Clang—!
The vampire once again evaded the platinum-radiant blade as though teleporting, his claws slashing toward Anser's neck—only to be intercepted yet again by the shield that had already shifted into place.
His razor-sharp claws scraped across Medusa's relief, leaving behind four nearly imperceptible scratches.
A legendary shield's durability was in a league of its own.
[The vampire casts "Undead Strike" on you, but because you are proficient in the "Protection" Fighting Style and have mastered shield combat, your battle instincts allow you to intercept the attack...]
He's fast. Anser sighed inwardly.
Vampires had no weak physical attributes. At least four of their ability scores exceeded 18, and their racial traits gave them incredible speed and reflexes—so fast that Anser had no time to think, relying entirely on the instincts granted by his Feats and Fighting Style.
But that alone was enough to leave the vampire at a loss.
With a whoosh, the thin, ethereal flames of "Fire Shield" flared in response. A stream of fire raced along the retreating claws and spread across the vampire's body.
The searing pain only made the vampire look even more frenzied. This time he didn't retreat. Ignoring the flames scorching his flesh, he grabbed the edge of the shield and yanked it toward himself with all his strength.
"Drop it!" he commanded in an authoritative voice.
[The vampire casts "Command" on you, forcing a DC 17 Wisdom Saving Throw. However, you possess Magic Resistance and are protected by "Intellect Fortress." You ignore his command, finding it nothing more than an annoying noise.]
Seeing his command fail, the vampire immediately opened his mouth wide and lunged in to bite Anser.
Disgusting.
Anser tilted his head slightly, catching sight of a mouth packed with fangs.
The vampire was handsome enough, but his fighting style was remarkably primitive.
With a thought, the Medusa relief on the shield suddenly opened its eyes. Its amber-like pupils released a brilliant petrifying beam that struck the vampire at point-blank range in an instant.
The vampire's body stiffened briefly, but he suffered little effect.
[You cast petrification magic on the vampire. The vampire possesses Legendary Resistance and automatically succeeds on the Saving Throw.]
Let's see how many times you can keep that up.
Anser's expression remained unchanged. Seizing the opening, he turned his head and unleashed "Paralyzing Breath" straight into the vampire's open mouth.
The vampire abruptly crouched and darted sideways, barely avoiding the breath weapon.
That was the drawback of using a breath weapon at close range. Its area was small, and an opponent with fast enough reflexes could evade it.
Convinced he had figured Anser out, the vampire charged again, looking noticeably more confident.
A hint of contempt flashed across Anser's eyes.
You're not even as capable as that musclehead mage. How did someone like you ever earn a Red Robe?
The elemental orb hovering above his head suddenly flared to life, and "Mind Sliver" shot into the vampire's mind like a sharpened spike.
"Urgh—!"
The vampire's body jerked to a halt. His bloodshot eyes bulged as he let out a low growl, instantly abandoning his attack and retreating.
[You cast "Mind Sliver" on the vampire, forcing a DC 23 Intelligence Saving Throw. The vampire fails the save, takes 17 psychic damage, and now has 181/213 Hit Points remaining.]
How ironic.
The greatest weakness of this Thayan undead wearing the Red Robe... was his Intelligence.
With Anser's exceptionally high spell save DC, the vampire's chance of succeeding on the save was only around twenty-five percent—unless he used Legendary Resistance.
Legendary Resistance was a permanent trait, essentially the pinnacle of magical defense gained when a creature's life essence reached a certain level. Magic wasn't a uniform force; it possessed varying levels of power and hierarchy.
Creatures with Legendary Resistance could automatically negate any spell without harm—but the trait wasn't limitless. It could be exhausted, so it usually only activated when they knew they couldn't withstand the spell otherwise.
Of course, even after exhausting it, such creatures still possessed formidable Magic Resistance.
Has he already used them up... or is he deliberately saving them?
Unable to determine the vampire's situation, Anser chose to overwhelm him through sheer force.
"રાક્ષસ."
Innate Sorcery + Metamagic: Empowered Spell, Quickened Spell, Heighten Spell + Hold Monster!
The resonant Dragon Tongue echoed throughout the hall.
Only then did everyone suddenly realize that the six-winged dragonfolk wielding sword and shield was far more than just a Paladin.
At that moment, the vampire was enveloped by an invisible wave. He felt his body go numb, and after a brief moment of sluggishness, he completely lost control.
Staring at the six-winged figure advancing with sword in hand, he struggled with all his might to break free and roared, "What are you standing around for?! Attack him!"
[You cast "Hold Monster" on the vampire. The vampire uses Legendary Resistance and automatically succeeds on the Saving Throw.]
A faint smile curved Anser's lips. Ignoring the enemies surrounding him, he immediately fired off another Quickened, Heightened "Hold Monster."
The vampire transformed into a crimson blur, attempting to duck behind one of the curved stone slabs surrounding the ritual array.
But no matter how fast he was, he couldn't escape a spell's lock-on.
Thud!
The vampire crashed onto the ground and skidded several meters.
Fortunately, his subordinates arrived in time and formed a protective barrier around him.
A flash of silvery mist swept past.
Anser vanished into thin air.
When he reappeared, he had already bypassed the intercepting crowd and was standing only a short distance from the vampire.
He raised a finger.
A green ray burst from his fingertip.
Metamagic: Quickened Spell, Maximized Spell + Disintegrate!
Lying on the ground, the vampire turned his head toward Anser.
The frenzy had vanished from his face, replaced entirely by terror.
The disintegration ray struck him—
—but a protective barrier intercepted it.
Without making a sound, the barrier shattered, and the ray dispersed into countless streaks of fading light.
Crack.
A silver ring on the vampire's finger split into several pieces and clattered onto the floor.
At the same moment, the vampire broke free from "Hold Monster." Landing on all fours, he scampered behind the towering stone slab like a baboon.
"Don't damage the ritual array!" Sosk shouted anxiously.
Despite the urgency in his voice, his body kept retreating.
He had thought the battle would be over quickly.
And indeed, it would.
The only problem was that they were the ones about to lose.
No... it's Thay that's losing. What does that have to do with me?
His gaze drifted as one thought after another surfaced in his mind.
Anser glanced at Sosk from afar without paying him much attention.
He certainly didn't want to destroy the ritual array—but neither would he let his enemy escape because of it.
Taking a step forward, he entered the Ethereal Plane.
The flying axe and sword that followed sliced through empty air, missing him entirely.
He calmly flew into the circular teleportation array and immediately spotted the vampire pressed flat against the back of one of the curved stone slabs.
Trying to ambush me? How underhanded.
After walking several meters farther in the Ethereal Plane, he instantly returned to the Material Plane.
The moment he reappeared, he cast "Hold Monster"!
The vampire was caught completely off guard.
He noticed Anser immediately and tried to move—
—but his body froze in place before he could.
Unable to move even an inch.
His crimson eyes locked onto Anser, reflecting a single green ray.
The ray struck.
Green light spread across his body.
Dark crimson cracks burst open across his skin, denser than a spider's web. Blood seeped from every fissure, turning him into a walking mass of gore.
It was a horrifying sight, like the victim of some unspeakable torture.
[You cast "Disintegrate" on the vampire... The vampire takes 93 force damage. Current Hit Points: 88/213.]
Anser didn't stop.
Forcefully stabilizing his turbulent Magic Power, he paused only briefly before unleashing another "Disintegrate."
"રાક્ષસ."
Metamagic: Quickened Spell, Seeking Spell, Maximized Spell + Disintegrate!
Unable to break free from "Hold Monster," the vampire could only watch helplessly as the disintegration ray descended upon him.
Boom—!
The vampire's body exploded.
Instead of crumbling into dust, however, it dissolved into a cloud of mist that drifted out of the castle like a plume of greenish smoke.
[The vampire takes 97 force damage. Current Hit Points: 0. The target enters the "Misty Escape" state...]
What the hell? He's still not dead?
Anser knew vampires could transform into bats.
Turning into mist, however, was a first.
He wasn't entirely sure how to deal with it, but his instincts told him that mist ought to fear fire.
With a flick of his finger, a brilliant spark shot after the escaping cloud.
Boom!
It detonated in midair, blossoming into a blazing fireball nearly twenty meters in diameter.
The cloud of mist was swallowed whole.
Sizzle...
After a few sharp hisses, it vanished completely.
Only several magic items remained, clattering onto the ground.
[Target eliminated. You gain 10,688 experience points. Level Up!]
That was tougher than I expected.
Before this battle, the vampire had almost certainly already fought one or two other battles and suffered some degree of attrition.
Even so...
He had still been this difficult to kill.
As expected of one of the legendary undead.
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