Chapter 51: The Legion of the Damned
---
A Battle Beyond Strength
Malkor's laughter echoes through the chamber, the sound grating, filled with amusement. His crimson eyes gleam as he takes a slow step back, raising a hand in a deliberate, almost theatrical motion.
"Foolish mortal," he sneers. "You think you can defeat me? You wound me, but you can't break me."
I tighten my grip on my axe, muscles coiling, ready to strike. My breath is steady, but my mind is racing. He's strong, stronger than anything I've faced. But I've fought for ten million years. I refuse to lose now.
Malkor tilts his head, reading me, before his smirk widens. His fingers flex, and the air around us shudders.
"Very well," he murmurs, his voice like silk wrapped around steel. "Let's see how you fare against a more… substantial force."
He thrusts his arm outward.
The air splits apart.
A portal, blacker than the void, unfurls before me, stretching open like the maw of a great beast. From its depths, a wave of shadowed figures emerges—hundreds of them. Vampires, their red eyes gleaming with hunger, their movements eerily synchronized.
I tense.
This… is bad.
---
A Horde of Shadows
The vampires move in perfect silence, their fangs bared, their claws extended. They don't rush forward blindly. No, they're calculating, measuring, waiting for the exact moment to strike.
Malkor watches from above, perched on the armrest of his throne like a king surveying his domain. His amusement is palpable.
"Enjoy your final moments, hunter," he whispers.
The first wave lunges.
I move.
My axe cleaves through the air, meeting the first vampire mid-charge. Its body splits apart, its insides spilling onto the obsidian floor before it even realizes it's dead.
Another comes from the left—I pivot, using the momentum of my swing to drive my blade through its skull. A third leaps at my back—I twist at the last second, slamming my foot into its chest, sending it crashing into the horde behind it.
But they don't stop.
For every one I kill, five more take its place.
I can't fight like this forever.
---
Endurance vs. Overwhelming Numbers
The room is a blur of motion—fangs snapping, claws tearing, bodies crumpling under the force of my blows. Blood sprays across the floor, painting it in shades of black and crimson.
I reach for a shard, crushing it in my palm, letting its energy flood through me. My wounds knit together, the pain vanishing in an instant. But I only have so many shards.
I grit my teeth, adjusting my stance. "Fine," I growl. "Come at me all at once."
And they do.
The horde descends, a sea of gnashing teeth and tearing claws. I swing, rip, tear, crush. My body moves faster than thought, instincts honed through endless war guiding me.
But they keep coming.
I feel a claw rake against my shoulder. Another catches my side. Blood seeps into my torn clothes, but I don't stop.
A vampire nearly gets close enough to sink its fangs into my neck—I grab its face, crushing its skull with my bare hand.
Still, they keep coming.
I'm being pushed back.
---
A Monster Among Monsters
Through the chaos, I hear him.
Malkor.
Laughing.
"You fight well," he muses, "but even you have limits."
I slam my axe into the floor, creating a shockwave that sends dozens of vampires flying. My chest heaves, sweat dripping down my face, but my eyes remain locked on him.
"You talk too much," I snarl.
Malkor chuckles, unfazed. "Perhaps," he admits. "But let's see how long you can keep this up."
I don't wait for him to summon more.
I charge.
Through the bodies, through the blood, through the chaos—I launch myself toward Malkor, axe raised, ready to end this.
His smirk doesn't waver.
And that's when I realize—
He was waiting for this.