Aldrin noticed Moira sneaking glances at him out of the corner of his eye from the table they were sitting at in the basement of her apartment building. He was busy looking through his System Notifications from the one sided massacre the night before. The looks from her were something he was hoping wouldn't devolve into the same fear he saw on the faces he slaughtered. It was something he was going to have to rectify soon. He pulled his mind from her, putting her in the back of his mind for now and instead focused on the levels he gained.

Congratulations!

Through your massacre, you have gained 4 levels in your Race and Class and 1 level in your Profession!

Total Skill Points: 37

It was a welcome one, but he expected more from the amount he killed, but he assumed from the night there weren't many Tier 3 Classes. Still, four levels in one night plus the extra going into his Profession wasn't something he was going to complain about. Now it was time for the fun part, the choice of what to invest in. He went through each tree first before circling back to his Stats.

Vampire Skill Tree:

Blood Curse:

Level 1: Create Zombie - Cost 10 Health, 10 Magic(Granted)

Level 2: Create Ghoul - Cost 100 Health, 100 Magic(Granted)

Level 3: Create Vampire - Cost 1,000 Health, 1,000 Magic(6 SP)

Level 4: (Prerequisite: Elder)

Master of the Night:

Level 1: Grants communication with creatures of the night(Granted)

Level 2: You are the apex of the night; all creatures of the night will either flee or submit to you(Granted)

Level 3: (Prerequisite: Ancient)

Vampire Progenitor Skill Tree:

Shadowmancy:

Level 1: Blend into the shadows of the night(Granted)

Level 2: Shadows become tangible and can follow your will(Granted)

Level 3: Shadow Jump(Granted)

Leve; 4: ???

Velgrave Revenant - Tier 3

Death Comes For All(Passive): I mean, you are a walking corpse that drains its victims of their lifeforce; wouldn't you be afraid too?

Level 1: Animals no longer attack you out of fear(Granted)

Level 2: Sentient beings have to pass a Willpower check to function whenever faced in combat(Granted)

Level 3: Your gaze now affects those of an Undead nature, giving them a rare feeling of impending doom(6 SP)

Dread Charge(Active): There is an old myth that Vampires are faster than the living eye can track; you make good on that myth.

Level 1: Charge 5 feet in ‌any direction of your choosing, inflicting damage on those you pass by(Granted)

Level 2: Charge 10 feet in any direction of your choosing(Granted)

Level 3: Charge 15 feet in any direction of your choosing, gaining traction for an explosive finish(6 SP)

Bloodletter Slam(Active): Sometimes you gotta smack your food around to loosen it up.

Level 1: Take hold of any body part of an enemy and slam them into the ground(dependent on your Strength)(Granted)

Level 2: When you sink your blade into the ground, focus on your target(s) for a pit of blood blades to skewer your enemies(Granted)

Level 3: With a touch and a mere thought, the leftovers of your enemies become a deadly quicksand to all who touch it(6 SP)

Stat Upgrades:

Strength - 47 to 50

Dexterity - 30 to 35

Vitality - 34 to 35

Charisma 28 to 30

After the careful selection he returned his gaze to the surrounding people; Jared was busy cradling the egg, whispering sweet nothings to it as he kept it warm. All of them were unsure how to take care of the Hadean Hydra Egg, so they opted to take care of it like a chicken egg. However, Pierre, who was sorting out ingredients for his alchemy, which were displayed in his corner of the table, suggested that the hydra would be a reptile and thus should be taken care of like one. That went in one ear and out the other as Jared continued to be enamored by the egg.

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Buramog-Kurdan, who was still in his metallic blue-black Runed Iron armor, stood near the staircase in case anyone got a little too curious. Aldrin noticed that he also had the unfocused gaze of someone sorting through their Class Skills, something he would have to ask him since it was considered rude to openly Inspect someone without their consent. It was different when entering walled cities because the runes and the Magic that powered them would flag anything that was considered "outlawed." Given that Aldrin's necklace was set to hide his Race he could easily bypass the city inspections.

Tar-Xuk, the former Chief of Tar who now pledged their loyalty to Aldrin, still held that faraway daze in his deep brown eyes where he stood in the corner of the basement, overlooking the rest of the group but not truly part of it. Aldrin was tempted to release the enthrallment in favor of ridding the creeping unease he felt at having a living zombie. Although there was a small part of him that gloated at the enthrallment of a chief and viewed it as spoils for the victor. That thought caused Aldrin's mind to come to a screeching halt. He had been noticing the subtle changes within himself and how he viewed others he didn't deem friends. Case in point, the slaughter of the two gangs. Granted, the two groups were extremely unfriendly to begin with, based on what Moira told him, so he chalked it up to street justice. Still it was the way his empathy towards things slipped away like water through cracked glass. Yet deep down, within his mind, there was a whisper: This is what power feels like.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from viewing himself turning colder. It was something he would have to ask, but he had a theory, which was that the further he leveled his Vampire Race, the more he would view the living as mere inconveniences in the face of true terror; himself. It was another question to ask the other Vampires whenever he landed on the Forbidden Continent, or Vearis, named after the slain God of the Condemned, who used to be the God of Balance.

His attention was brought back to the present when Evie, who sat beside Moira, cleared her throat. "Alright, Jared, I don't mean to pry you from your… egg, but what did you find out at the docks that couldn't wait?" She leaned forward on her arms, folding them on the table.

Jared ignored her unintentionally until Pierre swatted the back of his head. The sudden shock of it made him jump, glaring at the people around the table. Aldrin held back a snicker, as did Evie, who suppressed a smile until Jared's eyes landed on a smirking Pierre, who was busying himself with his ingredients. He shook his head and grumbled unintelligible words to himself before looking around at the group. "I've found a captain who is willing to take us to the Forbidden Continent. He wants to speak to all of us first before he agrees to anything."

Aldrin sat back as his eyebrows rose and his mouth slightly parted. "Well… wow," he whispered. The ease of finding someone to cross the sea was a welcome surprise.

"How did you find them?" Evie asked, sitting straight up.

Jared scratched his cheek, trying to remember exactly how. "I went to the docks to find the group. I got distracted by a sign in a tavern window that advertised a showing of a real mermaid. So of course I'm going to go investigate… for reasons that don't concern any of you right now," he said quickly, seeing the faces of his friends deteriorate into hidden amusement. "Anyway, that's beside the point!" He said defensively. "I was sitting at the bar and this big pirate guy-"

Pierre scoffed in amusement, making Jared cut his eyes at him. "Oh, come on, Pierre!"

"A tavern, lure of a mermaid, and a pirate. I sometimes wonder how you make it through life," Pierre teased with a smirk.

"Focus, please," Evie cut in, trying and failing to hide her own grin.

Jared tore his eyes away from Pierre before meeting the gaze of Evie. "The pirate comes in boasting how he just came back from the Forbidden Continent with loot. Me being my brave self, approached the pirate and inquired how much he needed to take my team and I back there."

"And…?" Aldrin pressed, already figuring the pirate was going to ask for an obscenely sizable sum.

Jared shrugged. "That's it. He just said he would want to meet the rest of us," he finished, then went back to cradling his egg.

Evie ran a hand down her face with an exasperated sigh. "I suppose that's good news then, but I think he's going to mug us once we show up," she said.

"It's a strong possibility," Moira agreed, nodding her head along.

Aldrin stood up. "It's worth a shot. Jared, go back to him and tell him we agree to meet two nights from now. Take Pierre and Buramog with you and some coins." He nodded to the three.

"How much?" Pierre asked, scooping ‌his ingredients back into his Inventory.

Aldrin tapped his chin then flicked his gaze to Moira. "How much do you suggest? You know these people here better than the rest of us."

Moira looked up at him, surprised he was asking for her thoughts. "Don't show anything until he names his price when you meet him. He probably will ask for something up front, but it's just a test to see if you're an easy mark. Say no, and he'll know you're serious." She said, looking at Jared more than the others.

Aldrin nodded. "Good, that's plan one. Now for plan two." He grinned, which set Moira on edge since the last time he did, death followed closely behind.

"What's plan two?" Evie hesitated.

Aldrin rubbed his hands together as if his mastermind plan was coming together. "While they are dealing with that. You, Moira, Tar-Xuk, and I are going to attend one of these fight nights the Ash Vultures host."

"Time out!" Jared shouted. "You want to do what?" He looked at Aldrin like he had grown a second head. "You just killed a lot of their men and you want to go to their home base?! Are you crazy?! What if they have something that can sense you or something worse?!"

Aldrin waved him off with a laugh. "If they did, they would have found us by now. The fact they haven't says enough."

"Still, to hide in plain sight is also genius, and they didn't seem like a smart bunch to begin with." Pierre interjected, coolheaded as ever.

"I'm going to have to side with Jared on this one. It is kind of crazy," Evie added, shaking her in disbelief at the fact that she was agreeing with Jared on something.

"It's not. Skarra isn't necessarily known for having an abundance of Magic users within her gang. Let alone, the fights will be a welcome distraction for the gang to focus on." Moira said, siding with Aldrin against her better judgment, but she was an assassin, and she dealt in facts, and the facts stated Skarra would be oblivious to the wolf among them.

Aldrin looked around. "So are we good with the plan then?"

"I still have some reservations about this," Evie said, then looked at Moira. "If we do this, is there a chance we will be singled out?"

Moira nodded. "There is always a chance, but with their damn near worship of battle, they won't pay too close attention. Especially once the drinks start flowing and the betting begins."

Evie closed her eyes, releasing a deep breath. "Alright, fine, but on one condition, Aldrin," she snapped her eyes open, pinning Aldrin in place. "You're not fighting. It's too obvious and too much of a giveaway."

Aldrin deflated a bit. "How did you-"

"Because you're a battle maniac," Pierre teased this time.

"Hey!" Aldrin whipped his head at Pierre only to be met with laughter from both him and Jared.

"Well, we are in luck. There is supposed to be a fight scheduled for tomorrow. We can go then," Moira said.

Aldrin smirked. "Good. Tar-Xuk," he called the Orc.

The Orc snapped to attention, his gaze no longer unfocused as Aldrin briefly lifted the veil that kept him docile within his own mind. "Yes, master?"

Aldrin withheld a shiver at the name. "First, please don't call me that. Second, you'll be fighting in our honor."

Evie and Moira whipped their heads between Aldrin and Tar-Xuk. "If I can't fight, then he will," Aldrin smiled. "And he will win," he stated.

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