VRMMORPG: Rise Of The Blood Paragon

Light orbs hugged firmly to the walls of a large hall, the marble floor stretching toward a huge black throne adorned in red accessories.

A long chandelier brightened the hall, with countless crystal prisms hanging from the ceiling, its light dancing on the polished floor below. Tables stretched grandly by the sides of the room, draped in the finest silk.

And the guests—Envoys of the Elfien kingdom—walked into the hall, the various cool lights basking on them. The two envoys were dressed in expensive attire—gold-threaded robes and jewels—and their feet stepped lightly on the floor.

They stopped in the center of the hall, their faces turned to the king, and their heads bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. Your message met the Elfien king well, and he requests that we undertake this journey to come on his behalf to discuss your message."

"You are well received. Now, go to the seats provided for you and drink and eat, as you've long journeyed to my great kingdom, one that stands high among the supernatural realm."

The envoys bowed their heads to the king before moving away from their position to sit on the chairs prepared for them. The hall buzzed with murmurs, as it was filled with many other worthy nobles and ministers who had come to welcome the envoys along with the king.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your generous hospitality. It is truly a pleasure to be so warmly welcomed by you," one of the envoys, a man garbed in a white and gold robe, said as he rose from his seat, his movements precise and practiced, a golden cup glinting in his hand.

"A toast to you, Your Majesty," he said, raising his cup toward the far end of the hall.

There, seated on his towering throne, was King Alaric. His majestic seat was an intricate masterpiece, adorned with red ornaments and swathed in black silk. Lionel's uncle, the vampire king, exuded an aura of unassailable authority.

"And what should I toast with you?" His voice rang out, sharp and crackling.

With a sudden movement, he seized a maid standing silently by his side, his grip commanding and unyielding.

His fingers dug into the maid's plump, fair arm, bringing out blood. She grimaced, her other hand pressed against her mouth to stifle her cries.

Alaric didn't spare her a glance as he gestured to the other maid beside him, his hand pointing toward his golden cup on the table. The maid moved, her hands shaking, and picked up the cup, handing it to Alaric.

Yes, this was no new scene to them, but the body never got used to it, especially for the new maids.

The vampire king took the cup from the maid and positioned it under the hand of the maid he had dug into, her blood pouring inside.

When the cup was almost full, he picked it up and pushed the maid back to stay by his side. The maid stood, her eyes watering, as she held her pierced arm in her hand.

The king took a sip from the fresh blood, a soft groan eliciting from his mouth before he raised his head high. He looked at the envoys, troubled looks on their faces, and then broke out in laughter.

Then it died down, and the hall turned silent again.

"Sorry for my manners, I suppose. I like my meals fresh. Hope that hasn't disturbed you?" he asked as he took another sip of the blood, none seeping out of the cup.

"Not at all, Your Majesty," one of the envoys, who managed to recover himself, said, followed by a hearty laugh.

"I thought so. Now, let's not spoil the mood. I've prepared fine ladies to entertain you with this wonderful spectacle." The king's voice vibrated through the hall, followed by the sound of drums and instruments.

Ladies dressed in flowing red gowns, their faces covered in black shawl, entered, golden accessories dangling from their bodies. They walked into the center of the hall, their thin waists softly wrapped in the red, almost see-through fabric, swaying.

The dancers entertained the guests, and within a few seconds, the incident caused by the king was long forgotten.

"So, about the trade treaty you've come here to discuss. I have a proposal," the vampire king said, his voice thick and commanding.

"Yes, Your Majesty. A proposal also came from the king back at the Elfien kingdom. If you'll allow me to present the letter from the king before you name your proposal, if you don't mind?"

"No worries."

One of the two envoys then stood up, holding a red scroll. He moved to the center of the room, bowing slightly, with the scroll brought forward.

The king gestured, and one of his maids brought the scroll to him.

As the scroll dropped into his hand, he opened it and read the content. King Alaric folded the scroll back as he had found it, dropped it on the table, and a smile formed on his face.

He looked at the envoys and said, "Guess your king thinks just as I do. I propose for my youngest prince, my nephew, to marry the princess of the Elfien kingdom. And the marriage will take place at the Elfien kingdom. The prince will live there for the safety of the princess, just as the Elfien king has suggested."

"That's exactly what the king had asked us to propose to you," the envoy said heartily, echoing the vampire king's words.

"But…" he added, "The king requests we see the prince before we leave. The prince has been rumored to be a cripple, which is exactly what is best for our princess, as it causes no harm to her. But then, rumors reaching us lately suggest he might've started cultivation."

"Rumors? Pertaining to my nephew? Cultivation?" the vampire king said, his forehead scrunched in confusion.

"That—" but just as he was about to continue, a guard stepped into the hall. His steps were fast and brisk, and soon he moved to stand before the king.

"Is there something wrong?" the king asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard said, bowing slightly.

"Go on, say it," the king gestured with his hand.

"Your Majesty, I might—"

"Just go on and say it!" The king slammed his hand onto the table before the guard could finish.

The guard looked at the king, his eyes wide, and blurted out, "The prince is missing. He can't be found in his quarters. Same as his personal knight, Karvin."

"That's more like it…" Alaric muttered, his lips bearing a smirk.

__________________

The thrum of hooves sounded through a thick forest, winds whirling hard as two figures came into view.

Lionel leaned into the wind, seated on a horse and urging it to move faster. Beside him, Karvin kept pace, his expression calm but focused as he held onto the reins of the horse, his hand continuously beating the horse to keep it running fast. The sounds of twigs snapping and trees rustling filled the air as they rode on.

A clearing came into view—a body of water ahead, a ship ashore—and their horses started to slow down as they commanded.

"Whoa… steady…" His hands tightened on the reins as he used them to draw the horse back a little.

Perhaps not being the owners of the horses made it harder for Karvin and Lionel to control them as they sped through the forest.

Lionel climbed down from the horse as it stopped, followed by Karvin. Their senses were heightened and on alert as they watched the area suspiciously.

"We need to get to the central region where the witches' covens are. We need to reach the public portal," Lionel said, holding the map Karvin had constructed in his hands.

"Yes, I suppose so. But don't you think all this is happening too easily, considering our plan?"

"I also think so. We learned earlier about the arrival of the envoys, we got a horse to mount, and we left the palace without having to fight any of the knights stationed at the entrance. Yes, I'm not dumb. I know the king probably has something planned."

"I think you might need to replace the word 'probably' with 'surely did,'" Karvin said, his words strained as he looked ahead at the new addition appearing in front of them.

Men clothed in black attire emerged from the ship ashore, holding various weapons in their hands.

"There are seven of them. It should be easy, right?" Lionel said, his lips pressed together as he stood next to Karvin.

"Should," Karvin said, and next, his sword materialized in front of him, emitting a blue light.