Underworld - Vampire Gate: A LitRPG Series

by Apollos Thorne

  I told Shamash what I was thinking and asked him if it was possible.

  He gave me a creepy chuckle. “Not only is it possible, it is one of the greatest advantages a Blue Mage has. Because your Fire Incubus Form is a use of mana to manipulate your body, further manipulation isn’t as dangerous as you fear. The prime danger is the one you are already used to managing: your mana usage.”

  His answer left my head spinning. This was an aspect of Blue Magic I was already familiar with, but the extent that I could manipulate my body, including what was inside me, was pushing it further than I dared to imagine. The possibilities were endless of what my Ultimate Form could become as I stole the essences of more creatures.

  “Don’t overthink things. Guide your mana, but also let it do its work,” Shamash added.

  I wasn’t even sure if I had bodily organs in my Fire Incubus Form, or if it formed its own orb. Since I’d stolen the form from an incubus that had begun as a mixed breed between an imp and one of the prime races, it was impossible to know. Too bad Forced Learn didn’t work when I cast it on myself.

  I decided to just take Shamash’s advice. It may have been unnecessary, but I dropped all of my forms again and Rog Form took shape. Then, I cast Fire Incubus Form over my Rog Form. Fire Incubus’s condensed Impenetrable Skin encapsulated my Rog core as if it was my own heart. The core was large, but it didn’t make it impossible for me to cast Fire Incubus Form at one hundred percent. My stats were what they should be. The only difference with Fire Incubus that I noticed was that I seemed taller using both forms together.

  If there was a difference, it was hard to see, for white smoke clung to me like a new layer of gaseous skin. It was thin enough that I could see my crimson Impenetrable Skin beneath it. Removing the layer of smoke over my hands was easy enough. Magma Fist, my wings, and tail all returned to where I preferred them.

  Next, I tested out skeletal armor and found it would allow me to cast it over either my Rog or Crimson Incubus Forms. I could either hide it in smoke or have a layer of smoke between the bone and skin. During all my tests, my vision remained clear, so that I didn’t have to manipulate anything to continue seeing.

  Spreading out my wings, I saw that they didn’t have the layer of smoke that the rest of my body possessed. I suspected it was because the Rog didn’t have wings either. I could spread my smoke over them, but it might interfere with flight so I didn’t bother.

  When I was finally satisfied with how things worked, I cast my skeletal armor directly over my Crimson Incubus Form. In one last step, I condensed my Rog Form as another protective layer on top of the others. It was like wearing a full-body wetsuit. It was as if I wasn’t wearing armor at all, but was made out of murky white stone. Rolling my neck, I felt little to no extra resistance.

  Knowing that the lich didn’t require my thanks, I still bowed my head to show him my appreciation.

  “I can’t tell if you’re more or less frightening…” Travis said.

  Getting a little uncomfortable with everyone staring at me, I changed the subject. “Ready to check out this Fire Vein?”

  Chapter 13 – Core

  Even though the first four levels of the dungeon looked naturally made, I started to wonder if that was inaccurate as we climbed the ramp to the fifth floor. Near the top, the ramp had what looked like four or five shallow trenches as if there had once been stairs that had been worn down until there was almost nothing left. It was possible that the entire dungeon had once been built up by some ancient people and over the centuries it had fallen into ruin. The most curious thing was the structure that held the Fire Vein. The closer we got, the more detail it had—almost as if there was a mana catch above the ruins still supplying it some amount of mana and making it last longer than the rest of the dungeon. I didn’t see how there could be a mana catch though because the structure wasn’t attached to the ceiling, so how would mana reach it? Unless it was the vein that supplied it.

  The structure was set back from the top of the ancient stairs. I could see the skeleton of what must have been a temple at one time. Great columns, many of which were still standing, surrounded it. They were round and cracked, but there were faded images that were no longer clear enough to tell what they’d once been.

  The temple faded into the background when the Fire Vein was no longer hidden behind the ledge of the ramp. Much of what was left of the walls on the interior of the columns was still intact, though it was clear that the roof had collapsed long ago. Right in the center of the temple, through the half-standing doorway, was an intense red glow from the vein. There was some debris in the way, but it shone brightly.

  Everyone reached the top level. I left my golems at the bottom of the ramp to the fifth floor.

  Like a butler, Shamash swept his hand forward toward the temple, beckoning me to continue. Travis and I shared a look before heading forward quickly.

  There was no sign of a living creature through Mana Sight, so we didn’t slow. As I’d thought, the roof had collapsed completely, so we had to climb some stone slabs that sat at an odd angle once we entered to get our first look. It wasn’t a large building, but its lack of ceiling made it look larger than it was. Reaching the top of the debris, we saw our first mana vein.

  It was like a pillar of red quicksilver that was twice as tall as a man. Like a tree, it had roots that dug deep into the floor. It moved like it was a living creature—like water although there was no container holding its shape. There was something that extended from it. It was like a mist of mana particles like thousands of stars encircled it from its base to its peak.

  It didn’t feel like mana, but something rawer. I was about to ask Shamash about it when a person stepped out from behind it. His mana shone the same shade of orange-red as the vein and was liquid thick. No wonder I didn’t notice him. The vein had hidden his presence almost perfectly.

  He took his time walking around its perimeter so as not to enter the mist and stopped on our side of the vein as if claiming it for himself. He stood a head taller than I did with a thin but powerful build. Even though he was wearing a black buttonless jacket with loose matching pants and a blood-red shirt underneath that hugged his collar, his athletic musculature was obvious. His face was silhouetted by the vein that towered behind him, but I could still make out his general features. He had a powerful jaw, with an underbite, but his face was long, and looked almost noble—yet his skin was olive green. It looked like an orc had either been stretched to become taller or he was half-orc half-elf.

  I didn’t waste time ramping Mana Sight to full power and observing him.

  Unnamed

  Pureblooded Orc

  Level: ???

  It was just about what I’d already guessed. He was not the level of monster I wanted to mess with.

  Stepping back, I turned just enough to keep the orc in view while looking for Shamash. He’d already stepped forward and was standing at my side opposite Travis.

  The orc shifted his weight ever so slightly and inclined his chin in what I first thought was a show of arrogance. Folding his hands behind his back, he bowed his head. It was directed toward Shamash.

  Lifting his hand toward his mouth, a clear energy leaped from it to cover his lips. Then he started to speak. Like a bad dubbing job, his mouth moved as he spoke in an unknown language, but the words we heard we could understand. “Greetings, honored master,” he said before turning to me with a shallower bow. “Fellow students. I waited for you to finish with the dungeon’s trials before making my presence known so as not to divert you from The Path.”

  I studied his expressions as best I could. In slow motion, it was easier to spot micro-emotions, but there was nothing that stood out as deceitful or hostile. The last thing I’d expected was a well-mannered orc. Not that I’d had the time to recover from his sudden appearance. That didn’t mean I’d lost my nerve.

  The only orcs we had any experience with were the ones Lord Darius had brought with him as part of his army when he invaded th
e Head Mistress’s dungeon. Besides a similar shade of skin and his underbite, this one looked different in every way. We’d been surprised before by the goblins, so I decided to assume the best, while still being watchful.

  “Friend orc,” I said, returning his bow. “We are surprised to see you here…”

  His eyes narrowed momentarily while he considered how I meant my statement. He decided we meant well and gave a toothy smile. It surprised me to see that he only had two pairs of large canines. One on the top row and the second on the bottom. Besides the underbite, his teeth were perfectly straight.

  He explained his purpose. “This shrine was built by my people long ago. I am here to study these ruins and my history, as part of The Path. May I ask for the honor of seeing your true face, blue mage?”

  This time I did look directly at Shamash. Whether he’d known the orc was here or not, he was my only way of hiding my Light Magic presence.

  “You must,” Shamash said. “It is rude to refuse.”

  Turning back to the orc, I stepped forward and dropped all my forms, but not my skeletal armor. My helmet no longer covered my face. Within a few seconds, my humanity was revealed.

  He took a deep breath through his nose as if to smell me. Twisting his head to the side, he didn’t seem to believe his eyes. He then looked to Travis who’d been in his human form since the orc made his presence known, but he hadn’t paid him much mind. It was as if a human slave wasn’t that odd of a discovery.

  “A human with a lich’s contract?” he said, looking back and forth between the three of us. “A blue mage at that? Forgive me, but you are obviously not a member of the Illuminated Cathedral. Are you a tribal leader?”

  Having no real clue as to what he meant, I gave Shamash a wide-eyed glance.

  The lich began to educate me. “Hmmm. The Illuminated Cathedral was the center of the human domain before they were demolished by the vampire lords. He speaks as if it still exists. Most of the humans that survived from that era did so by joining together in small tribes to which you do not belong. Instead, you are the privileged servant of a gracious master who must remain unnamed.” Shamash turned to the orc to emphasize the last point.

  Bowing his head once again, the orc accepted the answer as sufficient. “Thank you, master lich. I still haven’t introduced myself. I am Kulnath of the Pilgrim Horde. As one traveling on The Path, I’m walking the steps of my ancestors to learn the lessons of fallen glory. The Illuminated Cathedral still exists, though its location has changed from where it once was. If the rumors I’ve heard from the merchants are true, it was rebuilt two centuries ago and only in the last hundred years have its occupants begun trading again with outsiders. It’s the boldest of the human settlements to my knowledge. We’ve long suspected that they must have a few grandmasters to dare to make themselves known… But they do reside in the uncivilized regions of the Dungeon Level, and the information about their reformation isn’t yet that widely spread. My people have traded with them for a few decades, so we probably know more than most. If you seek to find them, that I’m afraid I can’t help you with. I just know they’re in the southeast.”

  It was impossible to miss that we were heading in their direction already, but I had no current intention of seeking them out. From what I’d heard, they opposed all magic except for Light, and I wasn’t about to put Travis in the position where they’d dissuade him from Metal. Even if they were willing to work with us and didn’t discriminate against our magic and talents, going to them would have the negative consequences of putting them in the direct path of the Head Mistress. I’d already made that mistake once—not realizing that she could hear and see everything that we were doing.

  “Thank you, Kulnath. I am Elorion, and this is my friend Travis.”

  I watched my scout friend step up and wave an awkward hello.

  Because it had taken Shamash so long to give me his name, I didn’t dare introduce him, even if it would be considered rude.

  “Well met,” Kulnath replied. “I will be here for a few more days, but for now I will leave the shrine and give you the time you require. May The Path grind you to grand completion.”

  The orc left with his hands clasped behind his back and looking up at was left of the structure. It was as if he was seeing how it had been, and not how it currently stood.

  We turned our attention to the Fire Vein.

  “Did you know he was here?” I said to Shamash.

  “No. The vein hid his presence.”

  From Travis, I heard an audible gulp.

  “Let’s hurry,” the lich suggested. “I believe Kulnath means you no harm, but his presence means that this vein sees far more activity than I suspected. Let’s examine the vein, then go. Our other objective can wait.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Travis replied.

  We approached the vein carefully so as not to accidentally trip and enter its outer aura. Like a ghostly museum guide, Shamash stood to the side of the vein and revealed his skeletal face. His multicolored eyes drew my attention once again. I felt where he was looking as if magnetic beams were being shot from his eyes like laser pointers.

  “As you can see, this is a mana vein,” the lich said. “Elorion. Do you notice something different about it?”

  I did. Its burnt orange color was the same as Fire Mana, but it didn’t glow in the same way. Instead of putting out light in all directions like a lightbulb, the column of mana was self-contained, not letting as much light escape. It was bright to the naked eye, but its light was surface level instead of being projected into the atmosphere. Seeing its galaxy-like aura with countless small droplets circling around it in orbit, that made little sense. Even the droplets acted the same way. I explained it to Shamash the best I could.

  “Precisely,” the lich said, holding up a boney finger. “That is because a mana vein is not made up of mana. At least, not the processed version that you can manipulate with your will. It is called Aether. This is mana’s most natural state—pooled and condensed by the surrounding geography. If you tried to use this as a mana source, more than a few drops of it would tear your body apart. A single drop, however, when touched, will unlock a school of magic according to your natural talents and what schools you already know.”

  “Is that why high-level monsters don’t keep one of these in their bedrooms?” Travis said.

  A moment later, he was squirming under Shamash’s gaze. The lich seemed more amused than angry. “Yes. It is possible to convert Aether to mana, but it is extremely inefficient, and it has little positive effect. Even for a fire mage, it would take a grandmaster minutes to use it to restore their mana. A master—hours.”

  When we didn’t respond, he continued, “The process of unlocking a school of magic is simple. Elorion could reach out with a strand of his mana or a finger and touch a single Aether drop, and the process would begin. The Aether enters your system like lightning, then you must direct your mana to push it throughout your body. The difficulty is that it’s unwieldy, taking days in some cases. Travis, for you, all that you would need to do is touch a single drop. Using a finger or even your spear would be enough connection for it to enter your system. You would have a harder time because you’re not as used to manipulating your mana. But Aether can also be more susceptible to processing if it’s your first school of magic. Because of its untamable nature, it doesn’t always work the same for every person.

  “Have either of you changed your mind and want to learn Fire Magic while we’re here?”

  I saw the answer in Travis’s face. He was still convinced Metal would be his best bet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something unexpected. The Faeastein Queen had fallen to her knees. She sat back with her shoulders drooping forward. Her hands rested palm up on her thighs as if all the strength had gone out of her. There was a look of absolute wonder etched on her face.

  I looked to Shamash, but he shook his head in his full-bodied manner, indicating that he wasn’t quite sure what was going on either.
/>   “Are you alright?” I said. The lich translated.

  She shook her head without ever removing her eyes from the vein. She mumbled something.

  “She wants to touch the Aether,” Shamash said.

  I gave him a long wary look. “Is that wise? Will she grow strong enough to be a threat?”

  “Let me do a little investigating.”

  They spoke back and forth for a few minutes. Shamash was gentler than I’d ever seen him. Even the weight of his gaze was toned down. He was left tapping his boney chin.

  “It seems the Faeastein exist solely to gather ore in hopes of growing strong enough to one day reach a Fire Vein so that their queen might process Aether. She doesn’t seem to know what will happen when she touches it, but it is the purpose of her existence.”

  “Should we let her?” I said.

  “I don’t know. She swears she will be forever in your debt and her people’s loss wouldn’t be in vain. The wise thing would be to not allow it, but I am a lich because I’m of an inquisitive nature. I’d love to see what happens.”

  For a brief moment, I felt that I was looking at a monstrous child that was little more than a giant ball of curiosity. The lich’s nature might not be as mysterious as I’d feared. If I kept discovering new things, even if he had a hidden contract with the Head Mistress, he might look for loopholes to stick with me. Wishful thinking wasn’t a good reason to make such a decision though.

  I studied the Faeastein Queen. Her eyes were large and, if it had been physically possible, I imagined they’d be filled with hopeful tears.

  Giving her a nod, I recast my Ultimate Form before offering her my hand. With the grace of a human queen, she cupped her hand in mine and allowed me to help her to her feet. Nothing could have made that moment feel less awkward, but she seemed oblivious to what I was feeling. I walked her forward a few steps before letting her do as she wished.