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...]

Selena took a few steps back, her instincts as an apex predator warning her of the power that was awakening. "My King, the energy released... it exceeds my expectations."

Lucas merely chuckled lowly, his green eyes glowing with sadistic satisfaction. "This is what separates a true ruler from the weak pretenders. They fear taking risks, while I embrace destruction as a path to power."

The process of evolution continued with increasing intensity. The walls of the lair were now covered in runic carvings that moved like snakes. The once rough floor was now as smooth as obsidian, reflecting the crystal light perfectly. Even the air in the lair felt different—thicker, more oppressive, as if gravity itself had become heavier.

[System: Lair structure evolving...]

[Tier F → Tier E]

[Unit capacity increased: 200 → 500]

[New feature available: Advanced Summoning Chamber]

[New feature available: Soul Forge]

[New feature available: Territorial Expansion]

Lucas’ eyes lit up at the system notifications that appeared. "Selena, look at this. Unit capacity has nearly tripled. And the new features..." He paused, analyzing the implications of each upgrade. "Soul Forge. This is what I’ve been waiting for."

Selena approached again as the ritual energy began to subside. "The Soul Forge will allow My King to create stronger units from the souls that have been collected. But the Territorial Expansion feature... this is the most interesting."

"Indeed." Lucas walked into the newly formed lair—a room filled with large black crystals. In the center of the room, an anvil made of an unknown material radiated a terrifying aura. "With the Soul Forge, I can not only create new units, but also strengthen existing ones with the souls of enemies."

[System: Soul Forge active]

[Allows multiple souls to merge to create Elite Units]

[Allows enhancement of existing units with Soul Essence]

[Allows creation of Unique Units based on accumulated souls]

Selena eyed the anvil with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "And how many souls are needed to create an elite unit, My King?"

Lucas touched the cold surface of the anvil. Instantly, visions of the various possible units that could be created flowed into his mind. Death Knights that could destroy stone walls with a single blow.

Liches that could control dozens of undead at once. The possibility of even something even more terrifying—an amalgamation of hundreds of souls into one entity of pure destruction.

"For a Death Knight, ten warrior souls are needed. For a Lich, twenty mage souls." Lucas smiled with dark satisfaction. "But to create something truly unique... a hundred high-quality souls."

[System: Detected high-quality souls in inventory]

[Souls from Lord enemies: 15]

[Souls from Elite units: 23]

[Souls from Rare creatures: 7]

[Recommended: Sufficient souls to create 2x Death Knights or 1x Lich]

"Decisions, decisions," Lucas muttered as he considered the available options. "Selena, what do you think? Quantity or quality?"

Selena stared at Lucas with an intense gaze. "My King always chooses quality. One Lich will provide a greater strategic advantage than two Death Knights. Especially if we plan to expand our territory."

"Wise counsel, my dear Queen." Lucas raised his hand on the anvil. "But before that, there is one thing I would like to try first."

He called out to one of the undead skeletons standing guard outside. The poor creature wobbled toward the Soul Forge, unaware of the fate that awaited it. Lucas placed his hand on the skeleton’s skull.

"Soul Enhancement," he commanded in an echoing voice.

[System: Soul Enhancement initiated]

[Target: Skeleton Warrior (Tier F)]

[Souls required: 1x Warrior Soul]

[Confirming enhancement...]

A black light enveloped the skeleton, and its previously fragile body began to transform. Its bones grew thicker and stronger, and its previously empty eyes now burned with a terrifying purple fire.

When the transformation was complete, the creature standing before them could no longer be called an ordinary skeleton.

[System: Enhancement complete]

[Skeleton Warrior → Wraith Warrior (Tier E)]

[New abilities: Phase Step, Soul Drain, Terror Aura]

[Combat power increased by 300%]

The newly created Wraith Warrior exuded an aura that chilled the air around it. Even Selena, the Vampire Queen, felt the pressure of this creature’s presence.

"Magnificent," Lucas murmured with undisguised satisfaction. "If a simple enhancement can produce such a dramatic improvement, imagine what a true Soul Forge can achieve."

Suddenly, a system notification appeared with high urgency:

[System: IMPORTANT WARNING]

[Territorial Expansion has triggered a defensive response from neighboring Lords]

[Detecting multiple hostile armies approaching your territory]

[Estimated arrival: 2 hours]

[Threat level: HIGH]

[System: Lair evolving... Tier E unlocked.]

Lucas stared at the notification with a widening smile. "Perfect timing. Looks like we’ll get a chance to test our new powers sooner than expected."

Selena activated her sensing ability, her eyes glowing bright red. "My King, there are five armies approaching from different directions. They’re coordinating. This isn’t a spontaneous attack."

"Alliance," Lucas uttered the word with a tone of dark amusement. "They’ve finally realized that I’m a threat that must be destroyed before it’s too late. But they’re too late."

He turned to face the Soul Forge, which was still pulsing with dark energy. "Selena, prepare all our units. I’m going to create something that will make them regret ever being born."

[System: Multiple hostile armies detected]

[Army 1: 300 units led by Lord Varian]

[Army 2: 250 units led by Lord Kassandra]

[Army 3: 400 units led by Lord Thane]

[Army 4: 200 units led by Lord Miriam]

[Army 5: 350 units led by Lord Brutus]

[Total hostile forces: 1,500 units]

[System: URGENT - Lair evolving... Tier E unlocked.]