The black-haired butler's voice was calm and even, extremely polite in tone.
Yu Deng didn't catch the subtle nuance in his tone. He quickly turned his head, wanting to look at his wings.
His shirt was already ruined, two holes had been torn open at his shoulder blades, revealing glimpses of his pale skin beneath the fabric.
Under the dark red moonlight, his tender black wings gleamed faintly with a crimson sheen. The small wings curled slightly, smooth and soft, unconsciously fluttering in the breeze.
Yu Deng curiously observed them for several seconds.
Wow, he really had wings now.
He twisted himself into an awkward angle and touched the edge of one wing.
It felt soft... and actually quite pleasant to the touch.
[The livestream is finally on! I rushed here! Baby, do you even know how I survived these seven days?! What was that ending in the last instance?!]
[Holy crap!! Vampire Deng Deng!! Those tiny wings are so cute, let me touch them!!]
[I've seen several vampire instances before, and the vampires in those never had wings. Didn't expect this one to! Big surprise!]
[Uwahh unlocking my wife's new form!!my wife, my precious wife!!]
[Yo, the guy next to baby looks kinda handsome. Baby, are you training a new man again?]
[Yes yes yes give me more! I just love watching men fight over our darling!!]
After finally finishing his inspection, Yu Deng turned back and glanced at the butler's wings — something didn't seem right.
"Why are mine so small?"
The butler's wings were large, standard bat wings. His, however, were tiny—barely bigger than the size of his palm.
Yu Deng doubted these wings could even get him off the ground. Hmm… he'd have to find a chance to test if he could fly later—though he didn't even know how to fly yet.
The butler gently explained to the little master in his arms, "Most likely because you've only just awakened, young master. Your strength is still at a fledgling's level, and your wings are still developing."
Yu Deng nodded doubtfully. "I see…"
The little wings behind him fluttered twice, stirring up a soft breeze.
The black-haired butler lowered his gaze for a few seconds—then couldn't resist lifting a gloved hand to lightly touch Yu Deng's wings again.
This time, his white glove brushed against the base of the wings.
Yu Deng trembled violently, letting out a muffled sound.
Touching the base of the wings felt completely different from touching the edges. In an instant, the wings grew hot and ticklish, tiny jolts of electricity spreading through every nerve in his body until even his legs went weak.
Realizing the butler was the culprit, Yu Deng slapped his hand away in anger. "Y-you're not allowed to touch!"
After the slap, he froze for a few seconds, then secretly shook his hand.
Ow… he'd hit too hard. His palm hurt.
And his wings, why was it that touching them himself felt fine, but when someone else did it, it felt so strange…?
"My apologies, young master. I didn't mean to."
The butler politely apologized, placing his hand back at his side, though his gaze never left Yu Deng.
How had he not noticed before—this little master was so cute.
He gently picked up the little vampire who had gotten stuck in a tree and carried him safely down to the ground before letting go.
The warmth and sweetness of the boy lingering in his arms left him with an odd feeling of emptiness once he let go.
Yu Deng took a moment to recover from the lingering tingling sensation before he managed to stand properly on the ground.
At that moment, System 01's electronic static buzzed for a few seconds.
[Beep—Scan complete. Host, your butler is the hidden boss. In other words, your mission target this time is…]
Yu Deng looked up. "Huh? The mission target appeared this fast?"
The system paused briefly before continuing—
[—one of them.]
Yu Deng: "???" Huh?
[Host, the number of special mission targets isn't fixed. Some instances may contain two or more targets, like this one.]
Yu Deng's little face fell.
Two or more mission targets… didn't that mean he was going to be really busy in this instance?!
He turned to glance at the castle butler again.
The black-haired man was refined and striking, with a faintly mixed-blood look. Dressed in a tailcoat, he appeared every bit the picture of polite elegance.
The butler, noticing Yu Deng's gaze, smiled with perfect professionalism. "Young master, do you have any orders for me?"
Yu Deng, still somewhat irritated, lifted his chin and ordered bluntly, "Take me back to the castle."
However, the man who had been perfectly obedient up to this point unexpectedly refused gently, "Young master, didn't you say you wanted to familiarize yourself with the surroundings of the castle? Now is the perfect time. I will accompany you."
Yu Deng's hope of being carried back fell through. He huffed loudly and stomped forward.
[Host,] the system soothed him, [since you're a player, this mission is meant to be completed by yourself. The same applies to all players.]
Ah, so it was just the instance being annoying again.
Yu Deng stopped blaming the butler and started cursing the instance instead.
He knew the instance wouldn't make things easy for him!
——
The forest was vast, with towering trees and thorny ground that made walking extremely difficult.
Yu Deng didn't encounter any other players or NPCs on the way. Judging by how large the forest was, the players had probably been scattered in different directions.
The butler, dignified and composed, walked a single step behind Yu Deng, silently accompanying him forward.
Yu Deng cautiously moved toward the castle, glancing around from time to time, stumbling over roots and stones.
The shadows of trees swayed around them, leaves rustling in the wind. Twisted vines loomed like sinister monsters. The only sounds were the wind through the branches and their footsteps over dry leaves.
Yu Deng sniffled, struggling not to cry.
Uuuh… it was so scary. Even scarier than the outdoor area of the last instance. And the forest was so big too…
"Caw—caw—"
A crow suddenly croaked harshly from a branch, its voice jarringly loud in the silence.
Yu Deng nearly jumped out of his skin, tears instantly welling up.
The butler's fingers twitched slightly. "Young master?"
Yu Deng pressed his lips together, deciding to talk just to ease his fear.
"Hey, I still don't know your name."
The black-haired butler lowered his head and replied, "Wen Luo Agnes."
"Wen Luo."
Yu Deng called once, but before he could continue speaking, he caught a glimpse of the trees around them subtly shifting.
"Why do I feel like… these plants are moving…?"
As soon as he said it, he realized the scenery had changed—and the distance to the castle seemed different too.
They were moving. What was happening?!
Yu Deng's little wings stiffened in alarm, and he instinctively edged closer to the butler, seeking safety.
[Oh damn, first-person view is so intense! our baby will definitely make it, right?]
[Don't worry, the butler's with him. But this instance is tricky...setting a difficulty gate before the start? Impressive.]
[This instance's difficulty is definitely above C-rank. I bet our wife's in another hard-mode one.]
[?? Wait, aren't you the same guy who said our baby wouldn't survive past day two? You're still watching the stream, calling him wife, and topping the gift list??]
[…Is that not allowed?]
"Yes," Wen Luo patiently explained, "this forest is no ordinary one. The Black Forest serves as the castle's first natural barrier against intruders. Ordinary people can't easily pass through it."
Yu Deng turned in circles helplessly.
Well, he wasn't ordinary either—but this little fledgling vampire was having just as hard a time crossing it!
Suddenly, from the east, a terrified scream rang out—followed by a string of impressive curse words. Probably another newbie player.
[Friendly reminder: 40 minutes have elapsed.]
The electronic voice chimed in right after the scream—and somehow, Yu Deng could feel the malice in its tone.
[Reminder again: Please be careful of everyone around you.]
What? Only twenty minutes left?! And what did it mean by "be careful of everyone"…?
Yu Deng blinked in confusion.
The trees swayed faintly. Some of the vines slithered closer. Yu Deng felt a sudden chill around his ankles, then a sting. Looking down, he saw thorny vines wrapping around his legs.
The next second, the vines coiled tighter and lifted him up, forming a cage that trapped him inside.
However, instead of immediately crushing him, the vines hesitated, their branches shifting curiously around him.
Yu Deng blinked at the dark thorns holding him. "…?"
These plants attacked on their own now?!
Wen Luo frowned slightly in puzzlement, surprised that the thorns would suddenly act against a vampire.
He raised his hand, preparing to help the little master who clearly couldn't fight much.
Inside the cage, Yu Deng came to his senses, frustrated and anxious. He poked one of the black vines and said, his voice soft but indignant, "Don't bully me…"
He still had to reach the castle before time ran out!
The little vampire's cool fingertips brushed the sharp thorns, leaving behind his faint sweet scent.
The vines quivered. After a few seconds, as if receiving some mysterious signal, they rustled away, setting him gently back on the ground.
One of the vines even bloomed into a tiny flower at the tip.
[My baby… you've officially charmed flora and fauna alike…]
[Even when angry, baby sounds like he's pouting, how can anyone resist that?!]
[The vines released him and even bloomed! Meanwhile, other streamers are still fistfighting their vines LMAO.]
[Beauty always wins (ahem).]
Freed so suddenly, Yu Deng stumbled forward—straight into Wen Luo, who had halted his spell when he saw the boy was safe and thus didn't have time to dodge.
Yu Deng crashed right into his chest, his forehead smacking against Wen Luo's chin.
The butler took the impact without flinching, his expression unchanged.
Yu Deng, however, rubbed his reddened forehead with teary eyes, whimpering softly.
Was it some kind of rule that every instance had to hurt him at the start?!
From the pain, the little wings behind him instantly vanished, leaving behind his shirt with two torn holes—and revealing a stretch of snow-white skin.
Wen Luo supported the soft little vampire and sighed. "Young master, please be careful." Then he removed his own coat and draped it over Yu Deng's shoulders, covering the exposed back.
Yu Deng murmured an "Mm."
He was tired. And sore. He really didn't want to move anymore.
He'd already walked so far, surely it was fine to have the butler take him the rest of the way?
After all, his role in this instance was that of a spoiled little young master—so there was no need to hold back, right?
Yu Deng tilted his head up. "I don't want to walk anymore. Take me back to the castle."
Perhaps because he'd already walked a good distance himself, this time Wen Luo agreed quickly. He obediently picked Yu Deng up, unfurled his bat wings, and glided swiftly through the forest.
Five minutes later, the castle came into view—just beyond one last patch of thorns.
It seemed the instance limited how far the butler could carry him, because Wen Luo said, "Young master, may I set you down here?"
"That's fine."
The black-haired butler gently placed him on the ground. Yu Deng hurried forward, pushing aside a clump of vines to squeeze through.
He was in such a rush that he didn't notice the slope just beyond the thicket. His foot slipped—and he crashed straight into someone standing behind the vines.
For the second time that day, Yu Deng's forehead hit something hard.
"Eh?!"
The next moment, a strong hand caught his wrist, holding him firmly in place.
Yu Deng: "??"
A tall, handsome man gripped his wrist to steady him. He looked down for a few seconds—whatever reprimand he'd intended to say froze on his lips.
The intruder's skin was pale, his features striking. He didn't usually describe men as "beautiful," but right now, he couldn't think of any other word that fit.
The boy was breathtakingly beautiful.
Realizing what he was thinking, the man's expression darkened.
Behind them, Wen Luo's voice sounded, "Are you all right, young master?"
The stranger released Yu Deng's wrist, his eyes sharp with curiosity as he subtly studied Yu Deng and Wen Luo.
A player? No—most likely an NPC.
Yu Deng muttered under his breath and raised the wrist that had been grabbed.
A red mark was already forming around it.
The man looked momentarily surprised—he hadn't even used any strength.
A strange, indescribable feeling stirred in his chest.
"No, I'm not okay," Yu Deng answered the butler, glaring unhappily at the man. "Your muscles are too hard, and you grabbed me too tightly. It hurt."
Both his forehead and his wrist were aching now.
The man's gaze lingered on Yu Deng's reddened eyes for a brief moment.
…So unreasonable.
He frowned and turned his head away coldly.
"You're just too delicate."
He hated this kind of troublesome, pampered brat the most.