Reincarnated into a New World As a Vampire

The chambers of a certain vampire castle remained dim, lit only by the faint eerie crimson glow of enchanted torches that almost didn't seem to burn. The atmosphere of the entire skies hanging over the grandiose castle and its surrounding environment mirrored the same feel, with dark clouds covering the entire sky that it appeared to be night time as far as the eyes could see.

Within this castle, in a peculiar room, several figures were gathered. At the head of the grand council table sat the ruler of the Vampire Society. Her dark gown seemed to absorb the very light in the room, subtle shadows pooling around her like an extension of her presence. Though her face remained obscured by darkness, her piercing gaze swept over the gathered elders, each a monument to ancient power and authority.

To her left, the recently awakened elder vampire, Lord Vaelios Drakar, adjusted his dark robes and began to speak. His tone was calm, yet laced with curiosity.

"This rather young vampire... an anomaly," Vaelios intoned, his crimson eyes glowing faintly. "He rises from obscurity, yet his power resonates through our kind as though it were born of the ancients themselves."

"Who is he, and who dares to grant him such favor?" One of the elders said, more to himself.

Another elder, a woman who looked no older than thirty, leaned forward, her fingertips steepled. "That is precisely what we are here to determine. His actions are bold, recklessly so. His presence risks drawing us out, especially at such times. If his ambitions are unchecked, it could draw the gods' attention."

An elder across the table hissed in disdain. "The gods already meddle too much in our affairs. Perhaps this halfling is merely another pawn."

Listening to the elder's words, Vaelios smirked. "Halfling? A pawn? Or a king in the making?" He said. His words drew glances, as many didn't understand what he meant. Regardless, the ruler of the vampires didn't think to take it as any form of threat, and she gave no reaction.

"While you all took your time to show up, I did some divination into him and found interesting things. The boy's rise cannot be ignored. He consolidates power at an alarming rate, with Blooded Vampires growing under his command just as fast as he does. Honestly, I've never seen such a thing in all my years. Perhaps, my Lord has." Vaelios spoke, looking to the ruler, but she didn't give much of a response, only lightly dismissing it.

"I propose a test." Vaelios said.

The ruler raised a brow, though, it may not have been seen, her voice soft yet commanding. "A test?"

"Yes. Send an envoy. Offer him a choice—submit to the Society's authority, or face annihilation. If he is what he appears to be, which I may be forced to believe so, we will see. Regardless, he will reveal himself under pressure."

Silence fell over the council as the ruler considered the suggestion for a moment. "Very well. We shall send a representative. But if he turns out to be an enemy of ours, he will learn the true power of the Vampire Society. We can't afford to fight on two fronts at this time."

…n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Back at the ridge, Aldritch stood before a large magical map etched into a polished obsidian slab. Sigmund hovered nearby, providing updates as tiny orbs of light shifted to represent their enemies' movements.

"The elves are regrouping," Sigmund said. "Their forces are gathering to the northeast. The artifact is likely central to their strategy."

Aldritch traced a finger along the map, his expression unreadable. "The artifact is both a weapon and a distraction. If we focus solely on it, we leave ourselves vulnerable to their forces. We need a layered approach."

He turned to Ingrid, who waited silently nearby. Her gaze was steady, a reflection of her growing confidence as a trusted lieutenant of the sorts, being one of the closest to Aldritch.

"Ingrid, together with Maggie, take a scouting party and investigate their forward camps. I want to know how they plan to wield this artifact and where it is held."

"Understood," Ingrid replied, already considering which scouts to bring, though, Maggie appeared to be better at such ventures, so she was most likely going to leave it up to her.

"And Sigmund," Aldritch said, turning to Sigmund. "I need a countermeasure against their magic. If this artifact truly amplifies their abilities a hundredfold, I want it neutralized before it can be used against us. Lada will assist you." He said.

Sigmund grinned, his tone laced with confidence. "I've already begun. Let's just say, their 'ancient magic' won't be quite so unstoppable."

Aldritch smiled faintly listening to Sigmund, his eyes narrowing as he looked out over the horizon. "Good. Let them come. By the time they realize, it will be too late." He said, anticipating the coming battle.

---

As the camp settled into an uneasy quiet, a sudden roar split the night. The air grew dense with an overwhelming magical force as the elves launched their assault. Flaming arrows streaked across the sky like falling stars, their trajectories marked by trails of light. They rained down on the vampires' camps with unrelenting precision, igniting tents and shattering defenses, some even exploding on impact, like grenades.

The head of one of the noble houses emerged from his tent, partially engulfed in fire as he quickly put out the flames using a thick cloth. He moved with deadly efficiency, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Defensive wards, Sir. Sigmund!"

Sigmund acted swiftly even before being told, activating the protective barriers he had spent days perfecting. A shimmering dome of energy enveloped the camps, disintegrating the arrows upon impact. But the force of the attack was relentless, and cracks began to appear in the magical shield.

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From the shadows of the forest, the elven warriors emerged, their movements fluid and calculated. Their eyes glowed with ethereal light, evidence of the artifact's influence. Among them, a robed figure raised a staff, chanting in an ancient tongue while walking slowly in measured pace, amidst the charging forces. A pulse of green light surged forth, striking the defensive shields Sigmund had erected, widening the cracks.

"They're using the artifact!" Ingrid shouted as she joined the fray, her palms and eyes glowing faintly with imbued magic that appeared almost like fog. Without wasting any more time, she leapt into the chaos, decimating through elven warriors', group by group with intense attack magic spells of several kinds.

The elves' assault was more brutal than the first. Weaker vampires fell under the combined might of their magic and weapons. The medium-strength vampires fought valiantly, but surprisingly, they appeared to be evenly matched. Only the strongest of Aldritch's vampires held their ground with certainty.

Aldritch stood at the heart of the battlefield, his presence an unyielding force, just less than quarter of a minute after the fight began. His crimson eyes pierced the battlefield as he watched the artifact's wielder unleash another devastating pulse. Without hesitation, Aldritch vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing in the thick of the elven formation.

He moved like a shadow, silent and lethal. He was so fast that the elven warriors standing in his path fell before they could even register his presence. The artifact's wielder turned to face him, the glowing staff raised high. But before the elf could strike, Aldritch closed the distance in a single step, his hand clamping around the staff with unrelenting strength.

"You think to challenge me with this?" Aldritch growled, his voice a low rumble that resonated across the surroundings.

He twisted the staff free from the elf's grasp, delivering a fast and powerful kick that sent the elf tumbling backwards into her own people. The artifact's glow flickering a bit as Aldritch held it in his hand, slowly crackling with magic energy that seemed to corrode Aldritch's arm. Regardless of the damage, Aldritch could heal himself before the damage was even noticeable, but fearing for other consequences, he used his blood manipulation to hold the staff instead of his hand.

The artifact, now darkened and subdued, pulsed faintly, as if returning to a dormant state. The elves faltered, their confidence shattered as their greatest weapon was taken from them. Chaos erupted among their ranks, and the once-coordinated assault filled with stronger warriors began to fall, having grown weak.

It didn't take long for the fallen vampires to rise either, and what followed was another slaughter. Half the elven force was killed, soaking their very forests with their own blood, and spoiling it with their own guts.

Intentionally, Aldritch and his people allowed the remaining to flee.

"This was too easy," Aldritch muttered, his voice carrying a disdainful edge. "Is this truly all they're capable of?"

The battlefield fell silent as the remaining elves vanished into the forest.

Their reasoning was simple. Elves were a race that lived for a long time under normal circumstances, and in a world where even humans with limited lifespans could increase their normal life expectancy above hundreds of years, there was no way the elves didn't have a powerhouse that was several thousand years old and could decimate Aldritch and his people easily. He wanted to show that he wasn't afraid, but at the same time, he didn't want to overdo it.