The battlefield had gone quiet.
Velkar was gone—scattered dust on cursed wind.
Lucas stood, cloak torn, hair messed up, probably glowing too much. Around him, vampires began to emerge from the shadows and rubble… cheering.
Wildly.
Loudly.
Too much.
Mira appeared beside him, arms crossed, trying not to smirk. "You do realize they're going to throw a parade, right?"
Lucas blinked. "A what?"
[System Update: Victory Unlocked! 🎉]
Enemy: Dusted
City Status: Hype Overload
Celebration Level: Please make it stop
Recommended Action: Smile, wave, survive
Warning: Someone is already carving a victory statue. It's shirtless.
The gates flew open. Vampires poured out.
Some carried banners. Others threw rose petals. One enthusiastic undead had crafted a Lucas puppet that danced when he pulled its strings.
Lucas just stared.
"I didn't die," he muttered. "That's not parade-worthy. That's baseline competence."
Rook approached, holding a goblet of what was hopefully celebratory blood and not soup. "To the Blood General!"
"To Lucas the Glorious!"
"To the guy who did that cool spin thing!"
"To the goat!"
The goat, now wearing a cape, stood atop a barrel like a champion. The crowd cheered louder.
[System Party Mode Engaged]
Lucas's Pride: 68% (rising, but he pretends it's not)
Goat Fame Level: Legendary
Mira's Eye-Roll Count: 7 so far
Danger Level: Emotionally overwhelming
Bonus Achievement: "Didn't Die Like Velkar" – UNLOCKED
Suddenly, the air shifted.
The sky flickered blood-red. A ripple of power echoed over the land.
From above, a massive, translucent figure formed—cloaked, crowned, and ancient beyond time.
The crowd fell silent.
Lucas whispered, "Is that...?"
Mira nodded. "Ancestral projection."
The figure boomed: "Lucas of the Crimson Line. You have proven... mostly adequate."
Lucas squinted. "Wait. Mostly?"
[System Translation: This Is the Vampire Ancestor Version of 'Good Job']
Tone: Slightly judgmental
Real Meaning: You didn't screw it up! (Much)
Ancestral Mood: Pleased but constipated
Side Comment: You could've done better with the speech. Just saying.
The projection faded, leaving the city buzzing with whispers.
Lucas turned to Mira. "Did... did I just get ghost-praised?"
"You did. That's like... vampire royalty level approval."
"I want that carved on my tombstone."
Later That Night...
The city partied.
Bonfires. Blood fountains. Awful singing.
Lucas sat on the citadel balcony, sipping aged bloodwine and staring at the stars.
Mira joined him with a tired sigh.
He looked over. "You ever think maybe we bit off more than we can chew?"
"Constantly."
Lucas raised his glass.
"To surviving."
Mira clinked hers against his. "And to whatever horrifying mess comes next."
[System Final Word – Chapter 25]
Current Status: King of the Idiots (but a respected one)
City Mood: Euphoric
Your Legacy: Growing
Next Threat: Totally brewing behind the scenes
Final Thought: You survived a war. Don't screw up the after-party.