Tales of the Endless Empire
Chapter 200: How Strong Are the Vampires on the Fifth Stage?

"Are there many inns in your city? Vorlok needs a lot of food," Kargul asked as they marched through the dense jungle toward the vampire fortress.

Evelyn and Josh were still drained, their mana and stamina low, and they clearly needed time to recover. Unlike the rest, Evelyn had taken to riding on Vorlok’s back, the massive flying turtle gliding effortlessly alongside them, its dark eyes scanning the undergrowth for movement.

"There should be some, but I can’t say for certain. I was mostly focused on getting stronger," Thalion replied, pushing aside a low-hanging branch as he walked.

"Yeah, that much is obvious," Josh chuckled—a rare sight, considering he was usually the brooding type.

"But it’s good to have a stronghold to fall back on," Chloe added, her voice tinged with relief. "A safe place, at least."

At that, Thalion hesitated for a moment before sighing. "About that… There are quite a few Blessed in the city who want me dead, so it would be best if you didn’t go there. At least, not with me. They might try to kill you just for being associated with me."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Why are there so many Blessed in your city? And why are they trying to kill you? Is this about artifacts again?"

Thalion shrugged, his gloved fingers idly adjusting the mask he had once again donned. It wasn’t just for protection; he liked the anonymity it granted him. The way it concealed his expressions, making it impossible for others to read him. The enhanced vision it provided wasn’t bad either. Not that he needed it with his sharpened senses.

"It’s not just about artifacts," he said eventually. "I think it’s mostly because I have no blessing. The Blessed tend to see themselves as superior—divine chosen ones above the rest of us. And, of course, being the City Lord comes with certain perks they’d love to claim for themselves."

Not that it really mattered. He planned to kill them first anyway—preferably in a way that benefited him. The Black Pillar was always an option. He could trap some of them there, turn them into blood thralls, or conduct a few experiments. Perhaps see if they could fuse with some of the crystals he had collected. The process would be excruciating, of course, but he would make sure to keep them alive with plenty of healing potions.

"That makes sense," Evelyn mused, her gaze thoughtful. "Many of the Blessed in this tutorial only have their blessings because their patron gods wanted to influence the outcome of the special quest. They are weaker and will likely be fed to another Blessed after tutorial who can use them to enhance their own, though the process kills the target."

She must have learned that from her Healing Goddess. It was a lot of information, but useful nonetheless.

"Enough of that! Let’s get to the real question," Kargul bellowed, grinning with sharp teeth. "How many vampires can we smash today? I’ve been waiting too long for this. I want to crush them real good!"

Thalion smirked behind his mask. "No idea. The scouts reported that the fortress is massive, so I imagine there will be more than enough for all of us."

His thoughts drifted to the numbers. How many Stage Five vampires would be lurking in the stronghold? A few thousand? Maybe less. The Stage Four vampires had numbered around forty or fifty, but most had escaped. That reminded him—he still had that vampire’s bow he’d acquired after the last fight.

Once this special quest was over, he would have time to focus on his real goals—blood cultivation, upgrading his armor and weapons. Sadly, there were still six more weeks until the tutorial ended. Until then? Slaughter and more slaughter.

Not that he minded. Where else could he harvest so much blood and experience?

Killing the Blessed might be the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"We should pick up the pace," Kargul rumbled, his massive hands slamming against Vorlok’s thick shell, causing the turtle to grunt in protest. "Vorlok’s already hungry. He loves the taste of vampires."

"He can eat when we get back to the base," Thalion muttered, his voice lower, sharper than he had intended. "These vampires are mine. I need them to get stronger."

"Okay, he won’t like it, and I’m not sure if he’ll listen, but I suppose we can make something work. I still have some meat left," Kargul said, scratching his head as he rummaged through his spatial ring.

The group moved swiftly through the dense jungle, the thick canopy above casting fragmented shadows across the undergrowth. Most of them had almost fully recovered, their steps lighter, their breaths steadier.

"Hey, Jack, can you turn into that squid again and scout ahead? Or do you think the vampires will sense you?" Thalion asked, his gaze lingering on the man with the purple eye. Jack had changed—something about him felt... off. He wasn’t the same as the man Thalion had met weeks ago.

Jack hesitated, his brow furrowing as he considered it. "It should be possible, but… I’m not sure," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual. His gaze drifted downward, lost in thought as he continued walking.

Thalion frowned. "What’s wrong with him?" he asked the others.

Josh sighed. "We don’t know either. Before we fought you, he was full of confidence, practically brimming with power." His eyes flickered toward Jack, concern evident in his expression.

"Yeah, I remember that too," Eddie chimed in with a smirk. "He kept going on and on about how he was stronger than you, the better fighter, the superior teacher."

"Which is nonsense," Josh shot back immediately, irritation creeping into his voice.

"Hey, Jack!" Josh suddenly called out, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "What’s up with you? I can’t stand it when you get all serious out of nowhere!"

Jack slowed his pace, but didn’t turn around. "Well… you know," he muttered after a pause. "Since I’m supposed to be the strongest, the better teacher and all… I shouldn’t have picked a fight with an Eclipsari, even one that seemed injured." He hesitated, then added, "No offense, Thalion. But if that thing had been a real beast, we’d all be dead."

Josh narrowed his eyes. "Oh, come on. You really need to get down from whatever high horse you’re on. You’re definitely not stronger than me."

"And here we go again," Chloe muttered, shaking her head. "Can’t you two just agree that you’re equal?"

"What? Equal?" Josh and Jack snapped at the same time, both sounding equally offended.

"Yeah, I don’t believe in that either," Kargul chimed in, his usual jovial tone replaced with something more serious. "There’s always someone stronger. People who tell you otherwise are just making excuses."

Thalion sighed. He needed to redirect this energy before it turned into something dangerous. "Alright, then," he said, his voice carrying an edge of amusement. "Why don’t we settle this with a little competition? Whoever slays the most vampires today earns the title of the strongest between you two."

Josh and Jack exchanged glances. Jack smirked. "Well, I don’t think we even need to count kills, since I’m obviously stronger, but… if you really want to see Josh humiliated, I’m all for it."

Josh groaned. "You’re insufferable."

Thalion’s tone turned sharper. "Also, if you run into any stronger vampires, call out. I want their blood."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He wasn’t just interested in their strength—he needed the blood of the more powerful ones. It was the best way for him to grow stronger, and besides… he wasn’t blind to the danger. The vampires on this stage would be formidable. Probably not as terrifying as the Eleventh Daughter, but still strong enough to be a serious threat. Evelyn wouldn’t survive if she was caught off guard. And Jack’s squid form? He wasn’t sure how durable it really was. Its balloon-like body didn’t seem particularly resistant to blood spears or thorn vines, especially if they ran into a vampire wielding a Sanguine Thorn.

"If a vampire attacks me, I’ll definitely scream," Chloe muttered from the back of the group.

"Yeah, me too," Eddie added quickly.

Evelyn sighed, rolling her eyes. "There’s no reason for you two to hang back like that. You both have strong forms and you know how to use them. Stop being so afraid—you’re stronger than you think."

Chloe and Eddie didn’t respond, and so their journey through the jungle continued.

At the front, Thalion led the way, flanked by Kargul and Vorlok, with Evelyn perched atop the massive turtle’s shell. Behind them followed the four shapeshifters—Jack, who seemed to have regained some of his composure; Josh, still looking somewhat irritated; and, of course, Eddie and Chloe, who lingered toward the back.

Chloe, the last in line, trailed even behind Eddie. A deep unease settled in her chest.

She hated this.

They were walking straight into unknown territory, with no backup, no clear understanding of how many vampires they would face. And worse… she had the sinking feeling that the jungle itself was watching them.

Just as Chloe had finally managed to calm down, the damned turtle started sniffing the air, throwing its massive head from side to side.

No. Not again.

She did not want to fight. Not after what had happened last time.

It was not like she had done much in that battle anyway. She had barely lasted before one of those agonizingly sharp spikes had pierced straight through her front legs, shattering bone and tearing through flesh. If Evelyn had not come by and fully healed both her and Eddie, who had suffered the same fate, they would probably still be crippled.

Now, however, Vorlok’s frantic sniffing meant only one thing. The enemy was close.

Kargul noticed immediately.

"Oh, look at that. Vorlok has found something. Good boy, Vorlok. Go sniff out those sneaky vampires," the orc said, grinning as he hefted his massive mace onto his shoulder.

Evelyn, seated atop the turtle, tensed. She was probably getting ready to jump off the moment Vorlok charged, which, knowing the reckless beast, could happen at any second.

Josh and Jack wasted no time. In an instant, both took on their beast forms. Jack vanished entirely into the foliage, using that uncanny natural camouflage ability that every squid seemed to have.

Kargul stood at the ready, his massive weapon gleaming in the dim jungle light, eager for battle.

The only one who remained completely relaxed was Thalion.

Chloe could not see his face beneath the mask, but his entire demeanor made it clear. He did not consider the vampires a threat.

He had not even drawn a weapon.

Typical.

He would probably wait until the last second before shifting into that dark, monstrous form he had used against them before, purely for dramatic effect. His armor, sleek and sinister looking, was probably just for show. Chloe doubted it offered him any real protection. After all, Thalion was a shapeshifter, not a warrior. The moment real danger struck, he would shift, and the battle would be over before it even began.

No vampire could possibly match his power.

Right?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, an overwhelming wave of bloodlust crashed through the clearing like a tidal wave.

Her breath hitched.

No. No, no, no.

"I do not want to fight," Chloe thought desperately, her entire body going rigid.

She whipped her head around, searching for the source of the aura that sent cold sweat trickling down her back.

And then she saw them.

Perched on the gnarled roots of a massive tree, three vampires emerged from the shadows. The woman in the center radiated that terrifying bloodlust, her very presence making the air feel heavy.

More figures appeared.

One by one, more and more vampires stepped out from the darkness until the group was completely surrounded.

Over twenty.

Each one stronger than Chloe.

They were doomed.

The only silver lining was that the woman at the center, the strongest of them all, had eyes only for Thalion. She barely acknowledged the rest of the group, her gaze locked onto him like a predator watching its prey.

And he stared right back.

Was he stupid?

Everyone knew that you do not look a vampire directly in the eyes.

Chloe’s mind screamed in panic. This vampire was stronger than she had thought possible. With her allies backing her up, they had no chance of winning. Their only hope was that Thalion could hold her off with that overwhelming black form he had used to obliterate them before.

The vampire woman smiled, fangs glinting in the dim light.

"This must be my lucky day," she purred, her voice smooth and dripping with malice. "I feared someone else might find you first, and yet here you are, delivering the Sanguine Thorn to me on a silver platter."

Before anyone could react, Thalion moved.

One moment, he stood still. The next, he exploded into motion, vanishing and reappearing amidst the vampires in a blur of unnatural speed.

A heartbeat later, red vines erupted from his body, lashing out in all directions.

Four vampires died instantly, impaled and torn apart before they could even scream.

The woman barely managed to block, her own red vines bursting from her body to counter his attack.

Chloe’s breath caught.

The same vines.

The ones that had emerged from Thalion were identical to hers.

But they were not equal.

The moment the two forces collided, the vampire’s vines shredded apart, utterly overpowered by Thalion’s.

Yet she remained unscathed.

She had sacrificed her vines to avoid taking damage, proving that they were not part of her body, just an ability. Clever.

But then, all at once, every vampire in the clearing erupted with power.

The air trembled under the sheer force of their combined auras, and a crushing wave of bloodlust slammed into the group.

But then, Thalion’s aura exploded.

A monstrous, insatiable hunger filled the clearing.

It was so intense, so utterly overwhelming, that every other presence was instantly drowned out.

The vampires froze.

Chloe was not sure if it was fear she saw in their eyes, but it was something close to it.

And then they attacked.

Chloe had no more time to think.

She transformed, her body morphing into the massive form of the Stegagon, ready to defend herself.

She had doubted her choice to follow the group.

Now, she was certain of only one thing.

She just needed to hold on until Thalion was finished killing every single vampire in the clearing.