Chapter 9: The Dungeon of Bones and The Blood Demon's Blade
Count William's face broke into a wide, genuine smile as he listened to his daughter. "You're absolutely right, Nisha," he said, his voice filled with relief and excitement. "I saw it with my own eyes—Vicky has completely changed. There's a fire in his eyes now, a determination I've never seen before."
Nisha nodded, her own expression thoughtful. "Father, I've never seen him like this. It's as if he's an entirely different person."
Count William was so overjoyed that he immediately began planning a grand celebration. "We must host a feast! Invite every noble from the Northern Province of the Wasco Empire!" He turned to his advisor. "Lord Ferris, prepare the invitations according to noble rank—we must follow proper protocol."
Lord Ferris bowed. "As you wish, My Lord. I shall arrange them in this order:
1. Grand Duke & Royal Family – The ruling house and their direct relatives
2. Duke – Highest-ranking nobles like the Arkaans once were
3. Marquess – Lords of border territories
4. Count – Regional governors like yourself, My Lord
5. Viscount – Military district commanders
6. Baron – City and town rulers
7. Village Headmen – Local administrators"
William nodded. "Excellent. This will show proper respect to all ranks while announcing Vicky's return to prominence."
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Meanwhile, Deep in the Forest Dungeon…
Vicky and his knights stood at the entrance of a dark, damp cave. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and something else—something ancient and dangerous.
One of the younger knights, Leo, whispered nervously, "This place feels cursed, Captain. Are you sure we should go in?"
Gideon placed a firm hand on Leo's shoulder. "We trust the Young Master. He's never led us astray."
Vicky nodded, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Stay close. And stay alert."
They ventured deeper, their torches casting flickering shadows on the walls. Suddenly, the ground trembled as a group of skeletal warriors emerged from the darkness—their bones clattering, eyes glowing with a malevolent blue light.
"Skeleton knights!" Gideon shouted. "Defensive formation!"
A fierce battle erupted. Vicky moved like a whirlwind, his Iron Blood Art allowing him to shatter bones with single strikes. But these were no ordinary undead—they were fast, organized, and deadly.
Just as they cleared the first wave, a larger skeleton wielding a rusted greatsword emerged—a Skeleton Captain. It moved with surprising speed, striking down two of Vicky's knights before they could react.
"Fall back!" Vicky commanded, but the Skeleton Captain cornered Gideon, raising its sword for a final blow.
In that moment of desperation, something inside Vicky snapped. He felt a surge of power—a breakthrough!
"Now!" Reman's voice roared in his mind. "Channel everything! You're reaching the Mid-Level Knight stage!"
Vicky's aura flared, a visible silver light enveloping him. He moved faster than ever before, intercepting the Skeleton Captain's strike and shattering its blade with a single punch.
"No one touches my men," Vicky growled, before unleashing a final, devastating blow that turned the Skeleton Captain to dust.
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The Final Chamber
At the deepest part of the dungeon, they found a leech-like creature—a Blood Leech—guarding a stone pedestal. It was a grotesque thing, large and pulsating, with razor-sharp teeth and a whip-like tongue.
The fight was brutal. The leech drained the energy of anyone it touched, and three more knights fell before Vicky finally managed to strike its core with a mana-infused punch, causing it to implode.
As the creature died, Reman's voice grew excited. "There! On the pedestal! That sword… I recognize it!"
Vicky picked up the blade. It was dark, serrated, and seemed to drink the light around it.
"This is the Blood-Drinker Blade," Reman explained. "It belonged to the Second Great General of the Demon Army—the one they called the Blood Demon. It's a cursed weapon, but incredibly powerful."
Vicky stared at the sword, a chill running down his spine. "How is this possible? This sword was lost centuries ago."
"Which means," Reman said gravely, "this dungeon holds more secrets than we imagined. And the demons… they may be closer than we think."
As they made their way out, Vicky knew this was only the beginning. The real war was yet to come.
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