Chapter 143


    "Nightmarese often, dont they, Ash?"


    As the battlefield was drawing to a close, Celendion abruptly posed the question.


    Upon turning, he was still standing there, calmly smiling, despite his subordinates dropping dead around him.


    "..."


    I didnt like it.


    However, it was my role to dy Celendions entry into the battlefield as much as possible while his subordinates were being annihted.


    I decided to pretend to listen attentively to whatever nonsense he was about to spout.


    "Nightmares?"


    "Yes, nightmares."


    "Do people even exist who dont have nightmares?"


    Celendions smile deepened.


    This bastard, who seemed so cold and innocent when we first met, let his guard down too much as the battlefield approached.


    As if he was thoroughly enjoying the war, the death.


    Honestly, it was slightly terrifying to witness these monsters showing their true nature.


    "Nightmares reflect the deepest fears inside a person. They materialize what one fears the most."


    I frowned.


    He was suddenly mumbling about psychology rted to dreams.


    I wished I could give him a book written by Freud or Jung from Earth.


    "But imagine this. What if that nightmare doesnt remain in dreams andes to reality?"


    "...?"


    "What if it emerges from the other side as a monster with a clear form, alive and breathing, and stands before your eyes?"


    Celendion stared intently at the wine ss in his hand.


    "How would you feel then?"


    "What...nonsense is this?"


    "Nightmares arent simply dreams. They are connected to something deeper."


    Celendion drained the wine ss in one gulp.


    The wine bottle was already empty, and that was thest of the wine left.


    "If you truly aim to annihte us and save humanity, you better think about this point."


    Whether this was some nonsensical y or a hint to help clear the game...


    I was left puzzled, unable to figure out which one it was.


    Thud!


    Celendion, cing the empty wine ss on the table, squinted his bloodshot eyes like the moon.


    "Now, young one, let me ask once again... do you have nightmares often?"


    "...?"


    "What do you fear the most?"


    What do I fear the most?


    Without realizing, I got lost in thought. It was...


    "I hope its not something too horrifying."


    Slowly, Celendion shifted his gaze towards the fortress.


    "Because, whatever it is, if you look too deep into it, it may be reality."


    ***


    Kiyaaaaaa-!


    The mid-boss battle of Alpha and Beta. Phase 2.


    The two vampires, whose cores were destroyed and had fallen, stood up again as Fallen Blood vampires.


    They lost their reasoning, but their respectivebat abilities had only increased.


    Alpha rained down even more blood magic than before, and Beta, her whole body covered in muscles, had grown twice as big.


    Alpha and Beta were squeezing out everyst drop of their life force from their source.


    Even if the duration was short, a surge in their specs was unatural.


    "Hiieek! We cant withstand this?!"


    Kugwakwakwak!


    Evangeline screamed while narrowly avoiding the raining blood magic.


    "..."


    Lucas avoided all of Betas axe strikes with his icy gaze.


    He managed to avoid them, but unlike the first phase, he couldnt find an opportunity to counterattack.


    "Godhand, Bodybag! Are you not ready yet?!"


    Evangeline jumped. The fortress she had been standing on until a moment ago had been smashed by blood magic and turned into dust.


    "We are reaching our limit! Quickly, do someth... Aaargh!"


    Crash-!


    Eventually, the relentless blood magic cruelly struck Evangeline who had reached her limit in evading.


    She managed to block it with her shield, but couldnt fully withstand the shock.


    She was flung backward and mmed into the ruins of the fortress. Bang!


    The same was true for Lucas. He had reached his limit.


    Pit-


    A long line of blood ran down Lucass cheek. It was the first time Betas axe de had made contact with his body.


    Pit, pipit-


    Once he allowed one attack, the rest followed like andslide. Lines of blood started to form on Lucass body.


    Bang!


    Lucass breastte shattered into pieces after being hit by the axe.


    Lucas took a strong leap backward, and Betas axe swung upwards in pursuit.


    The next attack was going to hit not the armor, but his throat.


    Just at that moment, when Alpha and Beta took another step towards Evangeline and Lucas, who had been cornered, a light chuckle came forth.


    "Wow..."


    Evangeline, her face covered in dust and bruises, smirked.


    "Leading them sure is a pain. Damn monsters."


    Swoosh!


    A made of silver sprang up from underneath Alpha and Betas feet.


    It was conjured by Godhand using gathered silver nuggets.


    As a metalmancer capable of freely manipting metal, fine craftsmanship wasnt his forte.


    He could only create simple, crude shapes.


    However, as long as it took the form of a, it could serve its function to bind vampires.


    Bodybag moved and adjusted the that Godhand conjured, and at the crucial moment, she used it to bind the enemies.


    Kyaahhh! Kyaahhh!


    Upon seeing the monsters struggle in the silver, Evangeline squawked out.


    "Why did it take so long! We almost died!"


    In the distance, a sweaty Godhand was trying to catch his breath.


    Godhand swallowed repeatedly, his face conveying utter exhaustion.


    "Converting...huff, this amount of silver nuggets...huff, into a on the spot. Its no ordinary feat, it drains a lot...huff...of energy..."


    If he had created such arge silver in advance, vampires would obviously detect it.


    They wouldnte near it.


    The trap could only be used after all the other monsters were eliminated, and Alpha and Beta were in their Fallen Blood state.


    Hence, both the creation and deployment of the had to take ce on the spot.


    Kyaahhhhhh!


    Trapped in the, Alpha and Beta roared, contorting their bodies.


    Alpha tried to use magic even while tangled in the, and Beta attempted to tear the apart with brute force.


    sh!


    Phoo-phoof!


    Before they could, however, Junior, who had rushed forward, countered Alphas magic and thrust her elemental magic into Alphas core.


    Beta was struck by silver arrows in the head, neck, and chest. Damien, who had gotten closer, took out Beta cleanly with a triple shot.


    They couldnt withstand being attacked on their exposed cores while trapped. The two vampires fell intoplete silence.


    "Whew~!"


    Evangeline, dusting herself off as she got up from the rubble, muttered.


    "Did we have to go through all that trouble to capture them...?"


    From the opposite end of the wall, Lucas, who was fixing his tousled hair, responded in a slightly exhausted voice.


    "We needed to prevent their next transformation."


    Alpha and Beta originally have three phases.


    If their health is halved in their Fallen Blood state, they fuse.


    And they be a monster that unleashes both Betas physical attacks and Alphas magic attacks.


    In Ashs words, they were a fucking insane duo till the end.


    But bypletely trapping and killing them using silver, you can skip the third phase altogether.


    But seriously, how did Senior exactly figure out the monsters behavior patterns?


    Evangeline nced down at the wall below.


    Commander Ash of the humans and King Celendion of the monsters were still immersed in their long-winded conversation.


    ...It was surreal.


    That vampire king, stronger than any monster they had ever encountered, and Ash, calmly sipping his drink while engaging in conversation, were a surreal sight.


    That monster could kill Senior with a mere flick of a hand...


    Surely, he must have some basis to be behaving this way.


    Even so, his audacity was beyondprehension.


    In retrospect, Ash had always been like that. He didnt seem to possess the human instinct for self-preservation.


    Was it because he was a cool-headedmander?


    Or was it...


    "Alright, everyone must be tired. But lets prepare for the final battle."


    Lucass words snapped Evangeline back to reality.


    Lucas, having tidied his hair and armor, was back to his usual clean-cut self.


    With a slightly pale face, Lucas looked at the members of the party.


    "...This is the final showdown."


    ***


    The battle on the wall hade to aplete end.


    "Alpha and Beta have fallen."


    Celendion, watching his two subordinates die a gruesome death tangled in the silver, pped in a manner reminiscent of a spectator.


    p, p, p.


    "Well done, humans."


    "..."


    I stared silently at the Vampire King.


    I did not like this.


    Despite losing all 999 of his minions, this monstrous brat didnt lose his cool. It was incredibly irritating.


    "Well, that was a long preamble."


    Celendion turned to me with a cherubic smile and suddenly reached out.


    "Shall we start the real battle now?"


    Thunk!


    "What?!"


    "Lets join the fray."


    An invisible force gripped my throat. As my breath hitched, I was lifted into the air.


    "May I escort you,mb?"


    With that, Celendion kicked off the ground and soared upwards.


    Swoosh-!


    I felt as though the earth and sky had flipped. I let out a scream without even realizing.


    "What kind of escort is this, you crazy son of a bitch!"


    While Celendion climbed leisurely as though on a pleasant stroll on a path of ice and bodies, I was yanked into the air, my throat caught in his magic.


    We reached the top of the fortress walls in mere seconds.


    My party members looked at me with shock written all over their faces.


    "What?!"


    "How did..."


    "Lord! Are you alright-"


    Upon reaching the top of the wall, Celendion immediately flung me aside.


    Thud!


    Thrown towards the trio of archers, I rolled on the ground in a most undignified manner. Ugh!


    "Your Highness!"


    "Prince! Are you hurt?"


    Damien, Skull, and Oldgirl rushed to my aid. Oh, my back...


    "Manners...cough...seem to becking for a Vampire Lord!"


    Struggling to appearposed, I looked up at Celendion with a strained smile.


    "Our negotiations were not yet concluded, were they?"


    "What use is conversation between humans and monsters? Its all futile theorizing. Didnt you think so too?"


    The vampire lords boyish face shed a menacing grin, his long fangs glinting.


    "I have been patient for quite some time. Now... may I eat?"


    "..."


    "I am famished beyond endurance."


    Roarrrr!


    The atmosphere around us roared, and a nauseating scent of blood began to pulse.


    Stage 5 boss.


    The lord of the bloodline. Lord of Crimson.


    No-Life King. Nosferatu. Drac-


    The named monster, Vampire Lord Celendion, known by dozens of aliases, radiated a terrifying bloodlust from his crimson eyes.


    Creak! Creak! Creak!


    My party members stepped forward in unison to block Celendions path. A long sneer spread across the vampire lords lips.


    "I have watched your battles and pondered. Who among you is the most threatening adversary?"


    The slender finger of the boyish vampire pointed at each of my party members in turn.


    "The sniper? The mage? The knight? You all have potential. However..."


    His finger finallynded on me.


    "You are the most dangerous, Ash."


    "...!"


    "Not only did you lead the frontlines here, but you also kept your sanity despite confronting me alone."


    Naturally, normal humans would lose their minds from prolonged exposure to the evil aura exuded by boss monsters, especially in a one-on-one situation.


    But I was unaffected, thanks to my passive skill [Unyielding Commander].


    "You remind me of great humans I have faced in the past... I admit it. You pose a threat on my kings path."


    "I appreciate the overestimation... so, what now?"


    "So, I will take your life first."


    With ominous, flickering eyes, Celendion lifted his gaze and took a step toward me.


    "Consider it an honor. To be the first meal of the Vampire Lords campaign."


    The next moment.


    Swoosh-!


    Celendion lunged at me, and in response, every member of my party rushed towards him, weapons at the ready.


    It was the final confrontation of Stage 5, arguably thest stage of the early part of


    .


    The final battle had begun.