How the hell do I determine power, here? Should I have him retreat? Fight?

Normally, I’d say it’s as easy as a numbers game. They have two champions, you have one. Do the maths.

…

But?

I’m only going to hint. What did the description of the dungeon say?

Something about the sanctum… I don’t remember that it was like an hour ago.

10 minutes.

Huh.

Arden waits, the guardians arrayed in formation behind him, his hands locked tight together. Somewhere along the way, he’d obviously outgrown normal clothes, instead being covered by patchwork leathers and cloth tied roughly to his skin by bits of fraying rope in a decent attempt to hide his modesty.

Only it has been stained gold by the light.

The two lunar champions look at each other.

They’re apprehensive? Why? He’s a kid — and they’ve already shown they can beat up the guardians.

Arden speaks. “If you will not attack, then perhaps we could come to some sort of trade?” He says, point towards the cart full of people.

Each one looks nearly desiccated… and Caau is pretty sure some of them have started to actively rot… but the others are too weak to even move them.

The words of the administrator echoes in his mind. If they devour the flesh of their fellow human… they will become goblins.

But what is there to trade? What do I have?

[ Inventory ]

Neophyte Tokens x 2

Crystallised Lunar-Abyssal Reaction x 4

( Assorted Goblin Weaponry )

Femur Axe x 1

The crystallised reaction? Is that something valuable?

The administrator doesn’t respond, sending a spark of annoyance through his not-body.

Fine, god damn it, give it to Arden.

A small golden portal — barely the size of Arden’s fist — opens above him and four small crystals drop down.

He snatches them from the air, keeping the two lunar champions in his sight as he inspects them. His eyes close in thanks.

Great! Now he can trade with them!

Yes. Trade.

What?

Arden cracks all four of the crystals in an iron grip, and the shards dissolve into blue light, then fill his palm and travel up his body.

Motherfucker. THOSE WERE FOR TRADING.

Caau's shouts do not reach the boy.

When he speaks again, his voice grows… not deeper — but stronger by a leap.

“Again, I ask. Would you be willing to trade? I cannot know in full truth why I have been sent here — nor why my master has deployed his guardians… but these crystals are the final piece of evidence to my theory. It can see all of this.”

Caau isn’t sure he likes being referred to as an ’it’ but he is VERY happy that someone is putting the pieces together.

“He must know that these people need food, water, medicine — and anything else you can spare. His intent in coming here was simple, to ask for your aid. I can see no other reason.”

Finally, the vampire-looking one speaks up. “Lies. I have watched from the inner sanctum as your ’guardians’ attacked. They were sent here for war!”

W-what? War? I just sent them to explore, I didn’t realise — thanks to SOMEONE — that you were sentient beings.

Don’t drag me into your folly.

Arden nods. “Then on behalf of my master, I apologise. I cannot imagine the pain in its heart for the suffering of these people.” He bows… then straightens up, staring deeply into their eyes.

“But you are standing in my way in two factors; first that you may have food and water that could save these people — and that you are refusing to trade it. I have asked twice. There will not be a third. No death, on my part, will come to you, but I will not allow you to horde the givings of life as these people die. Prepare to fight, champions of the Lunar-blood.”

The axeman jumps up from his squat, raking the blade across his leg as though he’s clearing non-existent blood from it.

“Boy, you have no idea what you’re doing.”

Arden shakes his head. “I do.”

Both of them lunge in tandem. Two fists strike the thick muscle of Arden’s chest in one combined jackhammer-blow.

He takes a single step back. They jump away, giving each other a glance. The vampire shakes its hand.

[ Arden requests command of Guardian Squad 1 ]

Accept?

Go for it kid.

The immediate second after, the guardians lunge into action. Granite spears after the vampire, hunting it down as it jumps from stone to stone.

When it strays and shoves itself out for the guardian’s neck, Quartz shoves a pickaxe between them — forcing the vampire to screech back to avoid facing an impalement through the heart.

Wait… are these literally vampires? It doesn’t want to be staked through the heart?

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Technically they are called Nocturna. Immortal creatures created by killing other humans. You are lucky this one is not one of the first, however, or this fight would go very different and you would be the failure you were always meant to be.

The werewolf smacks at Onyx’s guard, axe cutting into the pickaxe’s handle until it snaps through. The moment he is to bring it to bare on Onyx’s chest, Sapphire launches a stone-heavy kick into its skull.

It is plummeted to the ground. Onyx brings down a fist — trying to activate his uncommon skill but finding it out of juice.

The werewolf takes the blow anyway, then staggers to its feet, laughing like he’s drunk. It's not as though the damage isn't taken -- quite the contrary considering its busted lip... that now begins to seal.

Healing? Werewolves are tough.

[ Information Level 2 Unlocked ]

You have gained the ability to see further information.

Further information?

You know how you could see their race? And what path they’re on? Well now you can see what that actually means.

You know you needed the help or this would get real boring, real fast.

What? What do you mean boring?

Hmm?

I didn’t say anything, fool.

You are really getting on my nerves now, 'Administrator.'

Nocturna [ Vampire ] Lupis [ Werewolf ]

DEX [ Swiftness Focus ] [ATK]

INT [ Artificer ] [DEF]

[ Path of the Lancer ]

Using speed to outmaneuver their opponents and back-up energy catalyzing to defend themselves, Lancers often end the fight in one swift move.

STR [ Unyielding Force ] [ATK]

VIT [ Resilience ] [DEF]

[ Path of the Berserker ]

A relentless assault marks the path of the berserker, relying predominantly on their natural vitality to ensure the continued assault... and their continued survival.

Well that doesn’t sound good.

The vampire stands up straight, watching the two guardians recover. Then out of his pocket he takes two long, round sticks. One glows like fire trapped in glass — the other growing like vines yet still maintaining a regular form… only to die and restart the process.

He crumbles them in his hand, making sure to crush them together like fine powder.

[ Solar energy detected ]

[ Nature energy detected ]

[ Energies reacting ]

Shit! I’ve seen this message before!

Guardians! Flee! It’s going to explode!

They don’t. He doesn’t have control over them anymore. Yet the powder starts to grow like wood, elongating until it’s three times as long as the sticks were if you placed them end-to-end.

After it is done, a long lance made of tough-looking wood is held in the vampire’s hand.

What? I don’t understand. Why did the other stuff explode but this didn’t?

Answers from the administrator are not forthcoming — but the lance is. The Nocturna stabs forward in a lunge identical to the lunge they used on Arden.

That’s… is that [ Lunge ] and [ Scramble ] used in tandem?

You are so, so close.

Then… what, a more advanced version?

Teetering on the edge! Think more... connected. Intertwined... constructed... oh you really aren't getting it are you. It's a custom ability made by merging [ Scramble ] and [ Lunge ] together.

Granite stomps his foot down, Quartz stood behind him. The vampire is impossibly fast, as though the lance is a rocket with four solid-fuel boosters all blazing on, twisting like a drill.

It’s just about to connect…

It changes direction, snapped to the right like someone clicked their fingers. Then again — seeking Quartz's not-heart. The guardian puts the pickaxe up — but there is no time.

Arden grabs the rapidly-rotating spear with both hands, redirecting the momentum away from Quartz and towards his own chest. It spins in his hand, the friction smoking the steel until its black.

The movement arrests.

Arden puts out a hand.

His steel grip lands upon the vampire’s wrist.

And it locks tight.

It tries to jump away, only to be yanked back like a tiny dog on a leash. Arden seems insurmountably heavy, a tonne of bricks condensed into one human being. The vampire screams in anger, abandoning the lance in favour of tearing away at Arden’s face.

The claws leave little marks of blood. Barely more than a paper cut. Arden rotates like a counterweight on a crane — pulling the vampire along and into the floor. A knee drives into the vampire’s spine… but no crack comes.

Arden places his weight on the vampire, locks him down with an absolute statement of physical domination. The guardians all turn to the werewolf.

Sapphire kicks him in the back, launching him into a powerful gutpunch of Onyx’s stone-hand. He keels over, then smacks Onyx out of nowhere and suddenly its like he was never hit at all.

Is he stealing their life or energy or something, when he hits them?

There’s a moment; a delay in the fighting. The werewolf locks eyes with the vampire. His eyes blaze with fury… and hair begins to grow from his form. Granite stomps over to the vampire, taking over Arden’s position.

“Do not! Vantus!” the vampire screams. The werewolf disregards its humanoid form, growing another head and shoulders above his already tall height.

He even towers over Arden, now.

Blood screams in the white of his eyes. Then he’s everywhere. Sapphire barely avoids a death-claw, a huge chunk of the stone in her shoulder ripped out. Onyx’s arm drops to the floor along with his body.

Quartz smashes into the far wall, cracking lines on a crystalline deposit. Arden is swept from his feet, flying over Granite to impact on the wall. Razor-sharp teeth crunch against his neck, slowly cracking as though a barrier of glass surrounds him.

Realisation dawns on Caau. That is not glass — that is the blessing!

Your blessing is worth a lot. But it is by no means invincible.

Arden’s body shifts. He relinquishes the fight being played over control of their respective hands, letting the werewolf claw at his body.

In return, he wraps his arm around the werewolf’s back, pulling him in tight for sweet embrace.

Only to squeeze the werewolf like an industrial juicer. Skin cells rupture under his grasp — the wolf bites harder, the desperation setting in.

Arden begins to sing. “O’, and will you break, before the trust I have? Of my master, of his blessing? O’ do you declare your bones, your body! Of strength the same as mine? A fool, a fool, a fool you are!”

The singing seeps into his body — and the hydraulic press of Arden’s bear-hug squeezes ever the tighter. Blood spews from the wolf’s mouth as the internal organs press together and rupture.

Arden’s neck is wide open. If the blessing fails, the teeth will sink deep — and end him instantly. The wolf falters, his claws — once raking against Arden’s side — now retreat back to his stomach, trying desperately to peel away the arms.

It… works, but only barely.

“You are stronger than me, creature, but you tire. I do not. Every time you breath, I will tighten just a little more until you gasp for air that will never come.”

Fear grows to overcome the bloodlust in its eyes. The jaw drops away, and Arden releases the werewolf. A thick black-brown bruise wraps around the wolf’s stomach, the fur pressed so hard into itself that it now resembles a deep matting.

It coughs blood, kneeling on the ground. It whispers. Arden kneels down to listen. “My Lady… am I ever so weak?”

Through Arden’s eyes, he can see the wolf get a return. An answer. He can see it in the way the eyes light up in elation.

Much like Arden’s had when he was blessed.

A cube of blue light surrounds the werewolf — Granite is blast away from the vampire and much the same happens to him. The moon at the top of the temple glows. They shoot towards it, slowing until they orbit.

Blue light begins to trickle into them… and the Priestess steps away. Moonlight shines upon her as footsteps spread an ice-cold staircase directly to the courtyard. In a matter of moments, a tall, slender wraith — so close to human — is stood in front of the guardians. In front of Arden.

Caau uses his newfound information skill as he stares through a combined ten eyes.

[ A Lunar-blooded’s Avatar wishes to speak with you. ]

Accept?