Underworld - Vampire Gate: A LitRPG Series Page 4

  Travis slowed when he was unable to spot anything. I lifted higher into the air but slowed with him.

  “On the ceiling,” I whispered. “Directly above our path. Do you see it?”

  Finally spotting the mob, he marveled, “That’s a mob? It’s not even breathing. Is it?”

  Realizing it had been spotted, the Drakyrd came alive with a swirl from its dark magic aura.

  “Remember this one? It’s able to play dead,” I replied as we upped our pace.

  “Oh yeah,” Travis said, cocking his spear back in an underhanded grip.

  Giving the creature a quick observation, I found something rather surprising.

  Drakyrd

  Level 1,067

  HP: 47,611

  Strength: 1,115

  Dexterity: 3,621

  Constitution: 899

  “Careful,” I called. “It’s over level 1,000.”

  “I got it. Back me up!” he said, increasing his speed even more.

  We were closing in when the Drakyrd exploded from the ceiling. The power behind its jump sent it on a terrifying collision course with my friend.

  Travis didn’t slow. A swelling of his mana ballooned from his legs and core.

  I cranked Mana Sight to full power as Travis’s mana burst. It propelled him forward so fast that his entire form blurred during his last couple of strides, and, despite the speed the Drakyrd was flying, he had to leap to meet the creature in the air so as not to run underneath it. His mana moved from his legs and core, up into his shoulders and arm. Thrusting up, all the built-up energy he was holding back flooded into his spear and all the way up its shaft. Reaching the spear's point, the energy didn’t stop, but extended up to meet the lion-lizard.

  The air resonated with a definitive crack. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Travis’s attack met with the monster, bringing it to a stop. His spear struck the Drakyrd dead center, piercing its ribcage. Using the creature’s momentum and weight against it, his attack punched a hole in the creature’s armor-like flesh and burrowed through it and out its back. Three full meters of energy spear shot out its top, leaving the creature impaled.

  The world spun back into motion. The energy extension of Travis’s spear disappeared, and he pulled his physical spear out of the creature’s chest in a smooth motion. In the same movement, he flipped in the air, landing feet first on the creature’s side, and launched himself away before they both collided with the ground. Landing in a roll, Travis was on his feet a moment later at a safe distance.

  I expected the creature to already be dead, but its Dark Mana burned brighter as it slowly came to its feet. Its serpentine maw was pulled back in a snarl. Its HP had been halved from Travis’s attack, but he’d also managed to leave it enraged.

  It charged toward me on all fours as if it were going to pounce.

  I let it come. From the corner of my eye, I saw Travis try to intercept it, but he was too far away to reach us in time.

  Sorry, friend. This one’s mine.

  It rocketed toward me to rip me from the sky. As it closed, my tail whipped around, swiping at its head in a cord of white light. It was a strand of Life Mana from my Light Surgeon Form. After a single swipe of my tail, its glow was cut off and replaced with a skeletal tail. A single beat of my wings with some extra strength pulled me back and out of the way of the creature’s momentum. As it dropped toward the earth, its head and outstretched paw fell away from the rest of its body and rolled awkwardly across the ground. The rest of it collapsed in a heap.

  I glanced back at the lich. He gave me an awkward nod to let me know that I’d kept my Light Magic at an acceptable level so as to not broadcast that we were here.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Travis whined.

  “Muahahahaha!” I gave what I felt was an appropriate Crimson Incubus response. Any hope of appearing menacing disappeared as Travis pulled back his faceplate and crossed his arms over his chest in protest.

  He didn’t finish there. “I just put my life on the line to throw the perfect counter. But you’re just hovering there, flapping your wings like a giant red ladybug, and with a flick of your tail you kill it in a single shot. How is that fair?”

  “I apologize for my awesomeness,” I replied. “I didn’t know it was going to work that well actually.”

  “Of course you didn’t.”

  “Quiet. Both of you,” Shamash said, catching up to us. He floated over to stand before Travis. “This is a perfect example as to why it’s so important for you to learn a school of magic. Elorion didn’t just pit Light Magic against Dark, but the right aspect of Light Magic, Life against Corruption. His tail possessed a higher concentration of magic than the Drakyrd had and his attack met little resistance because of it. Most elements won’t have the same level of effect, even against elements they’re weak against, but, in the right situations, your school of magic will give you an upper hand against enemies that are of an even higher level than you.”

  Travis didn’t flinch back from our undead friend but stepped closer. “What is Metal’s opposite?”

  I let myself drop to the ground to loot the Drakyrd as they spoke. It had nearly two hundred levels on me but hadn’t quite given me enough experience to level up. I’d likely receive some stats when draining it though. The loot I found wasn’t lying on the ground but was only visible thanks to Mana Sight and lodged deep inside of the Drakyrd’s torso.

  “Since Metal is a sub-element of Earth, it shares Wind as its opposite. An element’s opposite isn’t always its weakness though. What do you think would be Metal’s weakness?” the lich said.

  I was doing my best to listen because I too wanted to know the answer. Examining the Drakyrd’s corpse made that more difficult. I was looking for the easiest and cleanest way to get at what was inside. Instead of using a micro-transformation to gain access to Light Surgeon again, I’d test my Light Magic’s other variant to see how well it worked.

  “Fire,” Travis responded to the lich’s question.

  “Yes. But it was also a trick question. Fire, or heat, is able to weaken the structure of Metal, but Water could also weaken it by causing it to rust. The process takes much longer, but with the addition of Nature, the process could be sped up. Those are only a couple of possibilities. Nature is a sub-element of Earth and Water, but even sub-elements can be further refined. The specialty Acid could be used as a powerful counter to Metal.”

  Stopping a moment before proceeding to burn the object out of the mob we’d just killed, I focused fully on what the lich was saying.

  “Metal has its own counter to such attacks. As you master it, you will gain access and understanding of how to manipulate it and use different metals. You’ll be able to choose a metal with a higher melting point or one that is rust-resistant. In time, you’ll even be able to create alloys that would mix the characteristics of different kinds. The further you progress and the better you understand your element, the more formidable you’ll become.”

  I saw that Travis was staring at the ground—humbled and captivated by the lich’s revelations about his chosen School of Magic. It made me realize how little we really understood. Up until now, we’d faced very few true magic users, and most of those that we had were just as weak and lacking in knowledge as we were. Once we made it to the Vampire Gate, that would change. Perhaps we’d even face more advanced magic creatures in the dungeons we were heading to…

  Pushing my worries aside, my Laser cut into the Drakyrd’s side, slowly parting flesh and bone. “I’ve found something,” I said in wonderment as I realized what it was. I’d spent quite a bit of mana just to keep the creature’s blood from getting on me, but, when I saw what was inside of it, I plunged my hand in and grabbed it without care. Holding it up for the others to see, I couldn’t help but feel a bit giddy.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Travis said, suddenly hurrying past the lich and hunching forward as if it helped him see it even from a dozen feet away.

  “A lesser dark o
rb,” the lich said. “Is it the first you’ve found?”

  I shook my head, feeling a bit confused. “We killed a Hell Hound that had one, but we’ve killed Drakyrds before and the others didn’t carry any.”

  “They were weaker, yes? Lower in level?”

  “That’s right.”

  “And that is why. Many monsters can’t produce a true orb until they reach a certain level or have been alive for some time. Even lesser monsters like these have varying talents. Some may be physically stronger or faster, while others have greater concentrations of mana.”

  As Travis reached me, he leaned forward even more until his nose was only a hand’s length from the Dark Orb. “Should we take it back to Sanctuary for the others?” he said.

  “No need. This is not the last orb you’ll come across. I expect there to be many in the near future. They also have many uses outside of empowering a dungeon. If we find some Metal Orbs, they will even increase your chances of learning Metal Magic when the time comes.”

  “You mean there’s a chance that I won’t be able to learn it?”

  “No. You’ll be able to learn it, but it can take time. Orbs have a chance of speeding up the process. That is the true danger of learning new schools of magic. It can take days, sometimes weeks, to unlock a new one. The more elements you know, the longer it takes. Metal is also a rare sub-element, which can take even longer to learn. Since it's your first school, I’d guess it will take you about a week, maybe less with enough orbs. But while you’re at it, Elorion will have to defend you from every mob that wants access to the vein—and you won’t be able to help him fight without a big setback to your progress. Trying to unlock Metal will take all of your concentration and much of your strength.”

  I deposited the orb as I took in what the lich was saying. In truth, I wasn’t worried about Travis while he was trying to learn Metal. My ability to restore my mental and physical exhaustion was the perfect ability for such a job. But what would happen when it came time for me to learn my new school of magic? Before Travis had joined us, I would have been alone with the lich to learn any new element. If it could take so long, how had the lich expected me to learn a new element and defend myself? With Travis here, that would make things easier, but I needed to make sure he became powerful enough to protect me. The lich might have some tricks in mind, but he certainly wasn’t willing to kill for me. He had to have some kind of plan, but then why was he saying I’d have to defend Travis? I watched the undead lich for a long moment. He had to be hiding something, but why?

  Casting Drain, I was happy to see a new bunch of stats added to my Character Sheet.

  +71 Dex

  +5 Int

  As we stood, I patted Travis’s shoulder and said, “I got you.”

  Flipping his faceplate closed, he fastened it and gave me a knowing look.

  Realizing it had been a while since I checked his stats, and after seeing his incredible counter, I asked to see his character sheet.

  He was happy enough to show me.

  Travis

  Level: 471

  Attributes

  Strength: 307

  Dexterity: 2,089

  Constitution: 378

  Intelligence: 139

  Wisdom: 102

  I first saw that he’d already placed his most recent stat gains in Intelligence as we’d discussed. Despite that, his Dexterity had also gone up 15, Strength by 5 and Constitution by 14. All of that was just from the natural use of his body and abilities—or working out. It was something that was impossible for me because I regenerated too fast for my muscles to break down enough to grow in the same way. I couldn’t exactly justify letting myself be jealous when I had so many of my own advantages.

  “How does your Werewolf Form affect your stats?” I said.

  “It doubles my Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, and gives me 298 HP regeneration per second currently,” he replied.

  “It doubles them?”

  “Yup.”

  I knew his form would be better than my blue magic version, but mine gave me a max of 1,000 to each physical stat at level 100. After that, there were no gains to make. His would improve as he gained more physical stats, indefinitely.

  “How does it scale?”

  He pulled up his form’s details.

  Werewolf Form

  Level: 12

  Strength: +112%

  Dexterity: +112%

  Constitution: +112%

  Special Abilities: Bloodlust, Regeneration.

  Bloodlust: The lust for blood has a clouding effect on the mind, making it difficult to think of anything other than your prey. As you master this form, you’ll gain control over your bloodlust and it will turn from an internal enemy to a well-honed weapon.

  Regeneration: +298 HP Regenerated Per Second

  Next Level:

  +1% Strength

  +1% Dexterity

  +1% Constitution

  +8 HP Regenerated Per Second

  I stared at it blankly, not believing there was such a discrepancy between our two forms. His was incredible, making mine look rather blah—like watered down ranch dressing…

  “You’ve gotta master this, man. Once you do, every point you put in Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution will be like adding 3 with a single click. I wonder, if your buffs push you over 1,000 will they give you the stat bonus? Are you going to add to your Strength and Constitution to find out?”

  “No,” he barked, catching me off guard. “At least, not yet. I want to get control first.”

  I knew his inability to control his transformation bothered him, but this was the first time he’d almost bit my head off while in his human form.

  “Sorry,” I said, offering him a soft smile.

  Bringing his hand up to palm the back of his head, he sighed. “No. I shouldn’t have said it like that. Sorry, man.”

  “No problem. Really. Tonight when you transform we’ll have to try something new. Let’s see if hunting mobs as a werewolf improves your control.”

  Dropping his hand to the side, he looked up like he was stretching his neck. Even though he was hiding beneath his helmet, I could tell he was still disappointed with his reaction. He lowered his head a few seconds later—facing me. “Okay.”

  Chapter 6 – Bloodlust

  Before Travis transformed that night, we both had the opportunity to speak with the girls. As good as it was to hear from Aeris, it had the opposite effect I thought it would. Instead of relief, I felt the wound of my defeat reopen. The following night, it was the same, except it tore wider each time I revisited it.

  Even though it didn’t hide my Light Magic signature as well as my Crimson Incubus Form, I used my Werewolf Form to hunt with Travis. There were a few adjustments I made, of course, including Magma Fist and Crimson Incubus Fist replacing my hands. The main reason was that it would speed my transformation and magic use, but also because it didn’t feel as gross killing weak creatures with my bare hands if I had an extra layer of magic between us. Werewolf Form was too intimate. I felt everything, which wasn’t something I enjoyed.

  I also kept my Fire Incubus wings tucked tight against my back and my tail was ready in its skeletal state. Skeletal Armor covered me from head to toe—only my jaw, tail and wings remained exposed. I’d considered extending armor over my mouth to dissuade me from taking a bite out of mobs during our fights, but then I wouldn’t be able to speak well either. I’d just have to stay focused.

  Doing so proved to be more difficult than I would’ve ever imagined. One unexplained ability of the Werewolf Form was how werewolves fed off one another’s bloodlust. When Travis engaged the enemy, his bloodlust pulled at me, insisting that I join him. I was able to keep control of my mind, at first, allowing me to make my own decisions, but the longer I fought in the presence of this primal instinct the more I had to admit that there was more to it than I’d initially thought. As time went by, I gave myself over to it—not completely, but I let it direct me like a composer did an
orchestra.

  This was Bloodlust’s true strength. Through its pull I could read Travis. I knew when he would attack and how. By our second night together, there was even more revealed. The anger I felt about not having Aeris here, about her being taken from me, made me susceptible to the ability in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if she were still present with me.

  The brown glow of Earth Mana filled the wide tunnel before us and above. There had to be forty Earth Imps foraging in the immediate area that we’d just happened upon during our high-speed hunt. We’d already wiped out over a dozen groups of mobs in the first hour after his transformation. Since leaving Sanctuary, this was easily the largest and most dangerous group we had encountered. Still, they were imps, so either they were under level 100 and hadn’t transformed into succubi, or, what was more likely, they were under level 1,000 and hadn’t evolved to incubi.

  Through Bloodlust’s connection, I could sense Travis was about to take advantage of the element of surprise and tear into the closest imp on our right. I took the left, crushing the life out of an imp with an overhand right. Striking him on the back of the head, he was dead before he knew what hit him. Travis was already on the next imp when I took a moment to observe the area and the responses of the closer imps.

  Bloodlust tugged at the corner of my mind and caught the thread of bitterness that had been growing inside of me. I allowed it to pull at the thread and it began to unravel. I could’ve stopped it, but I didn’t. As it took over, it was as if I’d breathed in blood itself and that my lungs were designed to inhale the stuff while I was in this Form. My control didn’t disappear but took a back seat to a different state of mind. Even then I could have pulled myself from the trance, but why should I? My heart pounded and it wasn’t alone. The heart of my friend thundered in perfect sync with my own.

  Outside the scope of my vision, I became aware. I felt what Travis felt, just as he was feeling what I did. Bloodlust wasn’t as gruesome as I’d once believed. It was the joining of the heart and mind in the sole purpose of battle—of bringing death.