According to Lili's account, the vampire clan has an extreme thirst for blood and is highly skilled in disguise and enchantment. There was once a vampire king known as Ghost King, who used blood, sex, and a blood magic called Blood Calamity to transform his targets into blood-like creatures. This is why vampires appear almost identical to humans.
After hundreds of years of growth, Ghost King secretly controlled several hereditary noble families in the Light Dragon Empire, aside from the four great families. He once wielded immense influence in the empire, manipulating imperial decisions, and secretly established a vampire dynasty.
The Ancient City of the Ghost King outside of Blissful Realm is one of the relics of his empire. As his ambitions grew, this former demon sought to claim the throne and dominate the entire empire. However, the four great families, particularly the Light Dragon King Tulikiki and the Platinum Family, posed the greatest obstacle to Ghost King's plans. Their magical abilities and combat techniques naturally countered dark blood magic, and numerous attempts by Ghost King to usurp the throne were thwarted.
Under the leadership of Tulikiki, the empire cleansed the nobility that had been tainted by blood magic, executing large numbers of vampires by burning them at the stake. In a single night, Ghost King's empire, which had been built over centuries, suffered a devastating blow. The vampires and blood demons were relentlessly hunted down.
As Ghost King was nearing the end of his reign, a man extended a hand to him—God-Emperor Gaedashiram, who sought to rule over both of the Infinite Dimensions empires. Orson knew the outcome. The Celestial Fortress was sealed at the Bone Dragon Stronghold, and God-Emperor Gaedashiram fell. The Grey Dwarves King retreated into the Ashen Lands, and the deeds of the God-Emperor became a part of the Infinite Dimensions legends.
"Gaedashiram really knew how to win people over," Orson mused to himself. Despite being a man with the ambition to dominate the world, God-Emperor Gaedashiram met his tragic demise. This served as a warning for Orson. The foundation of these two empires is far from simple.
Lili pointed ahead, her finger directing Orson toward the base of a mountain, where a statue of an ancestor stood.
"Is the Ghost King a woman?" Orson asked, surprised.
The statue was imposing, and it was clear from the details that Ghost King had once been a figure of immense beauty, far from the grotesque and monstrous nature of a demon. The only difference was the mountain behind the statue, which appeared to have blood-red wings sprouting from it, connected to the Ghost King's back.
"Fallen Angel?" Orson thought, his brow furrowing. The appearance reminded him of a copper statue he had once seen in an ancient cave ruin during his previous life. According to records, Fallen Angels came from the Heavenly Kingdom and were once pure and sacred beings, but something caused them to fall.
Lili skillfully dismounted from Crimson Lizard King and walked toward a mountain wall that showed clear signs of having been chiselled.
Orson raised an eyebrow as Lili picked up a small stone and cut her hand with it, quickly staining her palm with blood.
"Ancestor, please respond to your descendant's call..." Lili murmured devoutly, pressing her blood-soaked hand against the stone wall. The blood seemed to have a life of its own as it quickly detached from her body and was absorbed by the stone.
Her face turned pale, and she collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
Quest Change! "Enter Blissful Secret Base II, kill Ghost King Vinona, and take the Crown of Sin from Ursula."
Quest Difficulty: High. Please gather a battle team for this mission!
The system prompt sounded, and Orson's eyes narrowed in surprise. The Ghost King, who had caused such significant damage to the empire, was still alive? This was strange. Since the Blissful Realm had been created by Count Hillogu, it seemed that Ghost King's situation was quite different from the Grey Dwarves King's. The Grey Dwarves King had hidden in the Ashen Lands for centuries, but Ghost King remained deep within Blissful Realm. Tulikiki surely wouldn't have let this danger continue to live.
"I'll see what's going on," Orson murmured coldly, a smirk forming on his lips as a black light curtain appeared in front of him, the gateway to Secret Base II.
Lili bowed her head respectfully. "God-Emperor, please lead us to freedom! I will be your most loyal servant!"
"Mm, I will," Orson said with a sly smile. Technically, calling him God-Emperor wasn't wrong—he had nearly inherited everything from Gaedashiram.
Lili stepped ahead, and Orson noticed her cleverness. She seemed intent on lowering his guard to prove her loyalty to God-Emperor.
Orson followed as they entered the black portal.
"You have discovered Blissful Secret Base II!"
The screen shifted, and red subtitles began to appear. Orson found himself atop a mountain peak. Looking out, he saw a massive complex of buildings stretching before him, shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. The city felt like a quiet ghost town, with only the faintest lights flickering in the distance.
In the far distance, nestled within the ridges of the mountain, sat a magnificent palace. While it was impressive, there was a suffocating and ominous feeling about it.
"Interesting..." Orson muttered. If he remembered correctly, this palace was a smaller replica of the Light Dragon Emperor's palace. It had a similar layout, though smaller in scale. It was clear that Ghost King's ambition knew no bounds, seeking to overthrow the Infinite Dimensions Empire with a fallen angel's body, one abandoned by the Heavenly Kingdom.
"I'll see what's going on," Orson said, mounting Crimson Lizard King. Together, they soared toward the palace.
"Who goes there? How dare you trespass on Count Hillogu's domain!"
"It's him! The culprit behind the destruction of the external Blissful Realm!"
"A dragon king!? Prepare the dragon-slaying arrows!"
The outer defenses of the palace flared to life as thousands of Empire NPCs emerged, locking onto Crimson Lizard King with enchanted crossbows.
"Vampire King, head to the royal city to seek refuge! That damn Baron can't harm me!"
A man in golden robes stormed out of the palace, accompanied by a tall woman with alabaster skin and a red hairpin.
Two Holy Light Church space mages chanted incantations and began casting teleportation spells.
"I swear allegiance to the Holy Light Church," the woman said coldly.
"You insolent fool! If you become the Empress, you will receive salvation from the Light God, and your people will be freed! Get out!" Count Hillogu bellowed, slapping the woman to the ground.
However, the woman remained calm, a slight smile forming on her face as she whispered, "I stand with you, Count Hillogu, the man who raised me."
"You..." Count Hillogu gasped, furious, pulling out a parchment and unfurling it. As he did, a burst of radiant holy light erupted, forming the word "Release" in the air.
Then, a chilling howl echoed from the depths of the Ghost King Palace.
"Boss incoming?" Orson thought, slightly startled.
Suddenly, a noise rang out from the outer walls of the palace. Twelve angelic statues began to appear, their dazzling white light enveloping the palace.
Orson's expression darkened as he checked the light screen's attributes.
Holy Light Curse: Tenfold Demon Seal, Eternal Binding
Health: Nearly immortal
Effect: Monsters/NPCs under the curse will never be able to leave this place!
The barrier only affected one target at a time, meaning the boss couldn't escape the palace's boundaries. This essentially sealed its fate.
Orson laughed coldly. Did they not understand the weight of the Infinite Dimensions magic gods? Even a Dragon King couldn't compare when it came to range. The boss couldn't leave the palace, meaning its death sentence had already been sealed!