vampire are vampire.

"Thus, I must go it alone." Although the word "must" typically conveys a sense of resignation and inevitability, when Valred spoke these words, there was an underlying eagerness, almost a sense of anticipation.

He wanted to test his own abilities.

Having been in this world for six years now, his body had grown somewhat frail, but his greatest asset—his spiritual power, or "magic" as it was referred to here—had only increased. Valred felt that his strength had not diminished, but had actually grown, and he was brimming with confidence.

"By the old classification used in the Alliance, I should be classified as an Alpha-level spellcaster now... Heh, those who enjoy special allowances can make money easily with just a little effort, without having to spend their days at the most dangerous frontlines like us. Must be nice."

After a brief moment of reflection, Valred paused in mid-air. The undead soldiers under his command stepped back in formation, and after covering nearly three hundred meters, they stopped. The sixteen undead formed a loose arc, with Valred at the center, a precautionary measure to safeguard their master's safety. On the other side of the arc, the cliff that led to the tomb entrance stood, foreboding and silent.

Once the undead had taken their positions, Valred gave a slight nod, then focused his senses, attuning himself to the violent winds of magic swirling around him. His body lifted once again, halting two meters above the ground—this was the maximum altitude granted by his levitation spell.

Then, he extended his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together, and pointed toward the sky. The surrounding winds of magic surged toward his fingertips like a tidal wave, and as they approached, they compressed, again and again, until they coalesced into a blindingly brilliant, pale-white blade, shining with the intensity of the sun itself.

With the help of the red Mouriel above his head, the winds of magic that Valred could control had increased exponentially, and their power was overwhelming.

"Well then, let me test just how strong I am in this moment!" Valred murmured excitedly, feeling the immense, almost uncontrollable force gathering at his fingertips. With a swift motion, he swung his arm toward the barrier, releasing the immense blade of magical wind that shot forward with unrelenting force!

In an instant, the blade cut through everything in its path—trees, rocks, the ground, and the invisible barrier, all cleaved in two. The attack struck from a downward angle, shattering the rocky layers of the tomb entrance, before crashing into the swaying barrier on the opposite side.

The seemingly indestructible barrier trembled violently, and in a silent explosion, disintegrated into nothingness. Anyone passing by would be astounded, for within a fifteen-kilometer radius, there was not a trace of magical wind to be felt!

"The noise was a bit too much... D*mn... Luckily, most people stay indoors at this time of night, and with the winds of magic so wild and chaotic, even a grand mage would be unable to detect this disturbance right away." After casting such a powerful spell, Valred felt as though his body was falling apart—his entire frame felt sore. Maintaining even the levitation spell was impossible, and he dropped from two meters in the air. Fortunately, as a vampire with a resilient constitution, he suffered no significant injuries, only a slight pain in his back.

"Still, the power was impressive... Heh..." Despite the strain, Valred couldn't help but smile. The magic wind he controlled had exceeded his body's limits, and though his body and mind were suffering, he was elated. The blast had been more powerful than he had expected. Even the most powerful mages in this world would likely possess no more strength than what he had just demonstrated. Realizing his resources were greater than he had imagined, how could Valred not feel pleased?

But even so, business must go on. After a brief rest to regain some strength and magic, Valred stood up, dusted off his cloak, and summoned his undead minions to gather around him once more. He then walked to the edge of the cliff.

At this point, his magical energy was severely depleted, and every spell had to be calculated with care. After a moment's hesitation, he decided not to use levitation again, opting instead for a simpler, smaller spell that generated upward currents—a practical magic used for quickly traversing high mountains and cliffs, aiding in swift marches and surprise attacks.

With a flick of his right hand, Valred conjured a faint yellow wind of magic, shaping it into a rising air current at the cliff's edge. The undead soldiers lined up and leapt into the air, their descent slowing significantly as they fell into the rising current, allowing them enough time to react and safely jump into the tomb entrance.

For the agile ancient tomb guardians, such actions were no challenge. The skeletal wolves, with their more athletic build, and the corpse mages, who could wield such magic themselves, followed suit without difficulty. Valred, of course, was the last to jump.

But just as the last undead soldier was about to step forward, the mechanisms at the tomb entrance suddenly activated. Despite having been dormant for millennia, the quality of the ancient empire's traps was still impressive. Two streams of violet, scalding flames burst forth, headed straight for the undead!

"Defend." Valred uttered a single word, and immediately the sixteen undead soldiers reformed, moving faster than the flames themselves. Four shield-bearers, their dark iron shields emblazoned with magical runes, raised them to block the inferno, their shields glowing dark red as they protected the rest of the group. Yet, under the violet flames' intensity, the glow of their shields began to dim rapidly.

In this situation, the remaining long-axe guardians and crossbowmen were of no use, and the skeletal wolves could only watch helplessly. However, the two corpse mages raised their wands high, and after a flash of light, a thin, transparent protective barrier enveloped the group. The flames, now raging across the entire barrier, seemed to grow even fiercer.

Inside the tomb, the previously dim corridor now blazed with the light of the flames. Any ordinary human might have been temporarily blinded, but Valred, unaffected due to his vampiric nature, could see clearly even in the absence of light.

In such specific conditions, or during battle, Valred could activate his racial ability, the Witch Sight, to protect himself from sensory distractions, allowing him to see the true nature of the world and make more accurate judgments.

Before entering the corridor, Valred had already activated Witch Sight, his blood-red eyes flashing with magical energy as he surveyed the world through magical waves. The patterns and strange halos of light that filled his vision were entirely different from ordinary sight, creating a surreal, otherworldly landscape that appeared twisted and distorted.

Most people encountering such a vision would lose all sense of orientation, but Valred had long since adapted. The disjointed patterns fed directly into his mind, giving him an immediate understanding of the external situation.

The undead guards were still holding strong, but they were on the verge of collapse. The two corpse mages' eerie blue flames had dimmed considerably, their once-pristine bones now marred with dark stains and discoloration. Their staffs, once gleaming, had become as brittle and decayed as rotting wood.

"Hmph..." Valred muttered, already formulating a solution. With a flick of his sleeve, two silver dining knives appeared in his hands. He swiftly threw them, and the knives sank into the stone walls of the tomb corridor.

Had any skilled warrior witnessed this, they would have been astonished. The knives, made of soft, malleable silver, easily pierced the high-quality blue stone walls, something even elite knights would struggle to accomplish.

However, the real marvel lay not in the knives themselves, but in the fact that Valred had detonated the two magical stones placed within the walls, which powered the fire traps. The flames quickly died as the magic was drained from the stones, extinguishing the threat.

The walls, far from solid, were hollow. This was why the silver knives were able to penetrate so easily.

"That was... acceptable, I suppose. Seventy-five points." Valred mused to himself.