Tales of the Endless Empire
Chapter 178: A Deadly Dance

Thalion shot toward the vampires, who scattered to the sides. Swords, an axe, and daggers appeared in their hands, while one who had jumped back even drew a bow. The more powerful vampires, however, slightly altered their forms. They grew a head taller. Their teeth elongated, and their fingernails extended into razor-sharp claws.

Thalion’s attention was drawn to the blood bow. The runes on it seemed to concentrate blood into the form of an arrow. If that was how it worked, he wanted it. The Sanguine Thorn had stored an immense amount of blood, and a tool that could both shape and empower it would be invaluable. He would likely find out more about it soon enough.

None of the vampires attempted ranged blood attacks against him. Instead, they rushed in for melee combat. The air vibrated from the sheer intensity of their auras. The first claw attack came in fast, aimed at Thalion’s stomach. He spun between the incoming strikes like a dancer on a grand stage, his technique combined with his title, turned him into a deadly force. The vampires could only overwhelm him with surprise attacks, but Thalion was too fast, too skilled. Even with the numbers on their side, the situation looked dire for them.

Every swing he made struck true, and with quick sidesteps and fluid movements, he perfectly evaded their attacks. Then, the archer fired a blood arrow, so heavily infused with power that Thalion couldn’t take control of the blood. He barely managed to dodge before the arrow exploded beside him, sending one of the vampires flying.

So, the bow didn’t just form blood arrows. It empowered them significantly. Thalion wasn’t an archer, and he wouldn’t have time to train, but perhaps he could inscribe those runes onto his sword. At the moment, his blade only empowered the skills he channeled through it, but it couldn’t channel blood. If the new runes worked, his sword could partially function as a blood-based weapon. Perhaps even a blood wand.

Yes, he wanted that bow. But taking it would be harder than he had first thought.

The vampires made an unexpected move. As Thalion sliced off a vampire’s leg, he immediately dashed to the side with a telekinetic burst, unleashing a red slash at the downed opponent while deflecting an incoming sword strike in the same motion. The slash should have killed the vampire but just before it hit, the target vanished.

"Damn it, they can still teleport to the fifth stage! How could I have forgotten about that?" Thalion cursed himself.

If the archer was fast enough, he could escape with the bow, which was a major problem. Fortunately, Thalion hadn’t revealed the fear ability of his armor yet. His initial bait had failed, but perhaps he could use a second one. This time, to lure in stronger vampires from the fifth stage.

Vampires at the fifth stage couldn’t teleport away. Thalion was certain that more vampires wielded Sanguine Thorns, and they would go to great lengths to claim his. If not for themselves, then for a descendant or ally. Though Thalion doubted vampires cared much for family, he knew they wouldn’t pass up such a prize.

If he exposed the fact that he had a Sanguine Thorn, they would come for him, and he could finally test a few theories about their eyes. Those vampires would likely be close to his own strength, but they lacked one thing. The Outsider and the title.

No, Thalion was confident and he was willing to take the risk.

The remaining vampires avoided using blood skills against him, knowing he was stronger and could simply seize control of their attacks. It was time to throw out his next bait and find a way to eliminate that archer in a single strike.

The battle dragged on. More and more vampires were wounded, while five others teleported to the fifth stage. Thalion was in his element, fighting with precision and patience. Most of the time, he held back, only to suddenly explode with speed and power to overwhelm a single vampire, killing them before they could teleport away.

With every passing minute, their numbers dwindled. Thalion had slain two more, while seven others ascended to the next stage. Now, only the strongest remained.

They attempted to encircle him, but even when they briefly succeeded, it was useless. Thalion seemed to perceive everything around him. In truth, he fully trusted the instincts granted by his title, making any attempt to backstab him utterly futile.

So far, the vampires hadn’t even managed to truly injure him. His armor had absorbed every strike.

Even when claws managed to tear through his armor, it repaired itself almost instantly. One of the stronger vampires attempted to slash at his face. Power surged around the black claws, and if the attack landed, it would have torn his head clean off.

Thankfully, it didn’t.

Thalion saw the perfect opportunity to unleash the Sanguine Thorn, which had been straining to consume the blood of the vampires. Especially the one who had just attacked him. A crimson vine with dark red thorns, erupted from his hand and shot through the vampire’s chest. It pierced clean through, exiting the vampire’s back, before ensnaring its target and lifting it into the air. Skin was ripped, bones crushed, unable to resist the overwhelming power of the Thorn.

For a brief moment, the vampire didn’t even scream as the Sanguine Thorn greedily drained every last drop of blood from its body, far more than Thalion had expected. But before the creature could die, it vanished.

"Damn it. I should have aimed for the head, not the chest," Thalion thought, frustrated.

He needed to stay sharp. The vampires were quick, and he couldn’t afford to get sluggish. For a moment, silence filled the battlefield as the remaining vampires stared at the red vine retracting into Thalion’s body. The intense power and bloodlust still lingered in the air.

Thalion gave them no time to rethink their strategy.

He attacked immediately, firing a red slash at the nearest vampire while two more vines erupted from his elbows, striking at the ones on his flanks. Their red eyes widened in shock, and they leapt back like frightened prey.

Thalion wasn’t aiming for them anyway.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the archer and slashed downward at the vampire’s head. At the same time, he activated Blood Harvest at full strength. It wouldn’t be enough to rip the blood from the vampire’s body, but it would hopefully distract him long enough for Thalion to land the killing blow.

If the vampire reacted quickly, he could teleport away.

Thankfully, the vampire wasn’t smart or fast enough. Instead of teleporting, he tried to dodge to the side, too late. Thalion’s blade cleaved his head cleanly from his shoulders. Without hesitation, he stored the red bow in his inventory while a vine consumed the rest of the vampire’s body.

Thalion had expected the Sanguine Thorn to settle after drinking the blood of one vampire, but the exact opposite happened. The bloodlust crashing against his mind left no doubt. It wanted more.

A familiar voice hissed from the shadows.

"This is not over. You cannot win, even with the Holy Tree."

The vampire Thalion had fought in the jungle before looked far more monstrous than last time. Red vines coiled around his body, his mouth stretched unnaturally wide, exposing rows of needle like teeth.

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Then, in an instant, he was gone.

The remaining vampires disappeared with him.

"Hey! Come back!" Thalion yelled at the empty air.

They had retreated, teleporting to the fifth stage. That was frustrating, but at least he hadn’t exposed many of his secrets. Now, he could only hope his bait worked and that the stronger vampires would come for him. If they did, it would make finding the Catacombs much easier.

And hopefully, Amalia would prove that keeping her alive had been worth it once he captured his first vampire.

Thalion turned his gaze toward the base. Most of the fighters on his side of the wall were gone, and the skyships had won against the insect swarms. He saw no vampires in the sky. The massive airships now hovered over the far side of the base, raining down destruction on the remaining undead.

The battle was won.

His heart rate slowed as he retracted his aura. Then, shifting into Mistform, he soared to the other side of the battlefield, where the fighting still raged.

High in the sky, Thalion transformed back into his human form and surveyed the scene below. He wanted to help where he was needed most, but it seemed no vampires remained. Jim and Kaldrek were clearing out the last of the undead—only a few hundred left. Corpses littered the ground outside the base.

Hopefully, the alchemists could find a way to use them. Maybe even create something to counter the undead.

But Thalion had another task, something only he could do.

The Sanguine Thorn was still hungry.

There was blood everywhere. Rivers of it soaked the battlefield, and thick clouds of red mist swirled through the air. Thalion consumed it all, allowing the Thorn to feast.

And then—blackout.

The moment the Thorn upgraded again, pain ripped through him, far worse than the last time. But so was the power that surged through his veins. Thalion basked in it, feeling as though he could uproot trees with one hand.

He had been unconscious for longer than expected.

When he finally flew back to his previous position to take a final look, the battle was already over. Down below, people were gathered in the large plaza before his tower. And they were all celebrating.

There were no undead left around his base. The spot where Kaldrek and the others had fought was still covered with bodies and shrouded in red mist. Thalion didn’t want to drain all the blood—it would weaken the alchemists’ ability to use the corpses effectively.

The fact that they were now celebrating in front of his tower was concerning. It was a blatant show of force. There were plenty of larger plazas in the city, yet this was where they had gathered. The mood was electric as people danced in the streets and even on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. The entire plaza was packed, and the crowd spilled into the closest streets, all caught up in their celebration. If someone attacked them now, they would be in serious trouble. No one was watching the walls.

But the worst part? Floating above the crowd, at the center of it all, was Jim, basking in the endless praise of those around him. This was bad. Thalion clenched his teeth. He didn’t have a clear solution. His anger and hatred for the witches and everyone who wanted him dead grew stronger with every passing second. But he reluctantly swallowed it down. This wasn’t the time. So, if killing wasn’t an option… what should he do?

Hovering over two hundred meters in the air, no one had noticed him yet. He focused, listening in on what they were chanting. What he heard did not improve his mood.

"Jim! Jim! Jim!"

The crowd roared his name in unison, their voices booming through the city. On top of that, Thalion caught snippets of exaggerated tales about Jim’s supposed heroic feats. But the most concerning part? Amalia was standing near him. And no one seemed to care.

That was strange. It was common knowledge that witches like her leveled up by eating other humans, stripping them of their free will entirely. Yet, there she was unchallenged. Kaldrek was also celebrating nearby, surrounded by a group of the Blessed. At least he was fifty meters away from Jim. Otherwise, Thalion would have been even more worried.

Still, there was one person in the crowd who looked even more unsettled than he did—Maike. She sat on a nearby rooftop, arms crossed, watching the scene with a bitter scowl. She wasn’t celebrating at all. Thalion had to do something. Every second that Jim was praised, the bigger the problem became.

He released control of his blood and let himself fall toward the ground. Fifty meters above Jim, people finally noticed him. The celebration around Jim halted instantly. Within moments, the entire plaza had fallen into silence. Then, Thalion released part of his aura. A heavy pressure filled the air, making his presence impossible to ignore.

"Why is no one on the walls, watching for an attack?" Thalion hissed at the crowd.

The silence grew palpable. A few people at the back immediately turned and rushed toward the walls. The mood had shifted in a heartbeat. Many in the crowd now stared at the ground, their faces burning with embarrassment.

"Something like this cannot happen again." Thalion’s voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy silence. "All the resources I’ve spent on fortifications will be worthless if you let your guard down like this." Of course, it wasn’t just about cutting Jim’s celebration short. This was a war and they couldn't get lazzy. They needed to remember that.

"Oh, come on! You think they’d make such a difference when we have my amazing formations and the countless followers of the Holy Guardian?" Jim’s voice rang out, dripping with arrogance. He lifted his arms wide, his aura swelling as he hovered ten meters above the ground, ensuring that everyone could see him. The people closest to him immediately started cheering again. Those further away hesitated, uncertain.

Thalion, however, was not confused at all. Their eyes met. Oh, how he wished he had vampiric eyes right now. He’d love to hit that arrogant brat with a brutal mental assault. Unfortunately, he didn’t. And killing the man now was out of the question. So, he had to handle this differently.

Feigning innocence, he asked, "Ah, right. Back in my base, you didn’t hesitate to claim victory over the vampires. So, tell me… how many did you actually kill?"

Jim’s expression faltered just for a second. Then, he scoffed. "I didn’t get to kill any! They ran from me after witnessing my might! Besides, what does it matter who killed more? This isn’t a game. In the end, the followers of the Holy Guardian took down the most enemies!" His aura flared as he spoke, his voice dripping with self-importance.

Thalion sneered. "Well then, since the followers of the Holy Guardian are so powerful, they should put that strength to good use and bring me some high quality materials."

Jim’s expression darkened. "I’m no servant you can just command as you please! I answer only to the Holy Guardian!" His chin lifted defiantly, and suddenly, white strings of energy began flowing from his followers, connecting to him. Empowering him even more.