Several hours later, Mathias put on a custom gas mask. With a salute, he bid farewell to the others before descending through the basement hole into the sewer tunnels. Familiar with the layout from a previous venture where he was halted by iron bars, he now saw the same broken and lying on the ground. Pausing briefly, he proceeded until reaching the first hole Bones had drilled and where he found him waiting. Bones questioned if the gas mask was necessary now that the fumes had dispersed. Mathias, unwilling to validate Bones' opinion, kept the mask on until they reached the dark tunnels of the Undercity. The two jumped down, landing in soft crouches. After surveying their surroundings, they exchanged a few whispered words before proceeding into the unknown.

  "Bones, navigating in the dark isn't an issue for you, right?" Mathias asked as darkness enveloped them.

  "Hm? Not at all. I don't rely on sight like you do. I sense my surroundings, and my system translates that into other senses like sight, smell, taste, and hearing. It's an undead thing, I guess. How about you?"

  Mathias grinned, proudly stating that night vision was an essential part of his stealth and infiltration skills. He explained that while this environment typically suited his abilities, he wasn't confident against vampires.

  "Yes, I understand. Vampires can detect lifeforce. How close can you get without being noticed?" Bones inquired. Mathias responded that he could get within melee range of vampire spawn riff-raff but would need to keep a distance from higher-tier vampires.

  "So, if I were to create a distraction, you could move undetected?" Bones suggested.

  "A distraction…" Mathias repeated, considering the idea. "If you draw attention to yourself, the chances of me being detected would be slim, but are you sure you want to be the bait?"

  "Did you forget? I'm a Bonemancer, and ranged attacks are my specialty! Plus, I have golems. Skully is quick and can engage targets in melee with his spear, while Harmony stays by my side, attacking from a distance with her silver-tipped arrows. You might not need to act at all."

  "I wish it were that simple. You're right, this could work! I'll focus on any immediate threats. We should decide our route. Let's consult the map of the Undercity Albion gave us." Mathias suggested, retrieving a map from his back. They estimated their position and chose to head right, towards where Albion had last encountered the lesser vampires.

  The first exit from the tunnel led to a factory where Albion had worked. The facility was now empty, with machinery dismantled and forges shut down.

  "Looks like the factory has been closed for a while," Bones noted, seeing dust on tools and webs covering the machinery.

  Mathias didn't respond immediately, his frown deepening as he walked around the facility. "This isn't good. If they've shut down the factories, it means they've achieved their goals and no longer need them. We must find out what they're planning!" he declared with determination.

  "I wanted to ask about Jeanie's and Frank's assignment. The commotion and distraction they're planning—won't it alert the guards and tighten security?" Bones asked, changing the subject.

  "The guards will be alerted, yes. The sabotage will achieve two objectives. First, igniting the third warehouse will disrupt their operations. Second, it will provide cover for them to slip into the western district, where their main mission begins. Their goal is to infiltrate the manor of the warehouse overseer and find a ledger that details their activities. Hopefully, this will reveal the purpose of the assembled containers and, ultimately, the schemes of the Vampire Lord. While they seek the evidence, you and I will take a more direct approach. The aim is to either uncover and witness what they are doing firsthand and report back to Wolford, or find and send the evidence—either outcome is acceptable."

  Bones met his partner's gaze. The implication was clear: the mission was paramount, and losses were acceptable. However, Bones didn’t share that view. He was here because of the contract, aiming to level up and acquire skill cores. Nothing more, nothing less. Risking his life for those goals wasn’t something he was willing to do. Abandoning the mission—or even his new comrades—was something he would consider only as a last resort.

  "The mission takes priority. I understand."

  "Don't worry about unnecessary things, Bones—I’ve got your back!"

  Bones nodded, appreciating the sentiment, and replied, "And I yours. We should move on."

  Before long, shrieks echoed through the tunnels. The two cautiously advanced, sticking to the walls for safety, until the silhouettes of dozens of figures came into view. Their slouched body posture, erratic head movements, and the combination of shrieking and infighting told the two they had found their targets.

  "Can you identify them from here?" Bones asked, pointing to the figures about fifty meters ahead. Mathias, crouching, glanced at Bones and almost accusingly responded, "I can, can't you?"

  Bones shook his head, murmuring a basic Identify under his breath. Mathias didn't comment, just relayed the results of Identify.

  "The Lesser Vampires closest to us are between level fifty-one and fifty-three. The ones further away are fifty-four, and the ones behind them are too far away, even for me."

  "No sign of the level fifty-six Albion encountered?"

  "From what I can see, he's not among them."

  "Good. I'll begin then," Bones declared. Mathias nodded as his form blurred and vanished.

  "Neat trick," Bones remarked as he positioned himself at the center of the tunnel and four long bone lances materialized beside him. The lances spun rapidly before Bones launched them at his targets. A thunderous sound followed as the projectiles sliced through the air, each lance hitting with precision and exploding into shrapnel after penetrating three targets. The struck vampires collapsed, writhing in agony as their bodies shriveled until they lay still. The others immediately turned towards Bones, identifying the source of the threat, and charged. Bones remained stationary, his mouth twisting into a grotesque grin. Two figures appeared beside him. One surged forward while the other stepped back, a bow with a nocked arrow materializing in her hands. Meanwhile, Bones continuously summoned new sets of bone lances which he sent flying without waiting to see if they hit their marks.

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  Mathias, concealed behind a veil of illusion, watched in amazement, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He hadn't expected Bones' spell to be this effective considering his level but was relieved it was. Skully engaged the third wave of vampires, using a mix of wild and low attacks to throw them off balance, leaving them vulnerable to Harmony, who mercilessly picked off her targets with one arrow per vampire.

  The vampires that slipped through faced the blade materializing at their necks out of thin air. The battle concluded in under a minute with none of the vampires reaching Bones, who by the end, had dozens of bone spikes hovering around him. Mathias sat in a lotus position, turning to meditation to recover lost mana.

  Once he finished recovering, they proceeded until they reached an intersection where their path diverged into three.

  “The map?” Bones suggested. Mathias glanced briefly at it, then shook his head. “We’ve gone beyond what Albion charted. This is uncharted territory. Should we stick to the right path?”

  Bones agreed, noting that either direction was fine with him. With their path decided, they moved forward.

  “We’ve been in these tunnels for hours. Just how extensive is Undercity?” Bones remarked after some time.

  “We can’t help it. We need to proceed cautiously. The Undercity is as expansive as the city above—or at least that’s our assumption…” Mathias trailed off. Bones stopped and looked back, noticing Mathias staggering, his steps unsteady.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I—I don’t know.” Mathias replied, reaching for the wall to steady himself. “I don’t think I can go on.” He concluded, slumping down. Bones approached and crouched beside him. Though he couldn’t discern Mathias’s exact expressions, the faint groans suggested he was in pain. He did notice red flecks appearing on Mathias’s face.

  “What is…” Bones started, then realized the clothes on both of them were speckled with the same red spots. He swiveled his head, scrutinizing the air around them. After intense observation, he began to see them—tiny crimson particles floating everywhere. Bones focused on the path ahead and noticed the particles thickening.

  I’m not affected, but Mathias is…

  “We need to get out of here. Come on, let me help you up. And put on your gas mask.” Bones said, placing Mathias’s arm over his shoulder and pulling him to his feet. After adjusting the gas mask, they retraced their steps until Bones saw the air was clear of pollutants.

  “I think we should be safe here.” He said, stopping and helping Mathias sit against the wall. Mathias removed the mask and took deep breaths before speaking, “I know what this is. This is a blood mist!” He exclaimed, choking between heavy coughs. After coughing it out, he continued.

  “I’ve encountered it before. The blood mist permeates your body through the pores and causes hallucinations. The gas mask won’t help! More importantly, the mist feeds on lifeforce.”

  “That’s definitely bad news.” Bones remarked, drawing an annoyed look from Mathias. “Do you have any idea what could be causing the blood mist?”

  Mathias wore a blank expression, thinking, then shook his head. “The last time I saw the mist was when the vampires massacred a whole village. It was due to blood manipulation, but we’re in tunnels; there shouldn’t be any bodies…” The realization widened his eyes, and he fell silent.

  Bones understood why Mathias had stopped mid-sentence. It was clear what his words implied. If the source of the mist were villagers, there must be dozens, if not hundreds, of bodies in the tunnel ahead.

  "We can’t leave it alone, Bones…” Mathias started.

  "I know. There’s no choice. I'll go investigate."

  Given that Bones was unaffected by the mist, it was obvious he would be the one to go. Bones stood up, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.

  "Don’t take unnecessary risks. Come back as soon as you find the source!" Mathias advised.

  "Focus on yourself." Bones retorted before disappearing into the mist.

  Bones couldn't tell how long he'd been trudging through the dense, crimson mist when roots began to creep over the ground, walls, and ceiling. Initially, he dismissed it. He had seen roots protruding from the tunnel's earthen walls before, but this was different. These roots extended for dozens of meters without an end in sight. He felt as though he were venturing straight into the heart of a beast.

  After several hundred meters, the endless tunnel opened into a vast cavern. Standing at the tunnel's end, Bones was awestruck by the scene before him. The pervasive red mist blanketed the ground, and at the center stood a strikingly barren tree, its twisted branches reaching even the cavern's farthest corners. Surrounding the tree were dozens of human-sized metal containers, each holding a missing citizen. Tubes pierced their bodies, siphoning blood through pipes connected to the ancient tree, while semi-transparent cocoons hung from the branches, each containing the silhouette of a person curled in a fetal position.

  After a moment of observing, Bones decided to approach the containers for a closer inspection. The missing villagers were found, and the mystery of the assembled containers was solved. But why was this happening?

  A puff puff sound drew Bones' attention back to the tree. Feeling a sense of foreboding, he moved closer. The tree was stained dark red, with pulsating veins covering its bark. It felt as though he was in the presence of an ancient entity. As he traced the veins along the trunk and branches, the tree exhaled red mist, covering him in blood particles.

  Instinctively, Bones stepped back, startled by the sudden action. The tree seemed alive, consciously absorbing blood and nourishing the pods.

  "Don't tell me…" Bones muttered, retreating while his mind pieced together the process—the villagers, the containers, the pipes, the tree, and the pods. His back hit a container, and he briefly glanced back just as he heard a wet splotch. Turning, he saw one of the pods fall to the ground, from which a bald, pale figure emerged. A newly born vampire opened its mouth, revealing its fangs. Before it could shriek, a bone lance pierced its head, severing it from the neck. The body collapsed, rapidly shriveling as blood particles rose from the open neck in the form of mist and were reabsorbed by the tree.

  "This is the secret! He is creating a vampire army!" Bones concluded. He turned to leave but hesitated after a few steps. He turned back, summoning bone lances beside him, and aimed at the pods before him, all twenty-four of them. With a flick of his wrist, he pierced each pod and the figures within, one after another, until none were left. Bones attempted the same with the containers, but the metal plates were solid and impenetrable. The only thing remaining was the tree, the source of it all. Bones tested the tree with an empowered lance, and while the lance penetrated halfway, the tree expelled it moments later, sealing the gap immediately.