Chapter 231: Fallen Vampire Noble

“Sin: Pride.”

Kaiden whispered it, and the air shifted.

Violet arcs of raw arcane power spiraled up his arms. Instead of being chaotic, their movement was elegant and smooth. His pupils sharpened as radiant indigo flooded his irises, glowing with an intensity that made the crypt’s shadows recoil.

He exhaled.

The Sin of Pride didn’t twist him. Didn’t turn him into some delusional tyrant barking orders and proclaiming godhood. The Sin Stances weren’t cartoonish caricatures; they were amplifiers. Reflections of what was already there.

He didn’t become a raging bull when entering Wrath Stance, but it made it easier to let go.

And Pride?

Pride simply reminded him of the truth.

That he had come far.

That he had fought hard.

That he had earned every damn piece of what he had.

In mere weeks, Kaiden Grey went from being a nobody—one of the 85% left behind by the mana apocalypse—to standing tall in a dungeon with a harem containing four stunning women who trusted him, loved him, and followed him.

He had power now. Real power.

And he would not waste it.

He raised his greatsword, the Twilight Ripper.

And then…

A sound.

*Click. Tap. Scrape.*

Something elegant.

Something wrong.

From the darkness ahead, a shape peeled away from the wall. His cloak was ragged noble silk, now frayed and threadbare. His hair was once styled, now long and tangled with blood-crusted strands. His chest still bore the silver embroidery of noble insignia, but his ribs pressed hard against the fabric. He was thin. Unnaturally thin.

His eyes glowed blood-red.

[Fallen Vampire Noble – Level 27]

The girls instinctively stepped forward, tension in their forms. Their previous opponents had not only been lower leveled, but they were feral things, barely thinking.

But this… was sentient.

And hungry.

The vampire’s eyes flicked from one to the other, slowly. He sniffed the air with long, drawn-in breaths, and then his jaw parted, revealing two prominent, yellowed fangs.

“So I see… The lambs tore through my starving flock.”

He chuckled hoarsely. It echoed far too long.

“They did well enough. They went and found me… such a fine meal.”

His tongue slid over one fang.

His eyes landed on Nyx.

Her slim waist, full thighs, pink hair, and strong magical aura made her stand out instantly. A morsel wrapped in celestial ribbon.

“Mm… Yes… you. You’ll be the first one I consume. You’ll fill the hole that is my empty stomach.”

His gaunt body shuddered. He took a step forward, but he visibly struggled to maintain the noble air he most certainly used to wield as he walked.

This vampire wasn’t just an undead monster.

He was starved.

Not in the dramatic sense of a villain biding his time. This was desperation. Hunger so deep it had scraped his soul hollow.

Kaiden’s glowing gaze locked with his.

This… was perfect.

Let Pride roar.

Let the arcane crown descend.

It was time to test the storm within.

[Name: Kaiden Grey]

[Rank: 3 – Star]

[Class: Paragon of Sin]

[Level: 16 – XP: 1138/16000]

[Stats]

{Vitality: 50}

{Strength: 53}

{Agility: 52}

{Endurance: 52}

{Mana: 10}

{Magic: 10}

This was Kaiden’s status.

That is, until he entered Pride Stance.

[Arcane Supremacy (Passive)]: Pride fuels itself. The more you command the arcane, the more the arcane submits to your will.

While in Pride Stance, the Paragon of Sin becomes a conduit of pure arcane brilliance. Passive mana regeneration is increased by 100%, and both Magic and Mana stats are increased by 50%.

Thanks to this passive ability, Kaiden’s stats have been altered so long as he remains in the stance.

{Vitality: 50}

{Strength: 53}

{Agility: 52}

{Endurance: 52}

{Mana: 10 -> 15}

{Magic: 10 -> 15}

He’d not invested in these two stats before because he was a physical fighter, save for the single spell in his Wrath Stance, [Fiery Burst], so he didn’t feel justified investing in Mana and Magic. Things have drastically changed now.

As for the stats themselves, Magic worked as one would expect. It made his spells stronger, their casting more seamless.

Mana, however, was different. Like Endurance, it was a fuel, just instead of his physical form, it fueled his magical arsenal. Each point invested in the Mana stat would give 10 maximum mana to the awakened.

Kaiden didn’t offer any replies to the undead, and his hungry eyes that lingered on Nyx in particular. There were no cheesy lines about Nyx being his that left his lips.

He understood that he was facing a starving monster, and as such, conversation was meaningless.

Suddenly, the vampire moved with a tremendous burst of speed

One moment, he was lounging in the gloom, licking his lips while ogling Nyx.

The next, he was upon her with fangs bared in anticipation.

“!!”

She barely had time to raise her hand before…

*CLANG!*

Kaiden slammed his greatsword between them.

Steel screeched.

Sparks flew.

But Kaiden’s arms buckled.

“Tch!”

The force of the vampire’s lunge nearly knocked the sword out of his grasp. His boots were digging trenches into moss-slicked marble as he was being pushed back. Every muscle in his body screamed from the sheer pressure behind the monster’s blow.

This wasn’t a simple Starved Thrall.

This was something far more refined. More monstrous.

The vampire recoiled slightly as well, just like Kaiden. But unlike him, he did not do so out of pain, but for something else.

His bloodshot eyes that were glassy with hunger, narrowed as he looked past Kaiden’s blade and finally took in the man himself. Or rather, what he wore.

The Dawnguard armor shone beneath the gloom, subtly repelling the darkness like an unwelcome guest.

The Twilight Ripper vibrated with mana, releasing the faint but definitely recognizable hum of anti-undead enchantments.

The noble’s lip curled.

“…Disgusting.”

His voice was smooth but laced with revulsion.

“Your scent… no. That gear… that is the stench.”

“You wear the sun’s bile like it’s a crown.”

He sniffed once more and almost retched.

“That blade… it sings of holy forges and silver rites.”

“You wear armor forged not for mere survival… but eradication.”

Kaiden remained silent as he was still entangled in a power struggle against the ancient monster. Only a strained grunt left his mouth.

The vampire’s expression soured further as he finally looked at Kaiden, truly looked, and something in his starved instincts howled.

“I would’ve preferred the soft and plump one,” he muttered, casting a brief glance at Nyx. “But you’ll do. I am no longer the picky eater I once was.”

His tongue, long and strangely dry, swept past cracked lips.

“Come, Dawnguard. Feed me your flesh.”

Kaiden was far too involved in the battle to notice, but the girls weren’t. They raised an eyebrow in sync. The vampire called him Dawnguard, even though he shouldn’t be able to read the description of his armor.

It was as if the vampire knew the set from somewhere else, and based on the fact that he called him a ‘Dawnguard,’ and not someone who merely wore the Dawnguard set, it suggested he’d faced people who called themselves as such.

But alas, they couldn’t deliberate on the topic any longer, for their lover was in a very uphill battle.

“I’m sorry, Kai. I know you want to duel this monster, but I won’t risk losing you just so you can pat yourself on the back saying you defeated a vampire noble alone,” Luna whispered under her breath as she summoned her [Stormblade] and lunged at the monster.