At any given moment, a six-ring mage is an extraordinarily formidable entity; even the most powerful warriors are unable to withstand a single blow from them, a situation not at all uncommon. Despite being bound, the vampire had not entirely forfeited its capacity for resistance. The approach of Bor enabled it to break free from the dispelling effects, raising its hand to cast a Dispel Magic, eliminating Bor.
"Bor!"
Tadric let out a heart-wrenching cry, fully aware that he could not restrain the frenzied Bor. Yet, witnessing him so thoughtlessly forfeit his own life filled Tadric with profound guilt. However, he had no time to dwell on his anxiety, as the vampire had just employed magic to extricate itself from the sinister tendrils and then clapped its hands at the crowd.
The thunderous roar reverberated throughout the cavern; the fifth-ring spell, Thunderclap, not only inflicted damage but could also render the target deaf, disrupting the casting of spells. In the previous skirmish, several individuals had already sustained significant injuries due to flames, and under the deafening thunder, further casualties emerged.
The others scrambled to escape, attempting to evade the spells' range. However, the vampire unleashed a barrage of Stinking Cloud and Corrosive Mire upon the panicked throng. While the area-of-effect spells were not of the highest caliber, they were sufficient to shatter the cohesion of the battlefield. Those who had aimed to strike at him found themselves unable to coordinate effectively—they could not even locate their comrades in the chaos.
Amidst the turmoil, a radiant light flared. Aelrich cast Celestial Radiance upon his shield, impeding the vampire's healing. He cared naught whether this act affected the cleric Drow; his intent was solely to target the vampire.
Moreover, his actions were meant to divert the vampire's attention. He preferred the vampire to concentrate its full might against him rather than wreak havoc upon the innocent and the weak. Cleric Loshanda was never lacking in courage, and the vampire, clearly affected by the blinding light, hurled a spell at Aelrich, aiming to eliminate this cleric first.
Yet the spell failed to manifest: at that moment, Tadric stepped forth, completing his incantation. He unleashed the fourth-ring spell, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, opting to suppress the transmutation spells now that the celestial brilliance had faded.
The failed casting left the vampire momentarily vexed. Turning, it saw Tadric preparing another spell. The vampire, now thoroughly annoyed with this irritating foe, waved its hand and released a spell.
Tadric braced for impact, but no magical effects materialized before him. Just then, he felt a sudden chill in his calf. An axe severed his leg, and as he fell, he glimpsed a dwarven warrior brandishing the axe, aiming for his head.
A first-ring spell, Charm Person—the vampire had used its ally to eliminate the one seeking vengeance for his comrade.
Aelrich emitted a furious roar, yet this only served to draw the vampire's attention anew. The vampire gestured, and a swarm of bats descended from above, charging at Aelrich. He brandished his weapon to scatter the creatures; however, in a moment of distraction, one bat bit him, leaving a darkened wound that caused him to stagger, nearly losing his footing.
This was no ordinary bat bite: the vampire had concealed its familiar among the summoned creatures, dispatching them forth. Its familiar delivered a spell; the fifth-ring spell, Night's Embrace, while failing to slay Aelrich outright, inflicted damage and additionally imposed constitution harm, rendering Aelrich considerably less capable of continuing the battle.
As a powerful mage, the vampire was formidable even without employing transmutation spells.
At that moment, the Drow cleric Yurisse suddenly leaped from the shadows, wielding a serpent-headed whip aimed at the vampire. Aelrich had drawn the vampire's focus, creating an opportune moment for her; she opted for close combat instead of relying on ranged spells.
The vampire turned to cast a spell at Yurisse. A wave of excruciating pain enveloped her, halting her steps. Following that, the agony of her bones being wrenched caused her to drop the whip, collapsing to the ground in uncontrolled convulsions.
The vampire cast a scornful glance at the whip lying on the ground.
"Dispel Weapon?"
The fifth-ring cleric spell, Dispel Weapon, could imbue melee weapons with the power to destroy undead. Yurisse aimed to slay the vampire in close quarters. Yet the vampire, fully aware of her considerable strength, denied her this opportunity.
The fifth-ring spell, Rend Flesh, is most formidable not for the damage it inflicts but for its ability to ensnare the target in inevitable paralysis. The vampire employed it to thwart the cleric's advance while simultaneously inflicting severe wounds upon her.
Of the three clerics, the vampire had dispatched two and casually slain a mage. It lifted its gaze, seeking the last cleric, Finn. Finn appeared to have lost patience, brandishing a meteor hammer amidst the crowd and charging toward the vampire.
The vampire casually conjured a frozen lance: a third-ring spell of the conjuration school that could inflict damage and also intimidate foes, proving to be quite effective.
However, Finn absorbed the blow yet seemed unaffected by the intimidation, propelling himself forward with remarkable speed. The vampire found this curious; it intended to teleport away from the impending assault, but another voice echoed in its ears.
"Stop moving!"
The vampire's hand stiffened, unable to cast a spell. It beheld a misty aura shrouding Lynn's head, resembling a crown formed of gathered souls.
Crown of the Grave, a rather inconsequential spell, could issue a command to undead creatures once per minute or enhance dispelling abilities when one touched the spell. Generally, clerics employed it more frequently, though mages might use it as well.
Lynn had utilized this spell to prevent the vampire's escape at a critical moment. In the brief pause that followed, the figure before it lunged, knocking it to the ground.
In that instant, it finally discerned the truth: this was not Finn at all.
"Disguise Undead?"
The second-ring spell, Disguise Undead, allowed undead creatures to masquerade as living beings. The one that had toppled the vampire was not Finn but the corpse of the deceased Gonda. Once again, the vampire had been deceived; it struggled to rise, but Monk Howard had already been teleported before it by Lynn's spell, emboldening the monk greatly against an ensnared foe.
He leapt forward, joining forces with his teammate's undead to subdue the vampire. Amidst the throng, the real Finn also charged forth—he picked up the serpent-headed whip from the ground and swung it at the vampire.