The undead army continued advancing through Minvera City.
With the three Rank 5 Vampires defeated, the remaining forces had lost much of their ability to resist. However, the Vampires gathered near the central districts were different from the ordinary guards they had encountered earlier.
Instead of retreating, several groups had begun forming defensive lines along the main roads leading towards the castle. They were clearly preparing to stop the undead army before it could reach the city’s centre.
’It seems the important Vampires have finally decided to show themselves.’
Kaiser opened the map and examined the movements of his summons.
Most of the outer districts had already been cleared. Selene’s Blood Rose Knights and Rachel’s Ruination Knights were sweeping through the remaining streets, while Frank continued collecting corpses and using them to create new Chimera soldiers.
Night was still hunting isolated Vampires, taking advantage of her exceptional stealth abilities to eliminate targets before they could react.
Meanwhile, his pets were steadily advancing towards the central district.
Kaiser picked up his drink and took a sip.
"Let’s see what they’re planning."
Just as his army approached the central district, two powerful auras suddenly appeared ahead.
Kaiser immediately turned his attention towards them.
Two Vampires were standing in the middle of the main road, surrounded by several hundred guards. Their clothing and appearance were noticeably different from those of the ordinary Vampires.
The first was a tall man with long silver hair and pale skin. He wore a black military uniform decorated with silver ornaments, and a long sword hung from his waist. His crimson eyes were fixed on the approaching undead army.
Beside him stood a woman with dark purple hair and crimson eyes. She wore an elegant black dress decorated with blood-red patterns, while a strange mist continuously drifted around her body.
Kaiser inspected them.
[Name: Victor Bloodedge]
[Race: Vampire]
[Level: 592]
[Rank: 5]
[Title: Vampire Duke]
[Rule: Bloodedge Rule]
[Rule Level: Peak-level Lesser Rule]
[Name: Evelina Nightshade]
[Race: Vampire]
[Level: 588]
[Rank: 5]
[Title: Vampire Duchess]
[Rule: Nightfall Rule]
[Rule Level: High-level Lesser Rule]
Kaiser raised an eyebrow.
’Two more Rank 5 Vampires.’
Their Rules were quite different from those of the previous three opponents.
The Bloodedge Rule seemed to focus on controlling and strengthening blood-based weapons, while the Nightfall Rule appeared to be related to darkness, concealment, and ambushes.
Neither of them would be easy opponents for his summons.
Kaiser leaned forward slightly.
"Let’s see how the others handle them."
He immediately transmitted their information to his undead champions and pets.
At the same time, Victor slowly drew his sword.
The moment the blade left its sheath, the blood inside the surrounding Vampire guards began to tremble. A crimson aura spread across the entire street, and the blood scattered throughout the battlefield started gathering around him.
"Are these the undead responsible for destroying our districts?" Victor asked.
Evelina looked towards the approaching army.
"Most likely. Three of our Barons have already fallen, and the number of missing guards continues to increase."
She narrowed her eyes and glanced at the surrounding buildings.
"Whoever controls these creatures must be somewhere nearby."
Victor briefly looked around before turning his attention back towards the undead.
"Find their master. I’ll deal with these creatures first."
He raised his sword.
"Bloodedge Domain!"
A massive crimson field spread across the street.
Every drop of blood scattered throughout the battlefield began responding to his command. Blood from the fallen Vampires rose into the air and transformed into countless sharp blades.
Victor swung his sword.
Whoosh!
Thousands of blood blades shot towards the undead army.
However, before they could reach the front lines, a powerful gravity field descended upon the battlefield.
Lime had arrived.
The Gravity Slime expanded its body, causing the surrounding space to become noticeably heavier. The incoming blood blades slowed down, and several were forced towards the ground before reaching their targets.
Victor’s expression changed slightly.
"A gravity-based creature?"
He immediately adjusted his sword and gathered the blood blades in front of him. They rapidly merged, forming an enormous crimson spear.
"Bloodedge Piercer!"
The spear shot forward.
BOOM!
It broke through the gravity field and struck Lime’s expanded body, pushing the slime backwards.
However, Lime’s body quickly recovered from the impact.
At the same time, Diablo rushed forward with his blood-red sword.
CLANG!
Victor raised his weapon and blocked the incoming strike.
But before he could counterattack, Diablo released a burst of dark blood energy through his sword.
Victor was forced to retreat several steps.
His expression finally became serious.
"These undead are stronger than I expected."
He barely had time to recover before Garuk charged towards him from the side.
The Snowlight Orc Chief raised his enormous weapon and brought it down with tremendous force.
Victor quickly turned around and raised his sword.
BOOM!
The collision shattered the pavement beneath his feet.
Although he managed to block the attack, the impact still forced him to brace himself with both legs.
Before he could respond, Luna appeared behind him and struck his back with her claws.
Victor’s body lurched forward.
He barely managed to regain his balance before another attack came from the front.
"Annoying creatures!"
He released another wave of Bloodedge energy, forcing the surrounding blood blades to attack everything within his reach.
However, the battlefield had already become crowded with enemies.
Lime continued restricting his movements with gravity, Diablo attacked from the front, Garuk relied on his overwhelming physical strength, and Luna repeatedly targeted his openings.
Then a golden light appeared above them.
Ripple was floating in the air, his golden hair moving gently as countless golden spears formed around him.
"Father, I’ll take care of this one!"
Kaiser heard his voice through their Soul Bond and smiled slightly.
"Don’t get careless. He possesses Rule Power."
"I know!"
Ripple raised his hand.
"Fate King’s Arsenal!"
The golden spears descended.
Victor immediately raised his sword and released his Bloodedge energy. The crimson blades gathered around him, forming a defensive barrier.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The golden spears struck one after another.
Victor managed to block most of them, but the continuous impacts forced him to remain on the defensive.
His situation became even worse as the other pets continued their attacks.
Lime restricted his movements, Diablo repeatedly clashed with his sword, and Garuk used his enormous strength to break through his defences. Luna continued attacking from unexpected angles, leaving him with almost no opportunity to retaliate.
Above them, Ripple kept summoning golden spears.
Victor attempted to expand his Bloodedge Domain and regain control of the battlefield, but the combined attacks made it difficult for him to concentrate.
His movements gradually slowed.
Finally, Diablo found an opening and swung his sword towards Victor’s chest.
The blade struck directly.
Victor’s eyes widened.
Before he could retaliate, Garuk’s enormous weapon smashed into his side.
BOOOOM!
His body crashed into the road, creating a large crater.
Ripple immediately raised his hand, summoning several golden spears above the fallen Vampire.
"Finish him!"
The spears descended simultaneously.
Victor tried to gather his remaining Bloodedge energy, but his damaged body could no longer withstand the continuous attacks.
A moment later, his aura disappeared.
[Your Pet Diablo has killed a Rank 5 Vampire Duke.]
[You have obtained 146 Wisdom Points.]
Kaiser glanced at the notification.
’Good. Ripple and the others managed to defeat another Rank 5 opponent.’
He checked Ripple’s condition through their Soul Bond.
The golden-haired teenager was completely unharmed and had already turned his attention towards the remaining enemies.
Kaiser smiled.
’He’s becoming more confident.’
However, he still sent Ripple a reminder not to approach Evelina carelessly.
Unlike Victor, the Vampire Duchess had been observing the battle from a distance. She hadn’t rushed forward even once.
Instead, the moment the fighting began, the surrounding shadows had started behaving strangely.
Kaiser noticed the change.
’Her Rule is related to darkness.’
Evelina slowly raised her hand.
"Nightfall Domain."
The entire street suddenly darkened.
A thick layer of black mist spread across the battlefield, covering the buildings and roads. Even the faint light coming from the blood-red moon disappeared beneath the darkness.
The undead soldiers began losing track of their surroundings.
Several shadows suddenly shifted beneath their feet.
Dark blades emerged from the ground and pierced through their bodies.
Evelina smiled faintly.
"Let’s see how well you can fight when you can’t see anything."
However, she had overlooked something.
There was another being on the battlefield who was far more comfortable moving through darkness.
Night appeared on the rooftop of a nearby building.
Her long black hair moved gently as she looked towards the Vampire Duchess.
"Master, may I assist them?"
Kaiser responded through their connection.
"Go ahead. Be careful of her Rule."
Night lowered her head.
"Understood."
Her body slowly disappeared into the shadows.
Evelina continued controlling her domain, but she soon noticed something unusual.
One of the shadows beneath her feet had moved.
She immediately turned around.
A black blade appeared behind her.
CLANG!
Evelina barely managed to form a dark barrier in time to block the attack.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Another shadow user?"
Night appeared several meters away, remaining silent.
Before Evelina could examine her properly, Night’s body merged with the surrounding darkness once again.
The Duchess released her senses and attempted to locate her opponent.
However, Night’s Absolute Presence Suppression and Spiritual Concealment made detecting her extremely difficult.
’Where is she?’
A shadow suddenly shifted behind Evelina.
She turned around and released a burst of darkness.
BOOM!
The attack destroyed part of the rooftop, but Night had already moved away.
At the same time, the other pets resumed their attacks.
Lime expanded its gravity field, while Diablo and Garuk charged through the darkness. Luna moved between the shadows, attacking any Vampire guards she encountered.
Ripple also summoned another wave of golden spears.
Although Evelina could use her Nightfall Rule to conceal herself and launch attacks from unexpected directions, she was now being attacked from several sides.
She quickly realised that the situation was becoming difficult to control.
"Darkness, conceal me!"
Her body dissolved into the black mist.
For a brief moment, even her Rule energy seemed to disappear from the surrounding battlefield.
However, Night could still sense her movements.
Her Shadow Sovereign abilities allowed her to move through shadows and detect disturbances within them. Evelina could conceal her presence from most opponents, but doing so against Night was far more difficult.
Night appeared behind her once again.
This time, her black blade struck the Duchess’s shoulder.
Evelina’s eyes widened.
"How did you—?"
Before she could finish speaking, Night launched a second attack towards her waist.
The Duchess immediately released a burst of darkness, forcing Night to retreat.
However, that brief exchange had created an opening.
Ripple’s golden spears descended from above.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Evelina was forced out of her concealed state as the attacks struck the area around her.
She tried to expand her Nightfall Domain again, but Lime’s gravity field had already restricted her movements.
Diablo appeared directly in front of her.
His blood-red sword descended.
CLANG!
Evelina quickly formed a dark barrier, managing to stop the attack.
However, the barrier began cracking under the pressure.
Garuk followed with a powerful strike.
BOOM!
The barrier shattered.
Luna attacked from the side, while Night emerged from the shadows and struck Evelina once again.
The Duchess’s body was now covered in wounds.
She tried to retreat, but Night had already disrupted the surrounding shadows, making it difficult for her to disappear into the darkness.
There was nowhere left to hide.
Ripple raised his hand.
A massive golden spear appeared above the battlefield.
"Fate King’s Arsenal!"
The spear descended.
BOOOOOOM!
A golden explosion engulfed the street.
When the light finally faded, Evelina’s body was lying among the ruins.
Her Nightfall Domain had completely disappeared.
[Your Soul Bond Ripple has killed a Rank 5 Vampire Duchess.]
[You have obtained 151 Wisdom Points.]
[Your undead Night has gained valuable combat experience.]
Kaiser looked at the notifications with satisfaction.
’Two more mini-bosses.’
However, another notification soon caught his attention.
His eyes widened slightly as he read it.
[Your Soul Bond Ripple has comprehended the Peak-level Supreme Rule of Golden Fate.]
[Your Undead Champion Night has comprehended the High-level Supreme Rule of the Moonless Night.]
Kaiser stared at the notifications for a moment.
’Not only did Ripple comprehend a Rule, but Night did as well?’
He looked towards the battlefield, where Ripple was floating happily after his victory.
"Both of them have comprehended Supreme Rules," Kaiser muttered.
He shook his head with a helpless smile.
"But Ripple is the most absurd one. He comprehended a Peak-level Supreme Rule right away."
A Peak-level Supreme Rule was an extraordinary achievement. Even among powerful beings, reaching that level was extremely difficult.
Yet Ripple had managed to comprehend one during the battle.
Kaiser couldn’t help but wonder just how much potential his Soul Bond possessed.
He then checked Night’s new Rule.
The Supreme Rule of the Moonless Night seemed perfectly suited to her abilities. It complemented her stealth, shadow movement, and concealment, making her even more dangerous when fighting opponents who relied on perception.
’This is a good development. With her own Supreme Rule, Night won’t have to rely entirely on her stealth abilities when facing Rule users.’
Not to mention his pets also have their own Rules, since this battle yielded many Rule Crystals he have given them to his pets to boost them more.
Garuk received the Ironblood Rule.
The Snowlight Orc Chief’s body was already exceptionally strong, with dense muscles and bones. The Ironblood Rule would further strengthen his physical body and make his attacks even more powerful.
Lime, the Gravity Slime, received the Heavyblood Rule, a Mid-level Greater Rule.
Kaiser had initially expected Lime to comprehend a more ordinary Blood-related Rule. However, after absorbing several neutral Blood Rule Crystals, the slime had managed to comprehend a Rule that suited its own nature and aptitude.
It had developed the Heavyblood Rule, which complemented its naturally heavy body and gravity-based abilities.
Luna received the Moonflames Rule.
The Bloodflames Rule had changed during her comprehension, developing into a Low-level Greater Rule that better suited her nature and affinities.
As a result, she had gained a Rule that combined the characteristics of moon-based energy and flames.
Finally, Diablo received the Miasma Blood Rule.
For the Blood Skeleton King, comprehending a blood-related Rule was relatively easy. The Miasma Blood Rule also complemented his existing blood abilities, allowing him to use another form of blood-based energy in battle.
Kaiser was quite satisfied with the results.
Although the four pets had comprehended different Rules, each of them had gained something that suited their abilities.
It was also one of the reasons the two latest mini-bosses had been defeated so quickly. Their opponents had been powerful, but Kaiser’s pets had several different abilities working together, and the new Rule comprehensions had further improved their combat potential.
After finishing the distribution, Kaiser checked the battlefield through his connection with his summons.
Victor and Evelina were both dead, and the remaining Vampire guards had lost their commanders.
Without their leaders, their defensive formation quickly collapsed.
Some attempted to escape towards the castle, while others continued fighting until the undead overwhelmed them.
Kaiser’s army continued advancing.
He leaned back and looked at the notifications one more time.
"That makes five Rank 5 Vampires."
He opened his status window and checked the Wisdom Points he had obtained from the recent battles.
The rewards were quite good.
More importantly, his pets and undead had now defeated two additional opponents possessing Rule Power without requiring his direct assistance.
He was particularly satisfied with Night’s performance.
Although she hadn’t delivered the final blow, her stealth abilities had played an important role in disrupting Evelina’s Nightfall Domain. Without Night’s interference, the battle might have been considerably more difficult.
’Her abilities are extremely useful against opponents who rely on concealment.’
However, Kaiser knew that Night still had room to grow.
Even though she had now comprehended the Supreme Rule of the Moonless Night, she would need time to become proficient in using it.
He would have to give her more opportunities to fight and develop her abilities.
For now, though, there was no reason to delay.
The road towards the central castle was finally clear.
The remaining Vampires either fled towards the central structure or were eliminated by the advancing undead army.
Kaiser stood up from his sofa and looked towards the enormous castle dominating Minvera City.
Unlike the surrounding buildings, the castle was constructed almost entirely from black stone. Its enormous walls were decorated with intricate silver patterns, while several tall towers extended towards the blood-red moon.
A massive gate stood at its entrance.
Beyond it lay a wide courtyard, followed by the main castle building.
Kaiser could sense several powerful auras inside.
However, one presence stood out from the rest.
It was far stronger than the auras of the five Rank 5 Vampires he had defeated.
’So this is where the final boss is hiding.’
Kaiser closed the map and sent a command through his mental connection.
He recalled his undead champions and pets, gathering them near the castle entrance.
Frank arrived first, his enormous three-headed Chimera body now mostly repaired. His six arms moved slightly as the different weapons attached to them adjusted to their positions.
Selene appeared next, accompanied by her Blood Rose Knight Captain and several hundred knights. Their silver-red armour reflected the faint light of the blood-red moon.
Rachel arrived shortly afterwards, followed by her Ruination Knights. Their golden-white armour and black accents made the formation stand out among the dark surroundings.
Night emerged from a nearby shadow and quietly lowered her head towards Kaiser.
The pets soon gathered around him as well.
Ripple floated beside Kaiser in his humanoid form, looking towards the enormous castle with curiosity.
"Father, are we going inside now?"
Kaiser nodded.
"Yes. We’ve already cleared the rest of the city. There’s no reason to delay any longer."
He looked towards the enormous gate.
"Let’s see what kind of opponent is waiting inside."
The undead army began moving forward.
As they approached the castle entrance, the surrounding air became noticeably heavier.
A faint red glow spread across the silver patterns engraved on the walls. At the same time, the powerful aura coming from within the castle grew stronger.
Kaiser remained calm as he continued walking.
Then, from somewhere deep inside the castle, a powerful voice echoed throughout the courtyard.
"Those Five weren’t able to stop you, how trashy were they." A disdain filled voice sounded around them suddenly.
Kaiser stopped.
A moment later, the enormous castle gate began opening by itself.
CREEEEAK!
The heavy doors slowly separated, revealing a long staircase leading towards a massive throne hall.
The hall was enormous, with tall black pillars lining both sides. Dark red patterns covered the walls, and a series of crimson lights illuminated the path towards the far end.
At the centre of the hall stood an enormous black throne.
Someone was sitting on it.
For a moment, the figure remained completely motionless.
Then two crimson eyes slowly opened in the darkness.
The powerful presence immediately spread throughout the hall, pressing against everyone who had entered.
Kaiser looked directly towards the figure.
’Found you.’
The owner of Minvera City, the Vampire Marquis Elmira Rosette, had finally appeared before him.
The final opponent of his Rank 3 Nightmare Trial was waiting on the throne.