Chapter 47 - A Perfect Hole

  Sitting in the container, the girls listened to Jager, who was riding the mechanical horse, report.

  “The Dark Reunion, as they call themselves, is an extremely rigid organization with a strict hierarchy. At the bottom of the ladder are the ‘Thralls,’ expendable pawns created by injecting vampire blood into another creature. Their sole purpose is to serve as cannon fodder or perform menial tasks. Above them are the ‘Fledglings,’ newly turned vampires with basic abilities. These are the ones primarily sent out to scout, harass, or gather intelligence and the ones we fought were them.”

  Samantha crossed her arms, frowning. “Sounds like they’re running a twisted corporate ladder.”

  Jager’s voice continued ringing out in the container. “The next tier is the ‘Enforcers.’ They are higher-ranking than Fledglings and typically command squads of up to thirty Fledglings. Barca Glaudia was one such Enforcer. Above them are the ‘Elders,’ followed by the ‘Ancients’ and ‘Archons.’ Near the very top of their hierarchy are the ‘Monarchs,’ and finally, the ‘Progenitors,’ the oldest and most powerful vampires, akin to the founders of their bloodlines.”

  “Progenitors?” Chloe repeated, rubbing her chin. “You mean like… vampire gods?”

  “In a sense,” Jager’s voice continued. “The Progenitors are said to be the origin of all vampires, wielding unimaginable power. However, the existence of a Progenitor is exceedingly rare, and their actions, if any, remain enigmatic.”

  Samantha raised a hand and asked, “What about their goal here?”

  “Their purpose here is to establish a new territory. To do so, they must first conquer human cities and expand their influence. They have recently taken over Barncast. Currently, their Fledglings are scouting the surrounding areas for potential sites to build an outpost or establish new bases.”

  Scoffing, Samantha shook her head. “Great. We’ve already got blood-sucking landlords, and now we have more of them. Just what we needed.”

  “The Dark Reunion is a coalition between the Glaudia, Auden, and Yvette Clans. The vampires we defeated earlier belonged to the Glaudia Clan. Barca Glaudia, the Enforcer Master Lucas just dispatched, was a member of this clan. His death will likely attract attention, and retaliation is almost certain.”

  “Don’t worry! After all, the mighty Jet-Black Wings stand ready to defend this land from evil!” Chloe chuckled, looking at Lucas, only to see him tinkering with something.

  Before she could call out to Lucas, Samantha asked, “Jager, do the vampires have a System too?”

  “Apparently, yes, they do. They receive their Quests from the higher-ups of their organization in return for leveling resources. I must also note their hierarchy operates on two critical criteria, Level and Blood Energy. To ascend to the next stage, a vampire must meet the required threshold in both areas and then undergo a ritual known as ‘Baptism.’ Therefore, the vampires are eager to complete their Quests for resources.”

  Samantha stroked her chin, nodding. “What’s Blood Energy about?”

  “Blood Energy, like Mana Energy, is a special type of energy source utilized by the vampires. Their Blood Energy cannot be strengthened by conventional leveling up, only by consuming the blood of prey. The stronger the blood they consume, the more their Blood Energy rises.”

  “That sounds disgusting,” Samantha sighed, frowning.

  “The Glaudia Clan likely sees this area as a prime target for expansion. Losing an Enforcer like Barca will weaken their influence here, but it may also prompt them to send reinforcements to investigate. I suggest we search for a spot to lay low for the time being—or we can let the Jet-Black Wings spread its… wings.”

  Samantha ruffled her hair in frustration and turned to the couple, only to see Chloe watching Lucas, who was staring at some vials of liquid. She sighed. “What are you guys doing?”

  “Science,” Chloe answered, focusing on Lucas.

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  “Okay, other than science, what should we do? It won’t be long before the vampires come striking at us again,” Samantha explained before pausing as a sudden thought dawned on her.

  “Where are we even going, anyway?” She looked out of the window only to see a desolate, half-damaged path leading to nowhere in some barren grassland dotted with withered shrubs and cracked earth.

  In the distance, the ground sloped upward to a line of cliffs towering against the horizon.

  Lucas finally put the stuff in his hands down and said, “Of course, to power ourselves up. Since they’re going to come at us, we need to grow stronger to crush them. Thus, we need a base for ourselves, a fortress of our own to go against the Dark Reunion!”

  As he declared this, the container came to a sudden halt. Curious, Samantha leaned out the window. This time, her eyes landed on a shadowy opening in the cliff face ahead, a cave hidden within the rugged rock formations.

  The entrance was imposing yet concealed, framed by hanging vines and jagged ledges, almost blending into the cliff’s surface. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a deep crack in the stone, but there was an unmistakable sense of depth within.

  Chloe and Samantha stepped out of the container, both awestruck by the sheer scale of the cave.

  Looking up at the bare structure, Chloe exclaimed, “This is the first time I’ve seen a cave this massive up close. It feels kind of surreal.”

  Samantha folded her arms, peering into the cave. “So, this is your big idea? A hole in a cliff?”

  Lucas gestured toward the structure and said, “Dragging around two massive metal boxes everywhere we go is inconvenient, to say the least. It slows us down and makes us an easy target. This place, on the other hand, is perfect for settling down. It’s hidden, defensible, and spacious. Plus, we can make it into so much more than a hole in a cliff.”

  Chloe nodded eagerly, scanning the site. “So this is where the Jet-Black Wings will rise, huh? I like it.”

  Samantha sighed but couldn’t help smirking, “Fine, but if you’re going to turn this into a fortress, you better make sure it’s vampire-proof.”

  Lucas grinned, “Oh, it’ll be much more than that.”

  ***

  The room was steeped in shadow, the moonlight filtering through the tall, arched windows casting an eerie silver glow across the polished obsidian table. At the table’s center was an insignia etched in blood-red, the emblem of the Dark Reunion.

  Around it sat seven figures, each dressed in outfits reflecting a Gothic Victorian aesthetic. The men wore black top hats, walking canes with ornate handles, and cravats. The women adorned fascinators with veils, corset-style bodices, and full, layered skirts with pleats.

  The man seated at the head of the table, Head Elder Ignatius Auden, a figure with slicked-back hair, rested his hands on the table. He broke the silence with a voice like cold steel, “It has been three days, and we have yet to hear from Enforcer Barca Glaudia or the scouts sent to the northern reaches. This is troubling.”

  A woman seated to his right, Elder Velyssia Yvette, leaned forward, her crimson lips curving into a smile behind her veil. “Troubling? It’s more than that, Lord Ignatius. Barca Glaudia was no mere Fledgling. To lose him so suddenly suggests… interference.” Her voice was honeyed venom, smooth but laced with malice.

  A younger man, Elder Rael Glaudia, seated to Ignatius’s left and Barca’s kin, growled, his hands clenched into fists, “Interference? Do you think someone can interfere with Barca and thirty of my clan’s Fledglings? That’s outrageous! Barca was a seasoned Enforcer! Whoever dared to cross...” He stopped, baring his fangs, anger boiling over. “They will pay dearly!”

  Velyssia Yvette chuckled softly, “Ah, youth. Always so passionate. Yet passion alone won’t explain why your Enforcer and his entire squad have gone silent.” Her gaze swept around the table. “If anything, this suggests a significant threat in the area. Perhaps a rival clan encroaching on our territory?”

  A low murmur rippled through the council, their expressions shifting from curiosity to contemplation.

  Ignatius Auden raised a hand, silencing the room. “If this were the work of another clan, we would have felt their presence. Therefore, we must also consider other possibilities.”

  Rael Glaudia narrowed his eyes, forcing down his anger, and spat, “Those Werewolves or those filthy Dark Elves?”

  At this, the room erupted into discussion. The words ‘Werewolves’ and ‘Dark Elves’ brought visible tension. After all, the Vampires’ relationship with these two races was akin to nemeses for life.

  Velyssia Yvette leaned back, her eyes gleaming. “It’s possible. Since the Werewolves and Dark Elves are, technically, our neighbors. But it is also possible that this is the work of the natives. Some bold, foolish, ignorant natives.”

  Slamming a fist onto the table, Rael’s action silenced the murmurs. “Speculation is meaningless! Barca was my kin, and I will not sit idly by while his fate remains unknown! Let me handle this, Lord Ignatius. I shall personally dispatch a unit of Enforcers to investigate.”

  Ignatius stared at Rael, weighing the decision. Finally, he spoke, “You will carry out your duty. Ensure the Enforcers do not share Barca’s fate.”

  Rael nodded, baring his fangs, “I’ll return with answers… or their heads!”