The tall, pale noble vampire blinked, finding himself not in his cozy crypt, but in the midst of a titanic chamber whose boundaries were not visible. The place was so vast that several dragons could comfortably fly here, the ceiling looming nearly a hundred meters above the vampire, which was particularly astonishing considering that the undead sensed this place was underground. The entire chamber was not illuminated; only magical lamps hung above a small part of it, emitting light, but even so, it was impossible to hide the grandeur of the structure in the darkness.

Regaining his composure, the vampire did what he usually did: he took a step back, moving away from the light, hiding in the shadows and observing. On the floor, a faintly glowing magical circle still burned, summoning the bloodsuckers, and in the darkness, he saw several more like it.

- So, we're gathered again. And here are the others, - the vampire thought, looking at several beings in the light. In the middle of the room stood silently and calmly, not moving, the samurai. As usual, he arrived first. However, it would be more accurate to say that it was not the samurai himself, but only his armor, with a soul attached to it. Adamantine multi - layered armor absorbed all light in absolute darkness; they seemed to be a hole in space in the shape of a human, and the katana at his waist was an embodiment of style and strength, captivating the gaze. Victor, as the vampire was called, didn't like the samurai because the armor was reticent. In all thirty years of their acquaintance, the samurai had not spoken a word to the vampire. Either he saw no point in speech, or he couldn't speak due to the lack of a body; the vampire didn't know, and wasn't sure which was more plausible.

Off to the side from the samurai stood a huge tree - like figure - a dark, violet - blighted treant, looking around uncomfortably in a place where there was no hint of nature or life whatsoever.

Opposite the living tree was a tall lizardfolk with green scales and two sabers in sheaths. Apparently, he was teleported here while eating, as he held in his hands the roasted leg of some large animal. The warrior, completely unperturbed by the gazes of the other beings, calmly continued his meal.

And one was watching particularly intently. Or rather, he could do nothing but observe, for the entire creature was one enormous eye the size of a human head, hovering in the air. There was no body, no eyelids, no bones, just an eyeball, from which optic nerves stretched into emptiness. Mgnlwi'nar, Victor remembered his name well; it was firmly etched in the vampire's mind when he tried to delve into the eye's mind with his magic. It worked, the mind was not protected, but... It didn't need protection. The vampire saw what he shouldn't have seen, and for a week he recoiled from nightmarish visions and horrifying voices in his head. He never tried to read even the surface thoughts of Mgnlwi'nar again.

And last among those who emerged into the light was a simple, unremarkable ghost hovering over an exquisite vase. Each time Victor saw him, it was a different ghost, and now he saw the spirit of a sturdy man with powerful muscles and a determined gaze radiating strength despite his death. Last time, it was a girl, and Victor found her more appealing than this transparent warrior.

There were others, some of whom may not have arrived yet, while others, like Victor, emerged from the illuminated circle, observing from the darkness. But among those present, the vampire did not see Bright Fang, the dear young girl who took his fancy. Victor particularly liked her spontaneity, her cheerfulness, her youth, and the fact that of all of them, she was the only one who absolutely did not protect her mind, and the vampire could freely read her thoughts and memories. He had big plans for this goblin girl; she was quite talented, and the man hoped that she would gather her horde, conquer at least one or two countries, and he would, ahem, guide her actions, pulling the strings from the shadows.

- What are you pondering!? - a lively voice came from behind the vampire, and he felt a push in the back, making the undead take a few steps forward, revealing himself to the light. Following Victor, the smiling owner of the voice entered the circle.

- It's you. Oliver, - the vampire spat out the words maliciously, and the name sounded like a curse. He hated this man, and along with his words, he sent a mental jab, trying to strike Oliver's brain, making him wriggle in agony. However, multiple pre - set spells countered Victor's attack, neutralizing it, and attacking him in return. The exchange of jabs ended in nothing, and the man spoke as if nothing had happened:

- Aha, it's me! Hi, Vic! How's it going?

- It was okay until I saw you.

- Ah, still as cold as a corpse! Your words wound my sensitive heart!

Yes, Victor definitely hated Oliver. For his character, for his behavior, for his dumb jokes, for the fact that he, being an ordinary human, made the vampire feel fear. Oliver was the only human among those gathered. He was a little over forty, but he behaved like a child, and he dressed like a great old wizard, wearing an entirely black robe with an exquisite ruby outline and a full - sized staff with a skull of some creature on top. A typical attribute of necromancers. Death mages were absolutely helpless against vampires; after all, the bloodsuckers were already dead. And then at some point, necromancers gained the ability to control any undead, even those they didn't raise themselves, and everything changed drastically. Oliver's moment had long passed, as shown in the very first meeting with Victor. Back then, instead of a greeting, the necromancer tried to take control of the vampire, erasing his mind. And he almost succeeded. It was only thanks to the intervention of...

- Shut up, bastard. I hate you, and I don't want you near me. You're the most disgusting creature I've seen, right after... - At that moment, a thunderous roar interrupted Victor. He winced in pain, finishing his sentence, - ...him.

Into the illuminated space strode a gigantic creature, causing everyone else to step aside. The stench of decay spread throughout the room. Pieces of skin hung from its wings, and bones shifted with a disgusting grating sound. Through the exposed flesh of its chest, one could see the terrifying magical core that used to be the creature's heart. The monster proudly lifted its head, casting an unblinking gaze of burning green fire of death upon everyone. Anyone caught in its gaze cringed and unconsciously took a step back, showing that they wouldn't contend with the horrifying undead dragon. The last to meet the gaze of the dracolich was the samurai. He calmly raised his head, meeting the monster's gaze with the emptiness of his helmet. For a few seconds, the two eyeless creatures stared at each other, then the dragon retreated, settling comfortably on the floor.

- I don't know why you didn't like our Little Flame, - Oliver addressed Victor again. - It's a dracolich! The pinnacle of necromancy! A work of art! Just imagine how much power, time, and incredibly rare reagents it took to resurrect such a creature! Not to mention killing it. It all speaks of the incredible might of a necromancer!

- Yeah, keep me updated, - the vampire replied spitefully. He hated this dracolich too. It embodied everything Victor found repulsive: pride, stupidity, overwhelming strength. And the absence of reason. Victor's main characteristic and strength lay in his charisma. Yes, the vampire was very good in close combat and offensive mental magic, but he was truly powerful in conversation. Distracting the opponent, extracting information, reading their memories, creating psychological portraits, finding traumas or mental weaknesses, and mercilessly exploiting them, causing the victim torment. None of this would work on a creature incapable of speech. And the dracolich was exactly that. - Then why did you grimace when it appeared, huh? Isn't it the greatest work of necromancy?

- Oh, well, that's my flaw. You see, I still have sensory organs, and I can smell the Little Flame... The flaws of my biological design. But don't worry, I'll fix it, and I'll be able to fully enjoy the company of a dead dragon!

Psycho. The vampire knew he was facing a psycho, but now he was almost directly admitting it. Victor glanced at the others, and stopping at the lizardfolk, he asked, - Hey, scaly, aren't you supposed to be angry? Your people worship dragons as deities, don't they? How can you calmly be in the same room with a reanimated corpse of your god?

- They do worship, - the lizard calmly replied, hissing slightly. - However, not as deities, but as parents. It was the dragons who created us. But I consider them false gods, for someone created them too. How can you worship something that is merely an imitation of the creator

- But...

- Hey-hey-hey! Hello, everyone! - The last dungeon master shouted loudly. With a noisy entrance, a small figure of a dwarf covered entirely in runes from head to toe entered the light. Two large fangs protruded upwards from the half - dwarf's mouth, like those of a predatory animal, and there was a strength in his eyes not typical of dwarves. Only upon seeing the newcomer did the previously silent dark treant loudly rustle its leaves:

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- Die! Die, die, die, you creature! How dare you appear before my eyes, murderer!

- What's with him? - Victor asked. He hated being uninformed about anything, but he couldn't delve into the minds of the other beings present here. Oh, where was Fang when she was so needed...

- I don't know, - the dwarf answered puzzled. - Maybe it's somehow related to the fact that I recently founded a new factory? I had to clear a little forest there. Well, maybe two or three. Oh, were some of those trees your relatives? Maybe a brother? Or a daughter?

- DIE! - the tree shouted in anger. - Because of creatures like you, all blood creatures must perish! I've seen visions of the future! The world will turn into Hell, a terrible inferno where there are no trees and flowers, where spires of towers rise above the earth, from which pours the dead dust of my relatives, and because of it, the sky is invisible, and the sun's rays will not touch the starving leaves of offspring shoots! This is what awaits our world if we don't kill all humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, lizardfolk, snakes, and all those in whom cursed red blood flows! Especially you - half - dwarves! I will crush your steel houses and towers, liberate my race from under your oppression! DIE!

- Wow, you described such a cool future! Industrialization won't slow down, and we'll make it all work! Thanks for the kind words! - the toothy dwarf joyfully rubbed his hands, while the treant screamed with insane fury, shaking its branches.

- I SEE, EVERYONE IS ALREADY ASSEMBLED, - a quiet and calm voice resounded, thundering with incredible power effortlessly. Only upon hearing it did everyone fall silent and instantly fall to their knees, not daring to raise their heads. Even the dracolich changed its relaxed posture to a servile one, showing its belly like a domesticated dog.

- AS YOU REMEMBER, WE GATHERED HERE FOUR YEARS AGO TO WELCOME THE YOUNG GOBLIN. I REGRET TO SAY THAT SHE HAS DISAPPOINTED ME. NOX, GIVE ME THE SOUL - Out of the corner of his eye, Victor saw darkness rise from the floor, enveloping the space. It flowed into one place, condensing and darkening until it became darker than darkness itself. The Shadow Demon Nox revealed himself to the world, floating towards his master, delivering something to him.

- RAISE YOUR HEADS, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO DISAPPOINT ME. The vampire looked at the speaker and saw the Throne of Torments - a huge pile of bones, flesh, and skin of various creatures, intertwined in impossible ways under impossible angles, forming a semblance of a chair. Victor had seen this throne before, but he was horrified again by its nightmarish essence. If it were just a pile of corpses connected by spatial magic, the vampire would have praised the creator of this creation. But every corpse, every bone, every drop of blood was alive. They were alive and screamed in agony, experiencing incredible torment. The agonizing muscles of a human, the writhing skin of a troll, the trembling bone of a leviathan, all of them suffered, filling the air with the weight of hundreds, thousands of voices, bursting from the mouths of the dead. They suffered and died. Victor saw how some shreds of flesh reached their limit and exhaled their last breath, their ghost calming down, departing into death, only for illusory chains to appear halfway, pulling the soul back into the undying body, starting the cycle of agony anew.

- Ah... - Oliver, standing nearby, whispered with tears in his eyes. - When I die, I dream of being among them... - This man really knew how to terrify Victor, although he had believed for centuries that he was not afraid of anything. However, he was even more afraid of the one who sat on this throne. If anyone could bear the name Death, it was only him, the Lord. Clothed in luxurious magical robes, clutching the legendary scepter in his hands, covered all over with magical circles, the Lich looked down on his subordinates. Not a single emotion could be seen in the dead gaze, and Victor understood that the souls of everyone present here were worth nothing in the eyes of this godlike being. And in his hands was the small soul of a little girl, whom the vampire immediately recognized, receiving an answer to the question of where the goblin was.

- FANG HAS DIED, AND I HAVE LOST THE TIME AND ENERGY INVESTED IN HER. FOR THIS, SHE WILL BE PUNISHED. ANYONE WHO MAKES ME BEAR LOSSES MUST SUFFER, REMEMBER THIS. YOU ARE MY INTERNS, I HAVE HOPES FOR MANY OF YOU, BUT IF YOU FORCE THE COMPANY, THAT IS, ME, TO BEAR LOSSES - YOU WILL FACE CUTBACKS. With these words, the Lich pointed to the soul of the goblin and cast a spell:

- [PARTIAL RESURRECTION] - With powerful emanations of power, flesh began to grow around the soul's head, forming a body, layering muscles on top of each other. However, at the moment when skin, hair, teeth, and eyes were supposed to appear, the restoration stopped. Only an empty husk of muscles, without eyes or any organs, hung in the air. After that, the Lord took the soul of his dead subordinate and, with a simple movement without any tension, did what was considered impossible in necromancy - he tore the soul in half. It happened without any visual or auditory effects, but everyone at the foot of the throne convulsed in a seizure. A terrifying, all - consuming pain enveloped the dead, insensitive body of the vampire, momentarily making him believe that he was alive again and could feel something. It lasted an eternity and did not last a second simultaneously. When Victor came to his senses, Fang's head was already adorning the armrests of the throne, screaming into the void alongside six other Lich apprentices.

- REMEMBER THIS PAIN. THIS IS WHAT AWAITS YOU IN CASE OF DEFEAT. HOWEVER, DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU ARE ALL COMPETITORS HERE. SINCE THERE ARE FEWER OF YOU, MORE RESOURCES WILL BE DEVOTED TO SUPPORTING YOU PERSONALLY. AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO REWARD YOU, OLIVER, FOR YOUR GOOD SERVICE. YOU AND YOUR NECROMANCER ORDER HAVE SUCCESSFULLY KILLED THAT GROUP OF ADVENTURERS. I ENJOYED CONSUMING THEIR SOULS, IT WAS A WORTHY GIFT. I HOPE OTHERS WILL FOLLOW OLIVER'S EXAMPLE. AND RIGHT NOW, HE DESERVES A REWARD. TORVAKS, PLEASE COME FORTH. - Victor's breath caught in his throat as, seemingly out of nowhere behind the Lich's back, a nearly ten - meter tall figure of an ogre appeared. No... It wasn't an ogre... It was a goblin. A goblin who had eaten so many other creatures that he had grown to sizes exceeding those of giants twice over. How was this even possible!?

Torvaks pulled out a forge and a blacksmith's hammer from somewhere, then placed the remaining half of Zubatka's soul on the anvil and began to shape it. With each strike, the soul screamed so loudly that the cries of the Throne of Torments' souls were drowned out, and each wail echoed in the souls of the silent observers of this scene. After another eternity, the deed was done, and the titanic goblin lifted the new form of his fellow goblin. With his hammer blows, Torvaks transformed the shapeless soul into a ring. Admiring the result of his work, the goblin said:

- You were simple - minded even in death, weren't you? Well, now you're even easier to PUT AROUND A FINGER, hehehe. - The titan chuckled maliciously and performed a miracle that the vampire never expected from him: - [Inspection].

Torvaks ran his eyes over the description of the ring's characteristics, then handed it to Oliver, saying:

- Congratulations, kiddo, you got yourself a nice ring. Myth. Increases stats and allows you to extract and store the souls of other creatures, activating them for sacrificial spells as if they had just died and willingly sacrificed themselves. Also saves you from death once a day. Good enchs and affecs, suitable for a sorc like you. Combined with some CC and resist - killer skills, it can significantly increase your DPS and bury your enemies, especially if they don't have tp skills or immuns, or...

- THANK YOU, TORVAKS, WE UNDERSTAND, - Victor didn't understand anything at all, but he didn't argue with his Master. - YOU CAN GO NOW.

- Hey, wait, I haven't finished. So, listen up, kid: use silence, roots, debuff enemies, extract their life, if they dispel it, kite, and...

- THANK YOU, TORVAKS, FOR COMING BEFORE THE MEETING, YOU'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

- Huh? Oh, sure, yeah, so...

- YOU'RE VERY TIRED, THE WAY WASN'T CLOSE, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GO REST.

- What? Well, not really... Oh, I see, you're hinting that I should leave, huh? Got it, got it. Not stupid. Only a fool wouldn't understand. And I understand. I'm not a fool.

- YES, TORVAKS, YOU'RE NOT A FOOL. BYE.

- Okay, I'm leaving already. Come on, BONNIE, let's go!

- I'M NOT BONNIE.

- But you're a bone, right? - the goblin replied with a nasty chuckle. Victor grimaced at how bad the joke was.

- ...GOODBYE, TORVAKS, MAKE SURE TO COME AGAIN.

- Oh, alright, I'll drop by!

- NO NEED.

- You're inconsistent. Alright then, Rib - 237, goodbye. Or Rib - 238? - the giant smirked cunningly, then simply vanished in the blink of an eye.

- What?... - the vampire was stunned. He couldn't understand what just happened. It clearly wasn't teleportation. He still felt the echo of Torvaks' consciousness somewhere in the room, but where? Victor reached out to the sensation of Torvaks' mind, trying to pinpoint his location.

- Hey, touching other people's brains is pretty rude. - A friendly voice sounded above the vampire's ear, and he stared in horror at the ground. He felt like he could die at any moment. - Well, okay, I won't linger, but you, kiddo, better not be rude like that again.

The goblin disappeared again, and Victor realized what it was. It was stealth. The skill of an assassin or thief. Applied by a ten - meter goblin. Who was actually a blacksmith. Possessing the miracle of a paladin... Who the hell was that!?

- Wow... - Oliver looked at the vampire with enthusiasm. - You're even crazier than I thought!

- SO, THAT'S ALL FOR NOW. LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE ONE LAST TIME. - The Lich conjured an illusion showing the seven adventurers. Each of them was shown from all sides, with descriptions of their classes and assumed equipment levels displayed nearby. - THEY'RE THE ONES WHO KILLED OUR BELOVED ZUBATKA. ADD THEM TO THE BLACKLIST OF ADVENTURERS. WHOEVER KILLS THEM WILL RECEIVE A BONUS PAYMENT. WORK HARD, INTERNS, AND MAYBE ONE DAY YOU'LL BE INDEPENDENT MASTERS OF YOUR OWN DESTINY, STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS. AND NOW, EVERYONE CAN GO. THERE WILL BE A LORDS' MEETING IN THE NEAREST MONTH, SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO DISTURB ME. EVERYONE, GET OUT.

The Lich waved his hand, and the scene before Victor's eyes changed to his usual crypt, full of mindless thralls silently watching their master. For once, the vampire could breathe easy. He had to kill those adventurers at any cost, and most importantly, not die in the process! And if he did die... Victor vowed to do anything to avoid joining those interns...