Sai, seeing the opened gates, stepped inside cautiously, scanning for any lurking dangers. Even if there were threats, he knew he could only escape—his battle with the guardian had left him too exhausted to fight again. As he ventured deeper, a projection suddenly flickered into existence. It was not a vampire but a human woman with blonde hair. She began speaking.

  "You have defeated the guardian, so I will tell you a story. I know what you want to ask, but this is just a recorded message." With that, she began her tale.

  The light around her shimmered, and the chamber walls seemed to shift, projecting images of a time long past. Before order, before empires, before even the gods themselves claimed dominion over Eryndor—there was war. A war so ancient that even time itself seemed to have forgotten its cause. The sky belonged to dragons, their flames turning the heavens into an endless inferno. The earth was ruled by titans, their every step shattering mountains. The oceans were the domain of leviathans, creatures so vast that entire fleets vanished within their abyssal depths. Yet, despite their presence, they never interfered with us.

  And the lesser races? They were nothing more than scattered embers in a storm of fire. Humans, elves, dwarves, vampires, and demihumans fought among themselves, waging wars over scraps while the true protectors of the world clashed above them. The mortals never united—until they had no choice.

  One by one, the lesser races rebelled. Not through honor, but through desperation. They turned their weapons not just against each other but against the great beings who had once shielded them from the unknown. Armies of men and beasts stormed the ancient strongholds, wielding stolen magic, forbidden relics, and the rage of the oppressed. And somehow, against all odds… they won. Or so they believed. The dragons vanished. The titans disappeared. The leviathans retreated into the unseen depths. The mortals did not know why—only that the primordial protectors no longer walked among them. And so, they declared themselves the true lords of Eryndor. They built kingdoms atop the ruins of their old guardians, forged alliances that would soon be broken, and ruled as though history itself had been rewritten.

  After the disappearance of the dragons, peace reigned for a time—but it was fragile. Soon, old grudges resurfaced, and war broke out once more. I was still young when I first saw her. She stood amidst the battlefield, wielding blood magic unlike anything we had ever seen. With a single act of power, she ended the war and began gathering elites to stand at her side.

  I was one of them. There were five of us in total. She taught us everything she knew, molding us into warriors beyond compare. But even as she led us, we could all sense it—she was searching for someone. Someone she had lost. We never dared to ask.

  Then, she began to change. At first, it was subtle—a lingering sadness in her eyes, moments of silence where words should have been. But grief twisted into something darker. Her mind unraveled, and before long, she turned her power on the innocent.

  We tried to stop her, to bring her back, but there was no saving her. In the end, we had no choice. Using an ancient artifact, we sealed her away. At the time, we thought we were doing what was necessary—but we were blind to the truth. Only after sealing her did we begin to uncover who she really was. She was one of the Ancients, a being far beyond our understanding. And she was one of the vampire progenitors.

  The projection sighed before explaining, "She had the power to kill us, but she didn’t. We don’t know who she is searching for, but we discovered that the person disappeared with the protectors. That’s all we know. Please be careful if you intend to release her. And I suggest you kill her while she is still in a weakened state." With those final words, the projection disappeared.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Sai didn’t know yet, but he would decide whether to free her or not.

  He moved forward and saw a woman bound in chains, her eyes closed. Stepping closer, he asked, "Who are you searching for? And what do you know about the disappearance of the protectors?" Sai kept his guard up as he spoke.

  The woman, still with her eyes shut, suddenly opened them and gazed at him. A smirk formed on her lips. "Oh? A little fellow like you made it this far, huh?" she mused, trying to change the subject.

  But Sai wasn’t having it. His voice rose with frustration. "Don’t pretend! You—an Ancient—must know about the protectors' disappearance!" "And you… you must be the one who orchestrated the disappearance of the great talents from the outside world. Am I right?" Sai’s voice was sharp, his gaze unwavering.

  "You influenced them, led them to free you… and then what? Slaughter them all over again?"

  She made a face and smirked. "Busted. Yes, you got one thing right—once I’m freed from here, I do intend to slaughter the races. And I’m aware of the new powers that have risen… the Seven Thrones."

  Her eyes gleamed with amusement. "But you’re mistaken about one thing—I’m not the one who orchestrated their disappearance."

  Sai frowned, deep in thought. Then who…?

  Just as she was about to continue, a sudden pain shot through his body. A blade had pierced his back, its tip emerging from his chest. Sai gasped, blood spilling from his lips as he collapsed to his knees. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to turn his head toward the attacker.

  His breath hitched in shock.

  The one who had struck him—was none other than the blonde heroine he had heard about before.

  Seeing Sai collapse, the vampire's eyes burned with fury. She shouted, "Why did you do that, Emily?! You, who betrayed me and sealed me here, now care about a mere mortal who poses no threat to you? How much have you fallen?"

  Emily simply laughed, her gaze cold. "He won’t die. But I suspect you felt a flicker of hope after meeting him… so I had to shatter it." She stepped forward, looking down at Sai. "I needed to send you a message. But seeing that he’s a nobody, I merely injured him. And if he does die… well, it’s just an ant perishing."

  Sai lay in a pool of his own blood, weak. Even after transforming, he was still powerless against her. He gritted his teeth, struggling to stay conscious.

  Emily then turned back to the vampire. "Tell me, teacher… or should I call you Sarah? What stopped you from killing him the moment he entered? You slaughtered his companions without hesitation."

  Sai, barely holding on, forced his gaze toward the sealed vampire. A question now burned in his mind.

  Why?

  Emily raised her sword and swung. But just as it was about to strike, an overwhelming pressure exploded from Sai’s body. The sheer force froze Emily in place, Sarah's chains cracked, and Sai stood up, his eyes glowing a menacing red.

  The silent energy that only emerged in Sai’s moments of life-threatening danger activated once again—this time, while he was unconscious. A crushing pressure spread across the battlefield, suffocating everything in its reach. Emily’s avatar trembled under the force, unable to move, while the chains sealing Sarah shattered into dust. Though freed, she was weak, barely able to stand.

  Within Sai, the transformation of his cells accelerated a hundredfold. His body, which had already endured multiple evolutions, began to fracture under the strain. Cracks spread across his flesh, his very being on the verge of breaking apart. But the mysterious energy refused to let him fall. It surged through him, mending every wound, completing his once-incomplete physique.

  Sai’s eyes snapped open. A sharp glint flashed within them as he turned toward Emily’s avatar. Without hesitation, he gripped his sword and slashed.

  She tried to defend, but her avatar was simply too weak. It lacked the time to draw power from her main body. The blade cut through effortlessly, and the projection vanished into nothingness.

  As the last remnants of Emily’s avatar faded, Sai’s vision blurred. His body, having endured the storm of transformation, could take no more. His strength abandoned him, and he collapsed.

  author note: Don't think the mc getting so many powerups and still weak and doing something that is useless (because i don't know i am going with the flow ) Sais mindset (author) is mess for now ..(so i will definitely update the chapter curiosity and not boring )