Yu Deng tugged at the hem of his pants, shaking it a little. After observing for a while, he didn't notice anything unusual.
The invisible presence hadn't left. Instead, it obediently coiled around Yu Deng's ankles and calves.
"Was that just my imagination…?" Yu Deng muttered to himself before sitting back down.
The presence clung to his legs for a moment, but soon it wasn't satisfied. It began to slide further upward, eventually wrapping itself around Yu Deng's waist, trying to absorb as much of the soft warmth and fragrance from Yu Deng's body as possible.
If someone could see this scene, they'd notice the presence stretching itself out, embracing Yu Deng from behind. It looked very much like a tall man holding Yu Deng in an intimate and possessive manner.
"...?!"
Yu Deng felt something encircle his waist and abdomen. Startled and uncertain, he stood up and carefully inspected himself.
There was nothing there?
What was even stranger was that in this situation, he should've been scared by the appearance of some unknown, strange entity. Yet, he didn't feel much fear. Instead, there was a peculiar sense of comfort.
Yu Deng fell into deep thought. "...How odd. Tongtong, is something wrong with me?"
[Not at all. Your physical and mental health are both perfectly fine.]
"Really…" Unable to figure it out, Yu Deng temporarily set the strange sensation aside.
It didn't seem to be harming him, so he decided not to worry about it for now.
Nearby, the three-headed dog watched Yu Deng's series of movements, its three pairs of large eyes filled with identical confusion. It leaned in to sniff closely.
The presence released a faint trace of its aura and power. The three-headed dog immediately let out a whimper, then crouched back down, looking pitifully at Yu Deng. Its scorpion-like tail swung about erratically behind it.
Yu Deng was drawn by the dog's whimper and hesitantly asked, "Do you… still want to play?"
The three heads nodded wildly. "Woof woof awooo!"
Helpless, Yu Deng ended up throwing the decorative object another dozen or so times.
The three-headed dog, after so many rounds, was still brimming with energy and not the least bit tired of the game. But Yu Deng was already exhausted.
He tried reasoning with the three-headed dog.
"Look at this ball. It's so heavy, and throwing it is really tiring." Yu Deng shook his sore wrist, softly complaining, "I don't want to move anymore."
The decorative object was actually an irregularly shaped metallic sphere. It was quite hefty, weighing at least three or four pounds, and throwing it took quite a bit of effort.
The three-headed dog looked utterly thunderstruck, dropping the ball from its mouth with a plop: "Woof?"
The three heads pitifully and miserably calculated among themselves, realizing that the number of times each had retrieved the ball was finally even. At least they no longer forced Yu Deng to play with them, instead lying down dejectedly.
Yu Deng let out a sigh of relief.
The audience in the live comments had initially been nervous, worried that Yu Deng wouldn't be able to defeat the three-headed dog or might get injured. Now, they were numb to it all.
[I was just worried our delicate wife wouldn't win or might get hurt. Who knew this thick-browed, big-eyed three-headed dog would turn out to be such a simp?]
[Honestly, who would've thought? A three-headed dog of this caliber would usually be a mini-boss anywhere, but here it just wants to play fetch.]
[Well, not necessarily. Maybe it just likes playing with our darling.]
[Ever since entering this dungeon, every villainous dog, thorn bush, little bat, crow, and now this three-headed dog has fallen for our precious baby. I'm tired of saying it—no one can resist our Deng Deng darling!]
Yu Deng slumped back in his chair to rest, finally clearing his mind enough to think.
He hadn't been hiding for long before the three-headed dog found him. It seemed he ranked near the bottom in this game.
Feeling a bit despondent, Yu Deng consoled himself—at least the three-headed dog wasn't as scary as he'd initially imagined.
"Woof, woof." The three-headed dog shuffled forward, trying to rest its front paw on Yu Deng's leg. The middle head even leaned in, attempting to lick him.
The wisp of consciousness surrounding Yu Deng could no longer tolerate this. Without hesitation, it smacked the middle head on the forehead and pushed it away.
The middle head, thinking one of the other heads was at fault, immediately began scolding. The other two heads, wrongly accused, barked back in protest.
Yu Deng, utterly baffled, couldn't understand why the three heads were suddenly fighting again.
"Don't get so worked up," he said, feeling like he was surrounded by eight hundred barking dogs. His head buzzed. "So noisy."
The three-headed dog fell silent, wagging its tail at him.
The wisp of consciousness seemed satisfied, curling around Yu Deng like a cushion and sneaking in occasional touches.
The three-headed dog played with Yu Deng for nearly an hour before it felt like it had forgotten something.
Oh, right—it was supposed to be hunting down the other participants hiding in the game.
---
Main Hall of the Mansion.
Wen Luo channeled his power to shatter the invisible barrier, only to find it unexpectedly difficult. At the same time, he completely lost any sense of Yu Deng's presence.
Anders encountered the same issue.
This hadn't happened before. Now it was as though… new rules had suddenly materialized, preventing them from interfering with the game.
"Lady Edith, did you do something?" Wen Luo scrutinized the witch.
"No, I'm just as curious about this anomaly," the witch replied, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "But the source of this power is beyond my ability to discern."
Wen Luo appeared thoughtful, while Anders grew increasingly agitated, scanning the surroundings to assess the possibility of forcing his way through.
At that moment, the crystal ball flickered and lit up, forming a glowing image of Yu Deng.
—Yu Deng was the first game participant found by the three-headed dog.
The fact that this young master was the first to be discovered was utterly unexpected!
Even after Yu Deng's light appeared, the crystal ball didn't show any other participants being found for a long time, nor did Yu Deng appear in the banquet hall.
The people in the hall exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of confusion and unease. Many stole covert looks at the vampire butler to gauge his reaction.
—Normally, when someone played this kind of game with the three-headed dog, it ended quickly. Once the dog discovered a participant, it would chase them for a while. If the participant's response angered the dog, they might even be bitten.
But no matter what happened, the discovered participant would be chased back to the hall within ten minutes at most.
Now, the castle was eerily silent. So, where exactly had the vampire young master gone?
Wen Luo stared coldly at the invisible barrier, flexing his knuckles. Power gathered silently in his hands, ready to shatter the barrier at any moment.
Anders was similarly restless, his entire demeanor radiating low pressure. He punched the transparent barrier, creating a hole, but within seconds, the barrier instantly repaired itself.
"Gentlemen, there's no need to be so agitated," Lady Edith said, opening her eyes.
The witch had a favorable impression of Yu Deng, and by extension, she found herself more tolerant of the two individuals so concerned for him. She offered a casual reassurance, "My intuition tells me that he's perfectly safe right now."
---
Meanwhile, the game continued.
While Yu Deng was busy entertaining the three-headed dog, the other players hid anxiously, worried about being discovered too soon—or worse, becoming another victim torn apart by the beast.
A female werewolf crouched in a narrow, hidden storage room, using an item that concealed her presence. She didn't dare make a sound.
Above her head was the top floor of the castle's main building. For over half an hour, faint thudding and rolling noises echoed from the ceiling, conjuring unsettling images in her mind.
Like spherical objects rolling or bouncing across the floor...
She couldn't tell how much time had passed when the noises stopped, replaced by the sounds of other participants running or screaming in distress. Those sounds seemed to come from no more than one floor away. At the same time, the effectiveness of her concealment item expired.
Realizing she couldn't stay in the cramped space any longer—where there was no room to maneuver if discovered—she decided to quietly move to another location.
The moment she stepped out, however, she came face-to-face with the three-headed dog.
The player: "..." Haha, good thing I came out; otherwise, it would have been a doorway slaughter.
The terrifying, grotesque three-headed dog bared its fanged maw, saliva dripping to the ground, corroding a significant portion of the carpet.
She turned and bolted.
The three-headed dog growled low and chased after her with alarming speed. The player had already taken out her item, ready to defend herself. However, after chasing for just a short distance, the dog suddenly had a revelation.
Chasing these players around was far less enjoyable than playing fetch with the elegant little vampire. With that thought, the three-headed dog lost all interest, stopped in its tracks, contemplated for a moment, then turned around and walked away.
Heh, it had nearly finished finding everyone anyway. Why not go back and play with the little vampire?
The player: "???"
Wait a minute, she had braced herself for a life-or-death battle, and the dog just… left out of disdain?
---
When the three-headed dog finally decided to leave Yu Deng alone and go torment others, Qin Jun had just emerged from a magical array.
His luck hadn't been great. As soon as he started this side quest, he triggered some mechanism in the castle, got pulled into a formation, and spent nearly an hour battling his way out.
After hurriedly patching up his injuries, Qin Jun set out with a clear goal: to find the little vampire.
[Qin-ge's combat skills are insane! He's only cleared four stages so far and is already soloing this many monsters.]
[Where's he headed?]
[Quick answer: to find the young master!]
[I think so too. Lately, he's been zoning out a lot, even asking viewers how not to upset people.]
[Tch, but he doesn't hold back when roasting us, does he]
[Not me. I've already gone over to that other livestream, and I'm all in—wife, here I come!]
Qin Jun ignored the playful comments in the chat. When he finally spotted Yu Deng, the little vampire was admiring the relief sculptures in a corridor.
"Eh? Qin Jun." Yu Deng turned his head and was startled by Qin Jun's disheveled appearance.
The man's coat was covered in dust, with a large tear at the hem, and there were signs of injury on his face and hands.
Yu Deng furrowed his brows. "How did you get so dirty... did you run into some trouble?"
His whole body was a mess, blood staining his clothes, and the air was filled with the scent of blood. There was also a small cut on his profile, with blood dripping out.
Yu Deng subconsciously swallowed. "Did... did you run into trouble?"
"A few small accidents, nothing serious," Qin Jun replied, seemingly not noticing Yu Deng's swallowing motion. He stood in front of Yu Deng and looked him over carefully. "I spent quite a while fighting earlier, that's why I just came to find you... You're not injured, are you?"
"Of course not." Yu Deng hesitated for a moment, then said to him, "Hey, your wound is still bleeding."
Qin Jun nodded. "I know, it's a small problem, no need to worry about it."
"But I can smell it." Yu Deng pressed his lips together. "If I smell it, I'll want to drink... You should take care of it quickly."
The corner of Qin Jun's mouth curved up slightly, but his expression remained cool and indifferent.
"I don't know any healing spells, and I don't have any medicine left," Qin Jun lowered his eyes, seemingly feeling guilty for not being able to fulfill Yu Deng's request.
"...Never mind, come here." Yu Deng didn't want to drink blood during the mission, but he motioned for Qin Jun to come closer.
The man silently and obediently walked over and lowered his head at Yu Deng's gesture.
The next moment, the warm lips and tongue of the little vampire touched the wound, the tip of his tongue brushing over it, and the saliva immediately healed the cut.
Qin Jun's smile deepened.
[Holy crap, I knew it! I was wondering why Qin Jun hadn't treated his face wound earlier. I thought it was because he was a real man who didn't mind getting hurt, but it turns out he just wanted to make his wife feel sorry for him!!]
[Haven't seen him for a few days, and he's already learned some tricks (thumbs up)]
Yu Deng reluctantly treated Qin Jun's wound, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the three-headed dog charging down the hallway.
Qin Jun also noticed the three-headed dog and immediately went into a defensive stance, standing in front of Yu Deng. "Be careful!"
"It's not scary, it's very obedient," Yu Deng pressed on Qin Jun's arm and patted it twice, stepping out from behind him. "I was just playing with it."
The three-headed dog nodded and sat down in front of Yu Deng, wagging its tail.
Qin Jun paused in surprise, glancing at the dog. "It listens to you that well?"
Yu Deng felt a little proud. "Yeah, I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?"
His beautiful face tilted up, his eyes bright with a smile. This proud look instantly melted Qin Jun's heart.
"Very impressive," Qin Jun said sincerely. "You're better at playing this kind of game than I am. I'll have to ask for your guidance in the future."
Yu Deng felt quite pleased with himself.
Qin Jun really knew how to say sweet things.
"Woof!" The three-headed dog, displeased with the man hindering its bonding with the little vampire, bared its fangs and tried to chase Qin Jun away.
A flash of light appeared, indicating Qin Jun's presence.
At this point, all participants of the side game had been found.
Everyone, except for Yu Deng, had returned to the banquet hall, looking a bit disheveled. The two who had used more aggressive methods on the three-headed dog had chunks of flesh torn off their arms and thighs.
"Where's the young master of the vampire family?" someone maliciously speculated. "He wouldn't have... already..."
Before the sentence was finished, the massive body of the three-headed dog appeared at the door of the banquet hall.
Yu Deng was sitting on its back.
Several men let out a relieved sigh.
The entire banquet hall fell into a dead silence, staring at Yu Deng, questioning their life choices.
[Yu Deng: Making a grand entrance, riding the three-headed dog!]
[Baby, you're so cool.]
[That's why we call Yu Deng the Dog Whisperer—he can tame all kinds of dogs in every sense.]
The three-headed dog trotted over with Yu Deng on its back. Noticing the intense gazes of the men, it provocatively arched its back, signaling the others to look at the little vampire on its back.
The three heads of the dog truly showed their usefulness at that moment. The three-headed dog carried Yu Deng on its back, and all three dog heads grinned in different directions at the same time, provoking three men at once.
Wen Luo: "..."
Qin Jun: "..."
Anders: "?"
Great, they were actually being provoked by a dog.
Yu Deng, however, couldn't comprehend the men's complex feelings.
He looked toward the result of the hide-and-seek game projected by the crystal ball, receiving the expected answer, and felt a bit dejected.
"As expected, I'm the last one..."
The three-headed dog stopped provoking the men and thought for a moment.
This had been its favorite game. It knew the rules well. The person it found first was the last one in the game.
It seemed like it had made the little vampire upset.
But, this little vampire was the one it had carried out personally! How could he be the last one? Could it be that before it found anyone else, it had just missed Yu Deng entirely? Was it blind?!
The three-headed dog was furious and extremely dissatisfied with the result shown by the crystal ball.
It absolutely adored this sweet, soft little vampire! Why was he the last one?
Wen Luo walked up to Yu Deng and looked up at him, saying, "Young master, my apologies for not helping you in time earlier. Of course, I believe the crystal ball is faulty. You shouldn't be the last one."
As soon as the black-haired butler finished speaking, the crystal ball seemed to agree, glowing once again. Yu Deng's name changed from last place to first.
—Only someone who could tame a three-headed dog like Yu Deng truly deserved the first place.
Yu Deng blinked and raised his tone slightly, "Wen Luo, look, I'm first now."
"Yes, you are the most impressive."
The three-headed dog: "…Woof?" Wasn't that supposed to be its line? Shouldn't the little vampire praise it and reward it with a ball instead?!
The three-headed dog ultimately got the short end of the stick because it couldn't talk.
Meanwhile, Anders was applying eye drops.
"Baby, its fur is so rough. It could turn into a venomous snake and bite you, so it's not safe," Anders patiently coaxed Yu Deng while trying to sell himself. "If you want a mount, you can choose me. My fur is much softer. It's very comfortable to ride."
The three-headed dog: "Woof???" He actually started putting it down in front of me!!