Frostfire Legacy

When Vanessa opened her eyes, everything around her had changed.

"This place is... a sealed dimension?" she quickly assessed before checking the space itself. "It's quite well-built. I doubt I can destroy it from the inside and escape," she muttered, promptly giving up on using a shortcut.

"And I got separated from that hateful woman and Aster... Nevermind her, I need to regroup with Aster as soon as possible," she continued, her brow furrowing with determination.

First and foremost, she needed to assess the situation. Looking around, she realized she was in a place that resembled a giant maze. Each wall stood tall, reaching over a hundred meters, touching the ceiling. The towering walls closed in on her like silent, oppressive sentinels.

"But what a sickening design they chose..."

The walls themselves, for whatever reason, resembled slabs of raw meat shaped into a solid surface. Protrusions, like veins, were visible on the surface, pulsing rhythmically as if the entire structure was alive. Though reluctant, Vanessa touched the wall to gauge its strength and quickly realized it was quite thin despite its grotesque appearance.

"Just about five meters thick... I can destroy this easily, but could it be a trap?"

This wasn't her first time encountering a maze. In the dungeon, some floors mimicked this environment—mazes with shifting paths and unseen dangers lurking at every turn. Destroying the walls there often triggered traps that either sent someone back to the beginning or summoned a horde of monsters designed to eliminate any intruder. Here, she couldn't help but wonder if the same rules applied.

Vanessa wasn't afraid of monsters. She was confident in her ability to handle them, no matter their numbers or strength. However, time was of the essence. They couldn't leave Aster alone for too long. With his current strength, he wouldn't stand a chance against Lorelai if they crossed paths.

"Can't be helped. I guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," Vanessa sighed, her tone sharp with frustration.

The glint in her eyes shifted, growing more intense as her pupils dilated, transforming into vertical slits, much like a reptile's. Her fangs lengthened, gleaming in the dim light.

A small, violent tornado of blood swirled around her, and when she stepped out of it, her appearance had changed drastically.

Her earlier outfit, a practical ensemble of hot short pants and a simple long-sleeved shirt, was replaced by a deep crimson dress with a high slit on the left side, exposing her thigh up to her hips. On her head, a faint, ethereal crown floated just above her hair, radiating a blinding silver glow.

Her back now sported a pair of large, bat-like wings, their leathery texture giving her a distinctly ominous presence.

Vanessa stared down at her right hand, opening and closing it as if testing her enhanced strength. "It's been a while since I used this form... I hope I'm not getting rusty. Summon Familiars!"

With her command, the shadows beneath her feet stirred and wriggled to life. From within the darkness, a swarm of bats, rats, and a pack of large wolves emerged, surrounding her like loyal soldiers awaiting her orders.

Vanessa smiled, patting the largest wolf—twice the size of the others—clearly the alpha of the pack.

"Sorry for calling on you guys suddenly, but I need your help. Spread out and find the exit. Report anything you find to me, including traps and enemies."

*AWOOO!*

The alpha wolf let out a deep howl, and as if on cue, the familiars scattered into the labyrinth, their shadows flickering as they explored the maze's intricate twists and turns. Vanessa remained still, her eyes gleaming with a cold smile as she awaited the results of their search.

Shadow Blood Familiars.

It was a skill specific to vampires of a particular bloodline—royal vampire lineage. Vanessa, of course, wasn't born the daughter of a king, but her power stemmed from her ancestral blood, a rare genetic gift passed down through generations. This very ability earned her the moniker, "Vampire Princess," a title that both embarrassed and empowered her in equal measure.

"Hmm? This is troublesome..." she muttered under her breath as her familiars relayed information back to her.

As they scouted ahead, their positions fed directly into her mind, forming a mental map of the maze. However, within minutes, she realized the labyrinth was far larger than anticipated, too vast to explore in the short amount of time they had.

Someone like Aster, who could only rely on his own abilities, would likely take weeks just to cover as much ground as her familiars had in mere moments. Without any assistance, he would remain trapped in this maze for an agonizingly long time.

"...!"

Suddenly, her expression darkened. "My bat familiars... something killed them."

It had happened too quickly for the bats to react, leaving her blind to the attacker's identity. Without hesitation, Vanessa sent more familiars to the location, layering their numbers to ensure survival this time.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"This is...!"

But as soon as the reinforcements arrived, they, too, were attacked. Three hulking figures—grotesque, muscular masses barely resembling humanoids—slaughtered her familiars with ease. One swipe of their enormous, meaty palms was enough to destroy her familiars as if they were nothing more than insects.

Vanessa frowned. Her familiars, while small, were far from weak. Their levels were half that of her own, making them equivalent to a warrior around level 500 to 600. Seeing them obliterated so effortlessly filled her with a mixture of anger and caution.

"These meat slabs... they're not weak!" she hissed.

By her estimation, these creatures were at least as strong as she was—if not stronger. "Vesper, take your wolves and return," she ordered quickly, her tone sharp with authority.

Unlike the bats and rats, the wolves were unique familiars, not disposable. If they were killed, their loss would be permanent. Vanessa wouldn't risk losing them due to overconfidence.

*Whimper...*

The alpha wolf, Vesper, whined softly but obeyed without hesitation. Leading his pack, he turned and began retreating, ensuring they didn't cross paths with another meat-slab creature as the bats had.

About half a minute later, they returned, leaping into Vanessa's shadow in one fluid motion.

"Just in time..." she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing.

And as if on cue, three of the grotesque meat slabs appeared before her, their hulking forms dripping with the blood of her slain familiars. The sight ignited a burning fury within her.

"How dare you kill my familiars," she growled, her eyes glowing a deep, menacing red. "For that transgression, I shall personally bestow eternal death upon you!"