Princeps

Victory was not without its rewards.

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[The Executioner's Cape (Middle Tier)]

[Gold x90]

[XP gained!] [Level up! 13 -> 14]

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Immediately she allocated a point to her Vampire class.

Next on the subject is her cape. The cape was a thing of dark beauty, its fabric as black as midnight, adorned with intricate engravings and silver patterns.

With anticipation, Valaine donned the Executioner's Cape. As the fabric settled around her, she could feel a subtle shift in her abilities. The cape granted her a minor but significant boost in overall stats when facing foes of higher level, a boon that could tip the scales in her favor in dire situations.

But the reward did not end there, Valaine unlocked a passive skill. [Reactive Parry]. Whenever she parries an enemy's strike while wielding dual weapons, there is a 30% chance that would cause the foe to stagger and suffer damage in return. Another useful ability.

Valaine step out of the inner chamber where she fought the minotaur into a vast opulent treasury room. The room is a sight to behold, a mesmerizing chamber dimly lit by flickering torches set in sconces along the walls.

Piles of golden coins, gleaming in the faint light, create small mountains that seem to stretch towards the ceiling. Precious gems, sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow, are scattered among the gold, their beauty magnified by the enchanting ambiance of the room. Antique jewelry, bejeweled crowns, and ornate scepters are strewn haphazardly, as if they were discarded by some long-forgotten monarch.

Trinkets of every shape and size are scattered about. As she wanders her eyes further, she discovers ornate chests and intricately decorated chests, each filled with possibly more treasures waiting to be opened.

In the center of the room, bathed in an ethereal azure glow, lies a magnificent blue magic circle. It's intricately inscribed into the cold, hard floor, its lines and symbols forming a mesmerizing pattern.

Stepping into the mesmerizing blue magic circle was Valaine's choice made with great curiosity or maybe stupidity.

And it instantly whisked her away from the stone room into an entirely new realm. And she now found herself in an otherworldly and surreal arena that appeared to be suspended in the depths of space.

Stars and galaxies stretched out endlessly in all directions, creating a breathtaking celestial backdrop.

The most disconcerting aspect of this surreal arena, however, was the shallow pool of blood that surrounded the arena. It stretched as far as the eye could see, covering the entire arena's surface.

It lapped gently at her ankles, giving an eerie sensation of warmth and coldness simultaneously.

The silence was absolute, and the only sound that broke it was the occasional, soft ripple in the pool as if something unseen disturbed the surface.

As Valaine gazed out into the vastness of the space-filled arena, a feeling of unease washed over her. This looks like a room where she fought the final boss.

Across from her, a great white bipedal lion stares back at her, its eyes glowing with a hellish red light, and donning a silver Roman Lorica armour set. It stands a formidable and what seems to be an armored figure. He stares down at her with cold, piercing eyes, his arms clenched tightly in a cross.

[Leofifth, Tribune of the Blade King Lvl. 20]

"Mine own first challenger" The Tribune of the Blade King booms in a deep, commanding voice. "Has thee did prepare to die by my owneth blade?"

As she watched, the blood begins to stir, ripples spreading out from the center.

"Such disrespect to enter his dungeon, I Leofifth the tribune of his majesty shall dispose of thee"

The Tribune emits a low, rumbling growl, and the blood in the pool begins to shimmer and sparkle in a bright crimson light. The surface ripples and bulges, as if something is rising from the depths. As Valaine watches in awe, the blood begins to churn, stirring up more and more.

Suddenly, a large war hammer made entirely of blood rises out of the pool, its edges twitching and gleaming with a dark, glistening light.

The Tribune held his war hammer, the power of the Leofifth's blood magic she assumes. The lion growls and snarls, its eyes glowing with a fierce red light. The Tribune clenches his fists, a cruel smile twisting his face.

"Alloweth thy execution begin," he says, stepping forward and drawing a massive war hammer.

She raises her sword and Kirugetsu, she activated [Berserk] giving her strength and speed. The Tribune of Blade King roars a mighty battle cry, brandishing his war hammer in a vicious arc. She barely have time to parry it, dodging out of the way just in time to avoid being smashed.

The Tribune is relentless, launching a furious assault, swinging his war hammer with reckless abandon. She parries and dodge, but the strength of his blows is incredible, and she can feel the force of his strikes vibrating through her arms.

She manages to stay on her feet, battling hard. His blows are fierce and unrelenting, raining down blow after blow with his war hammer. She dodges and weave, blocking and parrying as best as she can, but the Tribune is relentless.

"Cease thy efforts, thou art outmatched" He swings and slams into her with his massive war hammer, sending her flying backwards, but Valaine quickly recovers, blocking and parrying his next series of attacks.

The battle rages on, the sounds of steel-like clashing and the shouts of battle ringing through the empty arena.

Her focus is sharp, her senses tuned to her enemy. She dodges and parry the Tribune of Blade King's blow after blow, his war hammer slashing and bashing through the air around Valaine.

The activated skills coursing through Valaine is making her quicker and stronger, the battle continues, each blow stronger than the last, but she was still alive, and still fighting.

Then suddenly,

With a powerful downward swing, Valaine easily dodged the large-scale attack. Her new reflexes were attuned from her past fight with the minotaur, and the Tribune managed to get its weapon stuck on the ground.

She lunges forward with her dagger, aiming for the Tribune of Blade King's heart.

Her Kirugetsu digs deep, piercing the Tribune of Blade King's chest. His eyes flash with surprise as he grunts in pain, backing away from her for just a moment.

His eyes are narrow slits, a look of raw animal fury in his gaze. He raises a hand, and suddenly a series of spikes erupt from the blood on the floor, shooting up towards her. She easily flew out of the way, barely dodging the spikes made from the pool.

He jumps from the arena and raises his war hammer and brings it down in a crushing blow, the force of which knocks her to the ground. She scrambles to her feet, her weapons raised and ready.

The Tribune snarls. He stalks towards her, hefting his war hammer with a menacing grin. She backs away as he advances, watching Valaine every movement, looking for any weaknesses or openings in her defense.

As he comes within striking range, unexpectedly Valaine suddenly dart forward, expecting her to create distance.

Bringing her Kirugetsu down in a quick stab on the arm. The Tribune dodges away, the blade grazing his arm. He grins, knowing that she'll have to do better than that to cut through his defenses.

"I wont underestimate thee further, I shall bringeth down his majesty wrath this second" With a deep, hoarse growl, he charges forward, swinging his war hammer in a mighty arc.

Valaine manages to dodge the blow, but only just, and he keeps coming, swinging the massive weapon with brutal abandon. She parries the attacks as best she can, deflecting his weapon as it comes rushing towards her.

The Leofifth's strength and endurance are incredible, and even with her buffs it's a struggle to keep up with him. Valaine was able to dodge most of his attacks, but he is still landing a few painful blows here and there.

He growls low in his chest, and then he suddenly bursts into action, launching a furious assault. He swings and slams his great war hammer into her, battering against her failed parry and nearly knocking her to the floor.

She struggles to keep up Leofifth, barely managing to block and parry his attacks. It's taking everything she got to stay alive, and he can sense it.

He snarls with satisfaction, red fire burning in his eyes as he stalks closer, bringing his hammer down in a powerful blow. She dodges, narrowly avoiding his attack, but he swings again, and again, and again, his war hammer coming down on her in thunderous strikes. And it's all she can do to defend herself.

"Abandon thy foolish ambition, I shall endeth this now" He then continues to press his advantage, battering at her defense with a merciless ferocity.

She staggers as the blows rain down on her, her armor growing more shredded and damaged with each strike. She struggles to stay on her feet, fighting back with all her skill and strength.

"As thee die, I shall writeth thy grave, killed by Leofifth, Tribune of the Blade King," The situation feels desperate, and Valaine must find a way to even the odds quickly.

Valaine is fighting as hard as she can, trying to hold him back, but his superior strength seems to be too much for her to bear. The fight appears to be reaching its climax.

If only she has something to heal herself with.

Healing. The shallow pool that filled the entire arena is made out of blood.

Valaine reached for the blood in the pool, drinking deeply to restore herself. The Tribune of Blade King, Leofifth watches with surprise. He roars and charges forward, swinging war hammer.

She was still hurt and weakened, but the blood is flowing through her now, giving Valaine strength and speed. As he comes in for the kill, she dodges and weave with renewed vigor, sidestepping his blows and then unleashing a vicious counter-attack, parrying hard into the Tribune of Blade King's chest. He grunts in pain, falling to one knee.

She move towards the prone form of Leofifth, her dagger and sword gripped in both hands, ready to strike the killing blow. The Tribune of Blade King rises to one knee, still clutching his weapon tightly.

"Parasite, I shall hasth thee headeth for making me kneel" He stares up at her, his face a mask of hatred and anger.

Valaine can see that he is not going to give up without a fight, but his wounds are slowing him and weakening him with each passing second. As she approach, he raises his war hammer and charges forward, lunging suddenly towards her.

The Leofifth catches her by surprise with his sudden attack, his weapon slamming into her chest and nearly knocking her to the ground. She stumbles and fall back a step, struggling to maintain her balance. The Tribune of Blade King laughs savagely.

He raises his colossal hammer again, preparing for another powerful attack, but Valaine was ready for him this time. Her reflexes are sharp, her is more agile thanks to [Swift]. She easily dodges out of his path, avoiding his next blow.

She was too fast and too nimble, and even in his injured and weakened state, Leofifth cannot keep up with Valaine. His war hammer comes down again and again, but she easily dodges out of its way, her movements swift and graceful. He growls in frustration, his wounds making it difficult for him to maintain his stamina.

The Tribune of Blade King stares up at her, his chest heaving as he pants for breath. The fight has taken a toll on him, but he still manages to gather his strength and raise his war hammer once again.

Valaine thought that something as big as him, his defensive stats might be very low. The lion can be renowned for his exceptional damage, but it cannot be the same against his defensive capabilities. It's like Leofifth is built like a glass cannon.

Leofifth attacks again and again, his blows fierce and relentless. She dodges, attacks, block, and parry, using every bit of skill and speed at her disposal. The Tribune of Blade King is no longer in control of this battle, She was.

Wounded, tired, and his attacks are starting to slow. She keeps up the pressure, using her advantage in skill, speed, and stamina to keep him off balance.

She lunges towards him, bringing the tip of Kirugetsu towards his throat, her eyes cold and deadly. Leofifth stumbles back, his face twisted with rage and hatred, but he is unable to dodge or parry her strike.

The blade of her dagger presses against his throat.

The power to end this battle, and indeed to end this entire quest, is right there in front of her. All Valaine needs to do is strike the killing blow.

"Thee hasth defeated me, thy strength is worthy of a crown…."

Within a second, she delivers the killing strike and plunge the dagger deep into Leofifth, Tribune of the Blade King's throat. He falls motionless to the ground.

[Dungeon Boss Has Been Defeated]

[Quest Complete!]

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[Chiyou's Key (Divine Tier)]

[Job Rune: Hemomancer (High Class)]

[Data Crystal: ???]

[Gold x250]

[XP gained!][Level up! 14 -> 17]

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Valaine felt the sweet rush of victory coursing through her veins.

Her gaze fell upon a curious rune, a job rune known as Hemomancy. This token had been her reward for defeating Leofifth.

With trembling hands, she activated the rune by breaking it into two like a biscuit.

Hemomancer bestowed upon her the coveted job class she had longed for, and with it came two low-level spells, [Blood Siphon] and [Blood Blade]. At a cost of one level up point.

Valaine couldn't contain her excitement. She had yearned for the power to wield magic, and now, with Blood magic coursing through her veins. Metaphorically of course.

It did not end there. A key, known as Chiyou's Key, rested within her inventory. She remembered the cryptic message from the scroll that had led her to this prize.

"If you seek power beyond this life, seek the ancient crypt tonight."

A shiver of anticipation coursed down Valaine's spine as she contemplated the implications. The key was her reward.

However.

[Requirement of a minimum level of 70 to unlock]

What lay beyond the locked door it promised to open? This she wonders. Only time will tell.

She turned her attention to the skill allocation screen, a canvas where her newfound power could be channeled. The choice was clear, she bestowed a point upon her Vampire class along with distributing her new stat points appropriately.

Three level-ups in quick succession had pushed her Vampire class to the formidable level of five, and the transformation it brought was nothing short of mesmerizing. With it, she was given four racial skills. [Shadowmeld], [Mystic Eyes of Charming], [Telepathy], and [Vampiric Regeneration].

Once brought up again in character creation scene, her once monstrous features began to inch towards human-like features, with an alluring twist.

Valaine now held a delicate, ethereal quality making her as pale as a wraith. Her fingernails, sharp as fangs. Her eyes were a striking departure from the ordinary, her scleroses as black as the night and pupils like crimson slits, reminiscent of a feline predator.

Adding more, she has now hairstyle options!

She chose a striking silver colored short hairstyle with two impeccably styled hairbuns perched above the ears, with splitting bangs that elegantly part down the middle, framing the eyes that is slightly longer in length and evenly cut.

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Satisfied. She saved her progress and closed the scene.

Back to the game her new character transitioned seamlessly. It would never be the same. She will miss her gremlin form.

Just as she was beginning to bask in the glory, in an unexpected twist of fate abruptly whisked her away from the scene, depositing her back within the heart of the treasury itself.

Undeterred by the abrupt shift, Valaine found herself standing amidst the dazzling array of treasures once more. The atmosphere seemed to hum with the residual energy of the battle that had transpired moments before.

With a triumphant smile gracing her lips, Valaine set to work with a deliberate and careful manner, her fingers deftly selecting each item of value that caught her discerning eye. Trinkets, intricately designed artifacts, coins of various metals, and glittering gemstones were meticulously placed within her inventory.

Time seemed to bend and stretch as Valaine dedicated herself to this newfound task, her focus unwavering as she methodically collected the spoils of her hard-won victory. For every piece she added to her inventory was a reminder of the challenges she had surmounted.

Finally, as her inventory reached its limits, Valaine cast a fond farewell glance at the treasury that had borne witness to both struggle and success.

She couldn't help but feel a subtle presence at her side, and when she turned to her left, there it was a small, mischievous imp.

With a warm smile, Valaine greeted her imp summon, its impish grin widening as it sensed her appreciation. She extended her hand toward the imp, and it darted forward, landing deftly on her outstretched palm.

"Ah, my faithful friend," Valaine said, her voice filled with genuine affection. "I did it!"

The imp responded with a series of enthusiastic nods.

Her footsteps echoed as she exited the crypt, the weight of her accomplishments settling upon her shoulders like a well-deserved mantle. She ventured out into the world beyond the crypt's confines, ready to embrace whatever new adventures awaited her.

Then holographic projection of her friend's in game name and profile picture materialized before her.

[Kusanag1]

"Where have you been?!" her friend exclaimed, his voice filled with annoyance. "I've been trying to find you for over four hours"

Valaine couldn't help but chuckle at Kusanag1's reaction, realizing that she had inadvertently gone radio silent during her intense quest escapade.

"Sorry about that, Kusa" she replied with a sheepish grin. "I got a little caught up in something. In fact, you won't believe what just happened."

Kusa's curiosity was piqued "Did you find something incredible?"

Valaine's eyes sparkled with excitement as she recounted the thrilling tale of the battle that had transpired in the crypt, the mandrake, the hobgoblin that gave a riddle, and two players she encountered.

She regaled Kusanag1 with the exhilarating story. As she spoke, her friend's initial frustration melted away, replaced by genuine awe and admiration for Valaine.

He listened intently, occasionally interjecting with exclamations of amazement.

Her friend let out a low whistle. "Wow, you never cease to amaze me. Just remember to share some of the spoils when we meet up!"

Valaine chuckled once more, her heart warmed by her friend's support. "Of course, you'll get your fair share. Now, let's regroup and plan our next move"

"I have just something in mind while you were enjoying yourself"

Oh?

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Name: Valaine

| Level 17 |

Race: Undead

Racial level:

Wamphyri (10)

Vampire (5)

Job level:

Dual Wielder (1)

Hemomancer (1)

HP: 20

MP: 20

PHYATK: 33

PHYDEF: 10

MAGATK: 20

MAGDEF: 10

AGT: 31

RES: 0

SPC: 0

TOTAL: 144

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