Qin Jun's voice was deep, and his gaze intense. His handsome face was expressionless, looking intimidating and hard to approach.
Yu Deng tilted his head to look up at him, staring for a few seconds before unhappily saying, "I'll look for whoever I want. Why do you care?"
He was just calling him delicate a moment ago, and now he wanted to control him… Qin Jun was the unreasonable one here!
Thinking this, Yu Deng glared at him again, his eyelashes damp with tears, making him look pitiful.
Qin Jun was taken aback by Yu Deng's fierce retort.
Yeah, why did he care about Yu Deng?
Qin Jun had lived over twenty years hating troublesome people like Yu Deng the most—those who needed to be coddled, held carefully in hand, protected from every little bump, and would throw tantrums if things didn't go their way.
But… Qin Jun suddenly realized that when facing this delicate, beautiful little crybaby, he hadn't felt any dislike, only a strange sense of restlessness, along with more subtle emotions.
Even his boundaries were constantly lowering.
It was as if this vampire had cast a spell on him, making him unable to stop his emotions from swaying with every little thing the vampire did.
Qin Jun held Yu Deng's slender wrist, and with his other hand, he raised it to softly wipe away the warm tears on that tender face, his rough fingertips brushing gently over the corner of Yu Deng's eye.
"Who is it you want to find?" Qin Jun asked, his gaze locked on Yu Deng, waiting for his answer.
"Um… I don't know," Yu Deng replied, tilting his head as he thought about it, "Just someone who listens to me."
He glanced at the black ears on Qin Jun's head and added casually, "Like someone who would obediently let me pet their ears."
Qin Jun: "…Is that so."
He recalled the sight from the previous night's ball, of the little vampire happily petting the werewolf leader's ears, and felt a subtle spike in irritation, his words gaining an unintended edge.
"Is being obedient the only requirement? Are your standards that low?"
As soon as he said it, Qin Jun regretted it.
The ill-tempered little vampire was likely to get angry again and scold him.
But Yu Deng, ever oblivious, didn't pick up on the hint of annoyance and jealousy in Qin Jun's words. Instead, he seriously considered the question.
"No, of course that's not enough. They also have to be strong, smart… and it'd be nice if they looked good too."
The little vampire muttered a long list of requirements.
Qin Jun's first thought was that he himself fit all those criteria, didn't he? He paused for a few seconds, then awkwardly pulled the little vampire off the ground, changing the subject abruptly.
"Let's go. It's already been half an hour."
Yu Deng made a sound of acknowledgment, struggling to his feet, and followed Qin Jun as they continued down the path.
They walked in silence for about ten minutes when the ground suddenly started shaking violently. Yu Deng flailed, trying to steady himself. "What's happening?"
This time, Qin Jun had kept an eye on Yu Deng, and just before he could fall, he caught him. But the tremors were too intense, and as Yu Deng stumbled forward, he took Qin Jun down with him.
The nearby thorns stirred as if ready to pounce. Qin Jun tightly shielded the soft, fragrant little vampire in his arms, rolling them both to avoid the sudden attack.
During their tumble, they ended up very close, with Qin Jun's warmth transferring to Yu Deng, his slightly quickened heartbeat equally clear.
Dazed, Yu Deng lifted his head, feeling a slight sting at the corner of his mouth.
"Ouch!"
It turned out that Qin Jun, while leaning in, had accidentally bumped into the corner of Yu Deng's mouth. Instead of pulling back, he inexplicably gave it a light nibble, though he didn't apply much pressure.
Caught off guard by the faint pain, Yu Deng took a moment to react, then pushed hard against Qin Jun's firm chest, climbing up in annoyance. "Why—why did you bite me?"
"I just barely touched you," Qin Jun replied, his gaze lingering on Yu Deng's slightly parted lips. An odd tickling sensation stirred in his chest. "How can even your mouth be this delicate?"
So soft, so enticing—if kissed, he'd probably cry even more, cursing between sobs in a way that would only make one want to kiss him more.
Yu Deng thought he was being mocked again, and with a huff, he backed two meters away from Qin Jun, unwilling to pay him any attention.
Qin Jun could now apologize and make amends with this delicate vampire without any hesitation. He took a few steps closer, just about to speak when a hole suddenly appeared in the wall behind Yu Deng.
Out sprang thorny vines, wrapping tightly around Yu Deng's waist and legs.
"Huh?!"
This time, the thorns seemed to have learned from their previous encounter, retracting their sharp spikes and pretending to be harmless branches.
The way they coiled around Yu Deng was gentler this time, but still just as fast.
In the blink of an eye, Yu Deng was swallowed by the wall.
Qin Jun quickly stepped forward and threw a punch at the wall, but it didn't break through.
He wanted to call for the little vampire but suddenly realized he didn't even know the young master's name.
"Tsk… I didn't even finish what I was saying."
A rare feeling of regret surfaced in Qin Jun's heart.
Why did he have to be so stubborn and make the little master upset?
He quickly started searching along the nearby paths, but after several rounds, there was no trace of Yu Deng anywhere.
On his third search, Qin Jun noticed something unsettling: the plants on the maze walls were constantly shifting, and even the maze's layout was changing.
In short, the maze was alive.
…
When Yu Deng was pulled into the wall, he was completely dazed. He didn't even have time to react.
He couldn't see any light—not even a faint glimmer. All he could feel was that he was being dragged along, bouncing up and down.
After a few seconds, a sudden light appeared in front of him, and the thorny vines pushed him out of the wall.
Yu Deng steadied himself by holding onto a vine, his little wings somehow emerging behind him, drooping pathetically.
The walls surrounded him as usual; there was no sound, an eerie silence pervading the area.
After a moment of thought, Yu Deng decided to open his livestream's chat.
[I'm tearing up. I knew our baby would only think of us when he's scared and alone.]
[Just here to be used as tools by our baby, sigh.]
[Giving wifey a sense of security is my honor!]
[Did you see that rude dog earlier? He was totally fronting! He couldn't keep his eyes off our baby, but he had to say it was just baby being overly delicate.]
[Tsk tsk, just waiting for that rude dog to regret it.]
After taking a short break, Yu Deng resumed his journey to find the maze's end.
Ugh, he was already so tired.
Suddenly, a male voice called from behind, "Young vampire lord? Hello."
Yu Deng turned around and saw a short man wearing a devil mask. His face was obscured, but he seemed to be a wizard.
The masked wizard smiled at Yu Deng and began to chat casually. "I wonder how many suspicious targets this game will uncover. If no sacrifice is found in the next two days, I suspect everyone will start to get anxious."
At first, Yu Deng didn't quite process his words and nearly nodded in agreement.
[Host!]System 01's electronic voice echoed in Yu Deng's mind. [Watch out for traps.]
Hm?
Yu Deng blinked, pausing to think with his not-so-quick brain. Oh, it seemed that only the players knew that if non-humans failed to catch any players within two days, they'd go berserk.
If he responded, wouldn't he be confirming his identity as a player? Besides, this wizard was so heavily disguised that even if he was a player, no one could recognize which one he was.
So he was trying to bait him with a language trap!
After a quick brainstorming session, Yu Deng responded to the wizard with a rather unpleasant tone, "What does it matter to me how the guests are doing?"
The beautiful vampire youth wore a slight scowl, his expression arrogant and disdainful, embodying the role of a bad-tempered non-human perfectly.
[Aww, baby, you're so cute… like a proud little kitty with claws.]
[Isn't this one a player?]
[Yes, I just peeked into the other stream—he's a seasoned player, too.]
[I suspect this difficult instance only has our baby as the newbie. Poor thing, let mommy give you a kiss.]
The masked man stared at Yu Deng, momentarily dazed by the vampire's beauty, before the system's cold electronic alert sounded.
[Ding, charm item effect failed.]
Failed?! The masked wizard coughed a few times to cover his loss of composure. "As you say."
Maybe he'd overthought things; this young master was probably just an NPC.
…
The masked man continued to try making conversation, but Yu Deng had already seen through his tricks, replying dismissively.
When they reached yet another crossroads, Yu Deng was once again snatched by the thorny vines and pulled into the wall.
Yu Deng was quite used to this process by now. Standing on the new path, he felt a bit wronged.
"Tongtong, how do I get out of here? I can't reach the end at all..."
He was already so, so tired from walking, having hit so many dead ends and still unable to figure out the route. Those thorns kept pulling him into the wall, only to throw him into a new place afterward.
"These thorns are so mean," Yu Deng muttered, grabbing one of the thorny vines and giving it a frustrated shake.
The thorns trembled slightly, and a vine hidden in the shadows shyly formed a heart shape.
[ . ]
System 01 looked at a map with blue and red dots scattered across it. It was the layout of the maze, with the glowing points representing players and NPCs.
Yu Deng didn't know that each time the thorns moved him, they were actually helping him avoid a few strange, powerful NPCs with dangerous personalities.
[They actually mean you no harm.]
"Really..."
Yu Deng poked at the thorns again.
In the distance, he could faintly hear heavy footsteps and… the growling of a beast?
Yu Deng's back stiffened in alarm, and the little wings on his back fluttered quickly a few times.
The next second, a massive creature appeared in front of him.
It was a huge gray wolf, over two meters tall, with sturdy limbs and long, sharp claws. Its yellowish-brown eyes glowed a soft green in the dim light.
The gray wolf's gaze fell on Yu Deng, and it let out an excited rumble from its throat. The light from the blood moon fell, making the giant wolf appear even more terrifying.
Yu Deng's eyes widened, and he quickly backed away, but his legs felt weak. After stumbling back a while, he had only managed to move a few meters.
"Howl—"
The gray wolf tensed its hind legs and instantly closed the distance between them. Its massive paw lifted, easily pressing Yu Deng down to the ground.
Afterward, the wolf suddenly seemed to realize—if the delicate little vampire just lay there, he might cry from the pain.
So, the wolf hurriedly bit onto Yu Deng's clothing, awkwardly positioning itself to cushion him, using its body as a soft mat. It then gently flipped over, pressing Yu Deng down lightly.
Yu Deng shut his eyes, his eyelashes trembling. "Mmph, please don't eat me..."
Of course, the wolf didn't eat him. Instead, it continued sniffing the little vampire beneath it, its gaze captivated, its energy restless.
Yu Deng held his breath for a moment, but realizing he was unharmed, he cautiously opened his eyes.
The gray wolf met Yu Deng's gaze, let out another howl, and licked his cheek.
"..." Yu Deng turned his face away, muttering softly, "You're really heavy."
The wolf thought for a moment, then raised its body a little, not putting any pressure on the little vampire, but still keeping Yu Deng securely in its embrace.
Yu Deng looked at the giant wolf.
The color of its fur seemed oddly familiar. Hesitantly, Yu Deng called out, "Are you... Ander?"
The gray wolf immediately perked up, licking Yu Deng's cheeks and neck a few more times in excitement.
"...Why are you acting just like a dog?" Yu Deng pushed the gray wolf's head away, puzzled. "How did you end up like this?"
The gray wolf lifted its head and glanced out of the maze toward the blood moon.
Yu Deng understood.
Werewolves, on full moon nights or blood moon nights, are always affected to some extent. Usually, they just become larger, but for Anders to fully transform into a wolf was still a rare occurrence.
However, as a full wolf, it seemed Anders had little reasoning ability left, mostly acting on animal instincts.
Anders was still basking in the joy of being recognized by the little vampire.
Looking back, Yu Deng noticed the gray wolf's fluffy tail raised high and wagging enthusiastically.
Aren't werewolves supposed to be, well, more intimidating? How could he be wagging his tail like that, looking more like a dog...
Yu Deng's fear of Mr. Gray Wolf faded a bit. Seeing the gentle wolf, he couldn't resist petting its chin.
The wolf had a thick coat, with the fur around its neck much softer than along its back, making it incredibly pleasant to touch. Yu Deng couldn't stop himself from ruffling the fur repeatedly.
Who could say no to petting a wolf? After all, this would be risky in the real world...
"..."
Having his desired mate gently petting him, for a werewolf in this state, was a powerful stimulation.
"Awoo."
Anders wagged his tail happily, and when Yu Deng's hand reached the soft fur on his belly, his instincts flared to their peak.
Sharp wolf claws tore through Yu Deng's clothes, and the wolf's muzzle buried itself in his neck, sniffing and licking. The entire wolf enclosed Yu Deng, its movements restless and agitated.
Rip—
A large tear appeared at the hem of Yu Deng's shirt, and his shoes and socks had disappeared amidst the scuffling and struggling.
In disbelief, Yu Deng exclaimed, "What are you doing? You've ruined my clothes! And... someone could come by at any moment!"
The gray wolf's eyes glinted with a hint of blood-red as it anxiously nudged him with its nose, gesturing for Yu Deng to look behind.
The narrow path had somehow turned into a dead end again. A wall of thorns now blocked the crossroads, sealing them in on all sides.
—No one would be coming to interrupt.
The wolf lowered its head and spotted the small wings on Yu Deng's back. Its damp tongue brushed over the delicate wings, causing them to tremble in response.
Yu Deng shivered, his earlobes flushing red, and he choked out an indignant whisper, "…You scoundrel!"
He struggled free from the giant wolf's embrace and scrambled to his feet. Behind him, the thorny vines extended, forming a makeshift seat.
With a huff, Yu Deng plopped onto the thorns, glaring at the mischievous wolf that had both touched him and torn his clothes.
Anders, looking desperate, moved closer, wanting to nuzzle the little vampire again.
Yu Deng, thoroughly annoyed by all the licking, pressed his bare foot down on the gray wolf's fluffy head, stopping him from coming any closer.
"Stay back."
His soft, pale foot settled on the giant wolf's face, stamping down with a vexed strength.
Even the faint breeze stirred by his movements carried a delicate fragrance.
The gray wolf's pupils contracted, and its muscles tensed, an unnamed fire rising within it, a hint of ferocity flickering beneath its gray fur.
The gray wolf stared at the soft, rounded toes, letting out a restless growl before taking the little vampire's toes into its mouth.
Its rough tongue carefully licked over each one, while its sharp teeth left only the faintest bite marks without breaking the skin.
Yu Deng felt a tickling sensation mixed with a hint of pain. Tears welled up in his eyes as he scolded unhappily, "You're still biting... disobedient, naughty wolf."
Just a moment ago, the wolf had been so docile, letting him pet it, but now it seemed to love nibbling on him after all.
The large, fierce gray wolf let out a soft whimper, lying down in front of the little vampire, eyes full of adoration, its tail wagging eagerly.
—It loved the little vampire so much; it wanted to cover him in its scent, erase any trace of others. And if it could, it wouldn't mind if the little vampire stepped on him a little more.