Underworld - Vampire Gate: A LitRPG Series

by Apollos Thorne

  “She has chosen to join the top of her class in executing prisoners. She is free to stop at any time. It can be a great boost for her at her level. I am not forcing her. Is that what you are asking?”

  “No.” No wonder she was disheartened. Killing mobs to grow your level was one thing, but killing prisoners meant she was probably killing humanoids. I could understand why she might conclude that she had no other choice. She was leveling at an extreme rate compared to the other girls. She was doing something that went against her better judgment because she saw it as the only way. “I will complete this task for you.”

  “Very well. Elorion, I have great plans for your future. Take full advantage of your lich’s wisdom. I look forward to your return.” With that, she turned and stepped into the portal, which disappeared behind her.

  The moment she was gone, Shamash’s voice sounded in my head where she couldn’t hear. “Beware. Her intentions are not solely what they seem.”

  “What are they?” I thought, willing him to hear my response.

  “I can’t be sure. We are caught in a game in which we don’t know the rules. Hopefully, knowing that will be enough.”

  “Hopefully.”

  The question as to whether I would stay in the vampires’ realm to slowly grow my level had become even more muddled. Aeris could only go against her conscience for so long before it would have far-reaching effects. It could already be too late. Staying away for too long could be the very thing that drove her past her breaking point.

  I considered retracing my steps to speak with her one more time, but I believed the Head Mistress when she said that Aeris had chosen to participate in the executions. If she were making such a sacrifice and didn’t want me knowing about it, I wouldn’t force the issue. Instead, I needed to push myself even harder.

  “How long until we reach the Vampire Gate?” I said aloud.

  “Three days if we approach carefully, which I highly suggest we do,” the lich replied. “Use your Incubus Form and go into full stealth mode. They won’t be as alarmed if they noticed a Dark Mage sneaking around outside their territory, but a Light Mage will cause them to lock everything down.”

  Without another word, I transformed as he said, casting Shadow Cloak, Invisibility, cushioned my feet with Rog’s Fog, and channeled mana into my Wind Mirror Ring. I unsummoned Brat, wondering for a moment if I should use my golems to cause a diversion at the Vampire Gate. Instead, I unsummoned them and they fell into piles of rock. I had enough ore on me to summon more if I needed to. From my experience with the Dark Magic Dungeons, they would only get in the way.

  Chapter 41 – Everything

  I approached the Vampire Gate alone. Shamash had long ago persuaded me that my stealth, as impressive as it was, wasn’t enough to sneak past the Tammaro family guards. They weren’t the most powerful lineage, but their ability to see through invisibility was of the highest level.

  There was still a mile between me and the Vampire Gate. I was already in the main tunnel that headed straight into its main entrance. There was no reason to worry about patrols being this far out, but I did need to keep an eye out for travelers coming from the gate. With each step, the beating of my heart seemed to pound louder. Mana Sight was at full power, slowing time to my perceptions, which only put even more strain on my nerves. Victory and survival depended upon one thing. Catching the enemy by surprise.

  Knowing that this day would come, I’d contemplated a thousand plans for how to best achieve that goal. Each one was more complex than the last. I had so many Shapeshifting Forms to work with, and so many elements and sub-elements to pull from that the possibilities were quite staggering. Each plan had the same problem. It depended upon the inaction of trained soldiers. It was possible for any number of my plans to work, but I had no idea how proficient or disciplined the vampires would be. In the end, I settled on the most straightforward approach possible. It wouldn’t require me to rely on a distraction that may or may not work. The only question left was, when should I drop Invisibility and begin?

  I’d spoke to the lich at length about the Tammaro family’s spotting abilities. He’d never worked with them directly, so his practical knowledge was lacking, but he’d heard much about this Vampire Gate during his time with Lord Darius. The vampire’s pride could have embellished some of what he’d said, but Darius, as much as he was capable, was honest with Shamash while he was in his service. The lich was a great source of wisdom for even the most arrogant nobles, and Darius wasn’t a complete fool. He knew the lich’s advice was only as good as the information given to him.

  Creeping forward as silently as possible, I felt the seconds stretch and drag. Not only was I unsure if my stealth would hold but I had no way to know for sure if the vampires possessed some form of Invisibility that Mana Sight wouldn’t see through. Shamash said that it was unlikely, but it was possible nonetheless. Vampires had an aptitude for Darkness Magic that other Monster races did not. It was why they were weaker against Solar Magic than the average Dark Magic monster, but also made them naturally competent with all forms of concealment.

  As I neared, the tunnel in which I traveled became dimmer and dimmer until all light seemed to be sucked away. It didn’t affect me directly because of my reliance on Mana Sight, but it was a sure sign that I was almost there. The gate’s hall that led up to the gate was like a grand station where many tunnels intersected. This grand hall was made of forged Dark Ore that was so pure that it gave off its own aura to help shroud the room in absolute Darkness. This was why I was so apprehensive while still at a distance. The Vampire Gate was designed to bolster the ability of the monsters guarding it and could ruin my plan before it got started.

  Through Mana Sight, the world became filled with purple and black. The endless shades of grey all blended into one as the light of the world dimmed. The tunnel floor changed from worn stone to paved shadow. The Forged Dark Ore’s aura was so powerful it seemed to drive away the other forms of mana in the air until Dark was all that was left. Thankfully, the Dark Mana in the air wasn’t that dense, or I feared changing to one of my Light Magic Forms could be disastrous.

  I could feel the power of the Tammaro family guards like a mighty wind that blew through the tunnel to oppose me. I was still a half-mile away and the tunnel hadn’t straightened out so there was no line of sight. This feeling was familiar, but much more pressing than the numerous Dark Magic Dungeons that I’d cleared. It was similar to the much greater concentration of mana that Lord Darius, Mistress Nava, and the Head Mistress possessed. I knew none of these vampires would be on that level, but even the least of them would be equal to me in power. Many would be twice my level, and their captain would be level 20,000 at least. Sixty vampires were waiting for me with enough power to end my quest before I was able to take my first step onto the Cavern Level.

  My pace sped. It wasn’t Mistress Nava that awaited me, but the excessive Dark Mana stirred up the animosity inside me like a spoon to a witch’s brew. I was conscious of the effect my emotions were having upon me, but I didn’t squelch them. Instead, I added salt to the mixture to increase its boiling point. By the time I reached the place in the tunnel where it straightened out, I was frothing at the edge—almost foaming over the brim.

  Time Crawl skidded the world to a stop. It was like taking the kettle off the fire to temporarily calm its turbulence. The tunnel hadn’t just straightened, but its walls and ceiling changed as the floor had a few hundred feet behind me. It was like looking down a corridor of living shadow. Only Mana Sight gave me the subtlest hint that two monstrous guards stood to either side of its mouth at the opening of the room.

  As time returned to normal, I slipped back out of sight, returning the kettle to the flames. Shadow and Dark fell away from my Form as Rog worked as a transitional state before the flare of my Solar Form cut through the bleakness that surrounded me.

  Aeris, I’m coming.

  Taking a step around the corner, I was already channeling mana into my palms.
The Solar Aspect Mana that erupted from my hands was so compact that the streams of mana were visible to the naked eye. My mana plunged into the heart of a newborn Artificial Sun. Like the final sunrise at the end of time, the light sliced through the darkness as my Solar Magic expanded to fill the tunnel in seconds.

  I hadn’t been wrong to overestimate the vampires’ response. A volley of over a dozen bolts glowed like purple torches the moment before they rocketed toward me.

  My Artificial Sun began to move forward like a rolling boulder. I drove it faster. The tunnel around me was already beginning to crack, but I didn’t slow the flood of mana being channeled into it. The vampires’ initial assault was devoured in my Sun’s mass.

  If the Vampire Gate came down around me and crushed us all, so be it. Shamash had spent the last couple months afraid I’d hold back when only my everything would do. Even if he was a mile away, I’d make him feel my progress.

  The Artificial Sun reached the gate’s entrance and beamed through it with no resistance.

  I was there a moment later in my Solar Form’s glowing brilliance. Light Vision allowed me to see through the brightness when others could not. Looking from side to side, I saw the two guards I’d first seen now lying there with smoke rising from their fallen forms. Using Solar’s speed buff to its full advantage, I sprinted past them, keeping pace with the house-sized globe of Solar power. It was still gaining speed and size when I almost ran into a vampire guard that had been standing directly in its path. He was standing motionless except for the smoke rising off of him. A direct hit had cooked him where he stood. With a nudge from my shoulder, he teetered over. I was gone before he hit the ground.

  Magic from multiple schools began appearing throughout the grand hall. My Solar Magic cut through the wall’s aura, revealing the room’s secrets. The gigantic gothic columns weren’t as tall as Shamash had described them, but they held up a ceiling nearly two hundred feet high and were enclosed by walls just as wide. The vampires’ attacks came from all directions, including some from above.

  I wasn’t an easy target to hit with 5,600 Dexterity, my Solar Speed Buff, and the light of my Artificial Sun blinding their eyes. With the immense energy coming off of my Sun, none of their attacks flew directly for me. They were unable to see well enough to pinpoint my location. My plan was working. I’d caught them off guard and was almost in position to do the most damage.

  Reaching the room’s center, I came to a skidding stop. My Artificial Sun stopped with me. With my hands in the air, I stood under the mass of Solar Magic and willed it to rise higher into the middle of the room. It had only been seconds since I’d stepped around the corner to begin my assault but channeling the full extent of what my refined mana provided me, 25,209,495 MP, was not an immediate thing. The most mana I’d ever manipulated was 5,000,000, a fifth of what was now available. Even the Mana Cannon we’d built to protect Sanctuary against Mistress Nava only focused 8,000,000 MP at the most.

  What was even more incredible was that I had no need to use Solar Mage as a partial Form. With 10,000 Intelligence and Wisdom, I could gain the full benefit of its effect on Solar Magic. My control over this Aspect of Life Magic was at its peak.

  I was surrounded by vampire soldiers in obsidian mail. Their black cloaks disintegrated, but their armor didn’t melt or fume as the refined Dark Ore of the room itself did. It offered them decent protection, even against Solar Magic, but my light found every crack. Many of them lacked helmets or faceplates under what was left of their cloaks, and those that had them did their best to avert their eyes. The higher level vampires tried blocking the Light with their own magic or even items they’d had tucked away. Dozens of them dropped wordlessly to the ground. Others screamed.

  Most that remained standing were fighting back. The vampires’ spells were deflected or disintegrated when they came into contact with the denser mass of Light Magic of my Artificial Sun. It was simple really. Regardless of the school of magic, except in rare cases, enough of any one kind of magic would overwhelm all others. Their spells had little effect against my own, but I felt that that was about to change.

  Their silence, or lack of communication, filled me with hope at first, but then multiple spells rose up throughout the room. They didn’t attack but let them build. Then I realized that they knew. The best way to combat my magic was to attack it with an even larger body of mana. Without a word, they acted as one and their true expertise was revealed. How many hours had they practiced similar scenarios? How many years? Their smaller attacks had ceased altogether, and I now felt twenty or more spells being prepared. Even though I’d gotten a head start by beginning my channeling first, with their numbers they’d quickly overtake me and overmatch my spell.

  For a moment, I doubted. Should I have taken a different approach? I already knew the answer. Even with a distraction, I’d have run into this same problem. It was always going to be my magic against theirs. I had one chance. I had to kill them before their counter was ready. If not, I was going to die.

  Against my better judgment, I willed my Artificial Sun to drop lower toward me from the middle of the room. It wasn’t a huge help, but it would speed the time it took for my mana to reach my spell even if it put me in danger. Besides my Solar Form’s ability to get the most out of my Solar Magic, it also helped protect me from my magic, but where was the line?

  Even my vision was distorted from the excessive light, but I could see the faint glow of Fire, Darkness, Wind, and Ice. A great swelling of Dark Magic dwarfed the rest of the opposing magic in the room. It came from over by the foot of the stairs that led up to the Cavern Level. It could only have come from the Vampire Captain. It seemed fitting that he stood in front of me about one hundred feet away. I had little doubt that his spell would be the one that landed my death blow.

  I hadn’t been able to channel even half of my mana yet. My Artificial Sun just wasn’t growing fast enough. If I pushed too hard it would kill me, wouldn’t it? Why weren’t the vampires dying? Was this the real challenge Shamash had been warning me about? To push my mana any harder would likely kill me, but to hold back would lead to certain death. Had he constantly pressured me to give my everything because he knew this would happen, or had he thought I’d be able to win with my current abilities? Many of the vampires had already succumbed to my Light. With time, the rest would fall as well. It was impossible to know. There was only one choice.

  I said my goodbyes to Aeris and my friends before closing my eyes. In my Solar Mage Form, my eyelids didn’t block out the light but painted my vision with a sheet of photons. I began to squeeze against the resistance that limited my channeling. All comfort left my body as it felt like I was swelling and going to pop. I was starting to shake, but it wasn’t from the tremors of human muscle. The photons of my Solar Body were being energized. The vibrations grew more violent as I neared a breaking point.

  Opening my eyes, I found that I couldn’t see. It wasn’t light from the Artificial Sun that was blinding me, but my body itself was giving off so much light that everything around me was saturated with it. The vibrations grew faster, but their wavelength narrowed, giving me a moment of hope that my body would stabilize. Then I was devoured as my body erupted.

  At that moment, I was changed. My consciousness had yet to fade in full as life left me. I felt my mana’s shackles lifted as it rushed upward into my Artificial Sun in a short burst. I had no body. There was only light. I’d given the spell everything and was left in utter exhaustion. I felt my consciousness drifting away.

  A single beat, like that from a failing heart, thumped throughout my spirit. I wasn’t sure if I heard or felt it since I wasn’t sure if any of my body remained. Some part of me was fighting to live on. There was another thump, then another, until the world rushed back to me all at once. My Solar Body had reformed, but I’d lost my connection with the Artificial Sun.

  It was everywhere. I wasn’t sure if it had grown so large that I was standing inside it, or if it was giving off so m
uch light that the room was drowning in it. How I was living and standing in its wake—I lacked comprehension. Even more incredible was that it was self-sustaining, if only for a moment. It was a few seconds before the light blinked out and I sensed the lack of opposing magic.

  The room came into focus and I saw the impact of my Light Magic on the crafted Dark Ore floor, walls, and pillars. They had been corroded and lost most of their aura. Glancing around, it wasn’t just in one place, but the entire room had been scorched.

  I quickly found the Vampire Captain still on his feet with smoke billowing off his figure. The shiny finish of his obsidian armor had been eroded by the light into grainy sandpaper. I absorbed a Minor Light Orb while there was still hope, and cast Forced Learn with what little mana I’d begun to recover. Through the Captain’s open-faced helmet there was enough left of him for the spell to work.

  He’d taken great damage, but once inside his flow of mana, everything I thought I knew about the monster races was turned on its head. What was staring back at me was a struggling cardiovascular system flowing with Dark Mana-filled blood and a Master Dark Magic Orb. This vampire had both. What’s more, the mana flowing through his blood was unique compared to all that I had seen except for one other time. When I’d used Forced Learn on Lord Darius.

  Using it on Lord Darius had been my first time using Creature Observation in that manner. I’d had so little knowledge of magic that I’d been distracted by the vampire’s devastating power and hadn’t taken in all that I could. It was a chance to steal his essence before I knew what an essence even was, and I had failed.

  Turning my attention back to the Vampire Captain’s existence in the Mana Realm, there was much that reminded me of Lord Darius, but there was also a distinct difference. At first, I’d thought my memory was sugar-coated because he was my first, but a second look made it clear that wasn’t the case. The Captain’s mana was mixed with his blood, but Lord Darius’s mana had been one with it. That’s why I hadn’t associated Darius’s mana with his blood at all.