"Fire Lance!" Swish!
The glowing projectile shot through the air, slamming into the chest of one vampire. "Flaming Barrage!" I bellowed, releasing a torrent of fiery projectiles. Hundreds of blazing orbs materialized and streaked forward like shooting stars, battering against the vampires' sanguine shields.
The shielded vampires staggered, their defenses turning into a porcupine mess of punctures and flames. One vampire roared as the Fire Lance embedded itself into his shoulder, but the wound wasn't critical.
I was deep within the Crimson Castle, and the situation had escalated far beyond what I had expected. What should've been a manageable dungeon crawl had spiraled into chaos.
The reason? Umbra.
When the battle began with the two vampires guarding the entrance, Umbra—my adorable yet troublesome bond—decided to show off. The little devil unleashed a roaring Dragon Breath without restraint.
The fiery explosion rattled the castle, shaking loose ancient dust and crumbling stones. As it turned out, that attack served as a massive beacon to every vampire in the surrounding corridors. Now, the whole castle knew about us.
I was surrounded by at least a dozen vampires, each sneering and salivating at the prospect of draining me dry.
"Damn it, Umbra!" I shouted mid-swing, narrowly dodging a blood-soaked blade aimed at my chest. "If we survive this, I'm roasting you over a fire pit!"
Umbra, seemingly sensing my frustration, let out a sheepish growl and darted behind the cover of his own dark flames.
Fwoosh!
A blade of sanguine energy slashed past my face, the heat of it grazing my cheek. That was close—too close.
"Arc Slash!" I roared, channeling mana into my weapon. My blade glowed with ethereal energy as I unleashed a powerful crescent slash, forcing back three vampires that were closing in.
The temporary breathing room was enough for me to recover my stance.
"Greater Chain Lightning!"
Thick tendrils of lightning wrapped around my arms before leaping toward the vampires with a deafening crack.
BOOM! BOOM!
The first two vampires were incinerated instantly, their forms disintegrating into ash as the bolts coursed through their bodies. The third vampire was thrown back, barely clinging to life as his charred body struggled to regenerate.
Without giving him a chance, I lunged forward, decapitating him in one clean motion.
"Rawr!"
I glanced over to see Umbra in the midst of his own battle. His small form was a blur as he darted around his opponent, unleashing bursts of dragon fire. The corridor was lit with the eerie glow of his flames, which devoured everything in their path.
The vampire Umbra was fighting was clearly struggling to keep up, its defensive blood constructs crumbling under the relentless assault.
But there was no time to admire Umbra's prowess. A heavy force slammed into my side, sending me crashing into the stone wall. The impact knocked the air out of my lungs, and I groaned as I pushed myself up.
"Did you think we'd fall so easily, mortal?" sneered a towering vampire who had just joined the fray. His aura radiated strength, marking him as a Peak-level Rank 2. Damn this must be the Sub-boss. Ah damn it we were supposed to fight these monsters in a certain order.
Before I could respond, he was on me, his claws gleaming with malice. I raised my sword to block, but his strength was immense. The sheer force of his blow sent vibrations up my arms.
"Umbra!" I called out, knowing I couldn't handle this alone.
The little dragon turned his attention to me, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. Letting out a roar, he shot a concentrated beam of dragon fire at the vampire.
The vampire hissed, leaping back to avoid the flames. Seizing the opportunity, I infused my blade with mana and dashed forward. "Piercing Fang!"
The strike landed, carving a deep gash across the vampire's chest. Black ichor spilled onto the ground, and the vampire stumbled back. But he wasn't done yet.
"Blood Implosion!" he snarled, causing a sphere of crimson energy to form in his hands before launching it at me.
I barely had time to react, throwing up a mana shield. The sphere collided with my shield, shattering it in an explosion of force. The shockwave sent me skidding back, my body aching from the impact.
Umbra, sensing my distress, unleashed a flurry of Dark Lances at the vampire. Each lance was precise, aimed to restrict the vampire's movements and force him on the defensive.
The vampire growled in frustration, his movements becoming more erratic as he tried to fend off Umbra's attacks. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to regain my footing.
"Let's end this," I muttered, summoning every ounce of mana I could channek at once.
"Metorite Strike!"
My blade glowed brilliantly as I leapt into the air, bringing it down with the force of a meteor. The impact was cataclysmic, creating a shockwave that shattered the ground beneath us.
The vampire had no time to react. My attack cleaved through his form, reducing him to ash.
Panting, I looked around the now-destroyed corridor. The battle had left the area in ruins—walls were cracked, and the floor was littered with scorch marks and debris.
Umbra floated over to me, his chest puffed out proudly. Despite everything, he looked no worse for wear.
"You're lucky I like you," I muttered, ruffling his head.
But just as I thought the battle was over, the ground began to shake.
"Umbra… tell me that's not you."
The little dragon growled, his body tensing as we both turned toward the source of the tremor. From the depths of the castle came a low, guttural roar that made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Out of the shadows emerged a figure clad in obsidian armor. Its crimson eyes burned like hellfire, and the aura it exuded was suffocating.
"Well, well," the creature said, its voice deep and mocking. "A mortal and a dragonling… How quaint."
I tightened my grip on my sword, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. This wasn't just another vampire. This was a vampire lord, A Noble Vampire.
Umbra growled fiercely, his dark aura flaring as he prepared for the fight ahead.
"Let's see if you're worthy of stepping into my domain," the vampire lord sneered, raising a hand and summoning a swarm of Crimson bats.
That's rare skill, shit this guy has rare legacy skill. Oh this gonna be both intresting and quite challenging I'd say.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. This was going to be a tough Fight, Vampire Nobles are usually at Peak Rank 2, sadly for me the boss of this dungeon was At the precipices of Rank 3.
To be continued…