Moments after the village burned, someone had been watching everything from the shadows. Hidden deep within the forest, a lone figure observed the battle silently, eyes wide with curiosity.
He had seen it all, the mysterious figure's calculated takedown of Liberian.
"First, he revealed his weakness and let him strike first... then used his speed to slip into the Librarian's blind spot and killed him in one move. Interesting," the hidden man muttered to himself, smirking as he leaned against a tree.
His gaze followed the path where the mysterious figure walked away.
"From that person's attitude, If he's heading toward Yeos's village, then either he's insanely strong... or Yeos is holding something too valuable to ignore. Heh, should I follow him and see what this is all about?"
But just then, the mysterious figure gave a side glance directly at him. Their eyes were locked for a sec then the figure smirked.
The hidden man flinched.
"Wait - what? How did he notice me?! I completely concealed my presence..."
Before he could react, the mysterious figure vanished into thin air. The observer's face twisted in shock. Without hesitation, he turned and disappeared into the shadows, retreating to his own territory.
Far away, in the land of Romania, stood an ancient grand castle filled with luxurious items and gothic elegance. Inside was a massive royal office room, decorated with gold, rubies, velvet banners, and long rows of noble chairs. On that day, an important council meeting was being held, a gathering of high-ranking vampires. Each one was a noble, powerful, and respected within the vampire world.
At the center, sitting silently on a throne-like golden chair inlaid with rubies, was Vlad, the King of Vampires. He watched and listened carefully as his nobles spoke.
The room buzzed with tension.
Vampires were arguing over recent events that humans and hunters were starting to hunt them openly. Some warned that their castle might soon be raided. Others believed there was a traitor leaking information from inside. Voices clashed. Accusations flew.
The meeting grew chaotic ,until the main door creaked open.
A figure stepped in.
All noble vampires turned and glared, angered at the interruption.
One shouted,
"Who dares to interrupt an improtant meeting?!"
"Does he know whose presence he's disrespecting"
Other shouted
"Did he have a death wish or something , should we kill him, my lord ?"
But before anyone could act, Vlad raised his hand. Not a single person dare to move.
"Ebough, Every one be quite, Respect him as your own dignity, Welcome... General Harold."
Everybody was terrified with the name cause the man standing at the door way was none other than General himself.
They whispered to each other
"The vampire who massacred countless villages. That guy killed dozens of elite vampires himself because they look down on him, The one who have title called The ruthless vampire.
The general finally stepped in,
He looked down on the council members
like they were nothing more than insects.
His eyes were cold and Expression unreadable.
Then he spoke with his voice calm, but heavy with authority:
"While I was outside on assignment , I learned some thing troubling "
The King was curious and said continue
"Myths, creatures thought to be long gone are returning. Some are rising straight from the depths of hell, killing innocent people to gain power."
He sighed,
"We thought ancient ones were sealed forever.. but somebody broke that seal, They will appear soon and cause thereat to us."
The room was filled with shock upon hearing the name Ancient Ones. These were not just mere myths , Each one had ruled continents over centuries. It would take an army of elites just to wound one.
Some murmured, "How are we supposed to survive this?"
"If ancient one were really rise, even vlad have hard time or will likely to fail.
Some whispered,
Many of our allies had already been slain by vampire hunters, Is this the end of our legacy?"
Panic spread like wildfire throughout the room, until a voice cut through the chaos.
King Vlad stood and raised his voice.
"Do not panic," he said calmly, yet with authority. "I am still here. General Herald is with us, and so is my right hand , a force more powerful than you know."
Everybody had calmed down,
But just as King Vlad finished speaking, a security vampire burst into the council chamber, breathless. Everyone turned in surprise because no security had ever interrupted their meetings, not even during the worst of emergencies.
The guard fell to one knee before the king and spoke urgently:
"We've been attacked. Human hunters - and not in small numbers. They've come in force, at least ninety strong. Our spies have confirmed that one among them is a bounty hunter. We don't have detailed information on him, but he's said to be powerful enough to kill elites on his own."
The council murmured, and one member scoffed, "Only ninety? We outnumber them. We have over a hundred personal guards and fifty security personnel. They'll be taken care of like always. Ha!"
But the security vampire shook his head grimly.
"This time is different. These hunters are elite. Experienced. They've already wiped out seventy of our guards and not a single one of them has fallen. They know our weaknesses. And worst of all… they're heavily armed with weapons specifically made to exploit them. If they keep advancing at this rate, they'll reach us soon."
One of the council members stood, his aura shifting as his true presence filled the room.
"I heard enough, I , the Duke Heon, will personally join the battle if they so much as approach the castle gates. This is my oath as the Duke."
A wave of relief spread through the room. Duke Heon wasn't just reputable ,he was feared. Second only to the General in strength, he was a living nightmare to vampire hunters. His name alone had silenced entire warbands.
He wasn't just a killer, he was vengeance made flesh. After slaughtering vampire hunters, he would go further. By drinking their blood, he learned everything about them (memory manupulation)… and then he would hunt down their families, one by one.
The dead heads of vampire hunters were proudly displayed in his home, a macabre collection of trophies and his achievements.
—Royal vampire
The duke/ Vampire hunter's nightmare
Heon