Chapter 13: Lair Evolution Initiated
Lucas stood in the center of the ritual chamber he had carefully prepared. A hundred corpses were neatly arranged in a circle, their blood flowing in a complex runic pattern that gleamed dark red under the crystal light of the lair. A thick metallic scent filled the air, mixed with the magical energy that was beginning to churn.
"Is My King certain of this move?" Selena asked, her fiery red eyes gazing at the macabre scene before them. Even though as a Vampire Queen she was accustomed to blood and death, the scale of this ritual impressed even her. "A hundred souls... this is no ordinary evolution."
Lucas smiled coldly, his hand raised above the prepared stone altar. "Doubt is unbecoming of a queen, Selena. True power is only gained through equal sacrifice." He raised the ritual knife, gleaming sharply. "And these one hundred lives are a small price for supremacy."
Without hesitation, Lucas cut his own palm, letting his blood drip onto the altar. Instantly, the ritual chamber was filled with a blinding red light. The blood of the one hundred victims began to move as if it had a life of its own, flowing towards the altar in a hypnotic spiral pattern.
[System: Detecting lair evolution ritual...]
[Warning: This ritual requires 100 units of Life Essence]
[Confirm: Do you wish to begin lair evolution?]
"Confirm," Lucas uttered the command in a voice that echoed throughout the ritual room.
Instantly, the floor beneath his feet began to tremble. The walls of the lair that were previously made of rough stone began to change. Dark crystals emerged from the cracks that formed, emitting a suffocating aura. The energy released was so intense that several undead skeletons standing guard outside the ritual room collapsed instantly.
[System: Lair evolution begins...]
[Analyzing available Life Essence: 100/100]
[Processing lair structure upgrade...]