It was only when Finn charged forth, wielding the serpent-headed whip and striking the vampire with ferocious blows, that Lynn finally exhaled in relief. The assault that he and Finn had orchestrated was fraught with peril, and their success was undeniably tinged with serendipity.
Finn, brandishing an unfamiliar weapon—the five-ring spell-imbued serpent-headed whip—brought it crashing down upon the vampire's head. Bound to the ground by Gonda's corpse and Howard's hold, the vampire struggled desperately, attempting to cast a spell to extricate itself. However, just as it opened its mouth, Howard swiftly thrust his arm into its maw.
The vampire, taken aback by the audacity of a living being willingly inserting its arm into its mouth, found no flavor to savor at that moment.
Unable to speak and firmly restrained, it was rendered incapable of casting spells. Of course, given time, this would not have posed a problem, yet the serpent-headed whip continued to mercilessly strike its skull.
Finn, inexperienced with the whip, inadvertently struck Howard's hand as he swung at the vampire. This arm, already compromised by the vampire's bite, received another punishing blow from the whip, leaving it on the brink of ruin. However, the vampire was destined to endure even greater harm. As Finn aimed to obliterate the vampire's head, he had seized the magical beads from the deceased Tadric's hand to enhance his efforts.
Empowered by the magical beads, he finally swung the serpent-headed whip with enough force to shatter the vampire's skull. The spells specifically designed to counter undead creatures had ultimately proven effective.
As the vampire finally succumbed to death, Finn discarded the unwieldy whip, panting heavily. In his final charge, he had feared the vampire might still possess some means of retaliation, and he had approached with a resolve teetering on the brink of despair. Fortunately, all his anxieties had been for naught, as the vampire lay dead at last.
Prior to this moment, they had underestimated the battle; the vampire, capable of wielding six-ring spells, had displayed a terrifying prowess against a group of individuals who could barely muster four-ring spells. However, they could only blame their own carelessness: had Bor's reckless actions not disrupted their initial control, they might have vanquished the vampire much sooner.
Once freed from its restraints, Kylar had exerted himself fully, unleashing a series of five-ring spells in rapid succession, a display of overwhelming power. Their eventual victory had been facilitated by Aelrich stepping forward to draw attention, granting Finn and Lynn the necessary time to prepare spells to outwit the vampire. Furthermore, Yurisse's charge had instilled a habitual belief in the vampire, causing it to overlook the possibility of being deceived.
Without the prior series of maneuvers, it would have been utterly impossible for the two of them to defeat the vampire.
Finn took several deep breaths to steady himself. He reached out, intending to assist Howard to his feet, but as he relaxed his grip, he stumbled, nearly toppling over. Fortunately, Lynn approached to steady him and helped lift Howard from the ground.
Nearby, Drow strolled over and picked up the serpent-headed whip. Finn cast a wary glance at Drow, prompting him to raise his hands in surrender.
"Relax, I have no desire to be attacked. We can talk. Moreover, even if we must fight, it would be prudent to leave this place—who knows when that massive creature might emerge? We should evade it before devising our next course of action."
Yurisse's words held a measure of wisdom. Finn turned to survey their surroundings, realizing that their party had suffered significant losses. Most of the adventurers were a disorganized rabble, having been decimated under the dragon's flames and repeated area spells. The confined space had nearly been filled with the vampire's magic, rendering escape from all spells exceedingly difficult.
Aelrich's team had only survived with Aelrich and the controlled dwarf, one gravely injured and quietly mending himself, while the other wept inconsolably, seemingly devoid of all will. Lynn's party had lost Gonda, and Howard had sustained a crippling injury to one arm. As for Imory, he had vanished without a trace, leaving uncertain whether he had hidden away or simply perished.
Ultimately, it was difficult to place complete trust in these individuals. Finn cared little for Imory's whereabouts. Turning back, he spotted Marty, surprisingly unscathed, hiding at a distance. With a light chuckle, he beckoned his teammate for assistance.
"Check that cave entrance to see if there's a way to open it; we need to escape first."
Having just slain the vampire, Finn had deepened Marty's respect for him. Upon receiving the command, he dashed toward the cave entrance, scrutinizing it closely. Discovering no alternate paths around the obstruction, he suddenly had a brilliant idea and cast Shrink Object on the boulder blocking the entrance.
In matters such as this, he proved to possess a clever mind. However, even in its shrunken state, the boulder remained nearly the height of a person. As it shrank, it rolled directly into the cavern. Marty hastily leaped aside to avoid being struck, but in doing so, he collided with Aelrich, who had approached to steady his shoulder.
"We must evacuate quickly. The severely injured will lead the way; any corpses we cannot carry must be left behind. Finn, Lynn, and you, Drow, will remain behind to cover our retreat while the weakest companions flee first. Do you have any objections?"
Lynn nodded in agreement, saying nothing further. The adventurers on the ground began to rise; faced with the threat of the dragon, they dared not contemplate the vampire's treasure, each departing the cavern with renewed urgency.
Marty anxiously observed as the others hurriedly retreated. Once only a few of them remained, he promptly followed to be among the first to exit the cave. However, at that very moment, Aelrich quietly unleashed a spell from behind him.
"Wall of Good."
A force field wall suddenly obstructed the cave entrance. Marty, who had intended to flee, recoiled as if bitten by a snake, wary of Aelrich. He had not anticipated that they would betray one another, and it was Aelrich, the cleric of Loshanda, who initiated the internal strife.
Yet soon enough, he understood the reasoning behind it.
"If I am not mistaken, the rumors circulating in town, inciting us to confront the vampire, must have originated from you. You were already aware that the artifact we seek is different from what the vampire desires; your presence here is not for the sake of the vampire's treasure but for some other purpose—though I am still unclear on what that might be. Nevertheless, I am correct, am I not? You share culpability for the death of my comrades, do you not?"