The following day, early in the morning, when the sun already comes up in the sky. Graven and Calder teleported back to the dilapidated castle to get a sample of the black liquid.

They hovered in the air outside the castle. ​​

They can hear the sounds of birds chirping in the branches of the trees, as well the sound of streams gushing against the rocks.

"My Lord, what if we just blast this whole area? That would solve our problem with the cursed King," Calder suggested.

"I'm tempted to do just that but what if what he told us is true? That we will be poisoned by the black liquid and he is the only one who got the antidote? If the cursed King dies, we will perish along with him. Let's just wait next month, if nothing happens then the King was just bluffing, we can proceed to burn this whole place down without hesitation," Graven replied.

"Okay, you got a point, My Lord!" Calder said.

"Let's lower ourselves into the ground and find the black liquid," Graven said and lowered himself into the ground.

Calder picked up a stick from the ground loitering nearby.

The men walked towards the entrance of the castle and went inside.

They went to the area where they saw some of the black liquid, they can't find anything on the ground. Yesterday there is an abundance of them scattered everywhere, but right now, they had a hard time finding the black liquid anywhere.

Graven's brows furrowed. "Where is the black liquid? Yesterday we saw them scattered everywhere," he asked.

"Hmm... I guess the cursed King is still sleeping during this time?" Calder spoke.

Graven took a deep breath. "Maybe. Let's check the rooms!" he said.

The men went to the rooms.

Calder went back to the room where he saw the black liquid oozing from the toilet bowl. When he checked the bathroom there is a pool of black liquid on the floor but none on the toilet bowl!

He squatted and took the bottle from the pocket of his black hooded cape, he holds it firmly with his hands and used the stick he picked outside to push the liquid inside the bottle.

A few minutes later, Calder managed to fill the 500ml bottle with the black liquid, he sealed it with the cap. He exited the room and went outside to find his master. He found him in the next room. "My Lord, I found a pool of black liquid in the room before this and filled the bottle with it," he said.

"Good!" Graven replied. "Go and fill this bottle with another sample and after that, we will leave this place before the cursed King becomes aware of our presence here," he ordered.

"Yes, My Lord!" Calder took the bottle and went back to the room and filled it with the black liquid. After he is done with the task, he returned to where he had last seen his master.

Graven was roaming his eyes around the area, studying its crumbling structure. 'It would be easy to destroy this place," he thought to himself.

"My Lord, I'm done taking samples!" Calder said.

Graven looked at him. "Give me the bottles," he said.

Calder handed the two bottle sample containing the black liquid to his master.

"Let's leave the place and go home!" Graven said.

"Yes, My Lord!" Calder responded.

The men walked towards the main door and exited the castle. They hovered in the air facing each other.

"Go back to South Pond Town and wait for me there. I'll bring these bottle samples to the healer so that he can investigate the composition of this black liquid," Graven stated.

"Yes, My Lord!" Calder responded.

A few minutes later, the two men disappeared from the area.

Graven reappeared hovering in the forest where the healer Terros lives. He lowered himself on the ground. He glanced at the bamboo hut and saw the old man on the balcony, sitting on the chair, facing the table. He walked towards the wooden stairs. "Old man, I'm back with the samples!" he said.

Terros looked at the visitor climbing the stairs in big steps. "Good! Let me see it!" he said excitedly.

Graven reached the side of the table and lowered himself on the chair.

Terros set aside the basket filled with dried herbs and roots for medicine making.

Graven placed the two bottles of black liquid on the table in front of the old man.

Terros frowned. "Where is the black liquid? I thought you brought two bottles of the black liquid sample? Where is it?" he asked.

Graven stared at the two bottles filled with the black liquid before they left the castle but now it's empty. "Huh? Where the black liquid has gone to?" he asked in confusion.

"Are you sure these bottles are filled with black liquid?" Terros asked him.

"Yes! I'm sure of it 100%! Why would I bring you empty bottles? I'm not playing games here!" he insisted.

"Alright, maybe the black liquid disappears or disintegrates after it is taken outside the castle's premises," Terros explained.

"I guess that is the right explanation to it. The cursed King told us the truth. The black liquid is his life source and if he will leave the castle's premises he will die because the black liquid won't survive outside, therefore he can never leave the castle unless the curse put upon him will be destroyed and my wife's blood was his only means to break free from the curse," Graven said.

"Whoever put the curse on him wants him to suffer for a long time. One thousand years below the ground is far too long, but then I guess it's only fitting for such a ruthless King," Terros expressed his views.

"So... how are you gonna study the components of the black liquid? How are you gonna make an antidote or cure if you can't study the black liquid itself considering that we can't gather a physical sample?" Graven asked.

Terros stroke his long beard and pondered for a moment then he spoke. "Hmm... this is mind-boggling... let me think for a moment," he responded.

Graven let the old man think of a solution.

"Ah! I have a better idea!" Terros explained.

"What is it?" asked Graven.

"Take me with you to the ruined castle, I wanna see the black liquid with my own two eyes!" Terros suggested.

"Sure!" Graven replied.

"Wait, let me get something from the house first," Terros said and rose to his feet, he moved forward, going in the direction of the door of the bamboo house.

Graven watched the old man entered the door and disappeared inside.

A few minutes later, Terros exited the door holding a bottle made of crystals. He looked at Graven. "I will try to put some black liquid inside this bottle," he said. "This is a special bottle that can hold some weird stuff for a few hours, maybe it can allow me to study the black liquid even for a few minutes before it will disappear into thin air," he explained.

"Okay, shall we go now to the castle?" Graven asked.

"Let's go! You have to guide me because I don't know the location of the castle," Terros said.

"No problem, we have to go by teleportation, it's a much easier and quicker way of going there," Graven replied.

"Alright, take me there now!" Terros ordered excitedly, wanting to see the black liquid with his own eyes.

Graven holds the old man's right arm and initiated the teleportation process in his mind. They vanished from the balcony in the blink of an eye.

A few minutes later, they appeared above the castle, hovering in the air.

Graven lowered themselves on the ground.

Terros roamed his eyes around the area. The dilapidated castle was an imposing sight to behold, dark and mysterious. "It's hard to believe that such a powerful vampire king was living below the ground in this ruined castle and was imprisoned for one thousand years!" he gushes.

"Indeed!" Graven replied. "Follow me..." he told the old man.

He walked towards the entrance of the castle, Terros was following behind him, they disappeared inside the dilapidated structure.

Inside the castle.

Graven brought the healer inside the room where Calder saw the pool of black liquid. They went to the toilet, there is no black liquid in the toilet bowl but there is a pool of black liquid on the floor. He pointed his fingers on the floor. "That's the black liquid that I'm talking about!" he said.

Terros smiled. "Finally! I got to see it with my two eyes!" he roared. He squatted on the floor and opened the lid of the crystal bottle and position the mouth of the bottle facing the black liquid. The crystal bottle automatically sucked the black liquid inside. When it's already filled to the brim, Terros closed the lid right away. He looked at his companion. "We're done!" he said, smiling.

"Alright, let's go back to your home!" Graven replied.

The men walked in the direction of the door and exited the castle. They hovered in the air and looked one more time at the crumbling castle before they teleported back to the forest.

The men disappeared from the area.

They appeared in the forest, outside the bamboo house.

Terros raised the crystal bottle in the air and stared at the black liquid. "Interesting..." he murmured.

"So... what's next?" Graven asked.

Terros looked at his companion. "Son... come back another day. I still have to study what the liquid is made of so that we will understand it better, that's the only way I can make an antidote or cure to counter its harmful effects on your body," he explained.

"Okay, I'll take my leave now, I'll be back some other day," Graven said.

"Go now!" Terros shooed him away.

Graven vanished from the old man's vision instantly.

Terros climbed the wooden stairs going back to the house, eager to start analyzing the black liquid.