With the Egyptian Pharaoh taken down head-on, the enemies that had been pouring into the passenger plane were finally repelled.
However, although the enemies had been pushed back, the plane itself had suffered severe damage and was on the verge of breaking down.
Under Kasamoto Eiri's desperate control, the smoking aircraft struggled its way to the Technological City and crash-landed straight into the ground.
Amidst the explosion, several figures safely disembarked.
The newly ascended Vampire Marquis Qin Ming and his three loyal sidekicks had finally arrived at the second Dark Gate.
And what awaited them here was a horde of monsters.
Looking at the pitch-black sea of terrifying creatures blocking the entrance, Qin Ming couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Raising a hand to stop Zhao Honghua, who was about to charge forward, Qin Ming very calmly pulled out his satellite phone—or more precisely, his satellite phone with a dinner fork duct-taped to the back—and casually pressed a button.
A lot of enemies? That was the last thing Qin Ming was afraid of!
No matter how many they had, could they possibly outnumber his people?
Out here in the wild, everyone's in the same game! Who doesn't have a few underlings?!
Make the call. Summon the crew.
As the phone connected—the Hound Unit made their flashy entrance!
And they weren't alone. A massive wave of Pitchfork Knights arrived as well!
The King of Pitchforks, Three-Star Major General of the Federation, His Excellency Qin Ming had officially called in long-range support!
The clouds above tore open as countless fighter jets roared down from the skies, firing into the crowd below while simultaneously dropping paratroopers from above.
This air-drop style of deployment was the Hound Unit's signature support tactic.
Compared to the scientific precision of the Hound Unit, the Pitchfork Knights' entrance was... well, not scientific at all—downright fantastical.
A massive portal opened behind them, and countless soldiers charged through wielding pitchforks, literally running into battle.
Summoned for the first time, the Pitchfork Knights were clearly hyped up—especially after seeing the enemy was a horde of monsters. That just got them even more excited.
Yelling things like Holy War! Freedom! Justice!—before Qin Ming could even issue a command, they were already charging headfirst into the fray.
Meanwhile, the Hound Unit attacking from above was just as fired up. Not because they thought this was some holy war, of course—they were just here for the paycheck.
And hey, if there's money to be made, who cares what the war's about?
Thus, the age-old team-up between ancient troops and modern armies played out once again.
Only this time, it was even more ridiculous—because they weren't fighting humans, but a literal monster army.
Ancient fanatics + modern infantry teaming up against a horde of evil monsters?
That sounded exactly like the kind of low-budget scene you'd see in a Z-list fantasy movie!
Watching the chaotic battle erupt ahead, with some fighters spraying machine-gun fire and others charging in medieval armor, Zhao Honghua—who was standing right next to Qin Ming—stared wide-eyed in stunned disbelief.
"…Who are they?"
"My troops," Qin Ming replied.
"Your troops?"
"That's right! I originally wanted to live as a normal person among you, but all it got me was cold distance. So I won't hide it anymore. Time to lay my cards on the table—I'm actually a king! A sacred emperor!"
"A sacred… vampire emperor?"
"Exactly! A Three-Star Major General! The Holy Fork King! Hyena Sergeant! And a Vampire Marquis! I wear many crowns! The Vampire Marquis title? That's the least of my identities!"
With a dramatic sweep of his hands through his hair, Qin Ming puffed out his chest, lifted his chin, and adopted a haughty expression.
He didn't bother explaining further to the thoroughly baffled Zhao Honghua. Instead, he strode boldly toward the palace ahead.
"Hmph! The so-called Dark Gate—did it ask my permission before opening? I haven't granted it yet! Who told it to open without order?! Clearly, it doesn't respect me, the Holy Vampire King! This thing's just asking for death! Let's go—time to destroy it!"
With Qin Ming in the lead, the group pushed open the doors and walked straight into the grand hall.
Only Zhao Honghua was left standing dumbfounded at the entrance, still wearing a thoroughly confused expression.
"Vampire? Holy King? What even is all this? None of those identities even go together!"
To be fair, Qin Ming's identity was indeed a mess—disjointed and contradictory—but none of that mattered. It certainly didn't bother Qin Ming himself.
By now, he had already entered the hall and came to a sudden stop.
Hovering in the air ahead of him was a figure—a figure with an overwhelmingly imposing presence.
Draped in a tattered black cloak, hood pulled low to shadow his skull-like face, the figure looked exactly like the legendary Western Grim Reaper.
Or rather… perhaps this was the so-called Grim Reaper of the West.
[Name: Reaper][Strength: 25][Constitution: 25][Agility: 25][Spirit: 25][Skill: Power of the Reaper (S-Rank)][Description: Guardian of the Dark Gate, the final lock that prevents powerful monsters from escaping.]
Floating mid-air with a massive black scythe in his hands, the skeletal reaper lifted his head sharply upon noticing the intruders.
Flames blazed in his eye sockets as he stared down at Qin Ming and the others. After a brief moment of silence, a hoarse voice echoed from his mouth.
"Leave this place… mortals!"
Looking at the incredibly cool design—but honestly not very impressive stats—of the supposed big boss, Qin Ming furrowed his brows.
If he remembered correctly, this skeletal reaper was the second-to-last boss in the Midnight Slaughter Game, known for his terrifying strength.
But judging from this description, he didn't seem like he was with the Dark Gate. If anything, he sounded more like an ally guarding against the monsters inside.
Just as Qin Ming was about to speak, taking a step forward, the skeletal reaper suddenly moved.
He raised his giant scythe and pointed it directly at Qin Ming, the fire in his eyes instantly flaring up.
"You! Creature of darkness! You are not allowed to leave! Get back into the Dark Gate!"
"…Huh?!"
Qin Ming was completely thrown off by this sudden shift in attitude. Stunned, he instinctively pointed to himself in disbelief.
"You talking to me? No, no! I'm not from the Dark Gate! I'm local!"
"I don't care where you came from. You are a creature of darkness—and all dark beings… must not exist in this world."
Raising his scythe high, the skeletal reaper's voice dropped several octaves, laced with menace.
"Go back yourself… or I'll send you back!"
Hearing that, and seeing how the reaper was brimming with murderous intent, Qin Ming's face immediately fell.
Turning to glance at Kasamoto Eiri, Angel, and the recently arrived Zhao Honghua, he let out a helpless sigh.
"Well, we're screwed. This guy's a full-blown racist. Looks like negotiation's off the table."
With a sharp flick of his hand, his blood boiled into crimson tendrils and coiled together into a long sword. Turning back toward the skeletal reaper, Qin Ming's tone had grown cold and serious.
"Bone bag! You're seriously overstepping your boundaries! We Easterners are under the jurisdiction of the Yama Palace! What's a Western Grim Reaper like you doing enforcing laws across borders?! Did you even apply for a law enforcement permit?!"
(End of Chapter)