Chapter 149: A Prisoner’s Advantage

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: A Prisoner’s Advantage

Ronan had to admit that things weren’t going according to plan.

He had entered Bloodfall City intending to investigate its ruler, gather information about Selvara, and perhaps acquire a few useful traits along the way.

Instead, he had been captured and dragged into Varkos’s castle.

Wonderful.

If things continued this way, he might end up becoming the first Ghoul Lord in history to get himself imprisoned while trying to hunt someone else.

Ronan glanced at the vampires escorting him through the castle corridors.

They were all powerful, with the weakest possessing an aura close to the King Realm. Their expressions remained cold as they led him past enormous doors and guarded passages.

He had already tested his restraints several times.

The Blood Prison Formation was troublesome. The chains suppressed his movements and interfered with his ability to gather strength. Although his physical strength was extraordinary, he couldn’t break free through brute force alone.

He could probably cause some damage if he pushed himself hard enough, but doing so inside Varkos’s castle would be a terrible idea.

The Vampire Lord was a Peak King Realm expert.

And Ronan wasn’t interested in discovering exactly how much stronger that made him.

For now, he had to endure the situation and look for another way out.

Eventually, the guards brought him to a large underground chamber.

The room was constructed from dark stone, with crimson crystals embedded in the walls. Several formations covered the floor, and thick chains hung from the ceiling.

There was only one entrance, guarded by two heavily armed vampires.

Ronan examined the room.

’A dungeon?’

One of the guards shoved him forward.

"Inside."

Ronan stepped into the chamber.

The chains binding his body immediately extended toward the walls, locking him in place. A moment later, the energy within them pulsed, and he felt his strength being suppressed again.

The guard checked the restraints before nodding.

"He’s secured."

The two vampires left the chamber, and the heavy door closed behind them.

Silence descended.

Ronan remained still for several seconds before sighing.

"So this is my life now."

He tried pulling against the chains once more as they tightened immediately.

He stopped, a frown on his face

There was no point wasting his strength on something he already knew he couldn’t break.

Instead, he activated Predator’s Perception and examined his surroundings.

The chamber contained several old marks and scratches, suggesting that it had been used for a long time. Some were probably left by previous prisoners, while others seemed to be remnants of the formations embedded in the walls.

Ronan’s gaze eventually settled on a small pile of discarded objects near the corner.

Broken weapons, damaged chains, fragments of stone, and other useless items had been thrown together.

He almost ignored them.

Then something caught his eye.

A piece of dark material lay beneath a broken metal plate.

Ronan narrowed his eyes.

It looked like a fragment of a map.

He couldn’t reach it because of his restraints, but he could examine it from a distance using Predator’s Perception.

The fragment was damaged, its edges burned and torn. Several lines had been drawn across its surface, connecting different sections of what appeared to be an underground structure.

There were also a few symbols and labels.

Ronan stared at it.

’What’s this doing in a dungeon?’

It could have belonged to a previous prisoner, or perhaps a guard had discarded it after it became useless.

Whatever the explanation may be , the fragment seem interesting.

One section depicted several intersecting tunnels beneath what appeared to be a large city. Another showed a series of chambers connected by narrow passages.

Ronan couldn’t read every label from where he stood.

However, one symbol caught his attention.

It resembled the outline of a castle, with several lines extending beneath it.

’Underground tunnels?’

His expression became thoughtful.

He remembered what the vampire he had interrogated earlier had told him.

Bloodfall City possessed underground passages connecting different parts of the settlement.

At the time, Ronan had treated the information as a minor detail.

Now, it seemed considerably more important.

If the map fragment showed part of the city’s underground network, it might reveal a way to move through Bloodfall City without passing through the gates or triggering the defensive formations.

Of course, there was no guarantee that the tunnels still existed or that the fragment was even accurate.

Still, it was worth investigating.

Unfortunately, Ronan had a small problem.

He was chained to a wall in Varkos’s dungeon.

And unless he suddenly developed the ability to teleport, reaching the map fragment wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Ronan sighed.

"Well, at least I have something to think about."

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

Then he remembered something.

His expression changed.

Mind Control.

Ronan opened his eyes.

He had three controlled slots available.

Although he couldn’t leave the dungeon himself, that didn’t mean he couldn’t send someone else to do the work for him.

A slow smile spread across his face.

’Now, this is interesting.’

---

The opportunity came several hours later.

A guard entered the chamber carrying a tray with cups filled to the brim with blood.

He was a young-looking vampire with short black hair and a sword hanging from his waist. His aura was weaker than that of the guards who had escorted Ronan earlier, but he was still a King Realm vampire.

The guard placed the tray on a small table.

"Drink if you want. You’ll need your strength for whatever Lord Varkos has planned."

Ronan glanced at the blood.

"How considerate.".., Ronan muttered.

The vampire ignored his sarcasm and approached the restraints to inspect them.

That was when Ronan made his move.

His eyes flashed faintly.

Mind Control activated.

The vampire’s movements stopped for an instant.

A subtle change passed through his expression before he resumed moving as though nothing had happened.

Ronan examined the result.

The connection had been established.

The vampire was now under his control.

’One.’

Ronan kept his expression neutral.

He didn’t want the guard to behave strangely and attract the attention of the other vampires.

Instead, he allowed the man to finish checking the chains before speaking casually.

"How long am I supposed to stay here?"

"Until Lord Varkos decides what to do with you."

"That could take a while."

The guard said nothing.

Ronan smiled faintly.

"Tell me, what’s happening in the city? Everyone seemed rather excited when I arrived."

The vampire hesitated briefly before answering.

"There’s been tension between Lord Varkos and several forces in the western territories. The city has increased its security because of the situation."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

So the rumors weren’t entirely baseless.

He asked a few more questions, but the guard knew little about the details. He was a relatively low-ranking member of the city’s forces and had no access to the ruler’s private affairs.

Still, he could provide useful information about the dungeon, the guards, and the castle’s daily routines.

Ronan eventually gave him his first order.

"Continue your duties as usual. Gather information about the city, especially the western territories. I want to know who’s involved in the conflict, what they’re fighting over, and whether Selvara’s name has appeared in any reports."

The vampire nodded.

"I understand."

"Don’t do anything suspicious. If someone asks questions, behave normally."

"Yes."

Ronan watched him leave.

The door closed behind the vampire.

’One person gathering information about the city.’

He looked toward the dungeon entrance.

’Two more slots.’

---

The second opportunity came later that evening.

A different guard entered the chamber to replace the first one.

This vampire was older, with a scar running down the side of his face. He carried a ring of keys and seemed considerably more experienced than the previous guard.

Ronan repeated the process.

Mind Control activated, and the vampire’s consciousness fell under his influence.

’Two.’

This time, Ronan’s instructions were different.

He wanted the vampire to investigate the castle itself.

The guard had served in Bloodfall City for years and knew far more about its internal structure than the first vampire.

Under Ronan’s control, he began revealing information about the castle’s layout, the locations of its important chambers, and the routes used by guards.

The information was incomplete, but it was enough to give Ronan a rough understanding of his surroundings.

More importantly, the vampire knew that the castle’s underground passages were connected to older structures beneath the city.

Some of those passages had been sealed, while others were still used by guards and servants.

Ronan’s attention sharpened.

"What about the old tunnels beneath the western wing?"

The vampire frowned slightly.

"Some of them are no longer used. There were structural collapses many years ago, and several routes were sealed afterward."

"Can they still be accessed?"

"Possibly. The maintenance workers occasionally enter the older sections, but I don’t know which passages remain intact."

Ronan glanced toward the fragment of the map in the corner.

His suspicion was growing.

The map might depict those older tunnels.

If he could obtain a complete version, he might find a route out of the castle.

He gave the second vampire his instructions.

"Find out which underground passages remain accessible. Search for old maps, records, or anything that might show the tunnels beneath the castle. Don’t attempt to free me until I give you further instructions."

The vampire bowed.

"I understand."

Ronan watched him leave as well.

Two controlled vampires.

One gathering information about the city and its political situation, the other investigating the castle and its underground passages.

He had one slot remaining.

And he already knew where to use it.

---

The third vampire arrived the following morning.

Unlike the previous guards, this one wore travel gear and carried a long spear. He was preparing to leave the castle when Ronan caught his attention.

The vampire entered the chamber to inspect the restraints.

Ronan activated Mind Control.

The connection was established almost immediately.

’Three.’

Ronan examined the vampire’s memories and discovered that he was a member of a scouting unit regularly dispatched beyond Bloodfall City’s territory.

Perfect.

He had found exactly the person he needed.

Ronan gave him a simple order.

"Travel to the western territories. Gather information about the current situation. Find out which settlements have stopped sending supplies, why the conflict started, and whether any powerful vampires have recently arrived or disappeared."

He paused before adding another instruction.

"Pay particular attention to reports concerning a female Vampire Lord named Selvara."

The vampire’s expression remained unchanged.

"I will investigate."

"Good. Don’t take unnecessary risks. If you discover anything suspicious, prioritize returning with the information."

The vampire bowed before leaving the chamber.

Ronan leaned back against the wall.

Three controlled vampires.

Three separate tasks.

One was investigating Bloodfall City’s politics and searching for information about Selvara.

Another was exploring the castle and locating the underground tunnels.

The last was heading toward the western territories to investigate the conflict directly.

Ronan couldn’t help smiling.

He was imprisoned, yet he had effectively gained three agents operating inside and outside Bloodfall City.

And nobody suspected a thing.

---

Later that day, Ronan turned his attention back to the broken map fragment.

He couldn’t examine it closely, but he could still make out several details.

The tunnels beneath the castle appeared to extend far beyond its foundations. Some connected to underground chambers, while others seemed to lead toward the outer districts.

One line even continued beyond the boundaries of the visible map.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

’Where does that one lead?’

He couldn’t be certain.

It might connect to another section of the city, an abandoned structure, or something else entirely.

But if the route extended beyond the castle, it could provide him with a way to escape without fighting his way through the gates.

For now, he would wait for his controlled vampire to investigate.

There was no reason to rush.

Varkos had captured him because he considered Ronan a threat, but the Vampire Lord hadn’t killed him.

That meant Ronan still had time.

Time to gather information.

Time to understand the city.

And time to find a weakness in the very place that had become his prison.