The only question now was—how did he plan to take it, especially with so many eyes watching?
He didn't have to wait long for the answer.
Still watching, Alex suddenly saw Dracula part his lips—and breathe out a thick plume of white mist.
The mist didn't disperse. It expanded instantly—just like dry ice fog on a stage—and quickly spread throughout the entire hall.
It swept over the crowd like a tidal wave.
Thud! Thud!
One by one, the guests collapsed to the ground