Chapter 242 - The Benefit (1/2)
Evan and the others moved carefully through the tunnels. To their surprise, they didn't encounter a single vampire. What's more, every room they entered was completely empty. It wasn't at all like a large base with a lot of vampires living in it.
<Hmm, these rooms used to be the resting place for miners, and it's not like they've been abandoned for 50 years. The vampires have definitely used them for a while, but they're empty now. They cleared the place out for some reason. There isn't even any dust here.>
Evan thought as they entered another empty room.
Suddenly Bas stopped them and said quietly, ”I have a theory. I believe that the vampires have all gathered together in the same room and are watching Miss Laila. Maybe they've already left here, but that's unlikely.. Then there would be no guards at the entrance. If I'm right, there will be a major battle. I have to warn you about something.”
<So he's decided that the vampires are in the same place, too? Maybe they're waiting for something?> Evan thought.
”First, prioritize using fire spells and light magic spells. Vampires have little resistance to these elements. Secondly, be vigilant, there may well be other vampires capable of using blood magic besides that woman.”
<Blood magic!? Evan thought to himself. He was extremely interested in blood magic spells. They could help him in his experiments.>
<I thought she was using a skill then. I had never seen a spell like that, but it was quite possible that it was a blood magic spell. I don't know anything about that kind of spell.>
Evan decided that Nessa was using a skill in the banquet hall, not a spell. When Nessa bled herself and turned it into sharp stakes, it reminded Evan of Reykar's second skill. He used his feathers as weapons, they were sharp enough to pierce steel. Evan decided that Nessa's blood was a prerequisite for using the skill.
”Commander, aren't only some vampires allowed to use spells?” Quietly one man in the group said.
Bas nodded, ”Only some, I don't know why, but it's kind of like evolved monsters. Only monsters like that can have skills, it's a similar situation, but I've never seen an evolved vampire before. That's it, let's move on.”
The others nodded and followed him.
...
In the next few minutes, they explored several rooms and a couple of forks in this system of abandoned mines. Everywhere was empty, not a hint that anyone lived here.
But, eventually, they came across vampires. Just as Evan thought, all the vampires ended up in the same place.
It was a large room the size of half a soccer field. About forty vampires stood waiting for something. Every one of them was ready for a fight.
Evan, Bas, and the others didn't know it, but the vampires were very sensitive to the smell of blood. When Bas killed two vampires, the vampires smelled that faint smell of blood. But, Nessa ordered them to stay where they were. They had to protect Laila at all costs.
At the end of the room was Laila. She was under a protective barrier. Moreover, she was put to sleep. The vampires had done everything in their power not to lose her.
Evan, as well as everyone else, was puzzled. They didn't understand why the vampires needed to kidnap the noblewoman and now protect her.
<This is very strange. Judging by Laila's appearance, the vampires didn't even touch her. They didn't drink her blood or torture her. What the hell is going on here?”>thought Evan.
”Commander, what are we going to do?” Asked the girl.
Bas hesitated and, after a while, answered, ”Originally I wanted to attack the vampires and rescue Miss Laila stealthily, but given the situation, we won't be able to do that. I have only two options: the first is to try to negotiate, and the second is to attack head-on.”
He wanted to avoid a head-on collision with so many vampires, but it was impossible. All the vampires were in one place and watched all the entrances to this room.