Paragox

Vampires were beings who considered themselves supreme above all others. Intelligent and cunning, they had established their own economy and held respect in the highest regard. Within their hierarchy, respect was directly correlated with strength; the stronger the individual, the greater the respect commanded. Therefore, when Zephyr mocked the vampire, it not only wounded his pride but also challenged the very foundation of their social order.

The vampire, already at the bottom of the hierarchy among his kind, craved respect and recognition. To have a mere weak human dare to speak to him in such a disrespectful manner was intolerable.

"Die, you insolent fool!" the vampire roared, his fingers elongating into sharp, deadly claws. With lightning speed, he swung his hand, aiming to deliver a fatal slash toward Zephyr's head, intent on ending his life on the spot.

Zephyr, despite his weakened state, was not afraid. Though his physical form may have been diminished, his combat skills remained formidable. Once the vampire lord, Zephyr had honed his skills in combat to a razor's edge. Whether armed with a weapon or relying solely on his fighting prowess, he possessed the ability to vanquish his foes with ease, relying on his exceptional fighting style to prevail.

As the vampire's claw came hurtling towards him with blinding speed, Zephyr's instincts kicked in. Despite his slower reflexes compared to the vampire's lightning-fast movements, Zephyr managed a perfectly timed sidestep, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack. However, his agility wasn't enough to completely evade the strike, and he felt a searing pain as the tip of the vampire's claw grazed his shoulder.

"Damn it! I'm still too slow," Zephyr muttered through gritted teeth, clutching his wounded shoulder. With a backward step, he created distance between himself and the shocked vampire, assessing the situation and readying himself for what would come next.

'What in the world? How did that human manage to evade my claw?' the vampire thought, utterly bewildered by Zephyr's agility. Frowning in confusion, the vampire peered closely at Zephyr once more, his glowing pupils flaring brightly before dimming again.

'I just scanned his body, but there's no aura that matches the description of those champions. So he isn't a champion... What's going on?' the vampire pondered, unable to comprehend how a seemingly ordinary human could possess such remarkable reflexes.

The vampire's rage intensified as he grappled with the perplexing situation. Despite Zephyr's frail appearance and apparent lack of nourishment, he had somehow managed to evade the vampire's attack with surprising agility. The vampire's desire to strike Zephyr down intensified, no longer underestimating the seemingly weak human.

Just as the vampire prepared to launch another attack, another voice echoed in the chamber, interrupting the impending violence.

"Hey, Barh! What are you doing attacking the humans?" a commanding voice interrupted, emanating authority as it addressed the vampire. The voice seemed to come from right in front of the cell door, causing Barh to halt in his tracks.

Upon turning around and seeing who had spoken, Barh quickly straightened up. "Yes, sir!" he responded, acknowledging the authority figure before swiftly obeying the command to open the other cells and bring the slaves out.

As the bald vampire swiftly exited the room, he cast a final glance at Zephyr and muttered words that Zephyr managed to pick up. "Our little conversation ain't over," the vampire remarked before departing the cell.

Zephyr's expression remained indifferent upon hearing the vampire's threat. His calm demeanor didn't waver, even as the other vampire remained in the room, observing him closely. Despite the recent confrontation, Zephyr displayed no hint of fear in his eyes, standing tall with an air of pride as if he hadn't just narrowly escaped death.

Locking eyes with the vampire, Zephyr couldn't help but notice the vampire's attire and demeanor, prompting one thought to dominate his mind.

Zephyr couldn't shake the feeling that this vampire was stronger than the last one, evident from the authoritative manner in which he commanded his subordinate. "You vampires are quite the bastards, you know," Zephyr thought bitterly. "Losing to a weak vampire and getting injured is a disgrace, but only time will tell how long this humiliation will continue."

His anger simmered beneath the surface, fueled by the insult to his pride and his identity as a king.

Meanwhile, the vampire observed Zephyr's wound, his pupils briefly lighting up before returning to normal. "Human, you'd better cover up that wound," he advised, his tone surprisingly measured. "It wouldn't be wise to walk around with such an injury, lest you become prey for vampires who struggle to control themselves around blood."

With blood still seeping from his injured shoulder, Zephyr tore a long piece of his worn shirt, the fabric giving way easily due to its age. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he tightly wrapped the cloth around his wounded shoulder, applying pressure to staunch the bleeding. Already feeling drained from the loss of blood, Zephyr knew that any more blood loss could prove fatal. So, he did his best to secure the makeshift bandage, hoping it would suffice to prevent further injury and keep him from succumbing to his wounds.

"Now, it's time to work in the mine," the vampire declared, prompting Browny and the others to rise to their feet and march out of the cell. Zephyr, though perplexed by the vampire's words, followed suit and joined them, feigning understanding of the situation despite being clueless.

Zephyr couldn't shake the curiosity about what the vampire meant by "work." His mind buzzed with questions, but he suppressed them for the time being, choosing instead to focus on keeping pace with Browny and the others as they exited the cell.

'Finally out of that crappy cell,' Zephyr thought with a hint of relief as they stepped into the open. Despite the uncertainty of their situation, the prospect of leaving the confines of the cell brought a sense of freedom, however fleeting it may be.

Zephyr's frustration at being confined in the cave-like cell had reached its limit, but now that he was free from its confines, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. As he traversed the passageway lined with cells on either side, he observed other vampires opening the cells and releasing additional slaves. The slaves from various cells merged together, forming a single file line as they were ushered along the passage.

Joining the procession, Zephyr fell into step with Browny and the others, his mind racing with questions about their destination and what awaited them outside the confines of the underground prison.

"Well, it seems the vampires have grown foolish in my absence," Zephyr mused silently as he observed the vampires using humans as workers in what appeared to be a mining operation. The notion struck him as nonsensical; humans, especially those weakened and starved like the ones he had seen, were far inferior to supernatural slaves in terms of efficiency and capability. Zephyr couldn't comprehend the reasoning behind such a decision.

'Either they are intentionally subjecting them to suffering, or they are being used as food,' Zephyr pondered, though he dismissed the latter possibility given that the vampires could have easily fed on the humans if they so desired. 'Which means they are deliberately causing their suffering under the orders of a higher-ranking vampire,' he concluded, his mind racing with thoughts about the motivations behind such cruelty.

Zephyr recognized that vampires typically operated under the leadership of a stronger individual, and he suspected that such a figure might be present in this place.

'Well, it's none of my business,' Zephyr reasoned silently. 'I'll just have to lay low, gather information, and then make my escape.' He had been formulating an escape plan for some time now, unwilling to accept his current status as a slave. Despite his current circumstances, Zephyr retained his pride as a vampire, a sense of dignity that stemmed from his past as the vampire king. Though defeated, he still held onto the pride of once reigning at the top.

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