When one becomes increasingly perplexed by a matter, they naturally attribute it to the unknown.
For Fars, happiness arrived unexpectedly. He had formed a mysterious magical array in his sea of consciousness. Although his mental power hadn't significantly increased, its quality had become much more refined. It was akin to the fireball spell cast by a high-level mage colliding with that of a low-level mage; despite being the same spell, the high-level mage's fireball was far more powerful, easily overpowering the low-level mage's and continuing on to strike its target. This was due to the high-level mage's purer magical energy, with fewer impurities and greater control, allowing for a more perfect execution of spells.
Now, Fars had not yet reached high-level strength, yet he had unexpectedly constructed a magical array typically reserved for advanced practitioners. This was a momentous occasion for him, indicating that he only needed to gradually accumulate power to smoothly become a high-level mage. After all, the most challenging aspect of becoming a high-level mage was establishing a stable array in the sea of consciousness, and now that the array was formed, his future path would be worry-free.
However, the specific effects of this array remained unknown. Fars was not concerned; this was a tremendous blessing, and he attributed this fortune to his superior bloodline.
In any case, he had slept soundly, not only significantly enhancing his magical power and spirit but also forging the array ahead of time. His journey as a mage would be much easier. Yet, he was uncertain whether his vampire rank would increase alongside his mage level. It was said that the growth cycle of vampires was exceedingly long, requiring extensive accumulation to break through. This was why high-level vampires were often ancient beings, hundreds or even thousands of years old.
Estimating that daytime was nearing its end, Fars concluded his meditation. The array in his sea of consciousness could operate along its predetermined path, allowing him to gradually refine his mental power even outside of meditation. Although the effect was not as pronounced as during meditation, it would still help replenish his magical energy over time, significantly enhancing his endurance in battle compared to an ordinary mid-level mage.
Upon opening his eyes, Fars was astonished to find himself cradling the egg. It seemed he had no such habit. He had held many women in the past, but he certainly hadn't been so desperate as to unconsciously cuddle an egg while sleeping. Fars felt a bit embarrassed. However, given the bountiful harvest of the night, he didn't feel particularly ashamed; in fact, he found the egg somewhat endearing. After all, being alone in this dilapidated ruin was lonely, and having the egg for company was quite nice. Perhaps he might accidentally hatch a phoenix? Of course, Fars didn't hold out much hope. Legendary ancient mages had studied for ages without success; what could a mere fledgling vampire expect? Besides, the egg had likely endured countless years and should have perished long ago.
In a cheerful mood, the vampire even gave the egg a gentle kiss, though his fangs somewhat spoiled the tender atmosphere. He then carefully placed the egg on his "big bed."
Taking advantage of his good fortune today, Fars decided to unleash his pent-up frustration on the long-awaited storage ring. The mage had been merely a mid-level practitioner, and Fars's mental power now surpassed his. Moreover, in terms of quality, he had already reached high-level standards. The ring that had once troubled Fars now resembled a defenseless girl facing a burly man, easily shattered by his efforts.
The result left Fars dumbfounded—not out of disappointment, but because he was dazzled by the array of items within. As he probed into the ring with his mental energy, he found himself in a spacious area, at least a dozen square meters. It was worth noting that even a single square meter of storage space could cost a fortune; as a noble scion, Fars had never dared to indulge in such extravagance. Spaces exceeding ten square meters were priceless, primarily due to the complex craftsmanship and expensive materials involved. Most alchemists today wouldn't bother creating such luxurious items. Nevertheless, many high-ranking individuals and extremely privileged people utilized these storage spaces, as numerous had been unearthed during explorations of ancient ruins—bracelets, rings, necklaces, and the like. The craftsmanship of the previous era was unmatched in this age, and there were even storage artifacts with infinite space, which could be considered the pinnacle of ancient creations, worthy of being called divine artifacts. Fars knew of several such storage artifacts. One particularly famous example belonged to Charles XIV of the Roland Empire, and another precious item was held by the esteemed Pope of the Church of Light (which was clearly a relic of an ancient mage, yet they insisted it was a blessing from the God of Light). It was said that some legendary figures also possessed such items, but one should not treat storage rings as common goods. Creating a space within a small item, even if just a square meter, required a mage of at least spatial specialization and the use of many precious materials to stabilize that space. Otherwise, the space could easily collapse, leaving the items inside to be lost in an endless void.
Even if this ring contained nothing, Fars would still be satisfied. Of course, if there were items inside, he would welcome them with open arms. Greed was a common trait among nobles, and it would be even better if there were a few divine artifacts within.
Indeed, while no extraordinary divine artifacts appeared, the contents still pleased Fars. To his surprise, the ring contained all the spoils from this expedition, leaving him astonished and puzzled. Clearly, this mage, who deserved to be damned, had caused the deaths of his companions in an attempt to hoard everything for himself. Yet, it was evident that he had died near the pedestal where the egg was placed. If there had been a final survivor, why hadn't he removed the ring? Moreover, the most valuable phoenix egg had also been left behind, which was quite strange. Could it be that there was something even more deadly in these ruins that had emerged after they triggered the traps, eliminating the last survivors? With this thought, Fars suddenly felt that the forest outside seemed much safer. The unknown was always frightening, and this place was truly terrifying. Now, Fars was undeniably a vampire.
Setting aside this absurd notion for the moment—scaring oneself was the most terrifying thing—Fars didn't want to lose sleep over it. He was now a vampire, a true noble of the dark, a being of aristocracy among dark creatures. No evil being should dare to crawl beneath the feet of Count Fars. (Our Fars had successfully transformed from a human into a vampire.)
Aside from the items he had acquired, the rest were mostly mundane belongings: tents, books, some spellcasting materials, a heavy bag of gold coins, a few scattered gems, spoiled food, and some red wine. Clearly, this mage was not wealthy, but Fars could still make use of these items, which satisfied him. If the ring had been filled with gold coins, vampires did not have the habit of sleeping on a bed of gold.
He discarded the spoiled food to feed the magical beasts and took out the tent. After some fussing, he managed to retrieve a thick blanket and a fluffy pillow. After arranging these on his makeshift bed, the laboratory table began to resemble a proper bed.
Since the sun had not yet fully set, he continued to sort through his harvest.
Among the items collected from this expedition, many had lost their value due to the ravages of time and were generally treated as antiques (many nobles took pride in displaying ancient artifacts in their parlors). Even a non-functional magical item could be sold to alchemists interested in the runes and arrays inscribed upon them. The two most valuable scrolls had fallen into the hands of the expedition's organizer, who, unexpectedly, had also perished here. It seemed that this shrewd yet greedy captain had met his end in this place. Now, these scrolls were in Fars's possession, a twist of fate indeed. The two scrolls sealed two high-level spells: the Blade of the Lost and Meteor Swarm. Both were highly practical spells that could serve as lifesavers for Fars in times of danger. The only other usable item was a necklace imbued with a Holy Blessing, which Fars wisely pocketed before tossing it into a corner of the ring.
A vampire wearing a necklace with a Holy Blessing? That was akin to carrying a death warrant.
However, among these items, Fars recalled that there was also a dagger set with a large ruby that was mysteriously absent. Could it be that the powerful seventh-level thief was the last survivor?
Ah, if it weren't for the egg that Fars had just kissed, he might have left with a few antiques worth thousands of gold coins, continuing his wandering adventures. Just thinking about it made him sigh. Had he not awakened after drinking that bottle of blood, he might have turned into a wisp of a soul, returning to rest in peace.
In any case, all the final spoils had come into his possession, and he had survived in another form, so he wouldn't dwell on the dead. At least they had been comrades, relying on each other as they ventured here together. He would wait until nightfall to find a place to bury their remains, so he wouldn't have to look at them any longer.