VRMMORPG: Rise Of The Blood Paragon

Lionel found himself floating in the void once again, as though he was being thrown into a dark abyss, with his name echoing beneath. Then it suddenly stopped, and he found himself in a large hall, kneeling on the floor just as he had been in the memory he unlocked.

"What was that?" He muttered, his head spinning with different theories.

He looked around the enclosed place he was in; it looked more like a big hall, and he was surrounded by people. A small distance separated them, and those people looked as though they weren't even interested in him. He just knelt in the middle of them without purpose.

Looking in front of him, he could vaguely make out what appeared to be a throne, but who sat on it?

'Am I in a courtroom?' His brows knitted as his thoughts ran wild.

If he were to determine who the people around him were, he wasn't far off from identifying them as officials. They all wore almost the same style of dress—long robes with only a few color variations.

But could he even be bothered about where he was?

What he saw in the dream was enough for him. Initially, he had thought he knew nothing about the prince, but now he did, and it was annoying and frustrating to know what the prince had gone through. If he was correct, then that was the young prince—but who were the people threatening to kill him?

Lionel was confused, but then, through the tangle of thoughts in his mind, he heard his name and looked up.

His forehead creased as he saw a towering figure before him. His eyes squinted as he took in the appearance of the figure, and upon recognizing it, he was momentarily surprised.

"Alison…" he muttered.

Because of the dream he believed he had unlocked, he had almost forgotten that he'd seen her in the forest. But then again, thinking of it, Alison was the reason he had those visions in the first place.

Could he call it a vision? He wasn't sure, but memories?

Lionel ran a hand over his hair in frustration as he wasn't getting to the root of the matter. But then, looking up again, Alison still stood above him, and it seemed as though she was saying something.

Lionel focused on her, watching her mouth move quickly.

"... the king wishes to see you at the front, and you need to compose yourself…"

His ears tried to make sense of her words, but it proved difficult as Lionel suddenly felt weak.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

'What are you thinking? Get your act together—the king is here!'

Lionel suddenly held his head tightly as a fervent voice penetrated his mind. He raised his head back up, still clutching it, his eyes brimming with tears.

"H-How... how did you do that?" he asked, shock evident on his face.

"Do what?" Alison asked.

"Telepathy. Speaking in my head like that. I thought only…" Lionel began, but Alison interrupted him telepathically.

'Yes, not only vampires know these skills. In this world, there are many abilities, and they can later be cultivated to be stronger. There's a lot for you to learn—don't worry,' Alison said again, through telepathy.

"I guess so…" Lionel muttered as he finally processed what Alison had been talking about.

'She said the king wants to see me. For what?' he thought, looking at Alison keenly before standing up from his spot.

As he stood, he suddenly felt relieved, as though he had been stuck in that position for eternity without any freedom.

'Is that the effect of the dream?' he thought, moving closer to the throne he had seen earlier, and finally stopping.

Lionel was about to raise his head, but Alison's words stopped him. 'Don't look up unless told to!'

"Ermm…" he muttered, keeping his head down, though he was itching to look up and see the vampire king.

"Here you are, Nephew."

Lionel heard a deep, husky voice in his ears. The voice sounded both intoxicating and poisonous. Suddenly, his legs went limp, and his face collided with the floor. He felt his muscles tightening and his heart felt as though air was being sapped from it.

'What the hell is happening?!' Lionel screamed in his mind as he brought his hand to his chest, holding it tightly.

Sweat drops braced his forehead as he gritted his teeth, bringing his hand to his laps to try and stand up but it was futile as the immense gravitational pull he was feeling was hindering it.

And even though he couldn't stand up, admit that chaotic moment he found himself, something else happened. His thoughts were in an uproar: they only didn't worry about the effects of the voice but rather also, the voice itself.

'Why does his voice sound so familiar?!'

The vampire king's voice unsettled him, unlocking a hidden fear he hadn't known existed within him—or rather, within the prince?

The voice triggered memories he wasn't willing to recall, causing his hands to clench into fists at his sides.

As he struggled to steady himself and raise his head to face the king, a question pierced through his thoughts.

"How did you find yourself in that forest?" the king asked, his face oddly calm as he stared at Lionel kneeling before him.

"I…" Lionel muttered, his voice barely audible as speaking seemed almost impossible.

Just managing to press out a tiny "I," he felt as though he was going to die, and that realization greatly troubled him.

He thought he had unlocked power and greater strength—but what was happening?

"What?" the king stated, his gaze still fixed on Lionel. But suddenly, his eyebrows arched, and he muttered, "Sorry, I forgot to draw in my aura."

And instantly, Lionel felt as though the breath he had been holding, which threatened to suffocate him, was released. He felt strength returning to his body, and once again, he felt he could take on a boar.

"How did you find yourself in the forest?"

As he stabilized himself, he heard the king's voice again, and this time, Lionel managed to raise his head.

His eyes took in the king's features, and oddly, he hadn't changed over these past few years.