Underworld - Vampire Gate: A LitRPG Series

by Apollos Thorne

  “It’s an adolescent one,” Leeman continued. “No more than fifty years old, but still a lord among beasts.”

  “So you want to join forces to help us kill it?” I said, not hiding my grin.

  Leeman gave me a firm nod.

  “Great,” I said, jumping to my feet. Leaning down, I offered Amilia my hand. She took it and I helped her up. Leeman stood on his own, and I cuffed him on the arm.

  Travis joined us immediately and began to ask Leeman about his sword and how he’d made use of the weapon’s mana. We were going to have to do something about Leeman’s missing breastplate.

  “I wanted to ask you about your Light Javelin…” I said to Amilia as we turned to join the others. We came face to face with Shamash who had his face concealed and she froze.

  “Lady of the Illuminated Cathedral,” Shamash said in a respectful tone. “Please do not fret because of my presence. I mean you no harm. You have greater knowledge of Light Magic than I, and I would kindly request that you do your best to instruct Elorion, my pupil.”

  It looked like one side of her face was turning up in a scowl while the other was trying to show him a friendly grin. Well, not friendly, but hospitable.

  After he said his piece, I felt his gaze fall upon me. “How much mana did you have left after the fight?”

  “About 4,100,000,” I replied.

  “And that’s what you call using everything?” I could hear his disappointment. “At least an adolescent Metal Dragon should help you better understand the definition of the term. If not, the Vampire—well, you can think on it as we travel.”

  After that, he left us alone.

  “You do understand that the Lich are an evil existence, right?” Amilia said.

  “Yeah,” I replied. “He can also be a jerk, but he’s also right.”

  “You make light of what he is capable of?”

  “Not exactly. I know he is unfathomably powerful, and I need him—even if I don’t like it.”

  “Why do you need him? How about we head toward your people and once we are in range tell them to come and meet you? When they arrive we can all go to the Illuminated Cathedral together.”

  Looking into her eyes, I found it difficult to speak, but then explained to her why that was impossible. The succubi had taken half of Sanctuary for personal training, including my fiancé. “That is why I will utilize the Lich’s help until I finish my quest. I can’t go with you until I get them back.”

  I found both Travis and Leeman looking at me from where they’d been talking. They’d heard it all. Leeman looked to Travis and saw the same welled up emotion he was trying to suppress.

  All conversations stopped for a while as we prepared to leave.

  Shamash led my Embar at the rear of our party with my golems following behind. Before the rest of us had taken our place Degima approached me without taking her eyes off me. Had I done something to offend her?

  “Sir,” she said, standing up even straighter if that was possible. It was the first time she’d spoken English.

  “Queen Degima,” I replied.

  “Sword weak. Break. Spear strong. No break.” She held up an empty hand. Everyone was watching. At first, nothing happened, but then, she closed her eyes. The same surge I felt when creating an orb gathered in her palm. Then a substance that looked like dark-red glass rose from her hand and started to take shape. More of it left her to join with the rest. In less than a minute, a spear a full head taller than I was balanced in her palm as she offered it to me.

  I took it from her and thanked her.

  She smiled in return.

  “Are you in need of Firazite Ore?” I said. Shamash, still standing far off, translated.

  She shook her head.

  Then remembering the Fire Orbs, I grabbed one from my inventory. “How about this?”

  Twisting her head ever so slightly to study it, she nodded that she did.

  I placed it in her hand, and before our eyes, the orb began to melt away and merge with her. If it was beneficial to her, then perhaps I should give her all of the fire ones. It would be even better if I could make them. And why couldn’t I? Just because I hadn’t tried making orbs from different elements, didn’t mean I would have to wait until a higher rank. I’d have to give it a shot.

  When Degima had left, Amilia asked, “What is she?”

  I gave her a quick explanation of what had happened.

  “She’s a slave?” I could hear the distress in her voice.

  “No, she has chosen to travel with us. I don’t think she’s sure what to do next.”

  “Well, that spear she made is astonishing,” Leeman said. “Is that crystalized Firazite? It’s flawless…”

  I took a closer look at the weapon she’d given me. I could feel the hum of mana inside it. The density also seemed harder than my Crimson Incubus skin.

  “I’ll teach you both how to make use of its aura,” he added. “Your sword never would have broken if you had used it properly.”

  I inwardly cringed. Just how much didn’t we know? “That would be helpful.”

  The final leg of our trip to the Metal Dungeon had begun. I spent most of my time with Amilia and swapped pointers on Light Magic use.

  Light Magic has leveled up!

  Master Rank

  Level 11

  Just learning about the subtleties of how Light Magic interacted with itself and its different aspects was of great benefit. I helped her test some things as well and we even discussed the reaction between Dark and Light Magic.

  Travis spent as much time with Leeman as I did with Amilia. I saw the fruit of their conversation within the first hour of our party’s departure. He was manipulating the aura, or mana, in his Firazite spear, and later was even applying the same principles to his armor.

  I couldn’t wait for Richard, who had a talent with armor, to learn more about these discoveries, but that was still weeks away. First was the Metal Dungeon, then we had a number of them we’d clear on the way back toward Sanctuary for some further power leveling.

  As happy as I was that our new human friends were actually being friendly and no longer trying to beat me down, I couldn’t shake an ominous feeling that hundreds of miles away there was a vampire gate waiting for me. This was all leading to something far more deadly.

  Chapter 28 – Sleeping Metal

  Natural columns of Metal ore framed the entrance. It was unlike any dungeon we’d visited before. As we stepped inside, it resembled something like a fortress of gunmetal with straight walls with jagged edges where the natural formations didn’t meet uniformly. Unlike a true fortress, the outer walls didn’t block our way from entering but instead felt like they were there to enclose us in. The floor was rough at the best and just as jagged as the top of the Metal columns, sprouting around us like demonic claws all about the enormous room. There were countless pits here and there ending at unknown depths or in vicious beds of spikes. It wasn’t the largest dungeon we’d visited, but it was the most imposing.

  There were no creatures in sight except for one. The dungeon was longer than it was wide as if it was the dragon’s throne room. Nearly a mile away at the far side of the dungeon was an aluminum-colored mound. It was the Metal Dragon. It wasn’t lying directly next to the Metal Vein, but its tail snaked up the path that ended at its base.

  “It’s jealous of the Metal Vein and kills any creatures that get too close,” Amilia said, standing at my side. “The Illuminated Cathedral has come here to mine for years, and it has never attacked as long as we keep our distance.”

  “Has no one tried to kill it?” Travis wondered.

  Leeman huffed in a quick breath of air. “It hasn’t been worth the risks. We only visit in small groups, and a grandmaster hasn’t had the opportunity to make the trip in years. Because it has remained relatively safe, they haven’t seen it as necessary. As you can see, there is plenty of Metal ore to spare, but the closer you get the purer it will be. That’s not the only kind of ore here though.
The closer you get, the more likely you’ll find rarer ore and gemstones. If the Metal Dragon is no longer an issue, the council won’t be able to resist the opportunity and will send a larger party to mine closer to the vein. It could increase our take of rare ore tenfold.”

  “Elorion will go alone,” Shamash said. He’d already spoken to me at length. It was a surprise to our new friends who had continued to keep their distance from him.

  “Is that wise?” Amilia dared to respond.

  “He must learn what he is capable of.” The lich’s tone was soft but direct. “And the vampires won’t be sleeping. This is a rare opportunity.”

  “Alright,” I replied. “Stay here. You’ll know if I need you.”

  Leeman stepped in front of me. He looked as if he was going to stop me. Glancing at the lich, he thought better of it. I knew what he was thinking. They’d asked us to come and help with the Metal Dragon, but now they were being asked to sit back and watch. In the end, there was only one thing he could think to say. “We’ve got your back.”

  Thanking him, I patted him on the shoulder of the backup breastplate he’d had stashed in his inventory and stepped past him. I could make out quite a few details from such a distance, but the dragon was still too far away for me to cast Creature Observation. Casting Invisibility on myself, I approach in my Crimson Incubus Form that was wrapped in a hardened layer of Rog’s mix of Earth, Fire, and Air elements with my skeletal armor over that to limit my Light Magic from leaking as much as possible. There was plenty of Earth, Fire, and Air Mana in the air here, but there wasn’t a trace of Light.

  My ability to manipulate Rog’s density made sneaking forward much easier than before. I lined the bottoms of my feet with a cloudy layer of smog so that it acted as a cushion for my footfalls. I was impressed by how well it worked.

  I patiently crept forward so as not to alert the Metal Dragon. It took ten minutes, but when I was a good quarter-mile away, I stopped and took in the creature’s size. It had to be at least one hundred feet long, even if half of its length was just its tail. Even lying down, its body towered over my head by half a body length. I’d expected it to look like a dragon from a fantasy novel with a long neck, powerful body, and wings, but it looked more like a Komodo dragon with spiky-armored scales. One thing that wasn’t surprising was that it glowed in the mana realm like a mountain of Metal Ore.

  It might strain Forced Learn’s casting distance, but it should work. In its slumbering state, the dragon would be more susceptible to ability theft.

  I first cast Creature Observation.

  Adolescent Metal Dragon

  Level: 15,321

  Health Points: 16,591,600

  Mana Points: 12,140

  Strength: 40,189

  Dexterity: 11,002

  Constitution: 41,479

  Intelligence: 1,214

  Wisdom: 1,055

  Even though it was little more than 3,000 levels higher than Leeman, it had the stats of a monster 6,000 levels higher. Its Strength and Constitution were absurdly high, and its Dexterity was high enough that underestimating it could very likely end in my death. It was nearly on the level of a new Mistress-level succubus. My next move would depend entirely on what Forced Learn told me. To be sure that there would be no chance of failure, I cast it with 100,000 MP.

  Metal Dragon essence received!

  You have learned the Blue Magic Metalize!

  I was aware of the popups even as my perceptions remained inside the monster. Relief hit me when the dragon didn’t begin speaking with me as the Primordial Cat had. Even though this young creature was huge and powerful, it still wasn’t even close to being on Xaphan’s level.

  It wasn’t just its essence and Blue Magic that I was after. I didn’t hesitate to find its core—an Advanced Dark Magic Orb. It was of great worth.

  The real reason I was here alone, and the others were still by the entrance was Shamash still wasn’t convinced that I was willing to put everything on the line. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. Even if he did have ulterior motives, my success seemed to line up with what Lilith wanted, so I had nothing to fear from him, for now. He seemed convinced that I was holding back too much. That was what made little sense in my mind. I’d been calculated all this time, figuring out my targets and taking care of them with clinical precision. Why wasn’t that enough? Was he wrong, or was there something I was missing?

  When my perceptions had returned to me, I checked Metal Dragon Form and saw what Shamash had suspected I would.

  Metal Dragon Form

  Rank: Hatchling

  Level: 1

  Cost: 200,000 Mana Per Minute (20,000 with buffs)

  Strength: +50%

  Constitution: +50%

  Special Abilities: Metal Body, Magnetism, Weapon Formation

  Metal Body: Your body is now made out of metal. You’re able to manipulate the kind of metal as you progress.

  Metals Available: Tin

  Tin Properties: Resists Corrosion, Lightning, and Heat damage. Heat resistance is limited. Weak against the hotter and colder temperatures. Lowest physical resistance available to Metal Dragons. It is the foundation for many alloys available at higher Ranks.

  Magnetism: Depending on Metals Available, you’re able to manipulate their magnetic force—attracting objects affected by magnets toward you or repelling them.

  Weapon Formation: You’re able to manipulate your Metal at the cost of Mana to form weapons in any shape and on any part of your body.

  Next Level:

  Cost: 199,000 Mana Per Minute (19,900 with buffs)

  Strength: +.5%

  Constitution: +.5%

  Next Metal obtained at level 50

  The Form didn’t seem like much right now, but Shamash had said it had numerous ranks. I could supposedly spend the next ten years trying to reach the highest level of a Dragon Form and still not reach the top. Dragons were creatures that developed slowly, but the strongest among them could supposedly rival a primordial beast.

  In examining it, I found what I was looking for. It didn’t have an ability similar to Xaphan where it could liquify and harden its own body so as not to take any damage against a variety of attacks. That also meant that nothing was holding me back. The others weren’t that far away, so I’d have back up if I needed it.

  I started forward again on foot. My wings were pulled tight against my back in case I needed to flee to the air.

  There were so many possible ways to attack it and I had the element of surprise. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do. My first thought was to attack with the largest Alpha Bomb possible. It was such a reactive spell though that it was just as likely to destroy the dungeon in the immediate area while there was no guarantee that such an unfocused attack would kill it—a monster with 16.5 million HP.

  I imagined the dragon becoming massive shrapnel and being blown into the wall. After it wiggled itself out the hole it made I’d be facing a metal rage monster. A chill would have gone up my spine right about then, but Crimson Incubi don’t get chills.

  Up until now, I’d relied upon my Blue Magic Forms and buffing my stats to inflated levels. I could push my physical stats to 25,000, maybe 30,000 for a limited time, but could I really match a dragon? It might be possible since I’d have superior Dexterity, but it had 40,000 Constitution and Strength. Besides Mistress Nava, this was the first fight that I couldn’t buff my way out of.

  There was also Ice and Fire. The latter would probably put me in a position to do a lot of damage because it could melt the dragon’s body to a certain point. Magma with millions of MP behind it might do even better. I could just bury the dragon in an ocean of molten rock, and it might not make it back to the surface. Both approaches could also cause catastrophic damage to my surroundings. Burying everything wouldn’t make the mining for precious materials any easier later on either.

  Casting Metalize for the first time, a layer of Metal similar to that of the surrounding dungeon covered my skeletal armor.
I’d have to play with the spell later because it looked like I could do more with it than just coat myself in another protective layer. For now, I hoped it would disguise my approach even further.

  I slowed to a crawl as I neared, only stopping once I was fifty feet away. Any closer would be an unnecessary gamble.

  There was another problem I had to consider. If I did try to cast any of my Blue Magic, channeling millions of mana into them would take time. Even if I could manage it all in less than ten seconds, I doubted the Metal Dragon would take even half of that to reach me. Seeing how long his tail was, he could probably just flick me away with it from where he lay without even bothering to get up. I could take to the air and prepare my spell there, but that wouldn’t cause my magic to cast faster. It was a defensive move as much as an offensive one. A wise one, but there were other options.

  I only possessed one alignment of magic that I could cast fast enough with such excess mana—Light Magic. Why I was hesitating was obvious. Its Solar and Life Aspects seemed like the least likely to work against a Metal creature. Life would do a job on it if I could reach its Dark Magic Core and Solar might allow me to melt it just like focusing rays of the sun with a magnifying glass, but there was a ton of Metal between me and the Orb. I needed to reach it in order to cause any major damage.

  Taking in the Metal Dragon once again, it felt like an impossible task. How did I get here? How did I go from sitting comfortably in my gaming chair with my VR headset on, to standing in range of an adolescent dragon?

  I was asking the wrong question. How I got here really wasn’t that important. Why I was here—that’s what mattered.

  It took little effort to remember the Head Mistress’s face. How could I forget waking up and seeing the others who’d been kidnapped alongside me for the first time? That first night in the Underworld, I was too focused on what had to be done to weep but the others sure hadn’t been. I approached Lilith when she’d taken Skyler and persuaded her to let him live. Other people from the surface had taken his place for her celebratory meal—I hadn’t even known their names…