The Curator
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Chapter 132: First Big Vampire Attack
🕑 Added 2024-12-17 10:29:25 +0000 UTC“Here they come!” a guard bellowed from the wall below Kael. The night was pitch-black, the silence broken only by the sound of distant howls and the uneasy hum of anticipation. It was the eve of the system shop opening, and thousands of undead beasts were surging toward the city like a relentless tide.
The vampires were relying on sheer numbers to overwhelm them. But the real danger wasn’t the mass of clawing, rotting creatures—it was the wallbreaker hidden among them. That beast had to be identified and taken out before it reached the defenses. If it succeeded, the city would be overrun in moments.
Kael cast a quick glance around. The city was surrounded by three concentric ring walls, their final line of defense. As long as the innermost wall stood firm, they still had a chance. Yet the enemy horde was vast, a terrifying mixture of undead monstrosities: towering dinosaur-like abominations and twisted jungle apes among them. Kael clenched his fists. This would be a brutal battle, but one thing was certain: no matter the outcome, he would emerge stronger.
For the weaker warriors, however, this was a death sentence. Those without enough credits to teleport to the next stage were already as good as lost. It pained Kael to think of them—those who’d fought so hard but didn’t have the means to escape. Yet, survival hinged on the elite warriors and skilled craftsmen, many of whom had already secured the 150,000 credits required for safety.
Kai, Sylas, and the other elite fighters were spread across the city, each assigned to strategic positions. Above the innermost wall, skyships hovered like silent guardians. Their mission was clear: neutralize any flying threats, whether undead or vampire. Kael’s sharp eyes caught movement in the distance—vampires, their black, bat-like wings silhouetted against the dim moonlight.
He had never faced vampires before and felt a mix of dread and curiosity. What kind of power did they truly wield?
The scouts had all returned, now frantically helping to carry weapons hot off the forges. Every available hand was pressed into service. The walls bristled with defenders, and the skyships above hummed with energy. Even the rune-fire catapults, standing proudly atop the towers, were primed and ready. The smiths and alchemists labored feverishly to produce additional ammunition, knowing full well that what they had wouldn’t last.
The horde drew closer, their numbers blotting out the horizon. Kael’s heart raced as he spotted beasts shrouded in ominous red mist, likely poisonous to the defenders. Among the undead were no flying creatures of real power—no griffins or other aerial predators like those they had fought for the wind crystals in the mountains. Small mercies, Kael thought grimly.
The first wave reached firing range. Spells lit up the night like fireworks, raining destruction on the approaching undead. The mages stood atop the walls, their powers amplified by magic circles meticulously carved into the stonework. These circles ensured that their mana wouldn’t deplete during the onslaught. Explosion after explosion rocked the battlefield, the stench of burning flesh filling the air, but the undead felt no fear. They pressed forward, clawing their way toward the walls with mindless determination.
Kael’s sharp gaze shifted to the vampires, who stood back, safely commanding the horde from a distance. Attacking them outright would be suicide. For now, all they could do was whittle down the advancing undead.
Kael nocked an arrow, his hand steady despite the chaos. His target: one of the wallbreakers. A massive, ostrich-like creature lumbered through the horde, a battering ram with multiple runes strapped to its back. He let the arrow fly, the projectile glowing with mana. It struck true, piercing through the beast and shattering it in an explosion of gore. Without hesitation, Kael nocked another arrow, scanning for the next wallbreaker.
Seconds later, he found it—a hulking undead ape lumbering toward the defenses. Another charged arrow, another direct hit. The creature crumpled as the arrow ripped through its chest. Kael’s accuracy was unerring, and the bodies began to pile up.
But the vampires weren’t idle. One of them stepped forward, raising a hand. The blood of fallen beasts began to gather, forming a massive, rolling wave aimed at the wall. Kael acted instantly, loosing an arrow at the caster. The vampire dodged, but the interruption caused the blood wave to collapse prematurely, killing only a handful of the undead.
For a brief moment, Kael’s eyes met the vampire’s. It was like being struck by a hammer. Pain exploded in his head as he stumbled backward, his vision swimming. Was this a mental attack? Blinking furiously, he struggled to refocus.
A deafening crash snapped him back to reality—a wallbreaker had succeeded. The outermost wall had been breached, and the undead were pouring through. Fighters were already in place to defend the opening, but the situation was spiraling out of control. Kael fired arrows at the vampires who had joined the horde, careful to avoid direct eye contact this time.
The vampires wielded the blood of the fallen undead to launch devastating attacks at the defenders. Each second brought more breaches, more chaos. This was bad. It was the night before the system shop, and the vampires were clearly here for their credits. If the assault continued at this intensity, survival was impossible.
Kael made a snap decision. The base had to teleport.
He sprinted to his chambers, activating the crystal that would prepare the mass teleportation. It wasn’t instantaneous; the process required time. Once triggered, the base would be forced to teleport to the next stage within ten hours.
The downside? Many wouldn’t reach the 150,000-credit threshold in time, dooming them to be left behind. Kael hated this. It went against every principle he stood for, but survival demanded hard choices.
As he made his way back to the wall, messages from Kai, Sylas, and the others flooded his interface. The defenders were stretched thin, and the situation was deteriorating rapidly. Kael gritted his teeth, determination hardening his resolve.
If this was the end of the line, he would make damn sure the vampires paid dearly for every inch they took.
The vampires were far stronger than Kael had anticipated. Not only had they managed to breach the outer wall on his side, but they had also broken through in three other locations. From his vantage point atop the tall tower, Kael watched as fierce battles erupted along the crumbling outer defenses.
He called out, asking if anyone had managed to slay one of the vampires, but the answer was grim: no one had accomplished such a feat. This was worse than Kael could have imagined. How had he misjudged the situation so badly?
Even the skyships, which had seemed invincible earlier, were now under threat. Swarms of undead wasps assaulted them relentlessly, their buzzing filling the air with an ominous drone. Occasionally, a vampire joined the fray, darting through the chaos like a shadow. Kael fired arrow after arrow at the vampires, but their reflexes were inhumanly quick, and they evaded each shot with ease. Still, his attacks served a purpose—they bought precious time for the defenders to retreat.
Then, Kael’s heart sank. A familiar vampire—the one who had struck him earlier with that devastating mental attack—stepped onto one of the intact magic circles etched into the ground. The circle flared to life, pulsating with red energy as blood began to rip itself from the fallen beasts nearby. The gathered blood transformed into a thick, roiling mist that surged forward like a living thing, slamming against the shield of the second wall with a deafening roar.
Kael watched in horror as the mist enveloped the fighters caught outside the shield. From his position, he could see the devastating effects: the mist was toxic, tearing into their lungs and flesh. Many began coughing violently, while others collapsed outright. It was fortunate that most of the defenders had already retreated behind the second wall, but those left outside were dying quickly, overwhelmed by the blood mist.
Kael aimed and fired at the vampire, desperate to stop him, but his arrow only managed to destroy the magic circle beneath the vampire's feet. To Kael’s dismay, the vampire didn’t seem to need the circle anymore. The mist continued to surge forward, curling ominously around the walls and forcing even the farthest fighters to retreat.
The mages on the walls unleashed a barrage of spells, their efforts unrelenting. But the bloody mist obscured their vision, making it nearly impossible to target the undead beasts effectively. It was especially difficult to spot the wallbreakers hidden among the horde.
Kael shifted his focus, abandoning his futile attempts to target the vampires. They were too fast, too cautious, evading his arrows effortlessly. Instead, he concentrated on eliminating the undead beasts that posed the greatest threat to the wall. Thankfully, the magical shield extended slightly above the wall, preventing the vampires from launching direct attacks on the defenders—at least for now.
Above, the battle in the skies was faring better. The skyships were still intact, and though a few fighters had been lost, the ships remained firmly under their control. Yet something about the aerial battle troubled Kael. The vampires didn’t seem to be trying to destroy the ships outright. Instead, they were toying with the defenders, drawing their attention away from the main fight.
Kael couldn’t dwell on it. He had one priority: slow the vampires’ advance long enough for more people to teleport to the next stage.
The catapults fired relentlessly, launching rune-fire projectiles into the enemy horde. Despite their efforts, it wasn’t enough. Even with half the undead army obliterated, more and more of the creatures pressed forward, their numbers seemingly endless. Kael’s sharp eyes caught sight of another wallbreaker lumbering toward the defenses. It wouldn’t be long before it reached the wall.
Reports came flooding in from Sylas and Kai. Their sides were just as dire, perhaps worse. Kai, ever the bold warrior, had already joined the fray, engaging the beasts in melee combat to buy time for his fighters to retreat.
Suddenly, the vampires unleashed a devastating assault. Massive waves of blood energy crashed against the shield, temporarily blinding the defenders. The shield held, but the crimson tide blocked all visibility, leaving the defenders firing blindly into the mist.
A thunderous explosion shattered the night as another breach was blasted into the wall. Kael’s stomach twisted as he saw the bloody mist pouring through the gap, spilling into the area between the first and second walls. Panicked, he loosed arrow after arrow at the breach, desperately trying to slow the flood of undead pouring through.
The main wall couldn’t take much more damage. Kael knew this all too well. No one could predict what horrors awaited them in the fifth stage, and they couldn’t afford to enter it weakened. How strong would the vampires be in the next stage? He shuddered at the thought. If they were significantly stronger, survival would be nearly impossible.
Kael’s frustration mounted as yet another vampire dodged his arrow with ease. It was a maddening reminder of their superior speed and cunning. Alone, Kael might stand a chance against one of them. But with the horde of undead at their backs, the odds were insurmountable.
Realizing they couldn’t hold out much longer, Kael gave the signal for a full retreat. He adjusted the countdown on the teleportation crystal to thirty minutes. It was the only option left.
The decision weighed heavily on him. Hundreds of people hadn’t yet reached the credit threshold needed to teleport, and leaving now would condemn them to death. But if they stayed any longer, everyone would die. For the greater good, Kael had to make the hard call.
The next half hour felt like an eternity. Kael fired arrow after arrow, his arms aching, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The defenders fought valiantly, but the battle turned into a desperate struggle. The vampires seemed to grow bolder, their attacks more coordinated. The undead were mostly destroyed, but the remaining forces were enough to threaten the final wall.
At last, the teleportation activated. The entire base began to glow with energy as the magic swept them away to the next stage. Kael’s heart sank as he watched the battlefield fade from view. Hundreds of fighters, unable to escape, were left behind—doomed to become food for the vampires.
Kael clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. He couldn’t save everyone, but he would make sure that their sacrifice wasn’t in vain. If the vampires thought they’d won, they were sorely mistaken.
<--
"We need more defenses! What if another attack like this happens again?" Isolde exclaimed, her voice laced with both desperation and a trace of fear. The assault by the five ships had shaken her—and many other citizens—to their core.
"I don't think we need to fear another attack," Oliver, the council's temporary replacement for Edrion, replied, his tone measured. "Thalion killed most of the attackers by himself. Furthermore, our warriors have made significant progress. What we should be worrying about are threats from within. There have been numerous murders lately, and over five slave cuffs have been stolen. The guards haven’t been able to locate the culprits."
"We can’t put all our hopes on Thalion!" Isolde insisted, her gaze shifting to the warrior. "What if he’s no longer strong enough to protect us? Or worse—what if someone gets a lucky shot in?" Her voice softened slightly as she added, "I don’t mean to imply that you’re weak or anything negative, Thalion. I just want to be safe."
The stories of Thalion’s exploits in the recent battle had already spread far and wide. People spoke of him as if he were a living legend. They whispered of how he had single-handedly turned the tide against the invaders. The fresh tales only reignited older ones: how he had vanquished the orcs, defeated the shapeshifters, or defeated Michael and Garrick along with their strongest followers—all on his own. These feats had done wonders for his reputation, helping many to overlook the time he had taken their credits.
With the attention of the room now squarely on him, Thalion addressed the discussion with a serious tone. "Isolde, you don’t need to worry about our defenses. I have more than enough resources to buy whatever we need for protection. But I’m intrigued—who are these people stealing the slave cuffs? We need to find and eliminate them before they cause more damage."
Thalion didn’t know why, but he shared the guards’ unease. Something was brewing beneath the surface—something dangerous. He wasn’t afraid for himself. His title provided him with an almost supernatural awareness, making sneak attacks virtually impossible. But Lucan, Maike, and Kaldrek didn’t have such protections. No, this matter had to be resolved quickly.
The base was now home to over 16,000 people, and managing such a vast population was becoming increasingly difficult. Thalion knew they would need far more guards to maintain control.
"Fine," Isolde relented, though her expression remained tense. "But we still need to discuss when—and how—we’re going to ascend to the higher stages."
At this, the room fell silent. To Thalion’s surprise, all eyes turned to him.
There were several strategies to consider. The first was to give the population a week to gather 50 credits, with the stipulation that anyone unable to meet the requirement wouldn’t be strong enough to survive anyway. The second option involved setting a threshold of 200,000 credits per person. This would allow them to teleport directly to the fifth stage if they encountered serious danger.
Thalion favored the latter option. Credits were much easier to earn now than in the early days of the tutorial. Beasts and other tasks yielded far more rewards. This plan also provided him with an opportunity to deal with a growing concern: the termite queen. Reports indicated that the hive was rapidly regaining strength, and Thalion had no intention of leaving it unchecked. However, he knew not everyone would be able to gather the required credits in time. Some newcomers were simply too weak, and leaving them behind would mean sentencing them to certain death once the termites emerged.
But Oliver's earlier warning weighed on him. Having so many people carry large sums of credits would inevitably lead to violence. Criminal elements were already stirring in the shadows—murdering slaves, stealing cuffs, and thriving on fear. Allowing such conditions to fester would only empower them further.
After a moment’s thought, Thalion made his decision. "We need to deal with the thieves and murderers first. Once they’re taken care of, we’ll announce that we’re leaving in three weeks. Anyone who wants to ascend with us will need to gather 200,000 credits by then." He turned to the council. "I also want more guards patrolling the base. We can’t allow any more murders to go unanswered."
"That sounds like a good plan. Are we finished for today?" Kaldrek asked, exhaustion etched on his face.
"No, we’re not finished," Isolde interjected. Her sharp tone cut through the room. "What about the termites? When are the guards going to deal with them?"
Again, all eyes shifted to Thalion. It was a familiar scene—one he had grown tired of.
"I’ll pay them a visit next week," Thalion sighed. His voice carried a note of resignation, though his mind was already racing with the endless tasks that awaited him.
The list was growing longer by the day. Upgrading the armor had become a priority, and Lucan’s imminent evolution promised progress with the teleportation circles. Their initial hope had been to achieve precise circle-to-circle teleportation. But so far, Lucan’s experiments had been wildly unpredictable, with items ending up kilometers away from their intended destination.
While this made teleportation impractical as a battlefield tool, it did have its uses. For instance, they could now teleport directly to the ocean—a boon for Thalion’s ongoing efforts to refine the tidecaller serpent form. But time was a relentless adversary. Each breakthrough in body-tempering demanded more resources and effort, and the pressure to progress was mounting.
Recently, Thalion had spent hours in the gravity formation, pushing his limits. He had also worked to fully embrace his title, which gave him heightened awareness of his surroundings. It was an advantage that often felt akin to a Jedi’s mastery of the Force—an acute sense of danger that kept him alive. However, it came at a cost: leveling up required more effort than it did for others.
So far, he had managed to handle himself well. But with more E-grade warriors emerging every day, Thalion couldn’t afford complacency.
Comments
LootGoblin21
I agree but it's still the tutorial and they won't have this kind of button after. At least I hope they won't have it, or make it stupidly hard to get.
hawkshe .
I'm already beyond tired of everyone having a magical button to escape from dangerous situations by moving to the next stage. It was interesting and clever the first time, but at this point it is just making things feel repetitive and like there are no stakes since everyone always survives.
Johannes Röhrl
Its always difficult for me to say something to story progession without to spoil. In short everything i planned for the fifth stage is so big that it will take some time to set the stage. For now Thalions progression has sped up, with building his armor and bodytempering while the main plot with the spezial quest is slowing down a bit. Actually that chapter was a lot of plot progression with Kael and the others teleporting to the fifth stage. Also Thalion need to get a bit more powerful to get "the final glorious evolutions" later. Always think its a bit lame when in stories it get teaserd that noone had done this before and oh no this is so incredible rare. Then the Maincharacter trains for a week or two and achieves it without much effort.
Amazon Shopper
lol yea, i like the idea in theory of him leveling slower-it is really hurting the pace of plot progression. floor 2 was lightning fast pace and was awesome, here it feels abit of a slog. still loving the story tho, the side story of getting the otherworlder was amazing with a perfect pace (imo), i hope we get the main story to hit storybeats like that side story rather then more sidequests that slow down the main pace of the plot further
Julia Niles
It would be interesting if the plot actually went forward
Corwin
It would be interesting if Thalion took some of the weaker new members and train them personally. Building a group of five or six who went from being weak to some of the strongest. Maybe an oath to keep them honest. But assuming he could it would help eliminate his some of his problems
