A soft clinking of boots resonated through the corridor, intermingled with distant shrieks that urged Bones and Mathias to put more distance between themselves and the prison, along with the vampire horde on their tail. They sprinted as fast as their legs and the limited space permitted, propelled by adrenaline and fear, with no clear destination. Bones' relentless inquiries about whether Mathias had any idea where they were heading and his constant requests to check the map were putting Mathias on edge. The paths diverged into more corridors, creating a maze-like layout that was hard to navigate. How could Mathias possibly know where they were going when he was just as lost as Bones?

  Frequent glances at the map assured Mathias that they were circling back, but whether they were heading toward an exit or deeper danger, he couldn't tell. Panting heavily, he stopped and raised his hand, signaling for a pause while he leaned against the wall to catch his breath.

  "Are they still on our tail?" He asked Bones, his face flushed and frown deepening by the second.

  "One moment," Bones replied, extending his senses down the path they came from. After a few seconds, he said, "I can't detect the other vampires. If they did follow us, they're beyond my range, but that one is closing in. We might have a minute before he catches up."

  "Tsk," Mathias clicked his tongue. "Damn it! We should confront him while we still have the advantage in numbers."

  Bones nodded in agreement, but their current location didn't allow for wide movements. The corridor was too narrow, barely permitting passage, let alone a fight.

  "We should keep moving and wait for the first chance to act," Bones suggested. Mathias gritted his teeth, nodded in understanding, and continued leading the way. His hardships seemed to ease briefly when he saw light at the end of the tunnel. Earthen walls replaced the stone ones, and they emerged from a narrow, winding passage into a dimly lit cavern. Opposite them was a wooden platform with a staircase along the walls leading upward. Bones followed the stairs with his senses, speculating they might lead to the surface.

  "Focus, Bones. He's coming, and I'm not in top shape to fight," Mathias warned, his breathing worsening and drawing Bones' attention to the approaching footsteps behind them. Bones turned to face the entrance, gripping two golem cores in his hands. He dropped them, and before they hit the ground, Skully and Harmony materialized, weapons ready.

  Before his figure came into view, the vampire let out a deep, sinister laugh.

  "Is this the end? I hoped this hunt would last longer than the last one. Are you two with the resistance?" The vampire asked as he stepped into the light. He took a moment to size up Mathias and Bones, then concluded, "No, not with the resistance. Spies, perhaps?" kukuku

  The vampire's mocking behavior caused Mathias to wince involuntarily, betraying their purpose. "Enough!" He shouted. "You were the one who slaughtered the resistance members, weren't you?"

  "So he survived? Was he their leader?" The vampire continued, referring to Albion and his encounter with him. He then turned his predatory gaze toward Bones' golems, his expression losing its arrogance. "What are these supposed to be?"

  Not sensing life force emanating from the golems baffled the vampire, who was unfamiliar with the outside world. Wary of their existence, his posture shifted into a fighting stance. While he contemplated the golems, Mathias appeared increasingly pale, prompting Bones to take initiative and direct his golems to attack. The vampire, identified by Mathias as Kalus, was momentarily surprised but quickly responded, meeting Skully's spear head-on. The clash was evident, but Bones was surprised to see Skully propelled backward from the encounter.

  "Damn it! I knew it!" Mathias exclaimed, rushing at Kalus. Bones watched Skully slide across the ground, coming to a halt beside him from the impact.

  "What? How is he so strong?" Bones muttered as the sounds of fighting intensified. Mathias disengaged and briefly addressed Bones. "Focus! Don't think of him as the same as the earlier vampires!"

  Bones nodded, mentally scolding himself for getting distracted, and turned to the vampire, who had paused upon hearing them talk. Kalus' face twisted into a condescending sneer. "You dare compare me to them? I am a complete product, unlike those failures!" He declared proudly, labeling himself as a product.

  "Failures?" Mathias repeated, exchanging glances with Bones. Suddenly, they both understood the implications of Kalus's words. There were two possible conclusions they could draw: the Vampire Lord was attempting to mass-produce vampires like Kalus, but had encountered an unexpected number of failures, or what they had witnessed thus far wasn’t an army being built, but merely a collection of failed experiments, while the true army was stationed elsewhere. Regardless of the outcome, it was clear they needed to confront this “complete product.”

  “Don’t worry about the strength gap—you know what your golems can do. I'll create an opening; make sure you use it," Mathias declared, resolution igniting in his eyes. Dark grey energy began to swirl and crackle around his daggers like smoke caught in a storm. Despite his abilities having stagnated while working as a spy in Valencia, Mathias remained a force to be reckoned with at level sixty-three.

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  Weapons imbued with power, he charged at the vampire, moving with the precision and the confidence of someone with nothing left to lose. Skully rejoined the fray moments later, with Harmony providing backup, weaving in and out of combat to flank Kalus. Bones chose not to call upon Murdok, feeling his hulking minion would be ineffective against this adversary and could become a liability. Against Kalus, finesse and precision.

  Kalus, standing amidst the swirling melee, greeted the challenge with savage delight. His crimson eyes blazed with bloodlust, and a cruel grin twisted his face. He fought recklessly, his movements fueled by a mix of arrogance and primal hunger. Bones watched intently from the sidelines, his calculating gaze locked on the vampire. Kalus dismissed him as little more than a nuisance—a mistake Bones intended to exploit.

  The battle unfolded in a furious blur. Skully and Harmony pressed Kalus relentlessly, their attacks coordinated to disrupt his rhythm. Mathias darted in and out of reach, his daggers targeting the vampire’s joints with surgical precision. One strike found purchase, slashing deep into Kalus’s shoulder. The vampire snarled, momentarily staggered. His balance wavered, and for the briefest of moments, he was vulnerable.

  Now! Bones thought, seizing the opportunity. Four Bone Lances materialized beside him, each spinning rapidly as they solidified. With a flick of his wrist, Bones launched them toward Kalus with deadly intent.

  The first lance struck true, piercing the vampire’s knee and forcing him to one leg. The second slammed into his abdomen, eliciting a guttural growl of pain. Kalus managed to catch the third lance mid-flight, its tip stopping just short of his heart, but the strain left him wide open for the fourth. It grazed his face, carving a deep gash that bled profusely.

  The battlefield fell silent, the combatants frozen as the tension hung thick in the air. Kalus’s lips curled into a feral snarl as he staggered upright, blood dripping from his wounds. Then, he roared—a sound so primal and chilling that it reverberated through the chamber, echoing far beyond its walls. The distant shrieks of his kin answered the call, an ominous sign of incoming reinforcements.

  “You think you can kill me so easily?” Kalus rasped, blood smeared across his face. His red eyes gleamed like embers, and his grin widened into something unnervingly unbroken by pain. Wiping the blood away, he was ready for another round.

  Fueled by an intoxicating mix of battle ferocity and vampiric instincts, his primal urges resurfaced. His attacks became more intense and perilous, with little regard for his own safety. For each blow he landed, he received two in return. His physical resilience allowed him to withstand hits from weaker foes, yet the wounds began to accumulate, and he grew more savage as the fight dragged on. Meanwhile, Mathias was showing clear signs of fatigue, struggling in this war of attrition. After deflecting one of the brutal strikes, his leg buckled, and he momentarily lost balance. He braced for a follow-up attack, a finishing blow, but it never came.

  Kalus shifted his focus to Bones and lunged, his movements now frantic and brutal. Skully intercepted him with a thrust of its spear, but Kalus vaulted over the weapon in a fluid motion. A silver-tipped arrow from Harmony zipped toward him, only to miss by a hair as Kalus twisted mid-air. His target was clear—Bones.

  As the vampire’s clawed hand shot toward his throat, Bones reacted instinctively. His eyes flared with power, locking with Kalus’s in an instant. Soul Gaze surged between them, gripping the vampire’s very essence. For a brief second, Kalus faltered, his body stiffening as though shackled by invisible chains. But it wasn’t Soul Gaze alone that restrained him. Bones felt the pull of his second power—Bone Manipulation—as it seized control of the vampire’s skeletal structure, halting him mid-lunge.

  “Now, Mathias!” Bones shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

  Mathias, battered and bloodied, summoned every ounce of his remaining strength. His daggers gleamed as he surged forward, a blur of determination. The first blade plunged into Kalus’s chest, sliding deep into his heart. The vampire roared, a sound born of both agony and defiance, releasing him from his confinement, and his hand shot out in a last, desperate attempt to defend himself. But Mathias was faster. With a clean, decisive slash, he severed Kalus’s head from his shoulders.

  The vampire’s body collapsed, falling first to its knees before toppling sideways. His head rolled to a stop, its crimson eyes now lifeless. For a heartbeat, the chamber stood still. Then Mathias dropped to his knees, the toll of the battle written across his pale, sweat-soaked face.

  Bones stepped forward, his mind already racing. The shrieks in the distance were growing louder. "The horde’s coming," he said urgently, extending a hand to Mathias. "We need to move."

  Mathias took his hand, his grip weak but grateful. As Bones helped him to his feet, he noted the spy’s increasingly pallid complexion. “You don’t look good. Something’s afflicting you even before the fight; what happened?”

  Mathias swayed but steadied himself with a grimace. “I’m exhausted,” he admitted. “Stealth techniques, imbued attacks—they’ve drained my mana. And…” He hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. “That blood mist—it wasn’t just in my head. I should’ve ensured it was entirely expelled from my body. I’ve felt sluggish ever since.”

  “So that’s why you’ve been getting paler. You should’ve told me,” Bones said sharply. “We could’ve waited.”

  Mathias shook his head. “There wasn’t time.

  Bones tightened his jaw, suppressing the frustration bubbling within. “Let’s get out of here before we’re overwhelmed.”

  Together, they ascended the stairs, their steps heavy but driven by the shared understanding that the fight wasn’t truly over. There was no telling what awaited them above, but as the faint whistling of a breeze reached their ears and cool air touched their faces, it brought a deceptive sense of relief.

  Mathias quickened his pace, his exhaustion giving way to the desperate hope of fresh air and escape. At the top of the stairwell, they came face to face with an iron sewer lid. The rectangular cover was worn and rusted, with small drainage holes through which faint moonlight streamed. Bones braced himself against the wall, his sharp senses scanning the surroundings for any lingering threats, while Mathias pressed his hands against the cold, grooved metal.

  Grunting from the effort, Mathias lifted the heavy lid, the hinges screeching in protest before the plate slid aside. A rush of crisp night air greeted them, accompanied by the faint rustle of leaves. The two climbed out cautiously, emerging into a courtyard illuminated by the pale light of a waning moon.