Destroying The Lair (3)

Once again, I escaped the clutches of death and felt my body gradually reconstructing and strengthening itself, from my bones to my skin. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed, and I could feel the cool breeze on my naked skin. I coughed lightly notifying to the team that I was back.

My companions, Lorn, Kelia, and Arum, who were in the midst of their conversation, heard me and quickly turned their attention towards me. Arum appeared to be free from any harm, and it seemed that Kelia and Lorn had successfully defeated the last magi. "You're back!" Lorn exclaimed, clearly relieved.

Although he knew I was immortal, Lorn was seemingly still iffy about the things I could survive. Maybe the doubt had to do with his incomprehension of my condition. Even with his vast knowledge, he couldn't recall a case like mine. Still, he never hesitated when it was time to put my life in danger.

He was quite the character.

As Arum approached me, he patted my shoulder and threw me the white robe of one of the deceased magi. I could tell from the smile on his face that he appreciated my assistance, but deep down, I knew that he would have found a way to survive regardless. This team, led by Chloe, was made up of individuals who were anything but simple-minded; they were all profoundly hidden in their own ways.

As I ran my fingers over the smooth material of the white robe, I marveled at its luxurious feel. It was soft and cool against my skin, almost like silk, but somehow even better. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of fabric it was made of.

"Magic robes." Kelia answered simply.

"Couple runes for defense and fit-sizing." Lorn completed.

I nodded, impressed by the ingenuity of the design. It was no wonder that the robe fit me so perfectly. As I stroked the fabric, I was amazed at how well it had been crafted. It felt like I wasn't wearing anything at all.

"So, what did I miss?" I asked, eager to catch up on what had happened in my absence.

"Arum was catching us up on his experience making his way here," Lorn began. "It was like ours mostly except he was with the twins. The twins have imprinted Chloe as a member of their pride, because of this, they can track her by scent. After getting rid of most of the riff-raff in the spatial maze, they quickly found the exit."

As Lorn spoke, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern for Chloe. If the twins were tracking her, then that meant she was in danger. But I quickly reminded myself that she was not an average vampire. Unless there were truly heavy hitters like the demon I had just fought off with Kelia, I believed she was in no danger.

After all, demons couldn't just cross into this world by themselves. A skillful mage was needed, powerful too. They didn't exist in huge numbers. Also, even if the demons could step into this plane through summoning, they could only stay for brief period.

The mage I met previously was skillful but not powerful enough to succeed. He needed to sacrifice himself and his cohort of 20 mages to achieve the summoning. That mage had also assured me that he was the only one capable of summoning a demon in this place. I had also talked with Lorn about the specifics when we met up.

"When they reached the manor, the twins smelled Chloe's blood," Lorn continued, "they became frantic and left Arum to deal with well..." He pointed at the corpses around us.

I nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation. So it was like I had guessed, Chloe was purposefully led here. But why was she the target? That was the question that plagued me.

As I mulled over the possibilities, I remembered the connection I had with Chloe. I could still feel it, which meant that she was still in this world. Maybe the boss of this place was giving her a good fight, or maybe she had already taken care of him. Whatever the case, my worry for Chloe had dissipated.

The only worrying thing here was the overarching goal pursued by this group. What was their endgame, and how did Chloe fit into it? These were the questions that I needed to answer, and fast.

As I let my thoughts wander, my eyes scanned the surroundings, and that's when I caught sight of the remains of a vampire lying on the ground. My focus quickly shifted to the black clothes the vampire was wearing, adorned with a symbol that seemed oddly familiar. As I tried to recall where I had seen it before, Kelia interrupted my train of thought by tapping my shoulder, signaling us to move on. I pushed aside my doubts and followed her up to the next floor.

Each step we took, we encountered numerous enemies, whether they were lurking in ambush or attacking us head-on. Despite their attempts to slow us down, we persevered and reached a massive wooden door. I silently thanked Lorn for his exceptional eyesight, which helped us navigate the labyrinth of traps and hazards throughout the mansion. It was clear that whoever built this place had a twisted and sadistic mind, and their intent was to make us suffer.

As I stepped forward to open the door, a magical barrier halted my progress. However, to my relief, the barrier wasn't soundproof, and I could hear the ruckus beyond it. The twins were unleashing their feline roars while the sounds of flesh colliding and small explosions filled my ears. It was clear that a fierce battle was taking place on the other side of the door.

"Lorn, do your thing," I commanded, spreading my hand towards the barrier. Lorn, with a chuckle, stepped forward and drew his sword from the void. As always, he looked extremely cool and suave. He should be able to manifest his sword instantly without the theatrics, but he loved showing off.

With a mutter, the sword was alight with intricate runes that seemed to dance across the blade. He took a stance and slashed forward vigorously, yelling, "SPELL-BREAKER!" The barrier tore apart before exploding, releasing a small wave that made my skin tingle.

As Lorn sheathed his sword, the upper part of the imposing wooden door slid down with a loud noise. We stepped inside, and chaos ensued.

The twins were engaged in a fierce battle with several vampires and a couple of mages who kept their distance, launching attacks from afar. The vampires were wearing similar clothes to those I had encountered earlier, and Chloe was nowhere to be seen. We found ourselves in a massive library, and the number of vampires was overwhelming.

I felt my gaze turn cold as I realized that there was no way so many vampires could appear in Sebas's territory without his knowledge. Finally, I recognized the emblem on their clothing, and it hit me. I had seen it in Sebas's mansion, above a fireplace. These were traitors, they betrayed Chloe's family and slaughtered a lot of innocent lives.

I thought about the souls I freed before finding this place. A nameless fire burned inside me. It's name was fury.

They had to be stopped. Permanently.