Absolute Cheater

A massive skeletal hand burst from the ground, fingers clawing at the sky. Moments later, a towering figure emerged—an undead warden, its body wrapped in decayed armor, glowing runes pulsating across its bones.

Its hollow eyes locked onto Asher, radiating pure malice.

So this is what happens when a dead land is left unchecked…

The warden raised its rusted greatsword, its blade crackling with cursed energy. Then, without hesitation, it swung—a devastating arc of dark energy tearing through the air.

Asher barely dodged, rolling to the side as the attack shattered the ground where he stood moments ago. The impact sent a shockwave through the ruins, scattering debris in all directions.

"Not bad," Asher muttered, straightening himself. "But let's see how tough you really are."

With a flick of his wrist, crimson chains shot forward, aiming to bind the warden's limbs.

But the undead knight reacted instantly.

With unnatural speed, it backhanded the chains away, causing them to shatter mid-air. The sheer force of the impact sent a wave of death energy surging toward Asher.

His eyes narrowed. So brute force won't work.

Fine.

Asher vanished.

In a blink, he reappeared behind the warden, his scythe already swinging downward. The blade bit deep into the undead's spine, sending cracks spiderwebbing through its enchanted bones.

The warden let out a bone-chilling roar, twisting unnaturally to retaliate.

The warden swung its greatsword in a wide arc, its sheer force distorting the air around it. Asher ducked low, narrowly avoiding the blade as it carved a deep trench into the ruined ground.

Without hesitation, he retaliated.

With a sharp twist of his wrist, crimson tendrils shot from his back, latching onto the warden's exposed ribs. Asher yanked hard, pulling himself toward the towering undead while swinging his scythe in a deadly crescent.

CRACK!

The scythe clashed against the warden's decayed armor, sending sparks flying. Though his attack had landed, the undead's resilience was staggering—its enchanted bones refused to shatter completely.

The warden roared, its hollow voice sending a pulse of death energy outward. The force struck Asher midair, launching him backward. He twisted, landing on his feet with a skidding halt.

"Alright… you're durable. Let's fix that."

Asher's eyes gleamed crimson, his blood responding to the battle. The runes on his gauntlets flared as he channeled blood magic, his power surging.

The warden charged.

Instead of dodging, Asher raised his hand.

A crimson sigil formed in an instant.

"Blood Shackle."

A surge of blood-forged chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around the warden's arms and legs. The undead struggled, its body jerking violently as the chains glowed with an eerie red light, draining its energy.

Now.

Asher dashed forward, his scythe vibrating with stored energy. He leaped, spinning mid-air as he brought the weapon down with full force—

SHRRRRK!

The blade cleaved through the warden's skull, splitting it down the middle.

The undead let out a final, distorted screech before its body crumbled into dust, the cursed energy dispersing into the air.

Silence.

Asher exhaled, watching the remnants of the warden dissolve.

Too easy…

Then, the ground beneath him shifted.

The ruins reacted to the warden's fall. Strange symbols carved into the stone began to glow, pulsating with an ominous light. The air thickened, heavy with an unseen force.

A deep, unnatural whisper echoed in the distance—and slowly, a pathway opened, forming a staircase leading to an underground chamber.

"Hmm, so this is how the ruins can be opened," Asher mused, his eyes narrowing.

Without hesitation, he simply walked ahead, stepping into the unknown depths of the ruin.

Asher stepped onto the ancient staircase, his boots echoing against the worn stone as he descended. The air grew thicker, heavy with the remnants of old magic. The deeper he went, the more the temperature dropped, a chilling sensation crawling up his spine.

Strange glyphs lined the walls, glowing faintly with an eerie blue light. They pulsed in a rhythmic pattern—almost as if they were alive, reacting to his presence.

At the bottom of the stairs, a massive obsidian door stood before him. Unlike the rest of the ruins, this door was untouched by time, its surface smooth yet pulsating with dark energy.

Asher reached out, pressing his palm against it.

WHOOOOM—

A surge of energy rushed through his body, making his veins burn with a familiar but distorted power.

Corruption energy.

Before he could react, the door swung open on its own, revealing a vast chamber beyond.

Asher stepped inside, his crimson eyes scanning the area. The chamber was massive—pillars of black stone stretched toward the high ceiling, while floating lanterns bathed the space in a dim, ghostly light. In the center of the room, an altar stood, surrounded by swirling wisps of shadow.

And then—

A presence.

It wasn't just the lingering energy of the ruins. Something was watching him.

"Welcome, Chosen Blood."

A deep, ancient voice resonated through the chamber.

From the darkness, a figure emerged—a towering being wrapped in flowing black and crimson robes, its face obscured by a hood. A strange sigil burned on its forehead, radiating an aura far beyond anything Asher had sensed before.

"You have broken the seal," the entity continued, stepping closer. "Now, you must prove yourself."

Before Asher could respond, the entire chamber trembled.

The altar in the center cracked open, and from within, something stirred—a presence that sent a chill through the air.

Then, with a monstrous roar, it rose.

A creature, unlike anything Asher had encountered before.

Its body was warped, shifting between solid and shadow. It had multiple glowing red eyes, each filled with malice, and clawed hands that crackled with dark energy.

The entity's voice boomed once more.

"Defeat the guardian, and the knowledge of the ancients shall be yours."

"I am here for the relic, though," Asher said, snapping his fingers.

In an instant, the Two Reapers appeared—the Revenant and the Unholy Knight emerging from the shadows at his command.

Without hesitation, Asher ordered them forward.

"Kill the creature."

The two figures moved without question, charging toward the monstrous guardian with deadly intent.

The Revenant moved like a shadow, its body flickering between existence and nothingness, while the Unholy Knight strode forward with heavy steps, dark energy seeping from its armor.

The guardian roared, its many red eyes locking onto the incoming threats.

As the Revenant reached it first, the creature swung one of its massive clawed hands, attempting to crush the spectral assassin. But the Revenant phased through the attack, twisting midair before slashing its ethereal dagger across the guardian's chest.

SHRRRK!

Dark blood splattered as the wound hissed, the creature screeching in pain.

Before it could recover, the Unholy Knight raised its greatsword, the blade crackling with cursed energy.

BOOM!

The knight brought it down, cleaving into the creature's shoulder. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the chamber, cracking the stone beneath them. The guardian staggered, its form shifting violently, its body flickering between solid and shadow.

Asher watched with a calm expression.

"Good. Now end it."

The Revenant and the Unholy Knight moved in tandem, attacking from both sides.

The Revenant darted around the guardian like a wraith, striking its weak points with precise, vicious cuts. The Unholy Knight, meanwhile, delivered devastating, brute-force blows that shattered bone and ruptured flesh.

The guardian let out a final, distorted screech before its body collapsed, its form dissolving into nothingness.

Silence.

The swirling energy that once surrounded the altar calmed, and the oppressive atmosphere within the chamber began to lift.

A slow clap echoed through the space.

Asher turned his gaze toward the hooded entity standing near the altar.

"Efficient," the figure mused. "But expected."

Asher ignored the remark, stepping past the dissolving remains of the guardian and approaching the altar.

There it was.

The relic.

A small crimson orb, floating just above the cracked stone. It pulsed with a deep, ancient power—something far older than even the ruins themselves.

He reached out, taking the orb as he mumbled, "Hmm, what was so difficult about these ruins anyway?"

Without hesitation, he stored the relic—a seemingly ordinary orb filled with Empyrean Vampire blood essence.

This essence was incredibly rare—capable of turning someone into an Empyrean Vampire, the royalty of the vampire race, second only to the Progenitor.

"Hmm…"

But as Asher held the orb, a grin flashed across his face.

"I guess I could do that."

Without a second thought, he drank all the blood.

However, instead of transforming into an Empyrean Vampire, nothing happened.

His Sanguine Supreme Ability dominated the foreign blood essence, assimilating it into his own body with ease.

The result?

He acquired all the abilities of an Empyrean Vampire—without turning into one.

A dangerous glint flickered in his crimson eyes.

With a simple thought, Asher refilled the orb using his Sanguine Surge Ability, recreating the Empyrean Vampire blood essence.

Now, however, there was a difference.

Anyone who drank from this orb…

Would become his servant.

"Consider it payback for sending me into this ruin," Asher mumbled as he began to leave. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

But then…

"Where is the exit?"

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the sealed area where the exit was supposed to be.

At that moment, a distorted message flashed before his eyes.

[Now, the true trial begins—leave the ruins safely. Kekekekeke.]

A chilling, mocking laughter echoed through the chamber.