RAIDBOSS
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Chapter 27
🕑 Added 2024-01-04 23:31:03 +0000 UTCThe scene flashed before me. I saw it — the Blood-Spawn running through the tunnel toward us.
“Seal the tunnel!” Clarissa shouted.
“Don’t!” Steve replied. “They can make it! We have time!”
[Move the Earth] activated. The wall sealed the cave. Everyone was screaming.
I snapped out of the spotty, moth eaten memory in time to hear the thump as the Blood-Spawn slammed into the wall of asphalt topped stone that I had raised from the earth.
“What the hell was that?” Steve said.
“Earth Magic!” I shouted. “Kill the others!”
Steve did… something, and blurred. He fired two shots seemingly at the same time, killing the two Blood-Thralls closest to me.
Both of my arms were extended. I didn’t know if they needed to be for the magic to work, but I felt the magical perception of the earthen wall strengthen as I stepped closer to it.
I pushed it over. Instead of gently falling, though, it slammed down, compressing the Blood-Spawn beneath it. The monster writhed, alabaster white skin flailing as its claws tore apart the asphault, gouging the stone. It’s inhuman face screamed at me from beneath the stone, mouth opened wide to reveal purple gums mercifully bereft of teeth, save for the four huge, needle like teeth.
I grunted with effort as I pushed harder. The earth deformed, cracking under the Blood-Spawn… but it wasn’t quite right. I was thinking of the ability to manipulate the earth as a lever to hold a hammer, slamming down into the monster. That was wrong.
What I really needed to do was —
The earth melted around the Blood-Spawn, burying it in asphalt. It screeched indignantly, head still exposed. I turned.
Steve was reloading. Clarissa had carved one of the three remaining Blood-Spawn into pieces.
The other two poked at her, searching for weaknesses, circling her from opposite sides.
“Shit, shit shit!” Steve said as he struggled to load the revolver one handed.
One of the two Blood-Spawn slashed at her from behind, carving a gash in her side. She grunted, stabbing forward and landing a revenge hit against the second monster.
I pulled on [Crimson Veil,] but instead of dashing forward through the air, I sunk into the earth, shooting forward like I was swimming. With the blood of the Earth-Mage flowing through me, the skill had adapted into [Sandworm’s Veil,] phasing me through solid objects.
I slammed into one of the two monsters and pulled it into the earth with me. It was trapped from the legs down. Then I realized that I wasn’t actually strong enough to simply restrain the monster. It threw me back, sending me skidding across the asphalt.
The second Blood-Spawn screamed from above me, stabbing down.
With the mage’s blood inside me, my strength didn’t have the advantages of other vampire’s blood. I did, however, have an insane Willpower.
Even if it hit me, I would survive. I still had 85% blood remaining — 10% consumed by using the veil, and another 5% consumed by [Move the Earth.]
But I didn’t like being stabbed.
I put the force of Seventy-Two willpower to the test, reaching out with [Progenitor’s Will] to seize the blood of the monster above me right as its claws touched me. A pointed, black, gigantic nail stopped right as it touched my forehead.
[Blood-Thrall Dominated!]
[Minions: 2/4]
[Progenitor’s Will XII has leveled to Progenitor’s Will XIII]
The Blood-Thrall backed off.
I rolled to my knees. Two of the monsters were trapped buried in the ground, screaming in frustration. I just stared in wonder as the Blood-Thrall suddenly became docile, stretching and yawning. It stood on all fours, its gigantic front arms covered in hanging wings. This one looked older or maybe just different than the others I had seen.
I studied the monster. The Mage’s blood had raised my Intelligence to 41. With [Dread General,] that meant I could steal two more of these monsters to fight for our own side. I felt myself grin, fangs showing as I thought of the possibilities. I could turn these vampires against each other. Use them as weapons. Like the Mage had done to bring down their ships.
With a triumphant roar, Clarissa swung her chainsaw, splitting the Blood-Thrall in half. Hot blood splattered across my face. I closed my eyes on reflex.
[Minion: Blood-Thrall defeated!]
[Minions: 1/4]
“Eli!” Clarissa shouted. “Are you okay! Do you need to drink my blood!”
She dropped the chainsaw and started shaking my shoulders.
I spat out hot Blood-Thrall blood that had clung to my teeth.
“Steve! Steve! He’s injured!”
She continued shaking me.
“I’m fine!” I said, brushing her away.
“Oh.” She said. Then she brightened. “I gained a level!”
Steve was flushed red. He had finished reloading, but all the monsters were dead now.
“Sorry.” Steve said as he walked toward us.
“It’s fine.” I said, grinning again at the thought of having my own little vampire army.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Clarissa said.
I turned to the Blood-Spawn buried in the stone. Then the thrall behind me. It was probably better to practice on the more expendable minions.
“Did you see how the vampires were all helping that damaged one? He was controlling them.” I said.
“Okay…” Clarissa said.
“You think you’re able to replicate it.” Steve said.
“I am able to replicate it.”
“That’s what the monster just stopped attacking.” Steve said, leaning near the monster stuck in the ground. “So I’m guessing you don’t want us to kill these.”
“Isn’t that going to be dangerous?” Clarissa asked. “You wont… lose control of them? I’m not sure how these things work, but…”
“Everything we’re doing is dangerous.” I said, rising to my feet and stepping over to the Blood-Thrall buried in the ground. “I don’t think this is making it more or less dangerous. As long as I don’t run out of blood.”
I walked carefully to the monster. With my Willpower and Intelligence this high, I could sense its blood from ten feet away. But trying to affect the monster as I could with touch felt like trying to cross an ocean. I could feel the barest thread of my power move toward the monster before being lost in a sea of dark perception.
It’s arms flailed toward me, trying to catch me. So I activated [Move the Earth,] sucking the monster farther until only it’s head was exposed.
“Won’t that kill it?” Clarissa asked.
I paused.
“I’m not going to bury the head.” I said.
“Yeah, but it can’t expand its chest to breath buried underground.”
“Do vampires need to breath?” Steve asked.
“I don’t think so.” I said, stepping around the monster and pressing my hand to the back of it’s head.
[Blood-Thrall Dominated!]
[Minions: 2/4]
I grinned. Then repeated the process with the Blood-Spawn.
[Blood-Spawn Dominated!]
[Minions: 3/4]
Out of the ground and up close, the monster was huge, bigger than a car. Drool leaked from its thin lips.
Clarissa held her chainsaw between herself and the monster.
“I don’t like the look in it’s eyes.” She said.
“Yeah, it’s… different.” Steve said. “It looks like its awake now. Like its looking at me.”
I recalled the skills that came with my class.
[Blood of my Blood I]
[All minions under your control within (WIL) Meters benefit from any passive buffs affecting you, including blood.]
“My skill is probably raising it’s Intelligence.” I said.
“More intelligent vampires. Exactly what we need.” Clarissa sighed. “Let’s get moving again.”
“You two. Scout the area for us. Come back to me if you find other vampires.” I said, speaking to the Blood-Thrall and Blood-Spawn.
They nodded. That was far scarier than anything they had done at that point. I didn’t know if the skill magically transferred the order, or if they just understood. It was pretty likely that these used to be people. Maybe they retained their control over language. I shuddered at the thought as I watched the monster’s scramble out.
The Thrall paced ahead of us in the street, while the Spawn returned to the roofs, leaping forward as it led the way.
“Shall we?” I said, turning to my group.
Clarissa stared forward, afraid. But Steve was staring at me. And he didn’t look afraid. He looked hungry.
“Let’s go.” He said.
