[Obscure – Covers the user in Arcane Mana, rendering them transparent. Cost: 1,000 Arcane Mana per minute.]
[Obscure activated]
Floating silently in the air, Alex observed the scene.
Many people were moving the dead bodies while mages controlled the flow of blood, shaping it into symbols.
The entire setup resembled a cult. Zero's gaze settled on the strongest person present, an
He didn't reveal himself, realizing this person wasn't the Commander from the Fourth Monarch's army. Intrigued, Zero decided to watch the events unfold.
"Lord Quin, the preparations are ready," a man said to a pale, skinny figure with red eyes and hair—clearly a vampire. Quin, holding a book, glanced at the scene and shouted, "Then we shall begin!"
The vampires moved aside and stood at attention as Quin started chanting.
The others joined in unison, focusing on a necklace at the center of the ritual.
Zero finally understood the purpose of the bloodshed and what they were attempting.
"These idiots," Zero muttered to himself. "That's the necklace Lisa was looking for, but they're about to destroy it."
Zero stood at the edge of the chamber, his body hidden in the shadows as he observed the vampires gathered around the ritual circle.
The air was thick with the scent of old blood and burning incense, a pungent combination that made it difficult to breathe.
He knew the vampires were attempting something dangerous, but their ignorance blinded them to the full consequences of their actions.
Their focus was solely on awakening the dormant core within the necklace, likely believing they could extract its power and use it to elevate their bloodline.
It was an ambitious goal, one that might have even been possible—if not for the crucial mistake in their understanding.
They had assumed the Progenitor's Core was merely a reservoir of power, something they could tap into.
But in reality, it was a seal.
A prison.
The core itself was an extension of the Progenitor, an ancient entity whose very existence had reshaped the world long ago.
She was not just a source of power—She was an Origin, a force of nature. And more importantly, She was asleep.
Zero clenched his fists, watching the lead vampire, Quin, chant in a low, guttural voice.
The spell they had chosen was meant to forcefully awaken the Progenitor's Core by flooding it with raw, unstable mana.
It was reckless. Crude.
The kind of magic that relied on brute force rather than precision.
And worst of all—it would destabilize the necklace entirely.
The sigils on the ground pulsed violently, reacting to the surge of energy pouring into them.
The necklace trembled atop its pedestal, its silver casing beginning to crack.
Zero's crimson eyes narrowed.
If the soul bound within the necklace—the last remnant of the Progenitor's will—did not act soon, the entire seal would shatter.
The vampires remained oblivious, their expressions twisted with satisfaction as the ritual neared completion.
Quin grinned, lifting a worn leather book and muttering another incantation.
Then, the necklace pulsed.
It wasn't the soft, controlled hum of awakening magic—it was violent, hungry.
The runes on its surface burned bright red, absorbing the mana like a star consuming fuel.
Zero's breath hitched. Too late.
The lead vampire's grin widened. "It's working! The power is—"
His voice cut off abruptly. A wet, gurgling sound replaced it.
The first vampire froze, his body going rigid. His pupils shrank as his mouth opened in silent horror.
Then, blood—thick, blackened, corrupted—began leaking from his eyes, his ears, his nose.
Veins bulged beneath his pale skin, turning dark as something unseen coursed through them.
And then, all at once, his body collapsed inward, as if something had sucked the life from him.
The blood didn't even touch the ground—it was devoured by the necklace.
A stunned silence filled the chamber.
Then it happened again.
Another vampire convulsed, his screams echoing as his flesh withered in an instant, blood tearing itself free from his body.
His form collapsed into a dry husk before disintegrating entirely.
Panic broke out.
The remaining vampires recoiled, staggering away from the ritual circle, but it was too late.
The spell they had crafted, meant to control the power, had backfired in the most horrifying way.
The Progenitor's Core had been tampered with—provoked—and now it was feeding.
More vampires fell, their bodies reduced to nothing as the necklace drank deeply, devouring the very essence of their existence.
Quin stumbled back, his grip on the book tightening as he frantically flipped through the pages.
His voice trembled. "What's happening? It shouldn't work like this!"
Zero exhaled slowly, stepping further into the chamber.
His gaze flickered to the necklace, now pulsating with a deep, malevolent glow.
They never stood a chance.
Alex chuckled. "Your spell wouldn't have worked like this if the core didn't contain a soul."
Even the A+ rank vampire couldn't resist as his blood was drained.
The necklace not only devoured blood but also the souls of the vampires, using them to sustain itself.
However, Alex knew it wouldn't be enough.
[Extort force HAS been blocked,] Agnes reported.
Alex deactivated Obscure as he observed the necklace glowing brighter, seemingly on the verge of explosion.
The spell was affecting the soul within, and despite absorbing blood and souls, it couldn't heal its wounds.
Alex began hearing faint cries. "Help me…"
He ignored the voice, uninterested in intervening.
"Please help…" the voice grew louder.
Alex prepared to devour the soul within the necklace.
Before he could react, the necklace shot toward him, attaching itself to his chest.
Boom!