Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 52: You've Set the Stage

"Open the door!"

Accompanied by rough kicks and the breaking of wooden bolts, fully armed soldiers, led by the sentinels and captains of the guards, rushed into the mayor's hall like wolves and tigers. Several guards and maids were about to pick up weapons or shout, but were suppressed by a powerful punch and kick and pinned to the ground.

"What are you going to do!"

The steward was the first to be subdued, a blow to the legs bringing him to his knees. Then two strong Nord soldiers held his hands firmly in place while the sentinel holding the relic stake stepped forward, a ball of light in his hand.

The light poured down from above his head.

A hissing sound was heard, and a black mist suddenly rose, accompanied by the burning sound of the charm being forcibly removed by external forces. The mayor's steward, who was still human because he often went out in public, let out a painful cry. It was not only because of the conflicting magical effects, but also because the hidden consciousness returned to him.

He screamed loudly, then vomited. Elsewhere, the two servants who had been easily subdued suddenly let out sharp howls—a turbid aura burst out from their bodies, their skin turned white, their teeth sharpened, and they tore off the illusory disguise of their normal vampire state.

They raised their clawed hands and were about to stab the guards beside them in the heart. However, before they could make any move, the soldiers who had been prepared swung down their consecrated swords.

"Swish—" The blessed sword pierced the bodies of these dark creatures, like a red-hot iron rod hitting a bar of soap. They immediately screamed and disintegrated into fragments and ashes, while more glow emerged from the hands of the vigilant, pouring down on the other subdued people one by one.

"It's upstairs! That monster, it's upstairs!"

The butler's face was still stained with snot and tears from retching. He pointed upward and screamed. The mayor's involvement with vampires and his becoming a true vampire wasn't entirely surprising. The martial-minded people of Skyrim were naturally unlike the cowardly, bullying folk of most fantasy worlds.

In Tamriel, ordinary vampires without the blood of a Grand Lord are practically nothing more than a roadside scumbag.

"Kill it! Kill that monster!"

"Sovngarde awaits us!"

"Skyrim belongs to the Nords!"

The army's morale was high, and the desire to fight was boiling. After being released, the soldiers and servants who had been proven harmless took up the weapons handed to them by the guards without hesitation. At the same time, a large group of soldiers rushed to the second floor with torches in hand, and a terrifying roar was heard.

"KWWWWWW——!!!"

It resembled a wild boar, yet also a saber-toothed tiger. Accompanied by muffled groans and the sounds of smashing and bashing, the gap between the first and second floors suddenly exploded. A tall, burly, pale, and terrifying beast fell to the ground, roaring.

vampire.

Pure-blooded vampires with combat forms, sturdy bodies, and sharp claws—it was said that higher-level vampires could even grow wings and cast powerful blood magic. But that abominable higher bloodline had long since vanished into the lost history.

"Sovngarde!"

The captain of the guard roared.

It was the war cry of the Nords, a skill developed by battle-hardened veterans. The invisible vibrations held the power to shake the mind of even the most intelligent creature. In a single moment, the pale monster froze. A look of fear etched itself across its beastly, yet still recognizable, old face.

The consecrated hammer then fell.

"Bang!" The hammer struck flesh, and the tough, pale skin began to burn like fragile oil paper. It screamed, then was knocked to the ground cleanly. The next moment, dozens of guards rushed over, hacking and smashing.

"Don't kill it! There must be more powerful vampires hiding in this town!"

Tollan stopped them. The voice of the vigilante was particularly powerful at this moment. Three more low-level vampires were found and executed from corners and cellars, accompanied by the bloody smell of victims killed by vampires coming from the secret room.

The monster, once the mayor of Kaina Forest, fell to the ground, barely breathing. Its body was covered in dozens of wounds of varying sizes. It was still trembling and trying to struggle, but several sharp consecrated swords pierced it, pinning it to the ground.

"Tell me! Where is your superior vampire hiding?!" There was no need to ask; Tolan already knew the evil hidden within the mines. The beast-like pureblooded vampire only growled and didn't answer.

"It's... it's the mine! Mayor... This monster controlled us and made us send people and meat into the mine. There were also many wrapped things that gave off a strange smell!" The monster didn't confess, but the rescued butler hurriedly revealed the information. He wanted to draw a clear line and gain credit.

The guess was confirmed.

Tolan waved his hand, signaling the city guards to execute the worthless monsters.

"Let me... let me do it." He heard the young man's trembling voice, which was firm and pleading.

It's Zed.

The mayor's son, the captain's deputy. He had proven his innocence, but not his innocence. Now, there was something he had to do.

The captain patted him on the shoulder and handed him back his sword, which had also been consecrated by Tolan and was radiating light.

This is the sword his father gave him.

"Die, monster!"

The consecrated sword then thrust down—

As the sounds of purification and wailing rang out, Tolland turned his head, looking toward the mine and then toward the city. He suddenly thought of the Breton who called himself Daxter. Perhaps he would need his magical power in the upcoming battle.

..............................

——[Kill a pure-blooded vampire and gain 200 resource points]

Wu Chen stared at the vampire wizard before him, watching it crumble and melt under the erosion of the sun's rays. Holy spells only inflicted damage to dark creatures, and a large robe and a bone staff fell down.

The robe looked a little worn, but it still held power. Wu Chen tilted his head. Because his last income was quite good and the constant bursting of clothes was a bit embarrassing, he had bought a set of clothes to keep in his dream. And now, they were already on him.

Too bad the cloak is broken.

Two resource points are wasted.

A series of wails of confusion and pain echoed from not far behind him. With the caster's death, the bewitched miners awoke, all wounded from the previous fights and collisions—some even unlucky enough to have been stabbed by poisoned weapons. Fortunately, this land had been sanctified, and the healing light easily suppressed the wounds of even these tough-skinned individuals.

They saw Wuchen, the remains of vampires and zombies lying nearby, some of which were still burning in the flames.

"Go back. The problem here has been largely resolved. Don't get in the way."

The possessed still remembered the moment they were possessed, and some of them screamed. However, the protective barrier had a soothing power, and it easily healed them all.

"Thank you." "May the Nine Holy Spirits bless you." "We'll leave now."

Voices of gratitude echoed. They were all locals, with families and places to return to. Within minutes, the survivors from the deep mines had all left. Wu Chen also picked up the robe and began to practice the mental coordination techniques taught by Hera Mori.

[Transmutation School Robe—Stained with a touch of negative energy, this school robe has been purified by sunlight magic. The wearer gains a certain bonus to low- and mid-level Transmutation spells, and their mana regeneration rate also increases.]

——[To purchase this item, you need to pay 1000 resource points and 1 level 1 purchase voucher.]

Sure enough.

Wu Chen picked up the staff again. It was cheaper, costing only 500 points, and its effect was a slight bonus to mid- and low-level destruction spells. Perhaps the vampire relied on it to unleash the twin fireballs.

He took them and put on his full set of steel armor. It didn't take him long to find the vampire wizard's research hall and residence. Some remnants of evil power had been dispelled by the protective barrier, but many notebooks, magic books, and gold, silver, and jewelry were still hidden in not-so-deep places.

The battle is over.

He returned to the ceremony hall, where the consecrated ground still shone. Low- to mid-level dark creatures would have no chance of hiding in such an environment. He activated his life detection system, but saw no other living forms besides himself.

but--

There is one problem that remains unresolved.

Perhaps the vampire died before it could unleash its high-level spells. Perhaps its hidden trump card was completely ineffective. Because a vampire equivalent to a mid-level wizard had indeed appeared here and was defeated, leaving behind equipment and treasures befitting its status.

So... why was it collecting corpses? Why was it creating zombies? These frivolous creatures were completely useless in battle, weren't they?
These bodies must have a use—the most likely use is for them to be studied. But with so many living miners out there, why are they left unused?

The answer was easy to come by: this vampire was originally intended to conduct research on the dead. The zombies were merely a byproduct—no, they weren't zombies! The creatures that appeared in the underground caves weren't zombies at all, but rather transformed corpses or living humans. They weren't even the lowest level of vampires, but they could still be classified as experimental monsters within the vampire family!

Everything makes sense here.

This vampire wizard's research object has always been vampires themselves. And the reason for studying them is...

——The essence of the change system is to modify and correct the existence form of itself and surrounding things.

as well as……

What on earth would a vampire think when he knew that he was being targeted by a high-level wizard and found out that the one coming to attack him was just a relatively special mid-level wizard?

Counterattack? Perhaps. If a high-level wizard is careless, then it's certainly possible. But what if the other party is constantly keeping an eye on their agents?

To fish in troubled waters and to take advantage of others' shortcomings.

What it really wants to do is to hide from the high-level wizards and survive.

Wu Chen thought of the overly large steel tunnel leading to the lower mine.

He raised his hands suddenly.

The spells gathered in his palms, and at that moment, he thought of another purpose for the miners. Regardless, the pursuing academy spellcasters should be inclined towards the good side. And among the many powerful spells, only mid- to high-level lightning spells were most likely to cause accidental injury!

The entire silent mine began to shake without warning.

And an overloaded lightning chain that was charged with both hands had already slammed down towards the deep cave full of iron ore!
(End of this chapter)