vampire are vampire.

This burial site has long been a source of great concern for the Castane family. Before its discovery, the tombs within their territory continuously yielded large numbers of soldiers, ensuring the family's prosperity. This ensured that the Castane family maintained its stronghold as the foremost noble house in all of Sylvania.

However, as is often the case, when prosperity reaches its peak, decline follows. Once the majority of these tombs were excavated, the Castane family's troubles began. The desecrated graveyards, unsuitable for cultivation, could no longer provide any resources. Without sufficient food, there could be no burgeoning population; without a growing population, there were fewer corpses; without enough corpses, there were fewer undead soldiers. This chain of misfortune made the Castane family's advancement exceedingly difficult, and their once-flourishing estate began to decline.

Thus, the current generations of Castane Counts have made the management of the tombs their utmost priority. After centuries of effort, they have filled in the graves and reclaimed land for agriculture. The situation has improved slightly, though they remain weaker compared to the other top vampire families.

We must also acknowledge the unity and goodwill of the vampire community. Had this been human society, the fate of such a declining family would be clear. They would face betrayal, ridicule, and countless attempts to push them further down, especially now with the death of Valerid's father and the family left to a mother and orphaned child. The odds of their being bullied would be high. In human society, so-called relatives would have surely swarmed, picking apart the family until not even a scrap remained.

But such is not the case in Sylvania. The other families still treat the Castane family with respect and friendliness. Even the branches of the Castane family continue to pledge their loyalty to the direct line of Castane at Deckenhof Castle. There are no opportunistic relatives seeking to usurp power in the name of family prosperity, no empty words like "I do this for the glory of the family" uttered in hopes of placing their sons or grandsons in Valerid's position.

The people—whether from the Castane family or from other vampire clans—gaze upon Valerid with encouragement and hope, wishing for his growth, health, and success.

The thought of living among such a kind and virtuous people fills Valerid with gratitude, nearly bringing him to tears. Of course, he does not allow himself to feel complacent. Rather, it drives him to work even harder, determined to repay the faith of his family and kin. His goal is to become a worthy vampire count, one who will safeguard this legacy, this land, even if he cannot lead the family or the vampire race to world conquest.

"But that is still far off," Valerid muses as he floats steadily towards the burial grounds. "For now, I must focus on strengthening my powers and accelerating my studies. After all, both protecting the family and the nation require strength."

The group—sixteen undead and one vampire—ventures farther into the southern wasteland. The ancient tomb guards push aside the overgrown grass with their blunt halberds, while the skeletal wolves track their path. The wraiths use divination to confirm their direction. They march on through the tall grass, passing by numerous grave sites already stripped of their contents, heading due south.

After nearly an hour of travel, Valerid raises his hand, sending a magical signal to halt the undead. The group pivots and continues for a short distance before entering a small wooded area and arriving at the entrance to a hidden cave.

Valerid uses his magic to command the undead to clear the entrance, revealing the stone path. A dark, narrow tunnel built from black bricks appears before them.

They proceed deeper into the tunnel. The brass sconces, once meant to hold magical crystals that glowed with ethereal light, are now empty, the traps and mechanisms long dismantled after the tomb's discovery centuries ago.

With no lighting, the tunnel is pitch-black. Only the faint phosphorescent flames in the eyes of the undead and the blood-red glow of Valerid's own eyes provide sight in this darkness.

After traversing a long corridor, the group enters the tomb's main hall. They navigate a maze-like series of passages before finally reaching their destination—the tomb chamber itself. Within, two hundred and thirty-two human skeletons stand in formation.

This is the culmination of Valerid's two years of labor—a collection of the most rudimentary undead soldiers, carefully exhumed from the desecrated burial sites. These fragmented remains, often overlooked by other families, were animated by Valerid's rudimentary magic, so weak that it could barely be called necromancy. Their combat abilities leave much to be desired.

Their equipment is equally pitiful. They carry sharpened wooden spears in one hand and crude, twine-bound vine shields in the other, with no armor to speak of—not even clothing—only pale, ghastly bone frames. Even in the barren lands of Sylvania, these skeleton soldiers would be considered little more than cannon fodder.

Yet, in stark contrast to their simple gear, their discipline is remarkable. They stand in perfect formation, unmoving, and will remain so indefinitely, unless disturbed or their magical energy is depleted. This level of unwavering obedience is unmatched by any living army, no matter how disciplined or resilient.

Only the undead possess such absolute loyalty, order, and precision. This is what makes Sylvania, despite its impoverished state, one of the most powerful nations on the continent.

However, compared to the well-equipped, vast armies of Sylvania, Valerid's makeshift force seems laughable. Such a ragtag, ill-equipped group, with no diversity in units, would be outclassed by even the most modest of vampire families' armies.

"This is just the beginning," Valerid reminds himself. With years still left before his coming of age at sixteen, he has plenty of time to grow stronger. This night, after much planning and experimentation, he is ready to take a significant step forward.

After two years of relentless searching, Valerid has scoured countless burial sites in the wasteland. His efforts have finally borne fruit: a long-forgotten tomb on the edge of a cliff, its entrance concealed by dust and age. Had he not used levitation magic to descend the cliffside in haste, he might never have found it.

The excitement is palpable. The tomb, undisturbed and protected by a powerful magical barrier, promises great wealth in the form of grave goods and offerings to accompany the deceased. Yet, the barrier presents a challenge—one that even someone like Valerid cannot easily overcome alone.

With time and resources, Sylvania's vampires would have no trouble bypassing such defenses, using a careful, prolonged approach to neutralize the barrier. But Valerid is still too young, and without the support of his family or the necessary backing, his discovery remains a secret, one that he must handle carefully.

He still has much to learn and many hurdles to overcome, but he is determined to continue his journey.