The feeling of moisture dripping down my face woke me some time later. It irritated me enough that I tried to wipe it away, only to find that my hands were restrained by something cold and hard. A faint, pressing pain radiated from both my wrists and ankles, and my head felt swollen, as if blood had pooled there. But the moisture tickling my skin quickly became my primary concern. With my eyes still closed, I shook my head to dislodge what I presumed was sweat, but it did little good. Frustration began building, and I yanked my hands again, harder this time. Chains rattled sharply in response, jolting me fully awake. My heart quickened and my anxiety surged as I finally forced my eyes open. Or at least I tried to. My right eye refused to cooperate, the eyelids swollen shut by my bruised and inflamed skin.

Blinking away the last remnants of unconsciousness with my left eye, I immediately jolted in shock as I saw the ground far below me. Panic flared, my arms instinctively straining to steady myself, but the chains around my wrists held firm, clinking with stubborn defiance. Now fully awake and bordering a state of panic, I twisted my hands in desperation, trying to compress and squeeze them through the shackles. It was no good though. Whoever had bound me had done it too tightly, the restraints biting into my skin painfully without giving even a hair's breadth.

A frustrated grunt escaped my throat, alerting another occupant in the room.

"You're finally awake," a calm, unfamiliar voice remarked from behind me. "I thought you were a goner for sure when Sebastian brought you in. Gods, what a sorry state you were in. Then once he had you chained up, he just started wailing on you!"

Chains rattled lightly behind me, though they didn't seem to be moving closer or further away. It sounded like whoever was speaking was restrained, just like me.

"I could not see it myself, mind you. Oh, I am chained up behind you by the way. Facing the opposite way though so no need to feel shy. It seems Sebastian does not want us seeing each other. He's cruel like that… though I suppose that is not something I have to tell you, is it?" He chuckled grimly, trailing off into silence.

As he spoke, my eyes roved about the room, checking for something I could use to escape. The chains were too tight to try breaking my thumb to slip through like I had done previously but I wasn't above breaking my entire wrist, or even going as far as cutting my deep into my hands. All injuries were basically superficial to me if I had enough mana to heal them. Well, I wasn't sure if I could regrow limbs but anything other than that I felt confident in.

"Ah," he spoke again. "Did he rip out your tongue? He has done that before. Were you a talker, perhaps? Is that why he was so furious with you?" Each question was calm and patient, like he had all the time in the world.

"No," I croaked, my voice thin and hoarse. Clearing my throat, I tried again. "No, my tongue's fine. Not sure I can say the same about my eye, though. Not to mention the rest of me. It feels like I've been trampled by a horse."

Mentioning my injuries suddenly brought all of them roaring back into awareness. My entire body screamed in agony. My torso burned with the sharp ache of cracked ribs, my face felt swollen and misshapen, my cheekbone somehow shifted out of place. Considering how Sebastian had pummeled me, it was a minor miracle my jaw wasn't completely shattered. But complaining about injuries was meaningless when I could heal the pain away.

I took a calming breath, focusing my mana as I always had, channeling energy into my body.

Only nothing happened.

Well, something did but it was not what I wanted. A sudden, searing pain burst from every place the chains touched my skin and caused my wrists and ankles to erupt in scorching agony. Stubbornly, I grit my teeth and increased the intensity of my mana output. Some of my wounds began knitting together, but the healing was rapidly overtaken by the chains' fiery punishment until, finally, I gasped sharply and ceased, defeated by the excruciating burn.

"Did you just try channeling mana?" the man asked casually.

I didn't answer immediately. After Tom's betrayal, admitting something so vulnerable to a faceless stranger felt foolish. Trust was a luxury I no longer possessed. On the plus side the moisture had stopped tickling my head. Looking at the floor I could see a wet, red pool which answered the mystery.

"No need to be embarrassed," he continued, clearly sensing my hesitation. "If you just got burnt by the chains, it means you were channeling mana. Everyone tries it. Frankly, you would be a fool if you didn't try it at least once."

"I don't have mana," I replied through gritted teeth. "I'm no noble. I'm just a regular guy."

The man laughed softly. "No point lying, friend. Sebastian only chains up his personal livestock here. You are in here with me, ergo you have mana. And considering the state you arrived in, I'd wager you have healing powers. Unless you're nearing Orange of course, but if that were the case, you would be dead soon anyway. Definitely beyond saving considering the situation you are in, so there's no reason to pretend otherwise," he finished matter of factly.

"Orange? What are you talking about?" I asked, confusion creeping into my voice.

The man paused, clearly considering my ignorance. "Tell me, how many gates have you opened?"

"Gates?" I echoed. "What gates?"

"Oh, you are truly green." He clicked his tongue sympathetically. "Definitely a healing power, then. Bad luck, kid. Sebastian's going to take special delight in breaking you down. How is your mental fortitude? Would you describe yourself as strong?"

"What are you going on about?" I demanded, exasperated. My head was spinning, though whether from confusion or blood pooling in my skull, I wasn't sure.

"I'm asking how strong your mind is," he explained patiently. "If you are weak-minded, I'd recommend holding off on healing yourself and ending things quickly."

His words stunned me. My jaw practically dropped at the casual brutality of his advice. "You're seriously suggesting I kill myself?"

"Only if you cannot withstand torture," he replied calmly, as if explaining something obvious. "Not that I am advocating it. If you can endure the pain, then by all means live as long as possible. Sebastian hates stubbornness, and frustrating him would be reward enough. Besides, he is not going to last forever—he's already got three gates open, and with how much he burns mana, he is definitely going to hit Orange within five years, tops. That is when the real fun begins. My plan is simply to outlast the bastard, sprint straight for the nearest portal, and kill any yokels that get in my way."

The overload of information was stopping my brain from functioning. Either that or the beating had damaged it somehow. I would have said the guy was a madman but he spoke so confidently and calmly that it was going against what I knew of madmen.

"Why will he die in five years? And what do you mean by gates?" I asked, not able to help myself as my curiosity took over.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Ah, truly fresh off the farm," he said dryly. "Alright. Gates are the conduits between your physical body and the Source. The Source is where mana comes from. Though I don't know if that's where mana actually comes from, just that it is there before it comes to us. I am sure someone knows but I was never taught it and it never seemed particularly relevant when I was in school. Though looking back…" he trailed off as he thought. "No, I don't think it would have helped. I'd still have ended up on this godforsaken planet."

The information fit with what I had experienced so far but it wasn't enough for me to trust the man.

"Then why does that mean Sebastian would die?" I asked.

He chuckled grimly. "Because this planet can only sustain so much mana within a single being. Three gates open, like Sebastian, puts him at the very end of Red. And this planet is graded Red. The situation is dangerous, but still manageable. The moment he opens his fourth gate, though, he will enter Orange. The planet itself rejects that level of mana. It will not be able to provide him the level he needs and when he inevitably tries to use it, he will literally be torn apart from the inside out by his own power. Never seen it myself, but every explorer gets warned. They say it is agonising to go through though so I am looking forward to watching it."

A sudden dread filled me as I panicked about how many gates I might have. I began pulling mana into my body, doing my best to ignore the pain as I focused on how it entered my body. It was easier said than done but as far as I could tell, there was still only one point, or 'gate', that my mana was coming in from. Obviously there was a good chance the man was lying to me about it all but either way I appeared to be safe. I resolved to do some more investigating at a later date before chuckling at my own arrogance. Even restrained in the air by some strange mana sapping chains, I was still confident I would be able to escape. Sure, my plans had been thwarted by Tom's betrayal but I was still alive. I didn't know what to make of my fellow prisoner but I knew myself. There was no way I was going to give up, no matter what Sebastian was planning to put me through.

"So if I'm to believe you," I began slowly, still skeptical, "Sebastian is essentially on a timer until he eventually dies by becoming too powerful for the planet to handle?"

"That's it exactly!" The man responded eagerly, a hint of cheer brightening his previously flat tone. "Though, in reality, it could happen a lot sooner than five years depending on how much energy he siphons from you and me. He is not exactly cautious."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked cautiously.

He sighed dramatically. "Oh, the idiot is an energy vampire." I practically felt the disdain rolling off him as he said it. "Only desperate fools ever become energy vampires. It is one of the most shortsighted decisions a mage can make, especially in a mana stunted environment like this one. Honestly, it's pathetic. He has already reached the upper limits of Red and if he was smart, he would just move on. Head off-world to a place that can actually support his growth. But no, he is stubbornly clinging to this backwater. Frankly, it is baffling."

I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting a losing battle against my curiosity. Despite everything, I couldn't resist asking the question burning on my tongue.

"What exactly is an energy vampire?"

I immediately regretted giving in, but rationalized it by promising myself I'd remain cautious. If he was spinning a web of lies, I intended to let him reveal every thread before I made any decisions. After all, the more lies one told, the easier it is to catch them out.

"Ah, right," the man said, clearly preparing himself for another explanation. "Energy vampires. Of course you don't know. Alright, listen closely because this is useful. Especially if you go venturing to obscure planets.

"Out in the wider universe, or at least as far as I've learned, there are two types of vampires: energy vampires and blood vampires. Granted, who knows what else might exist out there in the vast expanse. There are so many planets out there! But these two I've personally encountered. Well, I have encountered one and heard about the other firsthand. Both types are illegal practically everywhere, and both are relentlessly hunted by agents of the gods or other powerful enforcers."

He paused briefly, as if gathering his thoughts, then continued:

"Blood vampires are your classic horror tale monsters. They have the fangs, the strange eyes, the pale skin, and of course, a hunger for blood. They are nasty bastards, capable of incredible feats of strength and regeneration, but extremely vulnerable to sunlight or anything mimicking its properties. One bite from them can even turn their victims into vampires as well apparently. Real horror-show stuff, so make sure you do not get bitten by one, okay?"

"Okay," I replied hesitantly.

"Energy vampires, on the other hand, are a completely different breed. They are mages who have given up on normal progression—perhaps because they have stalled or lack the patience or talent—and instead choose to siphon mana directly from the gates of other mages. They drain your mana, stealing it away, weakening you while simultaneously powering themselves up. To be fair to them, it is an effective shortcut for quick advancement, but it comes with dire consequences. You see, the stolen mana taints their gates, corrupting them permanently. Eventually, they reach a point where their bodies lose the ability to produce or draw their own mana naturally. At that stage, the only way for them to sustain themselves is to continuously drain others."

A chill crawled down my spine at the description. I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have my mana sucked out of me—and I didn't want to.

"And what's this tipping point?" I asked cautiously. "When do they become completely dependent on stealing mana?"

He let out a thoughtful hum, clearly considering how best to answer. "I'm not sure of the exact threshold," he admitted finally, "but from what I know, it tends to happen around the sixth gate. Once they hit Yellow, energy vampires are trapped. Their gates are too corrupted to pull mana normally, and from then on, they are forced to siphon energy from others to survive, let alone advance."

"That's what he's planning to do to us then? Suck us dry of our mana so he can advance?"

The man sighed heavily from behind me, chains rattling as he shifted. "Unfortunately, yes. But the bright side—if you can call it that—is the more mana he steals, the faster he will reach Orange. And the moment that happens, he will start tearing himself apart from within. And we will be free. The rest of the guards I have seen here are pathetic. It is just Sebastian and his blasted shadows that keep me here."

It was a lot to take in. The entire conversation had blown my mind wide open, making me seriously wonder if it was all a bizarre dream like some coma-induced delusion caused by Sebastian's vicious beating. Until now, I'd never given much thought to vampires or similar creatures. In my eyes, the monsters that emerged from the Fracture during a Challenge were more than enough trouble. Adding mythical creatures into the mix was something I had never considered, nor particularly wanted to.

The absurdity of the man's claims began to snap me out of my overwhelming curiosity. Everything he said seemed increasingly far-fetched and really pushed the boundaries of believability. Either he was deliberately lying as part of some twisted game orchestrated by Sebastian, or he'd simply spent too long chained up in this place and had gone completely mad.

"Right… okay," I finally responded, trying to sound neutral, hoping my disinterest might end the conversation without alerting him to my growing suspicion. "So we just… wait for him to feed too much and die?"

"Exactly!" he said eagerly, clearly pleased that I appeared to grasp his theory. "Honestly, Sebastian's become far too dependent on it. He won't go full vampire on us but he definitely lacks the restraint to avoid hitting Orange and destroying himself.

"So, what do you say? Want to stay alive with me purely out of spite? I won't lie, it would be nice to have someone else to talk to. Not that I cannot manage on my own, mind you." He paused briefly, as though considering something, before continuing. "Just know that it won't be easy. Like I said earlier, if you do not have good mental fortitude it will probably be better to just end things as soon as you can. Otherwise, you will have to keep your mind sharp, endure pain beyond imagination, and fight every instinct screaming at you to just surrender and die. But imagine the satisfaction that comes from being alive to watch your tormentor slowly unravel from within."

I hesitated, uncertain whether this was some elaborate trick, yet seeing no harm in playing along. Giving up meant death, and that was the one thing I was certain I didn't want.

"Yeah," I replied, seeing no harm in telling him. "I'm in. Let's see how long we can hold out."

"Great!" He replied cheerfully. "Seriously though, the torture is not nice. On the plus side, it will help you open more gates quickly given your healing power."

"Hmm," I replied, non-committally not wanting to confirm that I even had a power.

Though internally, I was wondering just how much I could improve my ability through whatever violence Sebastian had planned for me

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.