With Invisibility and Crimson Incubus Form ready, I sent the command for the vault to begin assimilation. A few waves of static flowed down from the top of the vault, but only a few seconds later, the large dark-steel door had disappeared entirely, and I could see all the way through the room that the vault space had been overlapping. I’d officially just stolen a city’s worth of loot.
In the next moment, the unexpected happened. It wasn’t an alarm, or a random guard with bad timing, but a growing suction force coming from where the vault had been. It was as if all the air in that large space had been pushed back while the vault had existed in the world’s space, but once it was gone, something needed to take its place.
I threw myself against the wall and grabbed ahold of the corner of the wall. My stats made it possible for me to hold on, but the vacuum was enough to lift me off the ground.
Footsteps sped toward me from both ends of the hall. Even as the suction stopped and I landed as lightly back on the ground as possible, a soldier came from around the corner with a look of dread.
A second one joined him a moment later, coming from the same direction I had.
Now what? For the moment they hadn’t seen me, but should I sneak around them, or kill them as swiftly as possible? If they had yet to inform anyone else, I only had one choice. Slowly standing up, I stood a few feet away from the guard who’d been arguing through mind-speak. To the naked eye I was invisible as long as I stayed still, but as soon as I took a long reaching step forward, my form started to bulge like moving water. My fist smashed against his temple before he could respond.
He soared through the air like a dead sack of dirt. The second guard prepared a Fireball, but I didn’t even try to dodge it in my Crimson Incubus Form and slapped it away before he even unleashed it. My fist caught him square in the nose and I heard a loud pop before he was launched toward his friend. It was then that the Fireball exploded behind me and the hall echoed with the detonation.
So much for keeping things quiet.
I surged past the two level 20,000 soldiers without taking the time to take their lives. Before they’d recovered, I reached the end of the hall, turned into the stairwell and placed myself firmly in the corner as Invisibility shrouded over me. Only a moment later, guards flew in from the upper and lower floors through the now illusion-free entrance.
Seeing that I’d escaped their immediate notice, I focused on changing back to my dress attire and my Vampire Form to calm my nerves. Not a single guard took the stairs, but they scanned the stairwell as they flew by. After the initial flood of guards had arrived on the third floor, I stepped out of Invisibility and descended in the most conceited manner possible. As a Trueblood, such disturbances were beneath my notice.
Chapter 38 – Sunrise
I joined those fleeing from the second floor. It looked like even that small explosion had alerted the whole building. Just what was going on? It was a clear overreaction.
Everyone else was running down the stairs as quickly as possible, including the Truebloods. It wasn’t long before well-dressed Truebloods were even flying down from the upper floors. Though they landed below in a more dignified manner than most, they were still swift to exit the shaft.
Even when people rushed up from behind me, I continued my leisurely pace and forced them to slow down or go around me. Anything else would put me out of character. Besides, what did I have to worry about? I was the intruder they were fleeing from.
Once at the bottom of the stairs I followed the foot traffic toward the exit. It wasn’t solely foot traffic, for many of the higher level Truebloods flew past and over everyone’s heads. Those that didn’t follow them did the same as I did and pretended to be on a careless stroll as they too headed for the exit. This display of arrogance proved to slow down the entire crowd’s retreat. I wanted to cackle like an overstuffed jackal, but that was unbecoming.
Besides, even if I wasn’t nervous about the suspected terrorist, I was still in danger of being caught.
There were vampire guards floating above the crowd on either side of the exit and waving everyone through the doors. They were more powerful than the Fire Mages and were both at level 40,000.
I proceeded to actively ignore them, but still headed in their direction.
As one of the last ones in line to leave, a guard ran up to me from the crowd and bowed his head. “My lord, please hurry. The building will automatically lock down in a few seconds.”
I didn’t even spare him a look, but hearing what he said, I launched forward and sped past those still trying to exit.
Once outside, I stopped right in front of the entrance and didn’t move as I scanned my surroundings. It strained my moral sensibilities to be that jerk that would stand in everyone’s way when the building was about to be locked down, but inconveniencing them could possibly in some small way improve my chances of escape so I grit my teeth and went full-on jerk mode.
That had been my original intention, but as I scanned my surroundings I found another reason to be frozen in place. There was a long dark-rock sidewalk that went straight through the courtyard that headed to the city street. It was wide enough for the manor’s constant traffic with a field of purple grass on either side. Those that had exited were lined up on the well-kept lawn. There was a row of soldiers blocking their escape.
Those soldiers weren’t alone. In the sky further back, completely encircling the manor, were soldiers hovering and covering every escape. There were hundreds of them. It was a trap.
I rubbed my middle finger on my left hand without looking down to reassure myself that the Master Ring had integrated itself into my flesh and wasn’t visible. That was one less thing to worry about.
There were guards standing in front of me that were shouting orders. Before I paid them any attention, I spotted one vampire with a freakishly powerful aura hovering above the central courtyard looking right at me. Lord Soroush in the flesh. He wore a simple black tunic with a deep cut v-neck that showed off a chiseled chest. He bore into me with the deep red eyes of a Trueblood vampire. His level was just over 60,000.
I peeled my eyes off of him somehow without showing any reaction at all. That is, if being scared stiff doesn’t count.
There was a female guard standing less than a dozen feet in front of me trying to get me to move. Her tone rang with plenty of authority, but I could hear her growing annoyance at my lack of compliance.
For some reason, I thought of Sai as I finally gave her my full attention. Then the images of the clerks’ faces as I was buying things for Jasmine popped into my mind and a plan started to form. They thought I was doting on her, not because I cared about her predicament, but because I wanted her as a willing servant. Though my purchases were an excessive example, how many times had the clothing store or blood shop owners seen a high-blood buying gifts to impress a low-blooded prostitute or slave who could never possibly afford such extravagance on their own? I was nothing but a rich noble womanizer in their eyes. To them, Jasmine was just my most recent purchase. Then I should become what they already believed me to be.
I walked toward the female guard without taking my eyes off her. Stopping just short of her lowered spearpoint, I lustfully scanned her face. With a subtle grin, I gave her a Sai-inspired wink.
The original tension had left her face and she stared back at me completely unsure what had just happened.
I’d already walked in the direction she’d commanded before she had a chance to respond.
I joined the group she had directed me to on the front lawn, and I saw the vampire woman with the black dress I’d seen in the stairwell in a different group. There were a few soldiers guarding our group, which was different than all the other ones. Taking a glance at the people I was standing next to, it seemed it was mostly Truebloods and people dressed outside the normal dress code. A group of foreigners?
It had been more than half a minute when I finally glanced back up at Lord Soroush. I breathed a silent sigh of relief when I fo
und I no longer held his attention.
My options were limited. Staying put might give me a chance to catch my breath, but it was only a matter of time before I was interrogated. I had no true excuse for being in Lord Soroush’s manor, and sightseeing would only make me more of a target. But a young vampire noble chasing after a girl, that was as common as Wererats in the Dungeon Level.
If it were truly the role I was going to play, I couldn’t hold back. Eyeing the vampire in the black dress, I left the group and headed right for her. Creature Observation told me she was level 30,000 and a Full-blood. So she was one rank from Trueblooded…
The soldiers that were guarding our group called after me as soon as I left but didn’t spring into action until I was halfway there. Suddenly three of them appeared in front of me with spears outstretched.
With a wave of my hand, three Intermediate Dark Orbs shot forward to appear a few feet from their noses and hovered there.
“For the inconvenience,” I said, then sidestepped to walk around them.
They continued to verbally command me to return but didn’t make another move to actually stop me. Their boss was floating just above their heads, so they had to put on a show if they wanted a chance of pocketing the orbs without getting in too much trouble.
The group I was determined to join parted as I approached. They were all Full-blooded or higher and wearing what seemed to pass for business attire. Only the lady vampire I had my eyes on didn’t retreat. She lowered her head but didn’t drop her gaze. It was a completely different mentality than the one the city’s low-bloods possessed.
With a deeper bow of my head than was normally appropriate, I hinted at my purpose for approaching her. I was about to say something when a powerful voice called out from above. “Young lord. What is your purpose for your visit today?” It was a voice even a Trueblood couldn’t refuse.
Spinning in place, I looked at the vampire floating above me before bowing my head with the appropriate amount of respect. Then I held his gaze. “Lord Soroush, it is an honor. My father has instructed me to be courteous if I had a chance to meet you, so I will answer with complete honesty. I’ve just arrived in your fair city today and happened to see a fine dress with a charming pair of legs, so I had to pursue it.” With a motion of my hand, I directed his attention to the woman that stood alone a few strides away from me. She was suddenly petrified as all eyes fell on her.
Not only was she surprised beyond belief, the hundreds of people on the lawn or floating above looked totally baffled.
I gave the girl a sidelong glance which drew her attention. As an arrogant young lord, I used the opportunity to offer her a proposition. “My lady,” I said with a grin. “My name is Mirza and it would greatly please me if you would become my consort for a time.” With the flick of my wrist, a Master Dark Orb flew towards her and stopped a few feet from her face. “I promise you I’ll make it worthy of your time.”
She stared at the orb for a long moment before dropping her gaze to the ground for the first time. She seemed terribly conflicted. I hadn’t just offered her an incredible prize, but also called her lady which was inappropriately flattering coming from a Trueblood.
Then a Full-blooded vampire stepped up to stand at her side, grabbing her shoulder and wrapping his arm around her back. He certainly didn’t look happy, but still bowed his head respectfully. “My lord, she is my wife.”
Well, that was embarrassing. What could I say now…? I watched him carefully for a moment before replying. “I see. Then if you both agree, when our time together is complete, I’ll return her to you as a Trueblood which should benefit you both. Are these terms acceptable?”
I tossed out another Master Dark Orb for good measure and held it there magically floating before his face. My actions were threatening to make me sick to my stomach, but I didn’t relent for a second.
Both of them stood there speechless. The amount of wealth I was offering was probably years’, or even decades’, worth of their salaries combined, but the offer to make her Trueblooded was even more priceless. It was likely something neither of them would be able to achieve in their entire lives. The change in status alone could change everything for them.
“Enough,” Lord Soroush rumbled. “If you’re cleared you can continue your…business… after the thief is found.”
“Forgive me, my lord,” I replied casually. “I’ve always been told that my lack of patience is my foremost character flaw, but I’d never knowingly miss an opportunity to honor you. I will acquiesce until this business of yours is finished.”
I walked over and stood directly next to the girl in the black dress. I could almost feel her nerves as I came near. With a wave of my hand, I collected the two Master Dark Orbs that they had yet to take out of the air and deposited them.
“Don’t worry,” I whispered where both of them could hear. “My full offer still stands.”
I didn’t get any closer to her than I already was. I feared that if I even accidently bumped her, my self-disgust would finally show through and my entire act would fall apart. In truth, I was more surprised at what I just done then they’d be if they found me out.
Looking up at Lord Soroush, I found he was still watching me. Was my performance not good enough?
“Young Lord Mirza,” Lord Soroush said, clasping his hands behind his back. “What is your family name and the true purpose of your visit to Persepolis? Don’t tell me that you travelled all the way to this border city just to purchase women?”
I offered him a grin, which was the first nervous twitch I’d let slip through. “I mean no disrespect, but my family name I’d like to keep to myself in such a public setting. If you’d be willing to meet me in private, I’d happily give it to you personally. As for my purpose commissioned by my father, it’s for business, of course. I was going to seek you out before leaving anyways and naturally disclose this. Concerning this theft that you’ve mentioned, may I ask what was stolen?”
“My branch family’s master vault,” he said, lowering his tone.
“Is that all? I can understand your dilemma, but let me reassure you, I have no need for the contents of your vault.” Holding up my hand, Dark Magic started to spin until it became incredibly dense then slowly formed a spiral. The spiral grew and in a matter of seconds it was already the size of a silver dollar. Just a moment later, the spiral was complete, and a dark mana shell started to form and fill in. Fifteen seconds from start to finish, an Intermediate Dark Orb was created before everyone’s eyes. I would have chosen a higher rank one but those took more time to create. The gasps from the crowd were enough to tell me that it had been enough to make my point.
“You’re not even level 20,000 and have mastered mana manipulation to the point of being able to create a Mana Orb?” Lord Soroush said in disbelief.
I tossed it up to him and he snagged it before giving it a closer look.
“Flawless…” he said under his breath.
“I hope this offers you some reassurance as to my true intentions and hints at my family origins.” I stood stiffly looking up as I awaited his response. If this didn’t work, then I was in trouble and would have to use the name of a prevalent family that I knew nothing about except their standing on the vampire social ladder.
“My lord,” hollered a soldier captain as he sped toward Lord Soroush. The two soldiers who had escorted Jasmine and me out of town followed closely behind him. “I have information on this young lord.”
While still eyeing the Mana Orb, Lord Soroush listened to the man, who lowered his voice and began telling him about the incident earlier today when they tried to stop me. The information should be good for my case, but then again, I had already left town with the dark elf vampire. That could be considered strange at the least.
Lord Soroush nodded when his man finished speaking then looked up to me. “Young Lord Mirza, your explanation is more than sufficient,” he said with a deep bow of his head. “Forgive me for suspecting you.”
�
��That’s not necessary,” I said graciously. “Your dilemma has forced your hand. I’ll call on you in a day or two when the turbulent waters have calmed.”
“I look forward to it.”
Internally I howled in relief-stricken laughter. Somehow I’d fooled this old fart. The weeks of pretending to be a vampire had paid off. In their eyes, I was a young lord with some extraordinary background, and the freak ability to create my own mana orbs decades or even centuries before I should be capable of such things. Of course, someone with my background would go around and spend money like candy and have an arrogance that was unparalleled even among vampires.
Another problem presented itself. I had no doubt that Lord Soroush wouldn’t stop me if I tried to leave, but if I suddenly left without pursuing the girl beside me, it might cause him to give me a second look.
I turned to face her with the intention of telling her that I would call on her later as well when she grabbed ahold of my arm and squeezed it tight with both arms.
I thought I’d already been standing with good posture, but suddenly I straightened and found another inch of height had been hiding somewhere.
Her husband was already bowed at the waist before me. He spoke softly. “Thank you for gracing my wife with your favor, my lord. If you’d kindly wait for Lord Soroush to clear us to go, she can leave with you presently.”
I blinked at the man and just stood there unanswering. I wanted to snap at them, but I’d dug my own hole and would have to wait there for an opportunity to get out.
The woman looked up at me with open eyed willingness.
I almost threw her down the street, but instead gave her a dry smile. “Very well…” I withdrew a Master Orb and handed it to the man, then handed her one as well. I wondered how it would go over if I told her I wouldn’t hesitate to trade her for a single slice of cave-swine bacon. Even a bite would be enough.
With things firmly out of my hands, I waited with the girl on my arm while they finished scanning the building and questioning the group of new faces. As for the other groups of people lined up on the lawn, they weren’t even looked at. Which meant there might be some way they could tell which people were theirs and maybe even had a quick way to know if they possessed the Master Ring or not.
Underworld - Scorching Sun: A LitRPG Series Page 37