CHAPTER 27: THE QUEEN’S BANQUET

Fortress Triumvirate’s grand hall had been transformed into an arena befitted by the Vampire Queen’s twisted vision of elegance. Crystalline chandeliers carved from obsidian hang suspended above a massive banquet table that stretches across the entire chamber, its surface crafted from polished bone and inlaid with silver runes that pulse with crimson energy. Eight ornate chairs surrounded the table—each occupied by captured Lords who had been brought as honored guests for Selena’s macabre celebration.

[System: Banquet Preparation Complete]

[Participants: 8 captured Lords]

[Status: Conscious, restrained]

[Threat Level: Neutralized]

[Selena’s Enhancement: Active]

[Blood Quality: Elite tier]

[Anticipated Effects: Significant power increase]

Lucas occupied the throne-like chair at the head of the table, looking at the captured Lords with an expression that mixed satisfaction with anticipation. These were survivors of coordinated assault—leaders who had commanded thousands of soldiers in a desperate final attack against his forces.

Their armies had been systematically destroyed, but Lucas had specifically ordered their capture alive for this precise moment.

"My King," Selena approached with movements that seemed to defy gravity, her Crimson Crown casting shadows that danced across walls in patterns that hurt to observe directly, "banquet is prepared. These Lords represent the finest blood in the entire continent—each one carries power that will enhance our capabilities exponentially."

[System: Captured Lord Analysis]

[Lord Marshal Devon: Lightning specialization, 847 power rating]

[Lord Empress Lyra: Healing domain, 923 power rating]

[Lord Commander Thane: Fortress construction, 785 power rating]

[Lord Sage Mordecai: Necromancy arts, 1,156 power rating]

[Lord Warrior Kael: Berserker abilities, 892 power rating]

[Lord Mystic Vera: Elemental mastery, 1,034 power rating]

[Lord Tactician Gregor: Strategic enhancement, 756 power rating]

[Lord Paladin Cassius: Divine protection, 1,223 power rating]

Captured Lords sat in magical restraints that prevented movement while maintaining full consciousness. Their expressions ranged from defiant rage to desperate terror, but all understood their fate. Selena had ensured they remained aware of every sensation—pain, fear, and inevitable death that awaited them.

"Excellent selections, Selena," Lucas’s voice carried undertones of dark appreciation, "Lord Paladin Cassius alone should provide substantial enhancement to your divine resistance capabilities."

Selena’s crimson eyes gleamed with predatory hunger as she circled the table like an apex predator stalking prey. "Indeed, My King. His divine protection will become our weapon against any remaining holy resistance. But first..." She gestured toward Lord Sage Mordecai, "Necromancy specialist will provide the most immediate tactical advantage."

[System: Blood Consumption Priority]

[Primary Target: Lord Sage Mordecai]

[Expected Abilities: Necromantic mastery, undead command]

[Secondary Target: Lord Paladin Cassius]

[Expected Abilities: Divine immunity, holy power conversion]

[Tertiary Targets: Remaining Lords]

[Expected Effects: Cumulative power multiplication]

Lord Sage Mordecai struggles against restraints with eyes that blaze with fury. "You monsters! Ancient powers beneath this fortress will destroy you both! Death itself rejects your abominations!"

Lucas smiled with an expression that promised suffering beyond mortal comprehension. "Ancient powers, you my dear? I welcome whatever emerges from the depths. More entertainment for us."

Selena placed her hands on Mordecai’s shoulders, her touch causing visible frost to spread across his skin. "Speak of ancient powers, old man. What do you know about the entity that stirs beneath our feet?"

[System: Information Extraction]

[Target: Lord Sage Mordecai]

[Method: Vampiric compulsion]

[Subject: Ancient entity knowledge]

[Resistance: Moderate]

[Success Probability: 87%]

Mordecai’s eyes dilated as vampiric compulsion invaded his consciousness. Despite her necromantic training, resistance crumbled under Selena’s overwhelming power. "The... the Void Sovereign," he whispered in a voice carried undertones of cosmic dread, "trapped since before the Global Lord system existed. If it awakens fully..."

"Continue," Selena’s voice carried an authority that could bend reality itself.

"Continental destruction. Reality itself will unravel. Only the combined power of all the Lords could contain it, and you’ve eliminated most of them." Mordecai’s confession escaped in gasping whispers. "You’ve doomed us all."

[System: Critical Intelligence Acquired]

[Entity Name: Void Sovereign]

[Threat Level: Continental extinction]

[Awakening Status: 92% complete]

[Containment Method: Combined Lord power]

[Available Lords: 8 captured, 3 remaining free]

[Containment Probability: 12%]

Lucas stared at the information with a fascination that bordered on ecstasy. Void Sovereign represented the ultimate challenge—an opponent who could potentially destroy everything he had built. Perfect adversary for testing his expanded capabilities.

"Fascinating," Lucas’s voice carried notes of twisted excitement, "Void Sovereign will provide entertainment that surpasses anything we have experienced. Proceed with the banquet, Selena."

Selena bowed with reverence that carried undertones of bloodthirsty anticipation. "With pleasure, My King." Her fangs extended to their full length, each one gleaming like polished obsidian. She approached Lord Sage Mordecai with a movement that seemed to flow like a liquid shadow.

[System: Blood Consumption Initiated]

[Target: Lord Sage Mordecai]

[Consumption Method: Vampiric drain]

[Expected Duration: 3 minutes]

[Power Absorption: Active]

[Consciousness Retention: For maximum extraction]

Selena’s fangs penetrated Mordecai’s neck with a precision that avoided major arteries, ensuring a slow drain that would maximize power absorption. His screams echoed through the chamber as vampiric essence invaded his bloodstream, extracting not just life force but every magical ability he had developed throughout his reign.

Lucas stared at the process with an expression that reflected sadistic satisfaction. Selena’s body begins glowing with necromantic energy as Mordecai’s abilities integrate with her existing powers. Dark magic swirled around her Crown, creating a vortex that seemed to bend light itself.

[System: Power Absorption Progress]

[Necromantic Abilities: 67% absorbed]

[Undead Command: Integrated]

[Death Magic: Enhanced]

[Selena’s Power Rating: 2,847 → 3,456]

[New Abilities: Unlocked]

Mordecai’s body began withering as life force drained away, but his consciousness remained intact to experience every sensation. His magical knowledge flowed into Selena’s mind, providing a detailed understanding of the necromantic arts that had taken her decades to master.

"Exquisite," Selena’s voice had gained harmonics that seemed to resonate with death itself, "her knowledge reveals techniques that will allow us to command undead armies on a previously impossible scale."

[System: Necromantic Integration Complete]

[Undead Command Range: 500 kilometers]

[Zombie Creation: Unlimited]

[Skeletal Army: Mass summoning available]

[Death Magic: Reality-warping level]

[Corpse Animation: Instantaneous]

Lord Sage Mordecai’s body collapsed as final traces of life departed, leaving an empty husk that retained no resemblance to the powerful necromancer he had been. Selena’s transformation was dramatic—her presence now radiated authority over death itself.

"Next course," Lucas commanded with a voice that carried undertones of dark hunger, "Lord Paladin Cassius. His divine protection will be most interesting to corrupt."

Selena approaches Cassius with a predatory grace that promises blasphemous violation of everything she holds sacred. Paladin’s divine aura flickered weakly against magical restraints, providing minimal protection against vampiric corruption.

[System: Divine Corruption Protocol]

[Target: Lord Paladin Cassius]

[Resistance: Divine protection active]

[Corruption Method: Vampiric inversion]

[Expected Result: Holy power conversion]

[Difficulty: Extreme]

[Success Probability: 73%]

"Your god cannot protect you here," Selena’s voice carried notes of blasphemous mockery, "divine light will become darkness that serves our purposes."

Cassius struggled with a determination that reflected a lifetime devoted to holy service. "Light eternal will never yield to your corruption! Divine protection..." His words cut off as Selena’s fangs found her throat.

[System: Divine Corruption Initiated]

[Holy Power: Under assault]

[Divine Protection: Weakening]

[Conversion Progress: 23%]

[Resistance: Fierce but failing]

[Vampiric Inversion: Active]

Cassius’s divine aura began flickering as vampiric corruption invaded his sacred essence. His holy power, instead of being destroyed, underwent a twisted transformation—becoming dark energy that retained divine potency but served malevolent purposes.

Lucas looks at the corruption process with a fascination that borders on worship. Selena was accomplishing a feat that should have been impossible—converting divine energy into vampiric power without losing its fundamental potency.

[System: Corruption Breakthrough]

[Divine Power: 78% converted]

[Holy Light: Inverted to Shadow]

[Sacred Protection: Became Vampiric Immunity]

[Blessing Magic: Transformed to Cursing]

[Selena’s Power Rating: 3,456 → 4,789]

Selena’s Crimson Crown erupted with energy that seemed to eclipse light itself. Her vampiric abilities had integrated with divine power, creating a hybrid that possessed both unholy strength and sacred authority. She could now command darkness with divine absoluteness.

"Magnificent," her voice carried harmonics that mixed blasphemy with reverence, "divine corruption provides capabilities that transcend normal vampiric limitations. I can now bless our forces with unholy grace."

[System: Divine Corruption Complete]

[Unholy Grace: Available for troop enhancement]

[Sacred Vampirism: Immunity to holy weapons]

[Blasphemous Authority: Divine power corruption]

[Curse Magic: Reality-bending level]

[Dark Blessings: Mass army enhancement]

Lucas gestured toward the remaining Lords who stared at Selena’s transformation with expressions of absolute terror. "Continue, Selena. I want to see the full extent of your enhanced capabilities."

Selena approached Lord Empress Lyra with a movement that seemed to defy physical laws. Healing specialist’s abilities would provide the final component for creating a truly unstoppable vampiric force.

[System: Healing Absorption Protocol]

[Target: Lord Empress Lyra]

[Expected Abilities: Vampiric regeneration, wound negation]

[Integration: With existing divine and necromantic powers]

[Predicted Result: Reality-warping vampiric hybrid]

Lyra’s healing aura flickered desperately as Selena’s fangs approached her throat. "Please... mercy..."

"Mercy," Selena’s voice carried notes of mockery that seemed to wound the soul itself, "is a concept that has no meaning in our vocabulary."

[System: Banquet Acceleration]

[Remaining Lords: 6 units]

[Consumption Rate: Increasing]

[Selena’s Power: Exponentially growing]

[Time to Void Sovereign Manifestation: 23 minutes]

[Something cosmic approach]

Lucas looked at Selena consuming the remaining Lords with an expression that reflected absolute satisfaction. Each death enhanced her capabilities exponentially, transforming her into a hybrid entity that possessed powers that defined categorization.

Suddenly, Selena approached Lucas with a movement that seemed to flow like liquid starlight. Her enhanced vampiric abilities had reached levels bordering on cosmic significance.

"My King," her voice carried harmonics that seemed to resonate with reality itself, "banquet is complete. I have absorbed power from the eight Lords, creating capabilities that transcend normal vampiric limitations."

[System: Final Enhancement Status]

[Selena’s Power Rating: 7.234]

[Abilities: Necromantic, Divine, Healing, Elemental, Strategic]

[Classification: Cosmic-tier entity]

[Loyalty: Absolute devotion to Lucas]

[Capabilities: Reality manipulation]

Selena leaned toward Lucas with a movement that seemed to bend space around her presence. Her lips, still stained with the blood of the eight Lords, approached him with an intention that promised power beyond mortal comprehension.

"My King," she whispered in a voice that carried undertones of cosmic authority, "accept a blood kiss that will share power gained from tonight’s feast."

[System: Blood Kiss Protocol]

[Donor: Selena Draculea]

[Recipient: Lucas Nightveil]

[Power Transfer: Partial abilities from consumed Lords]

[Enhancement: Unprecedented]

[Risk: Unknown]

[Warning: Cosmic forces stirring]

Lucas stared at Selena’s approaching kiss with anticipation that bordered on madness. Her lips promised power that could reshape reality itself, but simultaneously, from depths beneath the fortress, a roar that shook dimensional barriers announced Void Sovereign’s imminent arrival.

Selena’s kiss would either grant him the power to face cosmic entities or destroy him completely. Either outcome represented ultimate entertainment.

[System: Critical Moment]

[Blood Kiss: Imminent]

[Void Sovereign: 98% awakened]

[Power Transfer: Beginning]

[Reality: Approaching fundamental change]

[Something beyond comprehension stirs]

From unfathomable depths, an ancient presence beyond understanding began its final emergence, while above, Selena’s kiss promised power that could either save or doom everything Lucas had built.