Master Of None

It was like walking in to another world. The party had used some mana but were overall uninjured. Small scrapes and scratches, nothing major. But still, the entrance to the vampire castle was like a barrier.

As soon as they stepped through that threshold, the air felt stale and dense. The sounds of battle outside also were dampened. It was an entirely different environment filled with much more darkness mana than what Walker expected to find.

Not that he was sure what they would find at all. He was very confused why there were not many monsters in here. There were so many vampiric monsters forced to slumber and wait for orders within the city around the vampire castle. Yet, there were none here other than the vampire spawn; shadow walker.

Yet, that was just a butler. A servant left to guard the courtyard and the gates. What else could there be? What other members of the castle were sitting in waiting with unique methods of attack. Unique skills. Different forms that the party had no idea how to handle right away.

The area was not as dark as what they had all expected. Not that a little darkness would be hard. The party had grown much stronger than what they had been at the very start of adventuring. They could easily handle themselves a lot better in dark places. They could even see fairly well. especially Midnight out of all of them.

They could see the surprisingly well unkempt stone walls made of carved bricks from some unknown quarry or magic sculpting skill. There were even rugs, red with gold trip along the floors and the two massive staircases that moved on the sides of the walls to allow a larger opening for a grand entrance.

Paintings adorned the walls, some that made sense since they were landscapes, others that were odd. Monsters or oddly twisted figures that were hard to say what they were. It was very hard to imagine that this ancient race had been so sophisticated even though the one that lived within this castle had fallen to become a monster and not a race at all.

The vampires were from years and years ago. So long that it was hard to track their history. The very same with the immortal king’s people. The only race that was somewhat understandable were the angels. This was because of the sheer multitude of different ruins left behind due to the leaving one continent for another. But they had been a reclusive race.

The vampire race and the immortal king’s race had lived out in the open at some point. The angels had always been locked up away from things. Underground where they could hide from the many ancient monsters which could easily kill off an entire race. That was just the dangers of the world back then. Chaos and survival within that chaos.

Surprisingly, there were event tables. The only issue with the tables were that Walker noticed some odd adornments.

”I know that some times monster materials are used to build furniture and whatever else, but those are other more human bones put inside the wood.” Gil’s sharper eyes caught the teeth of what might have been humans or other similar race’s body parts. The tables were the scariest things, not mentioning the chairs placed here and there.

”I would assume they found it interesting. The vampires and the immortal king’s races were always fighting. They fed on blood or used others as experiments. While it might have been the more ancient times, it definitely shows…well, it shows something.” Walker lost track of what he was saying. He was unsettled by the furniture and potential ancient human remains used on them.

They had literally been called cattle by the butler. A clear cut example of what the ancient humans had been to the vampire race. This might change as the Genesis alliance focused on saving the enslaved vampires, it would still be something the more ancient vampires remembered. They would have had changed and overcome their own mentality on how the world was radically different from what they knew when they had freedom all that time ago.

”Wait, there’s movement on the two staircases.” Su caught the movements from where she stood in front of Midnight. Her eyes focusing on them as they moved.

”The master greets you. You are welcome in to the main hall for a meal.” The chorus of raspy voices matched what clearly was incredible suffering.

Through the dim lighting, Walker could make out enslaved vampires. All forced in to the normal maid uniforms that any nobel would have their staff wear. The general staff that would clean the mansion they lived in. that would serve food. That would take care of general household needs.

These were not the same. While the uniforms must have been created by some race at some time, these uniforms showed the wear and tear from being unkempt for years upon years. The bodies of the enslaved vampires were the same. They were skeletally thin. Their faces appeared to have paper thin skin on them. It was almost a surety that if they did not receive proper nutrition soon, they would perish.

”They must have been forced to wake up during the years to maintain this place. They weren’t dormant like the others in the village houses out there. They have been slaving away…” Remey’s voice was small but it held so much rage that Walker worried she would lose her mind here.

Due to her changes in the path of becoming her own form of dominator dragon, she had become a dragon soul. A unique race but one that still held pride and used incredibly pure forms of mana. Remey had to adjust herself. It took her great control not to run rampant right now and show whatever monster was ahead of them just how she felt about the cruelty it showed the strength she had, but that didn’t mean that the fuse would last forever on that bomb.

The enslaved vampires moved. It appeared that they had only been sent to tell the party their message. ”Walking in to a trap.” Walker was plain and simple on that. Clearly this was a trap. But since they had just walked in to a place without much knowledge of what might be around the corner, they had no choice in where they should go.

Carefully, the walked up the right staircase. Su in the lead while Midnight gathered her strength and watched the rear. Remey was prepared to lash out at anything foolish enough to attack Su and get blocked by her shield. Walker and Gil also at the ready to send ranged attacks. Walker even had the eternal codex in staff form to assist his magical attacks better.

As they moved, the enslaved vampires moved in to side rooms. It was as if they did not have the right to even walk ahead down the hall and through the two massive wooden doors that opened up to a main hall.

Before they even made it to the doors, they opened. Two large armors had moved and opened the doors. The vampire wings on the back along with red dyed metals proving that they had been made with vampires and blood in mind. To represent the more brutal side of the vampire race.

Their slow movement toward the large hall. They could already see the massive tables along the walls. The ornate and shiny red crystal chandeliers. Massive tapestries depicting vampires plaguing other monsters, races, and even each other. It was something that someone clearly took pride in. but would be horrifying to anyone walking inside.

”Oh how the times have changed. My poor army has been weakened to such a level. Those angelic fools still let their cities float about the world. And I can even smell that false immortal on you cattle. But I smell a delicacy. A dragon.”

The rough voice echoed off the stones. Enough that it made the words even more uncomfortable. However, Walker still could not spot the source of the voice. He could only see the dim outline of a massive throne made of what only could be the bones of many different creatures.

”Free the enslaved vampires and we may allow you a better death. You are not part of the world’s true form.” Walker’s voice spoke up with strength. He was using whatever confidence he had to ensure that he did not appear weak to this monster.

”I am much too old for a child to cause me any form of fear. Refrain from those attempts. It was many years ago that I took this throne from the other nobles. Now you walk in my domain.” the castle grew darker at these words.

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